* * *
‘I keep wondering how we managed all those years ago,’ Harriet said, ‘when we were travelling around with so little. I think we just used to sniff our clothes and wear the ones that ponged the least. Revolting really. It didn’t bother the boys at all. In fact, I think Tom went into a fountain fully clothed on more than one occasion, hoping to clean up. It’s a wonder he wasn’t arrested.’
‘We’re more sophisticated now,’ I said, ‘and needier.’
‘Rupert once told me I was high maintenance,’ Anna said, with a bemused expression, ‘and of course I never have been.’
Harriet and I laughed out loud at this.
‘You jolly well are,’ Harriet said. ‘I remember you at school, forever rolling up the waistband of your skirt to make it shorter, and being told off for wearing makeup. Every time I went into the loo you would be there spitting into your block mascara and adding another layer. You could have given a Kardashian a run for their money.’
Anna laughed. ‘Do you remember the time I put on some fake tan in the lunch break? And during the afternoon the colour developed until I was bright orange. Miss Walker sent me out of Maths to wash it off. And of course I couldn’t. And then I got sent to the head who would have been furious if she hadn’t been so confused. I can hear her now:Why would you do such a thing, Anna?’
‘Gosh, they were an awful group of women, weren’t they?’ I said. ‘I think some of them actively hated us for being young and for having the opportunities they didn’t. I’ve just remembered one of the games teachers grabbing me by the collar and positively growling in my face,Stop being so bouncy, Elizabeth.You have no reason to be so pleased with yourself.’
‘That had to be Miss Grant,’ Anna said. ‘She nearly slapped me once because I wouldn’t even try and climb up the rope in the gym. I had the upper body strength of a sloth, and about as much enthusiasm.’
‘I think only Patsy Moore ever got to the top,’ I said, ‘and she went to join the army when she left school and became a PT instructor. I bet she was a terror to the new recruits.’
‘She always did shout a lot,’ Anna agreed. ‘I expect she’s a brigadier now or something. Now, what are we going to do this afternoon? I’d like to sit up on deck in one of those loungers and start boosting my tan. Then we set off for the next island at seven thirty. We should arrive just after ten and moor up ready for tomorrow. And of course there is dinner. I’m going to wear that new dress I bought today.’
‘Let’s hope you don’t drop too much down the cleavage,’ Harriet said. ‘I’d be scooping crumbs out all evening if it was me.’
I twirled my wine glass for a moment and then finished the last few drops. What a lovely day this had been already, and I was looking forward to more of the same.
Then my phone pinged with a new message.
Ben
Isn’t this the cutest thing?
This message accompanied a picture of a young red-haired woman who was cuddling three kittens and smiling broadly at the camera. Closer inspection showed that she was sitting on the sofa in my living room. Hmm. I thought so.
Me
The kittens are cute or the young lady holding them? I assume that’s Jenna?
Ben
She did a house visit. *smiley face emoji*
20
Harriet and Anna went up onto the sundeck after lunch, taking with them Kindles and a bag full of sunscreen and mint imperials. They were also planning to take a dip in the pool later to cool off.
I didn’t fancy swimming just then. I hated sunbathing and I didn’t have a good book to read, so I decided to go off the boat for another walk through some of the enchanting parks and streets for which Opatija was famous.
It was such a lovely afternoon. The sky a dazzling blue, a gentle breeze from the sea and warmth from the sun. There was no threat of rain as in many September days in England, and I was looking forward to doing some exploring.
I left the boat and this time walked from the quay to the path leading to the right.
The path went alongside the sea, with more modern blocks of apartments and hotels on my left. The trees clustered closer then, the path narrower, the air cooler and scented with pine. I squared my shoulders and walked on.
Would I have been quite so confident a month ago? A year ago? Definitely not. But somehow I felt I could do this. I was not going to get lost as Fred had always told me I would. I was not useless and hopeless; I was going to be fine.
I passed a massive old house which looked closed up and possibly deserted. What did houses cost here anyway? I only had the information gleaned from television programmes where couples with a relatively small amount of money wanted to buy a second home. And without fail they found somewhere. Usually complete with dark brown kitchens, rotting plaster and a lot of unattractive furniture.
I stood and looked up at the stone steps leading up to the front door, an impressive stone balcony, rusty iron bars across the windows in the basement. The views over the sea must have been spectacular. Who had lived there? What would it take to buy such a place? How much would it cost to renovate?
