‘Now then, did you enjoy the musical performance last night? Yuri playing the guitar and Anjelica singing?’
‘I didn’t hear them,’ I said, pulling out a chair next to hers.
‘No, we know you didn’t.’ Marjorie chuckled. ‘You missed it and they were quite good really. All things considered. Yuri has Russian somewhere in his blood, you can tell by those marvellous cheekbones, and Anjelica is – shall we say – a trier. She sang us a lot of Croatian things which all sounded a bit sad and angry, and then she had a go at Dolly Parton, which we hadn’t expected at all from her. I always think dear Dolly must be such a nice person, always smiling and happy, and of course Anjelica isn’t either of those things. So what did you get up to?’
I looked up from stirring some sugar into my coffee to see both of them looking at me expectantly.
‘I went up on the top deck for a walk. It was lovely.’
‘And?’ she prompted.
‘And then I went to bed and slept very well.’
‘I told you,’ Evelyn said in a sing-song voice, ‘she’s not going to spill the beans.’
‘As far as I remember there are no beans,’ I said, ‘spilled or otherwise.’
‘You’re a terrible disappointment.’ Evelyn chuckled. ‘We were hoping you and your handsome companion might have enjoyed a few romantic moments up there.’
‘I remember an incredibly romantic evening off the Amalfi coast,’ Marjorie said, her eyes misty. ‘It was when I was twixt Lionel and Julian so it must have been about 1970 when I was still in my twenties.’
‘Was that Ralph?’ Evelyn asked.
‘Yes. Dear Ralph. And having been through my first divorce I almost felt that I was on the scrap heap. Which of course I wasn’t. And there was Ralph, this charming man on board who worked for the Foreign Office; he was taking his mother on her first cruise and she was spending most of her time in her cabin she was so seasick, but apparently she was quite happy, a woman who thoroughly enjoyed ill health and doctors. So, Ralph was left to entertain himself most of the time. And he evidently found me very entertaining. We had such fun.’
‘Gosh, what happened?’ I said.
Marjorie widened her eyes. ‘Oh, nothing, of course. Shipboard romances never come to anything. Everything is so glamorous at the time, everyone is carefree and dressed up to the nines. Everything was much more stylish back then. I can remember buying a hat and gloves to wear on a plane to New York. Ah yes, the romance of the sea, the long warm nights under the stars, too many cocktails; it’s a recipe for disaster. The minute we got back to Southampton he lost his allure and he somehow seemed shorter. The last I saw of him he was bundling his mother into a huge Daimler and presumably driving her back to Virginia Water. He was wearing a duffle coat too, which I’ve always found a bit of a turn off. In my opinion only Gregory Peck inThe Guns of Navaronelooked attractive in one.’
I felt a cold little pang of doubt.
Shipboard romances never come to anything.
Evelyn tapped me on the arm. ‘You missed a thrilling evening listening to Anjelica singing Jolene in Italian. Honestly, it was heartbreaking.Ti prego non prendere il mio uomosounds so much more tragic than “please don’t take my man”.’
Marjorie nodded in agreement. ‘And then Rocco had to leave the dining room, I expect he was steering the ship into a parking space or something. Left hand down a bit, and Anjelica went storming after him. We could hear her shouting before the doors were closed, and then the sound of breaking china. She must be exhausting to live with, no wonder Rocco has chosen to be at sea for twenty years.’
I finished my coffee and went to get a refill, and by the time I had returned to the table, Harriet and Anna were there, dumping their handbags under it and making a fuss about the patchy Wi-Fi.
‘If I sit on my bed it’s not too bad, but in the armchair I have no signal at all. Mila told me it’s because of the thickness of the steel hull of the boat, which I suppose is reassuring. I wouldn’t want it to be any thinner just so I can play Royal Match. I’m ashamed to say I am on level 5032, a life well lived I think you will agree. So anyway, how did you get on with Jack last night?’ Harriet said with a broad smile. ‘We left you to it after dinner. We thought it might be a good idea.’
‘Yes, your discretion wasn’t lost on me. You were so subtle, shuffling out giggling. We had a walk around the top deck and then I went to bed,’ I said.
‘There’s no point asking, she won’t tell us,’ Marjorie said.
‘So did you… you know… connect?’ Anna asked.
‘We had a nice chat and that was all,’ I said, trying not to laugh.
‘There’s something,’ Anna said, wagging a finger at me, ‘I can tell.’
‘So who is going on the guided tour this afternoon?’ I said.
‘You’re trying to change the subject,’ Harriet said triumphantly, ‘that’s a sure sign.’
Bernardo came hurrying up to our table.
‘Please, ladies, enjoy the shakshuka, special Croatian breakfast dish, you will like it. Eggs, tomatoes, onions, garlic, wonderful herbs and spices.’
