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“You don’t get to humiliate and threaten me, Carmichael,” he growls.
I open my mouth, but he clicks his fingers above my head. “Hey, you! Purser!”
I turn and see Sandy making his way over to us. “Is there a problem here?” He asks mildly.
“Damn straight there’s a problem here. I want them arrested! Take them to the brig!”
He points at me and Jess and Sandy sweeps his gaze over us. Then, he turns back to De Haverland and cocks his head.
“Excuse me, sir?”
“Arrest them for God’s sake, what are you waiting for?” De Haverland waves his arm in impatience, but Sandy just looks more confused.
“I’m ever so sorry sir, but I don’t know what you mean. Why would I arrest these distinguished guests?”
“Distinguished? Ha! You just check that bitch’s ID and you’ll see she’s not Emily Warrington at all,” he spits.
Sandy looks around. The entire room is silent as they watch this exchange, waiting to see what will happen. I notice some of the guests sip their champagne and nudge each other in glee, eager for a show.
I smirk. I doubt they’ll be disappointed.
Sandy turns back to De Haverland and shakes his head. “But of course this isn’t Emily Warrington. This is Jess Cox.”
De Haverland pales. “You knew that she isn’t who she says she is?”
Sandy laughs. “I don’t understand what you mean, sir. This is Jess Cox, fiancé to Ashley Carmichael.”
He gestures to me and I waggle my fingers at De Haverland. He turns purple with rage.
“I demand that you take these women in as stowaways immediately!”
Natalie shuffles up behind Sandy and hands him a thick binder. Sandy takes it and flicks through the pages, running his finger down the list of names.
“I am holding the ship’s ledger, Mr. De Haverland. The ship’s ledger contains the names of all of the passengers travelling on this ship with us.”
“Good! Then you’ll see that there is no Jess Cox on there, and I highly doubt Ashley Carmichael is on their either if she’s been pretending to be someone else all
this time.”
De Haverland sniffs and looks directly at me. “I was always suspicious after you introduced yourself as Robin. As if the successful hotelier and CEO Robin Carmichael could have been a woman.”
I step forwards but Jess restrains me. Sandy raises his voice, quieting De Haverland.
“But sir, if you would be so kind as to look here. See? Ashley Carmichael and Jess Cox are listed, but no Robin Carmichael or Emily Warrington. Is it possible you’re thinking of a different cruise?”
Sandy presents De Haverland with the ledger, and around us other passengers crane to see. De Haverland’s face contorts in anger as he sees our names, written there clearly in black and white. He looks around the room wildly.
“They weren’t calling themselves Jess and Ashley before! You all heard them, swanning around as Robin Carmichael. Tell him, you all heard them!”
The other passengers shuffle their feet and say nothing. He continues to stare around the room at people.
“You know that they were calling themselves Robin and Emily!”
I’ve never heard something so preposterous in all my life! Those girls are Ashley and Jess and they always have been. What’s wrong with you, man?”
I turn and see Ms. Peterson striding across the room towards us. She reaches De Haverland and glares at him severely.
One by one other people around the room begin to agree with her. I’m touched at how eager they all are to agree and to help us. De Haverland is looking rather sick, and I throw my arms around Jess happily.
