Susan and Julie took a late breakfast in the deck café the next morning, then Susan had to go to the shop, and after an hour on a lounger, enjoying the sun, Julie decided it was warm enough to swim in the small pool. Several other bathers were already splashing about in it.
Julie had settled for the safety of her old one-piece swim suit, but she admitted to herself that she felt a little dowdy as she contemplated those worn by the other women. Even the rather large ladies wore bikinis, and seemed unconcerned at the rolls of flesh which sprawled unconfined. She still had a good figure, perhaps even better since she'd lost some weight. Tomorrow, she promised herself, she'd give her new bikini an airing. It was green, a colour which always suited her, and not as brief as some up here.
After her swim Julie sat beside the pool drinking coffee. Steven, in shorts and a thin shirt, dropped onto a chair beside her, and put out a hand to detain her when she began to rise.
'Don't run away, please. I want to explain, apologise.'
Julie glanced round and tensed. There was no one else within earshot. Good. Now she could tell Steven a few home truths.
He was beckoning to a deck steward.
'A beer, please. Nice and cold. What about you, Julie? Is it too early for a drink?'
'Nothing.'
They were silent for a while, as Julie considered her best approach, and then Steven, looking serious, leant towards her.
'These dance hosts, like Robert,' he began, 'you need to watch out for them. They are often on the lookout for rich widows.'
She looked at him, scorn in her eyes.
'I'm sure that's not true. And I'm not wealthy enough to tempt someone like that.'
'Any of them could come as ordinary passengers, if they could afford it, so they must be on the make.'
'It's not a crime to be poor, or even less well off than you or I.'
'I'm aware you have a good income,' he said rather ruefully. 'You threw that in my face two years ago. But that's why you need to be even more on your guard.'
'As you discovered, though I now have enough to live on, with Andrew's insurance and pension,' she snapped, 'some of that would stop if I married again, so I'm perhaps not such a good bargain as some people, like you did, may imagine.'
'Don't be mad at me,' he said, laughing. 'I made a dreadful mistake then, but you misunderstood, and didn't give me the chance to explain that I never did need a rich wife. I just don't like handing more to the tax man than necessary. Who does? But I suspect our friend Robert would like someone to support him in style. I think Susan is worried about you.'
'If Susan was concerned about that she'd not have persuaded me to come on this cruise and contrived to get you here too. Steven, for the last time, understand this, as I don't want to have to keep on saying it. I have no interest in you, I don't want your company, or to have you pestering me. I came away to enjoy a cruise, for a holiday, a break, not to have you harassing me all the time. Now I'm going in. We have the lifeboat drill soon, and I need to change.'
*
The passengers all gathered in the ballroom for instructions. Some were already wearing the life jackets, while others carried them, as they listened to one of the crew demonstrating how to put them on, and then directing them to the various lifeboat stations on deck. Other crew members were moving around, helping those passengers having problems. Julie discovered that the straps of hers were impossibly tangled, and while she was trying to sort them out Robert appeared beside her.
'Let me,' he offered. 'Oh dear, someone really made a mess of these. How are you this morning?'
'I'm fine, thanks.'
'Good. I think that's got it. Now pop this over your head.'
She did so, and Robert arranged the straps, in doing so putting both arms round her. She shivered, though it wasn't really an embrace. The bulky life jacket came between them. Nevertheless, the feel of his hands sent goosebumps to her arms.
It seemed impersonal. He didn't permit his hands to linger, as some men would have done.
'Come on, or we'll be late for rollcall.'
He took her hand and led her out of the ballroom, up to the next deck, where they joined a group of people standing underneath one of the lifeboats which was slung up against the side of the ship. Other groups were spread out all along the deck.
The red-head and her older companion were also in this group, Julie noticed, and Susan was at the far side with Cathy. Steven, she was thankful to see, was nowhere in sight. At least if they were shipwrecked she wouldn't have to endure him, she thought with a grin.
She tried to concentrate on the crewman who was telling them what to do should they ever have to use the lifeboats, but all she could think about was the feel of Robert's hands on her arms. They'd been firm, smooth and warm, just like last night when they had danced together. Then it was over, and everyone was dispersing.
*
The shop had been closed during the lifeboat drill, and Cathy was with Susan. They caught Julie up as she reached the cabin, taking her life jacket back.
'Hi, let's go and get a drink on deck,' Cathy said, flopping down on Julie's bed. 'Debbie and Charlotte can cope for a while. Most people will be heading off for lunch. I'll leave the jacket here for now, collect it later.'
On the pool deck they found a table and Bill, from the band, joined them. The red-head and the older woman were sitting at the next table, and Julie noticed that even when she was wearing just shorts and a brief top the girl sported several rings, and the older woman, wearing a simple cotton frock, still had on the big emerald she had noticed the previous evening.
The two of them were leaning towards one another, deep in conversation, and after finishing their drinks they got up to leave. Bill suddenly leapt up, exclaiming. He went to the table they'd just left, and picked up a small black purse under one of the chairs.
'Hi, ma'am, you've forgotten this,' he called, and the older woman turned, glanced at the purse, and came to retrieve it.
'Thank you so much! I'm such a scatterbrain! I'll lose my head next. But I know you, don't I?'
'In the band, ma'am.'
'Of course. You were playing last night. It's a much better band than I expected. How could I have forgotten.'
She smiled round at the three girls, and then looked again at Susan.
'Aren't you from the shop? I have been admiring the selection of clothes you have, especially the tops.' She glanced at Cathy. 'And you work there too, I think? How about you?' she asked, turning to Julie.
'I'm just Susan's sister,' Julie told her. 'Here for the ride.'
'Why don't all of you come up for a drink, before dinner tonight? I expect you can close the shop then? Or perhaps you have other girls to run it. And you won't be playing for the dancing till afterwards, will you?' she added, smiling at Bill. 'I'll expect you any time after six. Penthouse number one.'
Without giving them time to reply she smiled and departed, rejoining the red-head who was waiting further along the deck.
*
Julie found a quiet spot to read for the rest of the day, when Susan and Cathy were busy. As they sailed southwards Steven ostentatiously avoided her, though he did cast a few regretful glances towards Julie when she sat on deck, but did no more than nod briefly when he walked past her. Julie relaxed, and forgot to be on her guard all the time.
She saw Robert once or twice in the distance, but he didn't come near her. He seemed to be devoting himself to a few of the older, single women. Even away from the dance floor, she supposed he had his duties towards the other unaccompanied women passengers. She saw him talking to them, sitting with them on deck, buying them drinks in the bar.
It would have been pleasant, Julie thought rather guiltily, if Robert spent more time with her. Then she told herself not to be stupid, he had a job to do, and even though she was alone now, she had her sister. She was not unaccompanied like these women.
Susan found her at teatime, and said they took it in turns to have time off for meals and breaks, so that they could keep the shop open as much as possible
Julie was unable to resist the delicious small cakes the waiters brought round, and was glad of a cup of tea. It was hotter than she had expected.
'I'll come back with you and see what you have,' she said when Susan said she had to get back. 'I need some more sun blocker.'
*
Cathy was already in the penthouse suite when Julie and Susan arrived, along with at least another dozen people. Julie looked round in awe. Her own cabin was tiny compared with this.
The door opened straight into a sitting room bigger than hers at home. Patio windows opposite revealed a veranda, and to either side she could see through open doors into two double bedrooms. Some of the guests were on the veranda, and the windows from there into the bedrooms were open. The red-head came forward, smiling brightly.
'Hi. I'm Beatrix Talbot, Bea to my friends. I don't think we introduced ourselves. That's my mother, Mary, over there by the window. Come and get a drink.'
A waiter was stationed by the bar in a corner, and Julie found herself clutching a glass of champagne, moving towards the window as more people arrived and Bea left her to greet them. Susan had turned to talk to a man Julie didn't know, and to her relief Julie saw Laura chatting to the elderly woman Robert had been dancing with the previous night. She squeezed past another small group to join her.
Laura smiled, drew her forward and introduced her to the woman, a Lady Jenkins.
'Julie, Lady Jenkins comes on several cruises a year, and she's been telling me the most amazing stories about some of the passengers. Like the American who hired a separate cabin for her dresses. Why she didn't have a suite like this I don't know.'
Lady Jenkins snorted.
'Too mean, spent all her money on gowns that she thought made her look eighteen again, instead of eighty.'
Julie blinked. Lady Jenkins' evening dress, an off the shoulder frilly concoction more suited to a teenager of fifty years ago, made her look older than the seventy-odd years Julie guessed she was.
Lady Jenkins, with the freedom of age and social confidence, began asking Julie about her family, her husband, whether she had children, and where she lived. Appearing satisfied with the brief answers that were all Julie could manage, she gave Julie an approving smile, just as Cathy, with an apologetic murmur, slid past them into the bedroom. Julie, glancing after her, saw her bending towards the dressing table mirror, applying lip gloss.
'I can't think why people have to invite members of the crew to these affairs,' Lady Jenkins said, staring at Cathy, 'nor why the wretched girls can't attend to their make up before they come. Surely no one needs to repair their ghastly eye shadow every five minutes?'
To Julie's relief, before the inquisition continued and she had to confess her sister was part of the crew, they were joined by another couple, and Lady Jenkins turned her attention to them. Julie was able to slip away, and as the window to the veranda was blocked with a group of people, she went through the bedroom and that window, waiting for Susan who followed her, complaining of the crush and saying she needed the bathroom.
Not long afterwards people began to leave. Cathy and Susan, gathering up Julie, said they must be going, they were due to be in the shop again after dinner.
*
Robert, on receiving the phone call from Bea to say everyone had left, went to the penthouse. Bea and Mary were sitting at the table with Mary's purse open on it.
'Have we struck lucky straight away?' he asked.
Mary nodded.
'I think so. Just a few notes missing from my purse, which I'd left open on my dressing table. But the ring I'd also left there hadn't been taken.'
'Perhaps a trial run, to see if you'd miss them?' Robert suggested. 'A ring would have been missed more easily, but perhaps not notes unless you counted them immediately. So who went into the bedroom?'
'Several people,' Bea replied. 'I kept a check on who went into mother's room, while she helpfully blocked the patio doorway in here. There was nothing left out in mine, so I didn't need to watch that.'
'Who?'
'Mostly passengers we're not interested in, but of the crew, the man from the band, Bill, isn't it? He was on the veranda earlier, but he stepped inside for a minute. To talk to someone, I think, one of the passengers. Cathy, from the shop, went through the bedroom. The other shop girl, Susan, and her sister, Julie, went through to get onto the veranda. Susan went into the bathroom. Julie stopped to talk to someone and blocked my view for a minute or so. The man who plays in the Piano Bar followed them. The dressing table is partly hidden from where I was standing, and from the veranda. It would have been easy to slide out a few notes.'
'Well, unless we have two thieves, we can narrow the suspect list,' Mary said.
'Unless there are two of them working together,' Robert warned, and the others groaned.
'True,' Bea said. 'And notes would be difficult to trace. If we'd marked them they'd most likely have turned up in the shop, untraceable. We'll have to wait, tempt them again with the ring. Now I suppose we should go to dinner.'
*
Robert was late to dinner, and seemed preoccupied. Afterwards, when Susan had gone to help in the shop, Julie went to watch a film. She didn't want to go to the ballroom on her own, knowing it would be difficult to repulse Steven if he wanted to dance with her. She suspected he was impervious to her claims she wanted nothing to do with him. Why hadn't she realised what sort of man he was two years ago?
She was having breakfast the following day in the deck café with Susan when Robert, carrying a loaded tray, went past them.
'Hi there,' Susan said, but Robert, with an abstracted smile, simply nodded and walked past to sit at a table at the far end. As they sailed towards the Canaries he was rather distant, less friendly than he had seemed at first. He was amiable enough at dinner, or if their paths crossed during the day, but that was all.
'Have I offended Robert?' Julie asked Susan as she was getting ready for dinner the evening before they arrived at Tenerife.
'Why? What gives you that idea?' Susan demanded.
'He's cold, somehow, not as friendly as he seemed at first.'
'I think Steven may have offended him in some way,' Susan said thoughtfully. 'Haven't you noticed, they deliberately ignored each other when they almost collided, just when they were coming into the dining room for dinner last night.'
It was true, though she hadn't considered it before. Robert seemed to have withdrawn himself. He always excused himself before coffee was served, but that could be explained by the need to be on the dance floor early. It didn't mean he wanted to be away from them.
A small group of people sat together in the ballroom that evening, until the Tomkins, saying they needed an early night, ready for a whole day excursion in the morning, excused themselves. Susan said she must go and help Cathy for the last hour in the shop, and went with them, and Robert went to ask another of the elderly ladies to dance.
Lady Jenkins looked after Susan, a frown on her face, then turned to Julie.
'I wasn't aware your sister was one of the crew?' she said. 'Are you one of the shop girls as well? I haven't patronised it, I find their goods overpriced and poor quality.'
'I simply came on this cruise because I would have company,' Julie said coldly. How dare the old harridan be so snobbish!
'Oh, I see. How odd. Well, please excuse me. I have to go and talk to the Colonel.'
'He's more acceptable than we are, is he?' Steven asked. 'No. don't leave me all alone, sweetheart,' he added, stretching across and catching Julie's hand as she began to get up. 'Come and dance. They're playing a romantic waltz, just the kind of dance we can smooch to.'
Didn't he realise how false he sounded, like some Lothario in a bad film?
'Let go of me, Steven. I'm tired, it's late, I don't want to dance, or have anything to do with you. I am going to bed.'
'But not with me. If it were dear Robert, I don't expect you'd refuse.'
She only just stopped herself from hitting him as she rose to leave. She was furiously angry, both with the snobbish woman who thought she could be rude just because she had a title, and Steven for persisting in attentions he knew were unwelcome, and his insinuations about bed and Robert.
To cool down before she tried to sleep she went out onto the deck and leaned over the rail. The sky was wonderfully clear, full of stars, a sight rarely seen in the south of England where everywhere seemed to be lit up with horrid, harsh street lights. The soft lights of the ship were behind her, muted by drawn curtains over the ballroom and bar windows, and in the far distance she could see another cruise ship with its long line of lit windows. It was truly magical, out here on the sea.
A soft breeze fanned her hot face, and the noises around her, the dance band, the hum of the ship's engines, were so quiet she could hear the slap of the waves against the ship's side. Then she heard the slam of a door, and footsteps coming along the deck, and sighed. She'd been enjoying the solitude, but it seemed it was at an end. She turned to go back inside, but an arm snaked round her waist and she was pulled back against the rail.
'Julie, don't be like this. Give me another chance, and I'll prove to you I love you.'
'Steven! Let me go!' she gasped, struggling to free herself. 'How dare you treat me like this? It's harassment, and how often to I need to tell you I want nothing to do with you?'
'You won't listen to me,' he complained. 'Just because I'm trying to be sensible, minimise our tax liabilities, doesn't mean I wouldn't treat you as my wife. Surely you're not offended by that?'
He pulled her towards him and tried to kiss her, but she managed to twist her face away, though she could not break free of his hold.
'I am offended by you!' Julie retorted. 'I have no desire whatsoever to live with you, whether we were married or not! In fact, you're the last man I'd ever want to live with! I despise and loathe you! You're a creep, a slimy, horrible man! Now let me go, before I scream for help!'
'Bitch!' he snarled, and thrust her away so sharply she almost fell.
To her relief he stormed off along the deck, and Julie, wondering if he had finally got the message, abandoned the deck and went to bed.
She couldn't sleep. To distract herself from her anger with Steven she tried to recall the conversation after dinner when Robert had been so withdrawn. Had there been anything in particular which had given her such an impression, not noticed at the time, but subconsciously nagging at her since? Then she had a glimmer of an idea.
They had been in the ballroom, and Robert, having just danced with Lady Jenkins, brought her to join them when the band were having a break. Steven appeared, and seeming unaware of Julie's frowns, sat down with the group. James and Laura Tomkins were talking of the economy, investments, and whether shares or property would be most profitable in the next ten years. Robert started to speak, but Steven interrupted him, as if his views didn't count. Was that it? There had been a slight stress on his words, 'as a businessman'. Had he been, intentionally or not, putting Robert down?
She hoped not. In fact none of them knew what Robert did. He said he'd taken a few weeks off, but what was his job? He had glanced rather oddly at Steven, pursed his lips and then said no more, listening with an unreadable expression to the rest of the discussion.
*