Robert went to the Captain's cabin late that night.
'Some notes were stolen, but only a few. As though it was a trial run, to see whether they were missed. I have a list of people who were in that bedroom and could have taken them.'
'It's the same woman who made such a fuss about her bag earlier, and showed how much she carried in it. I hope she is more careful in future. Do you know if she had so much in her bag when the notes were stolen?'
'Yes, she knew, but jewellery would be more positive proof.'
'I suppose so. Well, we asked you here to try and find the thief, so I suppose I'd better accept your advice.'
*
Robert had breakfast in the penthouse with Mary and Bea two days later. They had nothing useful to report. The ladies had held another drinks party, and by now most of the potential suspects had been invited to the penthouse suite, but nothing else had been stolen, despite the many opportunities.
'I've left my purse around and had it returned to me so often I am getting a reputation as a scatty old dear ready for a safe residential home where I can be of no danger to myself or others,' Mary complained. 'I think every passenger on the boat has seen it by now. I've taken off my ring and left it in the loos three times, when one of the girls we suspect is in there, but it's always been returned to me or the Purser. What else can we do?'
'Has anything else been reported stolen? From other people?' Bea asked. 'There are plenty of women here flaunting jewellery.'
'We've heard of nothing,' Robert said.
'What's been the pattern before?' Mary asked suddenly. 'Have these thefts been noticed at any particular time during a cruise? Towards the end, perhaps, when there would be less time for complaint and investigation?'
'Or before a particular port, where they could have accomplices they could pass the jewellery to?' Bea added.
Robert shook his head.
'We've looked at all the possible combinations, but there isn't any sort of pattern. Our only chance now is to tempt them to steal the ring and be able to track it.'
'If only we had a clearer idea of who it could be! It might be a man. It's easy enough to take the ring off and forget it when I'm washing my hands in the loo, but that could only trap the girls, and it's beginning to seem as though none of them are guilty. Where else can I take it off, when the men we suspect are around?'
'Most of them are around at some time during the day in the deck café, or in the bar before dinner.' Mary said slowly. 'I have an idea! Robert, can you gather as many of them as you can together. In the bar, I think. You'll have to think of an excuse. Somebody's birthday. Yours if necessary. I will be at the next table. I'll complain my fingers are swollen. Why? I know, I'll have caught my hand in a door. Bea can rush off to find a cold compress, or some ice, the ring can be left on the table, I will feel faint and Bea will escort me off to the cabin. If that doesn't work, we'll have to think of something else.'
Robert laughed.
'Aunt Mary, why don't you write detective novels?'
'Oh, no, dear. Far too much like hard work.'
*
Over the next few days, as they called at several of the Canary islands, Steven appeared to have recovered his good humour. He kept his distance, even when he was on the same coach excursions as Julie, and seemed to have accepted the situation. He was cool but polite when they met, and didn't attempt to stay close to the sisters otherwise.
It was on Lanzarote's Fire Mountain, while they were watching the steam rising from the embers below the hot sand, in the midst of this moon-like landscape created by the volcanic lava, like nothing Julie had ever seen before, that Robert drew her aside.
'Julie, I had a friend check up on Steven Wilkes,' he said quietly. 'He's not a businessman, or he isn't now. He was made bankrupt last year.'
She stared at him, shocked. 'You checked up on him? Why? That was a sneaky thing to do!'
Just as Steven had tried to do for him, she thought, from what Susan had overheard.
He shrugged. 'Maybe, but it's clear he admires you by the way he looks at you when you're not aware of it. I didn't want you to be taken in by him, and perhaps get hurt.'
'What I do is none of your business, Robert! I can look after myself, and I have no intention of being taken in by anyone!'
'I was trying to help.'
'Would you like it if Steven poked his nose into your background, checking up on you!'
'He's had a good try, according to what Mrs Laurey told me.'
'Who?'
'Mrs Laurey, the lady with the vast number of rings. She told me he was asking her all sorts of questions the other day, insinuating I was a fortune hunter, and warning her to beware my cunning wiles. We had a good laugh about it. I've known her for years.'
Julie was silent. Susan had seen Steven talking to the old lady, so it was probably true. All the same, she felt humiliated that Robert had felt it necessary, and taken it upon himself, to check up on Steven. She could deal with the wretched man herself, and had. She didn't need the interference, however well meant, of a virtual stranger.
Nonetheless she couldn't stop thinking about it. Was what he said about Steven's financial situation true? And worse than that, did he imagine she was on the lookout for a second husband? But why should he think it when she avoided Steven as much as possible, and made sure they were never alone? Why should he want to put suspicions about Steven into her head? Was he jealous? No, that couldn't be possible.
In time, she admitted to herself, she might have grown fond of Robert. All right, she thought, she was attracted to him already, but she doubted it would have changed into anything warmer. Wouldn't it? A small inner voice insisted that he was the first, the only man to have cracked the hard shell she'd pulled round herself after Andrew's death. Steven had tried, and she'd been flattered for a while, thinking him a pleasant friend, but then Steven had moved too fast, too far, and ruined any remote possibility of her ever becoming fond of him, let alone develop stronger feelings.
She had loathed Steven's attempts to kiss her then, and light though Robert's hugs had been, just friendly embraces, really, she had felt a quiver of long-suppressed desire when he touched her, even if it was only a helping hand. On the rare occasions they had danced together his touch had been impersonal, just as it was when he was dancing with Lady Jenkins or any of the other elderly ladies he was there to entertain. Did that mean she was becoming attracted to him, or just that her protective shell was cracking?
Robert began to talk about something else, and Julie tried to respond normally. That evening, back on the boat, she pleaded exhaustion and insisted she wanted to eat in the cabin.
Susan raised her eyebrows, but to Julie's relief didn't ask questions. She wouldn't have known what to say, and Susan knew her too well for her to be able to give a false excuse. She'd never been any good at lying to her elder sister.
Both Steven and Robert seemed to keep out of her way for a while. She saw Robert only at dinner, when he was polite but distant. Steven, when they happened to meet on deck, which was perhaps too often to be coincidence, would give her a wry smile, perhaps say hello, but he never stopped or tried to engage her in conversation. She was longing for this cruise to end. Enjoyable as the shore visits had been, on board she had not been able to relax. They had two more ports, Funchal in Madeira and Casablanca, in Morocco, and then she could go home and resume her normal life. This cruise holiday had not been a total success, and in future she would resist Susan's bright ideas.
*
Mary and Bea were breakfasting in the penthouse. Both were gloomy.
'I don't see what else we can do,' Mary said. 'I've taken pains to leave this wretched ring on the washbasin in every public loo on board, and I swear it's been there for every single one of the women suspects, and none has touched it except to run after me and hand it back!'
'Robert is beginning to think it must be one of the men. But we'll play out our little plot for this evening.'
'I wondered what you were doing last night, in a huddle with him for so long. His regular partners were looking a bit sour when he didn't dance with them. And that sweet little widow, Julie, was looking wistful. I suspect she has fallen for him.'
'He's been paying her more attention than is wise, unless he's serious,' Bea said. 'In some ways I wish he could fall in love. He's been mourning that girl who died for far too long. I heard a story from Laura about Julie and that creep Steven Wilkes. I'm not surprised she tries to avoid him. But he doesn't seem able to take no for an answer. The past few days he's spent quite a lot of time just looking at her. Though I don't see them talking, he always seems to be in the same part of the ship. I'm not sure if she's aware of it.'
'Well, they'll have to sort it out for themselves. I have enough to do helping to catch this wretched thief. Now, what do we have to do? Give me my stage directions.'
*
'Have a farewell drink with me this evening?' Robert said, as he joined the band members at their table on deck, where they were having an early breakfast. They were due in Funchal within the hour and they all wanted to make the most of this day in Madeira. 'I'm not staying on for the next cruise,' he went on, 'and the last couple of days will be too busy. We leave here at six, so when you've had time to change?'
They nodded and thanked him. He had already rounded up the few other men who had been at Mary's party when the notes had been stolen, and all the male suspects would be in the bar for Bea's little drama to unfold.
*
They were due at Madeira early in the morning, and Julie determined to get up and look at as much as possible of the coastline of what she had heard called an enchanted island. She and Andrew had been promising themselves a visit to see the many wonderful gardens they'd heard about from friends.
'Come on, lazybones,' she urged Susan, but her sister groaned and buried her head in the pillows.
'You go. I've got one of my beastly heads. I'm staying in bed today. But promise me you won't give up going ashore.'
'I'll go, I know you'll only want to be left alone.' Silently Julie dissolved a couple of aspirins in some water and Susan, pale-faced, swallowed the medicine. Julie said no more. Susan often suffered from these debilitating attacks, and only peace and sleep had any effect.
'Lock the door, I don't want anyone barging in. Tell the stewardess not to bother today.'
'I'll come back after breakfast,' she promised softly as she let herself out of the cabin, placing the 'Do not Disturb' notice outside.
She'd see the cabin stewardess later, and despite what Susan wanted, ask her to keep an eye on her sister. And if Cathy was not going on any of the excursions, perhaps she would look in as well. By dinnertime, when the boat was due to leave, Susan might feel like some bland food, but anything now would be counter-productive.
She met Cathy as she was by the deck buffet, helping herself to fresh fruit and a yoghurt. There was so much tempting food laid out, delicious bread and pastries, cold meat and cheese, a variety of hot dishes, as well as cereals and toast, that it was difficult not to gorge. She had, she knew, put on more weight than she wanted.
'Don't worry, I'm coming back on board at lunchtime and I'll look in on her then,' Cathy reassured her. 'She's usually better after a couple of hours, well enough to eat, anyway.'
'The stewardess will have finished, and Susan will have locked the door. But if she's better perhaps she'll open it for you.'
'Don't worry, I know where to find a spare master key. Now excuse me, I'm taking this down to the shop. Things to do while it's closed and before I go ashore.'
Julie was carrying her tray to a table by the side of the boat, from where she could see the rugged coastline coming into view, when she noticed Robert coming towards her.
'May I join you?' he invited, pulling out a chair. 'I've had breakfast, but I need a second cup of coffee. Where is Susan?'
'In bed, she has one of her headaches. She suffers from them occasionally, and nothing helps but to lie down quietly.'
'Have you called the doctor?'
'No, she has pills, and all she needs is rest. But it means she won't be able to go ashore.'
'You won't stay behind with her, will you?
Julie shook her head. 'There's no need, and it would only fret her. I was wondering whether there's room on one of the trips. We didn't sign up, we were going to explore Funchal on our own.'
'Spend the day with me. I know Funchal quite well, I've been here a few times, and I'd enjoy your company.'
She glanced up at him, and then looked away, flustered by the warmth in his eyes. He had been so cool of late.
'Thank you, I'd like that. We – Andrew and I – always planned to come here one day,' she said quietly. 'I don't know whether I'll feel maudlin.'
'If you want to come back to the boat at any time, you've only to say so.'
'No. I want to see it, for his sake. I chickened out of a whole week here last year, and Susan insisted a cruise was better for meeting people, but if I like it I might come back in a year or two.'
They could see the steep cliffs now, and taking their coffee cups moved to the rail to watch as the boat came towards the great bay which formed a perfect harbour, backed by an amphitheatre of hills, most of them covered with pale-coloured houses.
'Those houses,' Julie said in astonishment. 'Some of them seem to cling onto the hillside with nothing beneath them!'
'The Madeirans are used to steep slopes, their farming in the past was done mostly on narrow terraces. They're great builders, too,' Robert said. 'They build many houses on stilts, perched on ledges too narrow to put a small shed.'
Julie pointed to their right. 'Is that a road, high up over that ravine? It looks impossible! Those pillars holding it up are so tall!'
'The new motorway alternately crosses those deep ravines and tunnels through the mountains,' Robert said. 'Before they improved the roads, only the smallest of cars could manage here.'
Julie watched in awe as the boat came into the port. There were dozens of yachts in the marina, and several other boats moored to the dockside.
'Go and get what you need,' Robert said, 'and we'll meet by the gangway in ten minutes.'
Julie peeped in on Susan, who was fast asleep, and alerted the stewardess, a pretty Spanish girl, who promised to do whatever was necessary.
'Go and enjoy,' she said with a bright smile, and Julie knew Susan was in safe hands.
*
As she and Robert walked down the gangway Julie heard Steven's voice behind her. She thought he was calling her name, but he was too far behind for her to be certain. And surely, after the way she had made it clear she wanted nothing more to do with him, he could not be expecting her to join him on a shore excursion?
There was a crush of people between them, all eager to disembark, and Robert hastened her over to a yellow taxi the moment they reached the dock.
'We'll go to the cable car first, beat the queues,' he said. 'It goes up to Monte. You'll have a wonderful view of the whole town. Then we can decide what to do.'
'I'm not sure I want to, I'm not keen on heights,' she protested, but he reassured her she would be perfectly safe.
'It's an experience not to be missed, it passes right over the rooftops of many traditional houses, and we can see a side of island life not usually visible to tourists.'
Julie allowed herself to be persuaded, but when the time came to step into the small carriage hanging from the overhead cables she refused to sit in the seat next to the window, preferring the centre one. An enormously fat woman followed her in, and Julie was forced to squeeze up to Robert. He put his arm round her and pulled her close.
'That will give you more room,' he said to the woman, but it was clear to Julie that was not his prime intention, and she grinned at his opportunism.
She shrank back as the carriage lifted up above the houses. How the people over whose flat roofs it passed must have disliked it when their privacy was invaded in such a way, she thought, trying to forget about the drop below.
The views were, she had to admit, magnificent, and soon she was craning across Robert's body as he pointed out the various sights. When they stepped out at the end it seemed entirely natural he should keep his arm round her waist.
'I had no intention of going on those wicker sledges, down a steep cobbled street, and depending on a couple of men running behind holding ropes to steer,' she said later to Susan, still amazed at herself for agreeing.
'So was Robert the big protective male?' Susan asked, grinning at her.
'No-o, he just made it sound so ordinary, something anyone could do, that I didn't dare refuse!'
And it had been exhilarating, she confessed to herself, but didn't tell her sister how it had felt to have Robert's arm round her protectively as they sat in the sledge, or how, at one particularly scary moment, she'd turned her face into his chest, and he'd dropped a kiss on the top of her head, and pulled her close.
Back in central Funchal Robert guided her to the old town area. Julie was content to let him organise the day. She knew she would not have time to see more than a small amount, but she'd know whether she wanted to come back.
The market, round an open courtyard, with its massed array of wonderful flowers and all sorts of fruit and vegetables, was almost too tempting. Julie wanted to buy armfuls of the scented blooms, the gorgeous belladonna lilies, the flamboyant strelitzia, and other flowers, but turned away regretfully.
'I can't carry them around for the rest of the day!'
'Have some sent home for when you get back,' Robert suggested. 'I mean to.'
She did that, and then Robert took her to the adjacent fish market, where giant tuna and the long, eel-like, evil-headed espada were laid out on slabs.
'We should have espada for lunch. It's only found here and a couple of other places, because it lives so deep in the sea. Madeira was a volcanic island, and the land plunges as steeply under the water as above it.'
'How do they catch it then?'
'Extremely long lines with lots of hooks. The reduction in pressure kills them as they are brought to the surface.'
They strolled through the old town, had lunch at a table outside one of the restaurants, and then took a taxi to Cabo Girão. It was an enormous cliff, terrifying to stand at the top, but Robert again hugged her to him and she felt no fear.
The taxi back drew into the driveway of Reid's hotel, and Robert led the way to the terrace, where tea was laid out and they could look over the cliff-side gardens and towards the harbour.
'I thought one had to book ahead?' Julie asked, looking at the other tables, all of them occupied.
'I did. I always meant to bring you here today if I could persuade you to join me. It's a wonderful place for a honeymoon,' he added, but so softly Julie could pretend she hadn't heard.
*
'There are so many other places on the island I want to see, Susan, I must come back one day soon,' she said later as they were dressing for dinner.
'We will.' Susan was still pale, but insisted she was quite recovered. 'Cathy made me drink lots of mineral water, and that helped.'
'I want to see the gardens,' Julie went on dreamily. 'You should have seen the enormous poinsettias, growing almost wild in people's gardens. I bought lots of postcards and a couple of books.'
'Perhaps Robert will act as guide again,' Susan said, and winced as Julie threw a pillow at her.
'I'm delighted you're so much better, sister mine. Seriously, is the headache truly gone, and will you be OK for dinner?'
'It wasn't as bad as normal, thank goodness. Now let's go and find a drink.'
*