Lucky for Love

by Oliver, Marina

  'That must create delays,' she said.

  'Not so many as the Spanish customs, who want to examine every car in detail. It can take hours to get through.'

  The taxis were waiting on the quay, and people who were queuing were being directed into them. To Julie's secret relief as it came to their turn Robert appeared, dressed in jeans and a grey cashmere sweater. He gave them a reassuring smile, spoke briefly to the driver, and was waiting to climb in after them when Steven, breathing heavily as though he had been running, arrived beside them.

  'All set, ladies?' he panted. 'Let me negotiate, or we are likely to be ripped off.'

  'The taxi is hired by the boat, at a fixed fare,' Robert said. 'OK, driver, let's go.'

  He added something in Spanish which made the driver grin broadly, and move swiftly out of the line, leaving Steven standing alone, looking disgruntled.

  The climb, through the naturally occurring caves and the great tunnels carved out of the Rock itself, was awe-inspiring, and the driver explained how holes opened for ventilation had been ideal positions for guns in the great siege of the 1780s. During World War Two the defenders of the Rock had been prepared to retreat into the tunnels and caves if necessary.

  At the top of the Rock Susan was enchanted with the baby apes, who looked at her so pleadingly.

  'You are asked not to feed them,' Robert warned when Susan delved into her bag for something to give the baby sitting on the wall just an arm's length away.

  'I put a banana in my bag from the breakfast buffet. Surely that won't hurt? It's natural food for them, not sweets or chips,' Susan exclaimed and held it out.

  The tiny animal took the fruit offered, and to their delight began to peel it. Then, so swiftly they did not see it coming, a large male swung down from the nearest branch and snatched away the banana. Alarmed, Susan stepped back, and almost knocked Julie over.

  'Ouch!' Julie staggered, but an arm round her waist saved her from falling. She twisted round, and saw Steven smiling down at her. He must have followed in the next taxi.

  'You don't escape me so easily, my love.'

  'Julie, was that your foot?' Susan demanded. 'I'm so sorry! Oh, hello Steven.'

  'Just the edge of my sandal you trod on, not me,' Julie said. 'It was your crashing into me that almost floored me. Thanks, Steven,' she added reluctantly, and tried to move away, but his clasp tightened.

  'Give me a chance to explain, please,' he whispered before he released her.

  She did not reply, but made certain she kept well out of his reach as they negotiated the path down to the waiting taxis. Susan has wandered across to a stall selling postcards, but Robert was close beside her. She was thankful for his presence. He helped her in, while the driver, voluble in both Spanish and English, prevented Steven from joining them, as it appeared was his intention.

  'No, Senor, sorry, taxi not take more than three. Only three paid for, not four. Go away. I not take bribes,' he said indignantly as Steven pulled out his wallet.

  'Never mind, Steven, we'll see you later on, and Julie will dance with you later.'

  Julie glared at Susan. She would not under any circumstances dance with Steven. She felt as gauche as a teenager. Andrew had been her only serious boyfriend. They had married when she was nineteen, and since his death the only other man who had touched her was Steven, apart from her father and brother David. Their hugs had been sympathetic, comforting, but Steven's had been different, hateful to recall.

  *

  Chapter 4

  She thought back to that disastrous holiday. It had been just a year after Andrew's death. Susan had insisted she needed to be elsewhere on the actual anniversary, not at home remembering the long, agonising wait when he hadn't come home and she hadn't known what had happened until the arrival of the police. Julie had accepted the sense of this and agreed to go, but her sorrow was still very raw. Steven had found her weeping, in a quiet corner of the garden, on the anniversary, and she'd told him the whole story. He'd been quietly sympathetic, told her his own wife had died recently too, and for a week she had been comforted and grown to like him. He hadn't been nearly as brash and pompous as he was now behaving.

  Then he had spoilt it.

  'I don't like it, and I will not dance with him,' she said when she and Susan were riding back in the taxi. Robert was in front, talking to the driver, who had some music playing loudly, and there was no way he could overhear. 'You had no right to say I would.'

  'Give the poor man a chance to explain,' Susan tried to cajole her. 'All I said was that we'd go to the ballroom tonight. He's told me you misunderstood him, and he's clearly still attracted.'

  She'd not misunderstood, she thought grimly, and she could have throttled her sister. Joining them in the taxi, after lingering to buy postcards, Susan had stopped to talk with a disconsolate Steven. She'd been pleased with her promise for the evening, and Julie saw that she was imagining herself as the matchmaker healing some silly, unimportant rift.

  'No way will I dance with that creep.'

  *

  They arrived back at the ship, and while Susan went to help prepare the shop for the opening, after dinner, Julia hung over the rail watching the activity on the quay. Laura Tomkins came to join her and they compared notes on their day, Laura asking how she had enjoyed her trip to the Rock, and telling her about the friends they had visited.

  'They do so enjoy living here, but I would prefer somewhere rather bigger if we ever move from England,' she said.

  At almost the last minute, when it looked as though the gangway was about to be taken away, a taxi drew up and two women got out, encumbered with a dozen or more bags, some of which seemed to have prestigious names emblazoned on them. Julie, with a slight shock, recognised the red-head who had been on the plane with them.

  'They almost missed it,' Laura said. 'I hear they're very wealthy, but I don't know anything more about them. Yet. You can be sure I'll find out,' she added, grinning.

  She'd freely admitted she liked gossip, knowing all she could about people around her. Julie hoped that if she discovered the history between herself and Steven she would not broadcast it all round the ship.

  'Wouldn't the ship have waited?' she asked. 'They counted us all off, and back, so they must know if anyone is missing.'

  Laura shook her head.

  'Oh no, cruise ships stick to schedule. If you miss the sailing that's your fault. But from what I've heard that pair could hire a plane to fly them to the next stop. Oh!'

  The exclamation was because the younger woman, half way up the gangway, had let go one of the bags, and despite her attempts to catch it, the glossy green and white bag had fallen into the water. The woman looked down at it for a moment, where it floated in the tiny gap between the ship and the quay, then closed her eyes and shrugged, and continued up the gangway.

  One of the men waiting to take the gangway down shouted to her.

  'Miss, can use a boat hook. We save shopping for you.'

  The red-head looked back at him, smiled and shrugged. Her words could be heard clearly by the people on deck.

  'Please, don't bother. It doesn't matter. They will be soaking wet, unwearable.'

  'It no bother.'

  'But I couldn't possibly wear them now, they will be oily as well as wet, impossible to clean properly. It was my own silly fault. I should not have bought so much,' she added, laughing as she continued up the gangway and stepped into the ship.

  'All right for some,' Laura said. 'I bet that's a few hundred pounds in the briny. Someone will rescue it as soon as we are gone, a nice present for his girlfriend.'

  Julie nodded.

  'She didn't seem very worried,' she said slowly. 'She was laughing, so was the other woman. I wonder who they are? I don't recall seeing them last night.'

  But last night, she remembered, she had been in the dining room for only a short while before the shock of seeing Steven, and when she returned had taken no further interest in her fellow passengers.

&
nbsp; Laura seemed to realise that at the same moment. She patted Julie on the arm.

  'Are you OK now?' she asked softly.

  Julie smiled at her.

  'Yes, thank you. And now, after we've waved goodbye to the Rock, I suppose I'd better go and change for this cocktail party.'

  *

  The ship sailed at six. Robert had vanished the moment they were back on board, but he'd murmured to Julie that he hadn't forgotten to have Steven moved to another table. It had been clear from Steven's behaviour today that he still thought he would be able to persuade her to forgive him. And what else, she wondered? Did he hope to resume the relationship that had scarcely begun before it had been so abruptly broken off two years ago?

  Susan, who had been trying to get her to change her mind ever since she'd come back to the cabin, chuckled. Her voice was muffled by the folds of her evening dress, a floaty concoction in pale pink which she had bought while she was staying in England.

  'It won't hurt you to be polite. He's still smitten,' she said. 'Why not? You're a free woman. He's a single man, and even if it was too early for a romance two years ago, surely it isn't now. You can't mourn Andrew for the rest of your life. He wouldn't have wanted that.'

  'What Andrew would have wanted is not something you can know, and what I do with my life is my affair, Susan, and I'd be grateful if you'd remember it.'

  Susan was unrepentant. 'He's a widower. His wife died five years ago. So you have something in common.'

  'Susan, what has that to do with it? I don't like him! I'm not the merry widow! I don't want a man, any man, and especially not him! Andrew was the only one I'd ever love.'

  'Rubbish! The lady protests too much. Every women likes some male attention. I'm not trying to marry you off, don't worry. Have some fun. You married Andrew almost out of school, you didn't play the field as I did, and you're not thirty yet.'

  Julie chuckled suddenly. It didn't matter, she'd ensure nothing happened this time, and make it crystal clear to Steven that was how it must be.

  'I can remember, since we were in primary school, that you seemed to have a different boyfriend every week.'

  'Mom despaired of me. Enjoy Steven's attentions. And be glad I'm not jealous. But Robert's attentive too. I was so surprised when he followed you out last night, and when you came back he was so grim-faced. What had you told him?'

  'He was kind and sympathetic. That's all.'

  She was unsure now why she had confided so much to Robert. She still didn't know what he did. How was he free, if he was part of the crew, to accompany them on a day trip? Was he what Susan referred to as the auxiliary crew, like she was? If so, what did he do, and how did he have the power to get Steven moved to another table? If indeed he had done so. She'd have to wait and see.

  She was wearing one of her new evening dresses, and wondering whether to wear a strand of pearls or a silver pendant. Before she could decide there was a perfunctory knock at the door, and it opened. A pretty fair-haired girl put her head round and nodded at Julie.

  'Hi, can I come in? Hello, you must be Susan's sister. Welcome aboard. I'm Cathy Smithers, I run the shop, and I came to ask Susan if she can spare me a few minutes straight after dinner, before we open, to look at some fantastic things I bought in Spain. I've only just unpacked them and they're even better than I remembered.'

  She stayed and chatted for a few minutes, then left, saying she had promised to meet one of the band in his cabin.

  'He's got one to himself, lucky devil,' she said, winking. 'We're going to miss the welcome do. I've heard that speech so many times I could recite it by heart, better than the Captain. See you in the shop soon, Julie, ready to spend lots, I hope.'

  She was gone as speedily as she'd arrived.

  'So she's your boss, is she?' Julie asked.

  'She runs the shop, on a sort of franchise. It's what I'd like to do when I have more experience, but Cathy is not likely to leave, so I'd have to apply to another ship, and I like this one. Besides, I couldn't afford to stock one until I've saved a lot more. I think Cathy had some help from her family.'

  Julie glanced at her watch. 'Heavens, it's almost time, we'd better go.'

  'No hurry, there's always a massive queue while the Captain shakes hands with everyone.'

  *

  When Julie, wearing a sheath-like dress in a dusty, blue-grey silk, slit up both sides, was ready Susan led the way to the ballroom deck. Already, though it was not yet the stated time of the cocktail party, a queue had formed outside the ballroom entrance. A photographer was busy taking pictures, and Julie, trying to smile, allowed Susan to pose her in front of the spectacular flower arrangement.

  The doors to the ballroom opened, the Captain and what Julie assumed were his senior officers shook hands and murmured polite words of welcome, then waiters handed them glasses of champagne and they moved on to talk with other passengers.

  'Look, that's the woman I told you about, who lost some of her shopping,' Julie said, indicating the red-head, who was already surrounded by several men.

  'She looks as though she can afford to lose a few designer dresses,' Susan said. 'Just look at those rings the older woman's wearing.'

  Julie privately considered the rings, one with an impossibly large emerald to match the older woman's dress, and another, a massive hoop of diamonds, too ostentatious. An emerald necklace dipped tantalisingly towards her cleavage, and several gold bracelets jingled on her arm as she gestured. The red-head wore less jewellery, smaller and more discreet rings, but she had on a complicated necklace like a silver net, displaying many different shades of what Julie thought must be amethysts scattered over it. It almost filled the neck of her evening dress This was almost certainly a designer gown, of shot silk which reflected some of the colours of her necklace. It fitted her perfect figure, and the skirt was a miracle of overlapping petals, again of shimmering amethyst shades. Julie tried not to feel envious. She wasn't short of cash, Andrew had left her better off than many women her age, but she could not imagine how much this gown had cost, or whether she could bear to spend so much on one dress, gorgeous though it was.

  They were on the other side of the huge room, talking to a couple of elderly women. These women also sported far too much jewellery, Julie thought, rings, bracelets, and ostentatious necklaces. Then, wondering whether her reaction was just plain jealousy, for her own collection of jewellery was comparatively modest, and all she wore this evening was a single rope of pearls, decided that if they possessed such jewels they were entitled to wear them, to enjoy them, however it looked to others.

  The ballroom was crowded, and the small band, which had been playing soft music, suddenly produced a roll of drums. The Captain was now on the stage, and he made a welcome speech, hoping they would all enjoy the cruise, and if there was anything else they needed his crew would do their best to provide it. He mentioned the ports they'd be calling at, and finished by saying they would be at sea on the following few days, and they must relax, and take advantage of all the facilities aboard.

  'Oh dear, he will insist on listing them all,' Susan whispered, and just at that moment the Captain's words were lost as a woman cried out that her bag was missing.

  'It's slipped from my arm, the strap must have broken,' she cried. 'Oh, where is it? I can't buy anyone drinks if I've lost it!'

  There was a ripple of laughter, some people began to explain she could put the drinks on her account, while others nearby began to look under chairs and tables. A moment later a man held up a small, beaded evening purse, and the woman fell on him, gushing her gratitude, and insisting he go with her at once to the bar where she could buy him a drink.

  It was the older woman they had been watching, the one with the red-head and sporting the big emerald ring. She opened the bag and held out what Julie could see was a thick wad of banknotes. Susan, beside Julie, hissed in disapproval.

  'She ought not to carry so much around,' she said. 'All the cabins have safes, and as they said, everything
can be charged.'

  Julie was watching the woman, who had been joined by the red-head. She suddenly recalled they had been on the plane, sitting with Robert, though she hadn't seen them on the coach afterwards. Indeed, they had gone somewhere by taxi. Shopping, perhaps? They must have money to burn, though why they had been on a charter flight when they seemed to be so rich she couldn't imagine.

  *

  To Julie's relief Steven had been placed on a table as far away as possible. As it was that of the Hotel Director, almost as important a man as the Captain, Robert told her with a gleam of amusement in his eyes, he would feel honoured rather than aggrieved. In his place was an older man, introduced at Bill Saunders. He was one of the musicians, and both he and Robert excused themselves before coffee. The others all trooped to the ballroom some time later. Susan said she had few minutes to make sure Julie was settled, before joining the others at the shop when Cathy opened it.

  'We're often busy the first few nights, as people try to spot the bargains. Normally two of us manage, but sometimes we need all three.'

  Steven was already there, dancing with a young girl who had, Julie thought, a professional smile on her beautifully made-up face. Susan told her she was one of the hairdressers. An elderly man and his wife, Ben and Marjorie Askew, who had been talking to them in the reception before dinner, came across and sat with them. After a few minutes Ben asked Julie to dance.

  'Marjorie doesn't dance these days,' he said as he swung her onto the floor. 'She has arthritis too badly. They tend to play the old-fashioned waltzes and quicksteps,' he went on. 'It suits the older customers better, but you're not old enough to know them, I imagine.'

  'I managed to stagger round the floor doing a waltz a few times with Andrew, my husband, when he was alive,' she said, swallowing the sudden lump that came to her throat when she recalled being in his arms.