Maddy agreed that life was indeed, right there and then, perfectly grand. And in that mood, laughing and teasing, they returned to the yacht to live the good life.
Fourteen
Models and other wildlife
Poštovani dragi! (Croatian for ‘hello darlings’). I hope life is as grand for you as it is for us, suffering in the hot sun of the Dalmatian islands. But as you will see, my new outfits are very comfortable, even if they’re a little, ahem, unusual. But baggy clothing is the new trend these days, they say, whoever ‘they’ are, and this new fabric is surprisingly cool… Not that fashion is my hobby or anything. I’m more into writing silly blogposts about lovely holidays. If only one could do that for a living…
This morning, Maddy and I went snorkelling and we floated for hours in the balmy water studying the amazing marine life that we never knew existed. It was the most incredible experience! Like floating, weightless in space, in this blue, shimmering world full of fish of all the colours of the rainbow. They glimmered and glittered like jewels and it was hard to tear ourselves away from the gorgeous sights. Now lunch on the rear deck and then perhaps a snooze if I get sleepy. This caviar and champagne life is a tough job, but someone’s got to do it.
Later, dragi! Sleepy hugs from moi and Maddy.
Lucilla sent the modelling photos to Leanne when they had finished lunch. ‘I think they can be used for your Instagram posts. No big reveal, just a hashtag or two. Keep it low key, like you said. How did you feel wearing those clothes?’ she asked, as they were relaxing on the rear deck with a cup of coffee after lunch.
Leanne avoided Lucilla’s piercing eyes. ‘Uh, hmm, I was surprised at how they felt. I think it’s something to do with the fabric. All so natural and soft.’
Lucilla nodded. ‘That’s a good marketing point. We should make a slogan around that. What do you think?’
‘Yes, sounds good,’ Leanne replied. ‘I have to look at all the photos first. But there doesn’t seem to be a good signal here, so can we wait till we get to that little fishing village on Hvar?’
Lucilla nodded. ‘Good idea.’
Maddy poured herself a cup of freshly brewed coffee. ‘Hvar? Isn’t that a town?’
‘Yes,’ Claudia volunteered. ‘It’s both. Hvar is a town on the island of Hvar, isn’t that right, Nico?’
‘Yes,’ Nico called from the saloon, where he was studying the charts and checking the shipping forecast on the radar screen. ‘We are going to dock in Jelsa, a nice fishing village with good restaurants.’
‘Oh, phew,’ Leanne sighed. ‘Restaurants. Then I can invite you all to eat in one of them. It’s my turn to cook, but believe me, you wouldn’t want to eat whatever I managed not to burn.’
‘So when are we setting off?’ Claudia enquired. ‘Is there time for a little siesta before we go?’
‘Yep,’ Nico called from the saloon. ‘We’ll go in half an hour. Not much wind, so you can stay asleep on the way.’
‘Thank you, Nico.’ Claudia got up and yawned. ‘I’m exhausted after this morning.’
‘What made you so tired?’ Maddy asked. ‘Power yoga?’
‘No,’ Claudia sighed. ‘Making my bed. I’m beginning to regret not having staff on the yacht. All this housework is so dreary and tiring.’
‘Says the woman who never made a bed before,’ Leanne muttered to Maddy.
‘I’ll say ciao for now,’ Claudia said and shuffled off to her cabin.
Lucilla followed in Claudia’s wake, declaring the photo shoot had exhausted her, closely followed by a sleepy-eyed Maddy, with Bridget trotting behind her. But Leanne, still on a high after the morning, didn’t feel like sleeping. She stayed on deck under the awning, and tried her phone again, but it was no use – still no signal. She’d have to wait until they got to Hvar. She could have looked at the footage from this morning, but she wanted to see it all when she was alone.
‘Hi,’ a voice said behind her, making her jump.
Leanne looked around to find Tony climbing aboard from the dinghy. ‘Hi. I thought you’d already left.’
Tony jumped onto the deck. ‘No, not yet. We’re waiting for better wind. And Carlo wanted to take a nap. He was tired after the modelling session, he said.’
‘Seems like everyone’s tired,’ Leanne remarked. ‘I’m the only one still awake, apart from Nico.’
‘You didn’t feel like sleeping?’
‘No. I feel wide awake for some reason. What about you?’
Tony sat down in one of the deep chairs by the railing and propped his feet on the lifebuoy. ‘I’m not very good at sleeping either.’
‘Oh. But you do look tired, if you don’t mind me saying.’
Tony took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. ‘I don’t sleep well generally.’
‘Insomnia, eh?’ Leanne said, feeling suddenly sorry for him. ‘Maybe you think too much.’
Tony put his glasses back on his head and leaned back, his hands behind his head. ‘Yes, that’s the problem. I’m supposed to have a break and rest, but it’s easier said than done.’
‘You want to talk about it?’ Leanne asked gently. ‘I mean, there seems to be something troubling you.’
Tony turned to look at Leanne. In the shade of the awning, his eyes were nearly black and his face so pale his freckles stood out like dark dots across the bridge of his nose. Lines of exhaustion were etched around his mouth. ‘Yeah, maybe it would be good to talk.’
Leanne sat back against the cushions in her chair. ‘I’d be happy to listen.’
‘It’s not very pretty.’
‘I’m sure it isn’t.’
Tony turned to look out across the still water. ‘It’s… well… I’m not sure where to start.’
‘Is it your job?’ Leanne asked. ‘You were working as a doctor abroad, you said. In Africa?’
‘That’s right. With Doctors Without Borders. Five years of hell.’
‘Five years? That’s a long time to spend in hell,’ Leanne remarked. ‘Couldn’t you get out sooner if it was so bad for you?’
‘I could, but I didn’t want to.’ Tony twisted in the chair and looked at her. ‘It wasn’t all hell for me, you see, but for them. The children, the mothers, the pregnant women living in war zones, getting hit by bullets and shrapnel, having limbs blown off in mine fields, watching their children die of hunger or bullet wounds.’
‘Holy shit,’ Leanne whispered. ‘How terrible. But it’s amazing that you were there to make a difference. You must have saved many lives.’
‘Yes. Sure I did. All of us. Nurses and doctors, even if there weren’t enough of us. But you know what? If I had a shitty day and got no sleep, someone could die as a result. And of course that happened sometimes. A wrong diagnosis because I was too tired to think straight, or going to sleep and leaving the care of a patient in the hands of an inexperienced nurse. Stuff like that. Not often, but it did happen. And you never stop blaming yourself.’ Tony looked at his hands. ‘Five years of that, and I had to get out. I was burnt out and no good as a doctor to those people.’
‘What are you going to do now? After this holiday?’ Leanne asked. She wanted to take his hand, or stroke his cheek to comfort him somehow, but she didn’t dare.
‘Now?’ he said. ‘I’m going back to Ireland. I want to train as paediatrician. I love kids and I love making them better. The health service in Ireland is going through a crisis, as you know. Maybe I can do something to help improve it.’
‘That’s a very good idea,’ Leanne said. ‘We do need doctors in Ireland and especially young doctors like—’ She stopped. ‘How old are you?’
Tony laughed. ‘Thirty-four. But I probably look ten years older to you.’
‘No. You look young and worn out, that’s all. I’m only two years younger.’
He looked surprised. ‘Really? But you don’t look much older than my little sister. She’s twenty-five.’
‘What does she do?’
‘Kate?’ Tony smiled. ‘Sh
e’s working in Dublin at one of those big IT companies. But I could be wrong. She’s changed jobs so many times, I’ve lost track.’ His eyes focused on Leanne. ‘So, thirty-two and not married or in a relationship? How come?’
‘I’m working on it,’ Leanne said with a wry smile. ‘But so far no luck. You have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find a real prince, or so they say.’
‘So that’s what you’re doing? Kissing frogs and teaching?’
‘Yeah. Takes up a lot of my time.’
‘And then you’re taking a break from all that and touring around Europe.’
‘Thanks for telling me the story of my life,’ Leanne teased, only pretending to be annoyed. The conversation had taken on a more playful tone, which seemed to calm Tony. His eyes were less troubled and his body more relaxed as they continued to banter.
‘And now you’re modelling the latest fashion on the Internet,’ Tony continued, unabashed. ‘I can see that finding the perfect husband would be hard for a high-flyer like you.’
‘It is,’ Leanne sighed, with a twinkle in her eyes. ‘Who could live up to my standards, I wonder?’
‘What about Carlo?’ Tony asked, with a mischievous expression.
Leanne felt her face flush. ‘Who knows?’ she said, with pretend nonchalance. ‘I haven’t seen enough of him yet.’
‘I’m sure that’s only a matter of time.’
‘Really?’ Despite her resolve, Leanne felt a dart of embarrassment. ‘You can read minds and see into the future, can you now?’
‘You don’t have to look into anything to know what’s going on. Latin lover meets hot Irish chick with attitude. Would make a great rom-com.’
Leanne bristled, cheeks blushing. ‘I’m not sure what you mean?’
Tony shot her a contrite look. ‘I’m sorry. I was only joking.’
‘How come nobody laughed?’ Leanne snapped, feeling vulnerable all of a sudden.
Tony made a pleading gesture. ‘Ah come on, let it go will you? I was being stupid. I like talking to you. I love teasing you too. But I didn’t mean to—’
Her anger gone as soon as it had started, Leanne waved her hand in the air. ‘Nah, it’s okay. I shouldn’t be so prickly. But it’s a sore spot. My love life is a bit tricky to say the least. Too much baggage I suppose.’
‘I know. And the older we get the more we have.’ Tony got up as the awning flapped in a sudden gust. ‘I see the wind’s up. We’d better get going if we’re to get any sailing this afternoon.’ He hesitated at the railing. ‘Thanks for listening. It felt good to share a little bit about – well, you know.’
‘Any time,’ Leanne replied. ‘I’m here, if you—’
‘Thanks. Much appreciated,’ Tony said a little stiffly, as if he regretted baring his soul to her. ‘See you later.’ He leapt over the railing into the dinghy and rowed away.
Leanne watched him head back to the sailing boat, her mind on what he had told her. He was obviously suffering from a trauma that affected him daily. There had to be something he could do to make it better and help him at least get a night’s sleep. Therapy was probably the best option. But he probably wouldn’t want to look for that kind of help, being a doctor himself.
Leanne turned her mind to the present as the anchor chain rattled and Nico started the engine. The boat began to move in the choppy water. They’d be in Jelsa in a little over an hour.
She checked her bag to see if she had her phone, cash and credit cards, sunglasses and sunscreen all there. Then she found the little bottle with the perfume her dad had made up for her and sprayed some of it on her wrists. The scent brought back the memory of their reunion and how hard it had been to hear his side of the story. Oh, Mam, she thought, how could you have been so cruel, only thinking of yourself? I was only twelve and it broke my heart when he left. And then he never called or even wrote me one single word. Or so I thought…
Leanne sat back in the deck chair and stared out across the sea, thinking about it all. So much pain that could have been prevented. But now, because of her lottery win, she had been given more than money – a reunion with her father who loved her. A gift, but also a burden in the form of his expectations. Leanne sighed and decided to park it all at the back of her mind. ‘I’ll think about it later,’ she said out loud and smiled at the bright blue sky, dotted with soaring seagulls and fluffy white clouds. The sun and the soft breeze caressed her skin and the smell of her perfume evaporated along with her worries. Life was too good right now to be sad and lonely. Who knew what the future would bring?
Fifteen
Maddy woke up when the boat started to move. She looked around the plush cabin and noticed her laptop, still open, on the little table beside the porthole. She had intended to write an email to Erik, but then felt too sleepy. In any case, there had been no signal, so she had left it and stretched out on the soft bed, her eyes closing, drifting off to sleep. The intense heat and the morning of swimming had exhausted her.
Bridget, who had curled up at the foot of the bed, stirred, yawned and went back to sleep. ‘Good idea, girl,’ Maddy said and patted her. ‘I’ll take you for a good long walk when we dock.’ She got up and decided to continue writing as they would soon be within range of the masts on the island of Hvar.
Dear Erik, Maddy wrote.
Here we are on the high seas. Well, not quite, as we spent the night and morning in a lovely bay and are now on our way to the island of Hvar, where we will stay in the harbour of a cute little fishing village for the night. Leanne is treating us all to dinner. It’s her turn to cook, but as she is no Nigella, she’s cheating. So far the cruise is hugely enjoyable despite us no longer being two girls on a trip. We’ve ended up with some rather unusual people, most of them part of Lucilla’s extended family. And the glorious hunk Carlo, of course, on whom Leanne seems to have a huge crush. He seems quite interested, but please don’t worry. She could end up with someone far worse, as I’m sure you know…
Maddy paused, thinking about Carlo, wondering if what you saw was what you got, or if there was something else brewing behind his smooth good looks. He was nice, courteous and easy-going with eyes that could be flirtatious and mischievous. Then he also seemed to have a cool head for business and a drive to make his ideas work. Ambitious and hard-working. Nice and polite. What could possibly be wrong with that? Nothing, of course, but Maddy had a niggling worry that he was not the right man for Leanne. But was that really any of her business? Leanne was an adult and Maddy had no right to interfere. Yet the twelve years of life experience that separated them had led her to her distrust people that seemed too perfect. And there was something about Carlo she couldn’t put a finger on that rang false. Was it his way of beaming that film star smile at everyone, or the way Lucilla watched him when she thought nobody was looking?
Maddy sighed. Watching what could end up a train crash was not exactly good for one’s peace of mind. But maybe she was being too protective. She shrugged and continued writing. Que sera, sera and all that.
The other people in the party consist of Lucilla, who you know from the marketing firm, and her cousin Tony, who happens to be half Irish. Nice man, who looks as if he’s been through something difficult. But haven’t we all? Then Lucilla and Tony’s aunt Claudia, a former New York socialite who seems to be on the run from something or someone – possibly the gutter press, since she left her husband, famous horror writer Oliver Wilde. I nearly said Oscar Wilde, but this guy’s oeuvre would be far removed from such heights of literature. Anyhow, despite a little tension here and there and Claudia playing the lady of the manor, it’s going well and we’re all enjoying this stunning part of the Adriatic.
Maddy stopped and read through what she’d written. All very nice and breezy but without any personal note. Should she write something more intimate, telling him how much she missed him and that their short time together was constantly in her mind and her dreams? No. Better keep a little distance for now. Sweet and cheery.
Your perfume is lovely
and reminds me of you, she continued. Especially when I dab it on certain parts of my body… Claudia wants to know where she can buy it but I told her it was bespoke and made especially for me, so now she wants you to create one for her. Be prepared to meet a real-live diva!
We seem to be docking, so I’ll sign off now. I’m sure you’re following the blog, anyway, so you’ll get the updates on this wonderful get-away. Can’t tell you how much I’m loving this trip! And I’m spending money like there’s no tomorrow, which is totally irresponsible but all in a good cause. I don’t want you-know-who to get his greedy paws on my cash when we start dividing assets, even if he assured me he won’t claim any of it. But there’ll be very little left by the time it comes to the crunch.
All the best for now, dear pen pal. Please write and tell me how your plans are coming along.
Maddy xx
She quickly read through what she had written and pressed send. Not quite as bland as she had planned, but she didn’t want to appear too cool and distant. She missed Erik and looked forward to seeing him again, but this trip was just what she needed after the intense few days with a man she had felt immediately drawn to. He had wanted too much too soon, not just a brief fling. He’d made his intentions clear – he was after a steady relationship, something to build on for a future together. That was something she couldn’t deliver right now. The complications of her life made things difficult, and it would take time to sort all that out. But Maddy couldn’t help feeling a pang of regret at the thought that she could have stayed and got to know him better. But the distance between them would make him miss her too, which was part of her plan, if she was honest with herself. This interlude in her life, with a looming divorce from a marriage that had begun to feel like a prison, was something she found hard to deal with. Tom had quickly found a new woman and that stung even though she no longer loved him. But meeting Erik, with whom she could imagine living high in the hills above the blue Mediterranean, had been just what she needed in order to find herself again. She dug out the little bottle of perfume from her handbag and sprayed some on her neck, breathing in the lovely floral scent. It reminded her of Erik and their night together, but also of her new life and what lay ahead. She was free, and at forty-four still relatively young. A good place to be. If only she didn’t care so much about Leanne and her happiness…
A Holiday to Remember: An absolutely hilarious romantic comedy set under the Italian sun Page 12