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Elisabet’s professional veneer waivered; she struggled to hide the grimace on her face and the pity in her eyes. ‘I just had an update from Captain Enzo – he’s already been in touch with the port authority in Ushuaia. The weather has changed and the wind is too strong for a helicopter to fly and meet the ship.’
Olivia closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. ‘I heard something about that on the bridge. So, is a storm coming? Is it going to be bad?’
Elisabet tensed. ‘Captain Enzo is extremely experienced. His plan is to get us through the Drake Passage quickly, so we miss the worst of it. Why don’t you relax in your cabin, get unpacked … I promise you will still have a wonderful adventure ahead of you. And a whole cabin all to yourself – what a luxury.’
Olivia shuddered. She didn’t want to spend two weeks in a cabin on her own. She’d known coming on this trip would unlock fears she’d buried for almost fifteen years, but she’d convinced herself she could handle it with Aaron by her side.
But without him? She felt like she might drown.
She couldn’t be alone.
She swallowed. ‘Is that couple who were here earlier still in separate cabins?’
‘The honeymooners? Yes, all our double cabins are full, except—’
‘Except for the fact Aaron didn’t make it on board. They can have our cabin.’
Elisabet raised her eyebrows. ‘Are you sure? You’ll be with three other women. It won’t be as spacious.’
Olivia nodded. Her apprehension at being alone overwhelmed any concerns about missing out on luxury. It would be good to have others around. A distraction.
‘Very good. I will page them to meet us in the lobby and we can arrange the swap. This is very generous of you, Ms Campbell. I know they will be incredibly grateful. I’ll send one of the crew to transfer your luggage.’
It didn’t take long after Elisabet put a call-out for the honeymooners. Christa was practically sprinting when she reached the desk.
‘I have good news,’ Elisabet said. ‘Miss Campbell here has decided to give up her cabin to the two of you.’
Christa enveloped Olivia in a hug. ‘You have made our vacation! Thank you so much.’
‘A real lifesaver,’ said Jay.
‘The other women in the cabin are really nice,’ Christa continued. ‘You’ll have a lot of fun. We’ll have to thank you somehow.’
‘Thank me by stopping by the art showcase. That’s why I’m on board.’
‘Is that the Yennin guy? We saw one of his paintings through the window of the gallery. It looks amazing. You’re a part of that?’
‘My partner is the curator,’ Olivia said, forcing a smile. ‘I handle the finance side of things.’
‘Well, we’ll definitely stop by on auction night. How exciting. And you’ll have to have dinner with us.’
Christa had such a beaming smile, Olivia felt vindicated in her decision. She would be no good to anyone if she was locked up with fear. She was angry at Aaron for not being there, but she still wanted to make him proud. He’d done so much for her. This way, shecould show him she could step up when he needed her to.
‘Here you go – your new key cards.’ Elisabet handed the credit card-sized piece of plastic to each of the women. ‘Miss Campbell, you’ll now be in cabin twelve. It’s just down the first set of stairs, towards the bow of the ship. I’ll send someone to move your luggage. Take your time, settle in, meet your cabinmates, and soon we’ll do a muster station practice.’
‘I had taken the top left-hand bunk,’ said Christa. ‘But I hadn’t done any unpacking yet.’
‘No problem,’ said Olivia. ‘Enjoy your new space.’
Following Elisabet’s directions, she made her way to the opposite end of the ship to her original cabin. The elegant interior continued, with smooth wooden railings hanging off both sides of the narrow hallway. On the walls, old-fashioned maps of the North and South Poles were hung in gilt-edged frames. She didn’t stop to admire them, but instead concentrated on the brass numbers hanging on each door, until she came to cabin twelve.
She jammed the key card against the black reader, then used her hip to open the door.
By comparison to the suite, the cabin was tiny – and almost immediately she regretted her decision to swap. Two bunk beds framed a small porthole with a side table in between. Just inside the cabin door, there was a tiny en suite bathroom and enough wardrobe space to hang a few jackets. She had no idea how four women were supposed to spend two weeks in that cramped space. There was barely enough room to swing a backpack.
It didn’t help that four huge suitcases dominated the room. On the left-hand side, one was labelledC. Bellweather, so Olivia moved it to the front so the crew could easily take it to her new berth.
She almost jumped out of her skin as she realized she wasn’t alone in the room. The suitcase had blocked her view of a woman curled up asleep in the bunk below the one she was about to claim.