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She knew all too well it wasn’t possible to run on fumes. She nodded, and Patty took her arm, drawing her inside. She kept thinking about the helicopter. She had to find out what happened.
The dining room was jam-packed and noisy with excited chatter. A chef was frying bacon and eggs to order, the buffet laden with cereals, juices and freshly baked pastries.
She scoured the options with her plate in hand, piling up a stack of pancakes drenched in maple syrup, whipped cream and fresh fruit. There was a decent-looking coffee machine too, so she made herself another extra-strong cup. She needed it.
Cutler entered the dining room, and Olivia watched him as she waited for her espresso to drip into the cup. He was with Robert, one of the VIPs from the dinner in Ushuaia. Then he caught her eye, and to her surprise, made a beeline straight for her. Robert followed close behind.
‘Olivia! I looked for you yesterday but couldn’t find you. What’s this about Aaron not being on board?’
Olivia gripped her coffee mug. She knew this conversation had been coming but she had hoped to find him in a more private environment. Behind him, Robert was frowning. But maybe this was better. Get the word out faster.
‘I’m afraid he was called away on urgent business in Ushuaia.’
‘More urgent than this? I find that hard to believe.’
‘But that’s why he made sure I was here in his place. Stefan is perfectly qualified to answer any questions about the art, and I can talk through the financials of the investment. I’m part of the Hunt Advisory as well.’
Cutler nodded. ‘See, Rob? What did I tell you? There’s no need to worry. You’re in very capable hands here.’
‘You have to forgive me for being worried,’ said Robert. ‘This art investing is all new to me, but your man Aaron knows how to talk a good game. Without him here …’
‘I can tell you anything you need to know,’ said Olivia. ‘Why don’t we talk about it a bit more over dinner? I’d be happy to share with you some of the benefits of buying on board this trip.’
‘Let’s do it,’ said Rob. Behind him, Cutler caught Olivia’s eye and nodded.
She waited till Cutler had moved Robert towards the buffet before breathing a sigh of relief.
The others were still choosing their breakfast options, so Olivia picked an empty table in the middle of the room, far from any of the windows.
‘How you going? Seen your first iceberg yet?’ The voice made Olivia jump. It was Liam, the expedition leader. She quickly swallowed her mouthful of pancake, dabbing at the corner of her lips with her napkin in case there was maple syrup there. His objective attractiveness made her self-conscious.
‘Yes, I did. I thought it was another ship at first.’
‘That’s going to be the first of many.’ He slid into the chair next to her and began shovelling scrambled eggs into his mouth. She watched him carefully, but he didn’t seem to display any caginess. He didn’t look like someone who had been told a passenger had been poisoned, anyway. He was the only one wearing short sleeves – even though the dining-room temperature was plenty warm enough, almost everyone else was layered up in their thermals in preparation for time spent outdoors. The hair on his forearms was dark against his tanned skin.
‘How does the captain navigate through them?’ she asked.
‘We’re not on theTitanicwith a lazy watchman; don’t worry!’
Olivia almost choked into her coffee at Liam’s words, her mind immediately leaping to her dad. She covered her mouth, trying to supress the sudden jolt of fear and guilt she felt in her stomach.
‘Captain Enzo has decades of experience in icy waters.He also has an open-bridge policy, so you could head up there and ask him yourself.’
‘I went up there yesterday,’ she said, grateful her voice wasn’t shaking. She needed to change the subject. ‘Hey, do you know why the helicopter left this morning?’
‘Medical evac, I assume.’
‘Something bad?’ She held her breath, waiting for the answer.
Liam shrugged. ‘I’m just an excursion guide; we don’t get briefed on that sort of thing unless we were directly involved. Speaking of, though – your head OK?’ He frowned. ‘I was worried about you last night.’
‘Much better now, thank you.’
‘Glad to hear it. Want you fit for the kayaking tomorrow.’
‘Kayaking?’
‘I’m the guide. Your name is down on my list for the excursions – kayaking and the outdoor camping.’