Page 91 of Old Girls on Deck

‘Well, I’m whacked,’ Evelyn said. ‘My age is catching up with me, and I’m off to bed. I’ll see you tomorrow for breakfast perhaps.’

Our Texan friends declared they were off to the casino, somewhere I had avoided as my luck with such things was non-existent. And when I saw Gerald the pothole-fixer heading determinedly in my direction, I veered off and made a run for it.

Back in our cabin, I was surprised to find Diana making some sort of attempt to pack her cases.

‘I thought you and Raphaël would be in a last, breathless clinch behind the lifeboats,’ I said.

Diana laughed. ‘I thought I’d be better employed getting this done, and to be honest although it’s been so much fun, I’m ready to go home.’

I sat down on the bed. ‘Me too. I can’t wait to see Eddy; I wonder if he has finished the new patio? My liver needs a rest from all the alcohol, and I need to stop pigging out at every meal. I shall go on a strict diet of salad and tap water I think.’

‘Really?’

‘No, don’t be daft. It has been fun though, hasn’t it?’

Diana stood up from where she had been cramming things into her suitcase and came and gave me an unexpected hug.

‘It has and thank you. I can’t remember when I enjoyed myself more.’

‘Me too,’ I said, and I think for a moment we were both rather emotional. Perhaps our relationship had reached a new depth of understanding, or maybe it was all the champagne.

25

The port of Athens was waiting for us when we woke the following morning. The sun was shining in a cloudless blue sky, and I think we were both rather sad to realise that this was the end of our adventure together.

‘I wish we could go and explore Athens, but Radio Wonderful booked us on an earlier flight home that means we don’t have time,’ I said.

We were sitting up in bed with tea that Alfred had brought us in his usual discreet and silent style, and we were finishing off the cookies from the dwindling supply in the kitchenette area.

‘Well, I guess Athens has been there for thousands of years. We can always come back,’ Diana said.

‘We could,’ I said, suddenly more cheerful, ‘perhaps next year. Although I am hoping to persuade Eddy to do a bit of travelling. I’ve been researching it on my laptop. I have enough points from all my supermarket shops to pay for the airfares, and then we could rent a car and have a road trip. You could always come with us?’

Diana laughed. ‘I don’t need to be a spare wheel in your holidays. And anyway, I might have plans of my own.’

‘Such as?’

‘I’m going to Scotland very soon, and then again in December for the wedding. And – you know.’

‘No, I don’t know. What?’

She blushed rather attractively.

‘Raphaël. He’s talking about coming to visit me, and who knows, I might go on another cruise.’

‘You mean with him?’

‘You’ll have to wait and see.’

‘You’ll get a smaller cabin if you do.’

‘I do know that, Jill.’

Goodness, that was a bit of a turn up for the books. I felt a bit annoyed with myself for not grilling Raphaël a bit more. To find out what his intentions were towards my only sister, like some sort of Jane Austen mama.

‘I hope you’re being careful,’ I said at last.

Diana laughed. ‘I’m hardly going to get pregnant.’