Page 20 of The Cruise Club
‘Mine’s a Santorini Sunset!’ Betty piped up.
Theo took note of their drinks and advised the waiter.
‘Cheers!’ they all said, chinking glasses when their drinks arrived.
Fran smiled as she watched everyone begin to chat.
Sid had removed his cap and twisted it nervously between his fingers.
Speaking rapidly, he told Theo how he’d admired him for years and followed his career closely, while Don and Debbie described the delights of Mandraki Harbour to Carmen.
Reading from a guidebook, Don explained that the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, had stood at the entrance, then he droned on about their visit to the Fort of St Nicholas, explaining at length that it was built in the fifteenth century to protect the island from attacks by the Ottomans.
Fran sipped a mocktail and turned to see Carmen beside Ruskin. Sitting rigid with nerves, Carmen bit on her lip and twisted a ring on her finger, clearly uncomfortable in the author’s company.
Ruskin, meanwhile, ignored Carmen and talked rapidly on his phone.
Whoever had made the call was in receipt of a telling-off.
Ruskin’s face turned red with obvious frustration as he struggled to keep his voice down, draining his glass and drumming his fingers.
Fran thought that he looked as though he’d sooner be somewhere else.
She wondered if Ruskin would be so rude if a well turned-out woman sat beside him?
He hadn’t noticed unfashionable Carmen nor passed a civil word.
Fran had enjoyed finding gorgeous outfits for Carmen, who, after her initial hesitation, soon got into the swing of things and swiped her credit card so hard that Fran thought it was probably on life support after the lavish spending spree.
She’d purchased everything from gorgeous lingerie to daywear and glamorous evening dresses, but now, the carefree Carmen, with her lets-cripple-the-credit-card mindset, was back in her shell, obviously intimidated by the man beside her.
Fran nodded as she thought of the many outfits she’d persuaded Carmen to buy.
At that moment, Carmen might look like a dusty old book, sitting silently on her shelf, but once revamped, Fran was confident that Carmen’s story would emerge in glorious technicolour.
She remembered the transformation as Carmen modelled the beautiful clothes.
Beneath her drab and misshapen clothing, Carmen had a lovely figure and wore everything perfectly that Fran and a multitude of assistants had chosen.
Glancing at her watch, Fran realised that if they left soon, there was time for Carmen to have a couple of hours in the onboard beauty salon too.
She looked around at the group and wondered where the couple who liked pineapples were. Fran had chatted to them while shopping, when they’d met in a boutique. ‘Has anyone seen Colin and Neeta?’ she asked.
Theo was enjoying his conversation with Sid.
It was cheering to be told you were someone’s hero, and Sid seemed like a sincere bloke.
Theo was fascinated to hear that Sid had a fine dining restaurant in Blackpool with his wife, and Theo nodded his approval.
If the couple had conquered northwest England with their culinary skills, they must be good.
They chatted about the crowded restaurant scene and Theo rubbed his wrist, his fingers searching for the comfort of Ruari’s cuff bracelet, welcoming the smooth gold band that would warm to his touch.
But to his horror, the bracelet had gone!
For a split second, Theo was sure it was a trick of his imagination. Disbelief washed over him, and his heart missed a beat as he blindly ran his fingers up and down his arm. Scanning the floor, he hoped to see a flash of gold where the bracelet had fallen.
‘Are you all right?’ Sid asked. He noticed that perspiration had formed on Theo’s brow, and he was fumbling about beneath the table. ‘Have you lost something?’
‘M… my bracelet,’ Theo stammered.
‘What does it look like?’ Sid dropped to his knees.
‘It’s a cuff-like bracelet, gold and narrow.’
Theo stood as panic hit him like a punch. He wondered if he’d lost it as he wandered through Rhodes. Patting his pockets, he was relieved to find his wallet. If it was a thief, at least his cards and euros were safe.
‘I hope it’s not the cuff that Ruari gave you?’ Carmen joined the search, her expression almost as anxious as Theo’s.
‘Yes, it’s irreplaceable, so many memories, it’s s… so… sentimental.’ Theo looked as though he was about to burst into tears.
‘I’ll help you,’ Carmen announced. ‘Shall we retrace your steps?’
‘That’s a good idea,’ Sid agreed, ‘leave all your bags with Fran and me, and we’ll follow on.’
‘It’ll be in the safe in your cabin,’ Don joined in. Guzzling a cold beer, he added, ‘You’re as daft as Debbie. She’s always misplacing her valuables.’
Unaware that Debbie had swung a size eight trainer into Don’s shin, Theo was too upset to respond.
His mind was a whirl. When did the cuff slip off?
Or, worst-case scenario, had it fallen into the sea when he leaned on the rail of his balcony watching dawn rise over the island?
Taking Carmen’s arm, he set off as behind them, Sid piled a mound of bags onto Betty’s wheelchair.
‘Don’t worry about me!’ Betty’s muffled voice could be heard.
‘Rest assured, they won’t,’ Sid replied as Fran hooked more bags on the handles, and releasing the brake on Betty’s chair, Sid set off.
Ruskin ended his call and, ordering more wine, shook his aching head.
Venetia was like a shadow that refused to fade, lingering in the corners of his life.
Her relentless obsession with him was so demanding, and she didn’t seem to understand that their divorce was a reality, despite the papers being long signed and their lives severed.
And now… all this commotion over a bracelet!
Really! he thought. Panic over a piece of jewellery that probably had no value. But as he sipped his wine and watched Theo and the others leave the café, Ruskin breathed a sigh of relief. At least he didn’t have to converse with the dowdy woman, who’d deliberately sat beside him.