Page 47 of The Cruise Club

Carmen was wide awake. Having settled Betty with two herbal sleep aids and the brandy she’d insisted on, her mother was away with the fairies in no time at all.

As Carmen crept out to the sound of loud snores, she let herself into her own room and sat down at her desk.

Her mind was buzzing with lost memories as the chaos of Betty’s confession refused to let go.

Her dad. The man she’d always considered steady and kind, had been living a profoundly different life from the one she remembered. Had his marriage to Betty meant anything at all?

Carmen might have had siblings. A brother or sister to befriend and share the burden of Betty with as she aged.

She thought about her parents as young lovers and the vows they must have made, then the life they built together as they welcomed a baby to their family. Had it all been a facade for Des?

And then there was Marion. The other woman.

As a child, Carmen had called her, ‘Aunty Marion’. A wave of anger rose in Carmen’s chest, but it was quickly followed by a deep sadness that Betty had lived all those years, pretending that all was well. No wonder she was so bitter.

Tears dampened Carmen’s eyes, but she held them back even with the realisation that the image she had of her father was crumbling fast. For all his talk of making dreams come true, he’d been unable to fulfil his own.

‘Oh, Dad,’ Carmen sighed, ‘why didn’t you have the courage to change things? You might have given everyone a chance to be happy.’

Carmen stood and stepped onto her balcony.

Her bare feet were cold against the metal floor.

Gentle waves glinted under the pale moonlight, and the night felt vast and endless.

Betty’s confession had shaken Carmen, but here, in the stillness, she thought of Ruskin.

Their kiss felt like a hundred years ago, but as she touched her lips, the warm feeling returned and wrapped around her like a hug.

She thought of his laugh and the way her hand fitted in his, his steady voice and how his eyes softened when he looked at her.

Whatever lay ahead, whether fleeting or enduring, she would grab what happiness she could.

Life was messy and unpredictable, but here, on this balcony, her heart felt full of hope despite the storm that raged around her mother.

And for now, that was enough.

Carmen headed to the bathroom to take off her makeup, and while brushing her hair, she recalled her mother’s missing pearls.

Don, Debbie and Dicky Delaney had all lost jewellery, Theo too and more recently, Neeta.

Remembering that Ruskin had told her Peter had asked for his help, she realised she needed to inform Ruskin that Betty had joined the list of passengers with missing items.

Carmen distantly remembered Theo telling her that he struggled to sleep at night and she glanced at her watch. Perhaps he was awake? She longed to tell him of the latest developments and reached for the phone. After a few rings, he answered.

‘Theo, it’s me,’ Carmen spoke softly.

‘Hello, Cinderella. You don’t need to whisper. I’m wide awake and intrigued to hear your news.’

Carmen remembered that she’d cursed Theo when he left her alone with Ruskin, but suddenly, she wished that he was beside her.

‘Shall I come to your room, and we can snuggle like roomies while you reveal all about Ruskin?’ Theo asked.

‘Would you?’

‘I’m on my way.’

‘What a surprise,’ Theo said as he sat beside Carmen on her bed.

‘Oh goodness, Theo, I feel terribly sorry for my mother. She thought Holden was someone she could enjoy herself with.’

‘But not at an upside-down pineapple pensioner party. Do you think Betty will be heartbroken that Holden wasn’t the man she thought he was?’

‘I don’t know,’ Carmen shrugged, ‘she seemed to regain her bad temper quite quickly, especially when she described the party and Holden’s revealing outfit.’

Theo began to laugh and, unable to help herself, Carmen joined in.

‘I’ve led such a sheltered life,’ she said, dabbing at her eyes. ‘Who would have thought there was such a thing as the Upside-Down Pineapple Pensioner Club?’

‘Apparently, upside-down pineapple parties are a global phenomenon, and we shouldn’t be surprised that they happen on cruise ships,’ Theo said. ‘Where better for people to relax and enjoy these… er… activities?’

‘Beware the upside-down pineapple,’ Carmen giggled, ‘I doubt my mother will ever buy one again.’

‘I heard a story that in Spain, a supermarket chain encourages shoppers who, on certain nights, place a pineapple upside down in their trolley as a sign that they’re available .’

Carmen’s eyes widened. ‘When you say “ available ,” do you mean…?’

‘Absolutely,’ Theo said with a mischievous smile. ‘Supermarket seduction or whatever else takes your fancy.’

‘My goodness.’ Carmen shook her head. ‘I need to get out more.’

‘But more importantly, dear girl, tell me about Ruskin.’

Carmen sank back in the pillows, her expression softening as she thought of her time with Ruskin on the promenade deck. ‘It was… nice,’ she admitted.

‘Nice?’ Theo raised an eyebrow. ‘Carmen, please spill the beans.’

‘Well, we talked, walked and held hands and…’

‘Oh, pleeease…’ Theo rolled his eyes. ‘Get to the point. Did he take you back to his suite and ravish you?’

‘No, of course not.’ Carmen blushed. ‘But we did kiss.’ Carmen remembered their kisses and quietly wished it had led to something more.

‘Well, it’s a start, and I couldn’t be happier for you.’ Theo sat up. ‘Now, what’s on your agenda for today?’

‘Ruskin invited me to visit the Roman Theatre with him. There’s a tour that includes tapas tasting too.’

‘Perfect, your last day of the cruise spent together.’

‘But I can’t, can I?’ Suddenly anxious, Carmen swung her legs over the side of the bed, ‘I need to make sure Mum’s all right, and I can’t leave her alone after everything that’s happened, especially on the last day.’

Theo rose and took Carmen’s hands in his own.

‘Here’s what I suggest. I will take Betty to guest services to report her missing pearls. You must also tell Ruskin about Betty’s necklace, while you spend the day with him.’

‘But I can’t leave Betty.’ Carmen sighed.

‘Of course, you can.’ Theo tugged her to her feet. ‘You’ve spent most of your life taking care of Betty. Today, it’s my turn to sort her out and keep her amused. Go and enjoy yourself. You deserve it.’

Carmen stared at Theo. ‘Are you sure?’ she asked.

‘Positive, no arguments,’ he said with a reassuring smile. ‘After all, what are friends for?’

As they wandered around the Roman Theatre, Ruskin and Carmen were struck by the size of the amphitheatre as their guide explained that this was one of the most significant and well-preserved examples of Roman architecture on the Iberian Peninsula.

Together with a group of passengers from the Diamond Star , they learned that the seating area in the theatre would have accommodated around six thousand spectators.

Carmen was fascinated as she gazed up at the three seating tiers, which were divided by aisles and staircases, then, turning to look at Ruskin, she saw that he was engrossed in the wide semi-circle where an orchestra would have played.

‘There would have been marble flooring there.’ Ruskin pointed and read from a tourist pamphlet. ‘The stage’s backdrop has decorated columns, with sculptures created from locally sourced stone.’

‘It’s magnificent. Do you think it’s still used?’

‘Yes, cultural events are held here, and modern entertainment too, I imagine.’

Their guide informed the group that they had an hour to spend in the theatre and to wander at leisure before reconvening.

Ruskin took Carmen’s hand, and they climbed to the top.

There, they paused to catch their breath and take in the stunning view of the modern city of Cartagena amidst ancient ruins.

‘Look, we can see the sea in the distance,’ Carmen said, reaching for her phone to capture the moment.

‘Let’s take a selfie.’ Ruskin hugged her.

Carmen wore her floaty dress with beaded straps. As she nestled into Ruskin’s arm, she felt a thrill as his bare skin brushed her own. A breeze caught her hair, and as he reached out to tuck a stray strand behind her ear, their eyes met, and he kissed her.

‘I so enjoy doing that.’ Ruskin smiled.

Sitting on the sun-warmed stone, Carmen was thoughtful as she looked at the view. ‘I almost feel sorry for Holden, and for Mum too,’ she said. Earlier, she’d explained the events of the previous evening.

‘Theo will have taken Betty to speak to Peter about her necklace. And try not worry about her relationship with Holden, it wasn’t meant to be.’

‘I know Holden’s idea of fun doesn’t match up with Mum’s, but in the brief time they had together, he made her happy.’

‘When he wasn’t stepping on her toes…’ Ruskin laughed.

Carmen smiled and checked her watch. ‘We’d better go down. The guide will be gathering everyone for the tapas trail.’

A little while later, in the lively streets of Cartagena, the guide led the group to a hidden gem of a bar. There, in a sunny courtyard, they were greeted with a glass of sangria and invited to try fried potato cubes in a rich tomato and garlic sauce.

‘It’s called patatas bravas,’ Ruskin said, ‘and these meatballs are albóndigas.’

‘Delicious.’ Carmen smiled as Ruskin held out a small dish. ‘And what have we here?’

‘Pulpo a la gallega. It’s octopus, tuck in.’

At each stop, everyone passed dishes back and forth, sharing small plates that included salty anchovies, tiny green peppers with a spicy kick, melt-in-the-mouth Iberian ham and hot clams in a delicious seafood sauce.

‘Try this tortilla,’ Ruskin urged and forked a wedge of thick creamy omelette.

‘I’ll have no room for the gala dinner tonight,’ Carmen said, rubbing her stomach, but despite her words, and encouraged by several glasses of wine, she eagerly took a bite.

By the time they came to the final stop, the nervousness Carmen had felt when setting off with Ruskin had lifted, and now she felt a comfortable intimacy as they sat together, tasting tiny slices of creamy flan and sipping from glasses of sweet sherry.

‘I’ve loved being with you today,’ Ruskin said. ‘We have a lot in common, from a love of history and architecture to guzzling a great deal of food.’

The air was filled with chatter in the bustling bar as glasses chinked around her, but Carmen barely noticed any of it.

Ruskin was smiling and leaning in to listen to her every word, and Carmen couldn’t help but replay the moment in the piano bar when he’d told her he was attracted to her.

It all felt surreal, like a dream she didn’t want to wake from.

Ruskin’s quiet intensity intrigued her, and she looked forward to any time they spent together in the future.

But as their guide called out that everyone was to return to the ship, reality pressed in. Freed from Holden, Betty would reclaim her time and attention and the weight of it felt heavy.When the cruise ended tomorrow, Carmen would no longer be a woman with fleeting freedom on a luxurious ship.

As she strolled hand in hand with Ruskin through Cartagena’s cobblestone streets, they paused by a square where a musician played a guitar.

To her surprise, Ruskin let go of her hand and pulled her into a slow, impromptu dance.

Carmen rested her head on his shoulder and thought how much she’d enjoyed the Roman Theatre and the centuries of history.

As the warmth of his body touched her own, she realised that she hadn’t just fallen in love with the cruise and everything it offered, she’d fallen in love with the man whose arms enveloped her so effortlessly.

Ruskin wasn’t just part of this journey. He’d become her journey.