Page 247 of The Missing Sister

‘Please, Ally, don’t stress.’ Maia put a hand out to her sister, sensing her obvious tension. ‘Everyone who needs to be there will be there.’

‘I’m sure you’re right, Maia. It just all feels a bit odd, doesn’t it?’ she sighed.

‘It feels different, yes, and sad too, because this was always the moment when we were reunited with Pa from wherever we were. But we must try to celebrate his life, and also the many positive things that have happened to all of us in the past year.’

‘I know,’ Ally replied, experiencing just the slightest sense of irritation as she felt her older sister was patronising her. Which was completely unfair, as Maia could not have been sweeter in the past few weeks. ‘Where are we meeting everyone?’

‘On board,’ said Maia. ‘It’s all organised, as it always is.’

Their limo, and the one behind them carrying the other sisters, drove through the harbour to a pier, at the bottom of which floated two gigs that would take them out to theTitan. Given the time of year, the port was packed with boats bobbing on the water, and many larger craft were sitting out in the bay.

Stepping out of the limo, the heat of the day hit Ally and she pulled Bear’s tiny sun hat down over his eyes.

‘Bienvenue à bord duTitan.’ Hans, the captain who had skippered the boat for as long as Ally could remember, greeted them as their bags were unloaded by two deckhands, smartly dressed in white. Everyone was offered a cooling towel and led along the pier towards the gigs.

‘Can I take your arm, Ma?’ said Charlie, sweeping in from behind, as she attempted to descend the steps.

‘Thank you. I should have remembered to leave my court shoes at home and put on a pair of deck shoes, shouldn’t I?’ she said, as she did every year.

Once everyone was on board the gigs, the engines were started and the short trip out towards theTitanbegan.

‘Wow,’ said Chrissie, as the gigs navigated out of the harbour then picked up speed on the blue of the Mediterranean Sea. ‘This is the way to travel!’

‘Pass me those binos, Ally,’ CeCe called to the front of the gig.

‘TheTitanis just over there,’ said Ally as she did so.

CeCe fixed the setting on the binoculars and then passed them to Chrissie, who looked through them.

‘Oh my God! You’re actually joking, aren’t ya? That’s not a boat, it’s a cruise liner!’

‘Yeah, it’s pretty big,’ CeCe agreed as they drew closer towards it.

‘Now that,’ said Charlie, indicating theTitanto Tiggy, ‘is what my father would have called a floating gin palace.’

‘I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or an insult, but yes, we do have an occasional gin and tonic on board,’ Tiggy grinned.

‘I don’t ever think I’ve properly realised until coming to Atlantis last night and now seeing this today just how rich your father was.’

‘Yes, he was,’ Tiggy agreed.

‘Do you know what makes me really happy?’

‘What?’

‘That my dear ex-wife would have probably given up anything to be invited on one of these for a summer cruise on the Med. And as it turns out, it was the “hired help” – as she always calls you – whose father actually owns one.’ Charlie gave a chuckle. ‘We’ll have to take lots of photos and leave them lying around the next time Ulrika arrives to collect Zara, just to annoy her.’

Tiggy looked up at theTitanas they drew alongside it, and realised that yes, it did indeed look majestic. At over seventy metres long, the Benetti superyacht rose four levels out of the water, the radio tower reaching into the cloudless azure sky.

A deckhand helped Ma on board first, followed by the rest of the passengers. Two very excited faces stood on the aft deck to receive them.

‘Hi, guys! Star and I were thinking about not waiting for you all and just sailing off, but hey, here you are!’

And there was Electra, looking as insouciantly beautiful as she always did, in a pair of denim shorts and a T-shirt.

‘I love your short hair,’ said Maia as she took her turn to hug Electra.

‘Yeah, well, it’s a new me in all sorts of ways. Now, come and meet Miles.’