Chapter 35
Louis allowed Tim Price to dock the Ballygowan at Kingstown, under his and the local harbour master’s guidance.
And it was only partly to try to mollify the man.
It was also because it was Tim’s turn to be allowed the privilege.
Or perhaps that was what Louis told himself to take the sting out of the way Tim grinned and quipped as he brought the ship to harbour.
He did a faultless job, though, and as the local harbour master wandered away to say hello to the cat, Tim raised his eyebrows and said, ‘Not rocket science, after all, is it?’
‘I never said it was,’ Louis replied.
Louis stepped aside as other members of the bridge crew clustered around to congratulate Tim, trying to shake Tim’s words as he radioed for Martin to escort the harbour master from the ship.
It was difficult not to feel incredibly disappointed at not spending the day with Hannah.
But he would be no use to her as a long-term prospect if he failed miserably in his first posting as captain.
There was no way out of it. Life had a way of throwing opportunities up like bones for a dog, while making sure the dog was secured on a lead, with no way to reach them.
It looked as though he was going to disappoint Hannah just when he wanted to impress her the most.
Perhaps it was just as well he wasn’t heading on shore with her, with his mood plummeting.
At least the situation with his father appeared to be easing.
It seemed such a small resolution, to have each asking for and granting forgiveness to one another.
But why they hadn’t got to that place years ago was chewing away at Louis – it would have been so much better for his mother to have known it.
And he had no idea how he was supposed to feel about the situation if his father and Ruth did more than rekindle something they’d experienced thirty years ago.
His thoughts were swept away with the arrival of Millie, come to check on Portus before she headed ashore. And it wasn’t Ruth accompanying her, or Hannah. It was his father.
Millie fussed and checked bowls as Louis headed towards his dad.
‘I assumed you would have plans with Hannah today,’ Edward said.
‘Did you?’ Louis knew he sounded starchy.
Edward tilted his head. ‘You haven’t?’
‘I need to stay aboard. It’s all fine. I’ll see her later,’ Louis said.
Edward drew in a deep breath. ‘Ruth seemed to think Hannah already had plans, so I assumed… Will she have to spend the day alone?’
Louis sighed. ‘I have no idea what Hannah’s doing today. We’re not joined at the hip, you know.’
‘No need to be sarcastic – I just wondered.’ Edward paused, then glanced around before he said, ‘She’s a cracker. Meet her for a coffee or something. Don’t mess it up. That’s all.’
‘Thanks for the words of wisdom.’
Louis felt himself bristle – not something he wanted with such a tentative ceasefire in place between them.
‘Don’t get all defensive. I understand you’ve got a lot on here. If you really can’t get a minute away, message or phone her; let her know you’re missing her. That’s all.’
Louis nodded. ‘I will.’
Millie sauntered over, black cat hair speckling her white T-shirt. ‘Portus is all done, Teddy. We’d better get going.’
‘If you say so, little lady.’
It was weird hearing his father talking to a child in such a relaxed way. It hadn’t ever felt like he’d spoken to Louis like that when he’d been growing up.
‘See you soon, Captain Louis,’ Millie said, leading the way as they left the bridge.
‘Can I phone you later?’
Ian’s parting words ran loops in Hannah’s brain as she decided what she wanted from her day. And she was beginning to think it was as well Louis was caught up with the ship. She wasn’t sure how easy it would have been for her to spend time with him with so much uncertainty flooding her thoughts.
She’d told Ian he could phone her any time – and not for the first time on this trip, Hannah sought refuge in the art gallery, receiving a warm welcome from April.
‘Not going ashore today?’ she said, offering Hannah a coffee when she said she wanted to spend some quality time with a paintbrush.
‘Great idea. It’s your holiday, after all.’
April drew up an extra stool alongside Hannah’s.
‘How long have you been working on cruise ships?’ Hannah asked, as she sipped at her coffee and tried to decide which aspect of her painting to tackle next.
‘Coming up twelve years. It doesn’t feel that long, though. I’ve loved it.’
‘Why did you choose this life?’
‘Look around you,’ April said. ‘I travel the world in luxury, surrounded by fabulous art, and get paid for the privilege. I did my best to teach art to teenagers in Slough for twenty-five years – and I can tell you there’s absolutely no comparison. Although I do miss the kids.’
Hannah smiled as April quirked up one side of her mouth, then clarified her statement.
‘Well, some of the kids… I think I had a midlife crisis, to be honest.’
April paused, sweeping one of her long scarves across her neck.
‘For so long my life followed a traditional path. I did all the usual things – got married, had a couple of kids – a boy then a girl. Lived in a nice enough semi with a decent garden. Went to book club. Ticked all the boxes, you know? I felt like I had it all under control, even when my mother and then my father got ill and died. But then I lost my husband, too. Heart attack. Absolutely shocking. It’s an unnerving feeling to eventually admit you can’t cope.
’ April sighed. ‘I’m not sure I’ll ever properly recover from that time.
I don’t think it’s only soldiers and people caught up in natural catastrophes who end up with PTSD, I think it happened to me, too. ’
‘I’m not surprised. I’m so sorry,’ Hannah said, setting down her coffee to give April her total concentration.
‘Anyway, my kids were old enough to fend for themselves – uni or working, – and on a whim, I saw an advert for an arts director for Blue Line Cruising, and I thought, “Why not?” And so here I am.’
‘You don’t miss the life you had?’ Hannah said.
‘Of course. I miss my children, and now the grandchildren, especially at this time of the year – actually, that’s why this season will be my last. I’m retiring, going to live in my son’s annexe so I can help with his twin boys.
I’m not convinced either of us quite understand what we’ve let ourselves in for, but it’s a new chapter – and I think they’re always exciting, aren’t they? ’
Hannah wasn’t sure. Yesterday she would have agreed wholeheartedly with April – what a difference a day could make.
‘There was a time when I would have leapt at an opportunity to work somewhere like this. Or at least an art gallery somewhere.’
‘But not now?’ April asked.
‘Bit of a waste of a degree in fine art, I suppose. But sometimes that’s life…’ Hannah managed a thin smile, couldn’t bring herself to elaborate further.
‘How have you found the cruise so far?’ April said, her change of conversational direction gentle but her gaze sharp.
‘The ship and the destinations have all been fantastic.’
‘And…? Or should that be but…?’
Hannah frowned. She didn’t want to discuss any of it, had no idea where to start.
April seemed to understand, patting her on the arm before she stood and made to leave. With her stool in one hand and half-drunk mug of coffee in the other, April paused.
‘I’m just going to say I’ve never seen Louis King look as happy as he has lately. I would have expected the captainship to weigh him down, but he seems a lighter, better version of an already great work colleague.’ She shrugged. ‘None of my business, just wanted to say it.’
Hannah managed a thin smile, relieved when April returned her stool to the edge of the gallery space and left her alone.
Ruth could get used to this life. Another day, another beach – and with her children, Nathan’s new friend, Keisha, and Teddy, Ruth thought she could do this forever.
Obviously, she’d have to win big on the lottery or rob a bank – maybe a French museum full of priceless gems she could pinch using little more than a ladder, a glass cutter and a lot of front.
She grinned at the idea of herself shoving tiaras and diamond necklaces into a swag bag, before shinning down a drainpipe.
Maybe not. Her upper body strength hadn’t ever been anything to write home about. And it would be a challenge to scarper from the gendarmerie on a broken ankle.
Today they hadn’t strayed far from the cruise ship terminal.
St Vincent seemed dominated by its mountainous centre and a monster volcano to the north.
Dense rainforest covered large swathes of the island and Ruth was more than happy to spend a large proportion of the day lounging around on a decent beach with the prospect of a drink or two and a grill lunch from the beach club situated at the top of the sand.
‘I could do this for another month,’ she said, pinching herself at the realisation she was spending Boxing Day on a Caribbean island.
‘If I didn’t have to get back to the business, I’d agree with you,’ Teddy said.
‘How is the world of garden design these days?’ Ruth asked.
‘Busy – I took on two more people last year to cope with the demand for fencing. Long may folks continue to want their leylandii hedges removed in favour of laurel. And I recently branched out—’
‘Ha ha!’
‘Too much?’ he said, squinting in her direction.
‘Never,’ she said.
‘I’ve branched out into hiring out machinery, so people can have a go at doing stuff for themselves. Obviously, the hope is they mess it up and then get us to sort it out – double win. It’s going well so far. Dull, I know.’
‘You’re not dull, Ted.’
‘Well, I always did find you the easiest person to talk to – I could tell you anything with no fear of judgement. And I thought you could do the same with me. Which was why I couldn’t believe it when we split. I would have forgiven you anything, Roo, if only you’d let me.’
‘Do you mean that? What if you’d got five years down the line and started worrying what I was up to every time I went out? Because I think it would have been unfair to expect you not to.’
‘I loved you with all my heart, Ruth. Do I really have to spell it out for you? And meeting you here, now, it seems like it was meant to be. You know?’
Ruth nodded. She did. It was exactly how she was feeling too.
Teddy reached across, taking hold of her hand in his and squeezing. Ruth smiled, and in unison they tipped their faces towards one another and kissed.