Chapter 42
Hannah squeezed her eyes shut as she lay on the wet Tarmac.
Wondered what would happen first. Was transported back in time to the only other time she’d feared for her safety in this way, when she’d been cornered on a bus on her way home from school.
That time the bus driver had come to her rescue.
He’d halted the bus short of its next scheduled stop and told the pair in question to vacate, before he showed them just how he’d earned his black belt in a martial art the name of which now escaped Hannah.
But there was no bus driver here. Nobody even to see and ignore what was happening.
‘Hey there. Let me help you up…’
Hannah opened her eyes, looking up at the faces again. Still surrounding her but now with varying expressions of concern. Then she noticed an outstretched hand.
‘Are you OK, lady?’
She frowned, focusing on the hand, gesturing for her to take hold. Reaching out, she felt firm fingers around her own, then a strong upward movement, which had her on her feet.
‘You get caught out in the rain with no coat or hat or anything? You from a cruise ship?’
She nodded, still unable to speak.
‘This weather isn’t good for the ships today. Normally it’s all fine by now, man. This rain is ruining our smoking time.’
The others laughed and at last Hannah felt herself relax.
‘I lost my bearings on my way back to the ship,’ she said.
‘And we frightened you?’
She nodded.
‘Some bad men around. Not us, though. My wife would kick me good if she thought I frightened you.’
‘Yeah, and his wife is my sister, so you can imagine what she do to me…’
‘I’m sorry – I feel so stupid.’
‘Don’t. We all hear the stories.’
‘Can you tell me which way the dock is?’ she asked.
‘Nah, not in this weather. Saul will go get his moped. You travel in style, yes?’
While they waited, Hannah took shelter with them under the awning beneath which she’d originally seen them.
‘You wan’ one of these?’
One of the men held up a hand-rolled joint, and Hannah shook her head.
‘Guaranteed to make you feel a whole lot better.’
She grinned. ‘I’m sure it would. But no thanks.’
The moped ride to the harbour took minutes, but when they arrived Saul slowed the machine, his hesitance compounding Hannah’s disbelief. There was no mistaking the empty dock, even through the sluicing rain.
The Ballygowan was gone.
‘I don’t understand.’
Her composure melted again, and her tears mixed with the rain already soaking her face.
‘Hey. Don’t worry. This wind is strong. They probably moved the ship out of the harbour to be safer. It’s on a layover, right? They’ll come back when the wind drops. I seen it happen before.’
‘But what am I supposed to do? I left my phone on board – I can’t even ring anyone to let them know where I am.’
‘My cousin is a harbour master. I phone him. But first, let’s get you somewhere dry.’
Saul dropped Hannah at a local hotel and made his calls.
As she dripped all over the lobby, a large towel wrapped around her shoulders, she asked him to thank his friends for their kindness, then saw a familiar figure heading across.
The porter she’d met on the Ballygowan that very first day – the one who had shown her to her cabin when she thought everything with Ian was lost. Before she’d even met Louis.
Martin shook hands with Saul. Hannah thanked him again as he said his goodbyes and headed out into the rain.
‘We’re all staying here for the night, Miss Maynard. The Ballygowan had to retreat to deeper waters until the weather settles. We came ashore to locate you. I can only offer our profound apologies for the confusion.’
Hannah shook her head. ‘It’s my fault. I left my phone on board – if I’d had it with me none of this would have happened.’
Martin pulled his phone from his pocket. ‘Would you like to let anyone aboard know you’re safe and well and looking forward to a hotel stay on Barbados courtesy of Blue Line Cruising?’
Hannah stared at him. Did he think she should want to contact Louis?
Martin prompted her. ‘Mrs Herring – Ruth – was very worried about you.’
‘I don’t know her number – she put it into my phone, but I don’t remember it.’
Martin smiled, handing her his phone. ‘It’s already in here. Just press to make the call.’
Ruth’s shoulders relaxed as she answered the call from Hannah. As they chatted, Teddy flicked on the kettle.
‘And you’re sure you’re all right?’ she said for about the tenth time before the call ended. ‘Yes, OK. I’ll see you in the morning when we dock back in Bridgetown.’
‘Disaster averted?’ Teddy said, above the sound of the kettle whooshing.
Ruth nodded. ‘Disaster averted.’
‘Cup of tea?’ he said.
‘Yes, please.’ Ruth frowned as she texted the news to Millie. ‘What on earth will it be like when my actual kids leave home and I don’t know where they are?’
Teddy smiled. ‘It’s not great. Louis and I were already at odds and although he kept Mai updated it was like a lurch in my chest every time I wondered where he was.
He might not believe I have his best interests at heart, especially after the debacle with Hannah and you, but what they think never changes how much we care. ’
Teddy made the tea and passed her a cup.
‘Do you want me to speak to Louis? Make him understand it was all my doing, not yours?’
‘God, no, Ruth. I still don’t understand what on earth you thought you were doing. But even more of it is not what I want. Please don’t. Please allow Louis the opportunity to do what he thinks is best with the mess of a situation you’ve created.’
‘And will you speak to him?’
Teddy’s expression clouded over. ‘Please stop meddling. You’re still at it. I genuinely thought meeting you again was a second chance for us, but I think I was guilty of sugar-coating my memories.’
Ruth slipped her cup onto the little desk beside her.
‘It’s not meddling, Teddy. It’s concern.
Maybe I could express it better, but I only ever mean the best for everyone.
What would be the point of Louis and Hannah starting something serious with the shadow of her ex still hanging over them?
I just wanted her to be sure – that’s all. ’
Teddy shook his head, then stood.
‘I’m not sure I can do this, Ruth. I really thought this time Louis had found someone special. I really wanted that for him. And in you waltz, messing things up for them like you did for us thirty years ago.’
Ruth sighed, nodding in defeat. ‘I made my bed, and I should go and lie in it. Quietly. Is that what you’re saying?’
‘I’m saying I can’t do this right now.’
‘What does that mean?’
‘I think it means perhaps you should leave.’
‘Perhaps I should,’ she said, turning and smiling as best she could as she stepped into the corridor.
‘It’s been amazing to reconnect with you, Teddy.
I mean that from the bottom of my heart.
I’m going to be honest and say I hoped we might be friends again, maybe even more than that, in time.
But if it’s not to be, then it’s not to be. ’
Ruth did her best to smile through the rest of their time in Barbados. The physical storm passed without further incident, and once they docked in Bridgetown for the second time to complete their stay, Ruth was able to smile for real when Hannah came back on board.
She had to remember this trip was about far more than her unexpected reconnection with Teddy.
It hadn’t worked out, but Ruth reminded herself she was very familiar with disappointment.
She would survive this – and more than that – if her kids had enjoyed this cruise anything like as much as they seemed to be, she had to take the whole experience as nothing short of a triumph.
Even if it did feel a bit of a hollow win.
Ruth did her level best to join in with the excitement shown by her children when they docked at the next island, Grenada.
Their visit to the ‘Isle of Spice’ – info courtesy of Millie – was exceptional.
Accompanied by Hannah, they took a local minibus from Grenada’s cruise ship terminal to what Ruth decided was the most beautiful beach yet, Grand Anse.
The minibus went like the clappers and was packed with locals – it was a complete blast. Ruth couldn’t help but enjoy watching Millie and Nathan as they messed around in the sea.
Nathan’s natural inclination to browbeat his sister finally laid aside.
Ruth was thrilled by that, to be honest, a fact she bored Hannah with as they both made the most of the beach’s sun loungers.
There were whole moments when Ruth was able to forget Teddy was so close, if only geographically.
Hannah only mentioned Teddy once, Ruth did her best to cover her true emotions, keeping her words brief and non-committal.
The last thing Ruth wanted now was to muddy the waters for Hannah any further.
And luckily Hannah didn’t press her – it seemed she was as lost in her own thoughts as Ruth was, and for that Ruth was grateful.
They visited a nutmeg processing plant, apparently one of Grenada’s biggest exports (thanks, Millie), where the air was thick with the rich, woody Christmassy scent of the spice, and the basic nature of the conditions in the factory put some kind of perspective on her own issues.
A boat trip to see the island’s resident whale and dolphin species sealed Millie and Nathan’s enjoyment of the whole cruise. Finally Ruth was smiling with genuine pleasure, matching the grins radiating from her children. Life would go on. She could do this.