Chapter 47
Hannah tried to ignore the coaches on the quay to take them from St Johns to the airport.
It was the final nail in the holiday’s coffin, compounding the sadness she felt when she had packed, checking every cupboard in her cabin three times in case a stray item of clothing had magicked itself into the space since the previous check.
How she ached to stay. Wondered if she could stow away in Louis’ cabin, remain hidden there while the crew of the Ballygowan continued their journeying around the Caribbean, hosting new passengers for shorter cruises than the one she’d enjoyed, before they finally brought the ship back to the UK at the conclusion of the season.
She and Louis had a plan, though, formulated in the dark hours of the night.
She would use the time until he returned to the UK to work through the challenges she would surely face from her own family.
She had to tell them about Ian, and then she had to find the words to explain why she was planning to leave them all again, if her job application was successful – this time for an indefinite length of time.
Hannah had no idea how she would explain it to her brother. That challenge loomed larger than anything else. Harder to negotiate than trying to explain why their searches for velociraptors in the local park were never successful.
‘When you get the job,’ Louis had said, his breath warm against her ear as they’d lain tight against one another, ‘you’ll probably end up having more time to spend with Joe.
And on your own art. Far more quality time, because you’ll have months between contracts.
We might not get loads of time off during a cruise season, but we get a chunk of time in between. ’
‘I like your confidence,’ she’d replied. ‘I haven’t even applied yet.’
‘I have total faith in you.’ He’d nipped at her ear, and she’d almost lost track of the conversation.
‘And then we really could sail off into the sunset,’ she’d said, reaching her hand to cup the back of his head, encouraging him closer.
‘Now that’s an idea I could get into,’ Louis had said, and she could feel his smile against her cheek as she’d twisted to kiss him, before admonishing him for yet another double entendre.
‘What did I do now?’ he’d said, pausing for a moment as he’d revisited his words, his smile intensifying. ‘You are outrageous.’
‘And you are amazing. Louis, I want this to last forever,’ she had said. Then she’d had a thought, a cloud on a sunny horizon. ‘But what if I do get the job and then Captain Crowther comes back. You’ll be asked to captain another ship…’
She felt his smile intensify in the dark as she’d realised it wouldn’t stop her; she’d explained her determination and was surprised when he said it wouldn’t change anything, because he was staying put on the Ballygowan, too.
If Captain Crowther returned, Louis had already decided he’d be happy to step back into his role as First Officer.
He’d pulled in a deep breath, asked her if she’d mind about the loss of his extra stripe, and she’d told him she couldn’t care less.
‘Don’t get me wrong,’ he’d said. ‘I want to be a captain – I’ve loved the challenges. But I only strived so hard to achieve it to please other people. If it had taken another ten years, I still knew it would happen. And it will happen again, if it doesn’t stick this time.’
She’d kissed him properly then, and the practical plans had been lost in a flurry of sensations as they made the most of the dark, made the most of the final precious hours they would have together.
Seeing Louis in the Ballygowan’s grand foyer, white uniform starched and peaked cap firmly on his head as he shook hands and said his goodbyes to passengers shifted something deep inside Hannah’s belly. Made her legs go weak. She didn’t want to say goodbye.
She allowed people to pass her, stayed behind Ruth and the kids, lingering as far back as she could. Teddy rolled his suitcase to a stop beside her.
‘It’s not for long,’ he said, like a mind reader. ‘And can I say, I am enormously happy for the pair of you. I just hope Louis will see a way to welcome me into your lives. I’d very much like that.’
Hannah smiled. ‘I know he wants to, Teddy. Just know he’s always done his very best, and none of us can do more than that, can we?’
Teddy sighed. ‘Someone else said almost the same thing. And I’ve been guilty of not appreciating it.’ He whirled his suitcase past her, heading for Ruth. ‘There’s always time to change all that, though,’ he said, with a grin.
Reaching Ruth, he settled an arm around her shoulder, only for a fleeting moment – Hannah assumed so as not to upset Louis – but it was enough to make Ruth smile, gazing up at him like she’d struck gold. Or found a King…
As Hannah shuffled closer to her King, his expression changed, his smile the special one she’d seen in their most private moments.
‘I will see you very soon,’ he said, leaning forward to embrace her.
She threw her arms around him, locking them together for a brief, precious moment, before she pulled away, not wanting to break with protocol.
But Louis held on, kissing her properly, as though there was nobody else in the foyer, let alone hundreds of people.
‘Hey, can I get a go?’ said a voice behind Hannah, and a group of women hooted with laughter.
‘You should be so lucky,’ another said.
‘At your age, he’d probably make your heart pack up,’ a third added and eventually Hannah had to move on, Louis squeezing her hand a final time before they finally pulled apart and he turned to the women to ask, in jest, who was next.
Hannah joined Ruth and together they disembarked the Ballygowan. But Hannah was determined to do everything in her power to return. And when she did, she had a feeling the rest of her life would begin.