Chapter Eighteen
Eighteen
‘Finally! The reprobates return,’ Heidi said, as Leo and I walked into the lounge.
She was sat on a velvet couch with Brooke and Zach, and they were tucking into the scone layer of their afternoon tea.
Tiny lumps in different flavours: cheese, chocolate chip, cherry and sultana.
My mouth watered just looking at the gold stands crammed full of goodies.
‘It took a while, but we managed to give you the slip,’ Leo said, with a charming smile, nudging in next to Zach.
‘I’m so sorry, Brooke!’ I gushed. ‘There was an accident on the walk down from the volcano and we stopped to help. A lady fell and broke her ankle.’
‘A pair of angels doing the Lord’s work – how can I complain about that?’
‘Exactly. Kat called the air ambulance and did a great job of keeping her calm while I carried her down.’
Not technically true, but I nodded along with Leo’s version of the story.
His eyes were on me, and my face was hot.
I felt totally exposed. They were all going to find out we’d kissed and Heidi would be furious.
She was very black and white when it came to business and would see it as defecting to the other side.
I had to keep my professional wits about me and act normal. Sweating was not the answer.
The lounge had been decorated to look like the Orient Express, with wooden booths, crystal glasses and glittering silver cutlery.
There were gold bells on the wall to tinkle if you needed more of anything, and barely a murmur as people stuffed their faces with smoked salmon sandwiches and cream cakes.
‘We’ve got the whole day to explore Madeira,’ Brooke said, cradling her cup and saucer. ‘And I appreciate you all need some downtime, and thinking time – as do I, but Dahlia has managed to get us tickets for the island toboggan. Apparently it’s an absolute “must-do” while we’re here.’
‘The Carreiros do Monte?’ Zach asked, looking vaguely interested in the conversation for once. ‘Yeah, count me in. How did she manage that? It’s been fully booked online for days.’
‘Where there’s a Dahlia, there’s a way,’ Brooke said. ‘She once got me on the front row for New York Fashion Week, three seats down from Anna Wintour. The girl knows everyone.’
‘Tobogganing on water?’ Now that was a safety hazard. I had visions of the five of us flying over a waterfall on a plastic sled without any brakes. Red flag, red flag…
‘No, on the roads. Big wicker baskets on wheels, and two men push you down the hill by the looks of it,’ Leo said, reading off his phone. ‘Known as the gondolas of Madeira, it starts at the top of the island and finishes in Funchal.’
That didn’t sound much better and I sensed Heidi recoil. ‘How fantastic,’ she said, with a well-trained smile. ‘Although, unfortunately I’m allergic to er… wicker.’
‘Are you, really?’ Zach asked, in a sardonic tone.
‘Yup. But I will absolutely cheer you all on from the sidelines.’
Leo frowned. ‘Isn’t wicker a weaving technique?’
‘It’s the bamboo or whatever they use,’ Heidi said, smoothly. ‘My skin is very sensitive.’
Brooke didn’t even seem to be listening. ‘We’ll take the cable car up the hill, so grab whatever y’all need for the day and let’s meet on the bridge in half an hour. OK?’
She marched off and I flopped down in her chair. I felt like I’d already done a full day’s work and was shattered from all the travel but had to suck it up and get on with it. I ordered a coffee and a champagne and popped a scone in my mouth. Caffeine, sugar and alcohol would see me through.
***
Four black stallions with white plumes and plaited tails stood waiting for us as we got off the ship, held steady by a man in a top hat.
‘You guys enjoy yourselves!’ Dahlia called, helping the four of us into the cart. ‘This is one of the excursions we are trialling for VIPs, so I want to hear all about it when you get back. Starting with a horse-drawn carriage up to the cable car and a queue-jump for the toboggan.’
‘Are we allowed to do that?’
‘Yep, all sorted. Here are your tickets for the cable car, then go straight to the front of the toboggan queue and show your Excalibur pass for the Carreiros do Monte.’ She handed everything to me, as the responsible adult in charge.
Heidi had of course reneged on her cheerleader promise under the guise of working on the pitch, so it was just the four of us on a double date.
I sat opposite Leo in the carriage, clenching my thighs tight to avoid any physical contact.
I could feel myself sweating at the effort, his pheromones buzzing around me as I tried to hold it together.
‘Off we go,’ Leo said, as the horses wobbled over the cobbles.
The harbour was a beautiful web of pathways and roads going off in different directions and it was another gorgeous, sunny day.
We passed the Mercado Dos Lavradores, the farmer’s market, with its colourful fruit displays.
Huge piles of bananas, mushrooms and potatoes out the front where sellers offered passers-by samples of tropical delicacies.
A neat queue had formed outside the bakery, where the smell of fresh bread mixed with sugar and cinnamon lured people in.
We clip-clopped past whitewashed buildings with ornate shutters and blue and white tiles, surrounded by lush green trees and flowers in red, pink and purple.
It was the perfect way to see the island.
I felt like I was in a musical and might burst into song at any moment.
‘Ain’t this the prettiest place?’ Brooke trilled, handing out some mints. ‘I just love Europe and I extra love that our cruises bring all these places to people. Or should I say all these people to places.’
On an individual level it was great for people to see so much in such a short space of time.
And there was probably some sort of carbon footprint efficiency in so many people doing the same thing all at once.
But we were like a swarm of locusts piling off the ship, in and out of the shops and restaurants and onto the cable car; eating, drinking, buying and spreading out to do and see whatever we wanted.
Feeding off the island for a few hours before we got back on the boat and disappeared.
It was hard not to see us as using and abusing the island’s resources, even though logically I knew the locals relied on tourists to make a living.
We sank into the buttery leather seats of the cable car, enjoying the island view from another perspective, as it slowly dragged us up the hill.
The flora and fauna laid itself out below like a vegetable medley with the layers of different greens in stark contrast to the icy blues and turquoise of the ocean.
‘This is the life, isn’t it?’ Zach said, unzipping his jacket and making himself comfortable.
‘Just missing a mini freezer with ice-creams,’ I joked. ‘And frozen daiquiris.’
‘Great idea,’ Brooke said. ‘When we’re curating experiences for our VIPs, we can add that into the brainstorm. I’ll speak to Dahlia. For now, all I can offer is… another mint?’
Leo kept glancing over, sending me weak at the knees.
This level of closeness was too much after last night.
I needed some time and space to think about our conversation over dinner (among other things), not to be wedged into a tiny glass bubble with him, boinging about.
It was a relief to reach the top of the hill and step out into the fresh air.
Brooke and Zach must surely have sensed the sexual tension pulsating between the two of us. I could barely breathe.
‘Well, take a look at all this,’ Brooke squealed. ‘Real-life HD.’
The colours were rich and vibrant; no filter needed – Mother Nature had already added hers.
The cable car station opened out into Monte Palace and Gardens from the bygone days of Madeiran gentry.
Butterflies danced in delight among the plethora of plants.
Ancient trees and beautifully manicured rose bushes added a soft fragrance to the Japanese-style ponds, ornamental fountains and elaborate red pagoda.
The gardens were mapped into separate squares and looked like red and green flags from a distance, slowly revealing themselves to be carefully curated plant combinations that would give Kew Gardens a run for its money.
‘Ain’t this just so magical?’ Brooke said with a twirl and Zach rolled his eyes. His British disdain was on full show. ‘Should we take a turn around the gardens? That’s what they say in Bridgerton ain’t it?’
‘They certainly do!’ Leo said, in a mock-posh voice, offering her his arm. ‘Let’s.’
Zach wasn’t keen to follow suit and marched on ahead while I trailed behind full of jealousy at their closeness.
I wanted to be folded into Leo’s arms. Brooke had snuggled in way too close for my liking, but I couldn’t very well burst through the middle of them and interrupt.
I hurried to catch them up and linked her other arm instead.
‘Have you ever tried Madeira? As in the wine? We’ll have to drink some while we’re here,’ I said, grappling for her attention.
‘Hell, yeah. Let’s grab a couple bottles at lunch,’ Brooke replied, getting into The Wizard of Oz vibe as the three of us walked in time.
‘It’s a type of port, isn’t it?’ Leo said. ‘Count me out of that, thanks. I had enough last night to last me a while.’
‘That tiny thimbleful?’ I teased.
‘It was enough.’
Zach was slowly waving in the distance. ‘Hurry!’ he shouted, and we ran towards him. ‘How sick is this?’
We rounded the corner, and the toboggans came into view.
A bunch of hot air balloons were missing their baskets somewhere out there.
Huge wicker sledges on wheels were lined up in a row, and couple after couple were being helped in by men wearing white suits and boater hats.
Two per toboggan, they circled the baskets, then pushed them along the road to gain momentum before leaping on the edges like the guys who ran the waltzers at the local fair.
Zach jumped in the front toboggan, while the huge queue huffed and puffed, giving the four of us death stares. ‘Who’s coming?’ he shouted.
‘Me!’ Brooke ran over and got in, leaving me and Leo looking at each other.
‘Alone again,’ he said, wiggling his eyebrows as Brooke and Zach sped off with a whoop.
‘We might get ten minutes if we’re lucky,’ I said, nudging him.
‘Plenty of time.’ He took my hand and helped me into the toboggan, then squeezed in next to me, his arm around my shoulder. ‘Do you mind?’
‘Not at all,’ I said, snuggling into him. There weren’t any seatbelts and his grip made me feel safe and secure.
‘Ready for it?’ a beardy man in white shouted, and we nodded.
‘Then let’s GO!’ said another and they started rolling us along the road.
My stomach dropped at the realisation I had no idea what was around the corner or what this whole thing was all about.
It could have been a sheer cliff drop for all we knew; none of us had really questioned it, but it was too late now.
We’d watched cart after cart fly off and disappear with abandon and I felt like I was inching up a rollercoaster track, getting ready to drop.
Madeira looked spectacular, with her glittering white buildings shining in the sunshine, and a couple of donkeys hee-hawed at us from a nearby field.
Leo gave me a squeeze as the cart sped up and the warmth of his hand gave me goosebumps.
We whizzed along the tarmac and I held my breath, but it was just a plain old road waiting for us – smooth and wide, with nothing to fear.
The two men were riding the toboggan like a skateboard, steering with their bodyweight, their rubber shoes working as extra leverage to navigate the bends and whenever we started to slow, they’d paw at the road in sync to speed us back up again. This was no job for a couch potato.
‘Flying down mountains is becoming our thing,’ Leo said. ‘Can you ski?’
‘God, no. I’m a working-class Bootle babe! Although if Dahlia’s got it planned in, I’ll give it a go.’
He frowned. ‘You can’t go hurling yourself down a mountain without knowing what you’re doing.’
‘What do you call this?’
He laughed, as the sledge zigzagged, sliding us back and forth and pushing us even closer together. ‘Fair point.’
‘I don’t mind taking chances, as long as I feel safe,’ I said, smiling up at him.
‘Oh yeah?’ I melted as he kissed me, holding on tight, our legs glued together as we flew down the hill. The wind whipped through my hair, making my skin tingle as he pulled me closer, both of us knowing it was a risky move and we could only get away with it for a few seconds.
We felt the men in white pull on the brakes and sprang back as we rolled down the final part of the run.
Traditional Madeiran villas with colourful tiled walls were now dotted in among the buildings in yellow and pink, as the centre of Funchal appeared.
Brooke and Zach were brushing themselves off on the side of the road and Leo pulled his arm back to resume business mode and somehow caught my necklace on his sleeve.
I felt it snap and tried to grab it but ended up holding the delicate chain and watching in horror as my beloved liver bird flew off behind us into a thicket of bushes.
‘No!!!’ I shouted, as the Carreiros Morris dancers screeched to a stop and I jumped out, running back to where I thought it had fallen.
‘What’s happened?’ Leo called.
‘My necklace, my Liverpool necklace…’ I cried, already knowing it was lost forever. There was no chance of finding a tiny pendant in that huge hedge – assuming it had even landed in there.
‘Oh no, I’m so sorry,’ Leo said, scanning the road helplessly, as toboggan after toboggan flew by. ‘Was that me?’
I shook my head. No point playing the blame game.
It wasn’t anybody’s fault; it had just happened.
Probably more my fault for sitting so close to him.
Passers-by were staring at the ground as they walked past, trying to work out what we were looking for, and I clutched my hand to my neck, feeling naked without my lucky liver bird to keep me safe.
‘Can you get another one?’
I shook my head again. Mum and Dad had bought it for my eighth birthday, and it was my most precious possession. ‘They were a limited edition – only a hundred ever made and I had number eight. My lucky number. It’s irreplaceable.’