Chapter 23
I got back to my cabin just after six o’clock that evening and ten minutes later, as I was thinking about having a nap before dinner, I heard Anna banging on my door.
‘So,’ she said, coming in without ceremony, ‘how did you get on? We had such a great time. The talk only lasted for an hour. Evelyn and her friends came back to the ship for a little rest because they had got rather overheated, and then Harriet and I went for a little wander on our own. I have to say, it’s gorgeous here, isn’t it.
We had a little fantasy about buying a place here to come to when the English winters get too awful, and then we had an ice cream.
She had double chocolate and I had banana mango chip.
We are getting on much better than we did. So how did you get on?’
I laughed; her enthusiasm was so infectious.
‘I had a very nice time, thank you.’
‘And? And?’
‘We went to see all the places you’ve mentioned and then we had a late lunch down by the harbour. I am not sure I need any dinner.’
Anna plonked herself in the chair by the window.
‘What did you have?’
‘Seafood risotto.’
‘Nice. Rupert won’t eat seafood unless its lobster or langoustines at a pinch. And he hates risotto because he says it’s like baby food. I say it’s easy eating and since he had his new dentures he does find some things a bit of a struggle, but he won’t listen. How did you get on?’
‘That’s the third time you’ve asked me.’
Anna tutted her irritation. ‘Yes, and if you gave me a straight answer I wouldn’t have to repeat myself.’
‘We got on very well; at least, I think we did. We talked about family and he had already done a lot of research about this place, so he knew lots of interesting details. Did you know there is a huge freshwater lake inland, Lake Vrana, which is supposed to hide a castle which was drowned when one rich sister refused to help her poorer sister? On windy days you can still hear her desperately ringing the bells in the tower for help.’
‘The Greeks were always a bit harsh with their legends, weren’t they?’ Anna said. ‘Prometheus having his liver eaten every day and someone else pushing a rock up a hill forever. No slap on the wrist and twelve months’ probation back then. And then what did you do?’
‘Nothing particular. Just strolled around and then he said he had work to do and I came back here for a rest. Okay?’
‘Oh. Nothing else?’
I laughed. ‘What were you expecting? That we would fall into each other’s arms and declare undying love?’
‘No, of course not. But Harriet and I were talking about it and she said—’
‘What did I say?’ Harriet came into my cabin at that point, evidently not wanting to be left out of anything.
‘That we thought you two made a nice couple,’ Anna said.
‘Yes, we did.’ Harriet nodded. ‘Are you going to see each other when you get home?’
‘Oh, we’ll see,’ I said.
Anna rolled her eyes and, evidently disappointed with my answers, opened the balcony doors and stepped outside to look at the view. Harriet immediately sat in the chair she had vacated.
‘So go on. Are you seeing him again?’ she said.
‘Well obviously, we are on the same boat, Harriet,’ I said, beginning to feel a bit cornered.
‘You could sit with him at dinner, we wouldn’t mind.’
‘I don’t think I actually need any more to eat today,’ I said. ‘I might just get a glass of wine and stay in my cabin. Or go onto the top deck.’
‘Then expect Evelyn to come and get you,’ Anna said. ‘She’s terribly interested in what’s going on.’
‘Nothing is going… Oh, for heaven’s sake. Give it a rest,’ I said.
‘Someone’s very edgy,’ Anna said in an annoying sing-song voice. ‘I wonder why.’
‘Because you two are going on at me all the time, trying to make something out of nothing.’
‘We won’t say another word,’ Harriet said. ‘Do you know for a small fee you can get laundry done on the ship? Apparently it takes a couple of days, but I’m running out of things to wear. Knickers for one thing.’
‘Good idea,’ I said, glad that the topic of conversation had changed.
‘I bought another new dress in town today. I really am going to need a bigger suitcase,’ Anna said. ‘It’s white with black squiggles and hardly cost anything. I bet the colour will run in the wash.’
* * *
At seven thirty, despite not really being hungry, I followed the other two to the dining room, and we joined a corner table with Evelyn and Marjorie, which meant that there was no space for Jack to join us even if he had wanted to.
They were in fine form, having enjoyed their day, seen all the things they wanted to see and eaten some cake before they got back on the boat.
‘Such a lovely place,’ Evelyn said, ‘and everyone so pleasant, and most people could speak English, which really makes one ashamed, don’t you think? We’ve always made so little effort in school to learn languages. Perhaps it’s different now?’
Marjorie nodded. ‘I did an evening class to learn Esperanto back in the seventies. It seemed such a sensible idea but I gave up when I realised if I said ?u iu tie parolas esperanton? Mi bezonas kuraciston in Sainsbury’s, no one would reply.’
‘What does that mean?’ I asked.
‘Does anyone speak Esperanto? I need a doctor,’ Marjorie sighed.
We studied the menus, deciding on our choices. It seemed the chef was still back there in the galley working his magic.
‘I shall have the brodetto, fisherman’s stew,’ Evelyn said, and we all decided it sounded like a good choice, even though I’d had fish for lunch.
‘Tomorrow we go to Susak for an hour and then on to Mali Lo?inj,’ Marjorie said, ‘and in the evening Anjelica is going to sing again and talk to us about Greek music.’
‘Does she have a bouzouki?’ Harriet asked.
‘Why would she have one of those? Isn’t that a Russian hunting dog?’ Anna asked.
‘No, that’s a borzoi. A bouzouki is a sort of guitar I think,’ I said.
‘Well, in which case, I hope not,’ Marjorie murmured.
‘Nothing would surprise me.’ Evelyn chuckled. ‘I fully expect all of us to end up Zorba the Greek-ing around the dining room.’
‘Can we smash plates as well?’ Anna said, her eyes gleaming. ‘I’d love to do that.’
‘Better not unless they tell us to,’ Evelyn said. ‘Ah, here come Craig and Don and their wives. Belinda is looking very striking this evening in that lime green. It sets off her tan very well.’
‘She spends most of her free time on a sun lounger as far as I know,’ Marjorie said. ‘She’ll regret that when she’s my age and her skin is like an old school satchel. And here come’s your friend Jack, looking very toothsome. He’s going to sit with them. Perhaps he plays bridge after all?’
I looked over casually in Jack’s direction and yes, he did look suave that evening, his silver hair gleaming in the light from the chandelier above their table. And he didn’t look across at me once. Which for some reason I found rather disappointing.
The others chose galaktoboureko for dessert, a creamy custard pastry. More than conscious I didn’t need anything, I had a fresh fruit platter.
‘I will bring it momentarily,’ Bernardo said with a wide grin.
‘I think he means straight away,’ Marjorie said. ‘But I could be wrong. He says momentarily a lot and it’s an unpredictable measurement of time. It could be five minutes; it could be half an hour.’
‘You were right,’ Harriet said after she finished, ‘there is such a thing as holiday food brain. I’m absolutely stuffed. I would never eat this much in one day at home.’
‘But they’ve gone to all this trouble,’ Marjorie said, scraping the last of her dessert off her plate.
‘I read in our crib sheet that Susak is a sand island, lots of oregano and no cars allowed,’ Evelyn said, ‘and they celebrate National Emigration Day in July. Some years ago a lot of the population emigrated to New Jersey, mainly Hoboken, so don’t expect nightclubs here. I think it sounds lovely.’
Some of the other people on the boat wanted to go back into the town for the evening, but we decided to go up on the top deck, which by then was lit with strings of fairy lights and looked enchanting.
Doug, Craig and surprisingly Jack were already up there, sitting around a table with some beers while their wives were clustered around another with a bottle of rosé.
Don stood up courteously as we approached and even gave us a little bow, which was a bit odd.
‘There you are, ladies. Now, we are three gentlemen in a fix. I’m going to throw myself on your mercy.’
‘How intriguing,’ Evelyn said as he bowed over her hand. ‘Perhaps we can help?’
‘I know you can. We are looking for a fourth.’
‘What about The Firth of Forth? That’s in Scotland, you’ll need a satellite dish,’ Marjorie said.
Don chuckled rather patronisingly. ‘A fourth at bridge. Our ladies aren’t in the mood and we are.
If one of you’ – he fixed Evelyn with a pleading stare – ‘would help out? We will lead you through it very gently if you’re not sure of the rules.
Craig and I usually partner up, which leaves Jack here without as it were. ’
‘And I haven’t played for years,’ Jack said.
‘We don’t always play for money,’ Don said hastily.
I was trying to decide how to politely refuse when Evelyn spoke up.
‘Well, of course, Don, It’s a while since I played but I think I can hold my own. I have some euros here, let’s see what happens.’
‘Let’s sort this out once and for all, shall we?’ she murmured as she walked away with him.
Astonished, we watched as Evelyn settled herself into the spare place at the table.
I exchanged a look with Jack, and I wasn’t entirely sure but I think he winked.
The rest of us went to sit at the far end of the top deck, and a friendly waiter brought a bottle of chilled water for me, and G&Ts for the others. I saw him take a gin and Dubonnet for Evelyn and realised she meant business.
How marvellous to be that feisty in her eighties, and I determined I would follow her example in future.
For the next hour we sat idly chatting and wondering if it was time to go to bed.
Across the harbour we could hear music faintly drifting out from the cafés, occasionally the sound of laughter from people returning to the ship, and down the other end where the bridge players were hard at it, muttered bidding and the occasional groan.
‘I hope they aren’t ripping her off,’ I said.
Marjorie chuckled. ‘My dear Lizzie. Knowing what I know, I doubt that very much.’
* * *
The bridge players were still there when we went to bed so we had no idea how Evelyn and Jack were getting on. The engines roared into life at exactly seven o’clock the following morning, and slowly the ship edged away from the harbour.
I was quite sad to be leaving actually. I had enjoyed my short stay here so much, and it reinforced the feeling that on this holiday I had already visited a lot of places and not really seen them properly at all.
Perhaps that is the problem with cruises.
But then again it had given me a taste to do more leisurely exploring in future.
There was no sign of Evelyn at breakfast, and it wasn’t until nearly ten o’clock that she came to join us on the top deck. She was wearing a flowing kaftan and looked remarkably bright eyed.
‘Coffee,’ she said as she came to sit down with us, ‘I need coffee.’
‘So how did the bridge go?’ I asked.
‘Jack and I had enormous fun,’ she replied with a wicked grin. ‘Don Marshall won’t make that mistake another time. I would be very surprised if he asks us to play again. In fact, I would be even more surprised if he ever talks to either of us.’
‘Did you win?’ Anna said.
Evelyn chuckled. ‘You could say that, and Don and Craig are fifty-three euros down to prove it. I told you the Redditch Bridge Club had nothing on Omar Shariff. Never judge an old woman by the wrinkles on her face.’
‘Did you say double or quits?’ Harriet said. ‘It worked for me when we were playing poker.’
Evelyn smiled enigmatically and stirred the foam into her coffee.
‘Well done,’ I said. ‘And Jack? How did he get on?’
‘An awfully good player, very intuitive. I enjoyed his company very much. We had a brandy together after Don and Craig had slunk off to bed. Did you know he used to be editor of a broadsheet newspaper? He met all sorts of very interesting people. Politicians, royalty, all sorts of celebrities.’
‘He did mention it,’ I said.
‘Any good gossip?’ Anna asked.
‘Sadly no, he was very discreet, except he said one British politician he met was probably certifiable, but he didn’t say which one and there have been so many to choose from. I am sure I will get something out of him eventually. Such a nice man, and there aren’t many left in my experience.’
‘Yes, Jack is a nice man. And he’s kind and thoughtful.’
Evelyn gave me a knowing look.
‘My dear, sometimes one meets the wrong person at the right moment, and occasionally the right person at the wrong moment, but just occasionally one meets the right person at the right moment, and when that happens you need to grab it with both hands. Now, I think I’d like another coffee if you can catch someone’s eye, I’m not used to such late nights.
Oh look, that must be Susak over there. We’ll be there before you know it. ’