Chapter 29
The journey back to the boat was reasonably uneventful. Dawn and Craig sat in the front seats behind the driver, and the rest of us retreated to the back of the coach, not wanting to upset Dawn any further or add to Craig’s probable embarrassment.
For the first few minutes she could be heard complaining about the road or asking where everyone else was, until eventually her head lolled onto Craig’s shoulder and she fell asleep.
‘Phew,’ Harriet said, turning around in her seat, ‘thank heavens for that, let’s hope she’s okay when she wakes up.’
‘She’s going to be sorry in the morning, she’s going to have such a headache,’ Evelyn said sadly from behind me.
‘Perhaps I’ll get Craig a bottle of coconut water for her.
It’s supposed to be full of electrolytes or something.
Although my sister Wendy in Australia swears by Vegemite on toast. I wonder if there is any on the ship? ’
‘Bananas are supposed to be good for hangovers,’ I said. ‘I’m sure they would have some.’
Next to me Jack held up a finger. ‘I have an American friend who swears by a prairie oyster: a raw egg, Worcester sauce, vinegar, hot sauce and tomato juice.’
I pulled a face. ‘I’d rather have the hangover, given the choice.’
‘Thank heavens,’ Marjorie said, a few minutes later, ‘we’re back.
My second husband used to swear by something called onion syrup.
Finely chopped onion mixed with brown sugar and vinegar.
He made me try it once. It was one of the reasons I divorced him.
That and the way he squeezed the toothpaste tube.
Even the judge pulled a sympathetic face.
Now then, should we get off or wait for Dawn to go first? ’
We decided we would leave the coach first, and filed out silently past a still sleeping Dawn, Craig staring straight ahead and avoiding eye contact with any of us.
Don trotted after us along the quayside as we went back to the boat.
‘Bit of a turn up,’ he said. ‘Who knew she could be such a firebrand?’
‘Oh, do be quiet,’ Belinda snapped. ‘As though you haven’t been like that? And let’s think of poor Craig and Dawn. Not a word to the others. There’s been more than enough questionable and unladylike behaviour on this holiday.’
And she fired a look at me.
I pressed my lips together to stop myself laughing while everyone else murmured their agreement and tried to look sincere. Personally, I didn’t give much hope for Dawn’s chances.
‘Okay, of course, absolutely, we’ll forget all about it,’ Don said, rubbing his hands together. ‘What’s the time? Six fifteen. Anyone fancy a beer and a rubber of bridge before dinner?’
No one replied and, unusually for him, Don let it slide.
* * *
I stood on the little balcony outside my cabin, breathing in the sea air and enjoying the tranquillity. I’d showered and changed into my dressing gown. It was almost time to get ready for dinner, although yet again, I did wonder if I needed anything to eat.
Still, it was the last evening we would all be together and tomorrow we would be returning to Opatija and then going to the airport and the flight back to England. It had been an interesting day, no one would argue with that. Poor Dawn, she must have been feeling awful. I hoped she was asleep.
Suddenly somewhere above me I heard shouting. The unmistakeable sound of Anjelica arguing with Rocco which was usually accompanied by the sound of breaking china. But on this occasion it wasn’t, and after a few minutes it all went quiet again.
I leaned out, trying to see the deck above me, which of course I couldn’t, but I could hear the sounds of someone’s footsteps which then stopped and was followed by the noise of loud crying.
Not the sort of crying I was used to, quiet and muffled.
Rather embarrassed. This was someone wailing and keening with all their energy.
I supposed Anjelica was perhaps a more passionate creature than I was and didn’t care who heard her.
I wondered what the problem was. Should I call out?
Maybe go up and see what the matter was?
Then she shouted again.
‘Gala dinner! I give you gala dinner!’
This was followed by something whizzing out from the boat into the sea like a Frisby. It looked like a whole Rab cake. And when it landed in the sea there was suddenly a flurry of fish, splashing and clustering around the unexpected prize. Well, it hadn’t gone to waste anyway.
There was another exasperated scream.
‘Ne radim to! I’m not doing it!’
This time no one answered so I assumed Rocco had simply left her to it. Perhaps that was the wisest thing to do.
It was time to get ready for the last night gala dinner which Anjelica has mentioned. A big notice had been put up on the main notice board to tell us it was going to be a splendid occasion.
I couldn’t wear my yellow dress because the strap was broken, the green and white dress was a bit crumpled, and the purple jewelled dress has a small stain in the middle. Probably wine. What a pity I was such a sloppy eater. Perhaps I could just hold my handbag over it all evening.
I gave it a try and looked in the mirror. I looked suspiciously like someone trying to hide a pregnancy bump at a wedding.
Still, there wasn’t much of an alternative; everything else in my wardrobe was either grubby or unsuitable. I couldn’t exactly turn up to a gala dinner in jeans, rather battered trainers and a red T-shirt.
I fixed my hair and dabbed on a bit of makeup in honour of the occasion and made my way to the top deck where we had been promised cocktails and canapes.
Despite the fact that several of our number had spent an hour wine tasting and drinking schnapps, everyone was piling into the free cocktails like there was no tomorrow.
Under the illuminations from the fairy lights, they all looked very luminous and slightly dangerous to me, so I took a bottle of water and looked around for my friends.
I saw Anna and Harriet sipping margaritas at the far end of the deck, laughing about something, while Marjorie and Evelyn sat at a table with glasses of wine, and I went to join them.
Perhaps I felt a little guilty that I had spent such a lot of time with Jack over the last few days.
But then they were the ones who kept sidling off, leaving me to it.
‘I don’t know how you do it,’ I said. ‘I don’t think I could take any more alcohol at the moment.’
Evelyn raised her glass in my direction.
‘You know what Victor Hugo said; wine is constant proof that God loves us and loves to see us happy. There is time for abstinence tomorrow. He didn’t say that last bit; I did.’
Marjorie nodded. ‘Wine improves with age; the older I get the more I like it. But I do tend to fall asleep these days. Whereas once of course I would have been dancing on the tables.’
‘I wouldn’t dare do that,’ Harriet said, ‘I’ve only just got over my first knee replacement.’
‘Anyone seen Dawn or Craig?’ Anna asked.
We all agreed we hadn’t.
‘Just as well,’ Marjorie said, ‘I’m afraid being drunk when you are an adult is like being a child again. Everyone remembers what you did afterwards except you.’
‘I’m sticking to water for a bit,’ I said, ‘or I’ll be fit for nothing in the morning.’
‘Here comes Jack,’ Anna said. ‘He’ll be sorry to hear you say that.’
Jack, who still appeared to have clean clothes, or perhaps he had taken advantage of the laundry service more than I had, came across towards us, a glass of white wine in his hand.
‘Evening, ladies, you are all looking lovely this evening,’ he said, and I raised my handbag a little higher to cover the stain on the front of my dress.
‘And where are you off to tomorrow, when we go home?’ Evelyn asked.
‘Dubrovnik,’ he said. ‘I have a booking in the Old Town. I’m looking forward to exploring.’
‘What a shame you can’t go too, Lizzie,’ Marjorie said mischievously.
I gave her a meaningful look, which she ignored.
Evelyn chimed in. ‘And we are flying to Aix-en-Provence to stay with some friends of ours, Audrie and Victor, who have an absolutely delightful place. Chateau de St Cyr, have you heard of it? They produce divine sparkling rose wine, Souffle de St Cyr. Even the name is adorable, don’t you think?’
‘You are never in one place for long by the sound of it,’ I said.
Evelyn nodded. ‘It fills my life. What I will do when – well, never mind.’
‘I’ve told you already, you can come and live with me in Little Rissington,’ Marjorie said, patting her hand.
‘We’ll drive each other mad,’ Evelyn murmured.
‘Yes, but what fun!’ Marjorie replied. ‘I’ve got it all worked out. We will be the scatty old ladies who go to the village shop on the ride-on mower. You can sit in the trailer and hang on to the shopping.’
I considered this terrifying prospect for a few minutes while the chatter carried on around me. I assumed Marjorie was joking, but then again…
What would I do when I was old, older, and not able to cope on my own? I’d thought about this a great deal recently.
I had friends and far-flung family, but would I just struggle on as best as I could for as long as possible until one day I fell down the stairs?
Or would I have to rely on Ben for support, or go into a home?
All of it sounded awful. And the worst thing was no one ever knew when these choices had to be made.
I was sixty-four; would I be okay for another year, five years, ten years?
Or was it possible I would develop some awful illness or have an accident sooner than that?
‘The police would probably stop us,’ Evelyn said.
‘I will bribe him with cake,’ Marjorie replied, ‘and tell him you mustn’t be upset because you are old and might have one of your turns. And you are also inclined to fly off the handle.’