voyage I’ve ever been on.’
‘But—’ He broke off whatever he had been going to say, looking suddenly annoyed.
She grinned suddenly, ‘In fact it’s a disaster. Nothing has been properly planned. The passengers blame the crew. The crew blames the first officer. So they hate him. The first officer hates children. And all but one of our passengers are children. The passenger who isn’t a child hates the captain. And the captain hates everybody.’
Luc looked stunned. ‘This is outrageous.’
Christina considered. ‘Well, no. It’s like a board game for adults. Who can you afford to leave alone together on the boat without them killing each other?’
Luc gave an unwilling laugh. ‘It sounds poisonous.’
‘Quiet,’ she corrected him. ‘Not a lot of call for conversation.’
Three hours out of Athens the captain had made his first error of navigation. Their passengers were the charterer’s sister, the Princess, and her children. All too soon it had emerged that the Princess understood charts better than Demetrius. Indeed, even Christina could read the charts better.
From the moment that had become apparent, the atmosphere on board had become so tense that she could have taken a vow of silence and no one would have noticed.
Her tension must have shown. In spite of her ironic tone, Luc looked at her curiously.
‘Will you jump ship?’
‘It’s a tempting thought. You don’t know how tempting,’ she said with feeling.
His eyes glinted. ‘Then let me take you out of all this.’
That startled her. She jumped and lifted her eyes to scan his face candidly.
‘I can’t go,’ she said in pure reflex.
‘Why not? You’re wretched. Walk away.’
‘It’s not as easy as that.’
‘It is for a clear-headed girl like you.’ He paused, then added softly, ‘Unless it’s me you don’t want to go with. Do I frighten you, Christina?’
That was altogether too close to the truth. She lifted her chin.
‘I am not afraid of you or anyone.’
‘Then let me be your escape route.’
She was thoroughly confused and more than a little indignant. She stared at Luc. He smiled back. The bland expression was complicated, but it was still too full of that private amusement for Christina’s liking. She drew herself up a little.
‘More and more tempting,’ she assured him with her coolest politeness. Then a thought occurred to her that drove the odd tension between them out of her head. She chuckled. ‘Especially as I have to tell Simon Aston—one of the children—that he isn’t getting the devil’s food cake he ordered for tea. But, in spite of everything, I think not.’
Luc did not reply at once. Instead he contemplated her with an odd expression. At last he gave a theatrical sigh. ‘Turned down for a schoolboy.’
Christina sniffed. ‘A row with a schoolboy. Be precise.’
‘Very lowering to the vanity.’
But from the tilt to his mouth Christina was pretty sure that his vanity was undinted. She decided to change the subject. ‘What are you doing here, anyway?’
That seemed to disconcert him. Briefly he looked annoyed; then he shrugged. ‘Getting away from it all. It’s been in the diary to visit this place for a while.’
Which told her precisely nothing. It was quite deliberate, she was sure. Luc Henri was still being evasive. Well, two could play at that game. Christina gave him her sweetest smile.
‘I hope you enjoy your holiday,’ she said in a tone of unmistakable farewell.
She turned to go. Luc stopped her. He put a hand on her arm swiftly, easily, as if he had every right to take hold of her in that casual fashion. Christina stopped dead, inexplicably shocked, aware that her face was suddenly hot. Her heart pounded.
‘I’m serious,’ he said. ‘I’ve got a car at the hotel. Come with me now. You need never see these people again.’
Christina shook her head. ‘I can’t. I signed on for the voyage.’
‘Contracts can be broken. Especially if they’re treating
‘But—’ He broke off whatever he had been going to say, looking suddenly annoyed.
She grinned suddenly, ‘In fact it’s a disaster. Nothing has been properly planned. The passengers blame the crew. The crew blames the first officer. So they hate him. The first officer hates children. And all but one of our passengers are children. The passenger who isn’t a child hates the captain. And the captain hates everybody.’
Luc looked stunned. ‘This is outrageous.’
Christina considered. ‘Well, no. It’s like a board game for adults. Who can you afford to leave alone together on the boat without them killing each other?’
Luc gave an unwilling laugh. ‘It sounds poisonous.’
‘Quiet,’ she corrected him. ‘Not a lot of call for conversation.’
Three hours out of Athens the captain had made his first error of navigation. Their passengers were the charterer’s sister, the Princess, and her children. All too soon it had emerged that the Princess understood charts better than Demetrius. Indeed, even Christina could read the charts better.
From the moment that had become apparent, the atmosphere on board had become so tense that she could have taken a vow of silence and no one would have noticed.
Her tension must have shown. In spite of her ironic tone, Luc looked at her curiously.
‘Will you jump ship?’
‘It’s a tempting thought. You don’t know how tempting,’ she said with feeling.
His eyes glinted. ‘Then let me take you out of all this.’
That startled her. She jumped and lifted her eyes to scan his face candidly.
‘I can’t go,’ she said in pure reflex.
‘Why not? You’re wretched. Walk away.’
‘It’s not as easy as that.’
‘It is for a clear-headed girl like you.’ He paused, then added softly, ‘Unless it’s me you don’t want to go with. Do I frighten you, Christina?’
That was altogether too close to the truth. She lifted her chin.
‘I am not afraid of you or anyone.’
‘Then let me be your escape route.’
She was thoroughly confused and more than a little indignant. She stared at Luc. He smiled back. The bland expression was complicated, but it was still too full of that private amusement for Christina’s liking. She drew herself up a little.
‘More and more tempting,’ she assured him with her coolest politeness. Then a thought occurred to her that drove the odd tension between them out of her head. She chuckled. ‘Especially as I have to tell Simon Aston—one of the children—that he isn’t getting the devil’s food cake he ordered for tea. But, in spite of everything, I think not.’
Luc did not reply at once. Instead he contemplated her with an odd expression. At last he gave a theatrical sigh. ‘Turned down for a schoolboy.’
Christina sniffed. ‘A row with a schoolboy. Be precise.’
‘Very lowering to the vanity.’
But from the tilt to his mouth Christina was pretty sure that his vanity was undinted. She decided to change the subject. ‘What are you doing here, anyway?’
That seemed to disconcert him. Briefly he looked annoyed; then he shrugged. ‘Getting away from it all. It’s been in the diary to visit this place for a while.’
Which told her precisely nothing. It was quite deliberate, she was sure. Luc Henri was still being evasive. Well, two could play at that game. Christina gave him her sweetest smile.
‘I hope you enjoy your holiday,’ she said in a tone of unmistakable farewell.
She turned to go. Luc stopped her. He put a hand on her arm swiftly, easily, as if he had every right to take hold of her in that casual fashion. Christina stopped dead, inexplicably shocked, aware that her face was suddenly hot. Her heart pounded.
‘I’m serious,’ he said. ‘I’ve got a car at the hotel. Come with me now. You need never see these people again.’
Christina shook her head. ‘I can’t. I signed on for the voyage.’
‘Contracts can be broken. Especially if they’re treating
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