excitedly when the clients were out of range. “I know where Catriona is! But if we tell them, they’ll be able to buy her for a song and we’ll be out a sale. What should I do?”
He cocked an eyebrow, not really believing her. “Take it easy. What makes you so sure you know where Catriona is? Honey, they’ve been searching for the right boat, and I assume that means her, for over a year. If they couldn’t find her, either as Catriona or Felicity , what makes you think you can?”
She gripped his hand in both of hers. “Because I know where she is, I tell you. Her present name is Portside Queen and she’s tied up to a dock in a little tourist town outside Adelaide, Australia. She’s being used as a gift-shop and museum, Rolph. I know that because I worked aboard her for two months while looking for a crew berth on a boat headed back this way. That was four or five years ago, but what if she’s still there?”
“If she’s called the Portside Queen , how do you know she’s the right one?”
“Because of the carved compass roses. Rolph, believe me. She’s the one! And the Mastersons want her.”
“Sweetheart, that was sentiment talking. She’s a wooden boat. If she’s been sitting tied up to a dock for God knows how many years, she’s probably rotten right through.”
“No. I don’t think so. Sandy, the man who owned her, hauled her out every year and had her scraped and painted. He didn’t want his museum sinking under him, for heaven’s sake.”
“Maybe he doesn’t want his museum sold out from under him, either.”
“But we could try. What would it hurt to go have a look? Rolph, she must have been a beauty in her day. Very beamy, with pure, graceful lines. I used to think what a shame it was to see her so … trapped, growing shabbier and shabbier. But I could see that she’d been built to last, just like Slim said. She was a strong ship, a sound one, and I’d stand on her bows picturing her under full sail, set free to fly. Maybe she still could. Listen, why don’t we buy her, do a refit and then sell her to the Mastersons? You heard Slim. He said they’d buy her no matter what. And Rolph, think what a coup finding her would be for the business!”
He laughed at her then tapped her nose with the tip of a finger. “I’m thinking, but you’re not. Okay, I agree, it’s worth a try. It’s worth investigating. But we don’t buy her and do the refit then tell the Mastersons. Use your head, Marian. We don’t own either of the boats we’ve been offering to them tonight, do we?”
She shook her head. “No. Of course not. You’re right. I wasn’t thinking. We’ll get a finder’s fee, though. I’ll—”
“We’re going to head back to our hotel now, old boy,” said Slim, returning to the table with his arm around Ethel’s waist. “You intend to pick us up there in the morning, I understand?”
“That’s right,” said Rolph. Then, “Would you mind sitting down again, both of you? There’s something I think you need to know. Marian thinks she might have a line on Catriona .”
The Mastersons both sat, abruptly, their faces expressing combined disbelief and hope.
“You do? But how? Where?”
Marian explained briefly.
“Call him,” said Ethel decisively. “Can we get a phone to the table?”
“There’s a courtesy office in the back,” said Rolph. “I’m sure we can be accommodated there.”
Rolph seated Marian at a large oak desk and slid the phone closer to her. “Go for it,” he murmured.
“Yes,” said Slim. “Get Catriona for us, my dear, and you’ll have earned yourself a healthy commission.”
“Not me. That belongs to Sunrise Brokerage.”
“The finder’s fee does,” said Rolph, touching the back of her neck with a fingertip. “But the standard commission is all yours.”
When the connection was made, and Marian had identified herself to an astounded Australian who said that yes, his boat had once been named Catriona , was in decent, if
He cocked an eyebrow, not really believing her. “Take it easy. What makes you so sure you know where Catriona is? Honey, they’ve been searching for the right boat, and I assume that means her, for over a year. If they couldn’t find her, either as Catriona or Felicity , what makes you think you can?”
She gripped his hand in both of hers. “Because I know where she is, I tell you. Her present name is Portside Queen and she’s tied up to a dock in a little tourist town outside Adelaide, Australia. She’s being used as a gift-shop and museum, Rolph. I know that because I worked aboard her for two months while looking for a crew berth on a boat headed back this way. That was four or five years ago, but what if she’s still there?”
“If she’s called the Portside Queen , how do you know she’s the right one?”
“Because of the carved compass roses. Rolph, believe me. She’s the one! And the Mastersons want her.”
“Sweetheart, that was sentiment talking. She’s a wooden boat. If she’s been sitting tied up to a dock for God knows how many years, she’s probably rotten right through.”
“No. I don’t think so. Sandy, the man who owned her, hauled her out every year and had her scraped and painted. He didn’t want his museum sinking under him, for heaven’s sake.”
“Maybe he doesn’t want his museum sold out from under him, either.”
“But we could try. What would it hurt to go have a look? Rolph, she must have been a beauty in her day. Very beamy, with pure, graceful lines. I used to think what a shame it was to see her so … trapped, growing shabbier and shabbier. But I could see that she’d been built to last, just like Slim said. She was a strong ship, a sound one, and I’d stand on her bows picturing her under full sail, set free to fly. Maybe she still could. Listen, why don’t we buy her, do a refit and then sell her to the Mastersons? You heard Slim. He said they’d buy her no matter what. And Rolph, think what a coup finding her would be for the business!”
He laughed at her then tapped her nose with the tip of a finger. “I’m thinking, but you’re not. Okay, I agree, it’s worth a try. It’s worth investigating. But we don’t buy her and do the refit then tell the Mastersons. Use your head, Marian. We don’t own either of the boats we’ve been offering to them tonight, do we?”
She shook her head. “No. Of course not. You’re right. I wasn’t thinking. We’ll get a finder’s fee, though. I’ll—”
“We’re going to head back to our hotel now, old boy,” said Slim, returning to the table with his arm around Ethel’s waist. “You intend to pick us up there in the morning, I understand?”
“That’s right,” said Rolph. Then, “Would you mind sitting down again, both of you? There’s something I think you need to know. Marian thinks she might have a line on Catriona .”
The Mastersons both sat, abruptly, their faces expressing combined disbelief and hope.
“You do? But how? Where?”
Marian explained briefly.
“Call him,” said Ethel decisively. “Can we get a phone to the table?”
“There’s a courtesy office in the back,” said Rolph. “I’m sure we can be accommodated there.”
Rolph seated Marian at a large oak desk and slid the phone closer to her. “Go for it,” he murmured.
“Yes,” said Slim. “Get Catriona for us, my dear, and you’ll have earned yourself a healthy commission.”
“Not me. That belongs to Sunrise Brokerage.”
“The finder’s fee does,” said Rolph, touching the back of her neck with a fingertip. “But the standard commission is all yours.”
When the connection was made, and Marian had identified herself to an astounded Australian who said that yes, his boat had once been named Catriona , was in decent, if
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