Beginning, Section II, Next Section
Posted on Saturday, 8 September 2001
Fitz put Liz's purchases in the trunk, handed Liz into the car and they set off toward Bailey's Bay and the famous Swizzle Inn. They found a table outside, where they could enjoy the breeze. Fitz ordered two rum swizzles and an iced tea (Uncle Lewis was driving, after all), and the three looked over the menus.
"I guess if I'm having a rum swizzle, I should have a 'swizzleburger,' too" laughed Liz. The drinks arrived, and lunch orders were taken.
"Ooh, delicious! I can't believe this is a lethal drink. It tastes like fruit juice."
"Of course it does," laughed Fitz. "That's because it contains fruit juice and a lot of sugar. It also contains rum. What makes it lethal is the fact that it doesn't taste lethal. You can knock back a couple of these, and before you know it, you can't get up out of your chair."
"Mmm, blurry good." giggled Liz in a convincing imitation of inebriation.
Over lunch, Fitz and Uncle Lewis drifted into conversation about Rosings and the family. Suddenly, Fitz stopped and said, "Oh, Liz, how rude of me. I didn't mean to exclude you from the conversation."
"No, no, it's perfectly all right. I'm sure you don't get many chances to catch up like this. I'm just enjoying the blue sky and the soft breeze, and my yummy rum skwizzle." She slurred the last bit, with a wink at Uncle Lewis.
Fitz smirked at Liz, then turned to his uncle. "You know, it's a shame to skip Hamilton, but I think we need to get Liz back to the ship to sleep it off. Too bad that she won't get any shopping done."
Liz sat upright and said, "I'm fine!"
Fitz ignored her, and continued addressing his uncle. "You see, it can be devilishly difficult to get a woman's attention. But I have found that the lure of shopping brings them to attention like that!" and he snapped his fingers.
"Hah!" replied Liz. "And does this really work on the females of your acquaintance?"
"Every time."
"Sure works with my wife," laughed Uncle Lewis ruefully.
Uncle Lewis chose to drive to Hamilton along the South Shore Road, so that Liz could see more of Bermuda. As they drove by one of Bermuda's nature preserves, Liz saw a flash of white in the sky.
"What kind of bird is that?"
"It's the longtail," replied Fitz. "Check your change to see if you got a Bermuda quarter. The bird is on the back of that coin."
"Is the longtail native to Bermuda?"
"They live here for eight months of the year. They spend the winter over the Sargasso Sea, then come to Bermuda in the spring to mate and nest in cliffs along the South shore."
"They must fly quite a long way."
"Yes, they do. Look, there's a pair flying together."
"I think it's very romantic, flying all that way to find a mate. Oh! There's another pair!"
Posted on Saturday, 8 September 2001
Liz stood in Trimingham's with a handful of sweaters. "Oh, I can't decide which I like. The longtail design is beautiful. But what's this funny arch design?"
The saleswoman smiled. "That's a moongate. It's supposed to be good luck for honeymooning couples to walk through a moongate."
"I think I saw some moongates while we were driving today. Hmm, I really don't know which one I want."
"If you can't decide on a sweater, why don't you try them on? Perhaps that will make up your mind," said Fitz. "And while you're doing that, I'll run to the jewelry shop next door to get a present for my sister. I'll meet you out front in about 20 minutes. Uncle Lewis should be done at the bank by then. Will that give you enough time?"
"That would be fine, thanks."
The saleswoman showed Liz to the dressing rooms. She couldn't help remarking, "Your boyfriend is very handsome."
"Oh, he's, um, yes he is."
Exactly 20 minutes later, Liz walked out of the store carrying a shopping bag. In addition to the sweater, she had purchased some "Bermudiana" perfume for herself and for her paralegal. She found a Royal Doulton china teapot for her mother. She still needed a souvenir for her sister Kitty, but she expected to find something more to Kitty's taste at the Straw Market in Nassau.
Liz saw Fitz walking toward her. He was carrying only a small bag.
"Which sweater did you decide on, then?" he asked.
"The Bermuda house design."
"Really? I would have bet on the longtail."
"I think the birds are wonderful, but the little crochet shutters on the house design were just too adorable. How did you do?"
"Fine, I bought my sister a bracelet." He looked at his watch. "I had hoped we'd have time for the tea at the lighthouse, but it's a long ride and we can't risk missing the ship. I think the best thing to do would be to say goodbye to my uncle here and take the ferry back to King's Wharf."
They walked down to the ferry terminal and found Uncle Lewis waiting for them with Liz's purchases from St. George's. Will shook his hand and said, "You're right. We'd best take the ferry. Thank you for driving us today. Please say goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. J. for me. It was good to see you both."
Liz hugged Uncle Lewis and said, "Thank you so much. I don't care what Fitz says, you're a wonderful driver!
"I heard that!" shouted Fitz, and all three laughed.
The ferry bumped against the dock, the gangway was extended, and the passengers started to file off. Liz got off near the beginning of the crowd, and Fitz got off toward the end, just in case George was around. It proved to be a smart strategy, as Liz saw George wandering around the dockyard area.
"Hey Liz! How was your day?"
"George! I thought you weren't getting off the ship."
"Oh, I decided to go for a walk around here. I see that you've been shopping. If you're not shopped out, we could take a walk through the shops here."
"That sounds lovely. I did want to see the craft market."
Fitz walked off the ferry just in time to see Liz and George walk away arm-in-arm. He scowled and began to recite to himself, It's just a job, it's just a job, it's just a job.
Fitz showed his boarding pass to the security officer at the gangway and walked to his cabin. He took the boxes out of the bag. He opened one and smiled. He knew that Gina would like the gold bracelet. The links were sea turtles, her favorite animals.
Fitz looked at the framed photograph beside his bed. "I miss you, Gina. When this is over, maybe the nightmares will go away."
He put his purchases in the dresser drawer. With no particular goal in mind, he wandered around the ship. He stood on Promenade Deck for a while, but he couldn't see Liz and George walking around Dockyard anywhere. Then he wandered some more and found himself in the photographer's gallery.
The photographs that had been taken the night before were arranged on racks so that the passengers could find their pictures. He hadn't posed for any portraits, so he was about to leave when he saw a bit of red. He picked up the portrait of Liz. The photographer must have said something funny. She was smiling and the expression in her eyes showed that she was on the verge of laughter. He took the photograph to the desk.
As the photographer slipped the picture into a folder and filled out the charge slip for Fitz to sign he said, "Your girlfriend is very pretty."
Fitz just nodded and signed the paper.
Back in his cabin, Fitz opened the folder. He looked at Liz's picture and sighed. He closed the folder and lay back on his bed. He reached out to the dresser and picked up the daily program to see if there was an interesting movie on the cabin TV. Nothing sounded good, but he surfed through the dozen or so channels anyway.
Fitz turned off the TV and tossed the remote onto the dresser, where it landed on top of the folder that held Liz's portrait. He started to open it again, then dropped it and walked out of his cabin.
Posted on Saturday, 8 September 2001
Liz dumped her purchases on her bed and went up to the Promenade Deck, where George was waiting. They leaned on the railing and watched as the Pride left Bermuda.
"You really should have taken one of the tours, George. Bermuda is a lovely island. Well, actually, it's a bunch of islands, all ancient coral reefs. And did you know about the longtails? They spend all winter over the sea, and then they come here to find a mate and build a nest. Isn't that romantic?"
Borrrring! "Huh? Oh yeah, uh-huh."
Geeez, George, you could at least pretend to pay a little attention! And here's some more information you don't want. "And Hamilton is so charming. You should see the businessmen going to work in sportcoats and Bermuda shorts. Even the cops wear Bermuda shorts."
At the word 'cops' George turned to look at Liz. She'd had a feeling that word would get his attention, but she just smiled at him as if she hadn't noticed a thing, and continued to babble about the charms of Bermuda and point out pretty sights as they sailed through the channel that would take the Pride out to sea.
At one point, Liz saw a tall man looking over the railing of the deck above her. She thought it might be Fitz, but when she looked again, he was gone.
It took a minute for Fitz's eyes to adjust to the bright sunlight. when they did, he looked down on Promenade deck, one deck below him. He saw George turn to look at Liz and saw Liz smile in return. She was pointing out sites along the shore. He realized that they were passing Shelley Bay and wondered if Liz would recognize it from this viewpoint. He pictured her as she had been that morning-standing in the water, tilting her head back in the sunlight. He shook his head to erase the picture and walked to the other side of the ship.
George was becoming tired of Liz's endless travelogue, so he decided to change the subject. "So, what are you doing after dinner? I heard that the comedian was funny the other night. His show tonight is rated "R." I bet it will be great. How about it?"
"I don't think so, George, I'm tired from all my sightseeing. I think I'll just do room service and crash for the night. See you tomorrow? I'll be up on Sun deck most of the day."
"Yeah, I'll look for you there. You don't know what you're missing." He turned on his best smile. "Sure you won't join me tonight? Hey, you didn't make a date with anyone else, did you?"
Liz considered making George jealous, but thought better of it. Instead she pouted. "Oh George, of course not! I really am pooped. I don't have enough energy to be fun company tonight. Maybe we can do something tomorrow night. Now, don't YOU go making a date with someone else!"
"Oh, Liz, how can you even ask me that?" replied George. "Rest well, and I'll see you tomorrow." He kissed her cheek and walked away. Liz wasn't even out of sight when George started wondering when Mary King, his red-haired friend from the casino, would go off duty.
On her way to her cabin, Liz stopped at the photographer's gallery. She found the photograph with the captain, but couldn't find her portrait. She took her picture to the desk and asked the photographer on duty if he had seen the portrait.
"If it isn't out there, I don't know what to tell you. As far as I know, everything turned out OK, no darkroom disasters." He slipped the photograph into a folder and said, "Wait. I did see your portrait. Your boyfriend bought it earlier."
"My boyfriend? Is that what he said?"
"Well, no, I just assumed that since he was buying your picture..."
"What did he look like?"
"I don't know. Tall, dark hair." He shrugged.
Liz bought the picture that she found and slowly walked to her cabin. Is George really that interested in me? Surely Fitz didn't buy it. It must have been George.
When Liz got back to her cabin, she put the picture away, put her shopping bag in the closet, and called in her order to room service. She took a quick shower, and was just slipping on her robe when she remembered Fitz. She called his cabin, but got no answer. Then she called the dining room and asked if he had arrived yet.
"Yes, Mr. Darcy has been here for about five minutes."
Oh, Lord! He's probably livid! "Please give him a message. Tell him that I'm tired and doing room service this evening."
"Very good, Ms. Bennet. If you'd like, I'll call him to the phone." Before Liz could say anything, Fitz was on the phone.
"Liz, are you all right?"
"Yes, just tired."
"You looked lively enough on deck with George."
So, it WAS Fitz on deck! "Well, I didn't see him all day, and I thought I should spend some time with him,. That's the plan isn't it?"
"You really throw yourself into your work, don't you?"
"Maybe I'm a good actress, did you think of that?"
And were you acting today, too? "Stupendous. You should win an Oscar! I'll see you tomorrow." Click!
Fitz returned to his table, and ordered dinner. After the waiter left, he realized he had no idea what he'd just ordered. He looked out the window at the setting sun. The sea was calm. He found himself wishing it would be rougher, to match his mood.
His dinner was served. Fitz ate mechanically, not tasting the light mushroom sauce on the perfectly grilled chicken breast or the perfectly al dente pasta that accompanied it.
The waiter cleared the dinner plate and asked about dessert. "No, nothing else," Fitz replied. "Good night."
Fitz walked out on the Promenade Deck. He wandered along the deck and found himself standing where he had first seen Liz. Not an appropriate choice? Did I really say that? I must have been out of my mind! Fitzwilliam Darcy, you're a fool!
The steward knocked on Liz's cabin door. "Room service!" Liz thought of Fitz's room service delivery of coffee that morning. He must be a Gemini. Either that or he's schizophrenic. He's at least two different people!
The steward set down the tray and left. Liz picked at her dinner. She thought about Fitz and George. She could see how women could be taken in by George. He was very charming. She wondered if she would have been fooled if she hadn't known what he was truly like. Although he had denied he would find other company, she knew that he was probably cruising the various bars on the ship. She didn't care, as long as he was interested enough to spend some time with her, the plan would work.
Fitz was another matter. He loathed George, and it had something to do with his sister. She wanted to know more, but was afraid to ask Fitz. He was so touchy about some things. She never knew what would annoy him. Take tonight, for example. She was doing her job, keeping in touch with George. So why was Fitz so angry? Control freak! Just because she used her initiative a bit, he got all huffy. She hadn't done it on purpose to annoy him. Why couldn't he see things from her perspective?
Liz put her fork down on the tray. She had eaten only about half of her dinner, but she knew she wouldn't eat another bite. She called Room Service to have the tray picked up. She was just setting the tray outside the door when she saw a pair of nicely polished shoes in front of her. She looked up, and there was Fitz.
His perfectly pressed tuxedo contrasted with his tousled hair, windblown from his walk on deck. It also contrasted with Liz's oversized Pride bathrobe and ponytail.
"We need to talk. I know you're tired, but could I come in for just a minute?"
"Sure."
Fitz followed Liz into the cabin. She sat on the edge of her bed. Biting her lip, she watched him try to collect his thoughts.
"Liz, you must allow me to tell you..."
"... how sorry I am that I snapped at your earlier. Please accept my apology. I know that I shouldn't let George get to me, but he does. It's no excuse, I know, but whenever I see him with a woman, I want to take her aside and warn her."
"Fitz, I have been warned. I know what he is, and what he did to Lydia. But I have to cultivate his interest. Look, he isn't going to run to either of us and confess where he fenced Lydia's jewelry. We have to continue this as we've begun it."
"I still worry."
"I'm a grown woman, I can deal with this."
"I know that. I just don't..." He was at a loss for words, so he shrugged and turned to the door. "Sleep well. I hope you feel better tomorrow."
"Fitz?"
He turned to face her.
"Your sister. Look, you don't have to tell me details, but just, um, did he, um, hurt her?"
The pain in his eyes was unmistakable. "He would have if I hadn't walked in when I did," he whispered. "She was only fifteen." He walked out and closed the door behind him. His hand went to his pocket, and he felt the box he'd carried with him all evening. He swore softly, and went to find a drink.
Liz sat absolutely still for several minutes. Then she remembered the remark she had made on the first day. "You don't have to be 15 to dream of finding true love." FIFTEEN! Oh did I really say that? No wonder he was so cold at that meeting.
During the night, the wind picked up and the sea turned rougher. The ship's stabilizers helped to control the motion, but the ship did pitch more than it had. The rocking motion was very soothing, and Liz slept soundly.
She woke early, and noticed the motion. She wondered if it would make her feel queasy. But it didn't seem to. In fact, she was delighted to discover that she enjoyed it.
Liz dressed quickly and went for a walk on the Promenade Deck before breakfast. Very few people were up and about so early. Liz laughed when she noticed how the ship's motion was causing people to walk in a serpentine pattern. Then she realized that her path, too, was affected by the motion of the ship.
As she rounded the corner, she saw Fitz in the same spot where she had first met him. He was leaning on the rail and looking out at the sea.
"Ahoy there!" she called.
He turned to look at her. He didn't look very awake. "I thought you weren't a morning person."
"I'm usually not. I don't know what hit me. I feel almost euphoric. I think it's the ship's motion. I'm so pleased that I've adapted to it well. I slept like a log last night. Oh dear, you don't look well. Don't tell me that you're seasick."
"No," he replied sheepishly. "A bit hung over. I spent a few hours with your friend the Colonel last night. I'm not used to drinking that much whisky. The ship has a fine collection of single malts. I'm not sure how many I tried last night."
"Can I do anything for you?"
"Yeah, stop yelling."
"I'm not yelling, Fitz," she whispered.
"Well, you're disgustingly perky."
"You have my sympathies. How about I take another lap around the deck and then we go to the Pavilion for early coffee. Maybe a little something to eat will help?"
"OK."
Liz seemed to be gone for quite a while. In fact, Fitz was beginning to wonder if she was doing this lap in slow motion, when he saw her walking toward him carrying coffee mugs and a plate of pastries.
"Here we go, I thought it would be better to stay out in the fresh air. Why don't we find chairs near to amidships. You know, less motion, physics and all that?"
"Thank you. You didn't have to carry all this up here."
"Hey, you brought me coffee yesterday morning. I sort of owe you. George won't be up for hours, so why don't we just veg out in deck chairs this morning. You might consider taking a nap. It would probably help. And now I'll stop being perky and let you have your coffee."
They sat in companionable silence, sipping coffee, nibbling pastries, and watching the sea. Liz turned to ask Fitz a question and saw that he had fallen asleep. She studied his face. He must have been dreaming, because he smiled slightly. How handsome he is when he smiles. Oh, those dimples. Does he have a clue about how good-looking he is? George is always preening, and admiring himself in any reflective surface, but he's not nearly so attractive.
Fitz stirred, and saw Liz looking at him. Blushing slightly, he asked, "How long was I asleep?"
"About a half hour. Good dream?"
I can't possibly tell you what it was. "I don't know. Did I appear to be dreaming?"
"Yeah, your nose was twitching, and your little paws were moving. Looked like you were dreaming of chasing squirrels."
Fitz shook his head.
"No, really, you smiled as if you were having a pleasant dream."
"Then I guess I was. You know, I'm feeling a lot better. How about another turn around the deck and then let's have a bit more breakfast?"
Liz finished reading the morning "newspaper," an eight-page condensed version of the New York Times that was faxed to the ship each morning. Liz couldn't help feeling a bit smug when she noticed that the weather report called for rain in New York. She felt decadent reclining in a deck chair on a sunny day at sea while her coworkers were sitting at their desks scowling out through rain-streaked windows.
Mmmm. I could learn to live like this. Her musings were interrupted when a shadow fell across her. Looking up, she saw Fitz.
"Be careful of your skin. Remember, we're heading south. You can burn quickly because the sun's rays become more direct."
"Have you been talking to Jane's sister?"
"Who?"
"Charlotte Lucas. Jane says that Charlotte is a whiz at science."
"Do I know this Charlotte?"
"No, but you met Jane the day we sailed."
How could I forget-Bingley's angel! "Tall blonde, right?"
"That's right. Jane took me shopping so that I'd have an appropriate wardrobe and not embarrass you."
"I guess she would be the friend who talked you into the straw hat?" And the red dress? And that swimsuit??"
"Yes. We agreed on most choices, although I picked out this swimsuit. I didn't think I'd be comfortable swimming in the one she picked out."
Liz lowered the back of her deck chair and rolled onto her stomach. She looked at Fitz over her shoulder.
"Do me a favor and put some sunscreen on my back? I slathered myself before I left my cabin, but I'm not sure I got my back covered evenly."
Fitz sat on the chair next to Liz's and took the tube of sunscreen she held out to him. He squeezed a line of the cream down Liz's back.
"Yikes! That's cold! Sadist!"
"You asked me to do this. I can't help it if the stuff is cold." He slowly rubbed the lotion into her skin. As he got to her neck, he pushed the loose tendrils of hair out of the way with one hand as the spread the lotion across her neck with the other. The touch of his hand on her neck made Liz shiver involuntarily. Fitz was seized by a desire to kiss the back of her neck, then realized that he had just smeared sunscreen on it. This is torture, he sighed.
"What?"
Did I say that out loud? "Nothing." Recovering his wits, he added, "So what now?"
"I'll read for a while and hope George comes along." She held up a romance novel.
"You're reading THAT?"
She grinned and slipped the romance cover off another paperback, London.
"Travel book?"
"No, historical fiction. The author tells the history of the city through several generations of families that live there."
"Why the trashy cover?"
"That cover is part of MY 'cover.' George isn't supposed to think I've got a brain." Liz favored Fitz with batting eyelashes and a simpering giggle, "Ooh, look, the man on the cover looks just like you, George!"
"Unbelievable."
"Hey, details are important to a good performance. Speaking of details, George had some rather interesting details about you. Were you really a Seal?"
"Did he say that I was a Seal?"
"No, what he said was that you would claim to have been one, but that you actually flunked out of the training."
"Oh. Well, I never claimed to have been a Seal, although it's true that I did train to be one."
"So did you flunk out?"
"Not exactly. I had to drop out because of the diving. I kept getting sinus infections. You know, the pressure changes. Physics and all that. So then I transferred-" He broke off as Liz rolled onto her side and glared at him. "What's wrong?"
She narrowed her eyes and hissed, "George is coming. You're annoying me and I'm trying to get rid of you. Quick, let's hear a pickup line."
"You know, I'd love to teach you to snorkel when we get to the Bahamas. I was a Navy Seal. I'd take you scuba diving, but you aren't a certified diver. But in shallow water, snorkeling is almost as good. How about it?"
"I really don't think so. Do you mind? I'd like to get back to my book."
Fitz shrugged, rose, and started to walk away. He heard George greet Liz, "Hi gorgeous!" Glancing over his shoulder, Fitz saw Liz smiling at George. George smirked at Fitz before looking down at Liz.
"Hi George! Isn't it a beautiful day?"
"It is now. So what's with Darcy?"
"Oh, really, with his money, you'd think he could buy some better pickup lines! How are you today?"
"Fantastic! I had a great night at the tables last night, so I bought you a present this morning." He sat on the deck chair next to Liz's and handed Liz a black velvet box.
Liz opened the box to see a gold bracelet set with rubies.
"Oh, George, it's exquisite!"
"When I saw this, I thought of your red dress and knew that this would be perfect for you."
"I can't accept this, George. It must have cost a fortune!"
"Don't worry about it. Think of it this way. I didn't buy it for you, Austen's casino did! And don't even think of trying to return it or looking up the price in the shop. It's a one-of-a-kind and they have nothing else like it." He fastened the bracelet around Liz's wrist.
"Wear it tonight. We'll go to the casino." That'll show that stuck-up Mary King from the casino that she shouldn't have stood me up last night!
Liz and George sat in the sun and chatted idly. Liz noticed that George kept steering the conversation back to Fitz.
"George, you shouldn't think about him so much. It will only upset you."
"I know. It's just that he annoys me. he likes to impress women with his money, but he never stays with one for long. Love 'em and leave 'em, that's Fitz. He even dumped his best friend's sister. I can't believe Charlie is willing to continue to work with Fitz."
"How awful! I wonder why people put up with such behavior."
"Money, Liz, A woman could put up with a lot to have access to all that money."
"Not me. It would be nice to be rich, of course, but not if it meant life with an arrogant jerk."
"I'm glad you feel that way. I hate to bad-mouth Fitz, but I don't want you to be hurt."
"It's sweet of you to worry about me, George."
"My pleasure. And while I'm taking care of you, let me take you to lunch."
"Oh, I had a late breakfast, so I'm not really hungry."
"You're not seasick, are you?"
"No, no. I quite like the motion. I'm just not hungry, and I'm so comfy in my deck chair." She stretched and held out her arm. "And I love the way the sun sparkles on my bracelet."
"I'm glad you like it. I'm off to have some lunch, and then I think I'll stop by the casino. Maybe you can join me there later for a drink?"
"OK. I'll look for you later."
As soon as George was out of sight, Liz dashed to a house phone.
"Hello."
"Don't go anywhere. I'll be right down!"
About a minute later, there was a knock at the door. Fitz opened the door and there stood Liz, breathless and grinning.
"Sorry, were you taking a nap?"
"That's all right. What's happened?"
"Look what George gave me!" cried Liz, thrusting her arm in front of Fitz's nose.
"Congratulations. You really have made a conquest."
"Look at it!"
"I'm looking. Rubies. Think they're real? I haven't known George to spend so much on a woman." Fitz eyed Liz suspiciously.
"Nice! And what you really want to know is what I did to earn this, right?"
"I didn't say that!"
"No, but you were thinking it! And George may be expecting to get something in return for his generosity, but he isn't going to get it. Look, I didn't come here to argue. I want you to look at this." She held out her arm again.
"I did look at it."
"Help me take it off, the clasp is tricky."
"So I see. My sister has a bracelet with a clasp like this. It belonged to my grandmother." He opened the clasp and Liz slid the bracelet off her wrist.
"Exactly!" Liz crowed. "Your GRANDMOTHER had a bracelet like this. So did mine. Fitz, George did not buy this today. It's old. This kind of bangle, with two parts hinged together is very old-fashioned."
Fitz nodded, "And valuable. So if he didn't buy it, where did he get it, hmm? It must be the proceeds of one of his scams."
"Maybe it's one of the pieces he stole from Lydia. Do you have the file listing the pieces he stole?"
"I have descriptions. I didn't bring the pictures with me. But I can call the insurance company and have them send me a picture."
"Fitz reached under his bed and pulled out a briefcase. He removed a file and scanned a list, "Earrings; pendant; ring, diamond; ring, emerald; bracelet...This could be it. Gold bangle, 20 rubies, hinged, clasp with guard."
"That's it! I'd bet on it! Call the insurance company!"
Liz went to her cabin to put the bracelet in the safe in her closet. Fitz called Atlantic Insurance and asked to have a photograph of the bracelet emailed to him.
Captain Wentworth met Fitz in the hallway. "Come to my quarters, it's more private than the bridge."
"Do you have a computer in there?"
"Yes, the one on the bridge is strictly for the ship's business. This one is for my personal use. I have to admit, it's kind of a toy," he continued, opening the door to his cabin.
Fitz smiled when he saw the desk covered with equipment. "I see you have scanner and a digital camera. I assume you have a color printer?"
"The works. This is my playroom," he gestured toward the desk. "How can I help?"
"Just tell me how to log onto the Internet. I can access my email from any computer, but I didn't want to do this in the public computer room. It isn't likely that Wickham would walk by, but I didn't want to risk it."
"Absolutely. Let me get you on line and then I'll leave you to it. There you are. Sit." He got up, leaving the desk chair for Fitz.
Captain Wentworth walked toward the door, but Fitz stopped him. "Stay if you have the time. This won't take long."
"You're sure I'm not invading your privacy while you check the email?"
"No, I am the one who's invading YOUR privacy. Please stay."
Fitz logged onto his provider and checked his inbox. Atlantic Insurance had wasted no time in getting the photograph to him. He opened the file, and there was Liz's bracelet. "Bingo! We've got him!"
The printer whirred to life. While he waited for the picture to come out, Fitz took another look at the list of emails. Nothing looked pressing, but he did see one from LadyCate@dbi.com.
Fitzwilliam,Lewis tells me you had some woman with you in Bermuda. Just who is she? Who are her parents? Do I know her family? Where did you meet her? Is it serious? Why haven't I heard about her before? Your uncle says she is charming, but we both know how easily he can be won over. When will I get the chance to meet this woman? I just hope she's an improvement over that pretentious stick insect you had with you the last time you were at Rosings!
Yours & etc.,
Aunt Catherine
Fitz chuckled and shook his head.
Captain Wentworth looked up, "Is something wrong?"
"No, just my dear aunt prying into my life as usual. Uncle Lewis told her about Liz, so now Aunt Catherine is giving me the third degree about her. Here, read it and then log off. I don't want to waste expensive satellite minutes."
Captain Wentworth sat at the desk and read the email. He clicked "logout" and Fitz's file left the screen. "Man, I can just hear her voice when I read this. Your aunt is one of a kind."
"Yes, she is. Much as I love her, I am grateful that she is ONE of a kind!"
"Hmm, your Liz and your Aunt Cat. I'd buy tickets to that!"
"She isn't MY Liz, Fred."
"Too bad, she-Oh, I forgot to give you this." He handed Fitz a folder from the photographer.
Fitz opened the folder and saw the picture of himself dancing with Liz. "I'd forgotten about this."
"Anne, um, Ms Eliot saw this in the photo gallery and told me what a great picture it is of both of you. I thought it shouldn't be out where George might see it. I had to explain a bit of what's going on to Ms. Eliot. I hope you don't mind.
"You two look perfect together. You know, this would make a great brochure picture. I can see the ad campaign now, 'Forget the Loveboat. Find romance with Austen.' Pretty good, huh?"
"You can't believe everything you see in brochures, Fred."
"Take another look, Fitz, I think there's something there."
Fitz decided it was time to turn the tables. "Well, while we're on the subject of Liz and 'something there,' she sees something between you and Ms. Eliot."
"I don't know, Fitz. We've known each other for a long time, but working together, well, it makes things awkward."
Fitz sighed, "Sometimes I think EVERYTHING to do with women is awkward."
Liz looked at the bracelet one more time before locking it securely in the safe in her cabin. Should I wear it tonight? As it is, I'm receiving stolen property. Would wearing it make it worse?
Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. She opened the door and was surprised to see Anne Eliot standing there.
"Hello, Ms. Eliot."
"Please call me Anne."
"Come in, Anne. And call me Liz."
Anne held out a folder from the ship's photographer. "Here, I saw this in the photographer's gallery. When I mentioned it to the captain, he said we should make sure you got it. It's a lovely picture. You two look perfect together."
Liz looked at the picture. "Yes, that was one of our better moments together. He can be very annoying at times. Well, all right, we BOTH seem to have a knack for irritating the other."
"What's that old saying about needing some grit to make a pearl?"
"Anne, you wouldn't be matchmaking, now would you?"
"Me? Never! I don't believe in meddling in other people's affairs."
"Fitz and I are not having an affair. We're, um..."
"I know, Liz, you're working together. Captain Wentworth told me a little about it when he explained why we should get that picture out of the gallery. But all work and no play?"
"The 'play' that goes on between Fitz and me is all about our cover on this job. He isn't really interested in me. And what about you, Anne? You don't work 24/7, and neither does your handsome Captain Wentworth. I could see how you looked at him the other night at dinner."
"Oh, dear. I didn't think it showed. I really must be more careful."
"Why? He seems very nice."
"Yes, he is. But when we first worked together, I was just an assistant on the Cruise Director's staff, and Frederick, um, Captain Wentworth, was First Officer. The Cruise Director warned me against shipboard romances. She said not to pay attention to any officer if he seemed interested, because he would just be showing kindness to a new crew member. I transferred to another ship in the line, and I didn't see Captain Wentworth until this year, when I was transferred to the Pride."
"What IS it about this no-romance-at-work thing? Fitz has some sort of rule against it, too. He said something about warning a colleague against getting involved with a client."
Anne shook her head, "Well, I don't know anything about Fitz's rule, but take another look at that picture. You both look pretty interested, and I don't think either of you is acting. Well, I must run. Lots of things to do tonight. It's another formal night. Oh, I almost forgot. The officers are having a cocktail party for some of the guests, and the captain asked me to invite you. The Officers' Ward Room is-oh, never mind, Fitz will know where it is. It's at 6:30, see you then!"
The phone on the Bridge rang. "Bridge, Officer of the Watch speaking," said Third Officer O'Shaughnessy crisply. He turned to the Captain Wentworth, "For you sir, Ms Eliot."
"Yes?"
"I delivered the photograph. She doesn't see in it what we see. But I tried to plant a few seeds anyhow."
"Well, done Anne," he glanced around quickly to see if anyone had heard his slip. "Um, Ms. Eliot. Well done, indeed."
Liz spotted George in the Casino, playing a poker machine near his usual blackjack table. "Hello, George. Not playing blackjack?"
"Hi, Gorgeous!" he replied a bit loudly. "No blackjack for me this afternoon, it was getting boring."
As he said this, Mary King gave him a sour look from behind the table. Liz wondered why George was projecting his voice, but then she saw Mary King, and it made sense. So she played along.
"Oh, poor George!" she pouted. "What a shame. And now I'm going to disappoint you, too. I can't stay and have a drink right now because it's formal night and I have to go back to my cabin and make myself pretty for you. But we can have that drink later. I'll see you after dinner?"
"You bet!"
As Liz walked away, she could see George's smug expression in his reflection in the windows. It was a good thing she didn't look at Mary King. The dealer's expression might have turned Liz to stone.
Liz pushed up the sleeves of the Pride bathrobe and combed the tangles out of her wet hair. She was about to plug in the hair dryer when she saw a sheet of paper slide under the door. Recognizing Fitz's writing, she ran to the door and opened it to see Fitz walking down the hallway.
"Fitz?"
He turned. "I was just leaving you a note."
"So I see."
"If you have a minute, I'd like to talk to you."
"Well, I'm, uh..."
"Just a minute or two."
"OK. Try not to notice the mess."
He followed her into her cabin. Two pairs of heels, one pair of sandals, and a pair of running shoes littered the floor. An evening bag and a garment wrapped in tissue paper shared the bed with the shorts and T-shirt Liz had been wearing earlier. Shopping bags from the day in Bermuda filled the armchair. Liz scooped up the dirty clothes from the bed and Fitz sat down in the space she had cleared.
Still holding the hairdryer and comb, Liz said, "So? What's up?"
"Just wanted you to know that your hunch paid off. The bracelet is part of the loot stolen from Lydia. And it is worth quite a lot."
"Hmm, that creates a problem."
"You haven't lost it?"
"No, don't panic. It's in the safe in the closet. The problem is, do I wear it tonight? George wants me to wear it. I saw him briefly in the casino this afternoon, and I got the impression that he's playing me against this girl in the casino."
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know exactly, but he wanted her to hear our conversation and know that we're meeting for a drink after dinner. I think he wants her to see me with his generous gift."
"From what we know, George doesn't work with an accomplice."
"I don't think it's anything like that. I think he's trying to get her attention or make her jealous. Not related to the case. So, do I wear the bracelet tonight? I mean, is it ethical, given the case and all that?"
"Hey, you're the lawyer, don't you know? Seriously, Liz, I guess you have to. We're almost there. It's no time to make George suspicious." He grimaced.
"What now?"
"I have a bad feeling about you meeting him tonight. I think he's going to want some return on his investment."
"Investment?"
"The bracelet. Don't you think he expects something in return?"
"He already got it, Fitz."
"WHAT???"
"I smiled and said 'Thank you.' That is all he's going to get. So is there anything else? I'm trying to get myself together for tonight."
"Right, tonight. We're invited for a drink in the Officer's Ward Room. Will you be ready by 6:30?"
"I'll do my best."
"Only a few minutes early. Liz, let me in," he hissed. "What if George walks by and sees me here?"
She opened the door, muttering something he couldn't quite make out.
"What?"
"Earrings, earrings. Here they are! You know, Fitz, the last ten minutes before a date are the most crucial for getting ready. Um, well, not that this is a date, but, um, you know what I mean."
He looked at what she was wearing. Red again. This time, a red silk camisole and a flared mid-calf black skirt. He tried not to notice the way the camisole clung or what she was obviously NOT wearing underneath it. He did not want to think about how George would react to this outfit.
Liz thought that he was looking at her necklace, a heart-shaped pendant outlined in tiny rubies. "Isn't this a stroke of luck? I've had this necklace for years, and it will go with the bracelet perfectly."
"Yes, it's nice. Um, is that all you're wearing?"
"Oh," she replied, completely missing his point. "The bracelet. I'll get it." She opened the velvet box and took out the bracelet. "Can you do the catch for me? Wait, jacket first, I think."
She walked to the bed and picked up a black beaded jacket. She slipped it on, and held out her wrist for Fitz to put the bracelet on for her. The jacket did a great deal for Fitz's peace of mind.
Liz picked up her evening bag and said, "Ready to go."
"Not really."
"What?"
"Shoes."
"Oops! Always the last thing to go on before I leave and the first to come off when I get back." She stepped into her shoes and headed out the door.
When Liz and Fitz arrived at the wardroom, they were greeted by Captain Wentworth and First Officer Davis. "Welcome, glad you could come."
Liz smiled, "Thank you. So nice of you to invite us."
They accepted flutes of champagne from a waiter and wandered into the room. The walls were covered with plaques that had been presented to the Pride commemorating maiden calls in ports all over the world.
Anne Eliot joined them. "Impressive, isn't it? The Pride has been just about everywhere."
"Are you able to go ashore often?" asked Liz.
"Fairly often, but not always. I do my turn at handing out tickets for the tenders. You'll see how it works tomorrow. The private island is small and there's no dock big enough for the ship. So we anchor nearby and everyone goes ashore by tender. You come to a lounge, get a ticket, and wait to be called to go down to the tenders. The ticket system keeps people from lining up and jamming the hallways, although there are always a few who think they can beat the system by just showing up at the doorway. But the crew is very consistent. No ticket, no tender ride.
"What are the tenders?"
"We use the lifeboats to ferry people back and forth from the ship. Not as convenient as a docking port, like Bermuda, but at least you can say you've had a good look at a lifeboat."
Fitz had wandered away to talk to one of the officers, and Liz and Anne continued to chat.
"That is a great outfit, Liz."
"It isn't quite what I planned. This outfit is supposed to have a pale aqua top, but I wanted to wear the bracelet tonight-you know about the bracelet?" Anne nodded.
"Well, anyway, I wanted to wear the bracelet, so I needed something red. This camisole is actually a pajama top. I don't dare take off my jacket." Suddenly, she remembered Fitz's question, "Is that all you're wearing?" and blushed.
"Are you all right, Liz?"
"Fine. By the way, I like your outfit, too. Aqua is a great color on you."
Captain Wentworth walked up and added, "The color of the Caribbean Sea. Don't fall overboard, Ms. Eliot, you'll blend in with the water and we'll never find you." Then he added softly, "And what a great loss that would be."
Liz wanted to melt away into the crowd and leave them alone, but Captain Wentworth turned to her and asked, "Are you all ready for tomorrow? Do we need to go over the plans again?"
"No, I think we're ready. You can only plan so much. A certain amount of it has to be ad-libbed as the day goes on."
"Right. And tonight, Ms. Eliot, you're on surveillance duty. Fitz is worried about Liz and tonight's ad-libbing, so you're going to play the part of his date, and help him keep an eye on Liz and Wickham."
"It isn't necessary," Liz protested. "I'll be fine."
"Captain's orders, Ms. Bennet.
She saluted, "Aye, aye Sir!"
Liz hadn't heard Fitz walk up behind her, so she jumped when he said, "Wow, Captain, I'm impressed. I can't get her to take suggestions, much less orders, from me. How do you do it?"
"It's the uniform," replied Liz. "It produces such an air of authority."
"It's a lot more than just the uniform," murmured Anne.
"What was that?" asked Fitz.
"Um, it's time for dinner. Fitz, I'll see you after dinner. Liz, good luck tonight."
Fitz and Liz thanked their host for inviting them and left the Ward Room.
On the way into dinner, Liz and Fitz saw that the photographers were set up for taking portraits. Liz remembered that she hadn't found her portrait from the first formal night.
"Oh! My portrait!"
"Do you want to have your picture taken again?
"No, I just remembered that I didn't find my portrait at the photographer's gallery the other day. The photographer on duty said that he thought someone had bought it. Isn't that odd? Do you think George bought it? I mean, who else knows me?"
Fitz blushed, remembering his impulsive purchase of that very photograph. He was relieved when the headwaiter in the dining room greeted them, and he didn't have to come up with an answer to Liz's question.
A waiter led Liz and Fitz to their table and handed them menus.
Liz sighed, "I cannot believe I'm about to eat AGAIN! I should have walked three miles, not two, this morning."
"Try the Spa selection," answered Fitz, pointing to the left side of Liz's menu. "The food is lighter, but still very good. My sister claims that she never even reads that part of the menu. Come to think of it, she reads the desserts first, and works here way backwards. Once she gets up to the appetizers, she stops reading."
"How old is she?"
"Gina just turned nineteen. She's in her first year at Smith."
"Well, her nineteen-year-old metabolism is probably a lot faster than mine. The Spa menu sounds like a good idea."
John, their waiter, arrived to take their food orders, and then Fitz chose a bottle of sauvignon blanc to go with the dinner.
After the ordering was done, Liz turned serious. "So, Smith. Good school, your sister must be bright."
"Yes, she is, although she doesn't give herself enough credit for her academic skills or her musical ability. She's shy by nature, and then the, er, incident with George undermined her confidence a great deal. He was someone she thought she knew well, and he betrayed her trust. It has made her wary of meeting new people. She had nightmares for years."
"What about you?"
"What do you mean?"
"How did you react to the whole thing?"
"Besides wanting to kill George? We called the police, of course, but Gina was hysterical and afraid people would find out, so we didn't press charges. She was too fragile to deal with a trial. I went into 'overprotective brother' mode. Probably too much, but she was my responsibility, and I was determined that nothing would ever hurt her again. We focused on her studies and her music lessons. She had little interest in a social life, as you can imagine."
"It sounds like a lonely life."
"Yes, we kind of retreated into our own world. As I said, I was probably too protective, but I didn't know what else to do. Thank goodness for my cousin, Anne. By taking on increased responsibility with the company, she gave me the time to care for Gina."
"And how is school going?"
"Gina's doing well. Frankly, I think I suffered separation anxiety more than she did. I also suspect that she calls Anne for advice more than she used to. She needs a woman's perspective, although I sometimes fear that Anne's 'take no prisoners' approach to life is a bit fierce for Gina's nature."
The conversation paused as John set down Liz's salad and Fitz's fruits de mer en croute."
Liz looked longingly at the puff pastry and cream sauce. Fitz smiled, "Regretting your choice?"
"No. As much as I like the looks of that, I know what's in there."
"What do you have against fruits de mer?" asked Fitz as he speared a tiny mussel.
"Well, for one, 'fruits de mer' is a sneaky euphemism for 'slimy things from the ocean.' I don't eat mollusks."
"Mollusks? Is that a culinary category?"
"No, biological. I don't like to eat things where you consume the whole critter, guts and all. That's why the only exception to my 'no mollusks' rule is scallops, because there you're eating only the muscles that hold the shell closed."
Fitz shook his head, and speared a tiny shrimp, dripping with cream sauce. "What about this critter?"
"Ah, shrimp. That's a crustacean. Definitely on the 'no guts, therefore OK' list."
"You should write a biologist's guide to eating. Might be a best seller."
"No, too gross. Most people don't want to know what their dinner was when it was alive." She noticed that Fitz's expression had turned grim. "What's wrong? I didn't mean to put you off your food."
He swallowed the last bite of his appetizer. "You didn't. I just realized that Gina is taking biology this semester. I am imagining a summer full of conversations like this."
Camille took away the appetizers as John set their main courses on the table.
Liz raised her glass of wine. "Here's to Gina and an A in Bio."
Fitz raised his glass, "To Gina." He paused, then added, "And here's to locking up that good-for-nothing George! That should give her closure on this whole thing, even if he is going to jail for another offense."
"You know, Fitz. I'm not so sure it's Gina who's in need of closure."
The look of surprise on his face told her that she was right on the mark. They ate in silence for a while. Fitz couldn't get past Liz's last comment. How does she read me so well? Why didn't I see this? This case is not supposed to be about revenge. It's supposed to be about helping to get a criminal put away. I must be more objective about this case. I must be more objective about this case. I must be more objective about Liz. Um, about this case.
"Fitz? Is your fish all right?"
"Yes, fine. I was just thinking about this case. I want you to know that I can deal with George objectively."
"You don't still want to kill him?"
"I didn't say that. But I will restrain myself." as long as he doesn't hurt you.
John appeared at the table. "How was the chicken?" he asked Liz.
"It was lovely, and the vegetables were perfectly grilled. Is it true that hardly anyone orders the Spa menu?"
He smiled, "Oh, no, Miss. Lots of people like lighter food. And it's usually about this point in the cruise where they begin to order it."
"So I'm not the only one with a guilty conscience?"
He shook his head and laughed as he handed her a menu.
Fitz read the list of desserts. "Liz, since you've been so good tonight, you really should have dessert." He turned to John. "We'll both have the opera cake."
Liz raised one eyebrow. "Do I get a choice here?"
"Trust me, you'll love this. And if you don't like it, John can always bring you something else."
John took away the menus and Camille set the table for dessert and coffee.
Fitz looked at Liz as she sipped her coffee and gazed out the window at the moonlight on the sea. Was she as worried about tonight as he was?
"Excuse me." John set the cakes on the table. "Here is the opera cake."
Liz looked at the square of cake, with its thin layers of sponge cake separated by thin layers of creamy frosting, topped with a layer of chocolate ganache. She took a small bite, and closed her eyes.
"Mmm."
"So am I forgiven for being presumptuous and ordering your dessert?"
"Don't be smug, Fitz." Liz reached for the sugar bowl, and the rubies on the bracelet sparkled. They both stared at the bracelet for a while, and then Liz spoke.
"Fitz, does it strike you as odd that George had this bracelet with him?"
"Yes, it does seem strange. Perhaps he wasn't able to sell it to any of his usual contacts. It is unusual. A diamond tennis bracelet, emerald stud earrings are fairly ordinary and would be hard to identify. This bracelet is not the sort of thing that comes along every day."
"I can see that something like this could be traced, but why did he pack it for this trip?"
"Any number of reasons. Maybe he wanted to try to pawn it or sell it in another port. Maybe he chose to take it along as bait for his next victim."
Liz shivered, "Victim. I don't like that word."
"Neither do I, which is why I'll be keeping an eye on you."
"Are you sure George won't be suspicious if you show up in the same lounge tonight?"
"There aren't all that many bars on the ship, and the Colonel's Corner is the nicest. Anyhow, I'll be busy flirting with Anne. We'll sit at the bar and keep an eye on you in the mirror."
"And when we go to the casino?"
"Let's hope that it's crowded and I can just mix in with the crowd. Look, if things get out of hand and you need the cavalry, I'll be nearby."
"No, I can't call on you. I have to handle George on my own. We've managed this far; it's too close to the end to give away everything. I'm not fifteen, Fitz. I'm not your sister. You're not my big brother."
"Brother and sister? Indeed we are not." He paused. "Still, I do worry."
"Don't. Tell you what, if George gets to be too insistent, I can pretend to be seasick. You know, dash madly to the ladies room. What could be more off-putting than that?"
He shook his head slowly. "Whatever you say. And after you bid George goodnight, come to my cabin for a brief planning session. We may not have a lot of time in the morning. I'm going out on the crew tender, so I'll be on the island way ahead of you."
Anne Eliot approached the table. "Are we ready?"
Liz nodded. "All set. Anne, if I need to talk to you or give you a message for Fitz, I'll get up to go to the ladies room, and drop my purse. The dropped purse is the signal. Otherwise, if I get up, it's no big deal. Got it?"
Anne nodded, and the three of them left the dining room.
Liz arrived at the Colonel's corner before the others. George wasn't there yet, so she chose a table that would give Fitz a good view in the mirror. She had barely settled into her chair when George joined her.
"I hope I haven't kept you waiting."
"No, your timing is perfect. I just got here."
"Can I get you a drink?"
"Ooh, I'm still rather full from dinner for anything big. I'll have a Kahlua on the rocks."
George signaled a waiter and ordered the drinks. He turned to look at Liz. "You wore it, I see."
Liz held out her wrist, looked at the bracelet, and smiled. "Of course I did, George. I promised, didn't I?"
Liz spied Fitz entering the lounge, but George's line of sight was blocked by the waiter who brought their drinks. By the time the waiter moved, Fitz was seated at the bar.
"Good evening, Mr. Darcy. Would you like to try another single malt?"
"Good evening, Colonel. No, I definitely would not like to try another single malt. I'll just have mineral water with a twist of lime."
"Uh-oh. Bad head this morning?" He smiled at Fitz's nod. "I hope she's worth it."
"Who?"
"I don't believe you used a name. But you talked about 'her' a great deal last night."
"Oh, did I? And did you give me any good advice?"
"I'm afraid not, I-"
"Sorry I'm late, Fitz."
"Ms Eliot?" Richard whispered as he looked from Anne to Fitz and back again.
"Hi, Colonel." Anne smiled at the bartender. "Is something wrong?"
"Um, no. Excuse me." Richard walked to the end of the bar to take care of a waiter's order.
"Did I interrupt anything, Fitz?"
"No, no. It's nothing."
"Oops!" Anne picked up her evening bag, which had started to vibrate. "My pager, sorry. I have to make a phone call."
Anne walked to the end of the bar and picked up the house phone. Richard returned to Fitz and whispered, "Ms Eliot? She's the woman you were mooning over last night?"
"What? No, of course not. It was, um, someone else. Anne is just an acquaintance."
"Good, because I've always had this feeling that she has set her sights on a certain gentleman."
"Not you, too. Someone else mentioned to me that she seems interested in the Captain. I'm beginning to think some of you people have seen too many movies."
"What movies?" asked Anne as she returned to her seat.
"Movies with ships in them."
"Oh, there are lots of those. We did a trivia quiz on it one time. Aside from the obvious ones, like 'Titanic' and 'A Night to Remember,' there are plenty of movies with scenes on cruise ships. Let's see, the original 'Sabrina,' 'Royal Wedding,' 'An Affair to Remember,' oh, that one always makes me cry. And then, of course there's 'Now Voyager.' What's that line about moon and stars? I never can remember it. Sorry, gentlemen, I'm rambling." She looked at Fitz, who was gazing into the mirror. She estimated his line of sight and smiled as she realized that he was looking at Liz.
Liz sipped her drink and sighed. "So, George, did you have any luck at the poker machine today?"
"A little. But the casino is always more fun at night. More people, more tables with dealers. During the day it's mostly little old ladies at the slot machines. It will be their bedtime soon, and then the casino will swing into action with the big-time players. Can I get you another drink?"
"No, I'm still working on this one. But you go ahead if you want another."
George looked around for a waiter. What he saw at the bar surprised him. "What's he doing here?"
"Who's that, George?"
"Fitz Darcy. He appears to be trying to pick up that woman next to him. Poor thing. She's in for a boring evening. Oh, wait-isn't that what's-her-name, the ship's hostess? Oh well, she's paid to be nice to passengers."
"Her name is Anne Eliot, and she is very nice."
As Liz and George chatted, a group of musicians entered the lounge and began to set up to play for an hour or so. They offered to take requests, and one man requested "Brown Eyed Girl" in honor of his wife's eyes. George rolled his eyes, and Liz shook her head at him.
"Hush, George, it's very sweet."
"Shall I request something for us to dance to?"
"We can dance when I get back. I'm going to the ladies room. Excuse me." She got up from the table and saw that Anne was watching her. She held onto her evening bag with a firm grip, smiled at George, and walked out of the lounge.
"Oh, Fitz, before I forget. That page was from the Security Officer. You're cleared to go to the island on the first crew tender. Crew tender departures won't be announced, so just get yourself down to the tenders nice and early. The Security staff will be expecting you."
"Thank you. Oh, Liz is getting up. Wait, no, she didn't drop her bag. Do you think she forgot the signal?"
"No, Fitz, I just think she had to go to the bathroom. You need to relax. That's what a cruise is supposed to do for you, get you to mellow out."
"Excuse me, Ms Eliot?" Anne and Fitz turned to see George approaching the bar.
"Yes?"
"Would you care to dance?"
"I, ah, Mr. Darcy, do you mind?"
He shrugged. "No, go ahead." He was disgusted by George's antics. What is this about, George? Still trying to prove that you can take any and every woman away from me? Where were you when Caroline Bingley was all over me last year? No, even Caroline doesn't deserve YOU.
George had underestimated how long Liz would be gone. When she returned, he was still dancing with Anne. Liz stood in the doorway, trying to decide her next move. Fitz saw her and motioned for her to wait. Then he got up and cut in on George and Anne. Liz stood to one side of the door until she saw George sit down.
Smiling as though she had seen nothing, Liz returned to the table. "I'm ba-ack!" she called in a sing-song voice.
"I missed you!"
Struggling to keep the smile, she simpered, "Oh, George, that's so sweet." You missed me, did you? You snake! I'm barely out the door and you're hitting on someone else! Fitz was right. Any woman he looks at, you want.
"Shall we?"
Liz nodded, and they joined Fitz and Anne on the dance floor, just as the song ended.
There was a scattering of applause in the room and the singer said, "Thank you. While we're playing the best of Van, here's another one you probably know."
"I've been searching a long time
For someone exactly like you.
I've been traveling all around the world
Waiting for you to come through."
Fitz and Anne, Liz and George, and one other couple moved around the small dance floor. George pulled Liz close and gave Fitz another of his triumphant grins. Anne could feel the increased tension in her partner. Then George and Liz turned, and over George's shoulder, Liz found herself looking into Fitz's eyes.
Someone like you makes it all worthwhile.
Someone like you keeps me satisfied.
Someone exactly like you.
Liz stopped moving, and George stepped on her foot. She hardly noticed until George's voice got her attention.
"Liz, you OK?"
"Hmm? Oh, yes. Yes, I'm fine. Just got lost in this great song."
"Maybe we should sit down for a bit and then go to the casino?
"Good idea. I must check my bag. I might have a few chips with me."
Someone like you makes it all worthwhile.
Someone like you keeps me satisfied.
Someone exactly like you.*
"Fitz? Hello? You in there? You need to breathe, Fitz."
"Sorry, Anne. I guess I'm too distracted. You know, worrying about tomorrow and all."
They returned to the bar. "Colonel!" called Fitz, "I think I will have that single malt now."
Anne smiled as Fitz knocked back his glass of Scotch. Too distracted, Fitz? And that would be due to...?
"Hey, they're getting up," she said softly. "Look at Liz. Clever girl!"
Fitz watched Liz walk out of the lounge with George. She had one arm linked with his, but her other arm was behind her back and she was holding a casino chip. No doubt about where she and George were headed.
*"Someone Like You," Van Morrison
Anne and Fitz watched Liz and George leave the Colonel's Corner. Fitz got up to leave, but Anne stopped him.
"Wait a minute." She went to the house phone, dialed a number and spoke quietly for about a minute. "I just asked the Security Officer to wander through the Casino. He knows what George looks like. He'll find out where they are in the room, and then you'll be able to get into a good position to watch them without giving yourself away."
"Anne, you are amazing. If you ever want to get out of the cruise business and become a private investigator, I'll give you a job any day."
She smiled. "Thanks, Fitz, but I have to tell you, I kind of like it here. But I'm glad to have been of assistance. I hope you nail this swine. I still can't get over the nerve of him. I mean, he just walked up to us and asked me to dance, right in front of you. How could you be so calm?"
"Concentration and training. One of the things I learned in the Navy was that you're of no use to your team if you can't keep your cool."
"I'm impressed. What did you do-ah, here's our lookout now. Fitz Darcy, Denny Sanderson."
"Good evening, Ms Eliot. Good evening, Mr. Darcy. They're at one of the craps tables. If you'll come with me sir, I'll walk you to the Casino."
Fitz turned to Anne, "Thank you for your help this evening." He took her hand and kissed it. "I hope Fred realizes what a gem he has in you."
George and Liz walked up to the cashier's window in the Casino. George bought some chips, and asked Liz how much she was going to play with.
"Ooh, no George," she simpered. "There are too many people here at night, and I'm still a bit slow at all of this. You said the action heats up, and I'm sure experienced players won't want me dithering over what to do. I'd rather just be your good luck charm."
George led Liz to Mary King's usual table, but the petite redhead wasn't there. Figuring that Mary was on a break, George sat down anyway and started to play. He hailed a passing waiter, and ordered drinks for himself and Liz.
About fifteen minutes later, Mary King came back on duty. "Hello everybody. All ready?" She looked around the table and saw George, with Liz hanging on his arm. She frowned for a moment, but then remembered her job, and started to deal.
The players were busy looking at their cards, so Mary King stole another moment to check out her competition. Seeing that he had an audience, George raised Liz's hand so that the bracelet was in view. With a flourish, he kissed Liz's hand.
"For luck."
"Good luck!" replied Liz, returning the dealer's glare with an innocent smile.
Mary King returned to her job, dealing out the cards as people asked for them. At the end of the hand, she had 19, which beat everyone at the table except George, who had 20. She gave him his winnings, with her most professional smile.
"Here you are, sir."
"Thank you." He turned to Liz and touched the bracelet. "Our good luck charm, is working, eh?"
Security Officer Sanderson took a circuitous route to the Casino. "They're at one of the blackjack tables on the port side, so we'll enter through the starboard side. While you're here, you'd best play something, even a slot machine. If you stand around watching a table, you may arouse the suspicion of Casino employees. Most people come here to play or watch their significant others play."
"Right, I don't want to be in the middle of something and have to move, so I'll just play the one-armed bandits tonight."
Fitz bought some slot-machine tokens and looked for a spot that would give him a good view of the table but still keep him out of George's line of sight. A gray-haired woman in a bright pink dress got up from one of the machines. Fitz took her place.
The woman tapped his shoulder and shook her bucket of tokens. "I don't recommend this one, Dear. I just got a good payoff from it, so it will want a lot of feeding."
Fitz shrugged, "I'll take my chances."
She smiled at Fitz, "Good luck then."
Fitz fed a few tokens in to the machine. I cannot believe that people spend hours doing this! He sighed and checked his view of the table. He could see the back of George's head, but only the top of Liz's head. Then someone in the crowd moved, and he saw George kiss Liz's hand and Liz smile up at him.
"Hey, are you gonna play this one, or just sit there?"
Fitz turned to see another gray-haired woman, this one wearing lime green.
"Excuse me?"
"Sonny, you're just sitting there. Are you playing or not?"
"Sorry. Yes, I am playing." And he put a few more tokens in the machine.
George continued to play for another half hour. He had lost a little, then won back more than he had lost. Every time Mary King had to hand over his winnings, he grinned at her. He appeared to be just a happy winner, but she knew that he was laughing at her, acknowledging that he was beating her at her table.
Liz watched, smiled, and flattered George. She wasn't quite sure what was going on between George and the dealer, but George seemed happy with her performance as doting girlfriend, so she forced herself to stay in character. She almost lost her composure a few minutes later, however.
"Hey, Lizzie. I think it's about time to move on to the craps table. But the stakes are higher there. So be a good girl and get me another $500 in chips." As she started to walk away, he swatted her playfully on the backside. "Oh, and get me another drink, too. Scotch and soda."
It was a good thing that neither George nor Mary King could see Liz's face. "George!" she managed to squeal, and forced herself to make giggling sounds as she trotted dutifully toward the cashier's window."
George looked at the faces at the blackjack table. Mary King looked astonished. Two women looked disgusted. One man looked envious until his wife elbowed him sharply. George laughed and said, "She's devoted to me, bless her heart."
"George!" Fitz heard Liz squeal. He looked around frantically and then he saw her. She was having trouble controlling the look of anger on her face. Then, strangely, she started to giggle. But it was an odd giggle. Is she all right?
Meanwhile, George had turned his attention back to the table. Fitz couldn't decide what to do. Did she need him? Should he go after her? Just as he was getting up from his place at the slot machine, Liz stopped walking.
She took a deep breath and looked back to make sure that George was not paying attention to her, then scanned the room for Fitz. She caught his eye. He looks almost panicky. Did he hear me yell? Is that what's wrong?She held up her hand as if to say "stop," and Fitz sat down again.
Without even thinking what he was doing. Fitz gave her the divers' "OK?" sign. To his amazement, she nodded and returned the sign.
Fitz continued to play the slot machine slowly, but attentively enough to keep people from asking him if he was finished. He alternately watched Liz at the cashier's window and George at the table. He saw George leave the blackjack table, so he bent down to scoop out tokens that had accumulated in the trough of the machine. In the shiny surface of the machine, he could see George pass by.
Fitz surrendered his spot at the slot machine. A second later, a young couple took over, laughing as they fed tokens into the machine. Fitz shook his head. Do those machines ever get a chance to cool off? He sighed and moved to a new position to resume watching George.
Across the room, Mary King watched Liz and wondered what she was up to with the signals. Try as she might, she couldn't spot the other half of the conversation. A new dealer arrived, and Mary King took another break. Curious, she followed George toward the craps table, where Liz was waiting with his chips and his drink.
She hung back in the crowd, watching Liz smile and giggle while George bet on the game. When George took over as shooter, Liz excused herself and appeared to be walking toward the bar. Mary King decided that this was her opportunity.
She confronted Liz. "Look, lady, I don't know what you're up to, but I should warn you that we have security here, and they'll catch you."
"I beg your pardon?"
"I saw you making signals to some confederate in the room. I should have known that George was up to something. So who else is in on it with you?"
"In on what?" Liz was getting tired of the casino, tired of George, tired of smiling. She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs. But that would only mess things up. And then Fitz, wherever he was, would come running.
"I don't know what exactly, some sort of cheating scam."
"I'm not up to anything. By the way, won't your employers think you're in on something too, if they see you talking to me?"
This had the intended result of silencing Mary King. Liz pondered her next move. Then inspiration struck.
"Hey! You know George by name. How do you know him?"
"Figure it out, honey." was the sarcastic reply. "You went ashore in Bermuda, didn't you? Well, George didn't, and neither did I."
Liz stood speechless and tried to look shocked as she began to work out a plan.
Mary King obliged her by continuing, "Geez, you really are that dumb, aren't you? What did you expect?" She picked up Liz's arm and looked at the bracelet. "At least you got some nice hardware out of it."
Liz jerked her arm away, turned and walked toward George. Thank you, Mary King! This is much better than pretending to be seasick!
The timing couldn't have been better. George had just lost his position as shooter and was leaving the craps table. Liz bit her lip and blinked her eyes rapidly, hoping to look tearful.
"George!" she whined.
"What?" he snapped back at her.
"That dealer (sniff). She said (sniff)," Liz swallowed hard and took a deep breath. "She (sniff) said that you and she (sniff) slept together. George, how could you?"
"Oh, for goodness sake, Liz! I was bored. You were off the ship, and she flirted with me. Why, that little tramp threw herself at me. It's no big deal."
"Well, (sniff) maybe it is a big deal to me."
"Oh, come on Liz," he wheedled. "I'll make it up to you. I'll spend all day with you tomorrow at the beach party. Nobody else. I'll buy you a present at the straw market. Forgive me?"
"I don't know. I need to think about this. I'll tell you tomorrow if I want to forgive you. We can talk about it tomorrow on the beach. Good night." With her lower lip quivering, she raised her chin, squared her shoulders, turned, and made a dignified exit.
Fitz stayed in the Casino just long enough to make sure that George didn't follow Liz out. Once he saw that George was occupied at a poker table, he slipped out of the room.
Fitz headed back to his cabin, hoping that Liz would remember his request for one last meeting. He hadn't heard a word of what had been said in the casino, and he was dying to hear the story. Clearly, Liz had been in control of the entire situation. He was proud of the good job she had done, but also a little disappointed that she hadn't need "the cavalry" to rescue her.
He rounded the corner near his cabin and saw her sitting on the floor outside his door. She had her head in her hands and her shoulders were shaking.
"Liz? Oh, God, Liz? What is it?" He knelt beside her. "Liz, don't cry."
She lifted her tear-streaked face and grinned at him. "I can't help it, I thought if I had to stay in there another second, I'd burst."
"You're laughing?"
"Yes, sorry, did you think I was crying?" She wiped away another tear.
He stood up and offered her his hand. She took it and stood up next to him as he opened the cabin door. He flicked on the light and gestured for her to enter.
She walked over to one of the beds, sat down, and took a tissue from the box on the dresser. Dabbing at her eyes, she said, "What a night!"
"What happened?"
"Well, let's see, first, George made sure that Mary King saw the bracelet."
"Who?"
"Mary King, the redhead. She's a dealer. She thinks, oh-" Liz dissolved into gales of laughter again. She tried to catch her breath and start over. "She saw you and me gesturing, and thought we were (hic) working out some sort of (hic) cheating system. Oh, nuts! Now I've got the (hic) hiccups!"
Fitz sat, helpless, watching Liz laugh. Still laughing, she pointed to his phone. The message light was blinking.
He retrieved the message, which was from Anne Eliot. Fitz punched in the pager number Anne had left in the message. He entered his cabin number and hung up the phone.
"Anne wants to know what happened."
Before he could say anything else, the phone rang. "Hello?"
"Fitz! Oh, good, tell me all! Why don't you and Liz come to my office for a nightcap. What is going on there?"
"That is the assorted sounds of Liz Bennet. We'll be there as soon as she gets herself under control." He hung up. Liz slid off the bed onto the floor, still laughing and hiccuping.
"I am so sorry, Fitz. It's nervous laughter. Delayed stress. I'll be OK in a (hic) minute."
By the time they reached Anne Eliot's office, Liz's hiccups had subsided, and she was able to keep a straight face as long as she didn't try to talk. The minute she saw Anne, Liz started to giggle again. Fitz sighed and shook his head.
"Just let her go, Anne. Apparently, this goes away after a while."
"Very well, in the meantime, can I get you a drink? Or would you prefer a snack? It's almost time for the midnight buffet. I can have a steward bring us tea and some goodies?"
"Op(hic)era cake," wheezed Liz. "Gah! They're (hic) back!"
Anne ordered their snack, Liz finally got control of herself, and Fitz leaned back in his chair and untied his tie.
Over tea, cookies, and opera cake, Liz described the evening's events for Anne and Fitz. When she got to the swat on the backside, Fitz interrupted.
"Ah, so that explains it. I could not figure out what was going on. You looked mad as thunder, but you were giggling."
"George had to think that I thought it was funny. I still can't believe he did that in front of all those people. And then, Fitz, you looked so strange!
"Oh, Anne, this is the really funny part. Fitz looked like he was going to jump up and do something, so I gestured for him to stop. Then he flashed the diver 'OK?' sign at me, like Mr. I-used-to-be-a-Navy-Seal."
"Fitz," Anne interrupted, "You were a-"
"No, I wasn't. That's a whole other story. Anyhow, she flashed the 'OK' sign right back at me. How did you know that, but the way?"
Liz smiled. "I took scuba lessons in college. In the pool. And that's another story, too. But to get back to tonight, here's the funny bit. That dealer, Mary King, saw me gesturing and thought I was in cahoots with someone on some kind of cheating scam. When she confronted me, she also told me about what she and George had been up to while I was ashore in Bermuda. I used that as an excuse to act wounded (sniff) and confront George pitifully (sniff). And that was my out."
"Well done, Liz," said Anne. "It sounds like quite a performance."
"It certainly looked good," added Fitz. "I could see, but not hear. It was driving me crazy. So, Liz, do you think George is angry at you for taking offense at his unfaithfulness?"
"I think he was surprised at getting caught. He said he'd make it up to me by spending all day with me at the beach party. I said I'd think it over and talk to him tomorrow on the beach. That should get him ashore. So am I good or what?" She swiped Fitz's piece of opera cake. He opened his mouth to protest, but instead he just smiled.
Fitz walked Liz to her cabin. As he was about to say goodnight, her remembered something. "I have to give you something. I'll be right back."
Liz went inside and waited. She took off her shoes and her earrings. She was struggling with the bracelet when Fitz returned.
"Oh, good, help me with this catch. It must be from the days when ladies had maids to do this for them. Thanks." She put the bracelet back into its box.
"Here." Fitz handed her what looked like a tape player.
"I already have a Walkman, but thanks anyway."
"It isn't an ordinary Walkman. It has a special radio in it. If you wear this on your walk tomorrow, you'll be able to hear what the rest of the team is saying. There's a button microphone on the headphone wire, so you can talk to us, too. After seeing you in action tonight, I'm sure you'll be able to make it look like you're singing along."
"Thanks. Wow, all of a sudden I am tired."
"I'll bet you are. See you in the morning, then." He walked toward the door.
"Um, Fitz?"
He turned to look at her.
"Thanks. For tonight."
"I didn't do anything."
"But you were there. Even though I didn't think I'd need rescuing, it was nice to know that the cavalry was nearby."
"Any time. Goodnight, Liz."
"Night, Fitz."