‘It’s...very formal here.’
Hugo nodded. ‘This is the royal yacht, my parents bring important visitors here. The crew don’t call the captain by his first name, and neither should I. When we’re at sea, his word is law, and it’s his responsibility to keep us in one piece if we run into a squall.’
‘Are we going to run into a squall?’ Nell looked up into the blue, cloudless sky.
‘I very much doubt it. Captain Masson will have already looked at the weather forecasts all along the coast, and he’ll be counting on giving us a smooth ride. It’s just a principle.’
He led her onto the main deck, where a table was set out, with champagne on ice and canapés. Nell ignored the seats arranged around the deck in both the sun and the shade, preferring to lean against the wooden-topped rails to watch as the motor launch sped back towards the land and then returned with Louis and their luggage.
As the muted sound of the engines reached her, and the yacht began to move slowly, Hugo joined her, leaning with his back against the rail. ‘What do you think?’
‘This is wonderful, Hugo. A real treat, thank you.’
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
HUGO WAS HAPPY. Nell was happy, and shining with excitement as he showed her around the yacht. She expressed surprise at the size of her cabin, insisting on looking through each of the portholes to ascertain whether there was a different view from any of them. She explored all the decks, leaning over the rails to see as much as she could.
When the expected message came from Captain Masson, inviting her to the bridge, she ran after Louis’s retreating back, seemingly determined to deliver her acceptance of the invitation herself.
He watched as she asked questions about all the instruments and examined the navigation charts that were brought out for her to see. When she was accorded the singular honour of being allowed to take the helm for a while, Captain Masson talked her through making a small corrective manoeuvre, rather than simply letting her hold the wheel, and Hugo saw the helmsman smile. If they weren’t careful, the crew would be renaming the yacht after her.
‘I hope I didn’t take up too much of Captain Masson’s time.’ The yacht lurched suddenly and she almost stumbled down the steps from the bridge. Hugo caught her arm to steady her.
‘All right?’ She’d stopped, clutching the handrail, one hand on her chest.
‘Yes...yes, I’m all right. I felt a little bit queasy just then. It’s passed now.’ She squinted out towards the horizon. ‘Are the waves getting bigger?’
‘A little, yes. You’ll get used to the motion of the ship soon, but if you feel sick we’ve got a full stock of medication to choose from.’
‘No, thanks. I’m fine now. I think my sea legs are kicking in.’
Hugo nodded, watching her down the remainder of the steps. It was probably best to take her mind off the idea of being sick, and mention to Captain Masson that a smooth ride would be appreciated.
‘The captain doesn’t let just anyone take the helm, you know.’ He took her arm, strolling towards the main deck so that they could sit in the afternoon sun.
Nell’s cheeks regained their colour suddenly. ‘He’s very kind. And it’s all so interesting. I wonder if he’d let me watch when we stop for the evening and put the anchor down. I’d keep out of the way.’
‘I’d be very surprised if he hasn’t already got that in mind.’ Nell didn’t seem to care much for the prestige of being here, but she loved the yacht and wanted to know everything about it. Captain Masson and his crew had seen that, and Hugo reckoned that the dropping of the anchor would be carried out under Nell’s command.
And that was the difference. The one that meant that Nell was beyond his reach. She didn’t care to spend her days off in the usual leisure pursuits, she wanted to know how things worked. He’d seen her out in the garden at his house, questioning the gardener about how the mix of planting gave year-round colour and helping him weed. She threw herself into her work with the same gusto. Her life had purpose, a life that should never be squashed by his.
But for today and tomorrow, he had her here with him. That had to be enough, because it was all he dared take from Nell.
* * *
At dusk, they came to anchor outside a coastal town, and Nell watched the lights begin to come on, growing brighter as the sky became darker. Then stars appeared in a sky that looked as if it were putting on a show just for her.
Dinner was in the open air on the main deck. Candles on the table, protected from the warm breeze by glass shades. And Hugo, looking far more handsome than he had any right to, in a white open-necked shirt.
‘Tonight’s a night for dancing.’ They’d had their after-dinner coffee, and all that Nell could think was that he was right. Tonight was a night for dancing.
She rose, smiling, wondering where the music would come from. Hugo took her in his arms, humming the snatches of a tune and moving her to its slow rhythm.
Perfect. On a perfect night like this, it seemed quite natural that he should kiss her. When he did, it felt as if she were melting into him. As if together they could be at one with the stars and the breeze and just be, without needing to think about the consequences.
‘I wish...’ They were still moving, dancing together as they kissed.
‘What do you wish? If it’s anything that I can grant, it’s yours.’ He whispered the words, leaving a kiss behind them.