The trip to Martinique was fairly calm and Cass found looking at the waves hypnotic. She couldn’t help contrasting herself with the frightened, nauseated young woman she’d been just a few weeks earlier. She’d learnt so much, done so much and faced so much. And yet a part of her remained the girl who had a crush on an older man – a man who had declared himself to be too old for her.
Should she tell Ranulph that he was wrong about Bastian? That she had never fancied him; that he would always be someone she liked and respected enormously, but he was not a love interest? But would that lead on to her admitting her feelings for Ranulph? No, she could never do that. It would be beyond humiliating. Looking at his profile now, while he too looked out to sea, she realised he would never be hers. He didn’t want her, and although in her heart she feltshe loved him enough for both of them, her head told her this couldn’t ever be sufficient. Somehow she would have to get through the long journey to France, and then to England, by his side but not with him.
He had certainly seemed very fond of her when he’d found her after the hurricane. He had hugged her long and hard. For a few ecstatic moments she had hoped that he cared for her in a romantic way. But they were short moments soon to be cut off. She shuddered slightly at the memory of his sudden change of mood.
‘There we are,’ said Ranulph. ‘Martinique for orders, as my seagoing father would have said.’
Cass’s first impression of Martinique was how like France it was. The cars were French, parked all over the place as they often were in French towns, the people all had a sort of French elegance about them and the shop signs were in French. Of course, as a French island, this was as expected but somehow it was all a bit of a surprise to Cass.
‘I suppose we should put our phones on. I’ve got a tiny bit of battery left,’ said Cass, stopping in the street. ‘It’ll seem so strange, being back in touch with the world again.’
Almost instantly seemingly a million emails flooded into her phone. ‘Oh,’ she said. ‘I wish I hadn’t done that.’
Ranulph laughed. ‘I’ll have to charge mine first. But you can decide if you want to go through them all, or just delete them, en masse.’
Cass thought for a second or two. ‘I think I’ll gothrough them, but not yet. Maybe I’ll wait until we’re in England.’
‘I’ll delete mine. People will always email you again if there’s anything urgent.’
Cass nodded. She didn’t want to say what was probably blindingly obvious: she was too needy to do anything like that. She cleared her throat. ‘Shall we get Bastian’s book emailed then? And my drawings scanned?’
Ranulph had clear instructions where they should go to get this done. But in spite of these, he still needed to ask the way a few times. Soon, however, they found themselves climbing the stairs to an office above a bakery that smelt of heaven.
‘I actually really like the food we’ve been eating,’ said Cass, ‘but the thought of a good croissant is making my mouth water.’
‘We’ll get some on the way out,’ said Ranulph. ‘And maybe some macarons.’
‘Fancy!’ said Cass, but he didn’t hear.
A charming, elegant woman, who seemed to know Bastian well, did everything that was necessary and it wasn’t long before they were out in the street again.
‘I’m very glad that’s done,’ said Cass as they emerged. ‘It seems as if getting those papers off has been my mission for years.’
Ranulph smiled a little wryly. ‘I’m glad to get them off myself. You risked your life to do that and now I don’t need to worry that you’ll do so again.’
Cass smiled. He was teasing her but she couldn’t think of a snappy comeback. ‘I’m starving!’
‘Me too. Let’s find somewhere for a late breakfast – or early lunch. Then we can find the flat that Bastian has arranged for us to borrow until the flight tonight.’
‘I am looking forward to a proper shower, I must say.’
‘Would you like to have that first? Before we eat?’
Cass shook her head. ‘No, I’m used to feeling a bit grubby. Let’s eat first.’
They found a charming café that could have been in any town in France and ordered quiche and salad and drank wine.
‘I’ll pay for this,’ said Ranulph, when they’d finished. ‘It seems like a charming novelty to be able to use my credit card.’
‘Yes, we really are back in civilisation.’ Cass paused. She was about to say that she wanted to buy something to wear to travel in, but Ranulph was suddenly engrossed in his phone.
He looked up. ‘Sorry! That’s very rude.’
‘I understand. We haven’t had an internet connection for ages.’
Ranulph nodded. ‘And I’m afraid I’ve got to run some errands for various people. I’ll take you back to the apartment and then go and do them.’
Cass opened her mouth to speak but then closed it again.
