Page 89 of Escape to the Sun

‘I’ve been such a fool,’ she said, her laughter subsiding. ‘I should have known better than to give Ian another chance – and to choose him over you? I need my head read, Louis. Really.’

‘I can’t help but blame Ruth,’ he said. ‘She had no business stirring things up.’

‘No, don’t. It was my decision to make. And I did understand what she was trying to say.’

Hannah pulled in a deep breath. She glanced across at Ruth. ‘You do realise she only said all that stuff because she completely regrets leaving your father.’

‘I tried hard not to feel like my mum was being eased out of the frame, in favour of someone I never even knew about. It’s the strangest sensation – made me angry and frustrated. All kinds of emotions bubbled and so when it seemed Ruth was the cause of our problems too…’ He shook his head.

‘I noticed you arrived with him – have you patched things up?’

Louis wrinkled his nose. ‘Sort of. Work in progress, I suppose you could call it.’

‘Well, that’s better than what you had before, isn’t it?’

April appeared in a graceful waft of joy, hand reaching for Hannah’s elbow as she clocked Louis’ drink and grinned.

‘About time we all loosened up a bit, Captain. I approve, especially tonight of all nights. But right now, I need to borrow Hannah. Marianne Neilson is desperate to be properly introduced. Promise I’ll bring her right back.’

Louis made small talk with the other gallery guests, checking in on Hannah every now and again as she chatted with Marianne and her husband. Their conversation stretched past the end of the drinks party and into the buffet-style dinner. Louis was loath to interrupt, but desperate to try to reclaim Hannah’s attention.

He didn’t have a chance to speak to her again until they all headed into the ballroom, the space decked out to celebrate the arrival of a new year with enough twinkling lights to power a small town, bunches of mistletoe hanging at regular intervals throughout the dance area and lit now and again by the gently rotating stage lighting. The Ballygowan’s resident band were already set up and playing – would continue to do so until a DJ took over at eleven to keep everyone awake until midnight and continue for those with stamina into the small hours.

Hannah was already dancing when he approached the floor, her smile bright as she twirled across the space with Marianne Neilson’s husband. Their discussion must have gone incredibly well, and Louis felt a surge of adrenalin; he was jumping ahead, there was no guarantee he would remain in command of the ship, but if he did, and Hannah was as successful in her job application as she seemed to have been shmoozing with the Neilsons, he and Hannah might have all the time in the world to explore what they had found together.

Marianne Neilson was dancing with the ship’s Head of Entertainment – Hamish had all the moves, but stepped aside gracefully when Louis asked if he could cut in. Marianne grinned, and they swirled across the floor, Louis doing his best to catch the snatches of her conversation he could hear above the enthusiastic band.

The gist seemed to be that she found Hannah charming and hoped she would seriously consider applying for the role on board. Louis found himself agreeing.

When they swirled into the same part of the dance floor as Hannah and Conrad Neilson, Marianne took the opportunity to thank Louis before reclaiming her husband, leaving Louis and Hannah to dance together.

Hannah grinned at him, then looked a bit sheepish. ‘I’m not as drunk as I was that night in the Vivaldi,’ she said. ‘But I have had a few. I think I’ve decided, though.’

He gathered her up in his arms, something he’d been longing to do for hours, and when she reached up to run her fingers across the collar of his jacket, he smiled.

‘Oh yes, decided what?’

‘I know I’m going to have to go home for a while, but I think I’m going to go for it. I’m going to apply for the job as gallery director. I thought I should go back to my old life, but I really don’t want to, Louis. I thought playing it safe would make me happy, but if I don’t go for this opportunity, I think I’m always going to regret it.’

Hannah grinned, her eyes sparkling. Then she ran a hand across the epaulet on his shoulder, pulling in a deep breath before her fingers came to rest on the top button of the jacket.

‘One thing hasn’t changed, though.’ Her words were quiet enough to have him leaning closer to hear. ‘You’re still far too hot for this jacket.’

He thought he’d misheard her, his eyebrows furrowed as he tried to correct her.

‘No, I’m not too hot in it, I’m fine.’

Hannah held his gaze. ‘Not what I said, Louis.’

It took him a few moments to process, as her grin became wider and he undid the top button, allowing her to help him with the rest before abandoning the jacket on the nearest chair. He allowed himself to enjoy her expression, hungry with desire and heavy with longing as he took her in his arms again and they continued to dance.

46

Hannah hoped the evening would last forever. The thought that the Ballygowan might become far more than a holiday for her was fizzing its way through her body. But it wasn’t alone. Other thoughts and sensations were also buzzing around her system, caused by having Louis so close and completely focused on her. She’d missed this so much – only realised how much now she was moving against his body, breathing him in, giving him her total attention, too.

When the countdown to midnight began, everyone stilled to join in, party poppers firing and party blowers sounding all around the ballroom, intensifying as the DJ welcomed in the New Year and fired up the music again.

Louis didn’t move. Instead, he held her fast, glancing up. Her gaze followed his and she grinned. They were directly below a spray of mistletoe. They kissed, long and slow, ignoring the revellers spinning around them, the disco music intensifying, the lights colourful and twisting around the space.