He had not been very well that day, having eaten too much that was rich the day before; the fact that he was content to lie in his bed for most of the day showed how wan he must be feeling. John had been in his cabin to keep him company and they had been painting in their books together.
As Edward had had little to eat all day I wanted him to have some milk before he settled down for the night. He said he would, so milk and biscuits were sent up to the cabin. As soon as he saw them he didn’t fancy them, and said he would have them later on when he was hungry. When I was dressed I went along to Chantel’s cabin to show her my costume to see what she thought of it. She wasn’t there, so I sat down to wait. I knew she must come soon or she would not have much time to get ready. On her bed lay a pair of Turkish trousers of green gauze and slippers such as I had bought in Port Said.
I had not been waiting long when she came in.
“Heavens, you’re all ready.”
I wondered whether she had been with Rex. I wished she would confide in me.
“I’ll be back,” I said, “when you’re dressed.”
“No, don’t go. I want you to help dress me. It’s difficult to get into those things.”
“So I’m to be your lady’s maid?”
“Like poor Valerie Stretton!”
I wished she hadn’t said that. I thought everywhere one looks something seems to be shrouded in mystery; and suddenly I remembered Chantel’s journal and how she had described Red’s mother coming in with her muddy boots and being so ill. Life was like a stream, often clear on top with murky undercurrents only visible when you peered too closely.
“What made you think of her?” I asked.
“I don’t know. She just came into my mind. Aren’t these trousers fun? I bought them in Port Said.”
“Just for this occasion?”
“I thought they would startle Miss Rundle and were worthwhile if only for that.”
She put them on. They were amazingly attractive with the slippers. Her eyes were more glittering than ever tonight. But that was her costume. She draped matching green material about her shoulders and dexterously formed it into a bodice. She looked magnificent.
“You should have a sparkling circlet about your head,” I said.
“No. In any case I haven’t one. I shall wear it loose. I think that will be more effective.”
It was quite startling.
I said: “Chantel, I think you are the loveliest woman I ever saw.”
She put her arms about me and kissed me then. I thought I saw tears in her eyes.
Then she said soberly: “Perhaps you don’t see the real me.”
“No one knows you as well as I do,” I said firmly. “No one. And no one could look as lovely if they were not … good.”
“What rubbish you talk! Perhaps you’d like me to go as a saint. Unfortunately I don’t know any Arab saints, do you?”
“You’ll be much more effective as the slave girl or whatever you’re supposed to be.”
“And I hope give delighted offense to Miss Rundle. At least we shall be colorful against all those burnooses. Is that the right plural, my learned friend?”
“I’m sure I don’t know, but will they be there in the plural?”
“You can be sure of it. I’ve made inquiries. Rex has one. Gareth Glenning has and Mr. Greenall coyly admitted to me that he had too. Mrs. G. said it was fun and would be something to tell the grandchildren. I wonder if they will talk of Grandpapa’s doings as much as he does of theirs? Ivor Gregory told me that there’s a stock of them — burnooses I mean — on the ship and that some of the crew will be wearing them. He even admits to having one himself. After all what else is there for a man to wear?”
“It’ll be like going into a souk.”
“Well, isn’t that the general idea? There! I’m complete. I think I must have a yasmak too, don’t you? You see you and I are not dissimilar although I wear the trousers.”
“We’re quite different, really. Yours is far more true to life as well as being far more lovely.”
“My dear, dear Anna, always setting yourself at a disadvantage. Do you know that the world takes you at your own valuation? I can see I shall have to give you a few lessons in life.”
“I get them every day. And are you sure that you would be such a good teacher?”
“I need notice of that cryptic remark,” she said. “And time marches on.”
“I am just going back to the cabin to tuck up Edward for the night.”
She came with me. Edward was sitting on the lower bunk turning over the pages of his painting book.
He gave a little shriek of pleasure when he saw Chantel.
“You’re wearing trousers,” he accused.
“I’m a lady of the East so naturally I do.”
“I’d like to paint them,” he said.
“You shall make a picture of me in the morning,” she promised.
I noticed how sleepy he was.
I said: “Edward, let me tuck you in before I go down.”
“He hasn’t finished his milk and biscuits yet,” said Chantel.
“In a minute,” said Edward.
“Drink it up,” suggested Chantel, “and then poor Anna can go down with a good conscience.”
“Hasn’t she got a good one now?”
“Of course she has. People like Anna always have good consciences.”
“Do you?”
“Now that’s another matter.” She took up the glass of milk and sipped it. “Delicious,” she said.
He held out his hand for it and started to drink.
“Have a biscuit with it,” I said; but he did not want to eat.
He finished the milk and Chantel said: “Wouldn’t you like to be tucked in and kissed goodnight by a Turkish slave?”
“Yes,” he said.
“Well get in and I’ll oblige.”
He giggled; Chantel could charm him and I believe that he was as fond of her as he was of me … in a different way of course. I represented a certain solidity; she amused him, and who does not like to be amused?
She tucked him in and kissed him.
“You are sleepy tonight,” she said.
And he yawned again.
I was glad that he was so ready for sleep; and Chantel and I left the cabin together.
The lounge had been decorated for the occasion; someone — the First Officer, Mrs. Malloy whispered to me — had stuck Arabic signs on the walls, and the place was in semidarkness. All the men seemed to have chosen the burnoose; and the lounge certainly did have the appearance of a Middle East street. One of the officers played the piano for dancing. Mrs. Malloy danced with the First Officer and Chantel with the doctor. There would be a shortage of women so I supposed everyone would find a partner — even Miss Rundle.
I looked for Redvers, but he was not there. I should have known him anywhere even if he were in fancy dress, which he would not be. He had told me that the Captain could not dress up; he had to be ready for duty at any moment. I was surprised that the doctor and the First Officer should have appeared as they did.
But it was not the Captain who was inviting me to dance but Dick Callum.
I was not an expert dancer and apologized to him.
“You’re too modest,” he told me.
“I see you are in regulation dress,” I told him, indicating his burnoose.
“We’re an unimaginative lot, we men,” he said. “There are only two beggars howling for baksheesh and two fellaheens, and a few sporting the tarbush. The rest of us merely put on this robe and leave it at that.”
“They’re so easy to come by, I suppose. Did you buy yours in Port Said?”
He shook his head. “Whenever we make this trip we have our Arabian Nights Fantasy. There seems to be a stock of the things on board.”
“I daresay you get a little blasé doing this sort of thing regularly.”
“It’s always a pleasure to be with those who are not. It’s hot in here. Would you like to sit down for a while?”
I said I would and we slipped out onto the deck.
“I’ve been wanting to talk to you,” he said. “There’s something I wanted to say, but I hardly know how to.”
“You’re not usually at a loss for words.”
“That’s true. But this is … delicate.”
“Now you are making me very curious.”
“You’ll probably hate me.”
“I can’t imagine myself doing that in any circumstances.”
“What a comforting person you are. I’m not surprised the Captain’s son adores you.”
“I think that’s an exaggeration. He has a mild respect for me. It doesn’t go beyond that. But tell me what it is you want to say.”
“You promise to forgive me before I begin.”
“Oh dear, you’re making me feel it’s something terrifying.”
“I don’t think it is … yet. Well, here goes. It’s about the Captain.”
“Oh.”
“I have offended you.”
“How could you when I don’t know what you are going to say?”
“Can you guess?”
I could but I said: “No.”
“You see, I’ve sailed with him, often. You know the saying about sailors having wives in every port. Sometimes it’s true.”
“Are you accusing the Captain of bigamy?”
“I believe he has only gone through the ceremony once.”
“Then … what?”
“Anna — may I call you Anna? We know each other well enough, don’t we?”
I inclined my head.
“Then, Anna, he has a reputation of being something of a philanderer. On every voyage he selects a passenger to whom he pays special attention. On this voyage he has selected you.”
“I had met him before, you know. We were not entirely strangers.”
“I’m sorry if I’ve offended you. It’s only out of my concern.”
“I’m not very young. I can take care of myself.”
He seemed relieved. “I should have known you recognized him for what he is.”
“What … is he?”
“A man of casual affairs.”
“Really?”
“He never thought he would get caught as he did. But they were too much even for him — the girl’s mother and her old nurse. She was going to have a child and they called forth all their black magic. They’d put a curse on him and every ship he commanded unless he married her.”
“Are you telling me that he would marry for such a reason?”
“He had to. Sailors are the most superstitious men on earth. None of them would have sailed with a master who had been cursed. They would have known it, too. He had no alternative. So he married the girl.”
“It seems a little far-fetched.”
“Life often is not as simple as it seems.”
“But to marry because of a curse!”
“He owed her marriage in any case.”
“Perhaps that was the reason he married her.”
Dick laughed. “But you see, don’t you, why I am concerned for you?”
“You have been jumping to conclusions. Perhaps they have been suggested by Miss Rundle?”
“That old gossip. I wouldn’t accept anything she told me. But this is different. This concerns you, and anything that concerns you is of great importance to me.”
I was startled, but my thoughts were too occupied with Redvers for me to give much attention to Dick Callum’s hints.
“You are kind,” I said, “to concern yourself over me.”
“It’s not a matter of kindness but of inability to do otherwise.”
“Thank you. But do please stop worrying about me. I can’t really see why you should be anxious because now and then I have had a word with the Captain.”
“As long as you understand … I fear, I’m making a mess of this. If you ever needed my help would you let me give it?”
“You talk as though I should be doing you a favor by letting you, when it is I who should thank you. I’d willingly accept your help if I needed it.”
He put his hand over mine and squeezed it.
“Thank you,” he said. “It’s a promise. I’ll keep you to it.” I thought he was about to say more, so I said quickly: “Shall we go and dance?” We were dancing when we heard the shrieks from the lower deck. The piano stopped abruptly. It was a child’s voice. I immediately thought of Edward and then I knew at once that it was not Edward but Johnny Malloy.
We ran down to the lower deck. Others had already arrived before us. Johnny was shouting at the top of his voice: “It was the Gulli-Gulli man. I saw him. I saw him.”
My first thought was: The child has had a nightmare. But then I saw something else. Lying on the deck, fast asleep, was Edward.
Ivor Gregory had come out and picked up Edward. Johnny went on shouting: “I saw him I tell you. He was carrying Edward. And I followed him and I shouted ‘Gulli-Gulli, wait for me!’ And Gulli-Gulli put Edward down and ran away.”
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