Page 20 of Below the Deck

Talia hadn’t meant to gasp so loudly.How embarrassing.She gave an awkward laugh. ‘Yes – just … this sky. It’s quite something. I just saw a shooting star.’

Lucy looked up at the stars for a second, gave Talia a quick smile, then turned back to her conversation with Nick, Sam and Eleni. Nick was entertaining them all with some funny stories about his young boys, by the sounds of it, though Lucy didn’t look particularly amused. Elsewhere, Mark and Rory stood nursing their drinks at the bar. The two men seemed deep in conversation; Talia wondered what they could possibly have to chat about. Mark was a journalist, wasn’t he? Rory usually had no time for the lot of them. Alluseless hacks. She decided to join the group on the sofa, but just as she sat down, Lucy stretched and stood up.

‘I think I’m going to head to bed,’ Lucy said, yawning. ‘The sun today has tired me out.’

‘Oh, was it a bit too hot for you?’ said Eleni. There was a patronizing tilt to her head as she spoke, Talia noticed with distaste.

‘I suppose so,’ said Lucy. ‘I’m just not used to it.’

‘Well,’ Eleni said lazily, turning to Nick, ‘I think we should stay up for a while. You could have a proper chat with Rory – I’m sure he’d love that.’

Lucy nodded her goodbyes, then made her way towards the doors to the salon. Talia settled into the sofa and listened as Nick carried on his story, his wife giggling next to him.

‘I don’t know how she did it,’ he continued, tears of laughter gathering in his eyes. ‘How Eleni kept a straight face as the headteacher told her what a serious health and safety hazard it was for Lucas to lock the teaching assistant out of the classroom …’

But his voice was abruptly drowned out by the sound of raised voices from the bar. Talia looked over, alarmed, to see Mark squaring up to Rory, and Rory backing away – Mark was slurring as he spoke. He was trying to keep his voice low, but she made out the words: ‘Whatever’s going on, I’m going to find out about it.’

Talia froze.What the hell is he talking about?

Rory was blinking, his head shaking back and forth. He looked bewildered. ‘I have no idea what you mean,’ she heard him say.

Talia needed to do something; she should intervene. She got to her feet and marched over to the two men. ‘What on earth is going on over here?’ she demanded.

Now only inches apart – Mark had moved closer again – Rory’s eyes didn’t move from Mark’s face as he said, ‘Nothing to worry about, Talia, darling. Mark here’s just had a few too many, that’s all. Can’t handle his drink – typical journo, biting off more than he can chew. Isn’t that right, Mark, eh?’

Mark stumbled backwards; his eyes were slits, his lips curled into a snarl. He shook his head. ‘No … no, that’s not what—’

What in God’s name …?This didn’t look like someone who’d just taken a bit of drunken banter too far. Mark wasraging.

‘Mark, what the hell has got into you?’ It was Lucy; she must have heard the commotion and come back to the deck. She laid a hand on her partner’s shoulder, ushering him backwards and away from Rory. ‘I think we all need to call it a night, yeah?’

‘Ah, come on, Luce,’ slurred Mark, reaching a hand over to pat her on the shoulder and missing; waving at thin air. ‘It’s still early. One more for the road, yeah? We’ve all got a lot to talk about—’

‘No,’ she said firmly. ‘It’s time for bed. Let’s go.’

Mark’s eyes roamed the rest of the group. ‘Who’s staying for a nightcap with me? Anyone? Sam? Eleni, Nick – you’ll have another with me, won’t you?’ He could barely focus on anyone’s face as he spoke.

‘I would, but … I think I’ve had enough to drink,’ said Sam.

‘We could stay for a while longer, couldn’t we?’ Eleni addressed her husband. ‘Rory, Talia – you’ll stay too – we could have one last drink, all together?’

Talia flinched.Why is she so keen to get the four of us in close proximity?

‘I dunno,’ said Nick, with a shrug. ‘Let’s head to bed too. I’ll finish my drink on the sun deck and come down. Seems like … everyone could do with a bit of space?’

Perhaps I should get out of here too. Maybe Mark and Rory need to clear the air – alone.

But then Mark turned back to the bar and dumped his glass down on the counter. ‘All right, all right. Bunch of party poopers. Fine, then, I’ll go,’ he said, allowing Lucy to guide him away inside.

When everyone else had gone, Talia turned to her husband. Rory was leaning against the bar, tight-lipped. ‘What on earth was that about?’

He shook his head. ‘Talia, I honestly have no idea.’ He shrugged. ‘I mean it – I can’t imagine why he’d turn on melike that. And I didn’t get it out of him – he just kept saying,I know what you’re doing, and that it wasall going to come out. But … I mean, what? What have I done? I barely know the man.’

Talia turned cold. She stared at Rory for a long moment; she knew when he was telling the truth, and he was telling the truth now. Whatever Mark’s issue was, Rory was none the wiser.

She sighed. ‘Well, there’s no use trying to resolve it tonight. Let’s go to bed, and try to make sense of it with clear heads in the morning.’

‘You go,’ said Rory. ‘Get a good night’s sleep. I think I’ll stay out here for a while, enjoy the fresh air. I want to try to clear my thoughts.’