Katie Fforde - Going Dutch

The day progressed. Dora and Jo watched London slip past: the South Bank, Tate Modern, London Bridge, the infamous Millennium Dome. It was all rather exciting as they hadn't seen these parts of London from this vantage point before. Gradually the river widened as they got nearer to the Estuary, so that the landmarks, warehouses and executive flats became scarcer and scarcer until eventually Tom told them that Queenborough was coming up. Although it was only early afternoon, Dora could tell that Jo was flagging and said, 'Once we get there, you must stop looking after everyone and let them look after themselves. You slope off for a nap. We're bound to be starting early again tomorrow.'

‘I'll certainly try. I feel as if I've been up for days, and as if weeks have past since we set off from the moorings.’

‘Yes! Weird, isn't it? What have you planned to eat for supper? I'll help.'

‘Moussaka which I've done already, with carrots, peas and rice. Carole can have carrots, peas and rice. Did you get to know her a little today?'

‘Not really. She's been with Marcus for eighteen months, apparently. One thing she said was odd, though. She more or less implied she was here to keep an eye on him.’

‘In what way, keep an eye on him?'

‘So he doesn't go off with other women, which is pretty much us. Or worse, he thinks we're needy and after him. She says it happens a lot.’

Jo's expression hardened. 'So we're needy, are we?' She knew she was right not to trust his olive branch that morning.

‘I don't think she meant that we were in particular, just that single women in general are.'

‘I think that makes it worse! It's bad enough when men stereotype women and say and think patronising things about them but when women – young women – do it too, it's just too bad.’

Dora nodded. Although she was indignant for a slightly different reason, she was happy to follow on in the tide of Jo's. 'I know! She just assumed me and Tom were a couple and said he was cute. When I said we were just friends, she said it was nice to know where everyone stood.'

‘Well, he is cute, Dora, and you can't blame Carole for noticing.’

Dora shook her head. 'I don't know what's going on in her mind, to be honest.' Or was it her own mind that confused her? 'I do know what she does to her hair though,' she added on a more frivolous note. 'But she's not very easy to get to know.'

‘You couldn't get through the factor fifty-five sun-cream, you mean? Oh my goodness, I can't believe I said that.’

Dora laughed. 'I think Karen would be proud to think that you've discovered your inner bitch.'

‘Karen might be, but I'm not. She's just a child, I shouldn't be making unkind remarks about her.’

Noises from above indicated that they might be arriving very shortly. 'Let's go up and look at Queenborough,' said Jo.

There wasn't a lot to see. They were tied up to a concrete hulk moored in the river and there was no way of getting ashore. Carole was standing on deck, staring out. Dora and Jo joined her, as extra fender-holding didn't seem to be required.

‘No shops,' said Carole.

‘No,' agreed Jo, who'd wanted to stock up on water and various other Carole-friendly products.

‘Retail therapy will have to wait until we get to Holland,' said Marcus, who chose that moment to emerge from behind the wheel.

‘I personally don't regard grocery shopping as therapy,' said Jo, still rattled by him.

‘Marky, darling, I wanted to buy some chocolate,' said Carole in a tone only a hairsbreadth away from a whine.

‘Surely you don't eat chocolate, do you, Carole?' asked Jo in surprise.

‘Chocolate has anti-oxidants, provided it has enough cocoa solids in it,' Carole explained kindly.

‘Oh,' said Jo, who knew that, and went down below. Dora was about to follow her when Carole said, 'What's got into her?'

‘Being up since before dawn and having to cater for people with peculiar food fads, probably,' said Dora and went down to join Jo in the galley.

‘That animated Barbie doll is getting right up my nose,' said Dora.

‘Have a good blow and you'll feel better,' said Jo, laughing, and feeling better herself. 'It's bloody Marcus who's getting on my – nerves.'

‘Jo, I really hope you weren't going to say "tits",' said Dora. 'What would the Flower Circle think?'

‘They'd agree with me, to a woman. Now I'm going to have what my mother would have called "a nice lie down".’

When Jo got up, a couple of hours later, she found that Tom and Dora had organised supper. A panful of prepared carrots was waiting and there was even a salad. 'Go up on deck and have a drink. Marcus and Ed are up there.’

Jo didn't particularly want to sit with Marcus, especially as she knew Carole would be there too, but nor did she want to spend any more time in the galley than she had to. Her pre-trip cookathon had used up all her enthusiasm for the moment.

She had had a quick shower after her nap and put on make-up and a long white linen shirt, which probably made her seem the size of a house, but was comfortable and fresh-feeling – suited, she felt, to sitting on deck drinking white wine. So, having checked her make-up, she went to join the others.

Any concern she might have had about having to make polite conversation with Carole, whom she had very mixed feelings about, and Marcus, whom she was still annoyed with, and Ed, whom she loved for many reasons, were dispelled the moment she joined the group. Marcus was talking shop.

‘We'll have two people on watch at all times. We should get there in daylight, but if for any reason we don't, the same applies. Four hours on, four off, alternating one hour steering periods.'

‘I don't have to do that, do I?' asked Carole.

‘We're all shipmates together, love,' said Ed cheerily. Jo, who had been about to ask to be excused, as she was the official ship's cook, kept quiet.

‘There's no point in people crowding the wheelhouse,' said Marcus. 'Tom seems a capable lad. I'll go on with Tom. You can choose between Dora, Joanna or Carole.'

‘You've put me in a right spot, Skipper. I'll have young Dora. Jo's working hard enough already, producing meals fit for seagoing kings.'

‘What about me?' asked Carole, obviously feeling left out.

‘You can do what you're best at, darling, looking decorative,' Marcus said, with a hint of sarcasm Jo noticed.

She regarded Carole, wondering why she didn't slap Marcus, or at least give him a filthy look. But Carole just simpered. She was obviously as simple as she looked. 'Would you like me to get you another beer?' she asked.

‘If you're offering and I think Ed would like another one too,' Marcus said.

Carole got up and stretched, revealing a stomach you could have ironed sheets on if it hadn't been for her belly button piercing. She went to the top of the stairs and called down to Dora and Tom, 'Could we have another couple of beers up here, please?'

‘I don't think that's quite what is meant by getting someone another drink,' said Jo, as mildly as she could, seeing as she was feeling anything but mild.

‘I expect they want some fresh air anyway,' said Carole, 'I'm sure I would if I had to cook.'

‘We'll be organising a cooking rota later,' said Jo, 'so you'll find out.' Jo had never been prone to bitchiness but she just couldn't help it. Carole just had that effect on her.

Tom appeared at the top of the steps, holding cans of beer and a bottle of wine. 'Would we like to eat up here, in the fresh air? Or downstairs at a table. It's quite hot down there.'

‘What would you like, Joanna?' asked Marcus, causing her to start. She'd been deeply annoyed with him, finding him arrogant and high-handed, and now here he was, being considerate.