A Family Holiday (27 page)

Millie was on Charlie’s balcony, standing on the sun lounger, and was wobbling as she leaned precariously over the balcony railings.

Charlie realised Blue was running back to the villa, looked up and saw what was unfolding on the balcony. ‘Millie!’ shrieked Charlie, which made the toddler jerk upright and sway dangerously. Charlie gasped and ran towards the villa.

‘Stay there, Millie,’ said Blue calmly. Millie was throwing tampons off the balcony and lurching over the railings, each throw making her situation even more perilous. Charlie flew up the steps behind him as another tampon landed and Millie giggled. Running into the villa and up the stairs, her heart beating fast and her head swamped with the emotion of knowing Millie was here but still in danger, Charlie’s sweaty hands fumbled with the bedroom door.

She flung it open and raced across the room to see Blue climbing onto the balcony. He picked up Millie, who waved a tampon around his head happily and stretched out her arms to Charlie. Charlie took Millie from Blue and hugged her tight, failing to smother the sobs that forced their way out.

‘Where were you, Millie?’ asked Blue.

‘Sleep in the little room,’ said Millie, pointing at the walk-in wardrobe. Blue smiled and shook his head.

Fleur leant against the doorframe, wiping away the tears. ‘I’m so sorry,’ she said.

Charlie clung to Millie. ‘One day that won’t be enough.’

Fleur looked as if the words had physically slapped her. She blinked hard, turned away and disappeared downstairs.

It took Charlie a while before she could let Millie go, which was long after Millie had wanted to be freed. She had finally conceded when Ted had returned with George and Eleanor, who were completely oblivious to the whole episode and were full of the great day out they’d had with Blue and Ted. Blue had clearly given them yet another fun day that had included a museum in St Johns, a tour of the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium, cricket on the beach and a visit to a friend of his who carved wooden creatures.

‘I chose the turtle because it’s an endangered species,’ Eleanor explained to Millie, who was stroking its shell.

‘What’s dangered spee-spees?’ she said, carefully mimicking the sounds of the unfamiliar words.

‘It’s when there aren’t many of them left in the world. There is a danger that there will only be one or two and then they will die and we won’t have that animal any more!’

Millie looked suitably shocked at the prospect. She stopped stroking the toy and clutched Pooh to her.

‘Is Pooh a dangered see-spees?’

Eleanor was nodding, but Charlie intervened. ‘No, sweetheart, he’s unique because there is only one Winnie the Pooh and he’s going to be here forever, so you don’t need to worry.’ She hugged Eleanor and gave her a wink and Eleanor revelled in the conspiratorial gesture.

The sun was thinking about setting as Charlie sat on the edge of the pool watching Millie push George, Ted, Eleanor and Blue in, time after time, giggling with each over-dramatic fall into the water.

‘Bye, bye stupid man!’ she said to Blue as she shoved him with both hands and he neatly dived in. It was all a far cry from the scenes earlier. Everything was back to normal, or so it would seem, but for Charlie something had changed. Charlie knew what she had experienced must be every parent’s worst nightmare, but now she knew what it would feel like to not know where one of them was; she realised that simply knowing that they were safe wasn’t going to be enough.

Blue looked up and Charlie smiled at him, noticing that his gaze was veering past her. Charlie turned to see Fleur lugging her designer case down the steps. Charlie hadn’t spoken to Fleur since they had found Millie. She’d figured Fleur was mulling things over. Perhaps she had been too hard on her, although she knew she wouldn’t be thinking that if Millie were still missing.

A taxi pulled into the drive and Blue acknowledged the driver, who got out and took the case from the struggling Fleur. Fleur stood for a moment, took a deep breath and strode over to Charlie. ‘I love you and I would never do anything to hurt you. I am truly sorry and I take full responsibility for what happened. I’m going home because I think that’s best. I’m not running away.’ She looked at Charlie, her head held high.

‘I will calm down eventually,’ said Charlie, offering her arms out for a hug and Fleur gratefully stepped into it. They held each other tightly for a minute or so before Fleur released herself.

‘Take care, Charlie. Bye Blue, bye kids,’ and with that she got in the taxi and was gone.

Against all the odds, perhaps Fleur was actually growing up.

After the cacophony of Antigua airport, Fleur had been pleased to sleep in the peacefulness of first class on the way home. She wasn’t pleased with the whole Millie mess, but she was satisfied with how she’d handled it. She had taken responsibility for her mistake and that was the way things were going to be from now on. She was also going to try her hardest to avoid making the mistakes in the first place.

It was early when they landed and as she trundled out of arrivals Fleur was wondering whether her father had picked up her text or whether she needed to get in a cab. She hadn’t asked him to pick her up, she’d simply said she was coming home and that they needed to sort a few things out. The couple in front of her were walking slowly, creating a queue of tired travellers. Up ahead there were a few people hugging other passengers and babies being passed around. A few people with signs were looking very bored. Fleur was scanning the faces and suddenly she recognised two of them.

Rob was hanging over the barrier, looking pretty rough, with at least a week’s stubble on his chin. Jonathan was standing upright about a metre further down, looking clean-shaven and holding aloft a neatly made sign that read ‘Fleur Van Benton’. He saw her immediately and started waving. Fleur straightened her shoulders and walked to the barrier. Rob leapt over to intercept her and flung his arms around Fleur.

‘Babe! I have missed you soooo much. We have loads to talk about. Let me take your case.’

Jonathan’s face fell as he watched the happy reunion in front of him. Fleur was hugging the unkempt-looking bloke that had just arrived and pushed his way to the front. Jonathan had been there for over an hour. He lowered his sign and dragged his eyes away as they were now deep in conversation.

‘Let go of my case before I scream thief and you end up being frogmarched off by security!’ said Fleur, her voice almost a growl.

‘Calm down, Babe. I wanted to see you. Now that’s not a crime, is it?’ He put his face close to hers and she could smell his un-brushed breath.

‘How did you even know I was on this flight?’

‘Your mum posted it on Facebook. You gotta love Mrs VB,’ he said, trying to put his arm around Fleur’s shoulders.

‘Get off me, Rob,’ said Fleur, trying to catch sight of Jonathan, who was no longer standing next to the barrier.

‘Babe, you’re tired. Let’s get you home. Have you got cash for a cab?’

Fleur dropped the handle of her case and pushed Rob hard in the chest. He stumbled backwards and landed with a thump. He started laughing and held up his hands in surrender. Fleur was about to lunge at him when she felt a strong arm grab hold of her.

An offer of a day out with Blue was always going to be accepted. They were all on the boat and Blue was weaving his way around the smaller islands off Antigua’s northeast tip. He slowed the motor and the boat bobbed past a large floating mass.

‘Watch out for the seaweed,’ called Blue.

‘Is it deadly?’ asked George, leaning over the side to grab some.

‘No, this stuff’s fine. We had a plague of sargassum seaweed a few years back and that was dangerous because we had tons of it floating about.’

‘I’m dangered seaweed,’ said Millie emphatically, which made Blue laugh.

‘Really! Now, there’s a thing,’ he said.

‘I think she means endangered species,’ explained Eleanor, her face serious.

‘There are millions of people on the planet, so how do you work that out, little one?’

‘Only five left,’ said Millie, holding up four fingers before quickly correcting her mistake.

Eleanor stepped in. ‘She means that there’s only five of us Cobleys left in the whole wide world,’ she said, elaborately stretching her arms out in both directions. Blue stared at Millie and Eleanor. Charlie stared at Blue, waiting for a reaction. He shook his head and returned his attention to steering the boat.

‘Welcome to Ibis Island,’ said Blue, slowing the engine as the sea changed from deep velvet blue to a bright jewelled turquoise.

Ted jumped off the front of the boat and had judged it well as he could touch the bottom. He looked keen to help Esther off the boat but Millie was already in the front of the queue and launched herself into the water. Thankfully her life vest made her pop up quickly. Esther was laughing as Ted flicked the water splashes off his hair and, his annoyance quickly squashed, he laughed too as Millie’s vigorous kicking sent yet more cascades of water over him. He reached out his hand to help Esther down the ladder, but as she was still laughing, he pulled her into the water instead. She was clearly not fazed by it and lots of splashing and laughter ensued.

‘Ted, watch your sister!’ called Charlie, who could see the doggy-paddling Millie nearing the shore.

‘On it!’ he called back.

George and Eleanor had jumped off the boat and were already swimming back for another go. Blue pulled off his shirt in one movement, slid into the water and reached up a hand to Charlie, the definition of his muscles side-tracking her thoughts momentarily as the sun shone on the blonde hairs on his arms.

‘No chance! I saw what happened to Esther, I’ll manage on my own, thanks.’

‘Is that your philosophy for life?’

Charlie stopped as she was halfway down the ladder, the warm water lapping at her calves. ‘Let’s call a truce today. Let’s make it a sniping-free zone. Okay?’

Blue looked hurt, ‘I wasn’t sniping. I admire that in you, Charlie – your strength and self-sufficiency. But obviously now I’ll have to drown you,’ and he grabbed her around the waist and dragged her screaming into the water.

The island had looked small when they had first seen it from the boat, but now they were on the shore the beach seemed to stretch out along the flank of the boomerang-shaped piece of land. Blue had a rucksack with drinks to keep them going until lunch but what he produced from the bag next captivated everyone.

‘What is this?’ said Blue, with eyes wide, his acting terrible as he unrolled a large brown-stained piece of paper.

Millie grabbed at it and pulled it down to her level, so that she could see it better. ‘It’s a map!’ she squealed, making Esther wince at the high pitch.

‘A treasure map,’ added Eleanor, with obvious awe in her voice. Even George was clamouring for a look.

‘It’s the treasure map of the meanest, ugliest, scariest pirate that ever sailed the Caribbean Sea,’ said Blue, his acting skills under yet more pressure.

‘Is it you?’ asked Millie, her eyes glued to Blue.

‘Mills, Blue isn’t a pirate,’ said George.

‘He got boat and treasure map,’ pointed out Millie, with a pout.

‘Fair point, Millie, but no, it’s not me,’ said Blue, before he slipped into an ill-rehearsed pirate accent. ‘He lived a very long time ago and his name was Cap’n Bluebeard the Dreadful. He was as sly as a sea serpent and twice as slippery. A menace to all that had the misfortune of crossing his path. He was wanted by the Royal Navy, loathed by other pirates and feared by EVERYONE!’ He shouted the last word, making everyone jump, and Millie squealed half in horror and half in delight.

Charlie was busy watching the faces of the others, who were all enthralled with the tale and, for a moment, allowed herself to dream a little. Was it too much to ask that Blue could have a place in the lives of these children? For someone who didn’t have kids he was very good with them. And he was particularly good with these kids, so why wouldn’t he do the simple act of securing their future? The answer Blue had already given her to this question flew to mind but she dismissed it quickly, there was no space for analysing what he may have meant about them being together. Charlie was brought back to the moment by Millie clapping her hands together as her excitement overflowed and the story reached its climax.

‘And with his dying breath and the help of his parrot, he drew this map so that, one day, explorers like you could uncover the buried treasure of Cap’n Bluebeard the Dreadful.’

Ted started the applause and Millie jumped up and down as she clapped. Ted bent over and Blue spread the map on his back and everyone chipped in as they attempted to find a recognisable spot on the picture.

‘Crescent beach!’ shouted Eleanor, jabbing her finger into the map and consequently her brother’s back.

‘Haunted house? Is that the boarded-up bungalow on the hill?’ said George, shielding his eyes from the sun with his hand as he looked up the nearby mound.

‘Er, yeah. You may need to use your imagination,’ said Blue.

‘Okay,’ said George, sticking his nose back into the map.

‘Twees!’ shouted Millie, and she started to point at the map and at the large wooded area in front of them.

‘Good girl, Millie. You need to look for a special tree that has something carved into it,’ said Blue, tapping the picture on the map and five heads all moved in for a closer look.

‘Kiss!’ said Millie.

‘X marks the spot,’ corrected Eleanor.

‘Right, let’s head off towards those trees and see what we can find,’ said Blue. ‘Do you and Esther want to relax on the beach for a bit, Charlie, while we do the treasure hunt?’

‘Don’t mind if I do,’ said Charlie.

‘Sure,’ said Esther.

‘Um, I was thinking Esther and I could go for a look round on our own,’ said the map rest from his hunched position.

‘Sorry, mate. I could do with a hand with all these land lubbers, ah-argh’ said Blue, still in character as he relieved Ted of the map.

‘Your acting really is shockingly bad,’ said Ted, slapping Blue on the back, and they walked off companionably in the same direction as the children.