The Bridal Bargain

“Yes. All fixed up.” A strong sense of discretion told her to keep quiet on that front, too, so she rushed on, “What I need now is all the info on Duchess and…”

“A set of uniforms,” Sally said obligingly. “Come on. I’ll fit you out and feed you facts.”

They only had ten minutes before Duchess glided in to dock at the marina. They watched it from the double glass doors that opened out to the promenade deck. Even to Hannah who’d seen many expensive boats in Fremantle, it looked fabulous; a sleek, stylish, black and white catamaran that exuded power and luxury.

“By far the best,” Sally said proudly. “Only launched last year. Air-conditioned saloon and bridge, the most up-to-date entertainment systems, walk-in easy water access for diving or snorkelling, and for you, a fully equipped galley, including an espresso coffee machine and a dishwasher.” She gave Hannah a droll look. “No plastic plates on Duchess. It’s all top class.”

Hannah nodded, observing the stream of day-trippers emerging onto the wharf—the clothes they wore, the bags they carried, all classy casual gear. These were moneyed people who paid for the best and expected it as their right. They looked happy and satisfied, which meant the five-star service had not fallen short today.

She took a deep breath, refiring her determination to ensure her service didn’t fall short of the standard Tony King wanted maintained. The strong need to please him—more, to delight him—went far beyond what she should feel for her employer, but there was no point in trying to deny he’d put a new zing in her life. She got an electric charge just bringing his image to mind.

“Does…uh…Mr King ever go out on Duchess?” she couldn’t stop herself from asking.

“Oh, yes! He skippers it most Saturdays and Sundays. And also when it’s chartered by a special party. We’ve had a few celebrities with their entourage wanting Duchess to themselves for a day. Tony likes to take personal care of VIPs. He’s a terrific host, and of course, they spread the word to their friends. Best publicity we can get.”

Tony… Sally spoke the name so familiarly, Hannah reasoned it must be okay to use it in front of the staff. It was silly to suddenly feel awkward about it. It had felt right when they’d been at the castle. He just seemed to have distanced himself from her since they’d left his grandmother. But she was probably being over-sensitive where he was concerned, not wanting to put any foot wrong.

Today was Wednesday. She had two days to learn all the ropes, practise her cooking and have everything down pat before he came on board. Tomorrow she would bring a notebook with her and jot down everything Chris did, everything she had to know about the galley and how it worked. Once the overall routine was fixed in her mind, she could add her own special touches, show Tony he’d really got a prize in his new chef. Then he’d give her that heart-buzzing smile and…

“Crew’s coming off now,” Sally announced, jolting Hannah back to the immediate situation. “Eric and Tracy and Jai do the diving. They’re the first three. Next comes Chris and his assistant, Megan, then the skipper, David, and the first mate, Keith.”

Five men, two women, all of them young and looking very fit and full of vigour. Soon to be four men and three women, Hannah thought. She saw Chris—hair very peroxide blonde—hurrying past the others, an urgent intensity driving him as he headed for the office.

“I’d better get Tony,” Sally muttered, and made a dash for his door.

He emerged just as Chris bounded in, clearly pumped up with his personal problems, his frown lifting as he saw Tony. “Did you get someone?” he burst out, so intent on his own needs he didn’t even give Hannah a cursory glance.

“Calm down, Chris.” The strong, authoritative voice warned the chef he was out of line. “You have just walked past the person I’ve hired as your replacement.”

“Sorry, sorry…” He spun to face Hannah, relief breaking a smile through his anxiety. “Hi!”

“Hi!” she returned with smile inviting fellowship.

“This is Hannah O’Neill,” Tony introduced. “Chris Walton, who’ll show you precisely what’s expected of the chef on Duchess over the next two days.”

Which jerked Chris’s head back to Tony. “Do I have to? Can’t Hannah…?”

“No.” Very firm. “You stay till the end of the week. As agreed, Chris.”

“But Megan could show her everything.”

“It’s your responsibility.” The grey eyes were very steely as he added. “Don’t let me down, Chris.”

Me, too, Hannah thought on a panicky note, her nerves instantly protesting the prospect of being thrown in at the deep end without a life raft.

“You now have a cut-off day,” Tony went on. “You can book a flight to Sydney on Friday evening. You’ll forfeit your pay and a reference if you leave before then. Understand me?”

Chris crumpled. “Yeah, yeah. I just thought…”

“I want a smooth changeover, Chris.”

“Okay!” He sighed and turned back to Hannah. “Don’t get me wrong. It’s a great job. I just need to be elsewhere.”

She nodded sympathetically. “I will appreciate your staying on to show me how to handle everything, Chris.”

“No sweat,” he muttered, but it obviously was. The absent Johnny definitely had the screws on him.

The others streamed into the office and having settled the departure issue with Chris, Tony proceeded to introduce her to the rest of the crew. They seemed a cheerful bunch and Hannah felt only good vibrations coming her way, no reservations about her fitting the role she’d taken on.

She was very conscious of Tony watching, and hoped he was pleased with the quick and easy connections made and the positive mood engendered by them. In any tourist business, it was important to promote an air of friendly approachability. Keeping a happy face was second nature to Hannah and today it was very easy for her to exude happiness.

A lovely new place to explore.

A new job to keep her going.

A new man who might just be Mr Right…if her heart was telling her true!

“Hey! Great dimples!” David Hampson, the skipper remarked. He was the last one to be introduced, the senior man on the crew, and very good-looking with bright brown eyes and a charming grin which he swung from her to Tony. “I think you’ve picked us up an asset here.”

It earned a frown. “What we need is great cooking.”

“Granted,” David cheerfully agreed, returning a sparkling gaze to Hannah. “But give it to us served with dimples and it’ll put a fine edge on our appetites.”

She laughed, liking his good-humoured teasing.

“Are you ready to move now, Hannah? Got everything you need?” Tony shot at her, cutting off the laughter.

“Yes.” She quickly picked up the plastic bag which contained her uniforms and a pile of print-outs on the Kingtripper cruises.

“Right!” He addressed the crew. “I expect you all to look after Hannah tomorrow, without her becoming a distraction to what you should be doing. Just keep everything running smoothly. Okay?”

They chorused assent.

His gaze sliced to her. “Let’s go. I’ll take you to your accommodation now so you can get settled and ready for work in the morning.”

“See you all tomorrow,” she tossed at everyone and quickly accompanied Tony out to the walkway through the shopping mall, her heart fluttering at his rush to be on the move again.

“Where’s your luggage?” he asked.

“This way.” She waved to the left and he was off at a stride that demanded she keep up. A glance flashed at his profile told her his mouth was grimly set again. “Thanks for your support back there,” she said tentatively, grateful for his stand with Chris.

“I hope you’re not going to be trouble, Hannah,” he grated out.

“Trouble?” she echoed, flustered by this negative reading which she hadn’t been expecting.

He beetled a warning look at her. “David Hampson is married. He’s got two children.”

“Well, that’s very nice for him,” she replied, still mystified by the almost accusing manner.