Claire Gulliver #04 - Cruisin' for a Bruisin' Read online

  “Not at all, it was so interesting. It certainly gives me a whole new perspective on life in Alaska. I’ll probably have to search out some books about the Princess Sophia.” She paused at the door. “See you later, Mrs. Bernbaum. And thanks again for the tea and the story.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  “You look very nice, dear. Is that dress new?”

  “No, I got it for the gala I attended in Washington last fall. It’s nice, isn’t it? I found it at Loehman’s, if you’d believe?” Her dress was a rich blue jersey material. The long A-line skirt clung nicely to her hips, the bottom of the full skirt revealing only glimpses of red toenails in her strappy sandals. The bodice had armholes slanted toward her neck, leaving her shoulders bare. The plain neckline was set off by the heavy gold and lapis lazuli Egyptian style necklace she bought to go with it. The matching earrings dangled almost to her shoulders, swaying every time she moved her head and making her feel sexy.

  “It suits you. I feel a little dowdy beside you.”

  “I don’t know why, your dress is stunning. I didn’t know you had it.”

  “It’s from one of the Richman Brothers’ Christmas bashes. I have a closet full. I never get rid of them and every year in spite of my resolve not to, I end up buying something new to wear.” She laughed at her foolishness. “At least it gave me several to choose from for this trip.”

  “Well, seeing as we both look so spiffy what do you think about having our picture taken together? If it’s good we can buy copies, and if we don’t like it we’ll just leave it.”

  “Oh, what a good idea. Let’s do it.”

  Claire and Millie went to stand in the short line for the photographer while Ruth and Lucy milled about with the other passengers, sipping champagne and talking to people they had met during the cruise. Even though this reception was for only half of the passengers, the ones who had the late dinner seating, there was still a crush of bodies in the lounge. Waiters moved through the crowd with trays of canapés and glasses of champagne and never got very far before having to return to the kitchen to replenish their trays.

  Finished with the photographer, Millie determinedly pushed her way through the crowd in search of Ruth and Lucy. Claire was right behind her carrying a champagne glass. “There you are. Did you meet the Captain?”

  “Yes, he’s charming. And he looks just how you would imagine the captain to look, tall, handsome, competent and in control. If you want to meet him you’d better hurry because it’s almost time for dinner.”

  “No, I don’t need to meet him. At this point I doubt he can distinguish one person from another. Did you want to meet him, Claire?”

  She shook her head. “Let’s head toward the dining room. I’m hungry.”

  The dining room looked very festive. It took a moment for Claire to realize it wasn’t the room which was festive, it was the people in it. Men clad in tuxedos, white dinner jackets and dark suits escorted their ladies, who wore spangles and beads, silks and satins, as well as sparkling jewels in their hair, around their necks and dripping from their arms. And the sound swelled with giggles, muted laughter and voices a little louder than usual, probably as a result of the champagne consumed before dinner. Accompanying the noise were the soft strains of music provided by a quartet of musicians located at the top of the graceful staircase rising from the center of the dining room to the balcony.

  Claire looked around at her table mates. All the men wore black tuxedos except Ian who wore a white dinner jacket. Harold, sitting across from her, wore his with a silver cummerbund and despite his warning of yesterday about not liking to dress for dinner, appeared to be in fine spirits. Pearl wore a beautiful dress in a shimmery silver material which clung in all the right places and had a non-existent back. Ruth wore a deep red crepe dress, long and slinky. Lucy’s dress was black, with an off-the-shoulder neck and a short full skirt. Even Mrs. Bernbaum looked exceptionally nice tonight in her light grey dress, which sported the puffy sleeves so popular in the 80’s. However, it was obviously expensively cut and her red pin winked proudly from the shoulder of the dress.

  The menu choices were in keeping with the special occasion including selections of filet mignon, lobster, crown rib lamb chops or Cornish game hens. Pedro took their choices with much good natured joshing and then left them to the drinks they had ordered.

  “Good evening. I hope you are having a wonderful cruise.” Antonio, the maitre d’, circled their table, beaming with bonhomie. “It is my pleasure tonight to offer you a special appetizer which my good friend, the chef, has prepared only for your table.” He signaled to Pedro. “So tonight you will have a little lobster soufflé to start; it will make your meal even more special.”

  Pedro and his assistant carried out plates holding tiny ramekins filled with a perfect soufflé and set one in front of each person. Murmurs of surprise and pleasure spread around the table as they each eyed the golden soufflés puffed up twice the height of the ramekin and topped with a small piece of lobster and a bit of green herb.

  “Thank you.”

  “How nice.”

  “Oh, delicious.”

  Antonio bowed stiffly from the waist, smiling at each, but he winked at Lucy and left them to their dinner.

  “Well, can you beat that? Why do you suppose we’re getting such special treatment? I don’t see any other tables being served this dish,” Pearl said in amazement.

  “Well, it might have something to do with his late night dance partner,” Sean said soberly, nodding his head in Lucy’s direction.

  “Lucy, is this for your benefit?”

  Lucy looking somewhat like the cat, who had swallowed the canary, merely shrugged in response to Pearl’s question.

  “Well, it’s heavenly. I’m impressed the chef was willing to make soufflés when the meal they’re serving is going to require a lot of effort by itself.” Millie’s voice reflected her admiration. She knew how tricky soufflés could be. Delivering ten of them while they were still perfect was almost a miracle.

  “I think we shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Lucy, if it’s because of you, just keep doing what you’re doing,” was Ian’s advice.

  Later when they had finished the appetizers and were waiting for their next course, Claire said to Mrs. Bernbaum, who was sitting beside her, “You’re looking very nice tonight. You must have had your nap.”

  “I did and then Dickie came and gave me a shot of pep.”

  “What exactly is that, a shot of pep?”

  “Well, it’s a shot of vitamins he’s put together to give me a little energy boost. He calls it a ‘vitamin cocktail.’ I love it. It makes me feel young again.” She smiled at Claire. “Well, maybe not young, but younger.”

  “Well, whatever it is, it seems to work. And I saw you and Richard at the photographer’s booth before dinner having your picture taken. What a good idea.”

  “He insisted. He said we needed to have one together, while we were dressed up.” She smiled as she glanced his way briefly. “He really is the sweetest boy. We loved his father, of course, but Dickie is just so thoughtful and considerate, and I have to admit his father never was.”

  “Mrs. Bernbaum, that brooch must be your favorite piece of jewelry because you wear it often. But tonight it looks like a whole new piece on that dress. Did Nate give it to you?”

  She fingered the pin, looking down on it. “I asked Anita to clean it. Sometimes I don’t notice when it has gotten a little grimy. Yes, it was a gift from Nate, and it was a gift from Bernie, too.”

  Claire’s eyebrows rose in surprise.

  “We were so happy when Nate came back from the war safely. We both knew how lucky we were he survived all those bombing missions. So many didn’t, you know.

  “But he didn’t come home immediately, you see. While he was waiting to be shipped home he won this in a poker game.

  “He loved to play poker. The men in Skagway thought it their duty to teach him certain basics of life and there was a lot of card play
ing going on during those long winter months. So he was very good at cards. He told me he got into this big game, seven card stud. Do you play poker, Claire?” Then seeing her nod she went on with her story. “Well, this time there was a huge pot. One guy, who considered himself a card shark, obviously thought he had the winning hand, so he added this brooch to the pot to help entice additional bets. He did have a good hand, full house, queens over sevens, I believe. But Nate took the pot with four threes.

  “He said he knew he was lucky when he met me. Then he won that pot, which included a lot of money in addition to this piece. He said it was meant for me. He said it represented the luck I brought him.”

  “What is it? A garnet?”

  “Oh no, dear. This is the Heart of Persia.”

  “Wow, it has a name? That sounds expensive.”

  “I suppose it is, although I haven’t thought about its value for many years. The ruby was found in Persia in the seventeenth century. It’s a Burmese Ruby, so how it got there is a mystery. It is quite without flaws and very rare. Someone in the French court had it made into this piece. The stone is irregular shaped, somewhat like a heart, hence its name and the other stones are rubies, peridots and diamonds. See, it’s a pin and it also has a clasp so it can be worn on a chain as a pendant. Somehow during the French Revolution, it was liberated from its owner and so the record of ownership is somewhat sketchy. The man, who so foolishly added it to the pot, said he got it from a Russian refugee. How it got to Russia, I don’t know.”

  “No wonder you wear it so much. But you said your second husband also gave it to you, how could that be?”

  Mrs. Bernbaum’s gnarled hand grabbed her arm, pulling her close as she lowered her voice, although truthfully everyone else at the table seemed to be occupied with other conversations.

  “Nate’s luck ran out and he needed money badly. I sold everything, the house, the jewelry, cars, everything; to raise the money he needed. His reputation was at stake, you see. And it saved him, but the stress, the anguish got him. He had a massive heart attack and died. He was only forty-two years old.” The sadness in her eyes took Claire’s breath away.

  “Later, after I married Bernie, he tracked down and repurchased every piece of jewelry I had sold. It took him many years to finally recover the Heart, but he wouldn’t give up. He said Nate meant for me to have it. He was convinced Nate wouldn’t rest easy if he knew I had sold my jewelry for him. Bernie was such a kind man.”

  She let go of Claire’s arm and reached up to fondle the brooch. “So you can see how special it is to me. That’s why I wear it all the time.”

  “But Mrs. Bernbaum, aren’t you nervous wearing it. It must be very valuable. What if someone steals it?”

  “Dear, no one thinks it’s real. It’s so big, you see. Everyone just assumes it’s costume jewelry and I never say any different.”

  “You told me...” Claire was uneasy. Truthfully, she had thought it was costume jewelry and very ugly costume jewelry at that.

  “Yes, but I know you’re safe, my dear. I know that much about people. I can tell who is a thief and who is not.”

  Just then Ruth asked across the table, “Are you going on shore in Juneau, Mrs. Bernbaum?”

  When Claire looked up she saw Ian staring, and at first she thought he was staring at her and felt a little color creeping up her cheeks. But then she saw he was really looking at Mrs. Bernbaum. His gaze was so intense, she looked herself and saw his eyes were locked on the Heart of Persia pinned to Mrs. Bernbaum’s shoulder. She flinched with unease. Did Ian know about the jewel?

  Her brief moment of unease disappeared as the whole table joined the discussion about the myriad of choices they had for the next day. This would be their first port in Alaska and everyone was anxious to see everything, do everything.

  And when they finally started pushing their chairs back from the table, Mrs. Bernbaum surprised them all by deciding to join them in the Starlight Lounge for a little dancing to help settle her food.

  “It’s been such a wonderful meal I just hate to end it. And I feel very good tonight.” She took Dickie’s arm and proceeded to the elevator.

  Pearl and Harold had reached the lounge first and claimed two tables close to the dance floor and pulled up enough chairs to accommodate them. The music tonight was a selection of softer dance numbers from the fifties, sixties and seventies. The floor was crowded, but a few couples stood out. These were people who were “dancers” and used elaborate steps to show off their skill. Some may have been professional dancers at one time, some may have taken lessons and some just loved to dance, so had practiced and practiced. One woman, Millie and Claire had watched since the first night, danced with her partner whenever the opportunity arose. She was always wearing some beret or pillbox hat to match her outfit. Tonight’s hat was a beaded red pillbox perched on top of her short curls which matched her red beaded dress. She wore professional dancing shoes. Her husband, who wore a beaded red bow tie and cummerbund with his tuxedo, saw to it she put the dancing shoes to good use.

  Her smile was always wide, as was her partner’s. They were both enjoying themselves.

  Claire told her mother, “Those people are really perfect for cruising. Every night they have dancing and music available before and after dinner. I bet she doesn’t have to worry about gaining weight on a cruise.”

  “She’s certainly good. If I could dance like that I’d probably be cruising more often.”

  Claire just looked at her. “Like I’d believe that after it took so long for us to convince you to sign on for this one?”

  Millie giggled. “I do thank you for that, dear. I really am glad you and Ruth talked me into it. I know I’m very reluctant to do these things, but I am enjoying myself. And I did love the trip to Italy. So who says you can’t change as you get older?

  “Look at Mrs. Bernbaum dancing with Ian. How old is she? Ninety something? Well whatever, that woman still has moves.” Claire watched Ian and Mrs. Bernbaum on the dance floor. Mrs. Bernbaum, tiny in comparison to Ian, still adroitly followed his every step without hesitation.

  When the music ended Ian escorted Mrs. Bernbaum back to the table, then took Millie out to the floor. Richard brought Pearl back and took Ruth out. Sean claimed Lucy and Harold had a chance with his wife.

  “Don’t you want to dance?” Mrs. Bernbaum inquired. “Don’t feel you have to stay here with me.”

  “No, of course not. I’ll dance, don’t worry. The evening is still young and I’ll be here for a while.”

  “Well, when Dickie comes back I’m going to my cabin. No sense in inviting the wrath of Anita by staying out too long. And I need to be sensible. Tomorrow will come soon and I’m looking forward to my city tour. Nate talked about Juneau a lot. I’m anxious to see it.”

  The next time the dancers returned Claire danced with Sean. Of the two brothers she felt most comfortable with him. He was a genial man, good natured without that slight gleam of mischief she frequently saw in his brother’s eye, which somehow made her uneasy. However, later dancing with Ian, she admitted they were both excellent dancers. The evening wore on, Harold and Pearl left, Richard had never returned from delivering his aunt to her cabin and Antonio joined them, as did Pat and John, an English couple they met at breakfast one morning.

  Antonio danced as if he was a professional and took each of the women for a turn on the dance floor, but it was obvious who he was interested in. Claire wasn’t surprised to find Lucy and Antonio had slipped away to pursue their own agenda.

  “Mom, I’m turning in. It’s been fun, but it’s my bedtime.”

  The others cajoled her to stay a while longer, but she shook her head. “It’s time.” So she left promising to call her mother in the morning when she was ready for breakfast.

  * * *

  Ian and Sean stood on the dock waiting for the other people scheduled on the helicopter tour and dogsled adventure to arrive. Sean glanced around to make sure no one was close enough to overhear. “Ian, I do
n’t see how you’re going to do it. She wears it every day. How can you possibly get it away from her without the ship’s security people getting on it like a flash.”

  Ian smiled. “Did you see it winking last night, Sean? Did you feel the pull?”

  Sean was annoyed. He opened his mouth to protest, but then, surprising them both, he nodded. “I have to say it did grab me. It looked beautiful last night. I remember Pap describing it and the look he would get on his face while he talked about it.” Then he straightened, gave himself a little shake. “But Ian, I still think it is too risky. Give it up man. Let it go. It was only an old man’s dream.”

  Just then they were interrupted by their guide arriving with the couple who would be joining them for this excursion. They were herded into a van and took off for the heliport, all the time the guide was explaining what they could expect from this excursion.

  * * *

  The tram rose effortlessly up the cable giving them an unhindered view of the dock, their ship and three other ships lined up along the quay. Claire eagerly snapped pictures hoping to capture the view. And while she looked through the lens she blocked out, somewhat, the fact that she was sailing through thin air, with no support but the cable they clung to. Heights always made her nervous.

  “This is amazing. Look, there are four ships docked. I guess tourists are a large part of their summer income. That must be close to 10,000 people arriving for the day,” Lucy pointed out.

  “No wonder it seemed so crowded when we got off the ship.”

  It was a clear day, but cold. Very quickly it seemed, the cable car reached the top and everyone assembled for their guided nature walk. The trail leisurely led them through the forest and meadows; frequently they stopped for detailed descriptions of what they were seeing and to snap pictures. Their guide pointed out an eagles’ nest high on top of a dead tree. And while they stood there listening to him, the eagle returned, claiming it for his own. The guide was knowledgeable and gave an entertaining, educational overview of Alaska, and Juneau in particular, but eventually, the trail brought them to the Mt. Roberts Nature Center.