"No, no, that's okay," Carolyn said quickly. "I'm afraid I was just calling to explain that Beth is feeling better."
"Oh, that's great," Gia said cheerfully. "I'll tell Christian when he gets out of the shower. He can call down and add another person to your reservation then."
"Uh, well," Carolyn dithered, but finally said, "Actually, no he doesn't have to do that. Bethany wants a nice quiet evening in and an early night so we can rest up for the cruise tomorrow."
There was a pause, and then Gia said, "I don't understand, if she isn't going to join you why-?"
"Well, that's the thing. She's feeling well enough that she wants company, so she suggested ordering in room service and relaxing here," Carolyn said quietly.
"Ah," Gia murmured. "So you're canceling on Christian."
Carolyn sighed as a wave of guilt assailed her, but said, "I'm afraid so."
"So he won't see you again until tomorrow night?" Gia asked.
"Uh, well..." Carolyn grimaced. "I'll have to call you back on that. It kind of depends on Bethany. I mean I came with her and can't just dump her to hang around with new friends. Especially when she's been so ill."
"Right," Gia breathed. "Well, have a nice night. You'll be missed."
"Thank you," Carolyn whispered and hung up. Letting her breath out slowly, she stared at herself silently in the bathroom mirror, wondering why she was suddenly so depressed.
Christian was whistling softly to himself as he walked into the kitchen to get a bag of blood. He'd grabbed two to take with him to the shower, but it had been another long day out in the heat with bits of sun here and there and he figured he needed a couple more before he left to collect Carolyn for dinner.
His whistling died slowly and his footsteps faltered halfway to the refrigerator when he spotted everyone standing around looking grim. Christian raised his eyebrows as his gaze slid over his parents and cousins.
"What's up?"
"Carolyn called," Marguerite said quietly and something about her solemn tone made worry slip through him.
"What's happened?" he asked sharply. "Is she all right?"
"Yes, she's fine," Marguerite said quickly, and then added reluctantly, "In fact, she called with good news...
It seems Bethany's feeling better."
Christian's eyes narrowed as the implications hit him one after another. His few days of having her to himself would be at an end. Either it would be he, Carolyn and Bethany, or it would be Carolyn and Bethany and he would be out.
"I'm afraid it's the latter," Julius said, obviously reading his mind. "At least for tonight and tomorrow. She called to cancel dinner. Bethany feels better but wants them both to stay in, and have an early night in preparation for tomorrow's sail... and Carolyn feels she has to do so."
Christian cursed and turned to jerk the fridge door open.
"It's all right, Christian, we can deal with this," Marguerite assured him.
"How are you going to deal with it, Mother?" he asked sharply, retrieving a bag of blood. "Carolyn isn't the sort to abandon a friend she's on vacation with. She's going to stay in tonight, then sail off tomorrow and-Christ," he muttered, suddenly slamming the door closed and turning to them with alarm. "Bethany will encourage her to continue with that cockamamie plan of hers and sleep with the first guy who looks at her cross-eyed."
"What?" Gia asked with surprise. "What plan?"
"Oh dear," Marguerite murmured, her gaze focused on his head and pulling out the information without his needing to say it. "I hadn't considered something like this coming up."
Nobody asked what she was talking about. Everyone was now focused on his head, no doubt retrieving his memories of the entire lunch conversation. It was certainly there on the surface for them to find, he thought grimly.
"Oh, man," Gia muttered.
Marguerite said. "It's all right. We can handle both problems very easily."
"How?" Christian asked grimly.
"Well, Bethany is a simple matter of distraction. We have one of the boys romance her a bit and keep her busy, freeing Carolyn to be with you," Marguerite pointed out, smiling.