year and a half together on a ship along the coast of Australia. They’d been inseparable workmates for several years until they’d been separated geographically by tour assignments.
Elsie’s ruddy complexion still almost rivaled the bleached brightness of her hair, and both contrasted sharply with the familiar Epoch World Cruise Lines uniform—dark blue slacks with a blouse and vest.
A deckhand trotted after Elsie down the gangway, and Elsie told him to take London’s bags to stateroom 110. He piled them onto a handcart and scurried back to the ship with them.
Elsie said, “I didn’t believe it when the concierge told me you’d be arriving this morning to work on this cruise. But I kept a sharp lookout, and here you are! I insisted on being the first person to greet you and show you around the good ship Nachtmusik, so come on, away we go! You’ll love it, I’m sure.”
“We’ve got a lot of catching up to do,” London said, as they walked together along the gangway.
“I’ll say,” Elsie said. Then she added with a wink, “But I can tell by your radiant expression that you’ve been having a wild and exciting love life lately.”
“Not exactly,” London said. “But a guy did propose to me the night before last.”
“A rich guy?”
“Well, stable, at least.”
“You said no, I take it. Otherwise you wouldn’t be here.”
“That’s right.”
Elsie let out an uncharacteristically anxious sigh.
“Well, you know me—I’m not one for settling down. Like you, I enjoy a life of freedom and adventure. Even so, I hope you didn’t make a mistake.”
“What do you mean?” London asked.
“I’m sure you’ve heard that Epoch World Cruise Lines is in financial trouble. From what I’ve heard, European river cruises are the company’s last resort. And this Danube trip will be its first cruise. If it doesn’t go well …”
Elsie’s voice faded away, but London sensed she knew what she was leaving unsaid. She remembered how Jeremy Lapham had assured her during their conference that Epoch World wasn’t about to go “belly-up,” and there was “plenty of life” in the company.
But what else did I expect him to say?
He’d been trying to sell her on a new job, after all.
Besides, he’d also said, “There’s a lot at stake in this new venture.”
No doubt the whole future of Epoch World was hanging on this first European tour—and on London and Elsie and the rest of the crew doing their very best at their jobs.
“What’s your job here on the Nachtmusik?” London asked.
“Bartender. In the main lounge. And you? Nobody’s told me yet.”
“Social director,” London said.
Elsie’s eyes widened.
“Social director! Oh, dear. So it’s you …”
Her voice faded away.
“Is there going to be a problem?” London asked.
“I hope not,” Elsie said with a shrug. “I’ll tell you about it when we get you settled in.”
London felt her first pang of unease since she’d arrived in Budapest.
As excited as she was about this new job, she sensed that she might be in for some rough going.
There could be trouble in paradise, she thought.
CHAPTER FIVE
London and Elsie followed the gangway into the reception area, which looked like the lobby of a small but luxurious hotel.
“We’re on the Menuetto deck,” Elsie said as London signed her name in the register. “The decks are named after the movements in Eine Kleine Nachtmusik.”
London felt a slight jolt at the mention of the piece her mother had played so often when she’d been little.
Better get used to hearing about it, she thought.
The ship was named after that piece, after all.
“We’ll start at the top and work our way down,” Elsie said as they stepped into an elevator.
The elevator took them up one floor to the ship’s top deck—the Rondo deck, Elsie said it was called. It was one huge sun deck with lounging chairs spread out around a small plunge pool. The view took London’s breath all over again, and she turned around to take it all in. It was the best view of the city she’d gotten so far.
Elsie led London toward the front of the ship, where the glass-enclosed bridge towered over everything else.
Elsie waved to the bridge and called out.
“Yoo-hoo! Oh, Captain Hays!”
A portly, middle-aged man with a walrus-style mustache poked his head out the door. He appeared to have been conferring with some of his staff.
“Yes?” he said.
“I’ve brought our newest crew member to see you,” Elsie called. “This is our social director, London Rose. London, this is our intrepid captain, Spencer Hays.”
The captain’s eyebrows wiggled a bit flirtatiously.
“‘London Rose,’ is it?” he said