Page 70 of Old Girls on Deck

‘What about down this way,’ Evelyn said.

We went as fast as we could which wasn’t very fast at all thanks to Evelyn’s sore ankle and found ourselves back in the green space where we had been ten minutes before. And why was there no one to ask? No helpful arrows? Not even many people. The crowds of tourists seemed to have disappeared very quickly.

For a moment I imagined us finding the entrance gates, and everything would be closed up, everyone would have gone, and we would be locked in for the night with the plaster bodies and the murals. I wasn’t easily bothered by that sort of thing, but it didn’t sound much fun.

Then I imagined the sight of the Avanti happily steaming away from Naples docks, everyone else on board knocking back drinks and enjoying themselves and gave a worried little whimper.

We carried on, down alleyways and through ruined gardens.

‘Well, I didn’t expect this. This is exciting,’ Evelyn said.

She had taken hold of my arm for support and picked up her pace a little as her ankle eased, but we were still going rather slowly.

‘No, it isn’t,’ Diana said, turning panic-stricken eyes towards me, ‘it’s awful.’

‘It’ll be fine,’ I said, trying to sound reassuring, ‘the ship won’t sail without us. They’ll know we didn’t get back.’

‘They might,’ Diana muttered, ‘but it doesn’t mean they will wait for us.’

‘Then what do we do?’

‘Over there, I definitely recognise this villa. We came past here on the way in with Isabella,’ Evelyn said. ‘The fresco of the people having a party. I’ve definitely seen that before. We must be going the right way.’

A few minutes later we passed under the Marine gate which suddenly appeared around a corner, and to me at least, it felt like seeing an old friend. There were groups of people there too, which was encouraging.

There was the entrance building and the lights were still on, so there were people around. I breathed a sigh of relief, and we hurried on. By now, Evelyn was limping very badly and Diana was nearly in tears.

I pushed at the door of the cafe, but it was locked, and the girl inside pulled a cross face and shook her head.

Evelyn and Diana had sunk down onto the cafe chairs, Evelyn fanning her face with her sunhat.

‘Stay there and get your breath back and I’ll go and find the coach,’ I said, and went off, hoping to see some familiar faces. Thelma and Ken perhaps, or maybe Isabella. She would be able to help.

It didn’t take me long to realise the coach had gone.

Which meant the three of us were stranded.

I stood for a moment in the dusty car park, and felt like crying, but that wouldn’t have helped the other two or our situation, so I took a deep, shaky breath instead. This sort of thing must happen all the time, surely?

I threw a look up at Vesuvius, hoping it wasn’t going to do anything foolish; the perfect end to what had been shaping up to be a perfect day.

And then I imagined us as – what had Diana called them – pier runners. Scurrying along, supporting Evelyn between us and shouting beside the moving and inaccessible bulk of the Avanti, as she slipped away from Naples. For a moment I wondered what the next port of call was, and my mind went blank with panic.

‘Oh, Eddy,’ I wailed.

If he had been with us, he would have known exactly where to go and what to do. With his brilliant sense of direction and his unflappable nature, he would never have let this happen. And what would Joe and Luke think if they knew?

Honestly Mum, you shouldn’t be allowed out on your own.

I took a deep breath. With Evelyn injured and Diana so upset, it would be up to me to keep calm and find a way out of this pickle.

18

‘It’s fine, I mean this sort of thing must happen all the time,’ I said, trying to sound calm.

Diana threw me a look which contradicted this.

‘If Casper was alive, I would never have lived this down,’ she cried.