The Riverboat Mystery (Jenny Starling #3)(29)

Jenny cast her a quick, thoughtful look. She herself had seen the way Gabriel had openly pursued Dorothy, and was a little surprised by the married woman’s naiveté.

‘I don’t think that he is teasing, is he?’ she said, but very mildly. ‘A man like that, a man who’s so obviously dissatisfied with his marriage, is always on the lookout for a good excuse to break away from it. And what better excuse is there than to find another woman?’

Dorothy stared at her aghast. ‘But I’ve done nothing, I’ve said nothing to make him think that I . . .’ Her voice spluttered out in an appalled whisper, and Jenny cursed herself for her lack of tact, and quickly shook her head.

‘No, Mrs Leigh, I didn’t mean to suggest that you had,’ she said, gently but firmly. ‘I’m merely pointing out that, to a man like Gabriel Olney, you make a very good target.’

Jenny, in fact, doubted that Gabriel was serious in his pursuit of the pretty blonde. Apart from his natural and somewhat loathsome method of flirting, he was probably only trying to push Jasmine to the limit, thus forcing her to seek a divorce.

The very fact that Dorothy was pregnant, not to mention happily married, had probably made Gabriel feel very safe indeed. After all, what man wanted a pregnant woman for a mistress? No, Jenny was mostly convinced that he was just using Dorothy as a convenience. A quick flirtation, a good excuse to give to a judge in a divorce hearing, and he’d be free of Jasmine once and for all. What would it matter to a man of Gabriel’s unfeeling arrogance if he ruined Dorothy’s marriage in the process? So long as he got what he wanted. Then it would be just himself, and the Stillwater Swan.

Jenny felt a ludicrous surge of sympathy for the boat. It was as if she was beginning to think of the elegant white vessel as a living creature!

On the bank, a party of Girl Guides shouted and pointed in excitement as they caught sight of the steamer. Their group leader impulsively waved, which, of course, immediately set the rest of the gang off. On the bridge, Tobias Lester must have spotted them, for the next instant the melodious, haunting tone of the Swan’s steam whistle rent the air, letting off a cloud of steam as it did so.

The girls on the bank became frantic with excitement, jumping up and down, making Jenny smile.

Beside her, Dorothy Leigh did not smile. In fact, Dorothy Leigh looked very near to tears.

*

Knowing she could do nothing to help her, Jenny left Dorothy to her thoughts and returned to the galley. Noon was fast approaching, and she wanted to make some chestnut forcemeat to wrap in cold chicken, to go with the salad. Whilst she was at it, she supposed, she could also make some devilled butter and some tomato cream butter. It went so well with the cold meats and garlic bread she had prepared.

On the port deck, an energetic game of some sort was being played, and from time to time the cook could hear the odd shout of triumph or groan of displeasure.

Dorothy, drawn by the same sounds, made her way to the other side of the boat, and immediately spotted her husband sitting in a deckchair and observing the activity with a brooding air.

Lucas and Jasmine were teamed up against David and Gabriel. It was an odd arrangement, and one that made David want to laugh out loud. If only they knew.

Lucas rattled about, sweeping a highly polished round piece of wood along the smooth planking, bringing it to within only inches of the target. It was a sort of curling-cum-bowls game that went so well with life on board a boat. Jasmine applauded his accuracy. ‘Well done, partner,’ she squealed theatrically, throwing her arms around his neck and giving him a kiss.

Lucas smiled at her somewhat bleakly. He was having a hard time of it. He wanted nothing more than to go somewhere and shout and scream.

In fact, he wanted to kill.

The Swan was lost. This might be the last time he ever cruised aboard her. And the wife of the man who’d taken her away from him was kissing him, playing her own damned silly little games.

‘Your turn, Leigh,’ Gabriel prompted, from where he was watching at the rails.

David, who from the dark circles under his eyes obviously hadn’t slept well, got up tiredly and with some difficulty from the chair and walked towards his own ‘stone.’ As he did so, Gabriel moved over to his spot, taking his place in the chair.

Dorothy, who had been leaning on the back of the chair, quickly straightened and went to take a step away, but before she could move, Gabriel grabbed her wrist.

‘Stay and keep me company, Dotty. Your husband and I are partners, after all,’ he laughed, and indicated the improvised game under way.

Dorothy swallowed hard. Her throat felt suddenly dry. ‘I don’t think . . .’ she said, then gasped to a halt as, with deliberate insouciance, Gabriel took her hand, which he was still holding, and raised it to his lips. As well as being old-fashioned, the gesture was also curiously intimate.

She cast an agonized glance at her husband’s back. Luckily, he was too busy concentrating on aiming his stone to look behind him at what was going on. But Gabriel was looking at his wife, his eyes glittering with amused animosity.

Jasmine returned the compliment, staring at him with hard, hating eyes.

‘You know, m’dear, you really shouldn’t be so standoffish,’ Gabriel purred as Dorothy snatched her hand away, her furious scowl making Jasmine laugh scornfully. Olney flushed an ugly red.

David, hearing the laugh, turned, saw the direction of Jasmine’s gaze, and looked over his shoulder. He saw Dorothy’s scowl and Gabriel’s sudden smirk, and the wooden ball in his hand twitched as a spasm of uncontrolled rage washed over him. His fingers curled tight around the wooden stone.