Page 89 of Hearts Aweigh
“Now you’re talking.” Althea wagged a finger between her and Daisy. “Story reading is our specialty. You go pick out which book you want.”
“Okay.” Maddie hopped off the couch and skipped up the stairs.
Emily eyed the long flight and shuddered. “You can keep these fancy suites. I prefer my nice, cozy cabin, where I don’t have to climb a mountain before I crawl into bed.”
“You and me both,” Gerry said. “But speaking of stories, I need to do research for my novel. I found a great resource at the ship’s library.” Stretching her long legs out, she fetched a book from her bag. The heavy hardback flopped open on her lap, and a familiar square of black rested inside.
“What’s this?” she raised the envelope.
“Oh my!” Daisy’s slender fingers covered her mouth.
Althea pointed. “That looks like the notes Daisy received.”
Emily hurried to Gerry’s side, leaned her nose an inch from the paper, and examined it. No writing on the outside. No stamp. Someone must’ve slipped it into Gerry’s bag when she was unaware.
Gerry drew the envelope close to her chest. “It’s bad manners to read other people’s mail.”
“I’m sorry, dear.” Emily moved away. “I wanted to check for any identifiable markings, but it looks clean.”
Gerry toyed with the loose paper flap. She folded it back to reveal the card inside. Her fingers trembled as she reached for it.
“Take your time, baby,” said Althea.
Daisy murmured in sympathy.
“Would you …?” Emily hesitated. Her curiosity was killing her. But what horrible memories might the note recall? She sank on the couch beside her friend. “Would you rather we leave you alone?”
“What for?” Gerry’s brows crinkled.
Daisy rubbed her hands down her arms. “The contents might be … personal. We can leave.”
Gerry chuckled. “I’m not nervous. This is the most exciting thing that’s happened to me in a month of Sundays. If there’s one fact I know better than anyone, it’s how boring my life has been. There isn’t a single incident someone could blackmail me for, unless you count the time I let a young girl skip the holds line because she was desperate to read a new release. And that was only once.”
Althea tsk-tsked. “We need to get you a boyfriend.”
Emily sat on her twitchy fingers, longing to confiscate the envelope and read its contents. Who knew what the ominous black missive contained?
Gerry’s cheeks reddened as she grabbed the heavy white paper inside. Paused.
“What are you waiting for?” Althea bounced in her seat. “Open it already.”
“Just savoring the moment.” Gerry grinned. “I feel like a heroine in an Agatha Christie novel.”
She withdrew the card, slipped her glasses on her nose, and read. Her eyes reached the bottom of the page, jerked to the top, and made another circuit of the paper. She curled her fingers and pressed them against her lips. Her body shook.
Emily reached out. “Are you all right, dear?”
“Don’t worry,” Althea said. “No matter what’s in that note, we still love you.”
“Yes.” Daisy twisted the golden watch chain around her neck. “If it requires legal help, I’ll instruct Spencer to represent you.”
A snort emanated from Gerry’s covered nostrils. She allowed the paper to flutter to the table, pressed both hands to her belly, and gave a small laugh, followed by another larger and more explosive guffaw.
“Poor thing,” Daisy said. “She must be overwhelmed.”
Emily couldn’t take it anymore. She snatched the note and read it for herself. When she reached the end, she understood why her friend had taken a second perusal to process the message.
“What does it say?” Althea’s eyebrows almost reached her scalp.
