Separate Cabins Read Online Free Page B

“That was my good fortune.”
    She didn’t want him to come back with a remarklike that, not with echoes of Fan’s advice ringing in her ears. It only added to her discomfort in the whole situation. Unable to respond to the casual advice, Rachel chose to ignore it.
    “Excuse me.” Her young guide had long since disappeared down the passageway. She brushed hurriedly past the man and started down the corridor in the direction the steward had taken.
    It seemed crazy, but she could feel his gaze watching her go. She even knew the moment he turned and continued on his way. Only then did some of the stiffness leave her, the tension easing in her nerves. Slowing her steps slightly, Rachel drew in a deep, calming breath and felt her pulse settling down.
    At the aft end of the passageway there was another foyer with its own stairwell and elevators. It was almost an exact duplicate of the one at the forward end of the Promenade Deck. She halted, looking around for some sign to point her in the right direction. Just then the steward appeared, having retraced his steps to look for her.
    “Sorry, ma’am.” There was a look of chagrin on his young face. “I thought you were right behind me.”
    “It’s all right,” she assured him. It didn’t seem necessary to explain why she had been detained.
    “Your suite is this way.”
    This time he made sure she stayed at his side as he led the way past the elevator and down a galleria-type corridor to the next section of staterooms. He stopped at the first door on Rachel’s left, opened it, then stepped aside so she could enter.
    “If there’s anything you need, press the button on the telephone,” he said. “That will summon your room steward. There’s someone on duty twenty-four hours.”
    “Thank you,” Rachel nodded.
    “I hope you enjoy your cruise,” he said and left her to explore the suite on her own.
    Rachel closed the door and turned to survey the large sitting room. The drapes were open, letting in the afternoon light. The room was a blend of warm coral colors with brown upholstered chairs for accent. In addition there was a table and four chairs so she could eat in her room if she preferred. A wet bar stood against one wall, fully stocked with glasses.
    The bedroom was tucked in an alcove off the sitting room. The twin beds were built-in and covered with a coral patterned spread. Floor-to-ceiling curtains could be drawn to shut off the bedroom from the sitting area. Rachel inspected the available storage, opening drawers and doors.
    Her three pieces of luggage sat on the floor by the bed. For the time being she stowed them in a closet. There would be time enough to unpack later in the evening. At the moment she was only interested in getting it out of the way.
    There was a private bath as well, with a huge tub and shower combination, and a well-lighted mirror at the sink vanity. Her quarters were very definitely more than comfortable.
    When she returned to the sitting room Rachel spied a cabin key lying on the table and slipped it into her purse. There was a copy of the ship’s dailyactivity paper, the
Princess Patter,
beside it. Rachel glanced through its information section and the schedule of the day’s events. There was another small card on the table that gave her the number of her assigned table in the dining room. She noticed that she was in the “late-sitting” group.
    With Fan and John Kemper due to come aboard anytime, Rachel didn’t think she should linger any longer in her room. She double-checked to be sure she had the key before she left the cabin and retraced her route to the lobby at the gangway.
    All too soon, it seemed, the last call requesting all visitors ashore had sounded and Rachel was leaning on the railing on the port side of the Promenade Deck and waving to her friends on the pier below. Passengers were lined up and down the railing on either side of her. Some, like herself, had friends or relatives in the crowd on the wharf while