A VOYAGE TO REMEMBER
Chapter Six
Isolde and Harold continued to
walk around the deck, not mentioning the previous conversation, yet the words
kept running through their minds.
"If you don't mind my
asking," Harold said while looking at her, getting back to their original
conversation, "how old are you?"
Isolde stopped and placed a hand
beneath her chin as if thinking about the question. She looked up at him.
"I'll tell you only if you tell me your age first."
She didn't wait for his answer,
but walked with her hands behind her back after slipping them within the
sleeves of his heavy coat. Harold laughed and hurried to catch up with her.
"If you must know," he
said, stepping in front of her path, "I am twenty-nine."
"I see," she said while
sliding past him to keep walking along the deck.
"Wait," he continued,
falling in step with her. "Your age?"
"Guess," she said with
a small laugh as they reached the bow of the ship.
"That's not fair!" he
protested in good humor.
"Well, then, you'll never
know, now, will you?"
"Fine," he said almost
with a pout. "Twenty?"
Isolde shook her head and kept
walking forward.
"Twenty-one?"
Isolde still shook her head and
moved forward while looking over the very front of the bow, the water parting
as the great ship moved. She stepped onto the railing and leaned over a little
too far, in Harold's opinion. He pulled her back with a protective arm looped
around her middle.
"Twenty-seven?" he
inquired while setting her back on the solid deck.
"Do you think I'm old?"
she asked in mock outrage.
Isolde slipped from the arm that
was still loosely wrapped around her. She picked up her skirts and moved a few
yards ahead, starting to head down the other side of the ship. Harold laughed
and grabbed her around the waist to stop her. She turned to face him, laughing.
His face held all seriousness. Isolde let the smile fade and looked at him with
concern.
"Twenty-four?" he
whispered, his face moving closer to her own, yet it seemed to be in a nervous
manner.
Isolde only nodded. It seemed to
take an eternity to lean in. He finally captured her lips. She slowly wrapped
her arms around his neck as he pulled her closer. Her fingers played with the
soft waves on the back of his neck. Harold didn't even notice the cold. Just
touching her made him the warmest he had ever been. It seemed to Isolde that
the biting wind couldn't affect her if she was with him. It would've gone
deeper, but someone called Harold's name. Harold pulled away from her, but she
was still in his arms. He looked up on a higher deck to see Moody scowling,
motioning at his pocket watch. Harold narrowed his eyes and motioned to him to
give him fifteen minutes. The officer reluctantly nodded and turned away.
Isolde sent Harold a weak half-smile.
"I'll walk you to your
room," Harold said, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the inside.