Sea of Lost Love by Santa Montefiore Page B

it?”
    â€œOnly his pocket watch, Mrs. Julia. Trevor’s keeping it for you.”
    â€œGood God!” she exclaimed. “I’ll send Archie down right away.” She hesitated a moment. Merlin saw that every eye in the pub was upon him. Mouths agape, eyes bulging with interest. Her voice was soft, as if she was afraid of her own words. “You don’t think he went overboard, do you?”
    â€œThere’s a bottle of champagne rattling around in the belly of the boat, Mrs. Julia. I think you should alert the coast guard.”
    â€œThank you, Merlin.”
    Julia put down the receiver, barely daring to breathe. She moved across the room in a trance. Her legs felt as heavy as they did in nightmares when she tried to run from a nameless peril. She found Archie in his office. “Something terrible has happened.” She stood in the doorway, as white as a ghost. “Merlin found Monty’s boat out at sea. Monty’s nowhere to be seen, but his pocket watch was on board and a bottle of champagne.”
    Archie jumped to his feet. “Bloody hell! I’ll call the coast guard immediately. You don’t think…” His voice trailed off. The look in Julia’s eyes was as good as a reply. He swiveled around and picked up the telephone. “Go and tell Milton to meet me in the car,” he added, his voice urgent. “We’ll drive down to the harbor at once.” Julia did as she was told. All she could think about was those poor children. If something had happened to Monty…
    Â 
    Celestria wandered back up the snake path to the house, followed by the boys and Purdy. Harry didn’t understand her anxiety. At twelve, he couldn’t imagine anything rocking his secure little world. He chatted to his cousins as if nothing was amiss. Celestria felt nauseous. From the moment she had woken, the world had changed, as if it had shifted on its axis in the night, leaving everything looking the same but being totally different.
    When she reached the house, there was pandemonium. Amid the chaos of the clearing-up operation, Julia was sitting on the terrace with Penelope, David, Melissa, and Lotty. She was smoking madly, her face pinched and gray. Celestria’s heart stalled. She could guess what they were discussing because they spoke in hushed voices and stopped suddenly when they saw her. Pamela was nowhere to be seen. Neither were her uncles. When she reached the group, they said nothing, just looked from one to the other shiftily, their expressions as solemn as graves.
    â€œCelestria,” said Julia finally, getting up slowly. There was no easy way to tell a child that her father was missing at sea, presumed dead. “Your father’s boat has been found.”
    â€œAnd Papa?” the young woman asked, aware that her voice was little more than a squeak. Julia shook her head, then looked past Celestria to Harry.
    â€œWhat’s up?” he asked, shoving his hands into his pockets.
    â€œIt’s Papa. I told you!” Celestria wailed. Julia rushed over to embrace them.
    â€œThey’ve found his boat, Harry. He wasn’t in it, but his pocket watch was, which leads us to believe he was in it at some stage last night. He always wears it with white tie. Unless,” she added hopefully, “he dropped it without noticing when he disembarked, before someone else stole the boat. That’s a possibility, isn’t it?”
    Lotty put an arm around Celestria. “The coast guard are out looking for him,” she said. “I’m sure he’s safe. We’re all worrying for nothing.”
    â€œThere’s probably a very simple explanation,” Julia agreed.
    â€œKnowing my brother as I do, I would agree with Julia,” said Penelope. “Monty’s not the type to throw himself overboard. Life’s much too good!”
    â€œWhat was he doing out there in the first place? So early in the morning?” Celestria