A good night's sleep results in us both being wide awake well before our usual time, it provides us with an opportunity to start our day with Mr Mac. We know that we've become addicts and we don't mind in the least! We both take part in our little ceremony of unveiling him by removing the blanket. Having concluded that Anusha knows all there is to know about our sextoys, including Mr Mac, we decide to enjoy ourselves to the full and if we should hear her entering, we only need to use the remote to stop it and retract the dildo, then slip under the covers since we'll still be wearing our nightshirts. Sansa goes first and I get to receive the lucky chain-reaction from her mouth & tongue.
When my turn comes, I enjoy two body shaking orgasms and passing on the supreme pleasure to my darling Sansa. We hear the outer door opening and I turn off the thrusts and retract the dildo and join Sansa under the covers. When she enters, she beams a smile and expresses the hope that she didn't interrupt us while knowing full well that she did! Our faces must be glowing like the faces of the saints in renaissance paintings but we are happy and that's what counts because everyone on board knows we are lesbians.
Anusha serves us our breakfast in bed and smiling, re-covers Mr Mac while we giggle like naughty schoolgirls. The aroma of the coffee is irresistible and we drink it while Anusha tells us that there is, unsurprisingly, a member of the crew who is also a metalwoker and has fashioned a die to press the front of a medallion of the marigold on The Marigold Line flag. We can hardly believe our ears and ask her to have her visit us in our sitting room before we go down for lunch. She smiles and leaves us to finish our breakfast.
We go to the bathroom for our intimate shower and massage, wonderful as always, and as we dress Sansa ponders aloud on how much of our time each day is spent making love to each other. An unexpected topic but we guestimate around ten percent.
Today we wear another ready pleated saree gown. It is made of organza silk and features a digitally printed rose & leaves pattern. The pallu is a single layer and is semi-transparent. Sansa's is a light turquoise with yellow roses and mine in white with pink roses. We both have the necessary matching accessories. The outer door is unlocked and we hear Anusha's voice inviting someone to sit, hopefully the metalworking lady.
After a final check, Anusha announces our visitor, and we go to meet her. She is a lovely young Indian woman named Riya and is blessed with a beautiful & disarming smile. Anusha offers her a drink but she declines gracefully. It turns out that her father is a master metalworker and that she completed an apprenticeship with him while still at home.
I ask about the medallion die and she passes it to us for inspection with us exclaiming that it is beautifully intricate. She smiles and thanks us, telling us that one day she would like to create high quality jewellery and shows us her sketchbook. Judging by the marigold medallion die and her beautiful drawings, she is a very skilled and personable jeweller. She confesses that she had to leave home when she refused to accept an arranged marriage.
A look to Sansa to receive a smile and a nod of agreement and I tell her that she has no need to be concerned for employment and lodgings if she agrees to become our jeweller. She can't believe her good fortune and thanks us profusely. When she has recovered we tell her of our immediate need for four medals, in 24 carat gold, for distinguished service. The medals, with a white ribbon, to feature her marigold design on one side and a name and date on the other.
She says that she will need a week to complete the task and the gold, which is far beyond her means, can be purchased when we dock in Visakhapatnam. We ask her to prepare a list of what she needs and say that we will accompany her to the wholesale supplier in port and purchase the tools, precious metals and jewels (particularly emeralds and sapphires) she recommends on her list.
I tell her that I will talk to the Captain about her reassignment, in the meantime, Anusha will be her point of contact. When Riya has left, Sansa and I agree that it is time that we got to know all our employees on board.
At lunch, after congratulating her on yesterday's jet-ski beach picnic, I inform Prajna about our meeting with Riya and ask if she has any objections. She doesn't and seems a little surprised that she is a jeweller as well as the metalworker on her recorded in her seafarer's book, but assures me that her appointment as jeweller will be recorded as of today. I ask if it will have an affect on her pay and she nods with a smile: "It is a good promotion, let's hope she is up to the job".
After lunch we retire to the Lesbian Lounge for coffee. The joint string and woodwind quintets are playing a programme of Beethoven. During the programme, all twelve of those who have registered their interest in an apartment on Empress visit us individually to pay their respects.
It turns out that Sushila's announcement to all ladies that have booked a cruise on Maharani has made them realise that registering their interest doesn't necessarily mean they have been selected. We confirm their impression in the interests of being transparent in our dealings with everyone.
After the concert and afternoon tea we retire to our stateroom and agree that the monthly lease of an apartment on Empress will be governed by market forces. It seems that we are likely to receive far more registrations of interest than Empress has apartments, so the annual leases are very likely to rise. We also agree that if it appears that we won't make the projected annual income of at least Β£98.8 million, then we won't take up our option on buying Empress.