Melanie Hampton turned her face to the window of the Chesapeake Lounge on the American Cruise Line's
Independence
and watched the Maryland Chesapeake Bay shoreline slide by as they sailed toward Yorktown and Williamsburg, in Virginia. It had snowed the night before while they were in the Baltimore hotel waiting to embark, and it was a world of white out here on the bay.
This was a crazy time, she thought, to be taking a cruise and not just because it was Februaryāa special Valentine's Day sailing. She and Howard were at the end of their marriage, not the beginning. The time was past for romance. All of the red hearts and red and white party streamers hanging around everywhere around the ship made her sad, not romantic. But Howard had wanted to do it, to take this cruise, so they were doing it. He didn't have long, so she would give him anything he wanted. Of course he'd always had total control. That's probably why she married himāso she didn't have to make the choices.
"What are you thinking, Mel?" Howard Hampton asked. She turned to her husband, thirty years her senior, looking crumbled in his wheelchair, as well he should have the regime of chemo he just gone through on top of his other paralyzing disabilities, and worked up a smile.
"I was just thinking how good it is to get away from Boston for eight days. But I'm afraid it might be too taxing for you. Maybe we should have planned to do this next year, when you were stronger."
"Next year is as good as saying we'd never do it, my love," Howard said, his voice wistful. "I think we both know I'm not going to be getting any stronger."
Melanie looked over at the third person sitting around the cocktail table, Howard's assistant and increasing his "do everything" man, Bill Walsh. Bill was closer to Melanie's age, in his late thirties and strikingly good looking. They both were strikingly good looking and could be forgiven the number of people they met as the cruise got under way who assumed they were a couple and Howard was a father to one of them.
Howard had been good looking too, ten years ago when he was courting Melanie, who had been working in his investment firm. Melanie and Howard hadn't met until two years after Howard's first wife had died. He'd needed more of a nurse and caretaker even then, as he already was ill, and Melanie had dutifully filled the need. It wasn't that she'd been a "good girl" when they met and started dating. She was a party girl then, willing to party, and she denied him nothing from the beginning of their relationship. But she hadn't broken up his marriageāor anyone else's.
Strangely enough, it had been a good marriage. What they didn't share in generations, they shared in interestsāin music, art, literature, and in travel. They'd done a whole hell of a lot of travel. Melanie had been very skeptical of this cruise down and back up the Chesapeake Bay, but Howard had been insistent on taking the trip. They were at a stage where Melanie could refuse him nothing and the risk to his health was getting to be "so what?"
Melanie and Bill shared a look of concern mixed with a shrug. So much was being kept from Howard now to keep him content and comfortable. Whatever the strain would be in this cruise would be endured. Howard had already said he didn't want to do any of the land excursionsāthat Melanie should do thoseāand they'd paid extra to have a crew member attend him when Melanie and Bill wanted to do something else. He kept insisting he wanted Melanie to enjoy the cruise.
For weeks Melanie had thought there was something else going on with Howard and this cruise too. He seemed so determined to take the cruise. In a way, his determination had helped him get through this round of chemo, so that was good. But he acted like there was some sort of secret he had and that maybe that would be revealed during this week on the bay. Even more on the surface, he increasingly seemed to be trying to push Melanie and Bill together. He talked of wanting Melanie to have options on taking care of her needs, both now and after he was gone.
Melanie didn't reject Bill Walsh as a possible sex interestāshe wouldn't come anywhere close to thinking of him as a love interest. But he wouldn't be her choice if she had one, and all of her energy was going into keeping Howard happy with what life was still available for him.
Their drinks came and they chatted a bit about how easy the boarding process had been and what they thought of their accommodations. The Hamptons were on Deck 3 in a junior suite, with balcony. Bill Walsh was down the hall in a single stateroom that was a bit smaller but every bit as well appointed and also with a balcony. This was not a cut-rate cruise.
As they chatted someone had come into the lounge and was playing romantic tunes on the piano. The playing was exceptionally good, so it was evident that this was part of the official entertainment. Howard was smiling and giving Melanie unusual "cat's-got-the-canary" looks. Finally, as if he could hold it no more, he spoke. "Isn't the piano music fantastic, Mel?"
She turned and looked, taking in the piano and the pianist from across the lounge. Giving a little cry, she stood and said, "Sorry, I suddenly don't feel very well. I think I'll go back to the cabin to rest. Please, continue lounging here . . . and enjoying the music." She picked up her drink and swept out of the lounge.
"Well, that didn't work quite as well as I expected it too," Howard said. "She took her drink, so I don't think she feels unwell."
"Perhaps not physically unwell," Bill Walsh said, the tone of his voice dry. "I think I told you, though, that she might not appreciate it being sprung on her this way."
"I think she'll come around. I think I can convince her that this is the best for her."
"I hope so," Walsh said, taking a deep pull on his drink, and turning his assessing eyes on the piano player. It wasn't at all clear that he hoped soāat least not with the piano player.