Delirium

Chapter 58 - Frustration

~ part II of double update ~

The skies were nearly cloudless the following morning, the sun shining brightly.

The Valorous Queen no longer sailed, but it rocked gently upon the waves as they all sat outside for breakfast, picking through fresh cut fruit and buttery pastries.

Thankfully, the wind had died down well enough for the deckhands to safely drop the anchor, and from her seat at the exterior dining table, Jolie could see the towering sea stacks of the Faraglioni and the colourful, crystalline waters and rocky shore of Capri, Italy.

Everyone chatted idly as they ate and sipped their teas and coffees, enjoying the serenity of the Italian sun and impeccable weather they'd sorely missed for the past few days.

According to the captain, it was the twenty-second of December. Jolie wondered briefly if they would all be doing anything to celebrate Christmas in the next few days.

But, really, she was just excited to see her father later.

Even with her friends here with her, she had inwardly admitted days ago that she was beginning to feel quite homesick.

Hopefully, today would help.

On Jolie's left at the table, Madeline was slowly but surely spreading jam on a piece of toast, blinking sluggishly as though she hadn't slept much.

Jolie couldn't blame her—last night in the midst of the small storm, the ship had rocked so viciously at times that the turbulence had woken even her from her sleep.

At her right, Daphne was fixing her second cup of tea, stirring in her customary third spoonful of sugar. She was giggling as Catherine and Elspeth described in dramatic detail of the girls' short trip to the kitchen—or galley last night.

Apparently, due to the rough rocking of the boat, Catherine had slipped and fallen right in front of Chef Benito, whom she thought was 'fit but in a pinch-his-cheeks-because-he's-so-cute type of way'. Then, she had proceeded to slide across the entire expanse of the floor in the galley as the ship rocked again. Whilst Elspeth cackled at the recollection, Catherine lifted her skirt to show Daphne, Jolie, and Madeline the friction burn she'd received on her outer thigh.

At this, even Jolie laughed.

Across from Elspeth, Theodore sat slumped in his seat. His eyes were shut in relaxation as his head rested against Cassius's shoulder. And Cassius, leaning close to Theo to keep him upright, laughed at something Lucian or Peregrine was saying.

Jolie couldn't help but notice that his laugh sounded like the careful, rehearsed laugh that all wizards in the Wizarding upper class seemed to share—short, bright, and polite.

She wondered what his true laughter might sound like. Or maybe not even he knew anymore.

Her eyes quickly averted when his gaze flickered over to meet hers for a millisecond, catching her watching him.

She felt her cheeks heat as she casually stabbed another cube of pineapple with her fork and popped it into her mouth.

As if she hadn't been looking at him at all.

After breakfast, Jolie stood in front of the bathroom mirror in her and Madeline's suite, applying her makeup. A burgundy robe of heavy, luxuriously textured fabric was tied loosely around her, the colour matching the walls of their particular suite. Her outfit was already laid out upon the duvet.

They were all to be dressed and ready to meet the deckhands on the lower deck right at noon to take them to shore.

Beside her, Daphne was attempting to tame her thick, straight blonde hair, holding a few pins between her teeth as her arms pulled back a few strands. Through the open doorway, the girls could hear Madeline shuffling about the room, piecing together her own outfit for their lunch today.