Free History Keepers: Nightship to China by Dibben Damian

see you again, Herr Isaksen,’ Lydia Wunderbar trilled, forcing her way through to the front. ‘May I say how super you look, after all these years. How long has it been? Two decades?’ She smiled coquettishly, her hand going to her immaculately coiffed hair.
    Isaksen smiled roguishly as he struggled to recall who she was.
    ‘Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten!’ Lydia gasped in horror. ‘Lydia Wunderbar. Of the Munich Wunderbars. Remember we played eight hands of quite frantic Canasta together while waiting for that ghastly ferry in Genoa? I’m afraid I rather trounced you,’ she added, shrieking with laughter.
    ‘Of course I remember,’ Fredrik purred. It was obvious to Jake, if not to Lydia, that this was a lie. ‘We must do it again sometime.’
    ‘Anytime! Anytime at all!’ She clapped her hands together in delight. ‘But I am being so rude. You are injured, and here I am chatting away. Do sit down.’ She indicated a chair next to Rose’s.
    On seeing her, Fredrik’s face lit up. ‘Miss Rosalind Djones,’ he said. ‘Now there’s a face to bring back memories. Do you remember Persia?’
    Rose blushed and fiddled with the clasp of her carpetbag. ‘One doesn’t easily forget a fleet of five hundred ships coming for you up the Red Sea.’
    ‘The Persians wore chain mail and you wore bronze.’
    Jupitus seemed irritated by their exchange. ‘I think Herr Isaksen would be more comfortable on the armchair there,’ he declared, leading the new arrival away from Rose and installing him in a Louis XIV
fauteuil
by the window.
    Jake whispered to Topaz, ‘Is he married?’
    ‘For forty years. Fru Isaksen is exceptionally long-suffering.’
    The hubbub died down once again as Galliana swept in, her greyhound, Olive, trotting behind her. She was still clutching Isaksen’s portfolio under her arm. ‘Good morning, everyone,’ she said. ‘Thank you for being so prompt.’ She stopped next to Jake. ‘Would you join me at the front?’ she asked him. ‘I may need your advice on something.’
    Jake did as he was told, feeling proud, without knowing what she could possibly need his advice on.
    Galliana took a seat. Jupitus joined her on one side, while Jake sat, rather self-consciously, on the other. He noticed Rose smiling at him and nodding, just like she had on his first time in the stateroom.
    ‘You’ve probably all had a chance to say hello to our distinguished visitor,’ Galliana began. ‘I speak on behalf of everyone, I’m sure, when I say he is most welcome on the island.’ There were murmurs of assent. ‘Now, straight to business—’
    The door at the back suddenly burst open and Yoyo came in. ‘I’m sorry – I didn’t realize everyone had started.’ She grimaced, not looking sorry in the slightest.
    Topaz gave Charlie a sideways glance and Nathan jumped up, calling, ‘There’s a free seat here, Miss Yuting.’ Yoyo glanced over, but took a stool by the fireplace instead. ‘Don’t mention it,’ Nathan muttered to himself, sitting down again.
    The commander carried on. ‘The reason I have gathered everyone together this morning is this . . .’ She held up Isaksen’s portfolio. ‘It was discovered only yesterday, in Fredrik’s time, hidden in his mansion in northern Sweden. It contains documents and papers belonging to his late son, Caspar.’
    At the mention of this name, a ripple of disquiet went around the table. Rose looked over at Jake with a concerned smile. For his part, Isaksen hung his head in shame at his son’s treachery.
    ‘As you all know, when we discovered that Caspar had been working as a double agent for Agata Zeldt – and after his unfortunate demise – extensive searches were carried out in his rooms and all over the Isaksen estate. So anxious were we to glean any more intelligence of Caspar’s dealings, the Isaksen family allowed me to help. We discovered nothing.’
    Jake looked at the bundle of papers in her hand, desperate to know what they