Free 4 Death at the Happiness Club by Cecilia Peartree

embarrassing experiences involving weather forecasts and planned events.
    None of her fellow-passengers had any problem being on board. Jock McLean - why was he here at all? He didn't seem to have enjoyed the speed-dating event, and he had said he wasn't planning to join the Happiness Club because he was perfectly happy the way he was, which Maisie Sue didn't believe for a minute - had settled down in the inside cabin near the bar. Jemima and Dave - again, what were they doing here when it was meant to be a singles club? - were wrapped up in various unattractive layers of waterproof clothing, and had gamely gone up to the top deck, where they sat huddled together and seemed to be treating the event as something to be endured and not necessarily enjoyed.
    Penelope Johnstone, wearing the same sort of clothes as she usually did, making no concessions to the weather or type of activity, had appeared with her son in tow again. Amaryllis jumped aboard at the last moment and prowled up and down on the upper deck until Sean Fraser took her arm and apparently persuaded her to sit down on one of the long benches.
    Maisie Sue, also positioned on the top deck, mainly to avoid Jock McLean, peered around anxiously looking for the lifeboats. She had heard it could be very stormy out in the middle of the Forth, where they were headed. Officially it was a mystery cruise, but everyone knew it would go to Inchcolm, because all trip boats did.
    Sean and his sisters took it upon themselves to circulate. They seemed to be trying to encourage people to chat and socialize, but in most cases it was a losing battle. Maisie Sue could have told them that. In a life-or-death situation such as might arise any moment on this boat trip, people didn't want to have to help complete strangers on to the lifeboat. Their efforts were sure to be reserved for their nearest and dearest. In which case, she thought sourly, Jemima and Dave would be all right, but all the others would be on their own.
    The boat ploughed on through larger and scarier waves. Sean approached Maisie Sue.
    'All on your own today? Wouldn't you care to join some of the others? There are some interesting conversations going on.'
    Yeah, thought Maisie Sue, about what to do if the boat sinks.
    She gave herself a mental shake. It wasn't like her to be so negative: what had got into her? She had been brought up to make the most of every situation, even the least promising. Had she been spending too much time with Amaryllis? Or Jock McLean? Or had she lived in Pitkirtly too long? Maybe she should indeed return to the States for an infusion of fresh optimism, as ubiquitous over there as orange juice.
    'I guess I'll sit here for a while,' she said to Sean. 'And maybe mingle a little on the way back.'
    'Fine,' he said in a tone that suggested the opposite. To her annoyance, he sat down next to her and started talking. What didn't he understand about her wanting to be on her own?
    Now, just stop it, Maisie Sue, said her inner self-critic. This man's making a genuine effort to be nice. Give him a chance, will you?
    An evil thought crossed her mind. Sean Fraser himself wasn't a bad-looking man. In fact, now that she looked at him properly, he might well be a better catch than most of the others on the boat today. He couldn't be much younger than she was, maybe ten years at the most.  He was with his sisters, so he probably wasn't married. At the moment. Ha! Said her inner optimist, unceremoniously pushing the critic out of the way. Just go for it, Maisie Sue.
    She fluttered her eyelashes at him.
    He paused in his exposition on the benefits of joining the Happiness Club and stared at her.
    'So - will you be taking part in all the events yourself, Mr Fraser?' she said sweetly.
    'Um - that's what I usually do,' he said. 'We can only provide a full programme, of course, once we get more people signed up. This and the speed-dating event - they're just tasters.'
    'So what sort of thing do you have in mind? For