"Kent, I need a big favor from you. Do you think you could help me out?"
"Certainly Captain, anything at all." Capt. Lars Sven's favor was in truth an order in disguise. As captain of the cruise ship 'Dorado', he was my boss and supreme commander, and use to having his own way. As the lowly meteorological officer, I was use to snapping to attention and obeying his command.
"My wife, Bea, wants you to do something for her. Will you have tea with her this afternoon at 1600, find out what is, and take care of it for me?"
"Of course, Sir." I had met the captain's wife on one other occasion. She could best be described as stately. I remembered that she was British and my idea of what an English aristocrat might look like. She was tall and carried herself with great dignity.
By early afternoon I had finished the three-day weather forecasts, bathed, and changed to a clean, white ships afternoon uniform. With my hat under my arm, I presented myself at the captain's cabin promptly at 4 p.m.
At my knock, she opened the door, extended her hand in greeting, and asked me to come in. She thanked me for coming and asked me to take a seat where she indicated on the small sofa. She was dressed in some type of loose lounging pajamas. While she busied herself with the tea preparations, I took stock of her. She had short gray hair, was tall and slender, in her early to mid '50s, perhaps 10 years younger than her husband and had a very distinct, clipped British accent.
She served Earl Grey tea and scones, with strawberry jam and double cream. To my surprise, rather than taking a seat on the small chair opposite the coffee table she sat on the divan next to me.
She looked a little uncomfortable when she said, "Kent, I suppose you know why you're here. Lars said that of all of the young man on the ship, you were the one best suited."