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instructed. “Wally’s studying up on maritime law on the Internet, trying to figure out what your rights are since we’re in international waters. Do you realize you could be charged with battery?”
    â€œAren’t you a Gloomhilda?” May gripped her daughter’s arm. “I just want to tell you—”
    â€œWait.” Skye got up and looked around the small office. When she didn’t see any recording devices or cameras, she returned to her seat, and said, “Okay. You can talk while we’re alone, but keep your voice low and don’t admit anything to anyone who comes in here.”
    Skye, Wally, Trixie, and Owen had raced down thestairs to the theater’s main floor, arriving just in time to see Guinevere retaliate for the Bloody Mary shower that May had given her by throwing her glass of red wine into May’s face. A split second later, the two women had been rolling in the aisle tearing at each other’s hair.
    Wally had grabbed Skye by the waist when she tried to go to her mother’s rescue, and before she could free herself from his grasp, two security men had arrived and broken up the fight. As May and Guinevere had been led away, Wally had directed Skye to go with her mom and keep her quiet until he got there.
    May had been taken to a room behind the passenger services counter. When the security man had tried to stop Skye from following, Skye had claimed that May had a heart condition and might need medication that only Skye could administer.
    Now, as they waited for the head honcho to arrive, Skye scolded her mother. “I can’t believe you did that. Normally, you’d die of embarrassment at making such a spectacle of yourself with a crowd of strangers staring at you.” She leaned forward to gaze into eyes that were the same shade of emerald green as her own. “What in the world possessed you to attack Guinevere Stallings?”
    â€œAre you and Wally having a good time? Did you like the suite? I can’t wait to see it.” May hiccupped, ignoring both Skye’s reprimand and her query. “I bet you two were surprised to see me and your dad.” She hiccupped again. “And was that Trixie and Owen with you? I had no idea they were part of the group.”
    â€œYes. Yes. Yes,” Skye answered May’s stream of questions. “And yes.”
    â€œI told Wally you’d be thrilled with a cruise for your honeymoon.” May grabbed a Kleenex from the desk, nearly falling out of her chair as she leaned forward to reach the box. “I hope this doesn’t leave a stain.” She scrubbed at the wet wine spot on the front of her dress, apparently not noticing that a good portion of the lace had been shredded.
    â€œMom.” Skye waited until her mother stopped rubbing the tissue against her bodice and looked at her. “How much have you had to drink?”
    â€œHmmm. Not too much because I took one of those seasick pills and the instructions on the box said not to mix it with alcohol.” May screwed up her face. “Dad and I each had two beers at the bar on Countess Cay—they’re cheaper if you buy a bucket of four.” She frowned. “You know how your dad likes his Budweiser. If Jed had his way we’d have danced to ‘There’s a Tear in My Beer’ at our wedding.”
    â€œAnd when you got back to the ship?” Skye tried to keep her mother focused. “What did you drink then?”
    â€œI had a margarita before supper and a couple of glasses of wine while we ate.” May counted on her fingers. “So that makes five.”
    â€œHow about after dinner?” Skye figured her parents had probably hung out at the bar or the casino waiting for the show to start.
    â€œOh. Yeah.” May wrinkled her brow. “I had a grasshopper at the Pilothouse Bar.”
    â€œSo that’s six, plus whatever you managed to consume of the Bloody Mary before you