Lies and Weddings(21)

“I’ll get one,” Rufus offered, getting up as a uniformed deckhand came rushing in.

“No, please stay. I can go myself,” Solène said as she pulled away from Freddy and quickly ducked downstairs.

“It’s a good thing we slowed down. We’re coming to the whales’ winter feeding grounds, and we don’t want to cause too much of a disturbance around them,” Laurel said.

“No, of course not. We don’t want Babyshark to scare them,” Freddy said earnestly.

“I don’t think we’re going to scare any whales today. I think a young calf could probably capsize this boat with a flick of its tail,” Rufus laughed.

Bea clutched her cushion as she looked at Laurel with huge eyes. “Is that really possible?”

“Whales have been known to capsize boats, but you know, they are incredibly intelligent creatures. They use their own biosonar system to locate prey, so they can recognize other objects around them. Any incidents with boats are extremely rare,” Laurel explained.

“Good, because if we’re going to be capsized I’ve brought the wrong handbag,” Bea said as she cradled her Maison Halaby Hydra bag like a baby.

Eden was beginning to feel intensely queasy from the boat rocking against the choppy waves. She was wondering whether she might need to dash to the loo herself when Solène returned to the main deck looking pristine again.

“Are you okay? How’s the dress?” Freddy asked solicitously.

“Everything’s fine,” Solène said with a smile. “I love your Richter.”

“Actually this is a WallyPower 118,” Freddy replied.

“No, I meant the painting in the toilet—isn’t that a Gerhard Richter?”

“Uh, probably. My art consultant put it there.”

“Ah, so you are collecting these days?”

“I am! Love being a collector, love going to all the parties—Frieze, Felix, TEFAF, FIAC, Art Basel Basel, but of course my favorite is Art Basel Miami.”

Bea glanced at Solène. “Didn’t you just have a big show in Miami?”

“She sure did! I bought one of her paintings,” Freddy proudly declared.

Solène looked surprised. “Did you really? Which one?”

“Just Shut Up and Blow Me.”

“That’s a bit rude, Freddy!” Bea scolded.

“No, no, that’s the name of her painting,” Freddy explained.

Solène nodded. “Yes, it is part of my latest series. It’s my examination of toxic masculinity, based on actual words my exes would say to me.”

“I almost bought It’s Your Fault I Came Too Fast,” Freddy added.

“I think some museum in Texas acquired It’s Your Fault I Came Too Fast for their permanent collection,” Solène noted.

“Congratulations. It’s a super painting,” Freddy said as Solène ignored his compliment and addressed Rufus.

“Rufus, your sister tells me you went to art school. What is your art like?”

“I utilize nineteenth-century photo techniques to document climate change in this century. Right now I’m working on a series of platinum prints that explore tidal patterns and beach erosion.”

“I’d love to see your work. Who are your galleries?”

“I don’t have one,” Rufus replied.

“Oh. Are you between galleries?”

“No. I…uh…I’ve been in a few group shows but I’ve never had representation from a gallery.”

Solène looked incredulous. “You must let me introduce you to my dealers! Emmanuel, maybe, I’m sure he’d love to give the Vicomte St. Ives a show.”

Eden could sense Rufus’s discomfort and attempted to change the subject. She noticed a distinctive spray shoot out from the water in the near distance and blurted out, “Look! Isn’t that a whale?” Everyone turned to stare where she was pointing.

“Yes! It’s a humpback! Do you see the blowhole?” Laurel said. “Let’s go outside to get a better look.”

As everyone emerged from the cabin, an immense whale could be seen gliding past them barely under the surface of the water.

“That thing is gigantic!” Bea exclaimed.

“That’s what she said,” Freddy said, giggling again at his tired joke while the others rolled their eyes.

“It’s just a calf, isn’t it, Laurel? I’d reckon it’s about fifteen feet?” Rufus asked.

“Yeah, that’s still a calf. If we’re lucky maybe we’ll spot the mother.”

“It’s so silent. How can they be so gigantic and yet so quiet?” Eden observed.

“It’s quiet for now. You should listen to their beautiful, haunting songs sometime,” Laurel said. A moment later, another, much larger whale burst out of the water and breached twenty feet into the air, splashing everyone on the boat. “It’s the mother!” Laurel shouted ecstatically.

The waves from the whale’s breaching rocked the boat violently, and Eden could feel herself turning green. She sat down in a corner, taking deep breaths as she tried to hold it all in.

“You guys have no idea how lucky you are today to see a breaching up close! And a mother with her calf! You know, to the native Hawaiians, the whale is the natural incarnation of the Hawaiian god Kanaloa, the god of all ocean life,” Laurel breathlessly explained.