He straightened up and struck the man with some force on his chest. He then tilted the man’s head back and pinched his nose. ‘Anybody here know CPR?’ he asked in the same non-urgent way he’d done everything else. As he bent to breathe into the man’s mouth a scruffy-looking teenager counted him out before applying compressions to the man’s chest in an expert way.
They continued this until two members of staff took over from them. Another member of staff politely asked the passengers sitting in the near vicinity to move. Scarlet was struggling to transfer herself and a very sleepy Sam to another part of the boat when Roman appeared at her side.
‘Come on up here, champ,’ he said, casually lifting Sam up one-handed. ‘Give this to me,’ he added, indicating the holdall she had looped over her shoulder.
‘I can manage.’ He treated her to one of his trade-mark ironic looks—the ones that made her feel incredibly childish—and she handed it over with a sigh.
‘This weighs a ton. I don’t know why women need to cart so much junk around with them.’
Scarlet couldn’t let this sexist criticism pass. ‘For your information, virtually nothing in there is mine. Sam doesn’t travel light. There are the changes of clothes—’
‘Changes—? You’ve got more than one set in there?’
‘You don’t know many three-year-olds, do you, Roman?’ she observed, dealing him a superior look. ‘Then there’s the waterproof in case it rains and drinks…obviously. A packed lunch because he’s a bit of a fussy eater and some crayons and a—’
A smile tugged at the corners of Roman’s mobile lips as he listened to her narrate the contents. ‘All right, I get the picture.’
Having secured them alternative seats, he turned to Scarlet, his dark eyes sweeping assessingly over her pale features. ‘How are you feeling?’
‘Fine.’
He looked less than convinced. ‘I admire your stoical attitude—’ in Scarlet’s opinion his attitude suggested exasperation rather than admiration ‘—but only this morning I thought turning green was a figure of speech. A boat journey with you has taught me otherwise.’
‘That poor man tends to put seasickness into proportion.’ She gave a quick glance at Sam and saw he was happily preoccupied. Fortunately he had slept right through the crisis. ‘How…how is he? He’s not…?’ She hardly dared ask.#p#????#e#
‘He started breathing.’
Scarlet gave a noisy sigh of relief. ‘Well thank goodness for that!’
‘He’s hardly out of the woods yet,’ Roman warned.
Scarlet shook her head in agreement. ‘But he has a chance, thanks to you,’ she added warmly.
‘Basic first aid is all.’ Roman seemed inclined to make light of his contribution. ‘If I hadn’t got there first someone else would have done what was needed. The ferry company staff are pretty well equipped to cope until the helicopter arrives.’
‘They’re going to air-lift him to hospital? Is that possible while we’re at sea?’
Roman nodded. ‘The bad news is it involves stopping the engine so they can winch him off. I’m afraid this is going to add another half hour at least to the journey.’
Scarlet took a deep breath. ‘Right…’ Under the circumstances she could hardly complain, even though being on the boat for a minute longer than necessary made her want to weep.
She felt his eyes on her face and lifted her chin. ‘Trust you to be a hero,’ she condemned with a teasing little grimace.
An amazed laugh was drawn from her throat. ‘I’m embarrassing you, aren’t I?’ It was ironic—she tried her best to discompose him and failed miserably, when all she had to do apparently was say something nice about him.
‘Would you like something to eat?’
Scarlet closed her eyes and released a weak groan. ‘You really are a horrible man with no heart, you know that, don’t you?’
‘I’m hurt.’
Even with her eyes closed she could hear the grin in his voice. ‘I live in hope.’
‘I’m just trying to take your mind off it.’ He had thought of other methods but these might have got him arrested in a public place.
‘If you’re about to suggest that it’s all in my mind and all I need is positive thinking, I’ll kill you. Also you are totally wrong—it’s all in my inner ear; it’s a balance thing.’ Her eyes flickered open and a deep shudder ran all the way to her toes at a touch of warm air against her sensitive earlobe.