Cold April (5 page)

Kathleen’s long blonde curls escaped from a pretty beribboned hat. Her matching ruffled dress ended at her knees, showing white stockings and tiny boots. She held her father’s hand and clutched a doll against her chest.

Beth took the doll’s hand in hers. “How are you today, Miss Toby? I hope you’ll enjoy sailing on the big ship.”

Kathleen giggled and glanced at her father, as if sharing the joke with him.

Richard studied his boarding card. “It appears our staterooms are on B Deck. We can meet there later, if you like. I’m going to take Kathleen outside to watch us cast off and wave goodbye to the crowds.”

“
There are a lot of onlookers, aren’t there?”

“
I’m not surprised. This is somewhat of a special occasion, it being the ship’s maiden voyage.”

He led them out onto the deck once more and Beth felt momentarily as if they were a family—father, mother and daughter. People had often assumed so when they visited the zoo and Hyde Park, but she would have to banish these thoughts. The chances of this union happening were about the same, she supposed, as the ship going down at sea. In other words, nil. In fact, she might never have a young family of her own. At least, not with Richard—some other man perhaps.

They reached a spot with a good view of the crowds on the dock below. After waving her handkerchief for several minutes, Beth glanced about. Several round white life preservers hung along the railing. Each bore the name of the ship in large black letters.

RMS TITANIC.

Chapter 4

Beth found the staterooms quite elegant: three connecting rooms plus a private lavatory. Several rectangular windows—larger than the portholes she’d also seen lining the side of the ship—provided plenty of natural light to all rooms except the lavatory. Richard had a private bedroom, whereas Beth’s contained an alcove with a double bed and draperies that could be closed for privacy. Kathleen, she presumed, would sleep there. Her cabin also featured a built-in couch that converted to a bed for her, plus a desk, chair and wardrobe.

A large sitting room occupied the space between the bedrooms, and everything was decorated in Queen Anne period furniture, similar to that of Lady Wheatley’s home rather than the Chippendale style she’d seen in the rooms of their New York house. Not that her family owned such elegant furniture. Her knowledge, as usual, came from reading.

Richard, apparently focused on more practical matters than room decorations, pointed out that all connecting doors could be locked from inside. Always the perfect gentleman.

She supposed those cabins had been assigned to them because she traveled with her employer. According to what she’d read, John Jacob Astor and his wife would be boarding at Cherbourg. Mrs. Astor’s personal maid would enjoy quarters similar to hers.

After inspecting everything inside the staterooms, Richard and Kathleen took off on their own again, the child, as always, clutching her doll Toby. Beth found ample time to unpack her and Kathleen’s clothing; then, it being a warm and sunny day, she left her coat behind in the cabin and ventured out. She noticed the elevators on board but instead chose to climb the Grand Staircase to an upper deck on the port side where she could watch the lines drop off and the dock slowly recede from view as they departed.

At noon, with much fanfare—including loud whistles that Beth was certain could be heard all over Southampton—the ship, pushed and pulled by five tugs, moved out into the River Test. When the tugs dropped their lines, the engines started to turn the Titanic’s propellers, sending the ship down the river toward the English Channel. As Beth hurried toward the stern, she saw the giant wake formed by the hull push against two other ships docked in the river. One of them, the New York, rose up in the water because of the Titanic’s wake and, when it dropped back, its mooring lines snapped. At that, the stern of the New York swung toward the Titanic. The other ship closed in and Beth’s heart pounded. She held her breath, expecting a crash at any moment.

But, almost at once, another tug came near and its crew got a line on board. The Titanic was only four feet away from the New York, when she slipped past the other vessel without damage to either. Beth let out her breath. She should have known those captains were experienced sailors, too skilled to let bad things happen.

She walked the promenade deck slowly, enjoying the sights and sounds of the moving ship. Lunch was supposed to be served at one, but it was an hour later when she heard the bugle play the call. She supposed that, this being the first voyage of a new ship, delays could be expected. She found Richard and Kathleen back in the stateroom.

Kathleen rushed to her. “Are you hungry, Miss Beth? Pa-pa says lunch is late because we almost bumped into another boat.”

“
Yes, isn’t it lucky they didn’t hit each other?” She glanced at Richard. “I am hungry. May we go to the dining saloon now?”

“
By all means.”

Once in the vast, beautiful room, they decided to forgo the regular menu and instead go to the buffet, where they chose from lobster, roast beef and shrimp, as well as cheeses, pudding and pastry.

After lunch Beth suggested Kathleen might need a nap, but the child protested. “I’m not the least bit tired. I want to see everything on the ship.”

“
It’s such an exciting day for her. I think we can skip naptime just this once.” Richard took the little girl’s hand and looked at Beth. “We won’t be gone long.”

Beth sighed and watched them leave, happy to see Richard doing what he’d told her he wanted to do—spend time with his daughter. She returned to the stateroom and wrote a short note to her parents, using the elegant stationery the ship provided. Later, a steward brought her a tray containing a pot of tea and a few biscuits. She welcomed the time to herself, which would be, she supposed, rare. She expected few breaks during the crossing. After all, in spite of Richard’s attention to the child that day, she was responsible for Kathleen’s care and safety. She knew well that governesses seldom enjoyed off-duty time.

In the late afternoon, she ventured outside again. After a while, she thought she might see the ship’s arrival at Cherbourg, but the dock was too small to accommodate a vessel as large as the Titanic. It was almost seven o’clock by then and too dark to make out much except black shapes of buildings and lights in the distance. Two tenders approaching the ship contained more passengers boarding for the voyage. Then, when a sudden squall brought rain and wind and made the sea choppy, she retreated to the protection of her cabin.

Moments later, Richard knocked on the connecting door.

“
Come in,” she said, and he entered, frowning.

“
I’m afraid I have a favor to ask of you.”

“
Not at all. I’m here to do whatever you want.”

“
Kathleen has fallen asleep. Poor thing. I suspect she’s rather worn out from the excitement today. In addition,” he added somewhat sheepishly, “I may have walked her around the ship too much this afternoon.”

Beth rose from her chair and followed him into the sitting room, where Kathleen lay on the sofa, eyes closed. She surmised that his favor involved staying with Kathleen while he went to dinner alone; her recess had come to an end.

“
I’ll get her into her night-dress and stay with her,” she told him. “Go on to your dinner.”

“
But—” he protested.

“
I don’t mind, really. That’s what I’m here for.” She gave him a reassuring smile.

He shrugged but carried the child into the other room and laid her on the bed in her sleeping alcove. He turned to leave. “I shan’t be long.”

“
Please don’t hurry on my account. Just ask the steward to bring me something.”

“
If you’re sure.”

“
I am.” She paused. “There is one favor I might ask of you.”

“
Anything. What is it?”

“
Since you will be dining in the first-class saloon and I’m told there are many famous people making this maiden voyage ...”

“
Yes?”

“
I’d like to know if you see anyone important, if some prominent people are seated at your table.”

Richard chuckled. “So you might attend vicariously.”

“
Yes. Perhaps you could describe them for me. That will be almost as good as meeting them myself. My mother and sisters would be thrilled to know I came close to such persons. Especially Lady Duff Gordon.”

“
Lady Duff Gordon? Who’s that?”

“
She’s the famous couturier who calls herself Madame Lucile.”

“
She’s on this ship?”

“
She and her husband boarded at Cherbourg because she had just visited her Paris salon.”

“
How did you come to learn all this?”

“
I overheard some ladies talking about her when I walked on the promenade deck this afternoon.”

He shrugged. “I can’t guarantee I’ll see anyone famous, but I’ll do my best.”

When Richard left, Beth gently removed Kathleen’s clothes and got her ready for bed. The child wakened only briefly during the ritual, smiled a moment at the sight of Beth and fell instantly asleep again once the covers were pulled up to her chin. Beth turned out the light in the alcove, left the connecting door open and settled into a lounge chair in the sitting room.

As she had predicted, the steward soon appeared.

“
Mr. Graham stopped in the passage and asked me to see to your dinner, ma’am.”

“
Thank you.”

“
I can bring you the meat and the fish. Fish tonight is Lemon Sole.”

“
Only the fish, if you please.”

When, twenty minutes later, he wheeled in the cart of food, she discovered far more than Lemon Sole. He’d provided an appetizer of pate, then five more courses, Parkerhouse rolls, even a luscious dessert called “Waldorf Pudding.” Plus both coffee and tea.

She finished her meal and was about to go next door to bring back a copy of The Virginian, which her father had given her, when the door opened and Richard entered. He seemed suddenly shy and didn’t speak at once.

“
Mr. Graham, you’ve returned so early.”

“
I’d finished my meal and didn’t find the other diners at my table terribly interesting. In addition, I worried about you not having dinner.”

“
The steward brought mine, as you see.” She pointed to the serving tray with its empty plates. “He said you asked him to do so.”

“
That’s right, I did.”

Again he lapsed into silence before taking a seat in the lounge chair opposite her.

Beth broke the silence. “I’m disappointed that you found the other diners uninteresting. I gather the Astors were not seated at your table.” Beth grinned to let him know her expectation had not been serious. Lord Astor’s recent marriage to a very young girl had been the topic of many newspaper and magazine articles.

“
No, I didn’t see them. They may have dined at the captain’s table.” He rose and poured himself a small glass of wine from the decanter on the sideboard. “However, we did have at least one distinguished passenger at our table; Sir Hubert Thornton and his wife were there, as well as their daughter Cecily.”

Beth had a sudden thought. “Their daughter? How old is she? Might she become a playmate for Kathleen during the crossing?”

Richard chuckled again. “Hardly. I believe the young woman is at least eighteen, although at times she acts considerably older. Not every man’s daughter is as young as mine.”

Beth shrugged. “Well, perhaps there are other children on board who, like Kathleen, are asleep instead of at dinner.” She remembered the other recreational opportunities. “After dinner, I thought you might want to have a cigar in the smoking room or play cards.”

“
I don’t smoke.”

Beth stared at him, her mouth partly open. Not smoke?

He seemed to feel an explanation was necessary. “When I was about twelve, and still living at home, of course, some school chums and I tried smoking behind the barns, but—in my case at least—it never caught on. I became terribly sick. They told me that would wear off, that I’d get used to it in time and actually like it. However, I never tried again.” He paused. “It’s a long story I won’t bore you with right now.”

“
Right now,” he had said. Did he mean to tell her more about his growing up another time? She hoped so, then scolded herself. Under the circumstances, it was probably better not to get to know him too well. In fact, perhaps he had no intention of allowing her to do so. After all, in his eyes, she was a mere employee.

“
I do play cards, however,” he added.

“
Whist?’

“
Yes, and the new game, Auction Bridge, as well.”

“
Then I’m surprised you returned so soon. I’m told many people are flocking to it.”

“
Whist has been around a long time, of course, but Bridge is becoming very popular, although it requires great concentration. Something I don’t feel up to at the moment.”

Beth rose from her chair. “I’m sorry to hear that, sir, but perhaps you need rest. I’ll leave you now.”

He stood and moved toward her. “No, don’t go. Stay and talk to me.” He held out a hand. “It’s not often I have an opportunity to speak with a lovely young lady.”