A/N: Okay here is my debut story, I love reviews and appreciate any advice, but please don't hate.
Disclaimer: I do not own Titanic, but I do own my things
Life isn't fair. I don't know what I did to deserve a life like I have. Then again, my mother's life is so much harder.
My name is Savannah Nicole Hockley and I absolutely despise everything about my existence.
My father is a pompous man who does not care for anyone, but himself and his money of course. My parents sailed from England to America on the RMS Titanic on April 10th, 1912. I am the oldest of five and completely different from all of my siblings.
I have curly blonde hair and deep blue eyes, which of course make me, look different from my dark siblings and more like my mother, but then there is my personality.
I am a "rebel" I don't always where my corset, I prefer to sketch and read then gossip with the other high society girls, and I speak my mind.
I am very much like my mother in those ways, she doesn't gossip, but rather stays quiet at events and only talks about polite things. My three sisters, all they do is gossip. Margaret is sixteen, Marie is fourteen, and Mildred is thirteen. To me they are quite annoying and rude girls. They are my father's pride and joy. This is one of the many reasons why we don't get along. All three of them have dark straight hair like his, dark-black almost-eyes, pompous attitudes, rude demeanor, and the only thing they got from my mother is a pale complexion.
My brother is a mix of my mother and my father, but every day he grows from a sympathetic and caring young man to a cruel and heartless little boy. He is twelve and has straight dark brown hair like my father, but a pale complexion and blue-green eyes.
"Savannah?" I heard my mother calling me from the other side of my door in her soft voice and immediately stopped brushing my hair and stood up fixing my robe.
"Come in." I said politely and my mother came in. She used to have such a fire in her, she glowed from the inside out, but of course my father got rid of that-to a point. My mother's red curls were in a tight bun and she had on one of her nicest gowns. I knew that she did not only come in to say hello to me, I wished she had though I wish she was as fiery as her hair color.
"You father received a call this morning from Edward Ryan, you remember him don't you? His father owns a large rubber company with an even larger fortune. We met him while he was staying with his uncle, and namesake, Edward Manson." My mother explained, I could see her eyes held distress.
"Yes, but why?" I said quietly and calmly, but inside my insides were spinning uncontrollably.
"Well, he has asked for your hand in marriage." My mother said as calmly as she could.
All of a sudden all I felt was the carpet on my face and I saw my mother sitting next to me and knew she was speaking, but all I heard was the blood pounding in my ears. Then there was only black.
When I woke I was laying in my bed and saw my mother and personal maid Gretchen looking over me and dabbing my face with a wet clothe.
"Savannah, are you ok, darling?" my mother asked me looking down with caring eyes.
I opened my mouth to respond when my father made his presence known, "Of course she's all right, she obviously was being overly dramatic and striving for attention."
I saw a flash of anger in my mother's eyes and her lips looked like they were about to respond harshly, but instead she quickly composed herself.
"I don't think she was just acting, dear," my mother defended me and I could see the annoyance behind her outward calm. "I was with her when it happened and one minute we're talking and I saw her hit the floor."
"Well we're relying on your story now? This was a waste of my time. Be ready to go first thing in the morning, the both of you." With that my father was gone.
I was shocked and I saw the hurt on my mother's face. She cleared her throat and looked at me her eyes full of concern, but I knew there was so much pain behind her mask.
"How are you feeling Savannah?"
I blinked twice, "Shocked, I apologize for fainting earlier."
My mother smiled in a motherly way, a look I rarely saw anymore, and said quietly, "It is not a problem for me."
We sat there for a moment before I could no longer contain myself, "What did he mean be ready to go?"
"that is what I was about to tell you, before your fainting spell, we are going to New York tomorrow."
"So soon?" I gasped
"You will not get married tomorrow, but as his fiancé you must-"
"Excuse me," I said quietly. "but I do not remember hearing we were engaged, just that he asked for my hand."
"Your father said yes for you." My mother said her face expressionless.
My mouth formed an "o", "He did what?"
"Don't use that tone of voice," my mother snapped, she was back. "Gretchen will pack your things we will be leaving in the morning." With that she was gone.
"Gretchen your duties are done for the night thank you." I said quietly laying down.
After I heard the door close I cried myself to sleep.
When I awoke the next morning Gretchen had already packed all of my things into my bags and had laid out a dress for me to wear. She helped me get ready and then my mother came to get me.
We rode in a car to Westchester and pulled up in one of the grandest houses I had ever seen.
I did not want to be impressed, nor did I want to like this young man, proposing to me without letting me have a say in it. Repulsive!
Two footmen, and a man and women my mother's age came out to greet us.
"Be polite." My mother said through a toothy smiled.
"Of course, mother." I snipped, but before she could reprimand me one of the footman opened the door and let me out.
I smiled politely at him and at my new family. That sounds dreadful does it not?
My mother-in-law to be came over and smiled at me fondly which struck me as very odd, she did not look like a natural born first-class snip, why? Her husband had tamed curly brown hair and light, kind eyes. I felt as though I had stepped into a dream, I had only ever met Edward's uncle and he proved to be polar opposites from Edward's parents. Then I remembered my mother was kind before society broke her, too. New money then?
"Good day, to the lovely Mrs. and Ms. Hockley." Mr. Ryan said kissing my mother's hand as well as mine. When he spoke I detected a bit of an Irish accent lurking beneath the American one.
"Good day." My mother and I said in unison.
"Are you tired, would you like to rest from your journey?" Mrs. Ryan asked politely.
"That would be lovely, thank you." My mother replied for me.
One of the servants of the house showed us to our rooms and after parting ways with my mother I sat near the window and looked at the grounds of the estate. It truly was beautiful, I was in the East wing of the house and there was a lake there as well as many fruit trees and a magnificent looking garden. I sighed, missing home.
The feeling startled me why would I miss home? Everyone there hates me, here I am-somewhat-free. This pleased me and I stood up to walk outside. I wasn't sure if I was permitted to be out there so I walked as quietly as I could to the front door and quickly and quietly to the garden after I closed the gate I breathed a sigh of relief and looked around.
"Wow." I whispered looking at the many colors and shapes of flowers all around me. There was a beautiful fountain in the middle and in a daze I looked around happy singing to myself a song my mother had taught me when I was very little.
"Come Josephine in my flying machine going up she goes-"
"Up she goes." A male voice harmonized with mine and I gasped jumping backwards.
Standing in front of me was Edward Ryan his arms outstretched to catch me if I fell a mixed look of amusement and worry.
"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to scare you!" He said quickly as I recomposed myself. "You have a beautiful voice and I couldn't help sing along. My papa taught me that song when I was five, after I came here from Ireland in the year 1915…"
I found myself smiling as he trailed off, "Do you know how your papa knows the song?" I asked quietly.
"He learned it, on the ship he came here. He's told me there was this funny young artist who fell in love with a first class girl while he was in steerage and he used to sing it when he was in a daze, similar to what you were doing." Edward smiled at me. He actually smiled, not a fake or forced smile like I'd seen from the high society women and not a leer which is what I usually got, but a genuine smile.
"Oh, and your papa was he in steerage?" I asked finding myself very interested.
"Yes ma'am. He started working in a rubber factory and founded his own." Edward smiled again, but this time it was about his father and for some strange reason I wanted him to smile for me again.
"How?"
"Well the owner of the factory was getting old, and he didn't want to just give up so he helped pay for my father to get the factory built and started and then the next year he bought the other factory and it just kept growing." Edward's eyes gleamed with pride.
"Well, that is quite an impressive story." I said finding myself smiling genuinely.
Edward looked at the reddening sky and asked me, "May I escort a lady to dinner." His grin making me feel a little light-headed if you can believe that!
I simply nodded and took his arm as he led me out of the garden and into the beautiful house.
That's the first chapter, not my absolute favorite, but it's not terrible please tell me what you think!