April 10, 1912 – Morning

Turning over in my bed, I was woken up by the bright sunlight streaming in through the curtains in the room. Yawning and stretching, I tried to focus on the clock on the wall above the windows. Realizing what time it was, I started to feel the excitement building up inside me. I couldn't believe it. The day had finally come. They day my family and I were to begin our new life in America. Father had told my sister and me about the possibility of all of us sailing on the Titanic some months ago. I knew from what little business my father spoke of at home, that with his company, Metcalfe Steel, being one several companies involved in the construction of the ship, there was a better than average chance that we would all be on board for the maiden voyage across the Atlantic. Father had been talking about leaving England for some time now and it seemed like as good a time as any to leave. We'd be leaving behind painful memories of my mother dying in childbirth with my sister and the memories and pain after that event and move forth and start over fresh in America. I started to replay scenes in my mind from a voyage I went on about twelve years ago with my parents. I remembered very little of the trip. My parents attended the dinners and took part in the small talk. I got to meet some of the people on board and see some parts of the lifestyle and all the events that came with being on board, but with my young age, I wasn't allowed to do much. What few events I was allowed to attend were blurry memories in my mind. I was now older and would be experiencing all of this a second time, but this time rather than being confined to my room with an attendant, I'd be going with Father to the dinners and the social events on board. My father had told me that this would be a very exciting adventure and that since I was a young lady of debutante age, I would be able to handle everything being 20 years old. I got up and made my way to one of the closets in my room and started to browse through the dresses that were neatly hung up. My boarding gown was already selected, but I was just passing time until my attendant could come help me with my bath. At the sound of a gentle knocking on my door, I turned around. "Come in."

The door slowly opened and Belinda, my attendant, entered. "Perfect. You're already awake." She straightened the bed sheets as she finished speaking. "Miss, your father has requested that both Shannon and you be ready to leave by 10. Boarding calls for First Class start at 11. Melissa is dressing Shannon as we speak. That gives you a little over three hours to bathe, dress and have Franklin bring your trunks and Miss Shannon's trunks downstairs."

I smiled at Belinda. Belinda had known my family and me ever since I was born. She was with us when my mother passed away nearly ten years ago. Franklin was Belinda's brother and my father's attendant. Melissa was related to Belinda and was my sister Shannon's attendant. Shannon adored Melissa and I think in a way, Melissa became the mother that Shannon never knew. Belinda was an older lady, almost 60, and Franklin was in his late forties. Melissa was about my age. Like our mother, Melissa's mother passed away in childbirth, only this time both Melissa's mother and the baby died. Melissa's father died sometime later after a bout with alcoholism as a result of his wife's death, so Belinda reached out and retained custody of Melissa and they've been together ever since. After my sister was older and Melissa was older, Belinda suggested to my father to hire Melissa to attend to Shannon, and after meeting with her and seeing how she got along with my little sister, my father hired her. Franklin had his way with us, too. He would sneak Shannon and me cookies and other forbidden foods when Father wasn't looking.

I watched as Belinda finished making the bed. She turned to go to the washroom area and motioned for me to follow her in. She began to run the water for me to take my bath. She walked to the linen closet and handed me a fresh towel. "Thank you, Belinda. Tell Father I will be ready when it is time to leave. I'll see to it that Shannon is ready as well. We don't need to be late."

"If that is all, Miss, I need to finish packing Melissa and Franklin's belongings as well as mine so your father is not mad at me." I told Belinda I'd call for her when I was ready to get out of the bath.

As I stood watching the water fill up the tub, I made my way to my mirror in the room. Father had always said I had a strong resemblance of my mother, yet when she died, my memories of her were not that clear. As I got older, the memories got less distinct with each passing year. I tried my best to hold on to every memory we had in the years she was alive, but it was never enough. Father had photos of mother hung up all over the house, but after her death, they disappeared one day while I was out. I didn't ask any questions as I already knew the answer to the question of where they went. I never approached Father with the subject and he never brought it up. After seeing Franklin carry the pictures up to the attic, I knew they were kept buried deep in a corner out of the way. When no one was watching, I'd sneak upstairs and hide myself and bring out an oil portrait of my father, my mother and me as an infant and just talk to the portrait and to my mother as if she was still here and could hear every word I was saying to her. That lonely spot in the attic was my private retreat away from the world.

I stared at myself in the mirror as I ran a comb through my dark hair. "I'm starting a new life. Father, Shannon and I are going to be very happy in New York." I let out a sigh as I put the comb on the vanity, "I hope." I closed my eyes and said a silent prayer that everything would be okay, but an overwhelming sadness of knowing that my mother would never experience the joy the rest of the family was about to experience seemed so unfair at times to me.

I banished the memory of the sad event out of my head and instead, turned to admire my boarding gown. Belinda had asked me which one I wanted to wear and I told her I'd leave that choice up to her. She had selected a beautiful deep purple gown with matching gloves. The shoes she had selected were favorites of mine and they were also purple with amethyst crystals surrounding the toe and a hat in the same color purple with a large bow on one side of it. Belinda knew I loved purple, so it only seemed fitting that the boarding gown she selected for me should be in my favorite color. I ran my fingers over the dress and felt the silk fabric in my hands and ran my fingers over the amethyst crystals embedded down one side of the gown in a starburst pattern. The crystals started up near the empire waist of the dress and fanned outwards as they moved down the side. My father told me that he only wanted me to be dressed in the finest clothes and went out of his way to find dresses that were up to his standards.

Belinda knocked on the door again. I called out to her and she entered. "Ma'am, I am done packing our belongings. Would you like assistance with anything else at this time?

"No, I was just about to get in the bathtub. I was just admiring the gown you selected for me." I turned to face her. "I could not have selected anything more fitting. You did a perfect job. Thank you."

Belinda expressed her gratitude for my appreciation of her selection for my boarding gown and left me alone to finish bathing. I was about to get in when I heard footsteps in the hall, running towards my room.

"Torie! Torie!"

I smiled as a shrieking young female voice called out to me from the hallway outside my room. The only person who used that nickname anymore was Shannon. "In here Shannie. Just about to get in the bath."

The door to the bathroom swung open and my little sister appeared in the doorway. "Torie! Can you believe it! We are about to leave and go sailing on the largest boat ever made!"

"It's a ship, Shannie, not a boat."

"Close enough. Torie, are you excited? Will we meet lots of people? Will Father be there to help us? I know he's going to be busy with him being an important passenger. What will it be like?"

Ilooked at my sister. She was half dressed. She had her under garments on and her petticoat and stockings on, but her hair was unfixed and her shoes and dress were missing."Shannie, this is going to be an adventure of a lifetime for both of us. We are going to meet people that both Father and Mother knew very well. We'll be introduced to a lot of people on board, I'm sure. Father has told me that most these people know who we are so we should always be on our best behavior. Is this understood?"

"You know that Father thinks it's about time you find a husband."

I had to hide a smile knowing my sister had no clue what that phrase actually meant. I had overheard it through my father's conversations as had Shannon. I was old enough to understand that it was time I attended a debutante ball and announced my society entrance. I knew that once we arrived in New York, I'm sure I would attend one there. "I'll get married soon. I promise, but when I move out, it'll just be you and father. Are you ready for that?"

"Torie, I want you to be happy. Father seems to think you are ignoring the fact that you are a lady of age who needs to make her debut into society and find a husband."

I hid another smile knowing Shannon still had no idea what that meant and all she was doing was repeating what she had heard previously. "I will find a husband once we get to America. I'll be living on my own. I won't be living with you or Father anymore, but I promise you that you may visit any time you wish as long as you're not in school. You know Father won't let you out that easily."

Shannon laughed as Melissa entered to find her. Belinda came in at that time looking for me and wondering why I wasn't in the bathtub yet. "You better get busy, Miss. You don't want to be late." I watched as Melissa took Shannon to finish dressing her. Belinda gently guided me back to the washroom. "Miss, let me know when you are done. We will get you dressed and then we need to leave. Your father is already asking about you."

"I'll be ready in time. I promise." I watched Belinda closed the door behind her and I eased in to the warm water. I stayed in the tub a bit longer than Belinda would have liked, but when I was done, I called to her. She helped to dry me off and then she led me back to the bed for the tying of my corset.

"Hands here." Belinda pointed to the rails of the mahogany bed. She wrapped the corset around me and began tying it off. I grimaced and sucked in a breath and held it while Belinda tightened the strings in the back.

I sighed and allowed Belinda to tighten my corset even further. It was getting to the point of pain when she stopped. I felt her tie off the strings to the corset and tuck them in as I exhaled the breath I was holding and did my best to allow my body to get used to being constricted again. I hated wearing one, but I had to. It was how I was brought up. When Belinda was done, she helped me into my boarding gown. I didn't even have to look in the mirror to know that with Belinda's help, I'd look fantastic once she was done with my hair. Belinda retrieved some amethyst studded clips from one of my drawers and swept my hair up on both sides but leaving the back of my hair down. It just completed the china doll look that I had. My smooth, pale skin was framed by my dark auburn curls.

"There. You are finished, Miss." Belinda looked pleased after finishing with my hair.

I turned around and saw in the full length mirror a woman who looked at least 30 staring back at me. I had to blink a few times to make sure it was really me in the mirror. "Belinda, this is perfect. Father will be pleased." Belinda was about to finish with my hat, but Franklin knocked at the door and announced that he was here to collect my trunks. Belinda busied herself taking the some more of my gowns out of the closet and showing her brother what to pack and what would be left here for my father's trip back over to collect at a later date.

After helping Franklin, Belinda helped me with my shoes. After checking my reflection once more, I made my way down the hall to the formal dining area for breakfast. Shannon was already there, wearing a blue and white formal gown. She had taken her gloves off to eat her breakfast. My father caught his breath and stood up when I walked towards him.

"Victoria, you look stunning. Belinda did a wonderful job."

"Father, she had help. The wonderful clothes you buy both Shannon and me compliment any lady."

"But not nearly as well as my two wonderful daughters." My father planted a small kiss on my cheek as he sat back down to finish his breakfast.

An attendant appeared next to me to help me sit down. "Just juice for me, please and toast." She curtsied and went back to the kitchen and appeared a few moments later with my breakfast. After finishing up, Father went outside to check on our belongings in the cars and then came back in. "Shall we leave? I believe Franklin has packed the cars for all of us." Franklin looked up from the doorway of the large entry room and said everything was ready. "Very well then." Father helped me into my coat and helped Shannon into hers. "Girls, if you are ready, let's go." Shannon jumped up excitedly and ran for the door closely followed by Melissa who was struggling to hold her carry on bag as well as Shannon's hand. I just smiled and maturely walked out with Father, Franklin and Belinda. I turned around once more to watch the door to our house shut as we made our way towards the driveway and out into the bright sunlight.

As I settled in one of the cars, I watched my father give directions to Franklin who would be driving one of the cars and to another driver who would be driving ours. He got in with us and the car's engine started and I looked behind me one more time as the front of our house faded from my view.