Titanic and none of the people in the film belong to me unfortunately

Chapter 1

"Evie I absolutely refuse to get into that car without you so get out here right now!"

Evelyn Alexandra Maitland smiled as she listened to the irate call of her cousin on the other side of her door. "The door's open Ro you can come in you know," she called as she packed the last of her books into the steamer trunk that stood open on the floor of her hotel room.

"You know mother hates it when you call me that," Rose DeWitt Bukater said as she pushed the door open and strolled into the room already decked out in the cream pinstriped travelling suit she had been forced to change into by her mother.

"Oh dear Aunt Ruth really did a number on you didn't she?" Evelyn smiled sympathetically at Rose.

"I don't see what was wrong with the black the colour is quite dramatic with my hair," Rose said pouting slightly but Evelyn could hear the tired resignation in her voice.

"I wish there was something I could do," Evelyn said as she closed the lid of the trunk and placed the lock.

"I doubt anyone can stop this now even with the best will in the world," Rose said the extent of her depression reflected in the sky blue depths of her eyes.

"You know I'll always be there for you though no matter what happens?" Evelyn said as she picked up her hat and gloves.

"You always have been Evie," Rose smiled at her as she took the wide green picture hat out of her cousins fingers before she placed it on top of her artfully arranged midnight curls and secured it with a pearl tipped hat pin.

"Come on then if we dawdle any longer Aunt Ruth is likely to banish us to our rooms aboard without so much as a supper tray," Evelyn said as the cousins left the suite giving instructions for Evelyn's bags to be brought out to the cars with everyone else's.

"You know she'd never do that Eve not when it would mean missing an opportunity to display us before the other passengers," she then smiled and giggled evilly, "after all she's just as proud of you as me! She sees us as her achievements the very proper and presentable diamonds of Philadelphia society presented to you by the Ice Queen of decorum herself Mrs Ruth DeWitt Bukater."

"Oh hush that vampire your fiancé calls a valet will probably hear and then turn us in for improper behaviour," Eve laughed at the same time as a shudder ran down her back, Spicer Lovejoy gave her a bad feeling.

"Well let's set to shall we?" Rose drawled her voice taking on the bored disdainful tones she reserved for everyone but Evelyn and her uncle.

The next half an hour was spent in the bustle that attended to loading the cars and getting ready to drive the two miles from the hotel to the dock where they would board the ship. When they were finally underway they Evelyn and Rose had to sit and listen as Ruth lectured the two of them on how she expected them to behave during the boarding.

"Now we are approaching the port, Rose you will allow Cal to escort you up the ramp and you Evelyn will remain by me, is that understood?" Ruth said with a sharp stare at both of them.

"Yes mother," Rose said in a toneless voice as she continued to stare straight ahead of her.

"Evelyn," Ruth snapped when she didn't answer straight away.

"Of course aunt," she inclined her head slightly.

Rose was the first of them to step out of the car with the assistance of Cal her fiancé who then handed Evelyn out of the car as well. Evelyn caught the wicked glint in Rose's eye before she quickly hid it and said, "I don't see what all the fuss is about it doesn't look any bigger than the Mauritania."

Evie struggled to swallow the chuckle that rose in her throat at the comment which had Cal stand frozen as he turned to hand Ruth out of the car, "you can be blasé about some things Rose but not about Titanic," he insisted. "She's over a hundred feet longer than the Mauritania and far more luxurious!"

"Not to mention the technological advances that she incorporates," Evelyn said as she cast an eye over the length of the ship that was to bear them back to America.

"Evelyn you will cease spouting that unseemly nonsense this instant," Ruth admonished her as she came to stand beside the two girls. "Your father my not care for your deportment in society but whilst you remain in my care you will behave as a proper lady should."

Evelyn counted to ten in her head to stop herself from screaming at her aunt right there and she caught the sympathetic look cast to her by Rose as she was led away towards the boarding ramp by Cal as Lovejoy dealt with their bags. Evie caught a glimpse of a pair of young girls who were being led on board ahead of them by a governess and the rehearsed expression on their faces made her sigh because those girls should be having fun and enjoying the innocence of childhood but society wouldn't even allow that.

They made their way through the open side of the ship into the luxuriously panelled and carpeted hallway of the first class section of the ship where they were escorted to Rose and her mother's parlour suite cabins on B deck that connected with Cal's. "I want to watch as we cast off," Evelyn informed the group as they explored the suite.

"You will stay here," Ruth said coldly.

"I beg your pardon aunt but father asked you merely to ensure I made it on board," Evie drew herself up straight as she faced down her aunt. "As you are well aware I reached my majority last summer and as such no longer need to defer to you for permission," she turned sharply on her heal and walked to the door, "once I have watched the ship cast off I will retire to my room until dinner. I will meet you in the dining salon Aunt, good day Mr Hockley, Rose."

She let out a shaky breath as she closed the door behind her before a smile bloomed on her face she had been anticipating that moment for the last two weeks ever since Aunt Ruth had collected her from the finishing school she had been attending in Paris. She settled her shoulders and strode off in the direction in which she knew her cabin lay having already memorised the deck plans.

"Excuse me Ma'am is there anything I can help you with?" asked a steward as she strolled down the corridors.

"No thank you I am perfectly capable of finding my way thank you," she smiled though so the young man knew she appreciated the offer of assistance before carrying on around the corner and fetching up in front of the door to her suite which stood open so that the porters could bring in her trunks and boxes. "Bryn I want you to set out my blue silk for tonight and draw me a bath if you get the time I'll be back to dress for dinner," having delivered the required message to her maid Evie snagged an Indian Shawl off her bed and left the suite to find the upper decks where she intended to watch the launch.

She hadn't been on deck for more than five minutes when someone touched her on the arm, "Evie is that you?" asked a lilting voice and when she turned around it was to be engulfed in a perfumed cloud of blond hair belonging to a small but rather obviously pregnant Madeline Talmage-Force or as she was now Madeline Astor.

"Maddie goodness I didn't see you," Evelyn said truthfully as she returned the embrace of her old friend.

"Oh I am so glad you're onboard at least there will be a friendly face at supper all these women are so dull!" she whispered before turning and holding out a hand to her husband who stood a couple of paces back. "JJ I want you to meet a school friend of mine John this is Miss Evelyn Maitland of Philadelphia Evie this is my husband Colonel John Jacob Astor," she beamed.

"What a charming surprise my dear," JJ Astor said as he placed a kiss to Evie's knuckles. "I must insist that you join us for dinner this evening I had not hoped to run into any of my dear Maddie's good friends."

"That sounds lovely thank you Mr Astor," Evie smiled at him she could see that the newly married husband and wife were very definitely in love and she was glad for her friend.

"Oh please do call me JJ dear," Astor said smiling.

"Then you must call me Evie as Maddie does," the three of them stood on the deck and watched as the lines were cast off and the tugs pulled Titanic out into the channel. After they were under way and Evie had promised to look for them at dinner the Astor's had returned inside and Evie was left to wander the decks alone which had emptied rather suddenly after the main event was over. Evie didn't doubt that people were busy unpacking and settling in but she wanted to stay out in the free air a little longer. She revelled in the fact that she had left the seminary behind in Paris and that she was returning to her father's home in Philadelphia which held so many happy memories. As the sun was starting to stain the sky pink a bugle call sounded over the decks and Evie took that as the sign to dress for dinner so with one last look at the horizon stretching before her she headed back inside to bathe and dress.