A/N: First off, I offer my sincere thanks for getting this far, what with my admittedly poor summary skills. That being said, welcome! Though I've always been adored Titanic, this is my first foray into its fanfic. Even though the main characters of my story are original (but don't count out some guest appearances ;) ), I do hope you'll give them a chance. I put a lot into these characters and their stories, and in the process I've just fallen in love with them :). I'm always open to any comments or critiques, so please don't hesitate.
Enjoy!
April 5, 1912
Thunder rumbled in the distance, bringing with it the promise of a mighty spring storm. The feather-light patter of raindrops on the squat little window above her head began not long after. Ruth sighed into the still night air and rolled onto her back, tugging the sheet up to her chest. Thunderstorms had always been a marvel to her. For all their ruckus and disruption, there was something calming and symphonic in the cracking flash of lightning, the boom of thunder that shook you to the core, and the wash of driving rain. Her body reacted as if to a well-read bedtime story, and she soon felt the weight of sleep upon her eyes. Just as her breathing began to even out, Ruth was suddenly awakened by a hand shaking her arm.
Her eyes flew open, and as she squinted in the darkness of the room the blonde curls and familiar face of Lady Victoria came into view.
"Miss Finney? Miss Finney, wake up!" her Ladyship whispered. There was a note of urgency in her voice that matched the distinct look of worry on her face. Ruth sat up immediately.
"M'Lady? Whatever's the matter? Is everything alright?"
"No. No, it's not alright at all. I'm-," she looked down to her hands as her voice wavered. She appeared to gather herself before returning her gaze to Ruth, her eyes set in determination the likes of which Ruth had never before seen. "I'm leaving him. Tonight. I have all I need and I'm ready now to leave this house for good. And I hope you say you'll come with me, my dear Miss Finney, because I can't imagine doing this alone."
Her Ladyship sent Ruth into a moment of shocked silence before her brain clicked into gear and she sent her a reassuring smile.
"And I would never think of letting you go without me, m'Lady."
The worried creases on Her Ladyship's face softened fractionally at her words, and she gave her maid a relieved smile before standing from her bed.
"He's passed out in his room, but we must hurry. Bring only what you can carry to the station. I'll be waiting at the servants' entrance."
With a nod from Ruth, Lady Victoria left the room. Ruth shot shot from her bed, careful of the sleeping housemaid in the neighboring bed. For once she was glad for having so few belongings, and quickly placed books, trinkets, and other sentimental items in her case, along with a few items of clothing she couldn't layer on top of her dress.
She gave one last look around the small room, and her fingers lifted of their own accord to trail from her cheek up to her temple, along the puckered edges of the angry, red scar resting there.
Never again. For her or me.
And with those words echoing in her mind, Ruth turned and made her way down the servants' hallway and through the kitchen to meet Her Ladyship at the door reserved for the servants' use. Sure enough, there was Lady Victoria, a suitcase in each hand and looking ready to bolt as much as a spooked horse. She swallowed thickly before addressing Ruth.
"And are you ready then, Miss Finney?"
"Yes, M'Lady. If you're certain."
"I'm more certain about this than I've been about anything in my life."
Ruth noticed that she trembled, but her voice was wrought with conviction. She nodded. "Then let us go."
Lady Victoria wrenched open the door, only to find a proper downpour outside. A bolt of lightning cracked down from the sky not over a mile away. Ruth flinched reflexively before turning to face Her Ladyship, who she was surprised to see had begun briskly walking down the gravel drive. Within moments of jogging to catch up to her, Ruth's hastily pinned down hat was soaked through to her head, and her layers of dresses and coats soaked halfway to her skin.
"We'll have to hike down a ways," Lady Victoria told her over the din of the rain. "We need to make it to the station to catch the first train at sunrise."
"The train? But we'll never make it...that's-"
"Almost ten miles away? Yes." She turned to face Ruth. They were halfway down the drive, now under the rather useless shelter of a large oak tree. "Keep faith, Miss Finney. This is my chance, and I'm taking it. You're the strongest person I know, and if I can make it there's no doubt that you can too."
Lady Victoria began her journey along the gravel and dirt that was quickly turning to mud, and all Ruth could do was follow behind her in stunned silence. Where had this sudden ironclad spirit come from? Her Ladyship had spoken of leaving him before, but only in passing, and only after particularly nasty occasions. But she had always shied away from the idea once things returned to normal, accepting as always his empty apologies and promises of change. Leaving all she had ever known and entering into a world of uncertainty was too frightening a prospect.
But now? She was almost unrecognizable as she blazed on through the rain and thunder ahead of Ruth, though her hair was plastered to her skin and her clothes were soaked through (quite how she herself felt at the moment, really). But she was right, of course. Digging her heels into the gravel, she jogged a bit to catch up with Lady Victoria.
When they reached the gates at the front of the property, neither looked back.
April 10, 1912
Ruth shook her head a bit to clear that particular memory which had jumped unbidden to the forefront of her mind. Though it was only natural, she supposed, seeing as that night had set into motion the new chapter of Lady Victoria's life (and Ruth's, consequently) that was to begin today.
In a matter of little over an hour they would board the RMS Titanic: the grandest ship ever built by man. Or so people said, anyway. In truth, though it was admittedly difficult to remain entirely unimpressed by the concept as a whole, Ruth stayed rather impassive about the supposed opulence and grandeur the ship possessed. It was right foolish (to her, anyway) to call any ship "unsinkable", no matter its size and strength.
But then again, perhaps that was simply her general unease about the whole deal talking. It was hard to find any excitement when she felt so conflicted about everything. On the one hand she was downright terrified to get on that ship and leave England for good. Though she hadn't seen them in such a long time, it was where her older sister and her two sweet little nieces were. It was everything she'd ever known… it was home. And she had no desire to leave. But on the other, she knew in her heart that she couldn't stay, and she could never find it in herself to abandon Lady Victoria.
She was paid rather well, even for a lady's maid, and the large majority of that money went to her sister and her children. They fiercely needed those extra funds, what with their little family hanging on by a thread as it was. And then there was Lady Victoria herself. Ruth had worked as her maid since she was sixteen years old and Her Ladyship thirteen, and the inevitable bond which had cultivated over the past thirteen years had sealed her decision to stay. Lady Victoria needed her. Especially in America, a place so vast and different from that of her sheltered life in England. She would stay with Her Ladyship. Besides, where else would she go?
Her willingness to go on Titanic, however, didn't negate the fear still in her heart. It was after they had stepped off the train in London on Friday, muddy, damp, and homeless, that the beginnings of doubt began to creep in.
Thankfully, not even a few hours after their arrival in London Lady Victoria had managed to send a telegram to her longtime lover, Sir Clarence. Though just how in the world it had managed to be done on such short notice was beyond her, he had sent a reply only a day later informing Her Ladyship that he had secured passage for them on Titanic. And now, just five days later, here she stood at the Dolphin Hotel in Southampton, preparing to embark on the grandest ship in history.
Ruth sighed and closed the latch on Lady Victoria's suitcase. A whole new chapter of her life was about to begin, whether she liked it or not.
Everything was ready to go, all of Lady Victoria's brand new suitcases filled with dresses, hats, shoes, and jewelry purchased in London only days before through funds sent by Her Ladyship's doting paramour. Speaking of whom, Sir Clarence was due to arrive at any moment. Though Ruth had briefly met him but once, close to two years before, she knew him to be a kind, amicable sort of gentleman. And, seeing as Lady Victoria doted on him so, she felt no reason to disapprove of his presence on their trip.
Just then a short knock on the door to the suite broke Ruth from her musing. Before she could even step through the bedroom and into the lounge, Lady Victoria was already opening the door.
"Clarence!" she exclaimed as a tall man stepped into the suite and immediately swept her into his arms. He placed her back on her feet after twirling them in a small circle, then rubbed a thumb across her cheek.
"My darling Vika," he murmured through a smile before lowering his face to hers. With a sudden heat in her cheeks Ruth remembered herself and quickly fixed her gaze to the carpet to give Her Ladyship some privacy.
Clarence was a tall man (quite fitting for Lady Victoria's rather tall stature), with matching light brown hair and eyes that enhanced the soft, kind look which never seemed to leave his face. Though the circumstances behind their relationship were less than ideal, Ruth was endlessly glad that Lady Victoria had found a good man such as Sir Clarence. Her Ladyship needed him, just as she needed Ruth. For Sir Clarence seemed in all ways blessedly the utter opposite of Lord Sidney Carsten, and that fact pleased Ruth to no end. Her heart panged in her chest and sent a shiver down her spine at the thought of Lady Victoria's husband.
After giving them a few more moments with each other, Ruth quietly cleared her throat, her gaze still averted, before (Heaven forbid) they got too...carried away. They broke apart at once, matching sheepish grins covering their faces. Lady Victoria's eyes seemed a bit misty as well.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Miss Finney," Her Ladyship apologized through a soft chuckle. "I almost forgot you were here."
"No apologies are necessary, M'Lady."
Though Ruth gave Lady Victoria a reassuring small smile, there was no doubt her embarrassment showed on her face. Her cheeks felt flaming hot.
"Nevertheless. . .Oh! How could I be so remiss?" She touched her fingers to her cheek. "Where are my manners? Clarence, this is my maid, Miss Finney. Miss Finney, this is Sir Clarence Thomas. I believe you met only briefly some time ago."
"Yes, of course. How do you do, Miss Finney?" Sir Clarence tipped his black derby hat towards Ruth.
"Well, Sir. Thank you," she replied with a small nod.
At that moment the door to the suite opened again, and Sir Clarence immediately moved to greet the man who stepped into the room.
"Ah, yes. Just in time for introductions. This here is my valet, Mr. Blake." Sir Clarence clapped a hand on the slightly shorter man's shoulder. "Mr. Blake, this is Lady Victoria. . .Wallace," he finished, after faltering rather awkwardly. As Mr. Blake nodded politely at her, Ruth wondered at the decision to introduce Her Ladyship's maiden name. Sir Clarence caught Lady Victoria's gaze and she gave a small, encouraging smile.
"Oh," he started after a beat of silence, "and not to forget her lovely maid, Miss Finney."
Mr. Blake turned to face Ruth. He seemed to be a good few years older than Sir Clarence, with small lines etched into his forehead and the corners of his eyes. His hooded, deep brown eyes, which so perfectly matched his neatly parted and slicked hair, met her own with such a piercing gaze that her breath momentarily caught in her throat.
"Mr. Blake."
He nodded a return to her greeting, and as he did so Ruth noticed his stern gaze settling just off her right eye, where sat her ever obvious scar. Suddenly self-conscious, she turned her head fractionally to hide that side of her face. Mr. Blake quickly averted his eyes and cleared his throat, obviously realizing his error. Thankfully, Sir Clarence broke through the awkward moment.
"Well, now that we all know each other, I do think it's about time we begin to embark on this journey of ours. Mr. Blake, if you'll assist Miss Finney with any of Lady Victoria's baggage, I'll be off to escort the Lady herself to the car."
"Of course, Sir."
Ruth's head whipped up again to face Mr. Blake, surprised to hear a soft Irish brogue in his voice. It wasn't too often lately that she'd met an Irish valet. After shutting the door behind their employers, he walked over to her.
"If you'll show me to Her Ladyship's bags, Miss Finney."
"Yes, straight through here." She gestured to the bedroom on her right. He followed her in. She handed him two of Her Ladyship's bags, which he took out to the hall to hand over to the waiting bellboy. She followed him with the rest, giving them over before Mr. Blake sent the boy to deliver the lot to the car.
"That just leaves my bags, then." Ruth jutted her thumb back in the direction of the room, mildly annoyed when Mr. Blake showed no inclination of offering his assistance, instead simply nodding and crossing his hands behind his back.
Not the most personable fellow, is he? Ruth thought to herself as she buttoned into her topcoat. After jabbing a pin through the black straw of the hat she flopped on top of her head, she took a quick look around the bedroom before grabbing one of her two suitcases in each hand.
Unwilling to let Mr. Blake get away with whatever mood he seemed to be in, Ruth made a show of hefting the weight of the suitcases around in her hands as she made her way back to the austere valet waiting at the door. She barely suppressed a smile when, after eyeing her laden-down waddle, Mr. Blake softly cleared his throat and leaned over to take one of the cases.
"Is that it, then?"
Ruth dipped her head. "It is. Every last bit."
She stepped out into the hall through the door he held open. Ruth walked slightly behind Mr. Blake as they made their way to the awaiting car, intent on wrangling her own thoughts before setting out.
A brand new chapter of her life had been laid open, whether she liked it or not, and now it was about to begin.