Vices: Mr. James Moody is an amiable man whose only flaw was his prejudice. Miss Freya Denton is a beautiful woman whose great intentions are hidden by her pride. Can they overcome their vices as the world around them literally breaks in half? Based on the Pride and Prejudice with Titanic fun!
Historical Note: Everything is purely fiction, but I do try to keep the historical aspect of the history as close as I can for its authenticity. I enjoy this time period particularly so I prefer to keep it amusing, yet real, and pay all of my respect to all of the historical figures at the same time.
Please don't forget to review! I only can improve with your feedback. They are greatly appreciated in every aspect. It gives me the motivation to continue on this journey! Thank you for reading!
Disclaimer: Any characters that you have not seen or heard before belong to me (i.e. Freya Denton, her family, and entourage). Everyone else (who was NOT in the movie) is real, so they don't belong to me anyways. Any of the enjoyable characters of James Cameron's movie belongs to him, and all of the legalities and technicalities. Lastly, basis of the story, which is based on the novel Pride and Prejudice, belongs to Miss Jane Austen.
Author's note: I had an idea for this story a while ago from a beta request, but never found a way to write it. It is easy to put the Pride and Prejudice to the Titanic, but it is a challenge to put the Titanic to the Pride and Prejudice. I like a good challenge.
The roles are swapped by sex (the female is the pride, and the male is the prejudice). Moody's role as Elizabeth Bennet would be strengthened due to his sex, but it will not loose the foundations of the Lizzy Bennet character. Any original characters usually retain the lettering of the original characters' names (i.e. Fitzwilliam Darcy is Freya Denton). There will be paraphrasing of the quotes from the book so it keeps to the storyline of the novel of Pride and Prejudice.
Moody is Lizzy, Freya Denton is Mr. Darcy, Rose is Charles Bingley, Jack is Jane Bennet, Cal is Caroline Bingley
...of course more is in due time, but!
Come on in classics fans!
Asides from that, please enjoy!
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It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a lack of sufficient fortune must be in want of a wife. However, little known feelings or views of an unknown woman entering the vicinity, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding officers, that she is considered as the rightful property of the man in possession of a lack of sufficient fortune.
It was just a few days before the maiden voyage of the greatest and grandest vessel in the world! Even though the Titanic was due to set sail in as little as ten days, something else was bustling about the bridge. It got the crew curious, and the officers intrigued.
So set her flags a-flying, it is best to welcome their new wealthy guests with all of the luxuries the sea can give, and that even includes new toilet soaps!! Ah, the wonder of money, and its extraordinary powers; it can make a ship a-buzz with commotion, and her officers a-tangled in its conspicuous rumours!
"If I believe the rumours to be true, then the letter must be one to confirm it!" Officer Charles Lightoller cried as Murdoch slumped heavily on to the wooden benches of the mess hall. He sighed as he leisurely took off his hat, and ran his rough weathered fingers through his neatly combed hair.
"Open it!" Lightoller cried, and Murdoch's reverie was cut short. He opened his eyes slowly, and shot Lightoller a warning glance before taking up the letter.
"Mr. Andrews say that they are the richest of all the guests. One may perhaps be richer than John Jacob Astor!" Lightoller continued. "Well, at least, that is what he'd heard."
"A long strand of rumours is usual trivial, not to mention false," Murdoch moaned with a shake of his head. "Why are you interested in this meeting anyways? We are officers of a ship, important players of the crew to mention. Nothing should interest them about us and we in return should not be interested in their interests."
"But think of it, Will!"
Murdoch rolled his eyes, but to humour his friend, he continued. "I'm thinking, but not understanding," he replied flatly at his friend's enthusiasm about something he thought was inconsequential.
"Have you ever imagined a little fun during a voyage?"
"Yes, but that usually ends with a red flag and a pink slip, or in some worst cases, a broken leg or two. I have a conscience, you know, Lights. That's beside the point. Now, answer my question of why?"
From a vantage point, three officers were pressed against the wall outside the mess hall closely to each other as they hushed one other so they could hear what their senior officers were talking about. It was strange to witness well-principled officers acting accordingly.
They too heard of the rumours that were fluttering around the halls. However, they were more curious to why their senior officers were more concerned about some pompous rich guests than temperature of the near sailing day! It was strange to hear of such request be done by the Bridge Officers, whose main duties only consisted of taking logs, standing watch, and navigate the ship in the correct direction. Rarely does it involve over-privileged guests.
"Mr. Moody may need a companion!" All of the eavesdropping officers shot from their hunched position and almost jumped at Lightoller's statement. Now that was a curious statement, indeed.
"Now, why would Mr. Moody take interest in our rich guests?" Pitman asked with a whisper.
"Don't question Mr. Lightoller, Mr. Pitman. It's best to just go along with the plan," Boxhall replied in the same volume.
"That is just balderdash, Lights!" Murdoch laughed wholeheartedly, amused by his friend's insanity. "Now you are simply going mad."
The unsuspecting James Paul Moody sauntered leisurely in from his meeting with a steward that he had befriended earlier on his arrival on the ship. He closed the book he was reading with a dignified thud when he nearly crashed into the fifth officer. He looked up and saw the dark clumps of the officers hunched together outside the door of the mess hall.
"What's going on?" he asked quickly, wanting desperately to join in on the fun. They all hushed him as he himself leaned in curiously. "What are we leaning in for?"
"Mr. Murdoch and Mr. Lightoller are speaking of that rumour going on around the ship," Pitman explained.
"Why are we eavesdropping when we can just ask?" All of the officers shot him a glaring look which caused him to say his apologies.
"Come on, Will, this is the perfect opportunity to let him loose!" The eavesdropping officers chuckled knowingly who that statement was meant for; except for Moody, of course, who looked around confusingly for answers.
"What are they talking about?" He was ignored.
"We will let him decide that for himself! Stop acting so deviously annoying."
Lightoller gave an exasperated groan as Murdoch waved him off while reading the message bestowed on the letter. "I need a drink," Lightoller mumbled as he stood up from his seat. The chair swirled in madness as he left it to head to the far cupboard where the chief officer stowed away their liquors. "Who are they anyways?" he asked as he came back to the table.
"There's a Mr. Caledon Hockley."
"Isn't that the American steel tycoon?" One of the juniors asked around the group.
"No, he's the son of the tycoon," Lowe replied, looking sideways at Boxhall, the one who posed the question.
"So, he's living off his father's money?" Moody continued their questionnaire.
"Like all of the other wealthy people in this world."
"Hmm, I don't seem to like him already," Moody mumbled in a laughing matter, causing Pitman to stifle a chuckle, and Lowe to shake his head.
"Anyone else?" Lightoller asked pouring himself a small portion.
"It wasn't blatantly stated, but it does say to expect more."
"Bring it on, I like a good fun."
Murdoch figured that. "Mr. Andrews is going to introduce us," the first officer said, throwing down the letter next to his upturned hat.
"All of us?"
"No…" was his distant reply.
"No?!" Lightoller cried in horror.
Murdoch shot Lightoller another look, but offered a mischievous smile of his own. "Of course all of us, Lights! We are expected to be uniformly introduced to this party, and get on with our daily duties, unless stated otherwise! Have you no bones for jokes?"
"Not when the joke is not funny. Now, you are going to give me an ailment I do not need. Have you no care for my health?"
"While my own is declining with my prospering age, I don't think so!"
"You are a cruel man, Murdoch," Lights slurred while taking a swig of his drink.
"You are if you don't pour me one of those. You're settling quite a headache on me."
Lightoller slipped his good friend William Murdoch a crystalline glass, and poured him a helping from the bottle. Murdoch gazed at the glass intently as he had done many times before when he would be in the company of his long time friend Charles Lightoller as their wives chattered happily away in the background.
Mr. Charles Lightoller was a man of many means, and his potential fun was usually mischief of all kinds what would leave many of his fellow officers to either join in or get pranked. To some, Mr. Lightoller was an intelligent, and amiable man of all aspects, but his tendency to get in all sorts of trouble seem to be apparent within himself and the consciousness of those around him.
In contrast, Mr. William Murdoch was the more abstemious of the two. He was a well-rounded gentleman who knew exactly when to stop when the joke became too vulgar, but also knew how much to say to provoke the right answers. A quality Scotsman with a sound mind!
Lightoller was the fun-maker of the mischief and trouble that may spark between the officers. Murdoch was buffer for those naughty-boyish pranks that may arise whether from pure boredom or from Lightoller himself.
"Do you truly think that we are going to have a little amusement during this voyage?"
"Trust me, Will, when you let the chickens loose, the fun part is putting them back in their pens."
Murdoch thought for a moment at Lightoller's eccentric analogy, but cracked a subtle smile that pulled his sailor weathered face into mirth. Charles Lightoller reflected the same emotion, and raised his glass towards his good friend. "To an unpredictable voyage?"
The first officer raised his own glass, and thought knowingly of the mischief, and havoc to come. "Cheers, Lights."
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Please don't forget to review! I only can improve with your feedback. They are greatly appreciated in every aspect. It gives me the motivation to continue on this journey! Thank you for reading!