The cabins of second class bustled with activity. People unpacking, changing, and trying to find their way around. Many comments about the luxury of Titanic could be overheard. Due to all the chatter one would have to strain to hear an argument in one couple's cabin.
"All I'm sayin' is you should let the girl marry," Ruth argued to her husband. "You've said 'no' to every man who's asked permission to marry her."
"I'm waitin' for the right man to come along," Alexander snapped.
"The right man for you! For God's sake, the girl will be twenty-eight next month!"
Alexander held up a warning finger. "If you had your way she would've been the wife of a sailor."
"And what was wrong with what's-his-name? That lad that they called 'Lights'?"
"He wasn't good enough."
"Is any man good enough?"
Alexander didn't answer. He threw his clothes into the hardwood dresser and announced he was going for some air.
For presentation he resisted the urge to slam the door behind him. It still didn't stop him from looking like a thundercloud as he marched down the halls.
Ruth found herself shaking her head after her husband left. Going to the abused dresser she opened up the drawers and re-organized all the clothing.
At least there was a separate room for Josephine. Perhaps she wouldn't have to hear any arguing.
Ruth felt a pang of sadness, Alexander hadn't always been like that. He had been a good and kind man once. A man that constantly smiled and always had a joke to tell. She missed the man she fell in love with.
~*~*~*~
"Josie, what are you doing here—erm—I mean it's pleasant to see you again," Charles sputtered. He desperately wished for anything, anything at all, to get him out of this situation.
"My family is going to visit my aunt in America," Josephine said.
"I hope you enjoy your time with her."
Conversations shouldn't be this difficult! Josephine's mind screamed. It wasn't their fault that things ended up the way they did.
"I must get back to duty, it was pleasant seeing you again Josie," Charles kissed her hand. Without waiting for a response he spun on his heel and walked away leaving her standing there. I'm such a fool! Charles scolded himself.
Josephine wanted to say more but the words did not want to come. She watched his back round a corner and disappear from view.
If only things had been different. If only they would understand...
Looking up towards the area she imagined was the bridge she wondered if Charles still would make a game of sliding from one end of the bridge to the other?
"Are you certain we're allowed up here?" Josephine asked as Charles led her up to the bridge. It was one of the few times he wasn't carrying her. She held onto his warm hand as he cautiously pulled her along.
"We won't be in here long," Charles reassured. "This is a game I used to play." He told Josephine to step aside and then walked to one end of the bridge. He made her laugh as he slid from one end to the other without running into any object. "Now you try."
Josephine looked uncertain. It was one thing watching someone slide like that but entirely another to try it herself.
"Don't worry, you won't hurt yourself," Charles reassured. He told Josephine how to place her feet and gave her a gentle shove so she would slide from one end of the room to the other.
Holding her breath Josephine was soon laughing when she made it to the wall. Taking careful steps she began to walk back to him.
"It's an art," Charles joked before sliding once again. "I once ran right into my Captain. He was very, very unhappy with me. ...Josie?" The split second he turned to look for her was the moment she crashed into him.
They both fell to the floor in an ungraceful heap. Somehow Charles managed to untangle his legs and arms from hers.
"Are you hurt?" Charles asked. He blushed crimson when he realized he was lying on top of her.
"I'm fine," Josephine laughed, her face was lighting up.
"You're so beautiful, Josephine," Charles whispered to her. He bent in and kissed her. His heart began to race when she kissed him back.
~*~*~*~
The fates! The world! Something was conspiring against him! Outwardly Charles acted like a proper officer. Inside his mind was beating him over the head. I've never forgotten you! Marry me! You could've said something! Anything! But noooooo...you had to be a coward and go running away. You fool!
"Charles?" William Murdoch's voice said.
Turning around he saw Murdoch's kind face looking back at him. "Lights, it's past your time on watch. I've come to relieve you."
Charles raised an eyebrow, "It's that time already?"
Murdoch nodded. "It is. Oh, did you get to talk to that lady you saw this mornin'?"
"I did briefly. I must be off, I'm tired. Cheerio."
Murdoch watched as his friend walked down the steps. It wasn't like Charles to go running away from a conversation like that. Usually Charles would make some brief small talk before leaving. ...And yet if Charles wasn't willing to talk it was like pulling teeth.
I'll talk to him tomorrow, Murdoch said to himself. He turned back to the sea and imagined Titanic slicing through the waters like a knife. What he could see was beautiful miles of ocean stretching out before him.
He wished his wife Ada could see this, the ocean beneath his feet and the glittering stars above his head. Murdoch smiled at the precious memories of his lovely wife. He missed her and yet was excited about the experiences he could tell her the next time he saw her. I'm aboard the Titanic Ada. The most wondrous ship ever built.
Sixth officer James Moody was quietly chatting with Fifth officer Harold Lowe. Earlier Moody had made himself a game of seeing how many of the names of the stars he could remember.
"Good night," Moody said cheerfully.
Lowe muttered something making Moody smile to himself. The man had to be the heaviest sleeper he had ever met. Moody would have to yank off the blankets and sometimes pull away the pillows just to get Lowe to wake up. He once had to threaten to pour cold salt water over the fifth officer to wake him up.
~*~*~*~
Once inside his cabin Charles found it impossible to sleep. His mind simply would not let him rest. He pounded his pillow with a fist as he gave up.
Not knowing what else to do and lacking anything to read Charles decided to get up and get dressed. Maybe a stroll around the ship would help clear his mind.
Perhaps it was more that he had to see her. Charles didn't know if he could live with himself by avoiding her until Titanic docked in New York.
Buttoning up his shirt and before he could lose his courage Charles left his cabin in search of Josephine.