"Attica, get ready for dinner, we have been invited to dine with the captain." Father said as he came into my room. I had come back from my encounter with Mr. Murdoch some time ago and was now just lounging on the sofa of my suite, reading a copy of Pride and Prejudice that I had found on my desk.
"Ok." I said as I got up and went into my bedroom to get changed. I took the belt off from my waist and tried to unbutton the suit when I realized that I could not move my arms any higher than my waist, damn these corsets they really did make women completely helpless.
"Bryony!" I called the maid in irritation and not even ten seconds went by until she was there by my side.
"Yes Miss?" she asked.
"I need to get ready for dinner." I practically yelled in frustration.
"It's alright Miss." She said as she made quick work of the buttons and finally got me out of the damn suit. "What dress would you like to wear?" she asked as she went to fold up the suit that I had just worn while I walked over to the closet and began to look through the dresses that were there. After looking for a short time I decided to wear a pink evening dress.
"This one." I said as I handed it over to her so that she could help me put it on. "Oh that one is lovely Miss." She said as she worked on getting it on me. "There." she announced once she was done. I turned to observe myself in the mirror,
"Miss, please sit at the dresser so I may do your hair." Bryony asked as she herself walked over to the dresser and waited for me. With a quick nod I followed her and quietly sat at the dresser as she worked to pin my hair up. Once it was up she clipped diamonds to it and finished by handing me a pair of ivory white gloves. "Oh Miss. Mr. Corbett will be pleased." Bryony said as she admired her handy work.
"Thank you Bryony." I indicated to that her presence was no longer needed. I may be from 96 years in the future and I may not talk the same way that these people did, but I did know how to behave and I knew when I did not want I maid standing around me all the time.
As I took one final look at myself in the mirror, there was a knock at my door after taking one final breath I made my way over to the door to see who it was.
"Are you ready?" my father said as he stood on the other side of the door.
"Yes." I replied as I exited the room.
"Well then shall we?" he asked as he offered me his arm, and with that we made our way down to the dining hall.
"You know you have been acting very strange lately." my father said as we made our way through the corridors of 1st class.
"I have?" I knew that being transported back from the future meant that I did not have the sophisticated speech that a first class lady should have, but to tell my father that I was indeed from the future would have been a one way ticket into a psychiatric institute.
"Yes you have, and sweetheart you know that I am just worried about you." he said as he patted my arm.
"Well if that is the case then how about not making me marry this Damion!" I practically shouted.
"Attica, Damion is a very successful man and will be able to provide for you." He said with a stern voice.
"Well what about my happiness?" I asked him in a rage of frustration and anger as I stopped in the middle of the corridor.
"Attica we are not having this conversation here!" I could tell that my father was in a rage of anger and that I would not be able to sway his mind from, so I did the only thing that I could do and stayed silent as we made our way into the dining hall.
"Ah, Mr. Corbett, Please join us." A man with brown hair said as he got up from his table, it was a man who I quickly recognised as Mr. Ismay the president of White Star Line.
"Mr. Ismay, good evening". My father said as he approached the slime ball and shook his offered hand.
"And this must me be your lovely daughter." He said as he discretely eyed me up and down and although it may very well have gone unnoticed my most I for sure did not miss it. It was a gesture that made me want to run up on deck and throw up. I however knew that it was most definitely not an option, especially if I wanted to make a good impression with Officer Murdoch.
"Yes, this is Attica Corbett." My father introduced me like some priced piece of meat on the market, a gesture which I most definitely did not appreciate.
"Thank you father for that fine introduction," I practically hissed at him but never the less managed to disguise it with a forced smile as once again saw Mr. Ismay give a approving smile. Oh could he be any more dim-witted. That he did not realize that his presence nor his smiles were not appreciated. Oh how I wanted nothing more than to run out of here and find that wonderful man once again.
I felt my father urging me to take a seat at the table which I slowly did, and was seated in between my father and a man who I recognized as Mr. Hockley. "Tell us Mr. Corbett what takes you to America?" it seemed to be that Mr. Ismay had a reputation for knowing everything about everyone and this was no exception.
"Attica is to meet her fiancé; Damion Cooper over there." each time he said that vile word fiancé I felt my heart drop a fraction deeper into my stomach, but living in a world where I was expected to be a well groomed and gracious lady, there was nothing I could do but grin and bear my father's boasting of this supposedly fabulous man that he had practically sold me off to. I looked around the table and spotted a girl sitting at the other side of Mr. Hockley, if my assumptions were right she must have been Miss Dewit Bukater and I could see that she had exactly the same look that I felt like I had. Suddenly she noticed me looking and returned the look I knew that I should do something and with that I gave her a small wink and turned my attention to the caviar that was suddenly placed on my plate.
"Oh what a lovely concurrence," Mrs. Dewit Bukater spoke for the first time that evening, "Rose is to marry Mr. Hockley, they should converse over their wedding arrangements together." I swear was this woman's sole purpose in life to marry women off to men that they would be forever unhappy with. Or perhaps was she unhappy married to Mr. Dewit Bukater? I opened my mouth to retaliate to her horrible idea but my father beat me to it.
"What a splendid idea Mrs. Dewit Bukater." No it was most certainly not a splendid idea! I did not want to discuss the wedding. With anyone! I did not even want to get married to a man that I may have met but do not remember. I looked over to the girl who I knew to be Rose and to no surprise saw that she had a similar look of disgust, likely not to be aimed at me but at the idea of marriage and the discussion of marriage. On second thoughts maybe I could have 'discussions' with her. Not about the wedding but about life. I knew that she and Molly where probably the only two other women that would understand the longing that I held for life and for love.
So I put on a brave face and with a smile turned my attention to Mrs. Dewit Bukater as well as my father. "Yes indeed that would be a splendid idea." And just to lavish it even more turned to Rose "oh Rose, I am just dying to talk to you about your bridesmaid's dresses, you must tell me about them." She on the other hand was not as good at being exited over something she hated and merely gave a week smile stating that she would tell me all about her wedding plans.
With that we both returned our attention back to our dinner. There was just one problem; I was not really hungry at all so I satisfied myself with picking at my food like a bird and praying that something or someone could get me out of this predicament that I had suddenly found myself in.