The twins woke up much the same way they did the day before. They had gone to bed almost immediately after dinner was finished, their punishment for the trouble they had caused during the day and for their remarks at dinner. However, when both girls finally shaken off the last bit of sleep, something didn't fill right. Sure, everything in the room was the same, the grandfather clock still ticked, the fireplace danced with hot flames and glowing embers, even their music box laid open from the night before when they fell asleep to the relaxing melody, watching the dancer twirl around and around until their eyes were too tired to look and closed heavily, drifting them off into deep sleep. Even though their usual objects of comfort were all there, the house seemed quite still, the sky looked even more somber than usual, and despite o their thick, golden, down comforters and the crackling fire that bathed the entire room in its warmth, both girl still seemed to have goose bumps.
It became obvious soon enough why things seemed upside down. When their Governess came to wake them up, she did not give them their usual smile. Instead, she had quite an unreadable expression, on there had never seen on the face of the usual happy go lucky plump women. She got them dressed in silence a bit and then, after she realized the tension she was causing said.
"I'm sorry I'm so silent ladies. I just read the most shocking news." One look on Lucy and Charlotte's face though told them that she would not be hiding any of it from them. She continued to undo Charlotte's hair from her rag curls and finished what she was saying after another moment of silence, but an infinite amount of time could not prepare them for what Fraulein would say."The titanic sunk last night. It apparently hit an ice berg." Both girls jerked their heads to look at her, but what were more dramatic was the loud sounds of shock coming from the dropped jaws. Lucy had dropped her doll right on the floor, forgetting it was even in her grasp. If hadn't been for the rug it would have shattered, but even that could not cause their shift in attention. Their papa had bragged about that ship for months, saying how it was amazing how their great nation could produce such a beauty, the first unsinkable ship. He had planned to take the family over in May with Cousin James and Patrick, Downton's Heirs. There were going to go to New York for the first time, see their grandmother, but now that would not be happening. They couldn't fathom it, how something said to be unsinkable could sink. That wasn't possible, it had to be a mistake, but they knew it couldn't been, and just like their father said how people lie to make themselves look better, maybe adults did the same to ships and buildings.
"What about the people on board. I hope everyone is alright." Charlotte said quite innocently. She couldn't picture anyone dying, that if it sunk, people would go on the life boats, just like Papa had pointed out in a picture in the paper. But then she remembered what the article said, how they only put a minimum amount for regulation and to avoid crowding the deck. It was unsinkable so there was no need. She knew the answer their governess would give them.
"I'm sorry to say that a lot of people didn't survive last night." That was all she said. It wasn't her business to tell the girls such tragic stories, but their parent's to explain to them why not everyone could have lived. Lottie looked down at her knees, blushing under her stupidity, while Lucy stared off into space. She could picture the people in the boats watching others drowning in the water. She could not stop thinking how that could have been them, how her family could have been on board. What if they had been? After bit of bantering, Fraulein explained how a lot of women and children survived, not all but most. What about the men, she thought, leaving behind their families, little girls like her without daddies anymore. She knew from her trips to London that most people weren't like them, that they got priority almost every where they went over the middle and lower class. Was it the same when saving people too, she wondered. Her mind kept racing over and over again how if she had been given a different life, she could have been dead right now. She was snapped out her thoughts only when Charlotte grabbed her hand, causing the red head to jump a bit. Charlotte looked into her sister's blue eyes, they seemed so empty and scared. She could tell what was bothering her, but knew not to say anything. It would only cause more trouble for Fraulein, more trouble than she needed.
When they walked down the stairs and into the dining room, their father was already there, reading the paper, the Titanic front and center, clear as day in black and white, Lucy turned her head away from it, and after a half hearted good morning from both girl, the grabbed their food, and sat down. As Charlotte ate, Lucy sat, picking at her food. She felt nauseous, sickened from the news. She caught her father's eye, and he could see he knew that they knew.
"Fraulein told you what happened I guess. Tragic isn't it. God help the poor devils below deck. It makes me cold just thinking about the icy waters." He said quite carelessly, realizing what he had said. Putting his paper down, he smiled and said. "Don't worry girls. It doesn't affect us here. Everything will be the same, just you see." Charlotte smiled at that, but Lucy felt somehow sicker. She thought about the people in the bottom of the boat, her father always referred to the lower class as poor devil, and the water. She never though how freezing it was. She had little experience with cold water, but she knew it probably was a million times worst than the time she stuck her hand in the freezing pond water after she dropped her favorite hair pin. She could remember the feeling of warm rushing away from her hands, like a thousand needles pricking her skin, and then she could barely feel it and it took 2 hours in warm water for them to feel better. She had remembered her governess reading a book in the library after that about hypothermia so she could treat her, and although she couldn't understand most of it, she remember it saying how a person can die within a half an hour if submerged in cold water, and that is when she realized that some may have gone a similar way, a slow and painful way to go she though. She went pale as a ghost when she thought of that, but as soon as her sisters began to walk in did she try and distract herself, thinking about the weather. Suddenly, Sybil walked in, a telegram in her hand. Telegrams were always a fun surprise in the house, and the thought of one brightened Lucy up a bit, but as she watched her father read it, his face changing from happy to disturbed in a blink, his skin going as white as paper, did she realize it was a bad telegram, a rarity, but troublesome no less.
All the girls watched their father rush up from the table, leaving his paper behind as he excused himself from the table in a rush. With that, Charlotte looked at Lucy, giving her a look that said they must follow him. They waited a moment before getting up themselves, Lucy leaving behind a full plate. They saw their father rush upstairs, no doubt to their mother's room and after waiting a moment on the stair case, they saw their father go in, as well as O'Brien with her tea tray. As soon as the Lady's maid was out of site, the two, ran toward the door, each lying flat on their stomachs, putting their ear to the crack below. They had just missed their mother asking about some man named JJ Astor when their father abruptly changed the conversation.
"I've had a telegram from George Murray." Robert somberly said. "One of his partners was in New York"
"Yes?" Cora asked, not sure what this had to do with the conversation
"It seems James and Patrick were on board." Both girl's eyes widened at this and it took every bit of energy for them to no gasp in horror.
"They can't! They weren't planning to go over until May with us!"
"Then they changed their plans. They are definitely on the passenger list."
"But surely they were picked up." Cora said, half confidence in her voice. There was no way in her mind that the crew would let such high class men go without a life boat. There was complete silence in the room after that and Cora, and both girl, whose parent did know were listening, knew that they weren't and that they were dead.
"It doesn't look like it." Their father said, but by this time, it was too late, it was know just by his original lake of words that they had been just like the poor devils below death, freezing to death in the Atlantic Ocean with no sign of help. At this point, both girls could no longer listen. They felt quite weak their legs heavy as the iron of the titanic. They just sat there in front of the door, no longer caring if they got caught. They had never known anyone to die in their family, but that didn't mean it didn't happen in society. They had been to one funeral, when they were five, and that was when they learned what death meant, that a person is no longer on this earth, and that their body is just a body, no longer them. They couldn't think of never seeing James or Patrick again. The two didn't want to believe they were dead. Cousin James, a frequent visitor at Downton, he always smelled like tobacco, and his mustache always held a proper curl, ticking the girls checks when he kissed them hello. He always wore his favorite gold pocket watch, and whenever he visited, he always gave the girls a little bit of money to go spend in the village. As for James, he was the indoor type, but that didn't stop him from being a carefree spirit. He was a gentleman, but he knew how to have fun with his youngest cousins. He would tell those stories of his own creation, about mermaids and princesses, fairies and witches. They would never experience any of those small joys again and that is what made them as sad as they were. Charlotte grabbed Lucy's hand, her honey brown eyes filled with tears waiting to fall, and Lucy did not hesitate to drop her head on her sisters shoulder and weep out everything that had bother her. It wasn't long before their father opened the door and saw the two girls crying their eyes out after hearing everything said. He should have known after all these years that they would try and listen in, and of course they successfully did.
"Come he my princesses." He said to them holding out his arms. Both girls fell into them, sobbing about the loss of their favorite cousins, the only cousins they really knew. Robert knew he had to do this, drop his usual properness and be their when his daughters needed love. He picked up, Lucy, letting her cry on his shoulder as he brought them back to their room, Lottie holding on to his other hand, as she was in a better state than her twin. He placed Lucy down on her bed and while Lottie sat next to her. Robert got on one knee and said.
"I know this is hard to believe and I know how upset you girls are, but things will get better, I promise. Stay here for a little and calm down a bit. I'll have you mother tell Fraulein Gertrude bring you up some tea and to delay your lesson a bit. I need to go down and talk to marry alright loves." They both shook their heads, and left, feeling he had done enough to calm them down. When he mentioned Mary was when the two realize just how much this would affect their family. James and Patrick were suppose to inherit Downton and Mary was suppose to marry the younger of two. With them gone, the fate of their families' heir was unknown, like a precious stone dropping down into a deep abyss.
