Part IV - Crossing the Channel
Waverly cast a look down at his pocket watch after he tugged it free. It seemed like so much time had passed since he had walked through the doors of the Foreign Office, but in fact, it was just past ten in the morning. Their ship was scheduled to set sail at noon.
Waverly took out the tickets again and had a look at them, frowning slightly as he noticed that the names on the tickets didn't match the names on their passports. Once they started traveling in France under their passport names, anyone trying to trace them back wouldn't find a connection back to England. Of course, whoever was looking would know that they had come across, but they wouldn't be able to establish when or how. First class tickets.
His frugal soul couldn't help but frown at that. Seeing the frown but not knowing the cause, Millicent decided to distract him a bit.
"You have me at a disadvantage now, as my mother would say. You know how old I am, but I don't know how old you are."
With a side glance, he tossed a variation her own words back at her.
"My own sister and you can't keep track? Well, I will be twenty in eleven days."
"On the twenty-first of April then? We shall have to celebrate then assuming we are able to."
The train shuddered a bit and got both of their attention.
"We appear to have arrived at Southampton, Millicent. Let's go have a look at this ship they've booked us on."
As they made their way to the docks, the assumed years seemed to fall off of Millicent as she took in the sight before them.
"Oh . . . my. It is absolutely enormous! And we're going on that?"
"If I recall what I've read about her correctly, she's the largest ship of her class currently. This will be her first cross-Atlantic voyage. And yes. First class tickets."
"A bit of an extravagance, but I won't complain. I've never been on a ship's maiden voyage before."
The excitement in her voice as her eyes ran over the length of the ship was evident in many of the other eyes around them as well. This vessel had been built to impress and impress she did.
"Nor I. We won't be on her more than a few hours, but we might as well take advantage and have a good look about. It appears boarding is already underway."
They made their way up the gangplank with still an hour to go before the ship would leave port. Leaving their bags in the space provided, Waverly offered Millicent his arm and the two of them began to explore after being informed that luncheon would be served after the ship was underway.
As they descended the grand staircase, the enormity of everything was still stunning.
"I should never in a hundred years have imagined all of this being on a ship, Alexander. We will be getting off in Cherbourg?"
"Yes. Then the ship will head to Queenstown and, after that, to New York."
"New York. That is a city I certainly would love to see myself one day. Shame I simply cannot just take this ship all the way there now."
"Perhaps you will when you're a bit older. The Titanic is a brand new ship, after all. They generally stay in service thirty years or so, so you should have ample opportunity."
He glanced down at his watch again.
"Nearly time for us to be puling away from the dock. Care to go back on deck and be a part of that?"
"Oh yes. Please."
The noise and streamers were all very exciting, but the thing that caught their attention was a near miss with another ship, ironically named the New York. That sobered Millicent's mood and, though she still appreciated their surroundings, her attention was back to what was to come. After eating, they found a quiet spot where they could speak privately.
"We won't be getting off at Cherbourg before nearly sundown, so we have a few hours. Tell me, Millicent, if you had your choice of where to go, where would it be?"
"Mother had intended for me to attend a finishing school in Switzerland. I suppose given the choice I would go there to complete my studies just because that was what she wanted. I have the rest of my life after I turn eighteen to do what I want."
"Sensible. I'm not at all certain how it could be brought about though."
"My mother, shall we say, didn't limit herself to one admirer. I believe I could find a way if I could get word to the right ears."
"Then we shall have to find a way to make that happen. I see a pair of deck chairs over there. We are likely to be quite busy once we're in France, so getting a bit of rest now might be the best idea."
He waited until Millicent settled into the chair, then tucked a lap rug around her before taking the chair next to her. Her eyes were looking off into the distance over the water. She didn't speak again until he had adjusted his own lap rug.
"And your orders to take me to Avignon, Alexander?"
"Odd thing about those orders. They said I was to take you there. They never said a thing about leaving you there."
Leaning back a bit, another smile formed.
"I do like the way you think, Alexander."