AUTHOR'S NOTE : So sorry about the severe delay! I know a few of you have been asking for this to continue so here it is. I hope it was worth the wait!


CHAPTER SIX

April 11th, 1912

"What are we doing?" Violet asked Charles once she caught her breath. Her eyes timidly gazed into his as she awaited her answer. He was hard to resist now that she was in his warm embrace. She had locked lips with him for the past ten minutes or so, and it was only now that they paused for a breather.

"We're kissing, Violet," Charles smiled at her as he pecked her lips. "We're kissing, and it feels great."

She nodded and agreed with him, "I know it does Charles, but …"

"But what?"

"You're married," She pointed out quietly. Her gaze fell to the floor as she sighed, "You have a wife. What does that make me Charles? Some sort of brazen hussy?"

"No," He told her firmly. "No," He said again as he lifted her chin so she would look at him. "Don't ever call yourself that Violet. Never lower yourself down to that. This means something, alright? I haven't stopped thinking about you since the moment I met you."

Violet couldn't help but smile at his confession. "You haven't stopped thinking about me?"

"Yes, I can't get you out of my mind."

"Charles, if I'm being honest, then I haven't stopped thinking about you either. I tried to put you out of my mind, but every time I'm with Andrew all I can think about is getting away from him. Until now, I just thought it was because he's an arrogant, selfish bastard if you'll excuse my language. The point is," She continued, taking a deep breath and preparing herself to admit to not only Charles but herself, about her feelings. Looking into his eyes she spoke softly, "The real reason I wanted to get away was that … He's not you."

He rubbed his nose gently with hers and whispered, "Well you're with me now Violet."

As much as she like the feeling of being this close to him, she couldn't forget the fact that he has a wife and family to go back to. To that end she asked, "And then what? What happens once I'm in New York? You'll have to go back home, won't you?"

"Don't think about that just now," He urged as he swept some hair from her eyes.

"Then what should I think abo-"

"Don't think, just enjoy this moment."

Violet sat up and nodded, "I want to Charles. The truth is, I've never felt like this before. It's new and exciting, but it's uncertain. Who am I to you? Am I your mistress?"

"Let's not put a label on it Violet, we are what we are," He told her simply. "A label will just place expectations on each other. I don't want to think about anything else, all I've wanted was you. And now I have you, so to speak. What happens now is up to us. If you want to go, then by all means go. I'm not going to hold you here against your will, but if you do go, just promise me that you won't let Andrew dictate your life. You're so much better than that Violet."

Feeling her heart beating rapidly in her chest, she took one of his hands and squeezed it gently. "Okay then."

"Okay," Charles smiled as he leaned in swept her up in another kiss.


August 11th, 1903

Violet sat in front of her dressing table that night, admiring the necklace she had received from her father. It was her sixteenth birthday and she had been lavished with gifts much like all of the others. She held the necklace up so the diamond could sparkle in the light. While she had seen many diamonds before, this was the first time she was allowed to wear one. It was something that would always hold sentimental value to her.

"Violet?" Came Eve's voice from the doorway as she looked inside. "May we come in please?"

"Yes Mother!" She called back and put the necklace back in the box for safekeeping.

Robert couldn't help but smile as he walked in the room. He noted the care that was already being given to the necklace and remarked, "Keeping it safe darling?"

Violet nodded, "Yes Father. I couldn't imagine anything happening to it."

"Have you thought about what we discussed earlier?"

"About George Alexander?" She frowned immediately before giving a small jewellery box a scowl. "No Father."

Robert sighed and picked up the box, "Darling we talked about this. George would be a wonderful husband for you."

"But I'm only just sixteen!" Violet protested. "I don't want to be forced into a marriage!"

"We're not forcing you," Eve assured her gently. "But we would like to see you find a nice husband. Your father and I thought if we started looking for a match earlier then it would give you more of a chance to have a family sooner. You have blossomed into a beautiful young woman Violet, and I just know that you'll never be short of suitors."

"Then why choose for me?"

"Because we don't want you to marry anyone who is less than you deserve," Her father told her gently. He stroked her cheek and said, "We would never have you marry a man who is unsuitable and who makes you unhappy."

She sighed and shook her head silently. She was becoming a woman but somehow it still seemed like she was still a child having to abide by her parents' rules. Growing up was nothing like she imagined it would be when she was a young girl. It certainly wasn't easier and she didn't have as much freedom as she thought she would have.

"We'll just go so you can think on it," Eve said as she looked up at her husband. "It is a big decision."

Robert nodded in agreement. "You don't have to marry him Violet, just meet him," He said gently. "Think about it."

"I will," She said eventually.


April 11th, 1912

"Can you hear that?" James whispered to Joseph, who arrived into the wheelhouse. He pointed down the corridor towards the officer's cabins and remarked, "I wonder who the lucky lady is."

"I wonder who has the lucky lady," Joseph mused as he glanced down the corridor before looking back to James. "Do you happen to know?"

He shrugged and suggested, "Shall we investigate?"

"Come to think of it … Did Violet leave? She was up to speak to Lights about something. That was over an hour ago."

James took one look at him and tiptoed down to the second officer's room. He pressed his ear to the door while waving Joseph down to him.

"I thought so," Joseph muttered as he crept down in time to hear a loud moan from a woman. "Yes, I would say that is Violet in there. Looks like Lights beat you to it Jim."

"Oh, come on!"

"He's a grown man. Married, yes, but a man. How he managed to charm Violet, I'll never know," Joseph remarked in a hushed voice. "Her parents are respectful figures. Her father is one of the best doctors in Britain for goodness sake. I have no doubt that Eve would have a coronary if she knew what her daughter was up to."

James nodded and whispered, "Do we stop them?"

"No use in that now, is there? It would only embarrass her, and Lights would probably refuse to speak to us for the rest of the voyage. Nothing good can be gained from outing them. He could even lose his job. We just have to hope that she knows what she's doing," Joseph sighed quietly as he leaned against the wall. Grimacing at the sound of the bed banging against the wall in the room, he added, "I just don't want to see her hurt."

"Why are we hanging about here?" Will wondered as he strode down the corridor. "Jim, you're supposed to be on the bridge just now."

"On my way," He nodded, leaving the two men standing outside of Charles' door.

"What's going on in here?" Will asked Joseph. "Meeting in the middle of a corridor like this is never a good sign."

"Oh, Charles!"

Will's eyes widened as he spun around and pointed to the door. He turned to Joseph and scowled, "That had better not be Violet!" The silence he received in reply just confirmed his suspicions and groaned to himself. "That man is a bloody idiot! From now own, she is not allowed up here unless she is escorted by someone."

"Is that really necessary?"

"I told her earlier that I wanted to make sure that she wasn't going to end up hurt. Fooling around with Lights is going to do that to her. She doesn't need any more hurt in her life. That Andrew Montgomery is bad news," Will said in a hushed voice.

Joseph gave him a look of concern and asked, "He is?"

"I watched him grab her. They were having a disagreement so she went to walk away and he pulled her back to him," He explained in a whisper. "If he catches her with Lights I worry that he's going to do a lot worse to her!"

"Then what do we do?"

"You'll need to talk sense to Lights. I can't do it because he doesn't seem to listen to me when I broach the subject. He can't see her and he certainly can't do this to her."

Joseph sighed, "You know many sailors take on mistresses at sea. It's nothing unusual, even if it is against the rules of our conduct." He shrugged, "I'll talk to him but I don't know how far I'll get."

"Hopefully you'll get further than I ever will ..."