April 11, 1912

9 a.m.

Early the next day, Ben awoke with an unrelenting smile. From his memory, he cherished and sighed over the previous evening with Elizabeth, especially of Liz's hand tenderly tucked into his own. Indeed, he had been enjoying a wonderful voyage thus far, and he had hope for the near future.

Unfortunately, Ben remembered, he already had a decent young woman awaiting his presence at home. Indeed, it would cause such a scandal for his parents and in the town of Boston if he were to be caught gallivanting with a girl other than his own. However, the more Ben thought, the more he realized that Beatrice, his love, was not truly his love. Instead, he found more truth and love with even the likings of Elizabeth Andrews.

Thus making his decision to go out in search of the elegant Liz, Ben finished tying his leather shoes and strolled out into the hallway, looking for any signs of the girl. He passed by a familiar face, assumingly a friend of his mother, and he gave a polite nod to said woman, but he grew in solicitude when he entered the corridor with the Andrews' suite and saw no signs of Liz or her father.

Just as he was about to turn around and make his way back to the Grand Staircase, he felt a gentle pair of hands upon his shoulders. Familiar with the scent of lavender and the gentleness of the hands, he took the hands into his own and turned around to encounter the buoyant smile of Liz.

"Good morning, love," Ben said as he wasted no time in wrapping his muscular arms around her small frame, burying his nose in the luscious curls. He sighed in the perfection of the moment, for he had indeed found the one thing he was looking for, and tightened his grip.

"Good morning, Ben," Liz sighed, hugging him back the same and resting her head against his chest. She, too, relished his steady heartbeat through her ears, and she closed her eyes for a moment. Without breaking away, she asked, "How did you sleep last night?"

"Wonderfully, I must say, and I can same the same for you?" He chuckled and pulled her away to catch her wavering giggles. Liz nodded her head slightly and brought her hand up to his head, for a stray strand of his hair was sticking out. He took a moment to savor how adorable she was before he held out his elbow for her.

Reading his thoughts into his actions, Liz took his elbow gracefully, brushing her hand against his, and rested her hand in the perfect crook of his arm. Together, they strolled back to the staircase and made their descent to the First Class dining saloon.

Once inside the large room, they found a quaint table, facing the beauty of the sea hidden behind the window. Being a proper gentleman, Ben pulled out a chair of Liz, and she offered a grateful smile as he tucked it in. He took his seat across from her and reached for the jug of ice water on the table to pour a refreshing glass. Taking a sip, he upturned his mouth and reached across the table for Liz's hand.

"How is your father?" Ben offered to her as he rubbed his thumb smoothly on the back of her hand. Liz chuckled at this and gave a sincere nod.

"Quite well," She sighed wistfully with a faraway look in her deep brown eyes. She turned her gave back to him and continued, "Father came in ten minutes or so after you left, and we stayed up a little to talk about our days. He told me about the way the First Class passengers he had dined with yesterday were speaking of the grandeur and magnificence of this ship."

She paused for effect before adding, "As wonderful as the boat truly is, everyone is mistaken that it cannot sink."

Ben sighed, for he shared Liz's and her father's opinion. In a soft, gentle tone for only her to hear, he responded, "Truth be told, no ship is unsinkable. Though it is true that your father was incredibly brilliant in the design of this vessel, it is made by human hands. It can sink."

A steward stopped by their table with a tray of breakfast foods, and Ben and Liz took the opportunity to pick and choose the French toast with eggs. Ben savored a bite of the toast, covered with maple syrup, before Liz continued on.

"I told my father last night about our evening together."

Ben grew anxious and wiped his mouth with a napkin. "What did he say?"

"Oh, Ben," Liz whispered playfully. She savored the scrambled eggs, swallowed, and shook her head mirthfully at Ben."We need not keep secrets. My father finds you to be a true gentleman. Don't fret."

Ben let out a sigh of relief and finished the rest of his toast. "That's great to hear. I was hoping I wouldn't have to drag you off in privacy for every little outing."

Liz laughed softly at this, finding him to have a delightful sense of humor, and she rested her hand on his knee. "Thank you, though, for your gallantry in keeping us together. That won't be necessary."

Ben shared a chuckle with her and stood from his chair, placing his napkin on the table. He walked over and pulled Liz's chair out. "With all of the men on this boat and in America, I could lose you awfully quick."

Liz linked her arm through his once again, and he led the both of them through the dining saloon to the stairs. She ran her free hand through her chocolate brown curls and treaded it over the polished wooden banister.

The two of them walked in comfortable silence, enjoying each other's company and gazing out in the distance at the sparkling Atlantic Ocean. Liz, being closer to the deck railing on the port side, perked her ears up to the audible sound the blue waves made against the momentum of Titanic. She found it pleasant, being of a simple nature, and she soon found herself grinning solely.

Ben watched Liz as she did so, and likewise, he smiled inwardly at her. He mindfully released his arm from Liz and took her hand in his own. Softly, he threaded his fingers through hers and gave a gentle squeeze. Liz looked up and met his knowing expression; he, in turn, tugged at the corners of his mouth to resemble that of a smile, and she contagiously did the same. She leaned in and placed her arm through his, at last laying her head on his shoulder.

Ben moved his free arm and placed it protectively over Liz's and spoke aloud, "I suppose we should find something intriguing to do this morning. Would you … perhaps like to join me to Second Class? I hear there's a library on board."

"That sounds lovely," Liz said with a smile.

And so Ben and Liz found themselves in the vacant library in the midst of the ship. Together, they roamed through the shelves, amusing themselves to no end with the titles, and sat upon a plush leather couch. Indeed, they found many books of which they had read in their many years of schooling, and they never hesitated to share many laughs and sighs. Liz had even taken to laying across Ben's lap, for she claimed to grow tired as the day wore on. Nevertheless, they ended up laying together on the couch, with Liz nestled between Ben's arm and the couch. Even the quiet librarian, whom soon entered after a brief lunch, kept herself from the young couple, but instead smiled to herself at the pleasant sight.

A penny for your thoughts, nonetheless. I hope you enjoyed this addition! I f you have any requests or comments to make, I would gladly appreciate it if you gave some below. Until then. :)