Friday, May 7th, 1915
The morning added light through the portholes, greeting Adrien, Marinette and the steerage passengers with a warm and friendly glow under a dense fog. The Celtic Sea southwest of the Old Head of Kinsale was calm, the bright sunny day was filled with the cheerful cries of seagulls and the temperature was fifty five degrees Fahrenheit. Lookouts Thomas Quinn and Frank Hennessy, taking over from Patrick Seagraves and Joseph Parry in the crow's nest, were prepared to watch for submarines. Second Officer Hefford arrived on the bridge as usual, reliving Third Officer Lewis of his 4 to 8 AM shift. Meanwhile, U-20 submerged for five minutes after spotting a fishing boat, looking for a bigger target.
At 11:25 AM, Lusitania received a message from the Admiralty about submarine activity. This was the ship's third submarine warning which read: "Submarine active in southern part of Irish Channel, last heard of twenty miles south of Conningbeg light vessel. Make certain Lusitania gets this."
Captain Turner was unimpressed by the message and lack of patrol ships, expecting an escort from the cruiser Juno through St. George's Channel. He was certain that he had already passed Brow Head and that the submarine threat was far behind him. But still, he had received another Admiralty dispatch that read.
"Submarine five miles south of Cape Clear proceeding west when sighted at 10 AM."
This was the fourth and final submarine warning.
Crumpling the paper, Turner peered his eyes back to the horizon as the ship steered through the clearing fog. Second Officer Hefford stood nearby on his right hand side, staring out at the Atlantic for any other sign of land.
"In all my years at sea, I can't help but admit that in spite of the flat calm, something exciting is about to happen."
"Like a novel," Turner chuckled. "A work of suspense fiction."
"It will make the submarines clearer to see," Hefford added. "Unless we only find a periscope."
Turner looked down at the compass, examining it. They were still on course at sixty seven degrees east. Then, looking up, he remembered to pass all ports at full speed. Determination was on his face as he walked ten feet aft of the bridge, heading into the wheelhouse.
"Well, I'll be in the chart room if you need me. Keep speed at 18 knots and heading, Mr. Heppert."
"It's Hefford, sir."
"And warn me, of course, if anything becomes in the slightest degree doubtful."
Captain Turner shrugged and walked quietly into the aforementioned room.
At noon, Adrien and Marinette had a hearty breakfast, the best he ever had in weeks. After telling Alya, Alix, Mylene and Ivan about last night's events. They laughed and so did the couple.
"You probably should have seen Sabrina's face when Adrien gave her the finger!" she chortled.
Other men and boys on their side of the table laughed as well, but Adrien kept his face still. He looked at Marinette in a cloud of love surrounding his face and she felt it as well.
"When the ship docks, I am getting off with you."
"I know."
Marinette was about to kiss him lightly, but Adrien's right index finger stopped her lips from getting within five inches from his own.
"But first, I think we should tell Chloé and Father off once and for all."
Marinette frowned.
"Now it's worse."
"Just come with me, Marinette. I jump, you jump... Remember?"
"Yes," she nodded.
"Then let's do it," Adrien said as he stood up. "I do have to collect the rest of my belongings anyhow."
Confident, strong and ready to face her adversaries, Marinette followed Adrien up the stairs to first class.
In the B-Deck hallway, bed steward William Barnes and the seventeen year old steward's boy George Bates were reminding the passengers to prepare for the arrival in Liverpool as well as the very mention of a short delay. He was stopped in his tracks, however, by Chloé and Sabrina.
"Is there something wrong, misses?" he asked seeing their concerned looks of anger.
It was Chloé who spoke first.
"Tell the Master-at-Arms and the Inspector that I have been robbed of a very valuable ring."
Back on deck, Marinette and Adrien paced through the privileged passengers on D-Deck who stared at the odd couple. Although the working class had found it's voice in socialism, discrimination was still in the minds of a few who honored the old-fashioned rules of the food chain. Oliver Percy Bernard, the architect took a quick glimpse at them for a quick second and the band was playing "Tipperary" on the Boat Deck, serenading the passengers from a day of worrisome thoughts on an unsinkable ship.
"Now there's real music to drown by," Marinette said, humming to the tune that could be heard inside.
They came upon Sabrina in the hallway, having changed a bit since the last time they saw her.
"We have been looking for you, Adrien," she said sweetly.
Adrien did not speak a single word as they passed her. Then, unseen, she slid the cat ring into the pocket of Marinette's shawl.
A proper crime scene investigation was going on in the port Regal Suite. Gabriel, Lady Allan and her daughters watched in silence as Mr. Williams, accompanied by the second master-at-arms, Peter Smith and Inspector Pierpont searched the room for anything else that was stolen. Smith was going through Marinette's drawing, fascinated by the detail and doubtful that an artist of taken could be the culprit.
"These drawings look very good," he said to Adrien's nude drawing.
Chloé took it back, somewhat angered.
"No touching anything! I want the entire room photographed before we-"
The word "leave" was interrupted by the arrival of Adrien and Marinette. Gabriel looked at her with eyes of malice and hatred just as his son spoke out.
"Father, I want to tell you something very important."
"If it is about leaving us for this...chink," Gabriel said with venom. "I do not wish to hear it."
Marinette was insulted. She edged towards the "all-high and mighty" gentleman that Adrien dared to call his father, ready to throw a strong left hook into his prominent nose.
"Who are you calling a 'chink'?"
"Now, now. Let us not get too hasty," said Chloé with a voice of inauthentic cheerfulness. "We have a mystery to solve. Two things have disappeared last night. Now that one of them, Adrien, is back, does anyone have any idea where to find the other?"
Her eyes quickly darted left and right, directing them onto Inspector Pierpont.
"Search her," she instructed.
"What?"
Marinette's shawl was removed and before Adrien could respond, Mr. Smith had instantly found the ring.
"Is this it?"
"Yes it is."
Chloé aimed for the ring, but Adrien took it first. He was stunned and so was Marinette.
"Wha-you can't expect me to believe that I took it! I couldn't have!"
Marinette felt her hands being cuffed by the masculine inspector. Adrien tried to speak on her behalf.
"She could not have any motive to take the ring!"
"Of course, she would," Chloé said, smiling with satisfaction. "The ring is very valuable. Anyone would want to sell it for a hundred thousand francs. A sneak-thief like her would know the combination by just memorizing it."
Adrien remembered Marinette looking over him as he opened the safe, his eyes meeting hers in the small mirror above it. In the present, he did not know who to believe.
"I was with her the whole time, she could never be a thief."
"That's what happens when you fall in love with a girl you just met," Chloé spoke lowly, circling him. "I assume she did it when you were putting your clothes back on."
"Or," Marinette fought back. "Your 'woman servant' put it in my shawl when I wasn't looking!"
Sabrina came in on cue, inspecting the shawl.
"It is not even your shawl," she said pointedly. "According to the tag, this is property of Sarah Hodges."
She gave the shawl to Mr. Williams. The writing was legitimate.
"That was reported stolen three days ago."
Marinette turned to Adrien in exasperation
"I just borrowed it so I could get into first class to meet you! I was going to return it!"
Adrien crossed his arms, demanding the truth from her point of view in the impromptu role of a lawyer.
"Exactly when?"
"Before we docked."
But Chloé had another idea to keep the truth from being let out.
"Save it for the judge, chink. You are an honest thief who thought she could steal the most valuable ring onboard a ship of thousands who had plenty of other valuables worth depriving of."
Turning to the masters, she ordered.
"Take her away."
Marinette pleaded to Adrien, who tried to hold onto her. He was dragged all the way to the entrance as she shouted.
"Don't listen to them, Adrien! You know I didn't do it! Don't listen to them! You know me!"
Adrien, still wanting a formal investigation from her own words, tapped his right index finger on Inspector Pierpont's left shoulder, asking him.
"Where are they taking her?"
"Where all criminals go to," the inspector smiled dramatically. "Straight to the cells near the office on E-Deck. I can assure you, young sir, that our cells are the most comfortable on the Atlantic."
And he left a devastated Adrien by the door. Gabriel laid his right hand on his son's left shoulder.
"Such a shame, and you failed to see right through her."
"You know she did not steal the ring, Father," Adrien was growing fearful. The thought of seeing a girl beaten during an interrogation was becoming unsuitable to imagine.
"I may be able to clear her name...if you promise never to see her again."
Adrien tried to be reasonable with his father, talking back to him for the second time since three days ago.
"I love Marinette for what she is, not for money, not for power or well-connections. Hasn't there ever a time even in the smallest measurement that you could give me a life that I want in return? My love for her is genuine, natural and not at all forced."
Gabriel stared back at him, incredulous.
"How can anyone love a poor Chinese girl like her?"
Adrien could not argue with his father any further, having lost all faith and respect towards him. Chloé nudged his right arm and caressed it as she had always done so many time before.
"Your father's right, Adrikins, you are a prince of fashion and she is a commoner. A whore whose father was a gutter rat and her mother was a geisha...like all Asians are."
It was at this point Adrien began to see the politically inaccuracy of this girl's point of view. For the second time, he was back where he started: on his way to Liverpool with the girl from hell and an indifferent father. Worst of all, his lover had been framed for thievery, he wanted to vent his anger out on somebody just so that he could extract the truth from Marinette. But still, he kept most of his anger balanced and it was he who corrected Chloé about Marinette's nationality.
"Japanese women are geishas...Marinette is a Chinese artist."
"Japanese, Chinese, what difference does it make?" Chloé chuckled before she started to tug at him. "Now...why not we forget this ever happened and go down to lunch?"
As she led him out the door, Adrien found his hidden strength. He broke free from Chloé's grasp, forcefully and abruptly. The young lady felt her hands break free from the arm she held, reacting just in time to see Adrien stare at her with despising eyes.
"I would rather be her gutter rat than your husband, because you, Chloé Bourgeois, are nothing more than a SPOILED SELFISH BITCH!"
Gabriel dropped his jaw and before Chloé could have a chance to slap him, Adrien took off like lightning down the hall and down the stairs at a fox's pace. Chloé growled, now she was looking forward to a groomless wedding. However, her problems were about to take a turn of misfortunate proportions.
At 1:20 PM, Lusitania had fallen into U-20's trap. Chief Engineer Friedrich Sellmer sighted her at that time and rushed to inform Captain Schwieger. The submarine submerged to eleven meters and followed the ship as it zigzagged through the infested waters. Within a rage of seven hundred meters, the crew loaded a G6 torpedo into the tube, but before they could fire, Quartermaster Charles Voegele insisted on sparing the innocent lives. Unfortunately it was Oberleutnant Raimund Weisbach who shoved him aside, carrying out the order and with the torpedo locked in place, Schwieger made his one fatal decision that would shock the world.
"Feur!"