Sky ran up and pulled Kevin off Mia, revealing her disheveled and sobbing on the deck. Her dress was torn, and the hem was pushing up above her knees, showing one ripped stocking. He looked at Kevin, the shaggy steerage turtle with his jacket off, and the first class lady clearly in distress, and started drawing conclusions. Two seamen chug across the deck to join them.

"Here you, stand back! Don't move an inch!" He turned to the seamen. "Fetch the Master at Arms."

A few minutes later, Kevin was being detained by the burly Master at Arms, the closest thing to a cop on board. He was handcuffing Kevin. Jayden was right in front of Kevin, and furious. He had obviously just rushed out there with Mentor Ji and another man, and none of them had coats over their black tie evening dress. The other man was Colonel Mason Truman, an African American man bald head who still had his brandy snifter. He offered it to Mia, who was hunched over crying on a bench nearby, but she waved it away. Jayden was more concerned about Kevin, grabbing him by the lapels.

"What made you think you could put your hands on my fiancee?! Look at me, you filth! What did you think you were doing?!"

Mia, who had said nothing the entire time, unwrapped herself from the blanket they provided her and went over to explain. "Jayden, stop! It was an accident!"

"An accident?!"

They all turned to Mia, their facial expressions ranging from confused to curious. "It was...stupid really. I was leaning over and I slipped." She looked at Kevin, getting eye contact. "I was leaning way over, to see the...ah...propellers. And I slipped and I would have gone overboard...and Mr. Douglas here saved me and he almost went over himself."

"You wanted to see the propellers?" Jayden asked, looking in disbelief.

Truman shook his head. "Women and machinery do not mix, lass."

The Master at Arms looked at Kevin. "Was that the way of it?"

Kevin looked straight back at Mia, whose eyes pleaded for his alibi. "Uh huh. That was pretty much it." He looked at Mia a moment longer. Now they had a secret together.

"Well! The boy's a hero then. Good for you son, well done!" Biggles congratulated. He turned to Jayden. "So it's all well and back to our brandy, eh?"

Kevin was uncuffed, Jayden getting Mia to her feet and moving. He rubbed her arms. "Let's get you in. You're freezing."

Jayden left without a second thought for Leo.

"Ah, perhaps a little something for the boy?" Biggles suggested lowly.

"Oh, right. Mentor Ji. A twenty should do it."

"Is that the going rate for saving the woman you love?" Mia asked, narrowing her eyes a little.

"Mia is displeased. Hmm, what to do?" He turned back to Kevin. He appraised him condescendingly...a steerage ruffian, unwashed and ill-mannered. "I know. Perhaps you could join us for dinner tomorrow, to regale our group with your heroic tale?"

Kevin looked straight at Mia again. "Sure. Count me in."

"Good. Settled then." Jayden turned to go, putting a protective arm around Mia. He leaned in close to Biggles as they walked away. "This should be amusing."

Kevin asked Mentor Ji as he passed by, "Can I bum a cigarette?"

Mentor Ji smoothly drew a silver cigarette case from his jacket and snapped it open. Kevin took a cigarette, then another, popping it behind his ear for later. Mentor Jo lit Kevin's cigarette.

"You'll want to tie those," Kevin looked at his shoes. "Interesting that the young lady slipped so mighty all of a sudden and you still had time to take off your jacket and shoes. Mmm?"

Mentor Ji's expression was bland, but the eyes were cold. He turned away to join his group.

In Mia's bedroom, as she undressed for bed, she saw Jayden standing in her doorway, reflected in the cracked mirror of her vanity. He came towards her, his voice unexpectedly tender. "I know you've been melancholy, and I don't pretend to know why."

From behind his back, he handed her a large black velvet jewel case. She took it, numbly.

"I intended to save this until the engagement gala next week. But I thought tonight, perhaps a reminder of my feeling for you..."

Mia slowly opened the box. Inside was the necklace...the Heart of the Ocean in all its glory. It was huge...a malevolent blue stone glittering with an infinity of scalpel-like inner reflections.

"My God...Jayden. Is it a-"

"Diamond. Yes it is. 56 carats to be exact." He took the necklace and during the following, placed it around her throat. He turned to her in the mirror, staring behind her.

"It was once worn by Louis the Sixteenth. They call it Le Coeur de lar Mer, the-"

"The Heart of the Ocean. Jayden, it's...it's overwhelming."

He gazed at the image of the two of them in the mirror. "It's for royalty. We are royalty, Mia." His fingers caressed her neck and throat. He seemed himself to be disarmed by Mia's elegance and beauty. His emotion was, for the first time, unguarded.

"You know, there's nothing I couldn't give you. There's nothing I'd deny you...if you would not deny me. Open your heart to me, Mia."

She didn't answer. All she did was stare at herself in the mirror, touching her necklace.

"Of course, his gift was only to reflect light back onto himself, to illuminate the greatness that was Jayden Shiba. It was a cold stone...a heart of ice."

Mia's eyes slowly transformed through 84 years of life...