Chapter Six: The Noahtic Part One
"The most dangerous animal in the world is a silent, smiling woman."
March 18th, 1879
London, England, United Kingdom, Europe
Marie stood in awe at the sheer size and majesty of the boat in front of her. It was absolutely massive, and the people boarding it looked small and inconsequential. The tall smokestacks gleamed in the sunlight, and the waves lapped at the sides of the ship.
She quickly ducked her head and hurried up the smaller ramp meant for staff towards her designated area. But, of course, it didn't help that she was already late. That morning, the carriage broke down on her way to the Noahtic, so she was forced to walk the rest of the way. The Moriarty brothers, Sebastian, and Fred were already on board. Sebastian and Fred were posing as general staff while she had her own role to play. With a shake of her head, she continued into the boat and towards the servant's chambers.
According to William's plan, she was to pose as a servant aboard the ship and therefore had to board separately from the passengers. She carried her small suitcase that held a change of clothes in her gloved hands and made her way down the halls, a map in her free hand and her bag in the other. Hastily written instructions from Louis were jotted down on the map, instructing her where to go.
"First a right, then turn left here, and I should be- there it is!" She exclaimed and spotted the servant's sleeping chambers. The fake name that she was using, "Harriet Maxim," was hung on one of the doors to show which one was hers, so she quickly entered and took stock of the room.
It was tiny, smaller than her old bedroom at her old house. There was room for a cot, and that was it; she figured she could touch either side of the room if she stood in the middle with her arms stretched out. The boat gently rocked from side to side as she shut the door and closed the porthole that looked out onto the sea in order to get changed. She hid her suitcase underneath the cot and pulled out her uniform.
Her uniform was a black dress with long sleeves, a high collar, and a bustle on the back, and a white apron with two pockets to go over the top. She was able to keep her boots and gloves and adjusted her gloves as she made her way to the kitchens to start helping with supper. The kitchens were abuzz with all the kitchen staff flitting about to prepare the meal for the various noblemen and women and the commoners who were on board. There were still a few hours until supper time yet, and several days before her part of the plan was to be put in action, so all she could do was wait.
…
It was nearly three days into their maiden voyage when she actually met Count Enders for the first time. During that time, she barely had contact—if any—with William and the rest of the group. Instead, she spent nearly all her time in the kitchens.
Marie wiped the sweat from her forehead with a rag and tucked it into her pocket before returning to making the food for that evening. She was in charge of chopping the vegetables for a large roast that was being prepared. It was hot, and she was sweating profusely in the steaming kitchen.
There was a bump of someone running into her back, and she jolted forward, letting out a curse as the knife in her hand slipped and slit a small hole in her glove. Then, turning and looking for the person who bumped into her, she saw a head of dark hair disappear into the bustling crowds of the kitchen staff.
And felt the subtle weight of an envelope in her apron pocket.
Hastily fumbling with the letter, she glanced around to ensure no one was looking before ripping it open. Inside was a picture of whom she assumed was Count Enders and a note.
"Prepare the poison for tonight. The next phase of the plan is in action."
She hurriedly tucked the note back in her pocket and finished chopping the last of the vegetables within the hour before excusing herself back to her chambers. Then, reaching underneath the bed, she pulled out her suitcase and opened it up.
Marie had folded her clothes from before neatly inside, and she rummaged underneath them to pull out the poison vial. The smooth purple glass felt cool even through her gloves, and when she shook the vial, the clear liquid sloshed around inside.
Standing up, she tucked the vial in her pocket and exited her room, nearly running into Sebastian in the corridor. Marie came up short and blinked several times at the large man.
"I'm assuming you received Fred's note?" He asked gruffly, and she nodded, pulling out the vial and cradling it in her palm as she showed it to him.
"A few drops of this, and he'll be raving mad." She said confidently, and he nodded, hand pushing the vial back towards her pocket.
"Great, hide it. Be sure to be the one serving his wine tonight." Sebastian said, and Marie nodded,
"I will."
It was agony waiting for supper time. Maire had finished all her work in the kitchens and was permitted to roam the ship so long as no one needed help with anything.
She spotted Albert Moriarty on the upper decks of the ship just as the sun was setting.
Marie approached him quietly from behind, but he heard her nonetheless and turned with a welcoming smile once he realized who it was who approached him.
"Ah, Marie, lovely to see you here. What brings you to the decks? I would've thought you'd be in the kitchens." He said, and Marie leaned on the railing overlooking the sea. It made her nervous, seeing the vastness of the ocean, but she shook off those thoughts in favor of answering.
"I finished my work. The head cook permitted me to leave the kitchens, so I figured I'd come up here." She explained, and Albert nodded with a quiet 'ah.'
There was another moment's silence with the two of them just watching the waves lap the sides of the ship before Albert spoke again,
"If I may ask, what is in the poison you'll be using tonight?" He asked, and Marie let out a quiet hum as she mulled over the question and tried to remember the list of ingredients.
"It's a personal concoction, really. There are various things, but the main ingredients are opium and Jimsonweed—though you might know it as Devil's Snare. It's a powerful hallucinogen that's lethal in large doses. But this dosage will only cause delirium and hallucinations. " She explained, looking at Albert out of the corner of her eye. He was bathed in the light of the setting sun.
He looked handsome.
Marie quickly averted her eyes and looked back out to the ocean. Where had that thought come from?
…
At supper time that night, Marie made sure she was on duty for passing out wine and drinks and hid the vial of poison in her pocket as she made her way through the tables.
She met Count Enders soon after.
Marie spotted his shock of blond hair and nice suit as soon as she entered the dining room. He was seated on the edge of the set-up tables, looking positively enraged at something, muttering angrily through his mouthful. Quietly slipping from the room and behind some curtains, she pulled out the vial and quickly dropped the six drops needed into the single glass of wine left on her tray.
Then, slipping out from behind the curtains, she made her way over to Enders' table and ducked her head,
"More wine, Count Enders?" She asked, faking timidness and keeping her head lowered, but her eyes trained on Enders' face. He grabbed the wineglass roughly, spilling a few drops on her tray and taking a large gulp.
"About damn time, this service is terrible! Not at all fit for a nobleman!" He exclaimed angrily, and Marie bit her tongue,
"My apologies, Your Excellency." She said, and he scoffed,
"Just make sure it doesn't happen again." He snapped and dismissed her with a wave of his hand.
As she walked away, she couldn't help but smile.
Mission accomplished.
