Hi, so here is another chapter and I hope that you enjoy it. Hopefully I will get the next chapter up sooner rather than later but in the meantime thank you all so much for your support. It really does mean a lot.

So this chapter deals with some of Isabella's past and her mother which will later become a major crux of this story. Again as I stated in the first chapter this is based on the Titanic's (1997) version of Bruce Ismay and not the real life one so this part of the story is an AU.

Disclaimer-Nothing here is mine just the character of Isabella.

And I hope this is mostly historically accurate but if the language is not then I apologise.

Please Read and Review.

Some Kind Of Tomorrow.

Chapter 4-To Lean In Or To Let Go.

It's the day after the party and trouble for Isabella and Rose as events from the previous night are spilled out into the open. (Slightly shorter chapter all in Isabella's Point of View)

She woke up late. So late in fact that she feared she had missed breakfast but Isabella did not care for one second. For the first time in her seventeen years she had felt alive, wonderfully alive. She felt she could feel the handprint on her waist and when she stepped into the bath to wash she felt like if she leaned back enough in time she could remember his mouth on hers.

It had been a glorious evening. The evening that came out of a dream and she had never wanted it to end. The lack of riches in steerage was apparent compared to first class but she thought there was more life below decks. Those people last night had, had hope. There was no endless stream of gossip about someone's wife or someone's son or someone's daughter. The worry that you might be outshone by someone whose background was industrial instead of aristocratic. The constant jealous tally that existed between you and other girls.

And the constant burying of your feelings to the point where you felt like you were going to cut yourself in two rather than admit that you wanted the simple things. Life. Laughter. Love.

Oh she was not naïve. Isabella was several things of that she would admit but naivety was not one of them and she knew that it was not as simple as to be that romantic. She knew to be in steerage meant restrictions on both this ship and in life. It was 1912 and despite the fact that she personally thought life would be a lot easier if the classes were to mix together she knew that the barriers that prevented her and Tommy Ryan from seeing each other again would be strong and unyielding against her touch.

But last night was the best night of her life. She wanted for nothing and yet last night was the night that had given her the most joy she had ever experienced. Even the utter joy of a good book, a hot bath and an ice cold glass of champagne (which was how she usually liked to spend her time) could not deter from the feeling of Tommy's hand on her waist, the delight of spinning around with that small boy and the simple pleasures that came with sitting with good and kind woman and discussing easy things like good cloth and embroidery. There was no malice or gossip in it and it was utterly refreshing. She thought of the dinner last night where Ruth had been so unspeakably rude and everyone had been polite until their backs had turned and she knew she wanted more than that. More than a loveless marriage and more than running an endless supply of society engagements that were as interesting as chalk.

She got out of the bath and Trudy her mouth set in a thin line wrapped her up in the soft towels that the ship provided and then set about to primping and prepping her with distinct speed. But there was something about her mouth that made Isabella watch her with a bit more curiosity than was strictly necessary.

"Is something wrong Trudy?" she asked as she went to put her earrings (long strands of gold with a single pearl topping the bottom of them). Trudy paused as Isabella spritzed on some perfume and the smell of lily and hyacinth entered the air. Trudy looked at her for a long second as if she was at war with herself and Isabella felt a swoop in her stomach. Whatever it was it was not going to be good and she knew, she knew, what it was going to be.

"I am not one to gossip Miss"

"And I appreciate your discretion Trudy "

"Thank you Miss but you should know…Mr Hockney had his valet come downstairs to look for Miss Rose and he saw her with that young man that saved her when she nearly fell."

Isabella groaned and uncaring of her hair she dropped her head into her hands. Gently Trudy pushed her shoulders up so that the curls would not be squashed.

"How much else did he see?"

"If you mean…whatever you were up to Miss…hypothetically of course then nothing…he was there to watch Miss Rose but Mr Hockney was…is furious. He's smashed up the entire tea set and though I'm not one to comment…he's frightened her out of her wits."

She huffed at that and Isabella swallowed harshly.

"Does Mr Ismay…"

"I do not think so Miss. I think it was just Miss Rose that was caught but considering you too were absent from dinner and you are in close company…It's not like the young Miss has given you up but even the dimmest of man can but two and two together and come up with four even if it is by accident"

Isabella snorted. God this morning was not going to be fun.

"How did he take the news of my lie in?"

"I told him it was the sea air finally getting to you when Mr Andrews asked. Mr Ismay did not seem to care. He was having breakfast with Colonel Astor and then was taking leave of some cigars before lunch"

Well Isabella thought wryly, there was something to be said for regularity.

And thank God he had not known about Tommy.

"Thank You Trudy. Tell Miss Rose if she is available I will call upon her after lunch and we can talk."

Trudy nodded and bustled from the room and it took Isabella a moment to realise that once again the happiness that had seemed so foreign and so strange to her had disappeared again. It had all come crashing down around her and she was left feeling close to tears again only this time it was worse because she knew what would make it better and she knew that she could never have it.

"I heard there was a dance downstairs in that steerage place"

It was no good thinking that her Uncle was not going to find her and before dinner he found her in one of the writing rooms. Isabella was reading though not really seeing the words. There was no need for any kind of comment on what she was wearing. Her hair was up and tucked neatly into a white hat and her white dress with the pink sash made her look like she should be on her way to meet the King and Queen. She had chosen her clothes with care and she hated herself for it.

"I believe so."

"I heard that Miss DeWitt Bukater that your so fond of was there"

Isabella looked up from her book.

"And?" she said through her teeth.

"And I know you followed her"

She shut her book with a snap.

"Uncle—"

"Hockney's assured me that he can get that woman under control and thankfully your soon to be off my hands but let me make it quite clear Isabella—" and here he grabbed her wrist so tightly that she was sure it would bruise—not that she could make a scene (no doubt some clever thinking on his part)—come morning.

"If I find out that you have been down in that place again I will personally ensure your obedience. It was bad enough with your Mother. I will not have another silly little slut under my roof again"

And with that he let go of her wrist his manic expression gone and on to greet Mr Prescott an American man of some reputation leaving Isabella shaken to her very core and wondering just what on earth that was all about?

And what had her mother got to do with anything?

She caught up with Rose in the ships Turkish Baths. Between the early hours of the evening it was only for woman and for both of them it was a steady sense of privacy and security. She was a lone woman and there was no way that Ruth would ever follow her daughter in here and as they both sunk into the water Rose gave a long sigh.

"I am sorry if I got you into trouble"

"Do not be daft" Isabella said instantly. "It was…it was…"

"Wonderful" Rose said dully. "It was the best night of our…well my life at least and it's never going to happen again. I do not know what I was thinking. The plan was that I was to be married by now. And that is what I should concern myself with"

"As should I" Isabella said seeing the truth behind the words and hating it.

They stayed in the bath for a long time and their faces were both wet with something other than water and when they came back to themselves she realised with a swoop that she was still holding Rose's hand tightly as if she was trying to save herself from herself.

Dinner was it's usual affair and a gold bangle helped hid the bruise that was showing. She dressed in a dark green dress today with gold thread and her Uncle did not so much as acknowledge her existence. She found that as she took a sip of champagne she wanted to scream and tear her hair out. Twenty fours hours ago she might not have been like this but then again she had tasted freedom. She had seen what the other side had looked like and she wanted more.

She wanted him.

Tommy Ryan.

She wanted the simplicity that was his smile and the scent of cigarette smoke and something else she'd never gotten the chance to name. She wanted the assurances that she was valued and seen and loved. Isabella thought back to what he said and she thought that it would be worth it even for this voyage. If this was to be called the Ship of Dreams then what was stopping her from achieving hers?

And if he is using you? Came the nasal voice of her Uncle in her head as the desert course was served. If he is using you for your name and your breeding and you get pregnant with a bastard's baby? Then what do you do?

And that made her hands pause in terror. For what did she actually do if that happened.

But what if it does not?

Surely there were ways to…step around…such risks? Surely there was some sort of planning one could take? Honestly for all her reading books that annoyed her Uncle suddenly the gap in her education was significantly lacking.

Besides she was not suggesting even to herself that she would be so foolhardy as to leap into bed with him! She had…well…perhaps standards was not the correct word but she had morals! And surely if he was anything like what she thought he was then he would have them too. And…and well she could just go down and talk to him could she not? People of other classes did converse. Most of the time.

It was pathetic in a way, she was bartering with herself over a slice of custard tart weather or not she should go and see him but considering all they had done was danced even Isabella had to admit to herself that she was putting a terrible amount of faith in the image. Perhaps it was just as simple as him wanting to kiss a rich girl when she was almost embarrassed to say that for her it was so much more.

She was cut out of her thoughts but her Uncle promising to take Ruth and Rose on a tour of the ship. Isabella had already had many tours of the Titanic before she had set sail and she did not feel the urge to go on another one nor she noted did her Uncle bother to include her in one. It was clear that this was not a place for her. Indeed she knew that there was not a place for her in his life. Not for her, Isabella the woman, passionate and independent.

Tomorrow was Saturday. She had Saturday and then Sunday and then by Monday they were looking at sailing into New York and then it was all over and the Ship of Dreams would rapidly turn into the life of nightmares of whatever was the appropriate sentence structure.

She had to try and see if there was something else out there did she not?

One look at Rose's downcast face and the way Cal patted her on the arm as if he was trying hard not to pat her on the head like a little puppy dog earning rewards for doing cute tricks in front of company told her the truth.

Yes. Yes she did.

And there you are, I hope you enjoy this chapter and the next one will be up soon.

Next Chapter-Isabella goes to see Tommy but runs into Fabrizio and Helga (who have been sadly neglected so far) and Helga offers some simple advice. And then Tommy and Isabella put their cards on the table.