The whole time everyone was talking to me, I was trying not to stare at
Adam O'Malley. My father had continuously drilled into my skull that the
Irish were bad, poor rats, but I just couldn't see how Adam could fit into
this category. Every one in this dining hall was a first class passenger,
and he was an extremely handsome, well dressed man. His clipped Irish
accent fascinated me.
I nodded and smiled in the appropriate places. Suddenly, Adam spoke. "Katherine, are you alone on this trip?" I nodded. "Yes, my father is meeting me in the Americas a week after we get there. He is taking our private ship, I hate the thing. Wouldn't go on it, so he sent me here, on the Titanic."
Thomas smiled at me. "And he just up and left you alone? With people like Adam on board?" the table laughed. I smiled in Thomas's direction. "My father never cared much. As long as his girl is happy." Frank spoke up. A faint French accent lingered in his voice. "And your mother?" I bit my lip and looked down at my hands, faking grief. "My mother is gone. Since I was a baby." The men gasped, much to my pleasure, and Frank placed his hand consolingly on my shoulder. "I am terribly sorry, my dear. I should not have been so inconsiderate." I looked up and smiled at him sadly. "It is quite alright, sir. How could you have known?" I let out a tinkling little laugh.
Relief passed over their faces. I was maliciously happy, I could manipulate any being. A waiter came up with a large tray that had a fine silver lid over it and laid it on the table, placing the carefully made plates inside it in front of all of us. I smiled up at him when he placed mine so that he almost dropped the plate. His face turned a shade of pink and he fumblingly smiled back. "White wine, please." I said with a chuckle. He nodded and took the other's orders for drinks. As soon as he returned with the drinks we all started to eat and talk again.
The men started to ramble about money and such and I tuned them out. When they turned into such.snobs it got rather dull. I put my attention to what I was going to do after dinner. A long walk on the deck sounded thrilling. I loved the sea air. What I had said earlier about hating father's ship was a lie, but I hadn't wanted to travel with father. I couldn't stand to be around him, he was so distant to me. I don't think I ever spent more than an hour at a time with him, and that was across the table. A large table, mind you, with seats for 50.
Mother was also a lie. Well, nearly a lie. She was gone, but I had made them think she was dead. Mother was merely sent off. She had been caught kissing another man shortly after I was born. The man was banished from our house and mother was divorced from father and sent away forever. I was never to see her again. I had never seen her that I could remember, not even a photograph. I wondered all the time what she looked like.
Harvey Whittney, they homely man, cut through my thoughts with his annoyingly American voice. "I'm afraid Frank, Kurt and I must leave you, Miss Katherine, as much as it pains us, we will go and bore people in the Smoking Room with our talk." I smiled up at the ugly creature and the two good looking ones as they left me alone with Adam and Thomas. Adam shook hands with them and sat back down, watching me finish my wine. I set the glass down and looked back at him. "Well," said Thomas. "I believe supper's just about over. Adam, would you join me in a roaring game of billiards?" Adam nodded and stood up.
"It has been an immense pleasure, Miss Katherine. Will you join us at breakfast, if you don't meet somebody who gives better company?" I stood up and smiled. "Only if I don't, Adam. Thomas." I nodded and let them in turn kiss my hand. (Thomas wiped it off with his handkerchief, much to my amusement, After Adam kissed it.) I walked out of the dining room, quite aware of their eyes on me. The big French doors were opened and closed behind me by two servants..
Somehow, I found my way out onto A-deck. The company looked similar to all the people I already knew. Stuffy, arrogant, and rich. I sighed, sitting down. There was still a bit of light outside. I saw a staircase labeled, B-deck. Interested, I went down the stairs. Well, this was almost worse. The people here were cheap, desperate imitations of what was on the deck above. Perhaps I could find my way to a lower deck.I suddenly felt a need to get away from my life. The rich snobs I was always surrounded by.
I was tired of always pretending, always being one of them. A snob like them. It wasn't me, I just knew it. If I could be happy, I would give up everything I had, because in reality, I knew, I had nothing. I found the lower deck, the C-deck. There were people like my father had always warned me against. A thrill went through me, a feeling of danger. I knew I wasn't supposed to be here. 'I'm a "lady"' I thought sarcastically. A young man, not much older than I, stopped and looked at me. I looked back at him and smiled, the first genuine smile in some time. He turned bright red and hurried off. I bit my lip and knitted my brow. What was wrong with me? I shrugged and continued to walk. I went over to the rail and looked over, suddenly ecstatic. The view down here was so much better! So much nearer to the water.
I leaned against the rail and stared into the fast moving depths, imagining that I was plunging headfirst into the water. I suddenly jolted back, falling away from the rail. Why had I just been thinking that? I didn't want to die. I shook my head and went back to the railing, this time just looking. I sighed with happiness, it was all so beautiful. So much more simple down here. I wonder what my 'dinner partners' would think to see me down here, way below my damned class. I scoffed, suddenly angry. They would probably look at where I was with disdain. As if these people weren't equals, weren't even human.
The ship rocked a bit, sending someone smashing into me. I fell onto the deck, sprawled out, much lacy petticoat showing. I quickly pulled my dress back over my legs, a burning was traveling up my neck and making its home in my cheeks. An strong arm pulled me up and I found myself looking into deep brown eyes. Stepping back I saw that the eyes belonged to a rather handsome face (In a lower class, fresh sort of way) with brown hair. "I'm awfully sorry, ma'am." He apologized, doing a weird little bowing thing. He had an Irish accent similar to Adams, but a little less cultured and more carefree and uncut.
I tilted my head a little, the blush was going back down thank God. "It's alright, wasn't your fault. The boat hit a wave." I left off, making a meaningless gesture with my hand. I held out my hand, palm down. "Katherine Shok." He took it, to my extreme surprise, and shook my hand. "Silus McCabe." I smiled and he smiled back. My, he had a nice smile.
"I take it you aren't a third class passenger." He was a very..outspoken man. I regained my composure, as I was still a bit thrown off by the hand shaking thing. "No." Terrific, very intelligent. I congratulated myself sarcastically. He nodded. "What're you doing down here? Get lost?" His voice held amusement and something else I couldn't quite place. Sarcasm, maybe? "Ah.no. I needed a break from first class." He mocked being impressed. "First class, my goodness. And you needed a break from.money? Comfort? Those elaborate dinner parties? Please stop me if I'm wrong."
I glared at him. "You are! I needed a break from those people because they're stuffy and rude to lower classes, and I wish I wasn't even associated with them they're so.so.." I was at a loss for words in my rage. This man was very personal for not knowing me more than five minutes. He helped me, though. (note my sarcasm here.) "Pompous? Imbecilic? " I glared at him. "thanks a lot. You're just so helpful." He held up his hands in submission.
"Hold it there, Katherine, no need to get angry. I was only joking." I glared some more. "Okay, so perhaps my opinions got a bit out of hand.but I apologize. Maybe all upper class citizens aren't so cocky." I sighed. "I don't think I am, but you sort of are right about most of them. That's why I needed a break so badly." He gave me a sympathetic look, which was very welcome right now. "I see. Well, anytime you need to get away you're more than welcome down here in rat class with us simple folk." He gave me a smile to show he was only kidding.
I rolled my eyes a bit, causing him to laugh. He had a nice laugh, I must admit. I smiled a little. The people were definitely different in lower class, that was for certain. I started walking down the deck and gestured for him to walk with me. He chuckled and walked. "Yes Ma'am." I looked at him with annoyance. He wasn't being rude, exactly, but he was treating me like I was.well, first class. And he was third. In a joking way, but still.
We walked in silence for a bit, until we came upon a group of three boys dressed similarly to Silus. Silus kept going, but they called out. "Hey Si. Aren't you going to introduce us to your friend?" I got a little uncomfortable from the way they were looking at me, and realized that my dress was cut a little low. I shifted and started to walk again. Silus gave them a glare. "Shut up, and leave her alone." One of them gave a little snort. "What, you aren't going to share a little piece of snobby wench with your own brother?" I stopped and turned around quickly. "What.did..you.just.call.me?!" I was mad now.
The other two boys backed up, but Silus's brother came forward. I could feel his breath on my face, it smelled of heavy liquor. "Come on, you're going to please my dear brother, why not spread it out a little? Get me in on the action? Or cut my brother out of the picture entirely." His hand shot around my waist, I squirmed but his grip tightened. "Billy." one of his friends came up and took his arm. "Please.forgive him. He's drunk.real bad." Billy let go of me as Silus stepped forward. "John, will you get my brother to bed? He'll get something unpleasant in the morning." with that Silus motioned to me and walked away.
I was confused. "what are you going to do to him?" He only smiled and said, "Make a lot of noise. Bang things around." I didn't know what he meant, but shrugged and kept walking. We came up to a staircase leading to the upper levels. I still felt confused and a little violated. But overall I was disgusted by the scene that had just taken place. "I'm going back up. I have to be up early tomorrow morning." I avoided looking him in the eyes.
He nodded and shook my hand again. "It was nice talking to you, Katherine. I think it's become pretty obvious how much of a difference two classes make." I was taken aback by this. Was he saying-that-
He answered my question before I could even ask it. "So maybe a first class girl don't belong on a third class deck." He smiled as if his words didn't sting at all and nodded to me, walking off. "good bye" I said meekly, I doubt he heard. I barely heard.
I ran up the stairs, breathing heavily which is nearly impossible in a corset, and up the last flight. I held back the unshed tears in my eyes. Why the bloody..why am I crying? I shook my head and composed myself, heading to my room. It was nearly eleven o'clock, according to the big clock at the top of the grand staircase.
I walked further up the stairs and nearly ran into Adam. "Why-hello, Katherine." He seemed pleased. I looked into his eyes. He couldn't even tell that I was upset. I'll bet that Silu-WAIT A MINUTE! No, I don't even know Silus. No no no! And he's a.he is very rude. I straightened myself out a bit. "Hello, Adam. Good to see you." I nodded a greeting. "Just coming in from a walk on the deck." I said.
"Oh? Sounds lovely. I'll have to join you sometime." Why did this man, who had seemed so intriguing and dashing before, suddenly seem boring and snobby like the rest of them? I was very tempted to say, 'yes, its quite lovely out there on the C-deck.' Imagine the look that would be on his face then!
I giggled at the thought. He grinned, thinking that he had been the cause of my merriment. I inwardly groaned. "Well, it is getting very late, Mr. O'Malley. I must be getting off, can't do without beauty sleep you know." He grabbed my hand and kissed it, looking up at me. "Goodnight, Katherine. And do call me Adam.:" I nodded at him, almost disgusted. I rather liked having my hand shaken, when it was a near stranger. Kissing of hands somehow seemed a bit awkward with strangers now. I shook my head to clear these thoughts and made my way back up the stairs.
Had this Silus person affected me that much? I've never thought like this before.
I came to my door and opened it. One thing hadn't changed, I still loved my room. I looked around and smiled. It really was a nice, big, open, comfortable room. I needed to forget about that Silus man. So very rude, he was!
I ignored how shallow I was being and filled my bathtub in the little side bathroom with hot water. A bath was just what I needed right now. A nice, long hot bath. I also needed to clear my head, and what better place?
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After my bath I felt much better, though I hadn't really cleared my head much. I had just pushed the uncomfortable thoughts aside and relaxed in my bath. 'Maybe I just won't think on it at all.' I thought to myself. I yawned and pushed that thought to the side as well. It 1:48 in the morning now, said my clock on the mantel. I dressed in a night gown and pulled my hair back.
The big king sized bed looked warm and inviting to a tired soul, or to any soul for that matter. I slid in between the silk sheets and pulled up the velvet bedspread. I would sleep well tonight, and leave those bothersome thoughts until the morning.
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I awoke feeling much refreshed and happy. I had had wonderful dreams that night, about a handsome prince coming and rescuing me from all of the confusion and despair I was in. But there was no prince, and no rescue. I sighed at the reality and looked at the pull bell beside the front door that was to call up my personal maid.
Thinking twice about it, I decided to try and dress myself. I looked through my closet and found my plainest dress. Father hadn't bought it new for me, but I had managed to sneak it into my things. It wasn't plain compared to third class things I had seen, but it was a good deal plainer than the things upper class people wore.
I smiled at the unadorned blue fabric. A plain linen, plain cut. Obviously high quality, but plain nonetheless. It was meant to wear with fancy pinafores and much jewelry and a big showy hat, but I put my corset on and slipped into this with a pair of blue slippers, and braiding my hair back, I was ready to go eat breakfast. I wanted to see what the first class people would think about my getup.
I walked into the grand dining hall and smiled maliciously at some of the looks I was getting. I sat down at a table and ordered a large breakfast from the waiter who came to my table. It was the same waiter from last night, and he was looking at me with a bit of humor in his eyes and wasn't as embarrassed as he had been last night. I smiled at him and he went to retrieve my food.
"Ka-Katherine?!" I looked around to see who was addressing me. It was Thomas. I smiled at him. "Hello, Thomas." He grinned at me, amused. "May I sit here?" I nodded. He grabbed the attention of the nearest waiter and ordered an inhumanly large amount of food. I laughed lightly. "Amused?" he asked. "Hungry?" I asked in response. He nodded and gave his own hearty laugh.
"Did you have a good time after we left you last night?" he leaned back in his chair. I liked him more than most of the men I had met so far in my life. He wasn't stuffy at all. "Yes." I leaned forward as if trusting him with a deadly secret. "I went for a walk on the C-deck" He gave me that amused grin again.
"Have fun?" I frowned a bit. "I did.but.I'm not sure. I am still a little confused about it." He looked at me quizzically. "I met this man." I offered. "Was he nice?" "I.am not sure." That got me a laugh, which got him a glare. "It isn't funny. He was rather odd. And then his brother.sort of groped at me. He was drunk out on the deck."
Thomas looked at me in concern. "He groped you?!" I shrugged. "I don't know if I would exactly call it groping, but he was pulling me very close to him.and I was very very uncomfortable." Thomas frowned. "Did his brother make him stop? What was the lad's name?" it struck me as funny that Thomas, being no older than 25, would refer to someone as a lad. "Silus McCabe. Yes, he straightened it out. But then he told me that a first class girl didn't belong on the third class deck."
I bit my lip at the memory, Thomas put his hand over mine. "Are you alright, then? I don't know if he was right, but I see now why you're so confused." I sighed, not sure how to take this, and nodded. "It's not fair, though! Just because I was born a different way, in a different lifestyle, they don't like me. I just wanted to get away from all this.this.some of these people are snobs, Thomas." I said heatedly. He cleared his throat. "Katherine, most of these people are snobs. They think they're better than people like this Silus, and in doing so, people like Silus have learned to hate them. To categorize them."
I flushed a little and admitted, "When I first heard you with your Irish brogue I was surprised. I thought all Irish people were." he smiled. "Poor?" he finished for me. I nodded, ashamedly. He chuckled. "You see, people can't help it. We are, in fact, human. Its just some have learned that class isn't everything, and neither is money." I nodded again. "I think that that's a harder than it seems." He laughed at my sour expression.
After breakfast I parted with Thomas and decided, with much inner protest and a very nervous stomach, to go back down to C-deck. I descended the stairs slowly. I wasn't looking forward to this.
A voice came from the side of me. "What're you doing down here?"
I nodded and smiled in the appropriate places. Suddenly, Adam spoke. "Katherine, are you alone on this trip?" I nodded. "Yes, my father is meeting me in the Americas a week after we get there. He is taking our private ship, I hate the thing. Wouldn't go on it, so he sent me here, on the Titanic."
Thomas smiled at me. "And he just up and left you alone? With people like Adam on board?" the table laughed. I smiled in Thomas's direction. "My father never cared much. As long as his girl is happy." Frank spoke up. A faint French accent lingered in his voice. "And your mother?" I bit my lip and looked down at my hands, faking grief. "My mother is gone. Since I was a baby." The men gasped, much to my pleasure, and Frank placed his hand consolingly on my shoulder. "I am terribly sorry, my dear. I should not have been so inconsiderate." I looked up and smiled at him sadly. "It is quite alright, sir. How could you have known?" I let out a tinkling little laugh.
Relief passed over their faces. I was maliciously happy, I could manipulate any being. A waiter came up with a large tray that had a fine silver lid over it and laid it on the table, placing the carefully made plates inside it in front of all of us. I smiled up at him when he placed mine so that he almost dropped the plate. His face turned a shade of pink and he fumblingly smiled back. "White wine, please." I said with a chuckle. He nodded and took the other's orders for drinks. As soon as he returned with the drinks we all started to eat and talk again.
The men started to ramble about money and such and I tuned them out. When they turned into such.snobs it got rather dull. I put my attention to what I was going to do after dinner. A long walk on the deck sounded thrilling. I loved the sea air. What I had said earlier about hating father's ship was a lie, but I hadn't wanted to travel with father. I couldn't stand to be around him, he was so distant to me. I don't think I ever spent more than an hour at a time with him, and that was across the table. A large table, mind you, with seats for 50.
Mother was also a lie. Well, nearly a lie. She was gone, but I had made them think she was dead. Mother was merely sent off. She had been caught kissing another man shortly after I was born. The man was banished from our house and mother was divorced from father and sent away forever. I was never to see her again. I had never seen her that I could remember, not even a photograph. I wondered all the time what she looked like.
Harvey Whittney, they homely man, cut through my thoughts with his annoyingly American voice. "I'm afraid Frank, Kurt and I must leave you, Miss Katherine, as much as it pains us, we will go and bore people in the Smoking Room with our talk." I smiled up at the ugly creature and the two good looking ones as they left me alone with Adam and Thomas. Adam shook hands with them and sat back down, watching me finish my wine. I set the glass down and looked back at him. "Well," said Thomas. "I believe supper's just about over. Adam, would you join me in a roaring game of billiards?" Adam nodded and stood up.
"It has been an immense pleasure, Miss Katherine. Will you join us at breakfast, if you don't meet somebody who gives better company?" I stood up and smiled. "Only if I don't, Adam. Thomas." I nodded and let them in turn kiss my hand. (Thomas wiped it off with his handkerchief, much to my amusement, After Adam kissed it.) I walked out of the dining room, quite aware of their eyes on me. The big French doors were opened and closed behind me by two servants..
Somehow, I found my way out onto A-deck. The company looked similar to all the people I already knew. Stuffy, arrogant, and rich. I sighed, sitting down. There was still a bit of light outside. I saw a staircase labeled, B-deck. Interested, I went down the stairs. Well, this was almost worse. The people here were cheap, desperate imitations of what was on the deck above. Perhaps I could find my way to a lower deck.I suddenly felt a need to get away from my life. The rich snobs I was always surrounded by.
I was tired of always pretending, always being one of them. A snob like them. It wasn't me, I just knew it. If I could be happy, I would give up everything I had, because in reality, I knew, I had nothing. I found the lower deck, the C-deck. There were people like my father had always warned me against. A thrill went through me, a feeling of danger. I knew I wasn't supposed to be here. 'I'm a "lady"' I thought sarcastically. A young man, not much older than I, stopped and looked at me. I looked back at him and smiled, the first genuine smile in some time. He turned bright red and hurried off. I bit my lip and knitted my brow. What was wrong with me? I shrugged and continued to walk. I went over to the rail and looked over, suddenly ecstatic. The view down here was so much better! So much nearer to the water.
I leaned against the rail and stared into the fast moving depths, imagining that I was plunging headfirst into the water. I suddenly jolted back, falling away from the rail. Why had I just been thinking that? I didn't want to die. I shook my head and went back to the railing, this time just looking. I sighed with happiness, it was all so beautiful. So much more simple down here. I wonder what my 'dinner partners' would think to see me down here, way below my damned class. I scoffed, suddenly angry. They would probably look at where I was with disdain. As if these people weren't equals, weren't even human.
The ship rocked a bit, sending someone smashing into me. I fell onto the deck, sprawled out, much lacy petticoat showing. I quickly pulled my dress back over my legs, a burning was traveling up my neck and making its home in my cheeks. An strong arm pulled me up and I found myself looking into deep brown eyes. Stepping back I saw that the eyes belonged to a rather handsome face (In a lower class, fresh sort of way) with brown hair. "I'm awfully sorry, ma'am." He apologized, doing a weird little bowing thing. He had an Irish accent similar to Adams, but a little less cultured and more carefree and uncut.
I tilted my head a little, the blush was going back down thank God. "It's alright, wasn't your fault. The boat hit a wave." I left off, making a meaningless gesture with my hand. I held out my hand, palm down. "Katherine Shok." He took it, to my extreme surprise, and shook my hand. "Silus McCabe." I smiled and he smiled back. My, he had a nice smile.
"I take it you aren't a third class passenger." He was a very..outspoken man. I regained my composure, as I was still a bit thrown off by the hand shaking thing. "No." Terrific, very intelligent. I congratulated myself sarcastically. He nodded. "What're you doing down here? Get lost?" His voice held amusement and something else I couldn't quite place. Sarcasm, maybe? "Ah.no. I needed a break from first class." He mocked being impressed. "First class, my goodness. And you needed a break from.money? Comfort? Those elaborate dinner parties? Please stop me if I'm wrong."
I glared at him. "You are! I needed a break from those people because they're stuffy and rude to lower classes, and I wish I wasn't even associated with them they're so.so.." I was at a loss for words in my rage. This man was very personal for not knowing me more than five minutes. He helped me, though. (note my sarcasm here.) "Pompous? Imbecilic? " I glared at him. "thanks a lot. You're just so helpful." He held up his hands in submission.
"Hold it there, Katherine, no need to get angry. I was only joking." I glared some more. "Okay, so perhaps my opinions got a bit out of hand.but I apologize. Maybe all upper class citizens aren't so cocky." I sighed. "I don't think I am, but you sort of are right about most of them. That's why I needed a break so badly." He gave me a sympathetic look, which was very welcome right now. "I see. Well, anytime you need to get away you're more than welcome down here in rat class with us simple folk." He gave me a smile to show he was only kidding.
I rolled my eyes a bit, causing him to laugh. He had a nice laugh, I must admit. I smiled a little. The people were definitely different in lower class, that was for certain. I started walking down the deck and gestured for him to walk with me. He chuckled and walked. "Yes Ma'am." I looked at him with annoyance. He wasn't being rude, exactly, but he was treating me like I was.well, first class. And he was third. In a joking way, but still.
We walked in silence for a bit, until we came upon a group of three boys dressed similarly to Silus. Silus kept going, but they called out. "Hey Si. Aren't you going to introduce us to your friend?" I got a little uncomfortable from the way they were looking at me, and realized that my dress was cut a little low. I shifted and started to walk again. Silus gave them a glare. "Shut up, and leave her alone." One of them gave a little snort. "What, you aren't going to share a little piece of snobby wench with your own brother?" I stopped and turned around quickly. "What.did..you.just.call.me?!" I was mad now.
The other two boys backed up, but Silus's brother came forward. I could feel his breath on my face, it smelled of heavy liquor. "Come on, you're going to please my dear brother, why not spread it out a little? Get me in on the action? Or cut my brother out of the picture entirely." His hand shot around my waist, I squirmed but his grip tightened. "Billy." one of his friends came up and took his arm. "Please.forgive him. He's drunk.real bad." Billy let go of me as Silus stepped forward. "John, will you get my brother to bed? He'll get something unpleasant in the morning." with that Silus motioned to me and walked away.
I was confused. "what are you going to do to him?" He only smiled and said, "Make a lot of noise. Bang things around." I didn't know what he meant, but shrugged and kept walking. We came up to a staircase leading to the upper levels. I still felt confused and a little violated. But overall I was disgusted by the scene that had just taken place. "I'm going back up. I have to be up early tomorrow morning." I avoided looking him in the eyes.
He nodded and shook my hand again. "It was nice talking to you, Katherine. I think it's become pretty obvious how much of a difference two classes make." I was taken aback by this. Was he saying-that-
He answered my question before I could even ask it. "So maybe a first class girl don't belong on a third class deck." He smiled as if his words didn't sting at all and nodded to me, walking off. "good bye" I said meekly, I doubt he heard. I barely heard.
I ran up the stairs, breathing heavily which is nearly impossible in a corset, and up the last flight. I held back the unshed tears in my eyes. Why the bloody..why am I crying? I shook my head and composed myself, heading to my room. It was nearly eleven o'clock, according to the big clock at the top of the grand staircase.
I walked further up the stairs and nearly ran into Adam. "Why-hello, Katherine." He seemed pleased. I looked into his eyes. He couldn't even tell that I was upset. I'll bet that Silu-WAIT A MINUTE! No, I don't even know Silus. No no no! And he's a.he is very rude. I straightened myself out a bit. "Hello, Adam. Good to see you." I nodded a greeting. "Just coming in from a walk on the deck." I said.
"Oh? Sounds lovely. I'll have to join you sometime." Why did this man, who had seemed so intriguing and dashing before, suddenly seem boring and snobby like the rest of them? I was very tempted to say, 'yes, its quite lovely out there on the C-deck.' Imagine the look that would be on his face then!
I giggled at the thought. He grinned, thinking that he had been the cause of my merriment. I inwardly groaned. "Well, it is getting very late, Mr. O'Malley. I must be getting off, can't do without beauty sleep you know." He grabbed my hand and kissed it, looking up at me. "Goodnight, Katherine. And do call me Adam.:" I nodded at him, almost disgusted. I rather liked having my hand shaken, when it was a near stranger. Kissing of hands somehow seemed a bit awkward with strangers now. I shook my head to clear these thoughts and made my way back up the stairs.
Had this Silus person affected me that much? I've never thought like this before.
I came to my door and opened it. One thing hadn't changed, I still loved my room. I looked around and smiled. It really was a nice, big, open, comfortable room. I needed to forget about that Silus man. So very rude, he was!
I ignored how shallow I was being and filled my bathtub in the little side bathroom with hot water. A bath was just what I needed right now. A nice, long hot bath. I also needed to clear my head, and what better place?
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After my bath I felt much better, though I hadn't really cleared my head much. I had just pushed the uncomfortable thoughts aside and relaxed in my bath. 'Maybe I just won't think on it at all.' I thought to myself. I yawned and pushed that thought to the side as well. It 1:48 in the morning now, said my clock on the mantel. I dressed in a night gown and pulled my hair back.
The big king sized bed looked warm and inviting to a tired soul, or to any soul for that matter. I slid in between the silk sheets and pulled up the velvet bedspread. I would sleep well tonight, and leave those bothersome thoughts until the morning.
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I awoke feeling much refreshed and happy. I had had wonderful dreams that night, about a handsome prince coming and rescuing me from all of the confusion and despair I was in. But there was no prince, and no rescue. I sighed at the reality and looked at the pull bell beside the front door that was to call up my personal maid.
Thinking twice about it, I decided to try and dress myself. I looked through my closet and found my plainest dress. Father hadn't bought it new for me, but I had managed to sneak it into my things. It wasn't plain compared to third class things I had seen, but it was a good deal plainer than the things upper class people wore.
I smiled at the unadorned blue fabric. A plain linen, plain cut. Obviously high quality, but plain nonetheless. It was meant to wear with fancy pinafores and much jewelry and a big showy hat, but I put my corset on and slipped into this with a pair of blue slippers, and braiding my hair back, I was ready to go eat breakfast. I wanted to see what the first class people would think about my getup.
I walked into the grand dining hall and smiled maliciously at some of the looks I was getting. I sat down at a table and ordered a large breakfast from the waiter who came to my table. It was the same waiter from last night, and he was looking at me with a bit of humor in his eyes and wasn't as embarrassed as he had been last night. I smiled at him and he went to retrieve my food.
"Ka-Katherine?!" I looked around to see who was addressing me. It was Thomas. I smiled at him. "Hello, Thomas." He grinned at me, amused. "May I sit here?" I nodded. He grabbed the attention of the nearest waiter and ordered an inhumanly large amount of food. I laughed lightly. "Amused?" he asked. "Hungry?" I asked in response. He nodded and gave his own hearty laugh.
"Did you have a good time after we left you last night?" he leaned back in his chair. I liked him more than most of the men I had met so far in my life. He wasn't stuffy at all. "Yes." I leaned forward as if trusting him with a deadly secret. "I went for a walk on the C-deck" He gave me that amused grin again.
"Have fun?" I frowned a bit. "I did.but.I'm not sure. I am still a little confused about it." He looked at me quizzically. "I met this man." I offered. "Was he nice?" "I.am not sure." That got me a laugh, which got him a glare. "It isn't funny. He was rather odd. And then his brother.sort of groped at me. He was drunk out on the deck."
Thomas looked at me in concern. "He groped you?!" I shrugged. "I don't know if I would exactly call it groping, but he was pulling me very close to him.and I was very very uncomfortable." Thomas frowned. "Did his brother make him stop? What was the lad's name?" it struck me as funny that Thomas, being no older than 25, would refer to someone as a lad. "Silus McCabe. Yes, he straightened it out. But then he told me that a first class girl didn't belong on the third class deck."
I bit my lip at the memory, Thomas put his hand over mine. "Are you alright, then? I don't know if he was right, but I see now why you're so confused." I sighed, not sure how to take this, and nodded. "It's not fair, though! Just because I was born a different way, in a different lifestyle, they don't like me. I just wanted to get away from all this.this.some of these people are snobs, Thomas." I said heatedly. He cleared his throat. "Katherine, most of these people are snobs. They think they're better than people like this Silus, and in doing so, people like Silus have learned to hate them. To categorize them."
I flushed a little and admitted, "When I first heard you with your Irish brogue I was surprised. I thought all Irish people were." he smiled. "Poor?" he finished for me. I nodded, ashamedly. He chuckled. "You see, people can't help it. We are, in fact, human. Its just some have learned that class isn't everything, and neither is money." I nodded again. "I think that that's a harder than it seems." He laughed at my sour expression.
After breakfast I parted with Thomas and decided, with much inner protest and a very nervous stomach, to go back down to C-deck. I descended the stairs slowly. I wasn't looking forward to this.
A voice came from the side of me. "What're you doing down here?"
