*Chapter 10*

"I better go now," Clara said, as she got up off Lightoller. "It was great tonight."

Lightoller nodded and smiled.

"Would you like me to escort you back to your stateroom?"

Clara shook her head.

"I'd prefer if you didn't actually. My mother would blast me if she found out that I'd just been with an officer."

"Alright then." Lightoller kissed Clara on her cheek.

They said their goodnights and Clara headed back to her stateroom, creeping in ever so quietly, so nobody could hear her.

Just as she entered the sitting room, she noticed that Noelle was sitting on the sofa, glaring at her.

Clara froze. "Oh blimey." she thought.

Noelle switched on the light and looked at Clara.

"Where on earth have you been, darling? I'll have you know I was worried sick about you! You have been gone for almost two hours!"

Clara had no excuse this time. What would she say?

"I.uh." Clara scrunched up her face, trying to find an answer.

"I felt rather ill, and thought it wise to spend some time on the promenade deck."

"But Clara, we have our own promenade deck!" Noelle yelled. "I really don't understand you sometimes, Clara."

With that, Noelle stormed off to her room.

Clara stood there, trying to compose herself. Finally, she was just too tired to think, and collapsed in a heap on the floor of the sitting room.

When Claire walked into the sitting room, the next morning, she screamed at the sight of Clara on the floor. It was a rather piercing scream, able to wake others in nearby staterooms. Claire dropped to ground, and shook Clara vigorously.

"Clara! Wake up! Please, come on!" Claire obviously thought Clara was unconscious.

Clara sat up, slowly, and looked around. She narrowed her eyes at Claire, and shrieked.

"Oh, good, you're not dead," Claire laughed, and helped Clara up.

"What? How did I get here? Wasn't I in bed? Claire, did you bring me here?" Clara looked very confused.

"Shh, don't worry. Where were you last night?" Claire asked, trying to bite back a smirk.

"I don't remember. Are we going to breakfast soon?" Clara asked, not wanting to reveal her antics of the previous night.

"Yeah, breakfast is in ten minutes. Come on, we gotta get ready," Claire said, walking to the bathroom.

Clara threw open the door of her wardrobe, and retrieved a pink, silk, bead- embroidered long sleeve dress, with layers all around it, and put it on quickly, not taking the time to smooth out the creases as she always did.

She wasn't thinking straight for some reason.

She left her hair down, slipping in two butterfly slips on each side of her face, to keep her hair out of her eyes.

She grabbed the nearest handbag, and stumbled out of her room into the corridor.

Clara, Claire, and Noelle made their way down to the dining room, and sat at a table with Mr Andrews, Mr Ismay, Molly brown, and another gentleman who was later introduced as Samuel Barook, the owner of Barook Steel.

Clara listened intently to the conversation between all the adults. Ismay was remarking about the size of the ship, how it got its name, and such.

"This is too boring." Clara thought, looking around.

She was going to get up from the table and excuse herself, to see Lightoller. But something stopped her.

'I've excused myself too many times. They're going to think that I cannot last, being inside. Besides, mother is somewhat curious about where exactly I head to, when I leave the table. There is always a mysterious look on her face, as I head out onto the deck.' Clara secured herself firmly to the seat, sat up straight, and forced out a smile to assure the faces that were glaring at her, that infact, nothing was going on.

Just then, a waiter approached Clara from behind, putting a hand on her shoulder, and startling her to the fullest. She blushed.

"Sorry, miss. I've come to take your order," the waiter said, kindly.

"Uh.uh.um.a tomato err. omelette, sir," Clara stuttered.

Claire stared at Clara, by the very confused look on her face, Claire immediately knew something was wrong. Claire could almost always tell when Clara was confused.

She took Claras arm, and led her to an empty table. She sat Clara down, and went round to the other side of the table.

"Hey, are you alright?" Claire asked, taking Claras hand inside her own.

"Yes, I am actually." Clara smiled.

"Look, Clara, I can tell when you're not alright, ok? Im not an idiot. I know how to work you out."

"Ok. Do you promise that you wont speak one single word to mother about what I'm going to tell you?" Clara asked, leaning over the table, searching Claire's eyes for the truth.

Claire smiled. "Girl, do I ever blab to mom about any secret you've told me?"

Clara's facial expression turned blank. "Oh."

Claire sat back in her chair. "Right. Didn't think so."

Clara chuckled.

"Ok, you wanna tell me now, what happened last night?" Claire asked, straightening herself up.

"I was with Char- err...Mr Lightoller."

"And." Claire rolled her hand around several times.

"And we." Clara wanted desperately to tell Claire the truth, but she decided otherwise.

"We took a walk along the deck, and that was it!" Clara lied.

"Ok, Why were you so confused, then?" Claire asked.

"I came in very late, and I was extremely tired."

Clara stood up and walked back to her original table.