*Chapter 11*

Claire sighed and followed her.

Clara started eating her omelette, and when she looked up, Mr Andrews spoke to her.

"Clara, have you found your way around the ship yet? I hear from a lot of first class girls like yourself, that they get lost, just heading down the stairs to C-deck!" Mr Andrews laughed, his strong Irish accent becoming more noticeable.

"Yes, Mr Andrews, I have found my way around the deck quite easily. The officers are kind enough to take me around every day. And, I don't get lost, heading down the staircase. I can read what the sign in front of me says when I approach another level. But, I must add, its rather tricky finding a way out to the boat deck, when I'm on F-deck. You should make it easier for the immigrants in third class to find their way out," Clara said sarcastically, smiling the whole time.

Andrews and Ismay applauded her.

She raised an eyebrow, wondering why on earth they were applauding.

"Very good, Clara. There's an improvement I can make on the ship. 'Stairs to outer deck.' They wont miss it!" Andrews said, pointing and reading in the air, as though there were a piece of paper in front of his face.

"We need to get out of here." Claire sighed to Clara.

"Hmm. Mother, may we please be excused?" Clara asked, sweetly.

"Yes, of course, darling. As long as Claire is with you!" Noelle shouted, as the girls had already left the table.

"Jeez, now I'm your bodyguard?!" Claire remarked, as they headed to the elevator.

"Uh, Clara, where are we going?" Claire asked, confused.

"E-deck," Clara told the elevator steward.

When they arrived on E-deck, Clara went over some thoughts in her head.

'What was Michelines cabin number?' Clara narrowed her eyes, as Claire stood there, waiting impatiently, arms crossed, feet tapping.

'E-20? E-26?' It had to be one of them.

"Oh! E-20!" Clara made a quick decision on the spot.

Clara and Claire strolled leisurely along the second-class corridors of E- deck; Claire looking down upon the girls their age, as though they were insects.

"Look at the clothes they wear!" Heh. Poor excuse for a dress!" Claire scoffed, even though Clara wasn't interested in what she was saying.

"Since when did you care about dresses?" Clara asked, not looking at Claire.

"It's a bagging day today," Claire sang.

"Ah! E-20." Clara said, satisfied.

Clara knocked on the door, and Micheline answered, wearing her corset, petticoat, and fluffy slippers, only. She'd thought it was only her roommate. She gasped when she saw that it was Claire and Clara, in their beautiful morning gowns.

"I didn't think you would see me again," Micheline said, sadly, allowing the girls into her stateroom. They looked around.

"Um, I'm not very well, at the moment. My illness may be contagious!" Micheline lied, as she did not want company at that very moment.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, Michelle," Claire said, in a posh accent.

"Claire, It's Micheline." Clara corrected Claire.

"Michelle, Micheline, same thing," Claire muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Goodbye then," Clara waved, and they headed out to the boat deck.