*Chapter 17*
In the corridors, on the lower decks, stewards were pushing through crowds of worried people, giving them all lifebelts.
"Lifebelts on, yep, that's right, put ya lifebelts on."
But in the higher decks, there was no panic at all, stewards were just reassuring passengers and sending them back to their rooms.
Claire and Clara were out of panic mode now, settling down in the first class lounge.
Clara sank down into a couch, and Claire just stood, waiting for her to get up.
Clara was feeling rather relaxed, when all of a sudden, something cracked inside her, and bounced up from the couch, and started panicking again.
"Charles! Is he ok? I do hope he's not hurt! Oh, please be alright, Charles!"
"Hey, hey, its ok. Do you wanna go and see him?" Claire asked patiently.
"Yes, please, Claire."
Claire had just about had it with these crewmen. Ten of them. And not one of them had seen Lightoller.
Clara was getting desperate. She was still wearing her beautiful evening dress, which was free and flowing, and easy to run around in, although it was now 11:55pm - nearly midnight. She should've been in bed now, but she was too afraid to close her eyes.
Murdoch came up behind Claire, and kissed her neck. She turned around and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder.
"I have to go," he whispered in Claires ear, and left the room.
Clara looked at Claire that moment, and saw that Murdoch was one of the very few people who made Claire truly happy. Clara smiled.
As they headed down the steps to the well deck, Lightoller spotted Clara, and frantically ran up to catch her.
When Clara heard his footsteps, she looked up, and before she knew it, she was in Lightoller's embrace. He spun Clara around in his arms, before setting her down on the ground.
Clara wrapped her arms rather tightly around Lightoller's neck.
"Oh, Charles, I thought I wouldn't see you tonight! I was so worried!"
"Its ok, you're here with me now, there's nothing to be afraid of." Lightoller kissed Clara's forehead, and Claire left, to go and tell Noelle about the recent iceberg incident.
Lightoller pulled away from Clara and stared at her dress.
"Goodness me, your dress is the most beautiful I've ever seen. You have the best fashion sense, Clara," Lightoller laughed, and in front of the watching officers, pulled Clara close to him, and kissed her, a sweet passionate kiss, releasing all the fears and other emotions they both had been feeling at the one time. It wasn't like Claire and Murdoch's kiss. It was much more gentle.
As Lightoller escorted Clara back to her room, he saw Wilde, Pitman, Moody, Murdoch, Andrews, and Smith.
"She's already 8 feet underwater, sir," one of the officers said nervously.
"Do you think this ship can sink?" Lightoller asked, turning to Clara.
"Of course not! After all, it does boast sixteen watertight compartments, and I've heard all over the news that Titanic is unsinkable."
"Well, I do hope you're right." Lightoller stopped at the Grand Staircase, and let Clara go.
They didn't embrace, nor kiss, for the first time. Clara looked back several times as she made her way up to A-deck, up the grand staircase, as Lightoller watched on.
When Clara was out of sight, he went over to the wheelhouse to find out what all the commotion was about.
In the corridors, on the lower decks, stewards were pushing through crowds of worried people, giving them all lifebelts.
"Lifebelts on, yep, that's right, put ya lifebelts on."
But in the higher decks, there was no panic at all, stewards were just reassuring passengers and sending them back to their rooms.
Claire and Clara were out of panic mode now, settling down in the first class lounge.
Clara sank down into a couch, and Claire just stood, waiting for her to get up.
Clara was feeling rather relaxed, when all of a sudden, something cracked inside her, and bounced up from the couch, and started panicking again.
"Charles! Is he ok? I do hope he's not hurt! Oh, please be alright, Charles!"
"Hey, hey, its ok. Do you wanna go and see him?" Claire asked patiently.
"Yes, please, Claire."
Claire had just about had it with these crewmen. Ten of them. And not one of them had seen Lightoller.
Clara was getting desperate. She was still wearing her beautiful evening dress, which was free and flowing, and easy to run around in, although it was now 11:55pm - nearly midnight. She should've been in bed now, but she was too afraid to close her eyes.
Murdoch came up behind Claire, and kissed her neck. She turned around and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder.
"I have to go," he whispered in Claires ear, and left the room.
Clara looked at Claire that moment, and saw that Murdoch was one of the very few people who made Claire truly happy. Clara smiled.
As they headed down the steps to the well deck, Lightoller spotted Clara, and frantically ran up to catch her.
When Clara heard his footsteps, she looked up, and before she knew it, she was in Lightoller's embrace. He spun Clara around in his arms, before setting her down on the ground.
Clara wrapped her arms rather tightly around Lightoller's neck.
"Oh, Charles, I thought I wouldn't see you tonight! I was so worried!"
"Its ok, you're here with me now, there's nothing to be afraid of." Lightoller kissed Clara's forehead, and Claire left, to go and tell Noelle about the recent iceberg incident.
Lightoller pulled away from Clara and stared at her dress.
"Goodness me, your dress is the most beautiful I've ever seen. You have the best fashion sense, Clara," Lightoller laughed, and in front of the watching officers, pulled Clara close to him, and kissed her, a sweet passionate kiss, releasing all the fears and other emotions they both had been feeling at the one time. It wasn't like Claire and Murdoch's kiss. It was much more gentle.
As Lightoller escorted Clara back to her room, he saw Wilde, Pitman, Moody, Murdoch, Andrews, and Smith.
"She's already 8 feet underwater, sir," one of the officers said nervously.
"Do you think this ship can sink?" Lightoller asked, turning to Clara.
"Of course not! After all, it does boast sixteen watertight compartments, and I've heard all over the news that Titanic is unsinkable."
"Well, I do hope you're right." Lightoller stopped at the Grand Staircase, and let Clara go.
They didn't embrace, nor kiss, for the first time. Clara looked back several times as she made her way up to A-deck, up the grand staircase, as Lightoller watched on.
When Clara was out of sight, he went over to the wheelhouse to find out what all the commotion was about.
