Chapter 32
Crewmembers brought out blankets and mattresses for the people who were planning to sleep on the floor. Clara and Claire decided to sleep on a sofa.
Lightoller set himself down on a mattress, on the floor.
"What? You're going to sleep on the floor?" Clara asked, shocked.
"Im used to it," Lightoller replied, and held out his hand.
Clara took it, and decided to sleep on the floor with Lightoller. She smiled.
Everyone in the room soon fell asleep. Claire was lying on the sofa with her arms and one leg hanging off the side, Clara and Lightoller were embraced, lovingly, and a few other people were snoring rather loudly.
Soon enough, the morning of Tuesday, 16th April came around, and the elite society were relieved to finally be arriving at New York.
Clara awoke, slowly, and looked around. There were a few people awake. She glanced sideways at Claire, and realised that Claire was not on the sofa, because she, indeed, had rolled onto the floor in the middle of the night. Clara chuckled and woke Lightoller up.
"Oh, good morning, Clara." Lightoller smiled.
Clara laughed, looking at his messed up hair and half asleep face.
"Good morning, Charles." She giggled, and they kissed for a few moments.
Claire woke up, and glanced over at Clara and Lightoller kissing, and imagined that it was herself and Murdoch.
"Well, I suppose we'd better get set to head off, then," Lightoller exclaimed, standing up.
They made their way up to the boat deck, and stood around for a moment, peering around at all the media reporters waiting for them on the dock.
"Oh great. I don't wanna have to talk to all these people," Claire complained.
"Oh, you wont." Clara and Claire spun around, recognising the voice instantly.
"Hello, girls!" Noelle cried, and took her daughters in a long embrace.
"Oh! I love you, mom!" Clara and Claire cried.
"Good morning, officer Lightoller. Will you be disembarking with us?" Noelle asked Lightoller, tucking strands of hair behind her ear.
"Please, do call me Charles, and no, I'm not positive whether I'm even coming off this ship."
"What? Oh, Charles, you have to get off. Please?" Clara asked, hopefully, her eyes pleading.
Noelle didn't glare at her; she only smiled, and nodded her head solemnly.
"We'll be staying in a hotel until we can get driven to my husband's house, in Ohio," Noelle explained, as they made their way down the gangway, past the swarming reporters.
Lightoller looked nervously at Clara.
"Clara, I don't think I can be staying with you. I'm going to return back to England, whenever I can get the chance. I need to see my family, and most of all, resume working for White Star Line. The longest I can stay with you, is perhaps, a fortnight or so."
"Oh." Clara sighed, and rested her head on Lightoller's shoulder.
Crewmembers brought out blankets and mattresses for the people who were planning to sleep on the floor. Clara and Claire decided to sleep on a sofa.
Lightoller set himself down on a mattress, on the floor.
"What? You're going to sleep on the floor?" Clara asked, shocked.
"Im used to it," Lightoller replied, and held out his hand.
Clara took it, and decided to sleep on the floor with Lightoller. She smiled.
Everyone in the room soon fell asleep. Claire was lying on the sofa with her arms and one leg hanging off the side, Clara and Lightoller were embraced, lovingly, and a few other people were snoring rather loudly.
Soon enough, the morning of Tuesday, 16th April came around, and the elite society were relieved to finally be arriving at New York.
Clara awoke, slowly, and looked around. There were a few people awake. She glanced sideways at Claire, and realised that Claire was not on the sofa, because she, indeed, had rolled onto the floor in the middle of the night. Clara chuckled and woke Lightoller up.
"Oh, good morning, Clara." Lightoller smiled.
Clara laughed, looking at his messed up hair and half asleep face.
"Good morning, Charles." She giggled, and they kissed for a few moments.
Claire woke up, and glanced over at Clara and Lightoller kissing, and imagined that it was herself and Murdoch.
"Well, I suppose we'd better get set to head off, then," Lightoller exclaimed, standing up.
They made their way up to the boat deck, and stood around for a moment, peering around at all the media reporters waiting for them on the dock.
"Oh great. I don't wanna have to talk to all these people," Claire complained.
"Oh, you wont." Clara and Claire spun around, recognising the voice instantly.
"Hello, girls!" Noelle cried, and took her daughters in a long embrace.
"Oh! I love you, mom!" Clara and Claire cried.
"Good morning, officer Lightoller. Will you be disembarking with us?" Noelle asked Lightoller, tucking strands of hair behind her ear.
"Please, do call me Charles, and no, I'm not positive whether I'm even coming off this ship."
"What? Oh, Charles, you have to get off. Please?" Clara asked, hopefully, her eyes pleading.
Noelle didn't glare at her; she only smiled, and nodded her head solemnly.
"We'll be staying in a hotel until we can get driven to my husband's house, in Ohio," Noelle explained, as they made their way down the gangway, past the swarming reporters.
Lightoller looked nervously at Clara.
"Clara, I don't think I can be staying with you. I'm going to return back to England, whenever I can get the chance. I need to see my family, and most of all, resume working for White Star Line. The longest I can stay with you, is perhaps, a fortnight or so."
"Oh." Clara sighed, and rested her head on Lightoller's shoulder.
