To My Reviewers of Chapter 7: -
Camelkitty - Yes, I have worked hard on this story, I did a lot of research to keep it true to history. Thank you for your review!! ^_^
ally - Thanks. Here's my update. ^_^
Chapter Eight ~ Third Class Hymns.
There was no port big enough in Queenstown, on the South Coast of Ireland, to accommodate the Titanic. So she was forced to anchor offshore at Roche's Point. Rosa and Mia watched with the rest of the passengers from the second class promenade. Queenstown was where the Philip boarded.
Philip Herlington, was just an ordinary man. He carried a battered suitcase, and old hat, his over coat was darned, his face young and kind. He didn't stand out in the crowds of people, as they waited to board. He didn't stand out in all the blurry, excited faces of the crowd.
Lottie Smith stood next to Rosa, waving wildly at the hordes of people. Rosa watched her in amusement, the innocence of Lottie Smith brought tears to the eyes. Her mother had stayed below decks, clearly wanting to avoid all the people.
Later that evening, Philip and Rosa met. It was not an usual meeting, they ended up sitting together at dinner.
"Miss Darcy." She said, holding out her hand. "And Miss Amelia Darcy." She said, indicating to Mia. The seven year old looked up in surprise. Of course, Rosa had thought it best to feign a family connection between them. It made travelling on their seem more plausible, and far more acceptable.
"Mr Philip Herlington." He said, taking Rosa's hand. They sat down, in relative silence.
"And why are you travelling to New York, Mr Herlington?"
His kind face seemed to close up, he had no desire to talk about himself. Rosa felt his attitude as a fresh breeze, usually the male passengers couldn't wait to divulge every detail of their lives. A man who was not so arrogant as to force his life on a female stranger, was certainly a pleasant surprise.
He shrugged. "I desire to see the grand city before I die."
"Surely you have many years yet?" Rosa replied.
"One never knows when one is to leave this world." He said. "And you?"
"My sister and I, we are to reunite with our mother. She sent us to England over a few years ago, and we are anxious to meet again."
"I'm extremely pleased for you." He said, with a smile. And Rosa really believed he meant it, this stranger was genuinely pleased.
It was during the afternoon, when Rosa sat in the general room reading. Mia had gone off with her friends to see the sea as they zoomed ever further from jolly old England.
"May I sit here?"
Rosa looked up. "Of course."
Philip Herlington sat down. "It's a nice, cosy room, is it not?"
"Oh I am finding third class travel excellent. They say this is second class on other ships."
"Indeed, not that anything could compare to the grandeur of travelling first class."
Rosa shrugged. "We are not suffering."
"Nor are we travelling in luxury."
"What is luxury? We are all going to get to New York at the same time. And we all of us will have the fame of being the Titanic's first passengers."
He smiled. "I see you are one to count your blessings. I heard that the first class lounge is decorated to look like the Palace at Versailles. Have you ever been to France?" He asked.
Rosa shook her head. "I have never left England before." I replied.
"But I thought your mother had sent you from America."
Rosa realised her mistake. It was hard to lie to Philip Herlington, she felt herself wanting to tell him everything. But of course, she held back. "I was very young, I barely remember it." She said, blushing slightly.
He nodded, but gave a smile which said all to clearly 'I don't believe you, but I won't pressurise you to tell me'.
"Have you been to France, Mr Herlington?" Rosa asked, recovering herself.
He nodded. "Beautiful place, the land of love."
"Deary me, I thought that was Italy." She smiled.
Rosa spent an enjoyable afternoon in the company of Mr Herlington, Lottie joined them, and the three of them talked together.
"They have hymns in first class, you know, and second class as well." Mr Herlington told the girls. The hymns were held in the second class dining saloon, over a hundred people attended, led by Reverend Carter.
"Oh I should have loved to have gone, Mia would have liked it." Rosa said, wistfully. Mia was starting to get homesick, she was definitely missing the finer things in life. Her fancy dresses, and maid running to her beck and call. The governess, the nanny, the nursery maid, all who obeyed her every wish. And then the morning prayers and service, where she sat in the front 'family' pew. The handsome curate, who always said good morning and bowed when she passed. But now she was no better then everyone else, in fact she was a 'steerage' passenger, when she should have been travelling with those upstairs.
Philip Herlington had described them , 'The first class passengers with their retinues of servants and their mounds of luggage represent the top layer of Anglo-American society."
Rosa didn't quite understand, but she got the gist of it. "To you they are the top of society, and to me, to me Mr Herlington, they are just ordinary people, no better then you or I. In the eyes of God, every man, woman and child is equal. Money will not buy you a place in heaven, and you cannot take it with you when you die."
He laughed "Too true, but it's enough to have a good life."
"We could have our own hymns, our own third class hymns if you like." He suggested.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, we could get someone with relative skill to play the piano, and have our own service."
"Really?"
"Why not?"
And so the third class hymns were arranged. There was a group of about thirty people who showed interest. So they cornered off into a group in the general room. It came out that Lottie was actually good on the piano, and she was persuaded to play for us.
It was beautiful to hear every one singing the hymns, everyone with passion and feeling.
Then a special request came to sing 'For those in Peril on the Sea'. The voices seemed to get quieter, and more feeling. The hushed tones sang out the hymn, the rest of the third class in the general room, had joined in in their soft voices.
"It was a lovely idea, thank you." Rosa said to Philip Herlington.
He smiled. "Not quite as good as first class."
"What's that?"
"Our third class hymns."
A/N Thanks for reading. Please tell me if there is something not quite right. ^_^
Camelkitty - Yes, I have worked hard on this story, I did a lot of research to keep it true to history. Thank you for your review!! ^_^
ally - Thanks. Here's my update. ^_^
Chapter Eight ~ Third Class Hymns.
There was no port big enough in Queenstown, on the South Coast of Ireland, to accommodate the Titanic. So she was forced to anchor offshore at Roche's Point. Rosa and Mia watched with the rest of the passengers from the second class promenade. Queenstown was where the Philip boarded.
Philip Herlington, was just an ordinary man. He carried a battered suitcase, and old hat, his over coat was darned, his face young and kind. He didn't stand out in the crowds of people, as they waited to board. He didn't stand out in all the blurry, excited faces of the crowd.
Lottie Smith stood next to Rosa, waving wildly at the hordes of people. Rosa watched her in amusement, the innocence of Lottie Smith brought tears to the eyes. Her mother had stayed below decks, clearly wanting to avoid all the people.
Later that evening, Philip and Rosa met. It was not an usual meeting, they ended up sitting together at dinner.
"Miss Darcy." She said, holding out her hand. "And Miss Amelia Darcy." She said, indicating to Mia. The seven year old looked up in surprise. Of course, Rosa had thought it best to feign a family connection between them. It made travelling on their seem more plausible, and far more acceptable.
"Mr Philip Herlington." He said, taking Rosa's hand. They sat down, in relative silence.
"And why are you travelling to New York, Mr Herlington?"
His kind face seemed to close up, he had no desire to talk about himself. Rosa felt his attitude as a fresh breeze, usually the male passengers couldn't wait to divulge every detail of their lives. A man who was not so arrogant as to force his life on a female stranger, was certainly a pleasant surprise.
He shrugged. "I desire to see the grand city before I die."
"Surely you have many years yet?" Rosa replied.
"One never knows when one is to leave this world." He said. "And you?"
"My sister and I, we are to reunite with our mother. She sent us to England over a few years ago, and we are anxious to meet again."
"I'm extremely pleased for you." He said, with a smile. And Rosa really believed he meant it, this stranger was genuinely pleased.
It was during the afternoon, when Rosa sat in the general room reading. Mia had gone off with her friends to see the sea as they zoomed ever further from jolly old England.
"May I sit here?"
Rosa looked up. "Of course."
Philip Herlington sat down. "It's a nice, cosy room, is it not?"
"Oh I am finding third class travel excellent. They say this is second class on other ships."
"Indeed, not that anything could compare to the grandeur of travelling first class."
Rosa shrugged. "We are not suffering."
"Nor are we travelling in luxury."
"What is luxury? We are all going to get to New York at the same time. And we all of us will have the fame of being the Titanic's first passengers."
He smiled. "I see you are one to count your blessings. I heard that the first class lounge is decorated to look like the Palace at Versailles. Have you ever been to France?" He asked.
Rosa shook her head. "I have never left England before." I replied.
"But I thought your mother had sent you from America."
Rosa realised her mistake. It was hard to lie to Philip Herlington, she felt herself wanting to tell him everything. But of course, she held back. "I was very young, I barely remember it." She said, blushing slightly.
He nodded, but gave a smile which said all to clearly 'I don't believe you, but I won't pressurise you to tell me'.
"Have you been to France, Mr Herlington?" Rosa asked, recovering herself.
He nodded. "Beautiful place, the land of love."
"Deary me, I thought that was Italy." She smiled.
Rosa spent an enjoyable afternoon in the company of Mr Herlington, Lottie joined them, and the three of them talked together.
"They have hymns in first class, you know, and second class as well." Mr Herlington told the girls. The hymns were held in the second class dining saloon, over a hundred people attended, led by Reverend Carter.
"Oh I should have loved to have gone, Mia would have liked it." Rosa said, wistfully. Mia was starting to get homesick, she was definitely missing the finer things in life. Her fancy dresses, and maid running to her beck and call. The governess, the nanny, the nursery maid, all who obeyed her every wish. And then the morning prayers and service, where she sat in the front 'family' pew. The handsome curate, who always said good morning and bowed when she passed. But now she was no better then everyone else, in fact she was a 'steerage' passenger, when she should have been travelling with those upstairs.
Philip Herlington had described them , 'The first class passengers with their retinues of servants and their mounds of luggage represent the top layer of Anglo-American society."
Rosa didn't quite understand, but she got the gist of it. "To you they are the top of society, and to me, to me Mr Herlington, they are just ordinary people, no better then you or I. In the eyes of God, every man, woman and child is equal. Money will not buy you a place in heaven, and you cannot take it with you when you die."
He laughed "Too true, but it's enough to have a good life."
"We could have our own hymns, our own third class hymns if you like." He suggested.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, we could get someone with relative skill to play the piano, and have our own service."
"Really?"
"Why not?"
And so the third class hymns were arranged. There was a group of about thirty people who showed interest. So they cornered off into a group in the general room. It came out that Lottie was actually good on the piano, and she was persuaded to play for us.
It was beautiful to hear every one singing the hymns, everyone with passion and feeling.
Then a special request came to sing 'For those in Peril on the Sea'. The voices seemed to get quieter, and more feeling. The hushed tones sang out the hymn, the rest of the third class in the general room, had joined in in their soft voices.
"It was a lovely idea, thank you." Rosa said to Philip Herlington.
He smiled. "Not quite as good as first class."
"What's that?"
"Our third class hymns."
A/N Thanks for reading. Please tell me if there is something not quite right. ^_^
