Author's Note: This is my first Titanic fanfic and I hope you all like it! BTW, for visual purposes, I imagine Catherine Zeta-Jones portraying Victoria Camden…happy reading!

Chapter 1

April 4, 1912

Goff's Oak, Hertfordshire, England

"Victoria? Come on, darling- let's go home."

My aunt Marie took my hand and led me away from the freshly dug grave. I gave the burial site one last glance and sighed deeply. I read the names on the family headstone silently in my mind: Margaret Camden, Alistair Camden, and now Stephen Camden- mother, father, son.

I whispered, "Goodbye, Stephen."

We walked to the automobile that was awaiting us and met up with Marie's teenage daughter, Katherine. The driver helped us in and we made our way back to the Camden family estate. Marie, like myself, was a widow- it seemed like our family was plague with unexpected tragedies. My mother and father had died when I was merely a little girl, so I had been raised by Marie and her husband Edward. Edward had died from pneumonia two years prior to Stephen's death. Marie broke my thoughts as she spoke to me.

"Victoria, how are you holding up?"

"I just buried my husband, Aunt Marie. You know how I'm feeling."

Indeed, I was very upset. I had just lost my husband to a lengthy illness that had ravaged his body. But more than anything, I was upset at myself. In a way, I was glad that the marriage was over. Stephen and I were brought together by Marie after Edward had died. It was almost like an arranged marriage- Stephen came from the wealthiest family in Hertfordshire and had always pined for me, since we were young. Sure, I had feelings for him, but I never truly loved him. We had only been married for three years. For the first year and a half, he devoted all of his attention to no one but me. But that changed quickly and I became almost like an unwanted distraction. I prayed over and over again that God would bring me happiness- and then Stephen fell ill.

Before I knew it, we had arrived at the estate of Stephen's family- which had been my home since we had gotten married. The mansion, which had once been a haven of love and warmth, now felt like a crypt. I stepped out of the car and Marie followed close behind me.

"The guests should be arriving for the reception within the hour," she said.

"I'm going to go change into something more…presentable. I'll be down shortly."

I went up the main staircase into the room where I kept my clothes for social events. After I changed and freshened up a bit, there was a knock on my door.

"Come in!" I said.

The door slowly opened, and one of our servants stood before me. Her name was Sarah, and she had been my servant since I was a child. I loved her so much that I insisted that she move into the Camden estate with me.

"Hello Sarah," I said.

Her naturally thick Irish accent always brought a smile to my face.

"Miss Victoria, I'm so very sorry I couldn't make it to the funeral service. I-"

"Don't worry. I'm sure Stephen knew you wanted to be there."

"Speaking of Stephen, I found this when I was cleaning out his bureau. I think he was saving it for your anniversary."

Sarah handed me an envelope that had my name written on it. I wasn't one for suspense, so I immediately opened it right then and there.

A piece of paper read, "My love, we deserve only the best- and this is the best. Love always, your Stephen."

Underneath the paper were two tickets. As soon as I saw it, I gasped.

"Sarah, these are tickets for the Titanic!"

"Isn't that the luxury ocean liner? The one departing from Southampton?"

"Yes. They call it 'The Ship of Dreams.' I've heard so many wonderful stories about it. He must've bought these before..my word, I cannot believe this."

"Victoria, are you ready?"

"Coming, Aunt Marie!"

Sarah looked at me and said, "This could be the best thing to ever happen to you, Miss Victoria. You're twenty-five years old. Maybe it's time for you to start a new life- in America. Don't you have relatives in New York? That's where Titanic is docking."

"Yes. I have an uncle who lives there. But I haven't spoken to him in years."

"You should truly think about this."

I placed the tickets on my bureau and left the room. A few guests had already arrived for the reception and were in the dining hall. The evening passed by painfully. Person after person approached me, offering their sympathetic words.

"He's in a better place now."
"He's not suffering."

"He'll watch over you forever."

I smiled and pretended like I was taking their words to heart, but inside, all I could think about was what Sarah said. As the reception drew to a close, I escaped for a moment. I went outside to the terrace that overlooked a small reflection pond. I could see my reflection and the lights from the estate looking back at me. Suddenly, emotion took a strong hold of my body and tears began to roll down my face.

This isn't where I belong anymore, I thought to myself.

"Victoria? What are you doing out here?"

I turned around and wiped the remaining tears from my eyes.

"Aunt Marie, I..I didn't hear you."

"You were crying, weren't you?"

"Is it that obvious?"

"Stephen wouldn't want you to cry. He'd want to see that beautiful smile and-"

"I wish that people would stop saying that! I just want to be left alone!"

Marie seemed very shocked at my sudden outburst. I took a deep breath and regained my composure.

"I'm sorry," I said, "This has been a very long day."

"Maybe you should retire to bed."

"You're right. But before I go, there's something I want to talk to you about."

"What is it?"

"When I was preparing myself for the reception earlier, Sarah came in my room. She had found an envelope in Stephen's bureau."

"I told her not to snoop around in there. She has no business-"

"Aunt Marie, she means no harm at all."

"I'm sorry. Continue."

"She found an envelope with my name on it in his bureau. I opened it and inside, there were two tickets for the maiden voyage of the Titanic. I think that he intended it to be an anniversary gift- that is, before he became sick."

"He must've booked those tickets months and months ago- the manifest is completely full now. Some of the world's wealthiest citizens are going to be passengers on that ship. And they say that it's unsinkable."

"I want to go."

"Well, there was an extra ticket, right?"

"Yes."

"Katherine can stay with Sarah and the other servants. You and I can go together. It would be an incredible bonding experience, don't you think."

"Aunt Marie, if I go on Titanic, I don't intend on coming back to Goff's Oak. I want to make a new start in America."

Marie's face went from a heartwarming smile to a look of sheer sorrow.

"Victoria, you're not in the right frame of mind. You've just experience the greatest loss a wife could experience."

"I'm twenty-five years old and I'm trapped here! I've never been able to think for myself in my entire life. My parents, you, Uncle Edward and Stephen dictated and planned every move that I've ever made! If I don't leave Goff's Oak, I will never be happy or sane!"

"Sweetheart, don't get upset."

"How can I not?"

"But the ship leaves in a week."

"All I need to do is book a train ticket to Southampton and pack my belongings."

"And what will you do once you arrive in New York?"

"I'll get in contact with Uncle Alexander."

I took Marie by the hands and spoke directly to her in a soft, yet firm tone.

"I'm suffocating. I've been suffocating for as long as I can remember. If you love me, you will let me do this."

Marie sighed and said, "It's getting late. Katherine and I can spend the night here if you'd like."

"That would be lovely."

"Let's talk about this in the morning, all right?"

I smiled and wiped away the last of my tears.

"All right. But you go ahead. It's a beautiful night. I want to enjoy it before I go to bed."

"Fine then. Goodnight, dear."

Marie kissed my cheek and headed inside the estate. I looked out across the pond and into the night sky. I knew that making this decision would either change my life- in either a devastating or a remarkable way. However, I would've never imagined how much my life would change in the next three weeks- thanks to a man by the name of Caledon Hockley.