THE SHIP OF DREAMS

Southampton Docks, April 10th, 1912

Lily looked up around her. Titanic was so huge, she almost missed it as just being some strange part of the landscape. Clutching her tweed-bagged belongings close to her, she stepped out of the car. Reeling with amazement, she stood still for a second.

"Move out of the way, little girl." Lily snapped abruptly out of her trance to see a tall, dark man behind her. He was immaculately dressed with a look of undiluted arrogance plastered across his face.

"Sorry sir," she answered, her voice oozing sarcasm. The man gave her a crushing look and retreated to the other side of the car. Miss Federick took Lily by the shoulders and leaned towards her ear.

"Caledon Hockley," she whispered, "One of the most unpleasant men one would have the bad luck to meet." Lily nodded, seeing straight through his moneyed, swaggering manner. Then she saw a girl step out of the car, young, 19 at most, with a curly mass of intriguingly red hair and striking looks.

"Come along, Rose, do," uttered Mr Hockley, in his characteristically unpleasant tone of voice. Joan Federick leaned into Lily's ear once again.

"Rose De Witt Bukater, I believe. 17 years old. His fiancée. A difficult girl." Lily looked into the girl's eyes and saw a feeling she herself was very familiar with, a sense of being trapped, tied for life to something one was not comfortable with. Lily's parents were not upper-class, nor working class, somewhere in between, but as most of the folk who had brought her up had been not, shall we say, short of money, she had learned their ways, their walk, their speak. Lily felt a towering sense of pity for Rose.

"Yes, Joan, let's – let's go." Lily said quietly, as her tall, stocky companion shut the car doors, paid the steward and steered her young friend towards the long, steep ramp that would take them all to an adventure they would never forget………

Lily was finding it, once again, difficult to absorb her surroundings quite properly. The interior of the great ship was like a dream, more luxurious and pristine than anything Lily had come across before. Around her, people in beautiful clothes walked in small circles, making polite small talk with people they deemed as 'suitable' or perhaps 'respectable'. Rose De Witt Bukater looked in her direction briefly. Lily couldn't help but blush, she was not a shy girl but could not bear all these important people noticing her. She smiled briefly then turned away. Perhaps Rose saw more than just a little something of herself in young Miss Shaw.

"Lily dear, we ought to start assosciating with people, you know." She took Lily by the arm, gently but firmly, and they made their way through some intricately designed doors, with beautiful leaden patterns darting their way across the rich, warm coloured wood. Lily's mind took a photograph of this. Two handsome stewards opened the doors with perfect timing and greeted Lily and Joan. Joan raised her hand a little and ignored them. Lily couldn't bear this cold manner and smiled at them warmly, as if faintly mocking her guardian's dismissive manner. The stewards grinned back at her and watched her being ushered off towards the gathering population of first class passengers in the hall, amused. Lily suddenly thought of the crew, and how hard they must be working.

"Have you seen the Captain, Miss Federick?"

"Oh, Joan, please! Not as yet, though I'm sure we'll get our fair share of him walking around, proud as a peacock. Quite a final voyage for a man, sailing the ship of dreams, I shouldn't wonder. Though I hear he's a pleasant man."

A short, pale, wirey woman with dainty features and impressive clothes was walking towards Lily and Joan. She seemed very confident, although it was blatant to Lily she was incredibly nervous. She offered a limp hand to Joan.

"Ruth De Witt Bukater, it's a pleasure. And you are-?" Joan smiled wanly.

"Joan Federick, nice to meet you. And this is Lily Shaw, I'm looking after her on the voyage for her main guardian, a good friend." Lily shook hands with Ruth, and with Rose, who was standing behind her mother.

"Charming," Ruth answered. "How old is the child, did you say?"

"Fourteen, just fourteen."

"Ah, my Rose is seventeen, aren't you?" Rose nodded vacantly. "Where are Lily's parents?" Joan spoke alittle more quietly.

"They passed away when she was very small. She comes from a sad background, I'm afraid."

"Oh dear, I am sorry to hear that. Well, I'm sure we shall see you again soon. Come along Rose, we must find Cal." The pair turned and retreated to where all the men were standing, in their dark, sophisticated suits, cracking stiff jokes and laughing in loud, intimidating booms. Lily was feeling more and more uncomfortable.

"J-Joan, I have a headache. May we find our room?" Joan saw Lily was a little flushed.

"You're a little flushed, child. We'd better, hadn't we. Come along."

The room was indeed beautiful. Decorated in warm colours, with huge wood panels and rich, red curtains with gold brocade, it momentarily took Lily's breath away.

"It's gorgeous," she exclaimed, loudly, "And it's so big!"

Joan laughed.

"But not a patch on the DeWitt Bukaters', dear." Lily looked shocked.

"How big must theirs be?"

"Come along dear, we must unpack now." Lily did as she was told, taking out several crumpled frocks and folding them as well as she could. Joan leaned over.

"Well for a girl your age I must say that is one of the most pitiful collections of underwear I've seen. Really!" Lily was hurt.

"Whatever do you mean, miss?" Joan laughed sarcastically.

"Haven't you anything a little more, um, supportive?" There was a pause as Lily caught up with the implication.

"My br- they're rather small, Joan. I don't see anything more than what I've got's really essential." Joan sighed as though her young friend were a hopeless case.

"Well dear, you've got to start sooner or later, and I'd highly recommend sooner. Why not change your frock, dearest, that one you've on is rather creased at the hem."

"Yes, alright, I'll change it." Lily slipped her hand into her bags and pulled out a pale pink dress with capped sleeves which came just below her knee.

"Oh no, Lily, far too light and, casual. We're having dinner on a cruise ship, not going for a picnic by the seaside.

"Alright then." Lily dug around a little more and took out a deep red dress oozing with lace, silk and even a few bands of velvet.

"Oh NO! That's far too fancy, Lily! You can't wear that to dinner! Maybe to a ball, but-" Lily produced a navy dress, made from soft, velvet-y navy material. It enhanced her small curves and she looked beautiful but innocent, even just holding it against her self. Joan beamed.

"Perfect, dear. You slip that on. Then you simply must tidy up your hair."

Lily groaned lightheartedly, and looked up at the gold-plated clock. To her utter amazement, they had been aboard the ship just 30 minutes. It had seemed like 4 times that! She wondered how long two weeks would seem if under two hours appeared almost an eternity…………