6:30 P.M.

Marie Duncan, had been in tears all morning, for she hadn't any news of whether her dear daughter Violet, had survived the Titanic's sinking. How sorry, now, that she had sent her on that expensive ship, which had come to nothing. Although she had heard, that the captain of that ship had survived. She wondered how he had managed, when so many had died?

Well, she wasn't going to condemn him for that, for the poor man had to live in his own hell, now.

At that moment, she saw a taxi pull up and wondered who that might be, then.. Praise be to God, for there in front of her, at the end of her driveway, was her own dear daughter, dearest Violet. She had returned home, safe and sound. Praise be to the Almighty.

She threw open the door, and as fast as her old and frail body could move, ran down the sidewalk.

Violet threw open the door, and lifted her skirts and ran up the sidewalk, and mother and daughter fell into each other's arms, weeping and crying tears of joy. Then, Marie noticed the gentleman that had gotten out of the taxi, as well. Oh dear, that was the captain of the ship that had sank. She recognized his face, how could she not? His face was all over the papers, everywhere.

Well, she would be Christian and hospitable, for she felt for the poor man, now.

Violet said quietly, " Mama, this is Captain Edward J. Smith."

Edward looked at her, wishing that she wouldn't call him that anymore, for he wasn't a captain anymore, and didn't deserve to be one, either.

Marie said, " Welcome to my home, Captain Smith. Thank you, too, sir, for bringing my daughter home to me. I'm most heartily glad that you made it out alive, sir. It couldn't have been easy, either. Please, come inside won't you? I was just making dinner. Perhaps you could stay and have dinner with us?"

He nodded and said that he would appreciate that very much.

Edward then followed Violet, who walked alongside her mother, her arm looped through her mother's.

8:30 P.M.

After dinner, Edward stood and said, " Well, I suppose I had best be going on back home, now."

Violet turned to her mother and said, " I'll be right back, mother. I'm going to walk outside with the Captain." She didn't want to use his first name, in front of her mother, for she knew how her mother felt about that. If she weren't married to the man, then the use of his first name, no matter what the circumstances, were not allowed. Of course, she didn't see it that way, but she had to abide by her mother's rules, and it was only fair. Her mother was fair to her in every other way.

Once they were outside, Edward took her by the arm and led her down the sidewalk and said, " Violet, I don't want you to call me Captain anymore. I've asked you to call me Edward."

She stopped him and said, " I know that, Edward. But my mother has strict ideas about being on a first name basis, and she definitely would not have been happy to hear me calling you by your first name."

He sighed and said, " Oh, well, then I suppose it's all right. I certainly don't want to be the one to put you on the spot, with your mother. She's a very kind lady, Violet. I see where you get your character, your beliefs, and that is how you came to save me, an old sea captain, from the sea."

She laughed softly, for he wasn't old looking at all. He was quite handsome, she thought, distinguished, and she had thought so, while she had watched him, while still on board the Titanic. He had looked so dignified, in that uniform, and his white hair and beard, well.. he was something else to look at. Still was, she thought, although now, there was a sadness, an air of despondency around him now. She wished that she could help him, but she didn't know how.

He smiled some and said, " Well, Violet, you do know that next week, the British investigation gets under way. I'd surely like it, if you would come to London with me, and be with me. For it's bound to be as brutal, if not more, than the U.S. Senate investigation."

Violet knew, for a fact, that the United States Senate had been ruthless, with Captain Smith, and she had been there, through the entire ordeal. She had wept for him, when it was all over with, for he had come out of there, like a broken man.

Then to think, that he had had to return to England, and find that his wife had left him, filed for divorce, and taken their only child, from him. No wonder, the man was completely devastated, wiped out. For a moment, she wished that she could put her arms around him, and hold him to her, and comfort him. Perhaps they both could find comfort together, in each other's arms. But that thought, was something she had best push aside.

Then she came back to reality, when she felt his hand against her arm, and he was saying, ".. Violet..?"

She shook her head, clearing those troubling thoughts out of her mind and said, " Yes? I'm so sorry, Edward. You wanted me to go to London? Perhaps my mother and I could both go."

Edward hadn't really had her mother in mind, as far as coming along with them, as he had hoped that it would be just himself and Violet. But supposing that might be the only way for Violet to attend, then he said, " Well, I suppose that would be just fine, Violet. Ask your mother, and see if she would go. I'll buy us train tickets to London, in the morning."

She said, " You want me to ask her now?"

He nodded and she said, " Very well, then. Wait right here, Edward."

He didn't know where else he would have gone, and there was that empty, lonely feeling, once more. Of course, he had known loneliness, and hard work, as a young man growing up, after the deaths of both of his parents, and his early years at sea, and as a young officer.

Up until the moment, he had first set eyes on Sarah Eleanor Pennington, and had fallen, truly, and madly in love with her.

Now, all he felt towards her, was a hot, bitter, angry feeling. How dare she, he thought? Leave him that way? Filing for divorce? And, on top of that, taking Helen, his beloved daughter?

Violet came back out, and over to Edward and said, " She said, that yes we would both like to attend. My mother is very supportive, Edward. I learned my attitudes and beliefs from her, as you mentioned. She would have been the first one to tell me, that what I did that night, was absolutely right."

10:30 P.M.

After Edward had long gone home, Violet lay upstairs in her bed, thinking about him. How damned sad she felt, and angry at that wife of his, well, soon to be ex-wife. She didn't even know that wives could do that! Could leave their husbands? She wondered, too, if he might want to marry again. Somehow, she couldn't see him, at this point in his life, living alone.

She felt that it might be too damned lonely for him, and she wanted to be the one to help him through that loneliness, after all, she was the one who had risked all, to save him from death. And, this was partly her fault, as well.

She fell into a troubled sleep that night, tossing and turning.

9:00 A.M. Monday, May 6, 1912 - London, England

Violet, along with her mother, and Edward, had taken the train, the day before, up to London. And they had gotten themselves checked into a hotel room, Violet and her mother in one, and Edward, in the one next to theirs.

The investigation would be starting in about an hour, and she had gotten up and dressed herself, wearing a full, blue wool skirt, a pale blue blouse, with a lovely cameo brooch, that her mother had given her, for her past birthday. Then she brushed her long, red curls back, and tied them up with a pale blue ribbon. After she had put on her nylons, and black boots, she dashed on some rose scented cologne, then took her shawl and gloves, and left the room.

She was to meet Edward, downstairs in the lobby.

Violet stood there, and finally she saw him, as he made his way down the stairs, still as resplendent looking in his uniform, as the first time she had saw him.

When Edward saw Violet standing there, looking so pretty, he let a smile cross his face and he said, when he noticed her mother wasn't there, " Where's your mother, Violet?"

Then he noticed a frown cross her face and he said, concerned, " What is wrong, Violet, love?"

She said, in a trembling voice, " She's not feeling well, Edward. So she said that she wouldtake a rest, and I'm to check in on her, when we come back, later today."

He sighed, took his cap off and ran a hand through his hair and said, " Would you rather stay here with her? I can go through this alone, and I probably should. I saw how you cried, at the American investigation, and that hurt me, love."

She shook her head and said, " No, Edward, I want to be there for you. I said that I would, and I will. But I am concerned about my mother."

As they left the hotel, he took her arm and said, " Well, love, we'll get back here as soon as we can. If she's still not feeling well, perhaps we can have a doctor call on her."

A trembling smile crossed her face and she said softly, " You're so kind to me, Edward."

He pulled her close to him and said, " You've been more than kind to me, Violet. You've saved my life, and you're always here for me, love. What can I say? Let's go, and get this over with, love."

5:00 P.M.

The investigation had ended for the day, and as Violet had suspected, it had been brutal, for Edward, although not nearly as much as the American one had been. But still, it had hurt, to see him go through such an ordeal.

And she understood, why he had been quiet, on the way back to the hotel, although he kept his hand on her arm, as he led her back to the hotel.

Inside the front lobby, a hotel clerk came up and said, " Miss Violet Duncan?"

A fear lept up into her throat, and she said squeakily, " Yes?"

The hotel clerk, a young man of about nineteen, said, " Your mother has taken ill, and we've had to send her to a hospital." Then he gave her the name and address of the hospital and said, " I'm sorry for you, Miss Duncan. I hope that she will be all right."

Violet felt as if she wanted to sit down and cry, and cry until she could do so no more, but she had to go on. So she brushed away the errant tears, that were trying to fall down her face.

Edward said, " Come, along, Violet. Let's go and see about your mother."

She was genuinely touched, at how caring and concerned he was about her mother.

5:30 P.M.

At the hospital entrance, Edward and Violet went inside, and Violet gazed around nervously. She then turned to Edward and said, " I'm afraid, really afraid now, Edward."

He slipped an arm around her shoulders and said, " It's going to be quite all right, love. She seemed fine, yesterday, so I don't think it should be anything too serious."

And he sincerely hoped that that would be the case, but when the doctor came in, moments later, he could see from the man's eyes, that it was going to be serious.

The young man said, " Miss Duncan?"

She replied, " Yes?"

He then introduced himself as Dr. Martin Bromley and said, " Please, let's go inside here and have a seat." And he led the both of them inside a waiting area, and had them sit.

Then he perched himself on the edge of a chair, facing the two and said, " Miss Duncan, let me tell you like it is. Your mother is in very serious condition. She has had a heart attack, as of this afternoon. And in all likelihood, she will have another one, over the next few days, and I'm sorry to have to tell you, but I do not believe that she will live, past the end of this week."

Violet felt as if the room were spinning, and her head was swimming. Everything, even Edward, was blurring in front of her, as tears spilled down her face. She didn't even cry out loud, though. She covered her mouth and nodded, then said quietly and tearfully, " What can I do for my mother?"

He sighed and said, " Just take her home and make her comfortable. Make an appointment with a local doctor, and let him know what the diagnosis is. And then just be with her, that's all I can say. Now, if you'll please excuse me, I have other patients to visit. Your mother is on the third floor, and you can ask at the nurse's desk, and they'll let you know what room number she is in. Once again, I'm most sorry, Miss Duncan." And with that, he turned and abruptly left, his white doctor's coat, flying out behind him.

Violet said, without even looking up, " How much longer is this investigation, Edward? Are you finished here?"

He said, tiredly, " Yes, love. I'm done. The entire day was spent with me, and now they're on to the smaller fish. We can go home now, and take your mother with us."

Violet looked up at him, tears in her eyes, when he said that.

Good heavens, but he hated to see her cry so, and wished that he could take her in his arms and hold her to him, but it would have to wait. They had to see her mother first.

So he said, " Come, Violet, let's go see your mother, and get her out of here. Then we'll go back to the hotel, and pack up our belongings, and take the train home."

8:30 P.M.

Back at the hotel, Violet sat next to her mother, who was resting weakly but fairly comfortably, in the big bed. Edward had gone to his room next door, to leave her with her mother for the time being. But he had asked her to go with him downstairs, for dinner, at 9:00, so she had to freshen up.

Violet started to leave, when her mother said, in a weak voice, " Sweet child, come here."

Violet moved over to her mother, and sat down.

Marie took her daughter's hands in hers and said, " I can see it in your eyes, love. You love that man, don't you? And you saved him, didn't you? Because I know that the captain of the ship always goes down with it, and Captain Edward J. Smith didn't. He survived. And it's because of you, isn't it?"

Violet started to cry, and she leaned her head over against her mother and said, " Yes, mama, I do love him. But I wasn't saving him, because I love him. Because I knew that he was married, and had a family."

Marie was startled to hear that and she said in a soft voice, " What happened then, to his family, sweet Violet?"

Violet went on to explain, how when they had returned from England, he had asked her to come and visit, for he knew that his wife and daughter would want to meet the woman who had saved their husband and father from an icy, cold death. But when they had returned, the captain had been devastated to find a note from his wife, stating that she was leaving him, filing for divorce, and taking their only child, a daughter, from him. As she couldn't live with the constant shame and humiliation of the man, who had captained the Titanic, and then had the nerve to live.

Violet said harshly, " Why, mama, it sounded as if she wanted her husband to die. As if.. as if, she didn't love him."

Marie held her daughter to her and said, " Shhh.. love. There are different kinds of love, sweetheart. No one knows what went on between that man and his wife, but if it's over with, then there's nothing else to fret over. I can see, however, that you do love him, it's written in your eyes, and in your heart. Give it time, love. Maybe he'll come around to you, after all.. you're my beautiful, precious, baby girl. The only one, that God gave to me and your father."

Violet sat up, brushed the tears from her eyes and said, " Mama, I must go. I'm to meet the captain downstairs, for dinner."

Then Marie surprised her once more by saying, " I know that you're on a first name basis, with him, so go on sweetheart. Go to Edward. I don't mind, you know. I know I've told you that before, and you've always been so courteous, and respectful of it. That's how I knew that you were in love with him, because I heard the way you spoke to him, when you were outside our house the other night."

Violet was amazed by what her mother had said, and as she left the room, she felt lighter, and well.. just a bit happier, although the thought of her mother's soon demise, was enough to dampen any enthusiasm.