Hello everyone!
I'm back, hope you like this chapter, I had loads of fun writing it! And the chapter is not named after a drug, ecstasy also means happiness. Sorry about the time it took to come out!
Thanks for the reviews:
Ayane Murdoch- I am not saying but I will tell you that you find out in the very last chapter for sure.
yellow-faith- lol, no you are right, no detectives on this ship. Thanks for the review!
CHAPTER SIX
ECSTASY
Daniel leaned over the rail at the end of the ship after his encounter with the captain.
The dark haired man stared into the darkening depths of water and realised that he was going to be late too dinner.
Rose's rescuer will dine with us tonight, I wonder what he will be like, he thought to himself.
He realised that he had no speciality in investigating crimes, he was not going to find out the real killer. He would have to trust his instincts.
And those instincts tell me it weren't Keisha, he thought.
The young man stood straight, and gazed out into the horizon. He decided to go back to his state room and talk to the woman that had held his thoughts for the past few days. He knew he was infatuated by her, though he didn't know what to think of this revelation.
He did not care what other people thought of him, he never did.
I'm going to confess how I feel, it's the right thing to do, he vowed himself, heading back to his stateroom.
He nodded to several people he vaguely recognised, allowing a small smile to enter his face as he saw Rose going down for dinner.
He hoped that Rose would start to feel better soon. He guessed that Jack would help her with that.
Daniel entered his state room five minutes later and saw Keisha lying on a chaise lounge, staring at the door he had just entered, obviously waiting for him to come back.
"Keisha." He whispered, smiling as the girl in question stood up and walked over to him.
She had taken a bath and changed dress since he had been gone. Her curls were still slightly damp from the rose scented water.
She smiled at him as he walked closer.
Not able to contain his emotions, Daniel kissed her. He felt a strange emotion going through him as he gathered Keisha into his arms, pressing her into his body.
"Daniel, this is wrong, Kate has just died, you need time to mourn." Keisha said between kisses.
"I will have the rest of my life for that, and I have been wanting this for so long, don't deny me off it." He replied, kissing her again.
Half an hour later, Daniel slipped out of his bed and began to get ready for dinner.
"I have dinner to attend, Jack is going to be there, you know, the guy I told you about?" Daniel said to Keisha, waiting for her nod before he continued.
"I will get back here as soon as I can." He mumbled, kissing her on the forehead, cursing himself for wanting to get back into bed with her.
He exited the luxurious room and took the familiar path down to the first class dining saloon. He grinned broadly at anyone who nodded at him out of politeness, causing some expression of surprise.
He approached the DeWitt-Bukator table and exchanged hellos with everyone present.
He dropped into a seat next to Jack, raising his eyebrows at the suit the blonde man was wearing.
"Mollie?" Daniel asked in an undertone to Jack as the starters were served.
Jack grinned at Daniel in his reply before quickly turning his attention back to Rose.
The dinner passed fairly quickly, much to Daniel's liking.
"Tell me of the accommodation in Steerage on this ship Mr Dawson, I hear they are quite good."
Daniel glared at Ruth. How dare she say that! She thought to himself.
"Best I've seen hardly any rats." Jack replied scathingly, causing Ruth's eyebrows to shoot up her forehead.
Daniel grinned at the response, defiantly carrying on as Cal threw a dirty look at him.
For once, at the end of dinner, Daniel opted to go the smoking room, intending to talk to Cal.
Daniel had never been in the smoking room before, unlike most First Class men, not that he was particularly eager to visit it in the first place.
He grudgingly admitted that the place was tastefully decorated. The rich panelled walls and beautiful tiles gave off a distinct impression of wealth and worth.
He felt a hand tug at his sleeve in his state of wonder, causing him to come back to the earth.
"Caledon, I have business proposition for you, do you mind if we discuss it in private?"
Daniel looked into Cal's eyes, long and deliberately, hoping he realised that he had no proposition, he just needed to talk.
"Of Course Daniel, shall this table suffice?" Cal answered, pointing at a circular table in the corner of the room, not too far away from a poker game.
"It most certainly will." Daniel intoned as he walked over to the aforementioned chair.
Daniel waited as the slightly shorter man dropped himself into a chair, in an elegant manner of course. Daniel almost rolled his eyes.
"You know, it's hard to think you are the same guy I used to have mud fights with." Daniel said casually, taking off his dinner jacket.
Cal laughed at the memory, one that had resulted in them getting a spanking form their fathers, not that they were that bothered by the punishment.
"I wanted to talk to you about Rose." Daniel said, looking carefully at Cal's chiselled features, probing for a reaction.
Though his face remained unyielding, Cal's eyes showed softness that words could not describe. He loves her, he realised.
"She is unhappy Cal. I think you have realised that. I think the love is one sided."
The dark haired man frowned at Daniel's words, though Daniel knew, he had already reached this conclusion.
"Yes, it does appear that way." Cal admitted, eliminating all pretence on his part. For now, they were just two best friends, talking about their estranged love lives. Women, do they realise what they do to us? Daniel thought, looking at the hurt in Cal's eyes.
"It's not too late to break the engagement, I will stand by whatever choice you make, women are replaceable, though I am sure Ruth would have rather contradictory views to mine."
They both laughed at the only humour in the situation.
"Thank you Daniel, you have given food to my thoughts, but if I daresay, it is rather rude of us not participate socially and just sit here to ourselves, would you care for a drink? A cigar?"
Daniel laughed at Cal's expression. They had both tried Brandy at Daniel's house one year, resulting in a life long addiction from Cal and a lifelong hatred from Daniel.
"I thought the vomit on my Uncle's study floor was answer enough for you." Daniel said, remembering the after effects of the liquor.
"I will be heading back to my stateroom I think, though I would like to say goodnight to Jack first."
Cal's eyes clouded over at the mention of the third class passenger.
"For heaven's sake Cal, stop holding a grudge, he may have won over Rose and saved her, but remember, he is steerage, he has little if no power, you are in control of the situation."
Cal smiled in an evil way at Daniel's words. As much as he hated to admit it, the class structure was an important part of society.
Especially these men, he thought, eyeing a group of finely dressed men all sipping brandy.
"Goodnight Cal." Daniel said as he walked out of the Smoking room, holding his breath to avoid the vulgar smoke entering his body.
Daniel took the lifts down to E-Deck, going around the same dull white passages, following the unmistakeable noise of a party.
After ten minutes, Daniel climbed down some stairs into a small meeting room of sorts, filled with third class passengers laughing and dancing to some Irish music.
He felt a pang of jealousy at their enjoyment, the informality of the situation endeared him.
He spotted Rose and Jack dancing, Rose laughing in the blond mans arms.
Daniel moved through the crowds of people, stopping occasionally to smile at people and hug children he met on the deck yesterday.
"How did you find the dinner Jack?" Daniel asked as he reached the ecstatic couple.
Jack turned around, smiling at him.
"A tad too posh for my liking, but enjoyable in a rather analysing way,"
Both Daniel and Rose laughed at this statement.
They talked for a further five minutes of Ruth's rudeness, unfazed by Rose's presence.
"I must go, I am slightly overwhelmed with the desire to sleep. I trust I will see you at tomorrow's service Rose?" Daniel asked. He spoke of the Sunday church service available to the first class passengers.
Jack gave Daniel a penetrating stare before bidding good night. He is up to something, he decided, yawning as he rode the panelled elevator to the A Deck.
"Keisha?" Daniel asked, as soon as he entered the stateroom that had been home for the last couple of days.
The girl in question, he found on search, was still sleeping in his bed. Not having the heart to move her, Daniel undressed and climbed in next to her, savouring her warmth.
This trip didn't turn out so bad after all, he thought, as he slipped into a deep sleep.
………………………….
There we go, Chapter 6 in all its glory. The time is now Saturday April 13th 1912 in the story, so I shall start on the sinking soon!
Please note that if I was at any point sexist in this chapter, for I know I was, this is not because I am, it is reflecting society's view in the early 1900s.
Please review!
Dan