Chapter Six

When dinner ended and the men began to rise from the table and adjourn to the smoking room, Polly leaned over to me. "Your Welcome."

"How could you do that? Put him on the spot like that?"

"Oh he didn't seem to mind, besides, it gave you two a chance to really talk." she smirked. "I think he's taking a liking to you"

I could feel myself start to blush.

"At least the feeling is reciprocated."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh Sarah, you never were good at lying, and you haven't gotten any better as you've gotten older. You are smitten with him, admit it."

"Fine, you're right. Okay, are you satisfied?" I hated being beaten.

"Yes very."

I turned from her and crossed my arms, but it wasn't too long before she broke through the tension and whispered softly. "Are you meeting him later?"

I turned to her and couldn't help but break into a grin. "The Promenade deck, after dinner."

"Darling, it is after dinner." she said matter-of-factly

I sat up suddenly when I realized she was right.

"Excuse me." I replied abruptly. I took the napkin from my lap and set it on the table and got up and left more quickly than I probably should have. I rushed back to my room and in passing saw that it was after 8.

"Hannah!" my voice called as I walked through the room. "Hannah!" I looked all around the room and didn't see her. Giving up I went into my closet and grabbed a coat. I slipped it on over my gown and then rushed back out of the room, shutting the door behind me.

I found it very hard to walk quickly in my dress but somehow managed and soon found myself out on the deck greeted with a soft cold breeze coming at me with a rush. I then realized I didn't know where he would be, if he was still there at all. I wrapped my coat tightly around myself and moved towards my left.

"Isn't it rude to make someone wait for you?"

I smiled when I heard the voice from behind me and turned around, Harold was leaning up against the wall his arms crossed across his chest.

"On the contrary, being late is very fashionable." I answered, trying to act serious.

He grinned. "I'll be sure to use that one the next time I wake up late for a shift."

I giggled.

"Well shall we get to the matter at hand, then?" I asked walking towards him.

"What is that, Ms. Wilkes?"

"The fact that you are following me, Mr. Lowe." I replied coming to a stop in front of him.

He laughed. "I believe you are mistaken. It is you that are following me."

"I hardly think that's the case" I replied with the sweetest smile I could find.

"Oh really" he leaned up off the wall and looked me straight in the eye. "For one, the hat store…"

"Speaking of which, what were you doing in there?"

"Interrupting someone is very inconsiderate."

I laughed and let him continue. "…this afternoon on the boat deck, purposely running into me, how childish."

I couldn't believe him. I held to hold back my laughter but kept a smile on my face.

"You're just teasing me now."

"Guilty, and if you wish to remain on good terms with me I suggest you never mention the hat store incident."

"Why?" I asked with a small giggle.

"I was brought in there against my will."

"Were you really?"

He smiled. "No, a fellow officer of mine, wanted to find something for his mother before we left. I went along because I'm a sucker for mother's."

"You're a very good friend."

"Yes, I think so. Would you like to take a walk?"

"That sounds very nice, thank you."

We began to walk. The air was cool, but not terribly cold and it was actually quite refreshing.

"So you're going to America?" he asked in an attempt to start conversation. I found it a rather boring topic but went a long with it.

"Yes, Philadelphia."

He nodded. "Have you been there before?"

"Many times, it's my home. Well it's where my family is."

"I thought you were English. You sound it anyway."

All those years living in England I had picked up the accent. It wasn't very thick but it

was there. I had never really thought about it before though.

"I've lived in England for a long time now…12 years."

"Where?"

"London. I go to school there."

"I'm from Llandudno …Wales"

"I've never been there, what's it like?."

"Nice town, near the water. Do you like the ocean?"

"I adore it."

"Then you'd like it there."

I smiled. "I'll make it a point to see it then. Have you ever been to America?"

He shook his head. "This is my first time crossing the Atlantic."

"Well you'll get to see New York, that's a nice way to start out. Although its not my favorite part."

"What is, Philadelphia?"

"No, Oregon."

"Oregon?"

I smiled. "Yes, a few summers ago my brother and I were invited to Seattle to visit my Aunt and Uncle. We traveled through Oregon and its right on the Pacific. I just loved it there. It's so green. But the water and the rock formations were the best part…it was very beautiful."

"Well then Ms. Wilkes, I'll make a deal with you, if you go to Wales, I'll go to Oregon, we'll exchange postcard along the way."

"All right then. Should we shake on it?"

"Of course."

He took my hand and shook it softly. I couldn't help but look into eyes as he did so. They were so captivating. He looked back at me too and it gave me goose bumps.

"You're very easy to talk to, Ms. Wilkes." he said, keeping his eyes on me.

"So are you." I couldn't seem to tear mine away either.

It was then that I realized that we were still holding hands. Slowly I slipped mine away, reluctantly I should say. Neither one of us made an attempt to move from the spot near the railing.

"You said you go to school in London." he said suddenly breaking the silence

"Yes, that's right."

"Why is it I get the feeling that you're fourteen and not telling me."

"Not quite" I replied, laughing, grateful that he had broken the dull moment. "I'm older than that...I'm seventeen."

"Yes, that is damn near elderly."

"Well how about you?"

"Well if you consider seventeen old, then I am ancient."

I looked at him with raised eyebrows and a smirk and he broke into a grin and said. "Twenty-nine."

"You don't look it."

"Don't I?"

"No, I would have thought, maybe twenty-five…at the most."

"Let's just say I am then."

"Do you want me to say I'm 14?"

"For the love of God, please don't"

I laughed. "Okay, I won't"

I began to notice that the few people out on the deck began to disappear back inside and realized that it was probably getting late.

"I should be getting back."

He nodded, not hiding his disappointment…I couldn't really blame him. "Me too, would you like me to walk you?"

"If you want to. I don't want to keep you."

"You won't, come on." he replied and took my arm.

"Okay" we turned back the way we had come and silently walked back towards the way I had come out. He was very polite and opened every door we came to for me. When we reached my room I took the key out of my handbag and put it into the lock. I turned to him and thanked him for walking me.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Lowe."

"Call me Harry…it was my pleasure. It was very nice getting to know you…Sarah."

"You too." I hesitated before I saying what I did next. I mustered up as much bravery as I could. "I would like to do it again, if that's all right with…we don't have to…it's just…"

"Okay" he said quickly and I smiled nervously.

"Really?"

"Yes, really. I'm on watch in the morning…8-12, but after that I'm free until four."

"Don't you ever sleep?"

"Never" he said with an impish grin.

"Well then I'll see you tomorrow, I guess."

"Meet me on the boat deck, where I saw you earlier."

"At noon?"

"Yes"

"Okay, I'll be there."

He beamed and then leaned in quickly and kissed me on the cheek. I felt myself flush and barely managed to whisper goodnight before going into my room and shutting the door quickly. It was silly, but I felt like crying.

It amazed me that this time yesterday he was only a face in my mind and now today he was…Harry. I loved that he had asked me to call him that, even if I hadn't said it to him yet, I already loved it. And hearing him say my name was like a dream come true.

When Hannah appeared to help me undress and get ready for bed, I could tell she noticed something, but she didn't say anything. That was all right, because as soon as I slipped underneath the sheets and closed my eyes I relived every word, every touch that I had just experienced.

It was heaven, pure heaven.