Omg. LOL to the messages about who should survive! I'll comment more when I have more opinions, but so funny! levenz sooty and jolanda, great kick off to the who should survive debate! (even if you want everyone to survive, i am happy to hear it!)

dinner part 1...

Thursday 11th April. Second night aboard Titanic's maiden voyage.

They were escorted to their table at half past seven. The timings of the restaurant being more bespoke than the dining hall. It turned out that the head waiter at Getti's was more than happy to accommodate an extra chair for Mr Darcy. Their main aim being to keep the wealthiest passengers happy.

Bingley and Darcy sat opposite each other. Caroline seated herself to Darcy's right, likely reading more in to it than anyone else might. Jane sat between Caroline and Mr Bingley leaving Elizabeth opposite her and between the two gentlemen.

The table was small enough that conversation was more general than intimate.

She spent, what felt like, her first half hour admiring the setting. This room was by far the most luxurious she had seen. Their table was set in a bay with oval mirrors inset in to the plaster giving the room a light and open feeling.

The waiters were smartly dressed but their accents suggested European, Italian perhaps. She perused the menu, quite impressed by the selection. It was written in french, which she had a reasonable knowledge of.

"Do you see anything you like, Miss Elizabeth?" Caroline asked, her voice sounding snide even when asking a simple question. "I would be happy to explain any of the dishes you do not understand."

She took a breath before responding, allowing herself a mental eye roll. "I thank you, Caroline, for your consideration. I assure you I can understand perfectly well, and if I do not I would prefer the adventure of finding out through experience." She dropped her eyes to her menu, noticing Jane suppressing a smile.

They all ordered soon after, Jane taking Bingley's advice on her dishes. The variety was impressive, not that first class was insufficient. She liked the look of so many of the dishes and said so.

"Order whatever you like!" Bingley was affable.

""Oh! I..." she trailed off when the lobster dish caught her eye.

Darcy leaned towards her "something caught your eye?"

She pressed her lips together.

"Lizzie probably wants the lobster," Jane smiled at her sister then turned to Bingley. "She has always said she wanted to try it!"

"Oh you simply must!" Bingley urged.

Lizzie smiled and bit her lip, not noticing the flare of interest in Mr Darcy's eye. She ordered the Lobster.

Elizabeth then turned her attention to other diners in the restaurant, noting some of the affluent personages of first class around her. The Astor's, the Strauses and the Cavendishes were all partaking of the exceptional dining on offer. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the atmosphere and she was glad she had accepted, doubting her father would have brought them.

The conversation at the table drew her attention one more.

"Has Georgiana sent any wireless communications?" Caroline leant towards Darcy and it amused Elizabeth to note Darcy subtly moving away. "It is so pleasant being able to speak to people on shore. My sister informs me that the Titanic made the headlines in New York and she is preparing for our arrival."

Darcy did not reply.

"I know you would send a telegram to her if she were not here. You are such an attentive brother!" She cooed.

"No." Darcy stated, ignoring her second part of the speech. "I do not believe that Georgiana has sent any telegrams. I, myself, have sent a brief one to my cousin."

"Oh the Colonel! Of course! How does he get on in his new regiment?"

"He is currently enjoying opportunities in America, he is not stationed anywhere."

"Colonel Fitzwilliam is quite charming. The son of Darcy's uncle; Earl Fitzwilliam. Second, but still." Caroline smirked at Elizabeth then turned back to Darcy. "Lady Catherine is aboard, is she not?"

"Indeed she is."

Caroline turned her condescending look upon Elizabeth once more.

"Lady Catherine is the cousin of the Earl, quite the charming lady! Her daughter is also travelling, so genteel!"

Elizabeth frowned as Darcy coughed, she could have sworn he had snorted in laughter had she not known he had no sense of humour.

"Caroline." Her brother said tiredly, "can we speak of something else? People we do not know do not make for interesting conversation."

"What shall we speak of Charles? We do not have acquaintance in common."

Bingley looked at both Jane and Elizabeth "What think you of the Gatti restaurant?"

"Oh! It is beautiful. Thank you for inviting us!"

"Yes. Although I find it ironic that a haute french cuisine would be staffed by Italian waiters and ran by an Italian chef."

Caroline just blinked at her then turned to the others "The decoration is exquisite. Modern as it is!"

Elizabeth looked around "Oh?" She asked "I thought it was Louis XVl'th style?"

"A common mistake!" Caroline breathed, waving her comment away and changing the subject.

"Well, I for one am glad I decided to travel on the Titanic. See Darcy, you are always saying my last minute decisions are poorly done, and yet here we are!"

"I had planned to travel on the Titanic for some time, Charles. Your decision was only last minute in terms of the ship, you had always planned to return to America this year!"

"You always do things hastily, Charles."

"I enjoy many different things. I am happy in the country or in town, in America or England. When someone suggests something I am often taken with the idea and wish to go there immediately."

"That is just what I would suppose of you!" Elizabeth smiled at Bingley.

"You begin to comprehend me do you?"

"I believe I do!"

"I did not know you studied characters, Miss Elizabeth."

Elizabeth almost jumped at the sound of Darcy's voice, so infrequent was it.

"I cannot like to be seen through so easily!" Bingley laughed.

"Oh, Eliza comes from a small town, all characters hereabouts must be interesting for her!" Caroline declared.

"True, I come from a small town, but it does not follow that the characters with whom I grew up with must not be interesting."

"But there must be less subjects for you to study, you must be enjoying that aspect of the voyage?"

Elizabeth frowned. Darcy was right, she was enjoying the new characters she was meeting, but she did not like to admit it.

"True, a varied study can be interesting, but people change so much that observing them will never get dull."

"But if you have deduced my character so easily, I cannot be an interesting person to study!"

"Depth of character does not necessarily make someone more interesting. An amiable person may be understood and liked far quicker than a deeper, less amiable person." Elizabeth blushed at her last words, almost having said something rude.

"Why did you decide to travel on the Titanic so suddenly?" Jane asked Bingley, then blushed "I mean, not that you are unwelcome!"

"Well, I had planned to leave later in the year, but when I met with Darcy here in London last week and he told me he had booked passage I just decided to join him!"

"What a charming friend you must be Mr Bingley!"

"Well, my advice was to join us for a voyage together, it was not against your interests. That is not to say I approve of rash decisions usually."

"You disagree that someone should be persuaded to an action by a trusted friend?"

"No, but I was trying to point out that I did not just suggest this on a whim. I had good reasons to advocate Bingley accompany us."

"Indeed he did, although I confess I agreed without such arguments!"

Darcy sighed.

"Would you rather Mr Bingley ignore his friends advice in certain circumstances? Or is it only yours he should listen to?"

"To yield to a friend's request without reason does no one any credit, neither friend would benefit there. But we are speaking of generals. We should determine particulars before deciding what is right or wrong!"

"Indeed, I am certain that we should discuss relative heights, for I am convinced I only yield to Darcy here as he is a tall fellow. That and he can become quite fierce on a Sunday afternoon with nothing to do!"

The table laughed but Elizabeth perceived Darcy was quite offended.

Elizabeth sought to change the subject and addressed Bingley. "I assume, sir, that you do not like arguments. My sister here" Elizabeth nodded in Jane's direction "is quite of your opinion."

"Excellent!" Bingley turned to Jane "perhaps you can aid me in persuading your sister and my friend to defer their argument until after dinner!"

Jane laughed. "I would be happy to discuss anything else, sir. Tell me about New York!"

Elizabeth smiled fondly at her sister for managing to turn the conversation and she listened to Bingley talking of the great city to which they were heading.

...

The coffee and cheese boards were being served and Elizabeth mainly felt relief. Not withstanding Jane's excellent Mr Bingley, she could not think of people she would less like to dine with. Unfortunately, Jane's Mr Bingley spent most of his evening talking to, or staring at, Jane. Leaving Elizabeth with the dubious pleasure of the company of Caroline and Darcy.

Caroline had spent most of the dinner compliment Mr Darcy, his house, his company, his sister, his use of cutlery. It was as exhausting as it was amusing.

Caroline huffed, her latest attempt to garner Darcy's attention failing, she pushed back her chair to rise. Unfortunately a waiter was passing. His tray, laden with hot beverages, teetered. He would have regained control had Caroline not shrieked and flapped her hands at him. She caught the edge of the tray and sent it flying. Most drinks landed on the ground behind them but one landed on Jane's arm, which had been on the table reaching for her own drink.

Jane cried out and clutched her arm, biting her lip to keep her from making more noise.

Caroline lept up and began scolding the poor waiter, as if it was entirely his fault.

Elizabeth calmly dumped her glass of ice water in to her crisp white napkin and came around to aid Jane. She pressed the cool wet cloth to her, already reddened, skin. "There, there Jane, it will be alright." She soothed, allowing the cold water to dribble down her arm. She grabbed another napkin to go underneath, to try to stop her dress from getting ruined.

When Jane was composed enough they rose and retreated to the reception room, which was almost empty at this time. It would allow them some privacy for Elizabeth to look at her arm without prying eyes. A bit more time with a cold compress would do the trick. She managed to ask a passing waiter for more ice and settled it on Jane's arm.

The moment they left the table Caroline turned to the gentlemen. "Well, I wonder if this little incident will be the end of dinner. I have to say they seem to be trying to extend their welcome! I cannot believe Miss Elizabeth spent the morning in second class! And Jane tells me they have an Uncle in New York. He is a clerk or some such, hardly worth knowing. Their connections are so..."

"I would not care a jot if their uncles were all sewage workers!" Bingley declared valiantly "They are, both, very agreeable dinner companions and I cannot but be glad I thought to invite them!"

"Oh Jane is sweet, but their mother!" Cried Caroline, "could you imagine having her to dine here?" She gestured around at the elite of the elite.

"Enough Caroline." Bingley said tiredly, but Caroline sat with a smug smile upon her face. Darcy was frowning in thought, clearly remembering Mrs Bennet and her flirtatious younger daughters, which had been Caroline's aim.