Hey guys. so the inevitable has happened. one of my kids has been sent home from school because of a covid case! doh! so home schooling starts again. might have an impact on writing time! :)
weekend was vvvv busy too. but I have written some of the sinking. i am going to write different chapters from different peoples POV. am getting a bit nervous for it now. its sooooo close!...
anyway, good old Lady C first!
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April 14th. 1855. 4 hours and 45 minutes until the iceberg hit.
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"A word, Miss Elizabeth Bennet, if you please."
Elizabeth resigned herself to the oncoming conversation and she spoke to Lady Catherine "As you wish."
Lady Catherine immediately turned and led her up the grand staircase to C floor and stepped behind the stair area, opposite the lifts, where there were one or two seats for those so inclined. Elizabeth had not intended to leave the main area, and her friends, but found herself following the older lady.
Through the windows, Elizabeth could see the varied shades of the sky as the sun set. The pretty peaceful palette of colours was incongruous with the uneasiness she felt at the upcoming confrontation, for that was what she felt was coming. She did not sit, not wishing to make herself even smaller than the formidable woman in front of her. But her courage, as always, rose and she raised her chin.
"You can be at no loss to understand why I wished to speak to you." Lady Catherine had paced away from her and turned in a whirl of skirts.
"You are mistaken Madame," her attention was pulled from the sky to her companion. "I cannot account for why you would see the need to hide away for a tete-a-tete."
"We are not hiding, but I needed to be able to speak freely to you."
Elizabeth made no reply, but added 'and loudly' in her own mind.
"A report of a most alarming nature has reached me. That you have been dragging my cousin to consort with second class passengers. He was seen having lunch there today. Outrageous! To think of Mr Darcy of Pemberley consorting with such people. I understand that he has made you an offer of marriage. Oh the shame, to offer marriage to a girl with connections and friends in second class. I knew it must be a falsehood and immediately resolved to hear the truth from you."
Elizabeth momentarily wondered how Lady Catherine had heard such a report, but then remembered the toadying Mr Collins and realised he must have made a special trip to tell his employer the news. She had not noticed him at lunch, but then she had not looked for him, why would she have?
"I wonder which part you believe to be false Madame. I do indeed have friends and connections in second class; I am neither ashamed of them, nor inclined to break such connections on the basis of their ticket aboard this one ship."
"I would not expect it of someone like you, who barely deserves the first class ticket herself. But my cousin should not have to consort with such people!"
"Such people!" Elizabeth exclaimed, full of righteous indignation "Lady Catherine, they are successful, hard working individuals. Many of whom only chose second to be prudent rather than a lack of funds. Your defamation of their hard work is both cruel and unjust."
"How dare you speak to me thusly! This is not what is important. Why is my cousin accompanying you to lunch in a class beneath his own, and has he made you an offer of marriage?"
"Your ladyship has declared it must be false and so it must be." Elizabeth threw her hands in the air in frustration.
"I am not going to tolerate any more of your insolence young lady. I am one of his nearest relations and entitled to know his nearest concerns." Lady Catherine's hands were on her hips, her body leaning towards Elizabeth.
"A close relation does not automatically make you a close confident Madame. If you wish to know your cousin's concerns you should ask him, although I suspect he would not share readily."
"How dare you speak to me this way." Lady Catherine was now pointing aggressively at Elizabeth. "I wish to know if you have drawn Mr Darcy in with your arts and allurements. If you have trapped him somehow."
Elizabeth crossed her arms, her posture defensive but she would not back down. "If I had done such a thing I should be the last person to confess it!"
"Mr Darcy is to marry Anne! His mother and I planned it. Now she is finally being treated correctly and so well enough, you will not stop it!"
Elizabeth took a breath, calming herself. "If Mr Darcy is engaged, he would not be free to make me an offer and so you should not be concerned, he is an honourable man after all." When Lady Catherine looked uncomfortable she smiled slightly "if there is no engagement then he is not confined by honour and you have no control over his inclination." She frowned and shook her head. "Your application is both ridiculous and doomed to fail, you have vastly underestimated my character."
"Enough Miss Bennet. Are you engaged to him?"
Elizabeth would like to toy with this ridiculous woman all night, but she had more interesting things to do.
"I am not."
"Well, that is a relief. You do realise that if you married him you would be ridiculed by high society. You must promise me not to enter in to any engagement."
Lady Catherine's voice had become steadily louder throughout the speech and Elizabeth hoped dearly no one had been coming down the stairs to go to dinner.
"I will promise no such thing. Ridiculed I may be, but if I were married to someone I loved I would have no cause to repine."
"Love! Hah! What has love to do with marriage?"
Elizabeth raised her eyebrows, dropped her arms instead resting them on her hips, and leaned towards the older woman. "In my book, everything. Now I will return to my family. Good evening."
She turned and strode away
"Not so hasty if you please!" Lady Catherine yelled after her, waving her finger in the air, as she rounded the corner of the great staircase. Whatever was to follow died away for there, with a look of thunder on his face, stood Mr Darcy.
Elizabeth stopped and stared. How much had he heard? Her words could have been taken as a declaration of sorts. He had not actually proposed to her again, did she sound as if she were assuming he would?
She noted Georgiana stood with him, looking white and like she wished to run.
"Elizabeth." His voice was calm but she could see the emotion on his face. "I wonder if I could persuade you to take Georgiana down to dinner? I will join you shortly."
She nodded and tucked Georgiana's arm through hers, hurrying them away down the stairs.
"Darcy! Did you hear what that upstart was saying, you must see reason!"
"How dare you.."
But whatever else was to be said faded away as Elizabeth joined the crowd at the bottom of the staircase on D deck. She looked around and hurried over to Jane and Bingley, Georgiana not saying a word.
Georgiana was welcomed enthusiastically and they stood in their group for a few minutes before they saw Darcy coming down the stairs with a thunderous looking, but quiet, Lady Catherine behind him.
"Are you alright?" Lizzie whispered to Georgiana
"Yes, but she can be quite the dragon. You were amazing." She whispered back.
Lizzie winced "I don't want to ask how much you heard. It is too embarrassing."
They were joined by Darcy soon after, Lady Catherine having turned in the opposite direction. He took her hand and squeezed it in a gesture of reassurance. Elizabeth smiled at him and squeezed it back.
"I have managed to secure us a table for six, I hope that is acceptable?" He spoke to Bingley and Jane, just as Caroline joined them. No doubt drawn by the presence of Darcy.
Elizabeth checked around but her sisters were walking in with some of their younger friends, who often sat together, and her mother and father seemed to have abandoned them, no doubt through Mrs Bennet's machinations hoping it would force Jane to sit with Mr Bingley.
Everyone agreed and they were led to their seats, earning some curious looks. Most people dined with the same dining companions, only the bigger tables and the Captain's table differed in their composition.
Elizabeth looked around and noted that the captain wasn't actually present in the main dining room.
She asked Mr Bingley, who said he thought the captain had been invited to a private party in the A-la-carte restaurant with Mr Widener. She nodded and moved towards the table Darcy had secured for them.
The gentlemen sat at either end of the table. Elizabeth sat next to Georgiana, after Caroline managed to manoeuvre herself in to the seat next to Darcy. Elizabeth did not mind, smiling slightly at the usual ridiculous behaviour of Caroline.
Darcy was less thrilled. He had hoped to be sat with Elizabeth and Georgiana on either side of him, but he consoled himself with the knowledge that the table was small enough to have conversation across it.
Elizabeth and Georgiana fell immediately in to a discussion of the music being played by the string quartet. Darcy listened, venturing an opinion on occasion and often fending off questions from Caroline. Jane and Bingley spoke mainly to each other but joined in once the food was served. They were a merry party, with the exception of Caroline who kept trying to unsettle Elizabeth with barbs intended to show her up. Needless to say, Elizabeth defended herself with aplomb and often turned the insult back on an oblivious Caroline.
Despite this, Elizabeth could not say she enjoyed a meal more. The company and the food were enough to make her quite content.
Georgiana could not decide which course she preferred, the consommé Olga, the scallops which she declared succulent, or the roasted squab, which was the seventh course. Her declaration, of course prompted a discussion.
"Oh! Of course, the squab is second to none. The foie gras is a favourite of yours, is it not, Mr Darcy?" Caroline fluttered her eyelashes at him.
"The foie gras was tasty, although it is not a favourite. My beef was excellent however." Mr Darcy caught Elizabeth's eye and rolled his slightly causing her to stifle a giggle.
"Oh William, you do love your beef!" Georgiana smiled at her brother.
Elizabeth raised her eyebrow and then turned to the rest of the table. "Jane, you will have liked the salmon mousseline, will you not?"
Jane laughed "you know me so well, Lizzie!"
Charles smiled "I thank you for the insight, but what of me? Which dish did I prefer?" He asked jovially.
Lizzie pretended to look thoughtful "well, Mr Bingley, I would have to say your favourite course will probably be the dessert, I have noted your sweet tooth!"
Just at that moment their puddings were placed in front of them and Mr Bingley exclaimed happily that Waldorf pudding was his favourite and the table laughed. Jane and Mr Bingley began speaking of their favourite deserts as Mr Darcy leaned towards her.
Georgiana did not seem to mind her bother leaning so, even leaning back slightly.
"And your favourite, Miss Elizabeth?"
She raised her eyebrows as her eclairs were placed in front of her "chocolate will always be my favourite Mr Darcy!" She turned to her plate and took a bite of one, sighing in appreciation. Darcy had to stop himself from groaning at the sight; swearing there and then that, if he could ever persuade her to be his wife, they would have chocolate for desert every day.