Chapter 2:

The trip to Southampton was long and quiet. I refused to speak to my parents. How could they?! This was the very ship that Taylor had perished working on! I knew that they were saddened by his death, but they were never really that upset about it. They simply refused to talk about him or anything. They had tried throwing out all his belongings, so I had stashed a few in my room. This consisted of one of his tuxedos, his pocket watch, and his favorite book, "The Three Musketeers." I smiled at the thought. While I read "Pride and Prejudice", Taylor would read "The Three Musketeers." Our tastes did differ, but, at least he read.

I sighed thinking of my three trunks that were stuffed full of gowns, shoes, hair accessories, jewelry, and much to my dismay, three brand new corsets. The dresses that they had bought me were, in fact, beautiful. I found it intriguing that my parents had gotten me such lovely gowns, as well as such a great quantity of them. I was not short on dresses, I had many of them, so why I had received more was a mystery to me.

"We have arrived Elissabeth." I frowned. Why couldn't my parents ever use my nickname, Elissa? Really? Was it that much of a bother? Taylor had called my Lissie all the time, which was basically a nickname for my nickname.

My mother had already been helped out of the Renault. A young man, probably around twenty-two held out his hand, "Lady DiVois?" I nodded slightly, embarrassed, but delicately placed my hand in his, allowing him to help me out.

"Thank you." The man nodded and walked off to get my family's luggage. I looked up, under the brim of my hat it was difficult to see. The ship was lovely, truly it was. I could imagine the proud look on Taylor's face as he worked on the sketches for it. It was astounding. "I don't see what's so special about it," Mother rambled off, absentmindedly. I scoffed,

"Isn't the fact that your son designed this ship enough to make it magnificent?" Mother frowned,

"Personally, the Mauritania was more impressive." I looked down angrily. My mother was horrible! "Stop that Elissabeth!" she scolded, lifting my chin up with her finger. She tsked me, "Now Elissabeth, you wear nice things for a reason, it's who we are! Flaunt them! So no tears!"

"They ruin the facade," she added as an afterthought. My mouth went agape. How could she say something like that? To basically tell her own daughter that she's not attractive! I turned and studied the ship itself, no longer wishing to speak to Mother.

"Miss? Miss?" I turned to see that a man was speaking to me. He was the man who had helped me out of the Renault.

"Yes?"

"You are Lady DiVois, yes?" I sighed,

"Yes I am." The man smiled,

"Ah, well, this is for you." He handed me long rectangular box.

"Thank you sir."

"My pleasure Miss." I opened the long box to see a purple rose. I giggled at the sight. Jack was so sweet, he knew how hard this was. At the bottom of the box was a note. I picked it up delicately and read it:

"Meet me in the Marconi wireless room."

I smiled, Jack knew just how to cheer me up. "Elissabeth!" my mother grabbed my arm and yanked me forward, causing me to get off balance, dropping the rose. "Mother!" I groaned.

"We're boarding, now straighten up. Look..." she scanned me up and down, her eyes narrowed, "regal." I sighed, but knew that argument was pointless.

Xx

"Lady Elissabeth DiVois?" I nodded,

"Yes sir, that is I." The man nodded and helped me aboard,

"There you are miss." I continued on, walking to my stateroom, which was, thankfully, about one hundred rooms away from my parents.