Chapter 4
"Excuse me miss, may I sit?"
Harlean looked up from her book to see one of the men from the Marconi room.
"Of course," she said as she held out her hand indicating the chair beside her.
Harold Bride took a seat and smiled at the young girl, "I just would like to...apologize for my friend's actions earlier," he said.
"He was very helpful, and if I got in the way...I should be the one apologizing," she replied.
"No of course not Miss Smith," he stated quickly.
"No...My name is Carpenter. Captain Smith is my Uncle on my mother's side," she explained with a kind smile.
"Oh, please forgive me Miss Carpenter," Harold apologized.
"Of course, it was a simple mistake that anyone could have made."
They were both silent for a moment, then Harold smiled at the girl once more, "I just thought...I'm about to go onto my shift...and I seem to remember you saying something earlier about being interested in ships and everything that has to do with them. If you have nothing else to do...then maybe-"
"I could come and learn how to use the machines?!" she cried, excitement painted across her face, but at once she flinched.
"Please forgive me; my parents always scold me for when I get overly excited like that. It's a bad habit that I have not grown out of since childhood," Harlean explained.
"It's alright; it's a lovely change to meet a woman interested in these things. Most women prefer to not know about this kind of stuff," Harold replied.
"For as long as I could remember, my Uncle has always brought my brothers and I trinkets from his journeys and tales. The tales would always entertain me and keep me dreaming. This was a dream come true to be told I could finally come along with him on one of his journeys, and it has even more meaning as it is his last journey before he retires," she said.
"It will be a sad day when Edward Smith stops sailing. He's been a good and brilliant man. I'm thankful to of gotten the chance to serve under him," Harold said.
Harlean smiled, "I will be sure to tell him that you said that. It was very kind of you," she said.
"Thank you very much Miss Carpenter," he replied.
"Oh please! Call me Harlean, no need for formalities! Were all friends here," she said with a grin.
"Very well, with that being said, call me Harold. Now...I must go on shift, would you care to join me?" he asked as he stood up.
Harlean smiled, "I'd love to learn more about the operating things, thank you," she replied as she stood up and began to follow Harold to the Marconi Room.
"You're welcome," Harold said kindly.
When they walked in a moment later Jack Phillips was just finishing the sending of a message, he stood up and looked as Harlean came in, her large hat occupying most of the space once more.
"Hello Miss," he said politely, he then looked to Harold, "I'm going to sleep. As of right now there are no more messages to be sent...but you never know, the Captain or someone could bring something in at any moment."
"Alright, I am just going to teach Harlean about the machines. She is very interested," Harold said as Jack walked behind the curtain into the small room where the bed was.
"Just keep it quiet," Jack said as he pulled the curtain shut so he could change out of his clothes and go to sleep.
A moment later a soft-ish noise reached Harlean's ears as she removed her hat, "What is that?"
"It's the sparker, it makes that noise when sending message. I'm just replying to something someone from shore is sending," Harold answered.
Harlean stepped closer and listened in on one of the head phones, "How can you decipher that?"
Harold was silent for a moment then smiled at Harlean, "You have to be able to have complete patience and a very good ear," he answered.
A few hours passed and it was six-thirty, but Harlean had no idea, she and Harold had gotten so caught up with telling stories about their child hoods and sending messages that she had lost complete track of time.
In the last two hours Harlean had mastered the Marconi Machines, and Harold had remarked that she must have used the machines before, because of how well she did with them.
But alas, after some playful arguing she convinced him that she had never used the machines before.
Harold then pulled out his pocket watch, he raised his eyebrow, "Wow…time sure has flown," he commented.
Harlean looked up, "What time is it?"
"Six thirty-five, Jack comes on shift in an hour and a half," he answered.
"Oh my goodness!" Harlean cried.
"What's the matter?" Harold inquired.
"I can't believe we let time get so far away from us! I need to dress for supper!" she replied as she stood up and quickly placing her hat on top of her head.
"Very well, will I see you again?" he asked.
Harlean paused for a moment and smiled, "You can count on it. I promised I'd write every day," she answered.
Harold smiled, "Well thank you for the company that you provided today," he said.
"You're very welcome, good evening Harold," she said politely before rushing out of the room.
XX
"Harlean Grace Noel Carpenter! Where have you been?"
The girl looked down at her hands then back up to her Uncle, "I'm sorry!"
"Where were you?"
"I was in the Messaging room…Harold Bride was teaching me how to use the Marconi Machines," she answered.
"Why couldn't you of at least come by the Bridge and told me?"
"The thought never occurred to me?"
"Harlean I do not mind you exploring, but you must…must check in with me. There are so many strange people on this ship, who do not know right from wrong. I am glad to see you are alright, now rush and dress for supper, we have less than fifteen minutes before we need to arrive," he replied.
Harlean nodded and went into her bedroom with Holly.
XX
"A penny for your thoughts Harlean."
Harlean turned to look at Molly Brown who was sitting at her side, "Pardon?"
"You just looked so thoughtful…and I refuse to believe you're glass of champagne is that interesting," the older woman said with a chuckle.
Harlean was silent for a moment as she contemplated Mrs. Brown's statement, she had been staring at her champagne but she had been thinking about Harold. He had been so polite to her that afternoon; she wanted to do something in return for him. But she had to be tactful about it. She knew he would never accept the gift personally; he just seemed like that type of person.
"Oh well I was just thinking about my afternoon," she answered finally.
"It must have been exciting for you to stare for so long."
"Oh not really, well it was slightly for me. I can not imagine it would appeal to you," Harlean replied as she then took a small polite sip of her drink.
"You never know dear, how did you choose to spend you're afternoon?" Molly asked.
"Well I met the men in the Operating room, Mr. Jack Phillips and Mr. Harold Bride. Then when Har- I mean Mr. Bride went on shift he taught me how to use the machines. I think I sent out about two or three messages and was able to get responses that I understood before the afternoon was out," Harlean answered.
"That interests you?" Molly asked in disbelief.
Harlean nodded as she once more took a sip of her champagne, "Yes, anything to do with a ship and the ocean interests me," she said.
Molly then gave the girl an all knowing smile, "Ah! Being whose niece you are…that shouldn't have surprised me."
"Excuse me Miss Carpenter; did you say that the Bride fellow was teaching you how to use the machines?"
Harlean turned to see Bruce Ismay, looking directly at her, she did her best to hide her distaste and then nodded, "Yes sir, when messages were not coming in he would explain the machine to me. Then once he was receiving messages, I would listen in as well so I could try to tell him what I thought they were saying. He's a good teacher, because I managed to understand it all," she explained proudly.
"Be that as it is, those men are supposed to be working all the time. We can not have you taking up their working time," Bruce said harshly.
"Mr. Ismay…it did not hurt anyone, and Harold managed to get all of his work done and teach Harlean. I do not seem the harm in it," the Captain spoke up, coming to his nieces rescue.
"Edward…she is keeping them from their work," Bruce insisted.
Captain Smith turned to Harlean, "Dear…did you keep them from working?"
"No sir; the entire time I was in there Jack was asleep, as it was Harold's shift, and as I said, if he received messages he allowed me to listen in as well so I could learn the different sounds," she answered.
"There, no harm has been done," the Captain said to Bruce.
Bruce looked sour, "Nether the less, she should not be hanging around in that room. It is not a good place for a young woman to be," he said.
"Bruce…with all due respect, I think that is up to her Uncle to decide," Molly spoke up.
The Captain smiled at Molly and then back at Bruce, "Mrs. Brown is right, it is up to me where my niece spends her time," he said.
"But you should know it's not healthy, she should be out…mingling."
"I have always believed that a girl should be where she is happy, and if being in the Messaging room and the Bridge make's her happy that's where she should be," Molly answered.
"Very well…Miss Carpenter," Harlean looked back up at Bruce, "Yes?"
"Please do not hang around there much. You may go if you need to send a message or something, but do not spend the entire day in there," he answered.
"Yes sir…" she replied.
The Captain looked down at Harlean who smiled comfortingly at her. She just returned the gesture and then ordered her dinner.
XX
"So I was scolded last night for spending time in here yesterday," Harlean said as she walked into the Messaging room the next afternoon.
Harold and Jack looked up at her, "By who?" they asked.
"Mr. Ismay," she answered.
"Oh really?" Jack asked with a smirk before glancing at Harold who immediately looked guilty of something.
"What? Did I miss something?" she asked at the sight of Harold's face.
"He came in here last night, late at night. We think he was drunk, but he was shouting at us about you being in here," he answered.
Harlean's hands went to her mouth in shock, "Harold! Jack! I'm so sorry!" she cried.
Harold laughed, "It's alright, in the end a few Officers arrived before he could get nasty and escorted him back to his Suite," he said.
Harlean sighed and then her eyes went up to the chalk board on the wall, "What is that for?" she asked with a point at the board which had marks on it.
"How many days we've been on the ship," Jack answered.
"Erm…this is only the third day….not the seventh," Harlean said a moment later.
"See! I told you it hasn't been seven days!" Jack cried as he hit Harold with a pile of wrapped up messages.
"Well you were off too!" Harold cried as he held up his arms to protect his face.
"I was only off by a few day's, at least I didn't say it had been a week!"
"Gentlemen, there is no reason to fight!" Harlean suddenly interjected.
Jack then looked at the clock on the wall, "I'm going to sleep…it's two!" he said happily before walking behind the curtain.
Harold moved to his seat in front of the machines, he looked down at his feet and Harlean looked at her hands. A few minutes later they heard loud snoring coming from the other side of the curtain.
Harold burst into laughter and Harlean politely giggled.
"So do you have a message for you're Mother today?" Harold asked once he had finished laughing.
Harlean's face lit up, "Indeed I do, and you'll be happy to know that today I waited for it to dry," she said with a laugh before pulling the note out of her small hand bag.
Harold grinned as he took the paper, he unfolded it and read over it briefly, "I could either do it…or…if you want to," he offered.
"I'm not sure…I don't want to get you in trouble with Mr. Ismay again," she replied.
"Harlean…it isn't as if I'm going to go telling the entire ship about it."
She smiled and went to move to the machine, but suddenly she heard a male's voice coming from just outside the messaging room, "Yes Officer Lowe…I got in just fine last night, thank you!"
"It's Mr. Ismay…." Harlean whispered.
"Quick, hide behind the curtain," Harold whispered back.
Harlean pulled off her hat and quickly went behind the curtain.
A moment later she saw Bruce's feet on the other side.
"Mr. Bride, I have a message for you to send off to the White Star Line Offices in America and one in England," Bruce's voice said.
"Okay…" Harold said slowly.
He took the papers from Bruce and looked at them briefly before setting them down on the desk, Bruce looked at him expectantly, "Well?"
"Well what?"
"Are you not going to send them?"
"Oh right…I have to send out another message first," Harold replied before turning back to the machine and beginning to tap out the information for who the message Harlean had given him was for.
Once he was done he turned back and saw Bruce still standing there, "Oh I'm sorry Mr. Ismay…did you want anything else?" he asked.
"I want to watch you send out the…" Bruce stopped as his eyes caught a pair of shoes behind the curtain, "Is Mr. Phillips behind there?"
Harold nodded, "Yes…he's asleep."
"He has women's shoes?" Bruce asked with a point to Harlean's rose colored button up heeled boots.
Harold followed Bruce's gaze and thought quickly, "Yes…yes he does…they make him feel special," Harold lied, which almost caused Harlean to start giggling loudly.
"Right…oh I have to get to tea with the Captain…send out those messages at once. It's important, good day," Bruce said before turning and leaving the room.
A few moments later Harold spoke, "It's safe Harlean."
She came out from behind the curtain and just grinned at Harold, "I almost lost it with laughter behind that curtain," she said.
Harold then looked at the messages Bruce had handed him, "These don't seem that important…it's just about his personal car picking him up the moment the ship docks," he said, and with that he tossed the messages into the rubbish bin.
"You're going to get into trouble, you know that right?"
"I was born for trouble," Harold replied with a cheeky grin.
Harlean laughed, "Well…I was invited to tea by a few of the younger ladies, so I must go before I am late and then have to answer questions that I prefer not to, tonight at supper," she said.
"Aw you're going to leave me all by my lonesome self?" Harold asked.
"I have to, my Uncle told me I could come up here once in awhile, but it would be better if I used my social skills that my parents have been instilling in me my entire life," she answered.
"Was that a direct quote?" Harold asked with a smile.
Harlean laughed, "Yes…yes it was!"
"Alright then, leave me alone. I'll find comfort in the other messengers on the nearby ships."
"You are such a strange man…" Harlean commented.
Harold laughed.
"I will see you some time soon, I promise to pay you another visit," she said.
Harold smiled, "Good afternoon Miss Carpenter."
"Good afternoon Mr. Bride," she replied before leaving the room.
For a few minutes Harold just stood there, a far away look on his face…
XX
A/N- I know I am sooo sorry for taking so long with updating! I know I've been a bad author. But I was struck with writers block and then I was caught up with my Doctor Who story 'The Masters Daughter' and now the one I'm working on which is an in-between-qual for that story, 'Good and Broken'. Please review and I promise to start working on chapter 5 as soon as possible! Thanks!
Beccs!