Heading To Titanic
AN: Here we are again :) Thank you nancyrose1912 and LightsLover7 for your lovely reviews. Charlotte and Danielle will certainly be making advances towards our lovely princes, but there is also a "fairy godmother." Not telling who it is, but if you think about it, then it is really quite obvious.
Enjoy :)
Previously:
Then, three years ago, both of their wives had caught breast cancer, and had passed away one rainy night.
Will shook his head, and smiled at Charles. "Yes," he agreed. "It'll be fantastic."
"That's the spirit, mate," Charles grinned, playing cuffing the older prince's shoulder.
Will grinned back, and said, "Whilst our lovely maids are packing our things, would you like a game of Chess?"
"Sure, I can't wait to thrash your arse," Charles said, causing several maids who were passing to gasp in shock.
The Scottish prince was trying very hard to keep a straight face as he said as calmly as possible, "It's just an odd expression meaning he can't wait to win, ladies. He doesn't mean it literally, and besides," he added, looking at Charles with a smirk on his face, "since when have you ever won a game of Chess, or anything else against me, for that matter?"
Charles smiled. "Well, there's always a first time for everything, aye Will?"
Will smirked again. "Well, good luck with that," he said, nodding to the maids who were looking less shocked, before grabbing Charles' wrist, and pulled his up the staircase that led towards the Library.
Once out of earshot, though, Will laughed a hearty laugh. "Thrash me arse, Charles Lightoller? You really need to watch what you say in a group situation."
Charles snorted.
PAGE BREAK
Tuesday, 9th April, 1912, 6:57 am
Ada sadly smiled as she sat by the duck pond, reading "The Ugly Duckling," and feeling sad that she wouldn't see the baby cygnets grow into beautiful swans like she had with their parents and ancestors.
"You'll be beautiful one day," she said, as they swam about on the pond.
"Ada? Where are you?" Sylvia called.
"By the duck pond," she called back. Sylvia came over to join her, and, seeing her friends' gloomy expression, felt sad as well.
"I'm sorry we're leaving this place, because seeing these swans every morning has brightened my day," Sylvia said.
"I'm sorry to be loosing you two ladies, as well," came a warm voice, and the two turned to see Mrs. Thompson smiling at them.
"I came out to tell you that Madame Holly and Miss Charlotte and Miss Danielle are awake, and Cook has made them hot cakes and peach muffins for breakfast."
"Thank you, Mrs. Thompson," both girls got to their feet, straightened their backs, and with one last look at the pond, they slowly made their way back to the mansion.
Whilst they probably wouldn't be missing the stone gargoyles anytime soon, they would miss other things about the place, such as the swans, and the lovely rose garden.
The main entrance hall was a flurry of activity, as staff rushed around with suitcases and bags, and they were only going for three months.
Cook hurried over to them, two trays laden with hot cakes, peach muffins, and tea expertly lying flat on the palms of her hands.
"Your breakfast will be ready soon," Cook said with a little smile, before she added, "I am sorry to be loosing you, but if Madame Pompadour wants you two to leave, then there isn't much I can do."
The two friends smiled at her, before taking the trays, and headed up the staircase that led to the twins' rooms. Another maid, Louise, took the other tray, and instead of heading right, she headed left to give Madame Pompadour her breakfast.
PAGE BREAK
Four hours later, at 11 o'clock, Louise, Ada, Sylvia, Madame Pompadour, Charlotte, and Danielle were all in the Library, the three maids pouring out tea as they waited for Mr. Charleston and Mr. Phillips, both of them chaffeurs hired to take them and their luggage to the train station, from which they would be travelling to the Palace Hotel in Southhampton for the evening, before boarding the ship the following morning.
Danielle spoke up. "Mother, do I look alright? I want to look my absolute best all the time," she simpered.
Madame Pompadour glanced up at her oldest twin daughter. Danielle, in her opinion, always looked lovely. So did Charlotte, who currently gracefully held a copy of "Sense and Sensibility" in her left hand, and a bone china cup of tea in her right hand.
Turning back to Danielle, she said, "You always look lovely, dear. Pink and black suit you well."
Danielle was wearing a day dress made of satin, with alternating vertical lines of pink and black running down it. It had been made specifically for her by Givroni, and there was a pink and black sash that tied up into a beautiful bow at the front. On her legs were long black boots, that had also been made by Givroni. Around her neck was a pale pink pearl necklace, but in between each pearl was a ruby, and it was a Christmas present she had received from her father, who had decided to go to America to find rich husbands for both her and Charlotte.
Danielle smiled, before kicking Ada, causing her to drop the teapot, which landed on the carpet. Madame Pompadour leapt to her feet in rage, and shook the maid fiercely.
"You stupid girl! How dare you drop the teapot, which cost an absolute fortune, and spilt tea everywhere!?" She yelled, before giving Ada a slap on the face, which caused her to stumble into Sylvia, who fell to the floor as well.
Charlotte, who had been watching the scene before her, said in an unfriendly drawl that unfriendly posh people seem to possess, "It's a good thing that you're getting rid of those two, mother. They're hopeless, and" she said, glancing down at her dress before squealing, "Sylvia has ruined my dress!"
Charlotte was exaggerating about this, for there was nothing wrong with the pearl blue dress that Givroni had made for her. Like her sister's dress, it also had vertical lines of black. She was also wearing black boots, and around her neck was a pale blue pearl necklace, and each was separated by a deep blue sapphire.
Her mother rose again to slap Sylvia, but the sound of the bell from downstairs made her stop and smile. Composing herself, she straightened her back before turning to her two daughters, and said, "Come my darlings. Our journey to America has just begun."
Her two children smiled as widely as was appropriate, before demanding their hats and gloves. Louise hurried to comply with their orders, before leaving the room for a couple of minutes. She then came back balancing two hat boxes in her hands.
Opening the first one, she lifted out a pale blue hat, decorated with dark and light blue and purple feathers and flowers. Ada lightly took the hat from her, and set it at the right angle on top of Charlotte's pinned-up black hair, just as Sylvia set a pink hat, decorated with pale and dark pink feathers and flowers on top of Danielle's pinned-up black hair.
Madame Holly, who was accompanied by the two chauffeurs, held out two pairs of white gloves to her two children, before the two men escorted them downstairs towards four large vehicles, two for luggage, and two for passengers.
Fond farewells and promises to write were exchanged to the two maids who were leaving forever, before Ada and Sylvia left the place they had called home for many years. But as they rode past the swans, the grown-up birds took to the sky, flapping their wings, as if to say "Good-bye."
Ada and Sylvia stared in delighted astonishment, before waving back, and settling back.
PAGE BREAK
They reached the train station at quarter to one, their train leaving for Southhampton at ten past one. Several people the Pompadour's knew where also headed for Southhampton to catch the RMS Titanic to America the following day.
Danielle smiled at an elderly couple she knew to be Lord and Lady Thornton, with their eighteen year old Parisian granddaughter, Juliette. She waved politely to them, and the French girl waved back before having a quick conversation with her grandparents, and then headed over.
"Bonjour, Danielle. Is lovely afternoon, non?"
"Oui, it is a beautiful afternoon, Juliette," Danielle said politely, as Lord and Lady Thornton joined them.
"Good day, Miss Danielle," Lord Thornton greeted, raising the girl's hand, and lightly kissing it.
"Good day to you, too, Sir," Danielle smiled, as a train guard joined them.
"Excuse me, Miss Pompadour, but would you care to see your carriage for the afternoon?"
Danielle sneered at him, and said, "Of course I would, you stupid man, and there had better be tea and crumpets heaped with jam and sweetened cream in there."
The man smiled. "Of course, miss. Refreshments are available at all times, and tea and crumpets are always served to our high society passengers. Come along."
Danielle did so, and was led into a beautifully decorated carriage, where two train stewards waited with hot tea and crumpets with jam, cream, and berries on them.
"Good afternoon, Miss Pompadour," they greeted her with a warm smile, as other stewards led her mother, twin sister, and their maids into the carriage.
During the long journey, Madame Pompadour spoke to her children about what she knew in regards to Titanic's maiden voyage.
"Rumor has it that two princes will be on board, and Sylvia?" she said turning to her daughter's maid.
"Yes, Madame?"
"I believe I owe you a slap for dropping tea on the carpet in the Library at home," she said, before doing so.
Sylvia flinched, but made no other sound.
The three Pompadour's got into a seven hour long conversation about a manner of kinds of things, including the two princes.
"I bet they are the most handsome men around, which makes sense, seeing as we are the prettiest girls around. One look at us, and those princes will divorce their wives." Danielle said with a smile.
"Actually, darling, their wives died three years ago," Madame Pompadour smiled, and Charlotte gasped.
"Are they Prince William of Scotland and Prince Charles of England, mother?" She asked excitedly.
Her mother smiled at her enthusiasm. "They certainly are, my darling. We shall meet them them tomorrow."
At eight-ten precisely that evening, the train pulled into the station. Madame Pompadour glanced out of the window, and waved delightedly at a woman with dark red hair.
"Come girls, I believe I see Ruth and Rose De-Witt Bukater," she said, and Danielle and Charlotte smiled broadly.
Minutes later, Holly and Ruth were embracing each other, whilst Rose was polietly greeting Danielle and Charlotte. They were friends that Ruth had approved her daughter to have whilst at Finishing School.
"Hello, Rose," they greeted.
"Hello, ladies. You both look lovely," Rose greeted, just as her fiance joined her.
"Sweetpea, whom are these lovely ladies?" He asked, causing the jaws of both Danielle and Charlotte to drop for a second.
"Rose, who is he?" Charlotte asked, impressed.
"Danielle, Charlotte, I'd like you to meet my fiance, Caledon Hockley," she said, and Cal smiled.
"Charmed, I'm sure," he said, kissing the laddies hands.
Ruth was delighted to see the two girls again, and they all headed off to get ready for dinner.
With no time to change, they decided that what they were wearing was acceptable enough anyway, and two hours later, all of them were lying in either servants quarters or four-poster beds, looking forward to the new day.
AN: Hope you enjoy this. The characters of James Cameron's Titanic are in here, yes, but as supporting characters.