April 12th, 1912 - 2:20 pm

Seeing Katherine storm away from him stung more than the slap on the cheek his mother gave him. Ned's thoughts began to race. What if he couldn't find her again? What if she no longer wanted anything to do with him? He couldn't ever imagine not being able to see her just one more time. His heart began to pound.

He knew his mother had continued scolding him, but he wasn't even registering what she was yelling at him anymore. His mother dragged him back to his suite where she forced him to sit down on the sofa. "You tell me right now, Ned Banks. Where you have been?" His mother demanded, her eyes flaming and her neck flushed.

"I-" He began to think of what he wanted to say, but she interrupted him.

"And you better not say you were on the top deck again because I had several people looking for you up there!" His mother was furious. He couldn't remember the last time she'd been this mad at him.

He swallowed and looked away from her. "I was just exploring the ship," he answered quietly.

"Alone?" She asked.

He looked up into her fierce gaze that intimidated him so much. Her hands were perched on her hips as she stared at him, waiting for his answer. His mother always had scared him, ever since he was a boy.

This was the moment he could tell her about Katherine like she'd wanted him to, but he lacked the courage. He looked away again. "Yes. I was alone, mother."

She sighed exasperatedly. "Why did you not ask Claire to join you?"

He shrugged, thinking of an answer. "I was unsure of her whereabouts."

"Well, the next time you decide to disappear at least ask Claire to accompany you. You are going to marry her, Ned." His mother turned to leave the room. "You might as well get to know her better before the wedding, my dear."

His heart sank. Ned was digging himself into a deeper and deeper hole. He knew the longer he waited to tell his mother about Katherine, the harder it would be to break away from the future she planned so meticulously for him.

Suddenly there was a knock at the suite door. His mother smoothed her skirt and hair and gracefully opened the door, wearing a smile that didn't reveal anything about what had just transpired between them.

It was a crew worker at the door. "Ma'am, I'm very sorry, but I could not find your son."

"Oh, it's no bother. I found him," his mother gestured to where Ned sat on the couch and he nodded to the crew worker. "Thank you for your assistance." With that, she closed the door in his face. "Worthless, every crew member on this ship is worthless," she muttered. "After your little disappearance today, I expect you to be at tea this afternoon. It begins shortly." His mother turned to leave but paused. "You better clean yourself up and dry your hair. Your future wife will be there."

His face flushed. His hair – it was still wet. Did his mother know? He felt like he was playing some kind of game with her. Did she really know all he was doing and was still acting ignorant?

He quickly rose from the sofa and went to his room to wash up and change into better clothes for tea.

At tea, Ned found myself seated with his mother and several other women, including Claire. He tried not to be humiliated, but being one of the only men in the room made it difficult not to be.

His mother had ignored him most of the time and talked about wedding plans with Claire's mother. Something about how there were so many different colors and flowers that would match Claire's complexion.

The whole time his thoughts were preoccupied with Katherine. She was right. Even though he didn't feel ashamed of her, his actions portrayed that.

Here he was sitting with his mother a potential mother-in-law letting them make wedding plans for him while he was quickly realizing that he had fallen in love with another woman. A woman that his mother definitely would not approve of.

He glanced up at Claire, she was looking at her hands. She looked almost torn between something, like him.

She didn't seem too thrilled about the wedding plans either. He had to talk to her.

He quietly sat through the rest of tea until they were kindly ushered out of the Dining Saloon to let the crew workers prepare for supper. His mother, Claire, Claire's mother, and Ned made their way to the first-class promenade.

As they strolled along the exclusive deck, he found himself walking next to Claire, followed by their mothers who were undoubtedly giddy with excitement that they were walking next to each other.

"So…" He began, breaking the silence. "I didn't get a chance see you again last night. Did you turn in early?"

Her cheeks flushed and she looked away. "No… I went for a walk on the deck, but then I went to bed."

"Oh," he replied, surprised. He wouldn't have thought Claire would come up here at night, alone. "I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to see you."

"That's alright," she replied quietly. "We were both preoccupied." She cast him a sly glance.

"I guess so," he chuckled softly. Maybe she did know more than he'd told her already. "Did – um – did someone accompany you?"

"Yes." A soft smile graced her lips. She cast a quick glance over her shoulder to see how closely their mothers were following them. They were caught up in their own conversation. Probably about flowers again. "Let's just say it was someone close to the girl you brought to dinner last night," she said barely above a whisper.

He thought for a moment. "Who?" He asked.

He'd met so many faces last night. It was hard to place one, especially one that would appeal to the likes of Claire.

Her cheeks flushed and she sighed. "I never got his name," she whispered. "But it looks like I'm not the only one infatuated with someone who possesses the means to destroy everything they want for us."

Claire smiled up at him and looped her arm around his. "I'm glad I am not the only one torn," he chuckled.

"Yes," she began quietly. "It's all so hard to piece together. I met him the first night, he was being chased by one of the crew members. He just ran into me and I have never felt this way before about anyone, not even for you. I'm sorry."

He shook his head. It all made perfect sense. She didn't want to cause trouble because she didn't even want to marry him. She wanted to be with the man she'd met. He understood her feelings completely.

Now he just had to ask the difficult question. "So…I think it is obvious we aren't too thrilled about being forced to marry each other. What do you think we should do?"

She looked thoughtful for a moment. "What if we just ran away?" She said it so quietly, he wasn't sure if he had even heard her correctly.

"Runaway? How?" He asked.

"When the ship docks," she continued quietly. "The man I met already told me he wants me to run away with him. At first, it scared me. But I realized at tea, listening to our mothers plan everything out for us, that I want to."

He didn't respond for a moment. He wanted more than anything to run away with Katherine, but now he might have lost her. He could feel his shoulders drooping as he remembered the way Katherine had looked at him before she'd finally turned away from him earlier.

Her eyes were filled with tears. She was hurt, because of him. He couldn't bear to think of hurting her. He loved her. He just had to tell her.

Claire noticed the change in his demeanor. "Ned, are you alright?" She asked.

"I want that with Katherine," he responded, sadness dripping from his voice. "More than anything. But I think I might have ruined the chance I had with her."

"What happened?" she asked, looking genuinely concerned.

He quietly told her what had happened earlier in the day and Claire listened intently. When he finished Claire said with a look of seriousness, "You have to find her, Ned. If it were me in this situation, I would find him. He embodies everything I've ever wanted in life and I can tell Katherine embodies that for you too. I wouldn't want to lose that."

He sighed. "You're right. I have to find her, but how?" He glanced back at his mother who was still chatting with Claire's mother. "My mother is watching me like a hawk. I don't know how I'd even look for Katherine."

"I think I have an idea. I'll come by to see you later, just try and find her for now." She explained. "If she is worth losing everything, you'll find a way."

He smiled warmly at Claire. "Thank you so much, Claire. You have truly helped me." He took her hand and kissed it gently.

She smiled back. He felt his heart swell with hope. He was going to find her.

As Katherine stormed back to her cabin, she brushed away the few tears that had fallen. The continued to fall and she kept wiping them away. She wasn't going to let anyone see her cry. Why was she even crying? She barely even knew Ned. He was just some rich upperclassmen.

But he was so much more than that. He was different. Kindness and selflessness seeped from his pores and reflected so deeply in his green eyes that it was virtually impossible for him ro be anything other than kind and selfless. And there was that connection they had.

Katherine had never experienced anything like that with anyone before. When she reached the door to her cabin it swung open and her sister nearly ran into her.

"Oh! Katherine! Where have you been?" Melinda put her hands on her hips then smirked. "Out with that blond boy again?" Katherine brushed past her without answering and flopped down on her bunk. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing," she answered.

James suddenly walked in. "Is everything alright?" He asked gently, pulling the door closed. His lips smacked against her sister.

"I don't know. Give me a minute," Melinda whispered. Her voice came closer now and she sat down next to her on the bed. "Katherine, what's going on? Did something happen with that boy?"

She sighed and turned around. Her sister's hand brushed against her face and wiped away her fallen tears. "He's embarrassed of me."

"How do you know?" Her sister asked gently.

"He doesn't want his mother to know about me." She scoffed, sniffling.

"He said that?" Melinda asked, quirking an eyebrow. "Because the boy I met and saw dancing with you last night looked completely and unashamedly in love with you."

"Well, no…" She trailed off as she realized what her sister had just said. She sat up in bed. "You think he's in love with me?"

"If the way he was looking at you doesn't say he was in love with you, then I don't know what would, right darling?" Melinda said matter-of-factly and looked back at her husband.

She looked past her sister and at James, questioningly. He nodded his agreement.

"I have to find him," she said, and with that, she quickly left the cabin.

As Katherine walked briskly through the hallways, her mind raced.

Ned was in love with her?

Normally something like that would scare her, but not with Ned. If someone as wonderful as Ned had fallen in love with her, she had to find him again. But then she stopped dead in her tracks.

Did she love him?

She had never been in love so she wasn't exactly sure what it felt like. Maybe she was in love with him, but even if she wasn't yet, Katherine could see herself falling in love with him. Marrying him. Having his children. Growing old together.

The images flashed quickly in her mind. She wasn't sure how it would all work out, but she know that she wanted to find him. She had to find him.

Katherine searched for several hours, even missing dinner, but she couldn't find Ned. She didn't even feel like a night of dancing so she had just went to the top deck. To their spot. Maybe he'd be waiting for her there.

The moon and the stars were already shining bright above her head. She leaned against the railing at the stern, gazing up at them, feeling a few tears slip down her cheeks.

What he hated her?

"I thought you might be here," a voice said from behind her.

Her heart skipped a beat, even if she knew it wasn't Ned. It wasn't his voice. It was thick with an Irish accent. One she remember fondly. She quickly brushed away her tears and turned around to see Daniel standing behind her. The man was tall with wild red hair and a scruffy beard, just as she had remember.

"Oh, it's you," she said quietly, turning back to the ocean.

"Well, don't sound so excited," he replied jokingly.

"I'm sorry. I'm just not in a very good mood." She sighed, leaning on the railing.

"Melinda and James told me you were looking for that rich boy. I guess you couldn't find him?" She shook her head, swallowing back the tears. "Well, I might be able to cheer you up, missy," Daniel said, leaning on the railing next to her.

She turned her head up to look at him. "How?"

Daniel cleared his throat. "Well, he gave someone a message to give to me."

She narrowed her eyes. "Who?"

"Um – her name is Claire," he said barely above a whisper.

"Claire? The rich girl that Ned's mother wants him to marry?" Daniel blushed. He obviously hadn't known that. "Hey, I didn't give you a hard time about your rich blonde, now did I?"

She chuckled. "You're right, Daniel, I'm sorry."

The man nudged her and smiled. "You remind me of Annie, Katherine. So sweet and innocent, don't let that boy ruin you."

She smiled back. "So he gave Claire a message for me?"

Daniel nodded. "She said that she had told Ned about us and he asked her to tell me to tell you something."

She quirked her eyebrow. Him and Claire? She'd never seen that coming. "Which is?" She asked.

"That if you forgive him, to meet him at the Grand Staircase tomorrow at four o'clock," Daniel said.

"Tomorrow?" She asked. "Four o'clock?"

"That's what I was told. Are you going to meet him?" Daniel asked, nodding.

"Yes. Yes, I am." She said, her heart skipping a beat.

Daniel smiled and quickly hugged her. "Good. You deserve all the happiness in the world."

She put her head on his shoulder. "You do too, Daniel." He put his arm around her and squeezed her shoulder.

They stayed like that for a while, gazing at the stars, until Daniel finally said, "we should head to bed, darlin'."

Katherine yawned and nodded in agreement, even if she knew she wouldn't be able to get much sleep tonight thinking about Ned.