April 13th, 1912 - 3:30 pm

Making the necessary arrangements for Ned's plans with Katherine definitely wasn't easy. Fortunately, Claire was able to help him.

He found out from Claire at dinner that as she had learned, Daniel had told Katherine his message. According to him, Katherine agreed to show up, but he was still afraid she would change her mind. Just from the short time, he had known her seemed very unpredictable and fiercely independent.

Claire had also convinced his mother to spend tea and the rest of the afternoon with her to talk about the wedding that wasn't going to happen, which gave him the freedom that he needed.

After that, all of his plans had fallen into place, and now he was just hoping that Katherine wouldn't change her mind. Finally, tea had arrived and his mother bid him goodbye as she left with Claire, she kissed his cheek goodbye.

"Good luck," Claire whispered.

Ned quickly finished preparing what he needed for Katherine's arrival and shortly after, left for the Grand Staircase. He impatiently tapped my foot on the tile floor as I waited for Katniss at the top of the Grand Staircase.

The clock carved on the wall before him indicated that it was 4:04.

Where was Katherine? Did she change her mind?

He ran a shaky hand through his hair and took a deep breath.

"Ned?" He suddenly heard a timid voice say behind him.

He felt his heart rate speed up as he spun around to see Katherine standing at the bottom of the staircase, looking up at him with apprehensive, brown eyes. "Katherine! You came," he smiled, rushing down the steps to meet her, unable to suppress the smile that spread itself on his face.

"Ned, I'm sorry…" she began, but he gently took her face in his hands and kissed her, their lips melting together and effectively cutting her off. He could feel the heat beginning to crawl up between them and he pulled away quickly, eager to reveal his plans to her. He took her hand in mine. "Let's go," he smiled at her.

She smiled softly back and he thought his heart might burst in his chest. She still cared for him. "Where are we going?" she asked, looking around at the beautiful architecture surrounding her.

He only smiled at her in an answer. He led her through a maze of hallways and through numerous doors until they finally reached their destination.

His cabin.

As he opened the door before them, he quickly led her inside. The moment ehd door was closed, he pressed their lips together again.

"I'm so happy you came," he whispered.

"Did you think I wouldn't?" She smiled against his lips as he pulled back. Her eyes were hardly open as she blinked. "Of course, I would."

He smiled, and leaned in to kiss her cheek. "Come with me," he whispered and led her across the room.

He brought her toward the privated deck's doors and opened them. She gasped.

Before her was a small, private deck that faced the ocean. The sun was getting close to the horizon and cast hues of all colors across the sky. The colors reflected in the ocean waves and everything seemed to glow.

It was breathtakingly beautiful. "Ned," she breathed. "How did you do all of this?"

"I had a little help," he said sheepishly. He smiled down at her and she felt her breath leave her as his kind eyes settled on her face. The golden hues of the sunset highlighted his hair, illuminated his long eyelashes, a his eyes shined even more than they already did to her.

He suddenly turned away from her and strode over to something lying on the deck. She realized as he picked it up that it was a blanket. He spread it out and then picked up a basket next to it. "Would you care to join me for a picnic, Miss Gordona?" he looked up at her and held his hand out.

She smiled. "Of course, Mr. Banks," she replied in her best upper-class voice.

His smile widened and he let out a laugh. She joined him on the blanket and tucked her legs underneath her as he pulled out all different kinds of food.

There was fruit and cheese and crackers, along with different treats for them.

"How did you get all of this?" She asked in amazement.

"Being in the upper class has some benefits," he replied slyly.

They ate the food and spent a lot of time laughing as they told each other funny stories from their childhoods.

Katherine had found out that when Ned was twelve, he was stocking bags of flour family's bakery with his brothers when he dropped one. Flour had apparently gotten everywhere and he said he was washing flour out of his hair for weeks.

She laughed uncontrollably as he gestured wildly with his hands and his voice became high pitched with excitement. She told him about the time when her goat had escaped its pen and how she and Melinda had to chase it around the yard, both slipping in the mud, until Melinda finally caught it.

He laughed so hard that his eyes squeezed closed and his dimples popped out on his cheeks.

When his laughter died down, she said mischievously, "Tell me a secret, Ned."

"A secret?" he repeated, looking up and scratching his head. "Do I have any secrets?"

She playfully swatted his arm. "Of course you do!" She laughed. "Everyone has secrets."

His eyes suddenly met hers and she thought she saw something flash in them briefly. Was it fear? Guilt? It was gone so quickly and replaced by a sly smile that she almost forgot about it.

"Well, what would you like to know, Miss Gordona?" he asked, his green eyes locked on mine.

"Hmm…" she hummed, tapping her chin as she pretended to think deeply. "When is your birthday?"

"That's not really a secret," he shrugged and watched as she took on a scolding expression. He laughed and put his hands up. "Alright. My birthday is October 12th. When's yours?"

"July 18th," she replied, leaning into his arm. "How old are you?"

He laughed again. "You are pretty curious, aren't you? I'm eighteen," he said. "You?"

"Seventeen," she whispered. She found herself licking her lips as she watch his move.

"What's your favorite color?" She asked.

"You already know this. It's Green," she said, sighing, finding herself looking into his eyes.

"I know, but why green?" he asked, turning to her and narrowing his eyes in curiosity.

"There were woods by my house when I was growing up. Before we moved to Paris, I used to go out there all the time to clear my head. I felt like it was my escape from reality, especially in the morning sun was just rising. The birds would start to sing, the wildlife would begin to stir from sleep, the smell of dew on the leaves and grass, the sound of the creek bubbling." She hadn't imagined all of that would come out, but it had. It helped that his eyes were that color too.

Katherine looked at Ned who was gazing at her intently. "It sounds beautiful," he said barely above a whisper. He seemed to be as lost in the memory as she was.

"It was," she replied softly.

"Do you miss it?" He asked.

She nodded and swallowed. "All the time. If we hadn't moved from the country… I don't think my parents would have died." She gazed out toward the sun that had just begun to touch the waters of the ocean.

They stayed silent for several moments, just admiring the beauty, until she realized that Ned was looking at her. "You're missing the sunset," she said softly, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.

"It looks more beautiful on you," he responded lowly.

She turned to look at him. Their eyes met and she saw his darken. She could only reason that it was from desire as he slowly leaned toward her.

Their lips met in a fiery heat that was surely hotter than the sunset that bathed them in its glow. His hand came up to caress her cheek as she tilted her head to deepen the kiss. Their tongues danced and their lips locked over and over.

She felt fire shoot down her spine as he gently sucked on her bottom lip. He tasted like the chocolate they had just eaten. Sweet and intoxicating. As their kiss became more heated, their hands found their way into each other's hair. His soft blond strands were woven between her fingers and she tugged on them gently which caused him to moan from deep inside his throat.

It made her shiver. His hands moved to wrap around her waist, and he pulled her closer to him as they laid back onto the blanket. His mouth left hers as he began to kiss, lick, and suck across her collarbone, jaw, and down her neck.

She let out a breath as he hovered over her. When he found a sweet spot on her neck, her hips involuntarily bucked up to meet his. She felt his pronounced manhood against her core and let out a moan as he grunted against her neck.

She was beginning to realize where this was headed and felt a pang of fear. She had never done this before and she was suddenly wondering if Ned had. He must have noticed the change in her demeanor because he suddenly stopped kissing her neck and pulled back to look at her.

"Are you alright?" he asked, tenderly pushing a strand of hair out of her face. He cupped her cheek, smiling at her. She nodded, but couldn't meet his eyes. "Katherine, what is it?" He asked worriedly, as he sat back and gently pulled him up with him.

"I just…I've never…Have you done this before?" She squeaked out, wringing her hands.

Ned looked at her a moment. "What do you mean?"

"Have you ever…kissed someone like this before?" She murmured, still unable to look at his eyes.

"No," he replied without hesitation. "Never."

"Never? Not with anyone?" She said quietly, finally looking up at him.

"No. Why?" He asked.

"I just…You just seem to know what you're doing," she responded, chuckling uncomfortably.

"I had two older brothers… and I just want to make you feel good." He brought his hand up to caress her cheek and ran his thumb along her bottom lip as he gazed at it longingly. "And you seemed to like what we're doing," he smirked playfully.

"Then do it again," she replied boldly.

The smile quickly fell from his face as his eyes darkened. Suddenly his mouth was on hers again in such a passionate frenzy that the heat from earlier paled in comparison. We gasped against each other's mouths as our lips locked and our tongues explored each other's mouths. His kisses seemed much more unrestrained than before and suddenly hands were on her waist again as he urged her to lie back once again.

She could feel warmth pooling between her legs and something was tightening in her lower abdomen that she had never felt before.

Was this that feeling her sister had told her about?

When his manhood came into contact with her again she gasped loudly as she felt her pleasure mount significantly. Her hands tugged at his hair fiercely and he grinded against her again. Her legs went up to lock around his thighs, pulling him closer to her.

He gasped and laid his forehead against hers. She began to kiss and suck at his exposed neck above her, tasting the sweat that had gathered there. He moaned softly and she felt his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed roughly. Surprising herself, she untucked his shirt from his black slacks and slipped her hands underneath, feeling his stomach muscles that had clenched tightly at her touch.

She had never touched a man's chest before. As she ran her hands up against his undershirt, she felt goosebumps raise up on his skin and he shuddered. He kissed her passionately again and she began to undo the buttons of his shirt. Once they were undone, he flung it aside and ripped off his undershirt. She ran her hands up his chest the fine dark hairs and raking her nails down his stomach.

He groaned loudly and suddenly lifted her shoulders off the ground to reach behind her. At first, she was unsure of what he was doing, but she realized he was playing with the laces of her dress.

She placed her hand on his chest, urging him to sit back so that she could sit up. "We should go inside," she said softly.

He nodded. The sun was just beginning to dip below the ocean as he rose, holding his hand out to her. Once she took it, he led her inside closed the doors. He brought her to his bedroom, closing the door behind them.

She turned to him and said, "Take off my dress."

His eyes became impossibly dark as his slid his hands around her and began to undo the laces of her dress. She didn't think he could get it off of her fast enough.

Her skin was so hot, the air felt good on her bare skin. After her untied the alces, he slid the fabric from her shoulders, leaning down to kiss the skin there. Once her dress was removed, she urged off his pants until they were both only in their underclothes.

His undergarments did little to hide his arousal, and she could feel her nipples tight noticeably through the thin material of her chemise. She saw his eyes glance down at her before he tentatively rose his hands up to tenderly graze against her waist and up to the sides of her breasts.

She let out a breathy sigh, closing her eyes as she leaned into his arms. Seemingly encouraged by this, his hands touched more of her breasts until he was finally cupping them in his palms. His thumbs flicked over her nipples and she moaned embarrassingly loud.

His eyes widened and he swallowed. He laid her back down on the bed as he began to knead the soft flesh of her breasts, enjoying how many sensations and sounds from her that she even didn't know were possible. He suddenly lowered his head to her neck and began to kiss and suck his way down to her shoulder where he slid the sleeve of her chemise down and followed its path with wet kisses.

She sighed to encourage him until finally her breasts were exposed to the air. She could feel her nipples tighten painfully in the cold air, but then his hot mouth was on them, covering them with tender kisses. His lips closed around one of her nipples and he sucked it into his mouth, rolling it around on his tongue.

She moaned loudly as he continued onto the other breast, her lower abdomen growing even tighter. As he began to kiss down in between her breasts, to her navel, and even lower looked up at her as if he were asking permission. The love and adoration that reflected in his eyes as they glimmered in the light made it impossible to deny him what he was asking.

She nodded and he removed her last undergarment. She was completely nude, lying on the bed of a first-class room, completely exposed to this man whom she had just met. But Katherine felt so overcome with her feelings toward him love with him, that she knew it was right.

He moved his way back up to her mouth and kissed her passionately as she felt his fingers slide over her. She gasped against his mouth as one of his fingers found her entrance. She arched her back at the sensation, and he added another finger.

"Ned..." She moaned breathily. He drew his fingers back out and slid them over her again suddenly rubbing against a nub that sent jolts of electricity up her spine.

She gasped loudly and Ned pulled his hand back as if he had been burned. "Did I hurt you?" he asked hurriedly.

She laughed breathily and smiled at him. "No," she breathed. "No, not at all. That felt amazing."

He raised his eyebrows and looked down her body as he rubbed his hands against her again, trying to repeat what he had just done. When he hit that bundle of nerves again, her hips bucked against his hand. He began circling the area with his fingers, sending waves of pleasure through her body.

She opened her eyes abruptly and looked at him. "Ned, oh, Ned," she said, to get his attention. He looked at her questioningly. "I want to see you," she said.

Normally saying something like that would embarrass her, but she felt so crazed by what he was doing to her with his fingers that he wanted to bring him same kind of pleasure. He slowly removed the last of his undergarments until his manhood sprung free of its confines.

She quickly realized that she had never seen the male anatomy before and had no idea bring pleasure to Ned. She tried to remember the few talks she'd had with her sister. The giggles and flushed cheeks that came as they talked about Melinda's first time with James.

Katherine tentatively reached out and wrapped her hand around him which rewarded her with a low groan from him. She began to stroke him up and down and he threw his head back as his mouth fell open and his eyes closed.

"Katherine," he moaned out.

She stroked him several more times until his hand covered hers and he pulled his hand away. Their mouths met again in a deep kiss that seemed to hold so much tenderness and desire that in that moment she knew she had to have him inside of her.

She wanted to be his and all she wanted was for him to be hers. She wanted to be one with him. "Ned," she said between kisses. "Make love to me."

He stopped kissing her and pulled back to look at her . "Are you sure?"

"Yes," she replied without hesitation.

She felt his hand go down between them as he probed her entrance again with his finger. He then withdrew from her and grasped his manhood as he guided himself to her entrance.

He gently pushed himself inside and she let out a small gasp "Are you alright?" he whispered, his eyes narrowed in concern.

She nodded. "I just need a moment to adjust."

"Let me know when you're ready. If you want me to stop, just tell me." He kissed her forehead gently and ran the back of his hand down the side of her face. "I'm ready."

He pushed himself in a little further until he reached a barrier. She screwed her face up in pain and he quickly withdrew from her. "Katherine, I don't want to hurt you."

"No, Ned. Just give me a moment." SHe whispered, looking up at him. "I want this with you. Only you."

He sighed and waited until she was ready. When she nodded, he entered her again with a little more force, breaking the barrier he encountered before, until he was completely sheathed inside of her. She gasped in the pain and he froze above her, waiting for her okay. Finally, the pain became more of a pinching sensation that wasn't as uncomfortable.

"Alright," she said locking eyes with him. "Will you.. Go slowly?"

"Of course," he whispered, kissing the tip of her chin.

His eyes never left hers as he began to rock back and forth, thrusting gently in and out of her. She finally began to feel pleasure building again in her lower abdomen and she began to raise her hips to meet with his, keeping the rhythm.

"I…I'm not going to last very long," he said quietly, averting his eyes in embarrassment.

She reached up to touch his cheek, forcing him to look back at her. She craned her neck upwards to kiss him and their lips melted together. His thrusts began to speed up and become a little more forceful as he broke away from their kiss and lowered his forehead to her shoulder, panting for breath.

She felt his hand trail down her stomach until he reached the sensitive spot between her legs again. The tightening in her abdomen had become almost painful and she arched up to meet his thrusts, as he groaned against her neck and she felt tiny droplets of sweat dripping onto her shoulder.

He rubbed the bundle of nerves in tight circles as she gasped and writhed under him until finally, the tightness released. She felt herself explode around him inside of her, contracting sending tingles throughout her body. He moaned loudly as his face screwed up and his whole body went rigid above her.

He panted above her as he felt her release approaching fast. He looked into her eyes that were now open, gazing at him with such tenderness that he suddenly felt the tightening in his abdomen release. His body went still above her, his head fell back, his jaw went slack, and he felt myself spill his seed, deep inside of her.

She collapsed on top of her and shuddered as the rest of his release left him. He felt her kissing his head and heard her murmuring things to him. He was so content and so caught up in her that he didn't even realize he was missing supper and that his mother would be expecting him.

They lay there for several moments, still connected in each other's arms, catching their breaths. She ran her fingers through his hair that had become damp with sweat and kissed his head. He leaned up on his arm to kiss her deeply. "That was amazing," he breathed. "Thank you. Thank you." He began showering her with kisses all over her face.

She giggled. She had never had anyone make her feel this good before. He laid his head back down on her breasts and let out a contented sigh. "Promise me something, Ned," she said as she ran her fingers through his hair.

"Anything," he replied, turning his head to look up at her . "When the ship docks," she began. "Will you stay with me?"

He gave her a long, lingering kiss before he replied, "Always. I love you, Katherine."

She smiled, touching his face lightly. "As do I love you, Ned." She wanted to lay naked and tangled up with him forever. Until the door to his bedroom suddenly flew open.

Ned's eyes got wide and he scrambled to get off of her and cover them with the sheets. "Ned Banks!" She heard a woman screech.

It was his mother. She knew it.

Ned had moved to block Katherine from his mother's view, but she could see her as she peered around his shoulder. She was not alone, however. That rich, blond girl that had Ned's mother wanted him to marry to was with her, along with a few other upperclass women.

All of them were gaping at them, except for Ned's mother who was wearing a deep scowl and had a smug look on her face as if she expected to catch them here. "What is the meaning of this?" His mother screeched again.

"I-I-I…Mother, please – just let us get dressed and then I'll explain!" Ned sounded so distressed that she felt her heart constrict.

"I don't think there is anything to explain, Ned! I've just found you naked in bed with a woman who isn't your fiancée!"

Her ears perked up at the word fiancée. Ned had a fiancée?

She had only thought his mother had made the plans, not that he had asked her to marry him. She felt a flush creep up her neck and onto her cheeks. Then a flood of emotions overwhelmed her. Anger, guilt, and heartbrokenness.

Ned had betrayed her. He had probably only wanted her to go to bed with him. She felt disgusting.

"Fiancée?" She whispered, surprising herself.

She saw the blood drain from Ned's face as he turned to her, sputtering for words. "No! No, it's not like that Kath-"

His mother cut him off. "Yes, fiancée! This is his fiancée, Claire. Remember her? She's right here!" Ned's moher grabbed Claire's arm and yanked her forward, making sure that Katherine got a good look at her.

The young blonde woman began to say something, her eyes conflicted what Ned's mother was saying, but the older woman cut her off. "They're getting married shortly after the ship docks," the woman said smugly, showing off the sparkling ring on her finger.

Katherine's vision became blurry as her eyes welled up with tears. She felt Ned's hands on either side of her face. "Katherine, no! I'm not marrying her!" His voice seemed so far away.

She pushed his hands off of her and stood up, not caring that she was exposed to these people. She felt the evidence of their love-making leak out of her and run down her thighs. Katherine hurriedly pulled her dress back on, feeling completely used and dirty.

Ned scooted to the edge of the bed, covering himself with a blanket, and reached down for his pants. He yanked them back on and strode over to her as she began to walk toward the door. He grabbed her arm and spun her around. "Katherine, you have to believe me! I – "

She cut him off with a slap so hard that her hand went numb from the sting. His head spun to the side and he kept it there a moment as if he was reorienting himself. She felt her heart race with pain, the most overpowering all of the other emotions that she was feeling. He looked back to her with glassy eyes, ready to say something again but she cut him off. "Don't you ever speak to me again! You never told me you asked her to marry you," she whispered… "You said it was all your mother's plans."

His eyes became desperate and he tried to reach for her, but she shrugged him off and stormed toward the door. Everyone that had gathered in the room moved out of the way so she could exit.

She stormed out of the suite, ignoring Ned's pleas to wait, and didn't stop until Katherine had reached the railing at the stern of the ship where she threw up.