"Hello. I was wondering how much it would cost to send out a message?" she smiled politely. Philips opened the door and let her enter.
"The minimum fee for sending a wireless telegram from aboard the Titanic was $3.12. This cost included up to 10 words. Additional words were charged an extra fee" Phillips replied without looking up.
Helen pulled out the money. "Ten words? How about Watson, on titanic, everything s fine. GET ME HOME. Love Helen. Is that 10?"
Phillips laughed and nodded. "Precisely 10, Ma'am. I ll send it out directly."
Helen watched the Marconi officer punch out the message in Morse code and smiled. There was a point in their courtship John had sent her love notes completely in Morse code.
It was Nikola, initially who took up Morse code. He insisted the others learn it as well. Nikola was enthralled with the idea of a secret code. He invented several machines trying to improve the wireless signal. Nigel became the most enthusiastic. He and Nikola spent three solid weeks trading insults across the breakfast table, tapping spoons on their teacups.
Helen thought secretly James had learned it last. But he knew other characteristics to pick up on. With a clever barb from Nikola, Nigel s left eyebrow quirked up and John would bite his cheek, a refusal on his part to let the vampire know success.
She never could pin down the exact reason for the animosity between John and Nikola. She decided long ago it didn t concern her.
Helen walked slowly back to her room lost in her memories. Fond memories of the five. Before the source blood. Before the Ripper. Small things bubbled up to the surface.
Nikola had built a rudimentary camera. He delighted in taking pictures of the others. But somehow no matter what he always contrived to cut Johns head out of the frame. Watson had to steal the camera so Helen could have pictures of John.
Nikola finally consented on condition he could have a few pictures of Helen and himself.
Her tete a tetes with Nikola always made Helen laugh... Helen entered her suite and pulled out the cherry wood box where she kept the pictures
One was of her and Nikola. She was roaring with laughter as Nikola stood beside her trying to look innocent. The small devious curl to his lips and the mischievous twinkle in his eyes gave him away.
It had started out as just a shot of them standing side by side. At the last moment Nikola had leaned down to whisper something scandalous in her ear. She didn t remember what he had said exactly. Something about her ditching John and running away with him. Helen smiled wistfully and flipped through the pictures. Helen and Nikola reading in the park, the five in their favorite lab with Nigel and Nikola mixing random chemicals, Watson trying to stop them. A picture of John playing with a bunson burner. She remembered he was laughing drunkenly and shouting about blue flames.
Helen and Nikola whispering conspire (Taken by Nigel as some kind of blackmail. Helen was able to blackmail Nigel into giving it back) the next one taken by John as Helen engaged James and Nikola in a tickle fight. A few of her and Watson. He would stand straight and trying to look imposing. A few with Nigel and Helen. One or two with John sidling in at the last moment. Nikola would pout for days when that happened.
Nikola and Helen laughing at a soot covered Nigel, Helen reading, Helen playing chess (with John cut out of the frame) Helen dressed in a suit she borrowed from James, laughing at herself. The picture made her laugh at the memory.
She smiled and pushed the pictures aside to wholly study the picture of her and John. It was the night John had proposed and they had just told the others. Watson produced a bottle of champagne. John Helen James and Nigel each got a glass just before a sullen Nikola downed the entire bottle. He never gave a straight answer about what had been bothering him.
Helen and john sitting together, holding hands Helen John and Watson laughing at a 'toast' Nigel made.
She flipped through the pictures again and sighed. She had been in every single picture. She was wondering vaguely why that was when there was a knock on the door