April 10th, 1912
Midday
The grand ship drifted along the docks, casting a shadow over the crowds come to wave her off. A number of small tugboats floated alongside her, guiding her out to sea and ensuring her safe passage out of the Southampton docks which had held her captive for just over a week. Persephone hung over the railings, leaning further over when she heard the people around her gasp, their whispering barely audible over the sudden noise of the newly lit engines; at first, she presumed that the sudden increase in noise was due to the excitement - and because the ship was so new and unused, but it soon became clear that something was wrong, for the smiles had gone from everyones faces, replaced by expressions of concern, fear and worry. Some of them stepped back, whilst others clambered forwards in the hopes of getting a better look at whatever was going on below them. Persephone clung to the railings, furrowing her brows as she gazed downward - her own eyes wide with wonder as she finally realized what all the fuss was about. The Titanic was barely out of the docks, when another much smaller vessel seemingly appeared out of nowhere and came loose of its tethering, floating out to join her and coming dangerously close.
"We're going to crash!" Came the frantic calls of passengers as they fell away from the side of the ship and moved off in the opposite direction. Officers appeared and began ushering passengers away, whilst down below, men worked hard in an attempt to drag the newly released boat back to shore. Persephone lingered by a small group of officers, hoping to listen in on their conversation and find out exactly what had happened.
"The SS City of New York," One of the men announced in a thick Irish accent, gesturing to the boat which had very nearly collided with their mighty Titanic. He continued on, speaking of how the great size of Titanic had caused the smaller boat's mooring cables to come loose due to the sudden strain. He did not seem at all distressed, and his confidence in Titanic was plain for all to see as he loudly proclaimed that she was 'unsinkable' and the little charade involving the New York was nothing to worry about. The majority of the people were much assured by this, but not Persephone; she couldn't help but shudder at the thought of what COULD have happened. It seems that within moments of the maiden voyage having begun, a disaster had been narrowly averted. Though the newly freed SS New York is a great deal smaller than Titanic, she still has the potential to cause a great deal of damage. Thank God she was brought under control before the worst happened!
Persephone desperately tried to remain in ear shot of the officers, for she wanted to hear more - but it soon became impossible; already, the passengers out on deck where beginning to retire to their own parts of the ship, and she found herself being dragged out with them. The show was well and truly over. She quickly made her way through the first class entrance, and back to her cabin - though she had no idea how she managed to successfully find her way back through the labyrinth of corridors without getting lost. Slipping through the door, she soon came to realize that her little adventure had not gone unnoticed, for in the foyer stood Ada - looking less than impressed. Persephone sighed, eager to avoid an argument and instead fill her grandmother in on the details of what she had just seen.
"There has been a delay. We nearly had an accident, if you are wondering why the engines have stopped. One of the boats tethered to the docks broke free and nearly hit us, but the men back on shore managed to pull her back in eventually. They are still working on returning her to the side; I doubt we will be able to continue until they do and who knows how long that will take." She shrugged her shoulders and gazed around the room, wondering where her mother and Grady had gone, for Ada was seemingly alone. Her grandmother listened intently, nodding along in all of the right places, and offering her granddaughter a cup of tea - which Persephone gratefully took. There was not a hint of worry in the old ladys face. She looked just as calm and serene as the officers out on deck had.
"I am sure we will be off in no time. We are due in at Cherbourg this afternoon, to pick up more passengers. I don't expect the Captain would be all too pleased if we are delayed too long before we have even had the chance to depart Southampton!" She laughed and sipped at her tea. Persephone smiled, though inwardly she could not help but feel a little apprehensive; it had not been a good start to the voyage, and though she was not usually at all superstitious, she had to wonder whether the near collision with the SS New York had been a bad omen for what was to come.
With the disaster at Southampton behind them, the Titanic steamed across the English Channel, headed for France.
"We're due at Cherbourg just after 6, so I have heard." Muriel mused, as she examined her perfectly dressed reflection in the mirror which adhorned the sitting room. Grady nodded, looking up from his newspaper and smiling as he saw the effort to which his wife had gone in order to make herself presentable for evening dinner. "You know, I heard that Dorothy Gibson will be boarding in France... I wonder if she will be with that lover of hers? She created quite the scandal, bedding a married man and then having the nerve to boast about it. Her poor mother! Oh, she must be so ashamed."
"You're one to talk about scandal." Persephone muttered under her breath.
"Excuse me?" Muriel glared at her daughter, her expression a warning in itself.
"All I am saying, Mama, is that you should not judge people so freely." A wry smile fell upon Persephone's lips, as she adjusted her own appearance - running a comb through her long red hair, which had become somewhat tangled after her time out on the boat deck. Muriel turned to face her daughter, still looking somewhat taken aback. Placing one hand on her hip, she shook her head and rolled her eyes.
"Well if YOU were to do anything like that, I would be most displeased. One cannot help but judge someone who is openly shaming her family the way SHE is. It is disgusting... think of the poor mans wife! And this is all happening in the midst of the public eye, too. Despicable." With another shake of her head, she turned and returned her attentions to the mirror. Persephone sighed, knowing that there would be no way of getting through to her mother on this; it was not that she approved of what Dorothy Gibson was doing... but she was firmly of the opinion that a person should not be judged straight away, without first being aware of the details. And besides, it wasn't any of their business anyway what the famous Dorothy Gibson did off screen.
"Are you not going to change, Persie? It's almost time for dinner." Grady smiled and looked down at his watch, folding his newspaper neatly and placing it down on the couch. With a shrug, Persephone rose and moved off in the direction of her suite. The prospect of dining with a hundred or more first class passengers, all of whom cared little for anything but money, business and politics did not excite at her all but what choice did she have? Taking a deep breath, she slipped out of the gown she'd been wearing since they left London that morning, holding it in her arms and thinking about how dfferent things had been then; it seemed like an age ago, when really it had been but a couple of hours. Everything seemed scarily new to her, and she had no idea what to do. The hustle and bustle of London was familiar and safe, and it was all she had ever known. New York, as exciting and wonderful as it may be, would never truly be her home.
"Oh Grandpapa, if only you were here. Perhaps none of this would be happening then. Perhaps we'd all be back home, where we belong." She pawed at the locket around her neck, a final gift from her grandfather... the last thing he had ever bought her, and the one thing which would always serve as a reminder of his love for her - of how important a part of her life he had been. As she stood before the mirror, examining her reflection and thinking about the forthcoming dinner, a sigh escaped her lips. Of course, she knew quite well how to behave at fancy parties and such like, but she also knew that none of her past experiences would be anything like dinner on board the Titanic. This would be a new experience entirely, and she knew that she had to get it JUST right; she had to look the part of the first class lady, and regardless of whether or not she wanted to, she knew she must act the part too. Taking a deep breath, she turned, so to look at herself from a new angle. Only then did she realize that she was no longer alone; her grandmother now stood beside her.
"Enchanté," Ada said, placing one arm on Persephone's shoulder.
"I am not yet dressed, Grandmama. Forgive me. I was... somewhat distracted by my thoughts." She sniffed back tears, and smiled brightly at her grandmother, desperate to hide all of her sadness and worry from her. She had suffered too much already, without having the weight of Persephone's troubles upon her shoulders as well.
"Do not apologize, my girl. I see that you are suffering, and all I want is to ease that suffering. Do you think your grandfather would want this? To have you upsetting yourself over his memory? As I told you in the car, all he would want would be for his favourite granddaughter to be well again - to get on with her life, and make him proud. You have a bright future ahead of you, my dear... you only have to turn around and face it, with a smile. You are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen... you hold so much promise," Aba grabbed her daughter by the shoulders and gently turned her toward the mirror again. "Now dress, and lets go to dinner. It means a great deal to your mother, so for appearances sake lets please her, shall we?" She flashed a crooked smile and gently kissed Persephone's cheek. "How about that blue dress your grandfather and I bought you last year in Paris?"
"Oh, but it's SO old fashioned!" Persephone retorted, a mischievous smile lighting her features.
"But delightfully so! And you'll look beautiful in it." Ada clapped her hands and moved to pull open Persephone's suitcase, rooting through it in search of the dress in question. "Ah, here we go." In her arms, she now held a Victorian style gown with its long, sweeping train; it was a masterpiece, albeit a vintage one. The skirt curved outwards, and thre long softly coloured fabrics undoubtedly complimented Persephone's pale skin beautifully. The bodice was moulded on a tight, well-boned foundation, and the outer layer was cut a little fuller and longer in front than the lining, and was arranged to fall over the waistband. The sleeves were impeccably tight at the top, but flared out a little below the elbow giving a curved, flowing and extremely feminine effect. Persephone took the dress from Ada, and went about putting it on, turning so that her grandmother could tie the corset for her.
"See, enchanté. All of those first class gentlemen won't be able to take their eyes away from the most beautiful girl in the room."
"Grandmama!" Persephone scolded lightly, smiling. It was true, she looked quite lovely in the dress - and the fact that it had been a gift from her beloved grandparents only made it all the more special to her. It was not the latest fashion... far from it, in fact, but she had never been one to follow the trend anyhow.
"And the finishing touches..." Ada handed her a hat and some gloves, identical in colour and design to the dress, of course. Persephone pulled them on, playing with a strand of loose hair and twirling it about her fingers. She felt like a million dollars, and a part of her couldn't help but look forward to seeing what the first class dining saloon would look like. She had heard many things about it; apparently the White Star Line had spared no expenses in furnishing their beautiful new ship - their pride and joy.
"What time is it?" Persephone asked, curiously. Surely they would soon arrive at Cherbourg? She was eager to see France for herself, even if from a distance, and did not want to be caught in the dining room and rendered unable to see a thing.
"6:15, time to go. Come on," Ada slipped her arm into the crook of Persephone's, and the pair strode out of the bedroom and into the foyer, where Grady and Muriel were waiting.
"Oh, Persie! You DO look lovely! Did I not tell you that dress suited you well? You should wear it more often. Now, lets go - we don't want to be late now, do we? Not on the first night!"
"Of course not, mother. That would be a complete disaster!" Persephone mocked, as she and her family swept out of the cabin and into the crowded corridor. A number of people, like themselves, were making for the dining saloon - which was located up on D-Deck. Everyone dressed in their finest clothes, obviously out to impress.
They soon reached the grand first class staircase, and to Persephone - it was by far one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen. It seemed to stretch endlessly into the sky, and the newly painted wood shone effortlessly in the light. As she looked up, her eyes were immediately captured by the glass domed roof, though it looked so very far away from where she stood, and she could barely make out the paintings upon the stained glass. The oak panelling and detailed carvings were an incredible achievement in themselves; it astounded her to think how much hard work had gone into making all of this so perfect. Bronze cherubs adhorned the walls and banisters, and chandeliers hung from all manner of places, making sure that the entire place remained lit at all times, for everyones viewing pleasure. The fore staircase featured a clock, surrounded once again by the most intricate carvings. Persephone longed for nothing more than to go closer... to examine all of this in close detail, but there was no time; not yet, anyway. That would be an adventure for another day.
"I told you Mister Andrews was a genius!" Muriel bellowed excitedly, as they all moved elegantly up the staircase, nodding politely to those they passed. Eventually, they reached the equally well decorated D-Deck entrance. Stewarts littered the corridors, holding doors open and making themselves available for passengers who wished to ask for directions. Persephone smiled at a particularly handsome young man, who stood in the doorway leading through to the main dining saloon.
"Thank you," She bobbed her head politely and winked as he held open the door for her, his eyes twinkling as they locked with hers; as she did, her mother flashed her a look of disapproval but she cared not. In truth, it felt pleasant to know that the young steward found her attractive, and there was no harm in sending a flirtatious smile or two his way, surely? As they moved to take their seats, Persephone gazed around the room in wonderment, completely taken aback by how wonderful everything looked. She looked down at her extravagant cutlery which had been laid out before, gently brushing her fingers over the little kerchief which was folded neatly before her - adhorned by the White Star Line logo. A short distance away, stood the band who were already playing. Rising from her seat, Persephone strode towards them, "Good day, gentlemen. How beautiful you all sound! May I request a song?" She smirked and looked at each of the men in turn. One of them placed down his violin, and eyed her with bemusement.
"I don't see any harm in it, pretty lady. What would you like to hear?"
"Autumn. It has long since been a favourite of mine, and to hear it played in such beautiful surroundings... well that would be quite special indeed, do you not think?" She gleamed, and turned to face her family. Of course, her mother looked quite surprised by how boldly her daughter had approached the bandstand. Grady simply sat smiling, as did her grandmother. Persephone winked at them, then returned her attentions to the dark haired man with the violin.
"Autumn it is, but first I demand to know the identity of she who wishes to hear it played."
"Persephone Swan. It's been a pleasure." She smiled and turned on her heels, furrowing her brows when she saw that the attentions of the people in the room had shifted from her, to a group of people who had just entered. She recognized them instantly as John Jacob Astor, and his wife Madeleine. The delicate little lady looked no older than Persephone herself, and had a gentle hand pressed to her slightly protruding stomach. A small entourage of people surrounded them, to their obvious delight.
"Don't stop on my account!" Astor called out, clapping his hands and smiling as a number of people rose from their chairs and rushed to greet him. Persephone rolled her eyes, flashing one more playful smile in the direction of the band before she headed back to her own table.
"I see we have arrived in Cherbourg," She pointed out, just as the band began to play her chosen song.
"Indeed. Oh, would you look at little Madeleine Astor! So elegant and graceful... Persie, if only you could be more like her. 18 years old, and she has made such a good marriage! You, on the other hand, will die a spinster if you don't get a move on!" Muriel chuckled as she helped herself to another glass of wine. Persephone, grumbling under her breath, filled her glass to the point of overflowing, looking up only when yet another group of people entered the room. This time, she did not recognize their faces; a middle aged lady hung on the arm of a man who was clearly her husband. She wore a long, flowing green dress, whilst her husband looked quite handsome for his age in a tailored suit. Behind them stood a young man, more than likely the son, who was also wearing a suit - though it was a little less extravagant in comparison to the older mans' and Persephone's first thoughts were that he looked somewhat out of place. Whilst his parents greeted their fellow passengers, he lingered behind them, smiling and looking rather nervous.
"And there are the Wideners," Muriel pointed out, leaning in to talk to Grady. "George Widener is a business man, and one of the richest men on board. Eleanor Widener, his wife, and of course their eldest son, Harry. On their way back to America from Paris."
"Wine, anyone?" Persephone broke in, a bright smile lighting her features. She cleared her throat and looked up, watching intently as Harry Widener and his mother moved towards an empty table close to their own. George Widener, meanwhile, remained in the doorway conversing with John Jacob Astor, and Bruce Ismay who had risen from his table and gone to greet them. Harry was undeniably handsome, and she couldn't help but look at him with admiration as he politely held out a chair for his mother, waiting until she was settled before he took a seat beside her. His short, dark hair was almost perfectly arranged with not a strand out of place, and his dark eyes twinkled as he gazed around the room, obviously in awe of what he saw - just as she had been.
"I told you it'd be beautiful," Persephone heard him say, as he leaned in and whispered in his mothers ear before momentarily lifting his eyes. All of a sudden, he gazed at Persephone, and a small smile passed his lips when he realized that she was looking at him too. He looked away almost instantly, and continued to speak with his mother. Blushing profusely, Persephone clung to her glass of wine with shaking hands. The band stopped playing and went about preparing sheets of music for the next piece as everyone around them applauded, including George Widener who had now joined his family at their table. More people filed into the room, but Persephone did not look at any of them and instead focused on listening in on her mothers conversation with Grady; they were talking about Dorothy Gibson again, and Persephone automatically figured out that the lady herself must have made her grand debut. Soon enough, waiters came rushing in carrying platters of food and drink, which were now placed before waiting passengers. The dining saloon was almost completely full now, and from listening in on the conversations of those around her, Persephone learned that Titanic had just left Cherbourg and was now headed in the direction of Queenstown, Ireland. 200 or more new passengers had just boarded, some of whom were here with them now - whilst others, including one Margaret Brown who was yet another well known name, had decided instead to retire to their cabins and unpack.
"For Miss Persephone, who so loves the Autumn waltz!" The lead violinist called out with a smile, holding out his arms in the direction of Persephone's table. Feeling her blush deepen, she simply smiled and politely inclined her head in the mans direction. She glanced around, and to see how many people were looking her way - and to her surprise, not many were; save for Harry Widener, that is. Harry sat watching her with wide, curious eyes, a hint of a smile playing at the corner of his lips as their eyes met again. He held up his glass, then quickly looked away and threw himself into a conversation with his father. Persephone blinked and lowered her eyes, smiling to herself as she picked up her knife and fork and tucked into the food before her.
"Harry Widener," She mumbled under her breath, still smiling as she popped a piece of salmon into her mouth. The band began to play once again, and all of a sudden - she felt a great deal happier about her situation, and every now and again, her gaze did shift to the face of the handsome young man at the table beside her own... the man she now felt determined to get to know better.
