Chapter 3

Fate and Destiny

That evening, Clara and David dined in the first class dining saloon with their friends and a few other passengers.

"I just can not get over the trouble you get yourself into, Clara!" someone at the table said in response to Clara's story about the incident with the tea.

"Well Clara has not always been the most graceful of types," David said, smiling.

Clara looked at David but said nothing more about her grace, or lack there of.

"Oh hello Captain Smith!" a voice from the head of the table called.

Clara and everyone turned to see the captain standing behind them.

"Hello everyone!" he greeted, "I just came over here to check on Mrs. Moore."

Clara smiled, "Oh I assures you sir, I am completely fine."

"Well I just wanted to be sure. Your assailant is absolutely mortified," the captain chuckled.

Clara smiled, "Oh it was just an accident, I do not want him to be upset on my behalf."

"All the same," the captain began, "I would like to offer you and your family, as a consolation for the accident, a tour of the bridge and ship tomorrow."

Clara opened her mouth to reply but David beat her to it, "Thank you Captain, that would be wonderful."

"Very good, tomorrow morning after breakfast," the captain nodded at David then looked to the table, "Now I will not bother you any further, enjoy your supper."

A chorus of "Thank you's," came from the people at the table.

"Wow," someone near David said after the captain had gone, "What a lovely fellow."

The diners all continued chatting and laughing, enjoying life, the meal, and the wonder of the Titanic. After Clara and David were done eating, David escorted his wife back to the suite.

"I will be heading back to the smoking room if you need anything," David told her.

Clara nodded, then glanced and after making sure Esther or Benjamin were not in earshot she asked, "Should I expect you tonight?"

David stared at his wife for a moment, "Go to bed, Clara."

Clara gave a curt nod of her head, "Goodnight David."

He turned without another word and left his wife, still standing in the doorway, feeling completely alone and just a bit confused.

"Mrs. Moore, are you alright?"

Clara turned to see Esther and quickly brushed away a tear that she did not know she had shed, "Yes I am fine. Thank you. I need help getting changed."

She quickly moved past the governess and headed into her room. Esther followed Clara and said nothing as she helped the girl out of her fine dresses and into a nightgown. Clara slipped on her dressing gown and left the room to slip into Benjamin's room.

"Are you still up, my little love?" Clara asked quietly.

"Yes mummy," Benjamin replied, "I wanted to wait for you."

Very carefully, she sat down on the side of the bed, "Have you had an okay first day on the ship?" she asked.

"I have, but I missed you earlier. Why did you not come?" Benjamin asked in his small voice.

"Well your mummy had to go visit the doctor. I hurt myself but I'm perfectly fine now, but your daddy wanted me to get looked at, just to be safe," she explained.

"Oh," Benjamin said. He furrowed his brown, as if he was thinking about what his mother had just said.

"When will we be off the ship?" he asked next.

Clara gave a small shrug, "In a few days, my darling." She looked at the quilt that covered her son and spread it out on the sides where the blanket had turned up, "Now go to bed my little love, we have a tour in the morning so you should get some rest, as should your mummy."

"Okay mummy," Benjamin said. Clara stood up and watched her child turn over on his side and after a moment, she dimmed the lights in the room and quietly let herself out.

"How are your wounds doing tonight, ma'am?" Esther asked as Clara entered the living suite.

Clara carefully lowered herself into a chair, "They feel fine, I hardly notice."

"Well I will wake you with enough time in the morning for the doctor to come by and change the bandages and in the meantime, we'll keep the corset's a little less tight," Esther said.

Clara gave the girl a small smile, "Thank you." She sighed and looked around the room, "I miss my husband," she said quietly.

"Sorry ma'am?" Esther looked up from what she was doing, not sure if she was supposed to of heard what Clara had said.

Clara however, hardly seemed to notice or care, "When Mr. Moore and I were married, we were so happy and everything was bliss. Of course there were the struggles with me being able to have a baby," she paused and looked at the girl, "That was before you came to work for us, but I'm sure the household staff told you about it. I know they whisper and talk but they are so kind to me." Clara shrugged and continued, "Then after my darling boy was born, for a month after that, everything seemed to be fine still. We were just as happy as could be, then Benjamin was christened and since then...it has been nothing. For the last few years, my husband has gone farther and farther away from me and I just...I have no idea what to think but I fear that somewhere, I have failed him as a wife."

"Oh ma'am," Esther said quietly.

It was at that second that Clara seemed to realize everything that had come out of her mouth and her eyes went wide, "Esther, you are not to repeat a word of that, ever. Do you understand?

"Yes ma'am, of course!"

Clara got to her feet, "Goodnight Esther," and she disappeared into her suite.

The next morning, Clara woke up to the sounds of a knock on her door.

"Clara, the doctor is here," came the voice, but it was not Esther but instead it was her husband.

Clara stood to her feet, put on her dressing gown and opened the door, "Hello," she greeted.

"Hello Mrs. Moore," the doctor came into the room, "I would just like to check your burns, put some fresh ointment on it, and clean bandages," the man explained.

"Yes of course, thank you," Clara said, she looked to David, as if asking if he would come in but all he said was; "We are eating breakfast on our promenade deck this morning. Do hurry so we are not late for our meeting with the captain."

She watched her husband close the bedroom door and sighed sadly before sitting down on the side of the bed.

"Did the burns cause you any discomfort?" the doctor asked as he pulled some items out of his bag.

Clara shook her head, "I only noticed when I was dressing or if I bent over, but it really has not been that awful."

"That is good then, of course no pain at all would be much better but that is the nature of that," he smiled at her.

Clara was quiet as the doctor administered the medicine and clean bandages and when he was done she did feel quite a bit better. He left the room and Esther entered to help Clara dress. Clara's hair was piled up onto her head, with only a few small brown ringlets around her ears. She wore a lavender colored gown that morning, perfect for the spring air that they would experience up on the deck. There were lace sleeves on the gown but Clara grabbed a shawl just in case.

It was a quiet breakfast that morning and Clara was never happier to get out of the room, with Benjamin's small hand laced with hers. The family walked up to the decks together and headed in the direction of the bridge (with assistance of an officer,) and at the foot of the steps that lead up to the bridge, the captain was waiting.

"Good morning captain," David greeted.

"Ah Mr. Moore," the captain smiled his warm smile again and instantly Clara was filled with her usual hope and joy for the day, "Right on time," he said.

The captain took his hat off in greeting to Clara, "Good morning, Mrs. Moore." Then his eyes fell on Benjamin and he bent down to the child's height, "And you must be the young gentleman of the house."

"Yes sir," Benjamin said, grinning widely.

"Well it is truly an honor to meet you," the captain smiled then returned to his full height, "Well, right this way."

The family followed the captain up the steps and into the bridge. Clara's eyes instantly began to roam around the room and take in all of the detail.

"Mummy!" Benjamin whispered, pulling on his mothers hands, "Look at the wheels!"

Clara followed where her son was pointing and she saw the two giant wheels in the middle of the room, one of which had someone stationed at it. The wood on it was shiny and gorgeous, still with the look of being brand new, which of course, it was. She listened in one ear as the captain began to explain the room to David and Benjamin. She noticed out of the corner of her eye two officers enter the room who were talking quietly.

Clara stepped to the side to avoid being in their path but the one officer had the same idea and moved in the same direction and for the second time during that trip, she collided with an officer.

"Oh God I am a mess," the officer cried.

Clara had staggered back but she was otherwise unharmed. "Oh it is fine," she said, looking down at her gown to make sure it was okay. She looked up at the officer who was staring at her in horror, "What are the chances that I bump into, literally, the same woman twice?"

It took Clara a moment and then she realized, it was the same officer from the day before. "Oh my goodness," she began to laugh then, "That would have to be fate or something," she said.

"Really captain, your officers need to watch where they are going," David said in an annoyed voice.

Clara looked at her husband, "Oh no David, it is my fault. Completely," she tried to keep a straight face but she was still laughing.

"I am sorry ma'am, truly. I came by the infirmary yesterday to offer my deepest apologies but the doctor said you had already gone. I did not think it would be appropriate after that if I sought you out. I am truly very sorry though," the officer said.

"Please, do not apologize!" Clara said, "I am fine, I promise."

"Well just so long as you are okay then," the officer said.

"Yes, thank you Officer..." she trailed off, giving him a chance to fill in the rest with his name.

"Ah Pittman, ma'am," he took his hat off in salute to her and her family, "It is nice to meet all of you," he offered his hand to her husband who shook it.

"Run along now Pittman and try to not run into more passengers," the captain said.

"Yes sir, have a good day," he told the family before leaving, followed closely by another officer.

"Anyway, as I was saying," the captain began and again he had David and Benjamin's attention.

For the next hour they toured the general area and then they were introduced to Thomas Andrews who took them for a tour through the rest of the ship. Clara particularly liked Mr. Andrews and thought he was a very kind and gentle man with a knack for being a perfectionist, which was endearing to her. But for the rest of the tour, Clara had her mind on that officer and what it all meant. She always had believed that God worked in funny ways and she wondered now if God was playing a trick on her, by making her cross path's twice with this man. That was always how she knew David was the one she was meant to marry, because she constantly ran into him around the city when she was out shopping with her mother or aunt. What this incident meant now however, she had absolutely no idea and she was not sure if she wanted to find out; because finding out would lead to things that would cause people to whisper, even if her intentions were purely innocent.

At last the tour was over and the family left to meet with their friends and dine together. While the men talked, Clara resolved that she would discuss the events with her friends and get their input on the situation, but as they walked to the dining saloon, she couldn't help but notice the very same officer in the distance, working or talking to passengers, and that boggled her mind further.

Xx

A/N- whoo long chapter! Gosh I hope that ending brought things together and sounded like I wanted it to. I hope you all liked this chapter and if you do, you'll review, because that's what cool people do. I have to go shower and get ready for work...so leave me love. :)