Hey guys! I'm so sorry that now it takes me a few days longer to update. I've decided that I'm going to update consistently so you all will always know when to expect a new chapter! I'll explain more later. Hope you all enjoy this chapter and I'll see you guys at the bottom of the chapter!
Just a friendly reminder, it is 17 April 1912! ENJOY!
- Elizabeth -
- 6.20 pm -
By this time, Elizabeth was getting ready for the party. Since she didn't get the chance to really take a bath, her hair was frizzy from the cold and that made it harder to put it in a bun, even so when she didn't normally do her hair, as it was always Clara helping her. Her corset had also come loose. They even had to call Charles in for help to tighten it again before throwing him out, and making him promise to go to the party and spread the message to the other officers.
"Are you done yet honey?" Jim asked sleepily from the wheelchair he was on. Elizabeth insisted he stay in it so that he wouldn't over-exert his leg again. "I just can't...put my hair in a bun!" She yelled in frustration. "Come over here Liz." She did so and knelt in front of him, turning around when he asked. Jim leaned forward and Elizabeth could feel him twisting and turning her hair.
"Done!" He said cheerfully. Elizabeth went to the mirror and looked at her hair which was braided neatly. "Wow. Thanks darling!" She thanked him, smiling at how well done her hair was. "No problem!" Jim beamed proudly. "How is it you can braid my hair but can't tighten my corset?" She teased. "I used to braid my younger sister Josephine's hair, but I never had to tighten her corset." He answered.
"You have a younger sister?" Elizabeth asked curiously. "Yeah. Josephine Liesl Moody. She's four years younger than me." He brightened up even more at the mention of his beloved sister. "I should like to meet her one day." Elizabeth stood up and put on her shoes before getting behind Jim's wheelchair. "Ready to go?" She asked as he nodded up at her. The couple were then on their way.
- Harry -
- 5.40 pm -
There was a lump in his throat and his hands were getting sweaty. He tried to speak but every time he opened his mouth no words came out. "Harry darling, are you all right?" Clara asked with concern. "Yeah, just...Clara, I have something to say." He looked at her nervously. She nodded, waiting for him to talk.
He took a deep breath. 'You can do this.' "Clara, I love you. I've never...felt this way towards anyone before and...it's so confusing and weird, caring about you so much." Clara smiled at his awkward start. "But...that's all I ever want to do. Be around you, care about you, think about you. You're all that's ever on my mind. You are so beautiful and so perfect, I often feel that I don't deserve you. I wish all the time that I could give you more than I am now, because you truly are worth so much for than this. But I really want to prove myself to you. That is...if you'll give me this chance." Harry reached around his neck and unclasped the chain hanging around his neck.
"These are my grandparents' wedding rings. My parents made me wear them ever since I was a child since I was my grandparents' favorite grandchild and I never took it off once, not even when I ran away. You see, I ran away from home when I was 14 years old. My father wanted me to be a businessman, but my heart belonged at sea so I took off and never turned back. I felt that it was high time you knew. But not to get off topic...Clarissa Elsie Hayes, will you marry me?" Harry asked hopefully, holding her small, petite hands in his large ones.
Clara's mouth was open she had no idea what to say so she said the first thing that came to her mind. "Yes!" She jumped forward and hugged him, kissing him passionately on the lips. Harry was so happy in that moment that he almost forgot how to kiss. But when he did remember, he kissed her back and when she pulled away, he slid the ring onto her left ring finger, she he. And just like that, they had promised to spend the rest of their lives together. "I promise I'll get you an actual ring when we reach New York." He smiled at her. "It's all right Harry. You don't have to." She replied. "I'm going to."
They kissed once more and rested in each other's embrace. "Clary? There's a party going on in the main dining hall. Would you go with me?" He asked her. "Who else would I go with?" She smiled at him. "But who told you?" She questioned. "Oh, the doctor mentioned it so I thought I would ask you." He beamed at her. "You went to the doctor's office?" Clara asked, concerned. "To get my lip checked out after you bit it." He answered awkwardly. "Oh. I'm sorry." She apologised, looking remorseful. "Don't worry about it." He laughed. Clara smiled and hugged him again, just so overwhelmed with happiness.
- Elizabeth -
- 6.45 pm -
It only took the pair so long to reach because they had no idea whatsoever where they were. Eventually they asked around and got to the main dining hall. There they saw all the officers except Harry and Clara.
"Hello gentlemen!" Elizabeth greeted in a teasing voice. All the officers gave her a quick hug. "I'm starving! Let's go get something to eat!" Herbert announced and rushed off to the table with all the food and trays on them. The five of them found a round table to seat seven in case Harry and Clara were coming. Elizabeth forced Jim to stay while she got the both of them some food.
She stuck around mostly to Charles as he seemed rather quiet tonight. He just smiled at her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
- Harry -
- 6.30 pm -
The newly engaged couple took this long to get ready because they both took a bath and filling up the tub took a long time. Harry could swear he heard Clara singing in the shower, and she sounded wonderful, or at least to him. He managed to persuade her to lose the bun, hat and apron. After they were both ready, they shared a kiss and walked out of the room, hand in hand. Wearing the rings on their respective ring fingers.
- Elizabeth -
- 6.50 pm -
People started to file into the room and the few of them were glad they came early. She sat next to Jim and Charles. Turns out that there was free flow of ale, so the group took advantage of that. It was pretty silent at the table since Harry was always the one starting the conversations so Elizabeth tried her hand at it. "Wanna hear a joke?" The men shrugged and smiled. "What do you call a cow that plays a violin?" She asked eagerly. They were all stumped so they just looked at her for an answer. "A moosician!" They all let out chuckles here and there and she felt so awkward that she decided not to start anymore conversations with lame jokes.
- Harry -
- 6.55 pm -
Harry held Clara close to him as they entered the dining hall. They were looking for a place to sit when they saw the other officers and Elizabeth at one table, with two spare seats. He pulled her gently but stopped when he saw that she didn't follow. "What's wrong dear?" He asked. "It's going to be so awkward between Elizabeth and I." She sighed, looking away. He turned her around so that they were facing each other. "You're not still angry with her right?" He asked. Clara shook her head slightly. "Then there's nothing to be awkward about. So long as you continue to behave as usual, she won't mind and you two can patch up your relationship." He smiled at her confidently. Clara returned his smile. "Good. Now let's go show off our rings." Harry's grin widened as they approached the table.
- Elizabeth -
- 7.00 pm -
Elizabeth was silently eating until she felt a pat on the shoulder. She turned to see Clara standing there, smiling at her. "Clara! Listen, I am so sorry about what I said this afternoon. I was wrong and I'm truly sorry." She bit at her lower lip. "It's all right Liz. I forgive you." The blonde replied, affirming her with a squeeze on her shoulder. Elizabeth grinned when she saw what was on her friend's left hand.
"Is this...Are you two...Oh my God." Elizabeth's eyes widened as she hit Jim on the back so hard he almost choked on his food. "What...?...!" Jim coughed when he saw the ring on Clara's finger. "What's going..." Charles asked and he broke out into a smile when he saw the ring. Soon, Herbert and Joseph also ran forward to see what the commotion was about. "Earlier this evening, I proposed to Clary and she accepted." Harry had a permanent grin on his face as he kissed the top of Clara's head. They started to clap and so did a few other tables who heard them.
"Congratulations, you two!" Was what all of them said at least a couple of times before they allowed Harry and Clara to get some food and join them for dinner.
- 8.45 pm -
With Harry around, the table was livelier than ever. Soon, dinner came to a close and the officers helped to move aside all the tables with the other passengers and survivors. The party was officially starting. Passengers took out their instruments and started to play cheerful music, inciting people to dance in the center of the room. It didn't take much motivation.
Couples and friends started to fill the 'dance floor' and Harry even pulled Clara up for a dance. Joseph found himself a dancing partner in a lady named Marjory. She was 26 years old, 2 years younger than the officer. Marjory's hair was a deep shade of auburn and her eyes were green. She was a little shorter than Clara so Joseph and Marjory looked so fitting, for he was very tall.
Herbert dashed forward and dragged Elizabeth to the dance floor even before she could reject. Charles just stayed next to Jim, watching the couples dance and have fun. But Jim's eyes were trained onto Elizabeth, smiling whenever she did and laughing whenever she laughed, watching every little action she did.
"Bert!" She giggled as he pulled her by her hands onto the centre of the room. "Do you even know this dance?!" She yelled over the loud music. "No! But just go along with it!" He screamed back. He put a hand on her waist and grabbed her hand loosely and she did the same as the pair jumped around in circles, laughing continuously. Jim was a little sad that he had to watch from the sidelines but he was happy so long as Elizabeth was having fun.
After the third song ended, Herbert felt a pat on the shoulder. He turned to see Charles there. "It's my turn, now scram, Bert." He said teasingly. The senior officer smiled at Elizabeth before holding onto her, closer than Herbert did. The third officer, on the other hand, retreated back to the sides with a frown on his face.
Like earlier, Charles and Elizabeth jumped around crazily without restraint and even knocked into a couple of people on the way but they all light-heartedly accepted their apologies. At the end of the song, Charles even twirled her and dipped her so low that her head almost touched the ground.
Elizabeth followed Charles back when he went to the table Herbert and Jim were at. "Had fun honey?" Jim asked her good-naturedly from his seat in the wheelchair. She nodded happily to which his grin grew wider. "Here for another dance Liz?" He raised his eyebrows at her. She laughed and playfully pushed him on the shoulder.
"You wish. I was here to take Jim for a round." Elizabeth winked at the junior officer. Jim was laughing until she said that. "I want to dance with you Liz, but I'm in a wheelchair." He frowned. "Leave it to me! Now hurry! The next song is starting!" He held on tightly to his chair as she wheeled him out onto the open floor. Charles and Herbert watched with full attention, wide eyes and open mouths at what Elizabeth was doing.
Many of the dancers either smiled at them or looked at them with awe as the band played louder than ever. She grabbed onto the handles of the chair tightly and spun him around and around. Both of them laughed uncontrollably and many couples, including Harry and Clara, clapped along to the beat of the music, standing from the side as they enjoyed watching Elizabeth and Jim have fun.
The song ended after what seemed like a long time and Elizabeth bent down to kiss Jim gently on the lips, to which everyone clapped at. Soon after, Elizabeth held the handles of the chair tightly and almost ran back to their table, so embarrassed. "Good job Liz!" Harry pat her on the back and the others laughed at her boldness. In a good way. "I'll be going to the loo for a while, excuse me." She blushed and ran off giggling.
Her trip to the loo was mostly uneventful. But when she returned, stepping into the dining hall Jasper stopped her. "Elizabeth?" He called out. She turned and saw him there. "Oh...Hey Jasper." She smiled at him. "I was just wondering if...I could have a dance with you. Just...just once." He asked nervously. Elizabeth shrugged and grabbed his hand, gently pulling him out onto the dance floor as the next song started. It was a slow song coincidentally.
Jasper put a hand on her waist and held her hand with his other and pulled her close to him. Elizabeth felt that it was a little too close but she didn't really mind since she set the record straight that they were friends. They awkwardly shifted around, not sure what to do or what to say.
- Jim -
- 9.30 pm -
He sat in his wheelchair, looking at Elizabeth. He couldn't help but feel a little jealous that he couldn't be on the dance floor dancing with Elizabeth and that she was dancing with some random guy. He found that something was off, by the way the other man was looking at his Elizabeth but he just decided to keep an eye out for this person. After the song ended, he kissed her hand and then she awkwardly ran back to the table.
While the next few minutes were awkward, the seven friends still enjoyed themselves thoroughly through the night.
YAY PARTY TIME! Haha. As I was saying before, I'm going to update once a week, like 7 or 8 days after the last update. Of course, if there are reviews...my mind might change xD
Now to thank those who left reviews! Thank you to mikeysrevenge, Chloe and Mystical Mist for your reviews!
mikeysrevenge : Thank you for your review :D
Chloe : Haha, I guess I should thank you for your reviews xD I'm glad you're commenting on Jasper actually! I wasn't sure how all of you would react to a new original character but I guess I can assume he's being accepted? PM about your story anytime!
Mystical Mist : Thank you so much for your review! I'm happy you liked the piece about Charles! Just you and EVERYONE ELSE knows, I've got something in store for all those 'William Murdoch' fans! Keep your eyes peeled and your reviews coming!
To everyone else, I hope you all are enjoying the story as well! Have a nice day and review if you liked the chapter! :D