It is early evening when our small entourage arrives at Greenwich. I look up at the massive building and grimace. How are we going to find Jane? I climb off my horse and smell the air. So many interesting and delicious scents are coming from the palace, but none are Jane. I look at Mummy and the guards that came with us. "I cannot smell anything out of place."
"We should settle for the night," the captain says, "and search for the queen in the morning."
"I would normally agree with such a plan, but not this time." Mummy shivers despite the heat. "I know we've been here every Christmas, but this place is creeping me out."
I walk over to Mummy. "You didn't have to come if you weren't up for it."
"What, and let you save Jane single-handedly?" Mummy folds her arms and shakes her head. "We're a team. From now on, where you go, I go."

I stop breathing. Those are the words Ida Strauss tells her husband on the Titanic. My eyes tear up, and I turn away. How can I face that night if I'm already getting emotional about it? I choke on my sobs as tears fall down my cheeks.
"Emma and I will stay out here for a while," Mummy says, "why don't you settle in?"
"Thank you, Mistress Smith," the captain says. We hear carts unloading and people talking.

Mummy waits until it is silent to talk to me. She puts an arm around my shoulders. "Are you alright?"
"Those words," I cry, "are the same as Ida's."
"Who's Ida?"
"Ida Strauss." Mummy gives me a blank look. "Refused to leave her husband on the... Oh, God!" I burst into tears again. "It will be my fault."
"What?"
"The sinking. Those deaths will be on my conscience. I will kill over a thousand people in one night." I bury my head in my hands. "Maybe I shouldn't become an officer."

Mummy shakes me. "Emma Victoria Smith-White, the Titanic will sink with or without your involvement. Snap out of it!"
I shake my head. "Mr Andrews, William, even my father! I will kill them all." Mummy slaps me, the noise echoing across the courtyard. My cheek stings. "Why did you do that?"
"You cannot change 1912. It might end up with us not existing. Do you want that?" I shake my head. "Then snap out of it. Jane needs us."

Mummy's right. I must live in the here and now. I'll deal with 1912 when we get to it. We walk inside.

"I'm sorry I hit you," Mummy says, "but I couldn't think of what else to do."
"It's okay."
"No, it's not!" Mummy grabs my arm. "I haven't been there for you, and when you need me, I do this."
"I'm fine." I pry Mummy's fingers off my arm. "If anything, I needed that. I cannot help anyone if I'm upset about it."

Mummy frowns. "You cannot even say the ship's name, can you?"
"I can when it's about the musical."
"But not at other times?" I shake my head. "Oh, Emma." Mummy pulls me into a hug. "I wish I could be there to help."
"No, you don't. You've seen how my older self reacted, and that is scratching the surface. Do you think you can survive the sinking unscathed?"
Mummy freezes. Did she think I wouldn't ask the question? Her back slumps slightly. "I want to be there for you and the officers."

I look back at the palace. "We'll talk more when we find Jane." I start walking inside. I hear footsteps as Mummy follows me.
"You cannot deter me."
"Can you be in the same place where Daddy, Henry, William, James, and fifteen hundred other people die and do nothing?" I turn back to Mummy, and we stop walking. "Will you be able to live with yourself? The Higher Authority knows I cannot. The sinking breaks me. I don't want it to break you too." I turn away.
"Wait!" Mummy grabs my arm. "I could help save more people."
"Do you really believe that?" I look Mummy dead in the eyes. "Do you honestly believe you can help?" Mummy nods. "That makes one of us." I pull my arm away and walk inside.

We reach the Great Hall, and I stop dead. "What. The. Hell?" I ask, my voice breaking. Evergreen branches curl around the tall candlesticks with red ribbons tied in bows around them. Mistletoe hangs from the beams in the ceiling.
Mummy grabs my arm again. "No wonder why Jane thinks it's Christmas."
We look at each other. I hope it means we will find her soon.

We head towards the kitchens and meet up with the guards. "Did you see how the Great Hall was decorated?" I ask.
The captain nods. "It looks like Christmas came early."
"Too early, even for my time. It should at least mean we're in the right place." I look at the table. There is not much food, considering we arrived unannounced, but some of the guards are able to make a hearty meal while the others check the perimeter. "From what I remember, Jane is held in a tower room. The towers will be the best place to start."
"Listen here, madam." The captain towers over me and walks towards me. I glare up at him. "I am the captain; this is my mission." He turns to his men. "Do a sweep of the ground floor before dark and return here once you are done."
"Yes, sir," The remaining me chorus before they scatter.

Mummy pulls me away from the captain. "We can search for the queen ourselves."
"I think not!" The captain pounds the table. "You are staying here and preparing beds for my men."
"We aren't your servants! If you wanted people to do that, you should have told some of your men to stay behind."
The captain draws his sword and holds it to Mummy's throat. I growl at him, but it doesn't deter him. "You will stop answering back if you know what is good for you."
"You are just a silly little man." Mummy's voice wavers. "I faced worse than you, and many of them tried to kill me. You are the latest in a long line."
The captain grits his teeth and swings his sword back. I grab Mummy and pull her back. The captain's sword swings through thin air.

Mummy and I bolt out of the kitchen and race towards the Great Hall. The captain roars. His shoes pound against the stone floor as he runs after us. We run up the stairs that lead to a tower. I fling the door open, and we run inside. I shut the door behind me and put a finger to my lips. Mummy nods and closes her eyes. Tears slip down her cheeks.

The captain is breathless when he reaches the corridor behind the room. "Where the devil are you?" He roars. Mummy squeaks and I cover her mouth with my hand and grab her arm. I nod to the stairs leading up, and she nods. I let go, and we ascend the stairs. We pass another door as we climb the winding stairs and stop in the doorway to catch our breath. A door opens below us, and footsteps echo downwards. We wait until we cannot hear him anymore. I smile at Mummy, but she frowns and nods back to the stairs. We keep climbing until we reach an open trapdoor. Mummy and I share a confused look. Has someone already rescued Jane? There is only one way to find out. I take a deep breath and poke my head into the room.