Prologue 2

A/N: Hello everybody, I'm back! This turned out better than I expected it would. I am really enjoying writing the story and sharing it with all who want to read it. There are time jumps. We will see our characters again, some old, one new. Again thanks go to The Cowgirl Bookworm for all her help! Go check out her story Cold All the Way Through, But Warming. It is excellent! Looking forward to seeing what you all think of this prologue. SSD.

Late June, 1900

Cecily knew that she should not be avoiding Roland right now. In two days he would be boarding a train to head for the US Naval Academy in Annapolis Maryland.

Roland had come forward with his plans when he was sixteen. Initially their father had not agreed with it, but her brother had stuck to his guns. After four months, their father finally acquiesced to Roland's wish to make an attempt to get an appointment.

The entire process had driven them all nearly mad, Roland especially, it had been worth it in the end. Her beloved big brother had gotten the appointment, and Cecily had been dreading the day of his departure.

In the past few months, she had not been the best sister, not talking to him much, and when she did speak to him, giving him one or two word answers. She was scared for Pete's sake. There were things like training accidents, she did not want her brother to get hurt!

Cecily hoped Roland found the gift she was giving him amusing. It was from shortly before he had gotten the news of his appointment.

It was a more candid photo of the two of them than what was considered fashionable out East, not that either of them gave a shit what those twits thought. Roland was carrying her on his back and the two of them were laughing like a pair of hyenas over some filthy joke, like they didn't have a care in the world.

Perhaps I could slip it into one of his trunks? That way he'll have a surprise when he opens it?

Doing just that, Cecily slipped back out of her brother's room, vowing to be a better sister Roland in the short time they had left.

Perhaps they could head off to the Buckhorn Exchange and eat some Rocky Mountain Oysters. Or bull testicles as she and Roland knew them.

The two of them shared a delight at tormenting some of their father's more uppity business partners by informing them just exactly what they were eating!

July 1902

Roland had not been kidding when he had told Erik his family was wealthy. While not as ostentatious as the palaces of the rich he had seen in newspapers or in the magazines his sisters poured over, it was clear that his Academy roommate lived a life of comfort and privilege.

It certainly made his family home in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan that Roland had visited the summer before seem like a shack, despite his friend's assurances.

When Erik had first seen the home a week ago, he'd asked Roland why would he want to join the Navy when he had all this. His friend had replied that he liked being useful and had wanted to serve his new country. Not that what his father did wasn't useful, Roland didn't want to just laze about, wasting his father's money like some former classmates of his he could name.

Then there was Roland's sister Cecily. She was nothing like he was expecting. Definitely not like any of those million-dollar princesses in the papers. She started out a bit of an ice princess with him for a day or two, but once she'd gotten to know him, she treated him with warmth. Like Roland, she had a flair for multiple languages. Spanish they'd both learned from their cook Sra. Montoya. German they'd both learned in their school lessons. And Welsh was their milk tongue, which they'd spoken before they learned English.

Unlike Roland, whose skills with languages were almost immediately noticed and had him tapped for naval intelligence, Erik had taken a little longer to figure out what his specialty would be once he graduated. Torn between naval architecture and engineering, he had taken as many classes of each as he could, before deciding on engineering. Still, while his scores had not been high enough to get into the Bureau of Ships, naval architecture would still be a hobby of his.

Back to Roland and his sister, along with her friend Lucy (who had the most amazing smile), most of the visit had been spent outside teaching the two of them how to use a knife. Mr. Lethbridge thought it would be a useful thing for his daughter and by extension her friend to learn. Cecily was apparently dealing with some unwanted and unsolicited male attention. He himself had also been a part of those lessons as a teacher.

It was the hope of everyone involved that neither girl ever had to utilize the lessons. Before they left, Roland had gone to a store, and bought his sister a Bowie knife.

Early on in their Academy careers, Erik had learned how to gauge Roland's level of anger by what language he was swearing in. If it was English, Erik did not even pay any attention. German, he also didn't pay much attention. Spanish was when he started to get worried. Roland's skill in Spanish had also gotten them out of a sticky situation in Cuba a few months ago when they were playing cards and had won a rather large amount of money. The COB had helped them get back to the ship quickly. He had never heard Roland curse in Welsh. The last time he asked Roland about it, his friend had said, "Pray you never do."

A few months later they were back at the Academy, Erik was heading back to their dorm when he heard an outburst of what he could only assume was Welsh.

Once Roland was calm enough to start talking in English, it seemed that the obnoxious little shit that had been bothering Cecily had decided to up the ante. Cecily had taken her few lessons to heart, and caused significant damage to the boy's face.

Cecily and their father would be staying at the Washington DC home until things calmed down in Denver, Mr. Lethbridge was on his daughter's side for her actions completely. Her captivating friend Lucy would also be accompanying her. Like Cecily she was also musically inclined, but with the piano, not the violin.

Early April 1912

Nearly twenty years he had been in America. Sometimes it still seemed like yesterday that his great uncle's lawyers had contacted Albert telling him that he was now wealthy well beyond his wildest dreams. He and his children had paid a heavy price for their newfound wealth and status: the loss of his wife and their mother on Christmas Eve, which they still felt keenly to this day.

He was still a wealthy man, having diversified the family's assets. Albert had invested in railroads, munitions, newspapers (in particular the Chicago Tribune), and food production. He could buy and sell that Hockley boy's steel empire thrice over.

Roland was doing well in the Navy, having been promoted to Lieutenant junior grade a few years ago. He knew little about what his son was actually doing for the Navy, Albert suspected his son was involved in espionage. Even though his son was not on a ship as often as he would like, there were some perks. Roland had met Ghislaine Beaufort, the only daughter of a French naval officer at a Marine Corps Birthday Ball a few years earlier.

If only Cecily was having as easy of a time. Ever since the incident with that bastard of a Thornton boy (he'd tried to bring criminal charges against him, but they were dropped), there were tales aplenty about her. Every man and boy wanted a crack at taming the wildcat or defrosting the ice queen; some hid it better than others. Albert thanked God every day that Cecily had Lucy for loyal friend. Outside of himself, Roland, Erik, his head of security Antin, Cecily trusted very few men. With good reason.

His daughter had her prodigious talent with the violin and her skill with languages that she could change mid conversation without missing a beat. Cecily was coming home from a visit to her Aunt Mina and her cousins on White Star's newest ship. Mina would be accompanying her. Albert wanted both of his children to be as happy as he had been with their mother.

A/N 2: And here we are in 1912. There will be flashbacks to times before now. Cecily and Roland do have flaws, I will be introducing them. I do not have Lucy cast yet. I have a rough mental image of her.

Casting of the current OCs

Cecily Lethbridge: Rachel McAdams (how she looks in the Sherlock Holmes movies, but with green eyes)

Roland Lethbridge: Luke Evans (when he's in his USN uniforms picture him from the new Midway movie, when he's occasionally in civvies picture him from the Alienist)

Albert Lethbridge: Sean Bean

Wilhelmina "Mina" Lethbridge: Samantha Bond

Erik Sperling: Ed Skrein (when he's in the USN uniforms from the new Midway.)