Chapter 4
Nellie
Southampton
April 10, 1912
The sound of a baby crying woke Nellie up early on the morning of April 10th. As she rubbed her eyes and fumbled at her nightgown, she reached for the curtain at the window, pulling it open slightly. Southampton was still sleeping as the sky was still dark, a faint gray on the horizon signaling the beginning of twilight. Another cry pierced the air as she quickly picked up her baby from the nearby bassinet, bringing her to her breast. When the baby began to nurse, Nellie sighed and leaned against the headboard of her bed, trying to keep her eyes open.
Leana, her baby's nurse, let out soft snores from her bed on the other side of the room and rolled over in her sleep. Nellie knew it was silly to have a nursemaid when she insisted on nursing her baby herself. It was something her father had demanded and paid for, wanting those back in Dumfries to see how well off the Humes were. But Nellie had refused to let Leana nurse her baby, Isla, ever since she had been born seven months ago. Leana was more of a nanny to little Isla rather than a nursemaid, but Nellie was grateful for her help nonetheless. It had been hard enough coping with her husband's death for the last five months without a baby and a teenage stepson to care for.
Nellie watched the sky turn from a light gray to a brilliant orange as Isla nursed. As tired as she was, Nellie relished in these moments with her daughter. She watched the street below and as the streetlamps were put out, Southampton slowly came to life, making her grow more and more excited. In just a few hours, Nellie, Isla, Leana, her stepson, Callen, and her brother, Jock, would all be boarding the Titanic to travel across the Atlantic to New York. Jock had secured a spot on the voyage as part of the ship's band and had somehow managed to get them all complimentary tickets in second class. Second class! Nellie couldn't imagine the luxuries that were waiting for them. They were staying in first class rooms here in this hotel on the coast of Southampton, but she had heard that Titanic's second class rooms were far finer than these!
As the dawn turned into morning, Leana and Nellie packed the last of their things, unable to hide the smiles on their faces. Nellie had dressed Isla in a new frock with a large, white bow on her head and she herself was wearing a new day dress in a dark purple. She was technically supposed to still be wearing black as she was still in mourning for her husband, but her heart had felt lighter ever since Jock had told them of this grand adventure. Besides, no one aboard would know she was a widow.
A sharp rap on the door startled them both. Jock strolled in, a lopsided grin on his face and his gray eyes sparkling. His hat was also lopsided on his mop of curly, light brown hair, and he stuck his thumbs in the pockets of his vest and let out a slow whistle.
"You clean up nice, Nellie," he said, kissing her on the cheek, before taking Isla from her arms. "And so do you, Miss Isla."
"Enough of your chatter," Leana said, nodding to the pile of suitcases by the door. "Why don't you get young Callen to come up and give me a hand?"
"Leave him be," Jock said, handing Isla back and taking one of the suitcases. "I'll help you. I let the lad go down to the pier to get a better look."
"By himself?" Nellie said, unable to hide the worry in her voice.
"He'll be fine," Jock said, holding open their hotel room's door with one foot as he picked up another case. "The lad needs some adventure, especially being stuck with so many womenfolk while I'm away."
"You forget he's only thirteen," Nellie reminded him, making her way into the hallway. "And he's hardly been out of Dumfries!"
Jock continued to dismiss his sister's worries as they loaded up a cart in front of the hotel. Looming over the houses of Southampton was the Titanic, her four large smokestacks casting shadows on the pavement. Leana sat in the back among their belongings, consoling a fussy Isla while Nellie and Jock chatted happily up front. Jock hadn't bothered to hire a driver. Instead, he held the reins of the horse himself, laughing every time they hit a bump or nearly took out a pedestrian as they rounded a corner.
"Jock!" Nellie cried as the baby let out another wail. "Please, don't forget Isla is in the cart too!"
Jock mumbled an apology before they at last arrived at the pier. Nellie couldn't help but let her jaw drop as she stood up in awe at the Titanic. It was even bigger than she thought! The pier was bustling with all sorts of people, from the richest in the world to the poorest of the poor. As she stepped off the cart, she was nearly run over by a car that pulled up beside them. As it zoomed away, she caught the eye of a man in its backseat, clearly somehow from first class with his smug expression and spotless bowler hat on his head. Nellie bounced Isla on her hip as Leana and Jock began unloading their bags. Nellie couldn't help but start frantically looking around the bustling crowd.
"I'm going to go look for Callen," she said over her shoulder. Before she could walk away, Jock pressed a small piece of paper in her hands.
"This is your ticket," he said. "Just in case we get separated. Be sure you don't try to board at the first class loading dock. And for the love of God, please don't lose it."
Nellie scoffed, soon swallowed up in the crowd. She clutched Isla tightly, looking for a familiar mop of dark blonde hair. What was Jock thinking letting a thirteen year-old boy roam one of the busiest piers in England by himself?
Nellie's stepson, Callen Jr., had been inconsolable when his father died. Now, five months after his death, he had grown increasingly distant. Jock was the only person he would open up to which was part of the reason Nellie agreed to go on this trip. Nellie and Callen certainly weren't unfriendly with one another, but they'd never been close. She had done her best to be a kind and caring stepmother, something Jock and she had been disappointed in with their own father's remarriage.
"Stepma!"
Nellie let out a sigh of relief when she saw Callen running towards her. His blue eyes were filled with excitement as he gazed up at the ship behind them, a smile playing on his lips.
"You should have asked me if it was alright for you to leave the hotel," she nagged, taking his hand and beginning to lead him through the crowd. The smile on his face was instantly gone and he ripped his hand from hers.
"Uncle Jock said I could go," she heard him mutter.
"Yes, but your uncle should have asked me as well," she said over her shoulder. "Come, we need to find your uncle and Leana so we can all board together."
At last, the group reunited and boarded the Titanic for their long-awaited adventure. Their tickets were collected by a handsome officer and a smartly dressed steward ushered them through the loading dock door and into a large room with the most magnificent staircase Nellie had ever seen. The group looked up in awe at the beautiful domed skylight several decks above them, only emphasizing its grandness.
"Second class on Titanic is first class anywhere else," Jock whispered in her ear as they made their way to their rooms. Just like the hotel, Nellie, Leana, and Isla would share one room while Jock and Callen would share the other. Their cabins were connected by a small door, allowing Nellie to check on Callen to make sure her brother wasn't being a bad influence.
Their rooms had two bunks, a small sofa, a wash basin with a mirror, and a wardrobe. All of the furnishings were ornately decorated and Nellie was pleased to see a small bassinet perched in the corner for Isla.
"Oh, how lovely!" Leana exclaimed as they began to unpack their things. "I say, we're going to truly be able to enjoy ourselves on this trip."
Nellie looked doubtfully at Isla, who was on the brink of crawling and with teeth soon on the way. She knew most of her time on board would be spent nursing and trying to console a fussy baby.
Once they had settled in, Leana offered to put Isla down for a nap which Nellie gratefully accepted. She joined Jock and Callen to see the Titanic leave the pier from the boat deck. She was able to get a glimpse at some of the first class passengers as they climbed up the main stairwell, referred to as The Grand Staircase. She envied the richly dressed women they passed, elaborate hats pinned in their elegantly curled hair and skirts that were tailored to their exact form. When they reached the top of the stairs and Jock made his way towards one of the doors to the promenade decks, Nellie stopped him.
"We can't go this way," she said, pointing to the sign that read FIRST CLASS ONLY. Jock merely smirked, opening the door anyway. "That's one of the privileges of being in the band" he said, ushering in Callen by the collar of his shirt. Callen laughed and playfully smacked his hand away.
"A privilege I'm sure you'll abuse," Nellie said, but followed them anyway. It was still only early April and the decks were much chillier than the inside of the ship. "Won't we stand out in our simple clothes?" she asked, pointing to her new day dress.
"Stop worrying so much," Jock said, rolling his eyes and offering his arm. She took it and they made their way to the boat deck where they were immediately swallowed in a large crowd that had gathered at the rails of the deck to wave at the people still on the pier below. A sense of calm came over Nellie, almost like reassurance. To Jock, this moment was nothing new. He was accustomed to these transatlantic crossings, but Nellie had hardly taken a step out of Dumfries in her twenty-four years. But that dreadful town was now behind her, along with the death of her husband, and the dismissiveness of her father. She didn't even bother scolding Callen as he leaned far over the railing to join the waving and shouting.
"Let's head closer to the bow," Jock said, motioning to the crowd around them. "There will be less people on the other first class deck."
Nellie still felt uneasy about trespassing, but obliged as Jock and Callen raced each other down the stairs. As they were running, she saw one of Callen's boots had become untied. Just as she was about to say something, she saw Callen trip and go barreling down to the floor, landing directly in front of a first class couple and an older woman a few feet behind them. Instead of helping him up, Jock doubled over in laughter as he watched Callen scramble to his feet. Nellie let out a sigh before coming to Callen's side and brushing off dirt from his jacket.
"My apologies," she said to the trio in front of them. The man, who looked visibly annoyed at Callen, softened his expression as Nellie spoke. He was probably ten years older than Nellie, but devilishly handsome with light brown eyes and a striking jaw line. His brown hair was perfectly slicked underneath his spotless bowler hat.
The bowler hat!
Nellie remembered the car that had driven so close to her it had almost run her over and the man inside who had caught her eye.
His lips twisted into a smile and he clapped Callen on the back. "It's good to see a young man getting his exercise," he said with a thick American accent. He leaned in and Nellie heard him whisper in Callen's ear, "But perhaps we should exhibit some gentlemanly restraint with so many ladies around."
Callen nodded and mumbled a "Yes, sir" before trying to walk away, but Nellie took a hold of his shoulder. "Callen," she said, "Please apologize to these people."
He muttered a barely audible apology before running towards the bow. Nellie shook her head before turning back to the man and two women.
"Please excuse my stepson," she said. The man eyed her up and down, smiling. It was obvious they were first class passengers, even though Nellie knew they were in a first class area of the ship. The man wore a gold pocket watch and a jacket and shirt that looked so stiff it was as if it would break if she tried to bend it. The woman on his arm looked younger than Nellie, young enough to be a teenager, in a beautiful pinstriped suit and a large, plum hat pinned perfectly on her mass of red curls. The older woman behind them appeared to be her mother as her hair color and scowl were exactly the same.
"I thought this part of the ship was for first class passengers only," she said coolly, glancing at Nellie's dress.
"Ruth," the man said, a sneer on his face. "We can make exceptions." He glanced back at Nellie and gave her a wink.
Nellie suddenly felt herself grow warm. Was she blushing? But the man's stare had her entranced; she couldn't look away. Jock, who had been watching them from afar, came bounding over to them, putting Nellie's arm in his.
"Jock Hume," he said, extending his hand to the man. They politely shook hands as Jock said, "I'm part of the band, and this is my sister, Nellie Milroy."
"Part of the band, eh?" the man said, clearly pleased that Nellie had been introduced as Jock's sister. "And what do you play?"
"The violin," Jock said, puffing out his chest. "One of the finest players on this side of the Atlantic, I'm proud to say."
Nellie couldn't help but roll her eyes. As much as Jock would never admit it, he sounded like their father when he talked like that.
"I'm sure we'll hear your… fine talents at dinner tonight," the older woman said with a demeaning glare.
"I'm sorry, we haven't introduced ourselves," the man said, trying to ease the tension. "Caledon Hockley. This is my fianceé, Rose deWitt Bukater, and her mother, Ruth."
The woman on Mr. Hockley's arm gave a weak smile, clearly uninterested in them. Nellie couldn't help but feel a surge of disappointment at hearing he was engaged, but almost laughed. They were all American, and no doubt richer than any Scottish noble for that matter. Men in Britain's royal families practically threw themselves at American heiresses when they would arrive in London for a holiday. Nellie's family wasn't poor, but they certainly couldn't compare to the American millionaires she had read about in the papers.
Suddenly, a cry arose from those surrounding them who had been watching Titanic leave port. Nellie had felt the ship's engines thrum to life when they had been in their rooms just moments before. But there was a force so strong beneath their feet that it nearly caused them all to lose their balance.
"We're going to crash!" someone shouted.
Jock left Nellie's side and nearly threw himself over the edge to get a better look. Nellie looked wildly around before seeing Callen running towards them, skidding to a halt by Jock and looking over the edge as well.
"Callen," Nellie said, taking his shoulders and pulling him back. Callen gave an annoyed sigh at her worried expression. Just as she was about to scold him, the great ship rose several feet in the air, tipping the deck at an odd angle. She stumbled backwards before Mr. Hockley steadied her.
"Brilliant!" Jock cried, hopping up and down as he held onto the ship's railing. "They're creating a swell using Titanic's rudder to help push us away from this other ship!"
Nellie's curiosity got the better of her, looking over the edge herself. Down below them was another, smaller ship with passengers and crew members alike looking up at the Titanic in horror. Titanic's starboard side was merely a few feet away from the smaller ship, a collision inevitable. But there was water churning between the two ships, causing Titanic to gradually move away. Cheers erupted from both ships and Nellie let out a sigh of relief, releasing her deathlike grip on the railing.
"Ah, there, all is well," Mr. Hockley said, giving her a large smile. Nellie couldn't help but give a flirtatious smile back, much to the annoyance of Mrs. Bukater.
"Come along, Cal," Mrs. Bukater said, brushing past Nellie as if she wasn't even there. Mr. Hockley obediently followed, nearly pulling along his fianceé. Just before they were swallowed up into the sea of people that were dispersing back to their rooms, he glanced at them over his shoulder.
"I look forward to hearing your playing at dinner tonight, Mr. Hume," he said, lightly touching the brim of his hat.
Jock, Nellie, and Callen stared after them until they disappeared from sight. Callen eventually coaxed them into going to the bow, where they watched the Titanic cut through the Atlantic and Southampton faded away in the distance. Nellie couldn't help but think of her father, her stepmother she loathed, and her husband's grave that she was leaving behind.
