A DEEP OCEAN OF SECRETS
Chapter Fourteen
Elisabeth had returned to her
spot in the reading-writing room below decks. She sat back down in her chair
and began to read, her mind traveling elsewhere. She knew Rose had made the
right decision, and was only hoping that she would keep to it. Although she
held up her book as if she was reading it, she was staring off into space, her
face holding no emotion.
Suddenly, hands covered her eyes,
and as she let out a yelp, William’s face came into view. "William!"
she exclaimed, and put a hand on her upper chest. "You scared me!"
"Sorry," Will said, and
pulled up a chair next to her. "Annabelle is ill."
Elisabeth looked at him.
"That’s nothing to be happy about."
"I’m not. But it’s the only
time I get to do what I want to do."
"Oh, William, you really do
dread her, don’t you?"
"Take a walk with me,"
he said softly. Elisabeth nodded, and shut her book with a thud. He offered her
his arm, she took it, and they strolled out of the room and onto the deck. The
sun was almost gone, turning the sky shades of every color imaginable.
"It’s beautiful!"
Elisabeth breathed, and leaned against the railing near the bow. She looked at
the spot where Rose and Jack had been, but they were no longer there. "It
takes my breath away."
"Yes, it does have its
charm, doesn’t it?" William wasn’t staring at the sky, however. He was
gazing down at Elisabeth. She looked back up at him, their eyes meeting. He
began to lean down to kiss her.
Elisabeth was unsure.
"William," she said softly and slowly in protest. "Don’t…"
But he didn’t listen, and he
kissed her. Elisabeth was unsure of what to do. At first, she didn’t kiss him
back, but his kiss stuck her feet right onto the deck. She couldn’t move,
couldn’t pull away, until—
"William Bryce
Thackery!" A shrill scream came from behind them. Elisabeth broke away,
turned around, and saw Annabelle Johansson there, a look of pure hatred and
hurt on her face, too shocked for words. William’s arms were no longer around
her.
William headed towards his
fiancée. "Anna—"
"Don’t you come near
me!" Annabelle cried, stepping back. "Do not call me Anna, for you do
not know me!"
"Annabelle, please, I do
know you!" William protested. "I—"
"What were you doing? Is
that your friend? I knew she was more than that!" Annabelle sobbed.
William was panicking.
"Annabelle, I was—"
"You were what?" she
asked furiously. "Just kissing another girl while you’re engaged? William,
what were you thinking? What are you thinking?"
William sighed, his eyes filling
with hurt. "Annabelle, please, listen—"
"No, William, you
listen," Annabelle said. "How could you do something like that behind
my back?" She was crying openly now. "How? Why?" When William
looked down at the deck, Annabelle took her ring off. "You know, Mr.
Thackery, I don’t think I need this anymore." She twirled the expensive
diamond ring in her hand. Then, as hard as she could, she tossed the ring
overboard, and it sunk in to the deep waters of the ocean. Elisabeth’s mouth
opened in shock at what she had caused. Will’s eyes followed the diamond as it
sank down, then looked up at Annabelle. Elisabeth thought it was time to
interfere.
"Miss Johansson, please! It
was my fault!" she cried. Annabelle glared a look of daggers at her and
reached up to slap her, but Elisabeth caught her hand in midair as it traveled
to her face. "Excuse me!" she growled angrily as she grasped her
hand.
Annabelle snatched her hand away.
"What do you want?" she spat.
Elisabeth thought quickly.
"I was pushing him to kiss me, and when I did, he tried to push me away,
but I wouldn’t let him go."
"Liar!" Annabelle
accused, crying. "I stood there as he leaned down to kiss you!" She
looked at William. "William, how could you do this to me?" Her voice
was breaking. Then she added softly, "Do you not love me?"
Their eyes met for a moment. Then
Annabelle turned and fled down the deck, her hair flying madly behind her. She
pushed people out of her way and turned the corner fast. Will sighed heavily
and turned around to face Elisabeth. She was pale, her eyes hollow, her mouth
open in shock at what she had just done. Her blood red hair blew around her
face, the sun right behind her, giving her skin a warm glow in the darkening
day.
Slowly, Elisabeth raised her hand
to cover her mouth. "Look what I’ve done!" she sobbed. William tried
to embrace her, but she backed away. "I’ve ruined your relationship! I
can’t believe I did that!" She protested against Will’s hug. "William,
stop! Go after her!"
"Everything will be
fine."
"No, it won’t. Your uncle
will be informed, and it will be written all over the newspapers, and your
place in society—"
"What about them?" Will
said softly, interrupting Elisabeth. "As long as I’m with you, it doesn’t
matter to me what they say." Elisabeth shook her head and didn’t say
anything. "Elisabeth, do you believe in love at first sight?" he
asked.
"No," Elisabeth replied
harshly.
William tilted Elisabeth’s chin
up so their eyes met. "I do." William leaned down to kiss Elisabeth,
but she backed away, freeing herself from his arms.
"William, no, you
don’t," she stammered. "You don’t love me. You love the idea of me.
How can you brush off Annabelle, when everything you hold dear is in danger of
being taken away? Are you that selfish?"
William was shocked. "I want
to be with you!"
"William, you can’t.
Annabelle will probably tell everyone what you were doing, and now both of our
reputations in society are ruined. Do you know what just happened? And you are
blowing it by like it wasn’t a big loss! Do you not care?" Elisabeth was
getting madder, her curls blowing in the wind. William looked hurt.
"Elisabeth, what—"
"William, go to Annabelle!
Tell her that I kissed you, and that you were fighting me! Just save your
engagement!"
"Elisabeth—"
"Stop saying my name!"
Elisabeth was crying now. "Look what I would have done to you, William. We
cannot see each other. We can’t. I’m sorry!" Before William could say
anything, Elisabeth was running down the decks, trying to run away from
everything that had just happened.