AN ADVENTURE TO REMEMBER AND A MEMORY TO FORGET
Chapter One
April 10, 1912
As the sun shone through the
windows, Victoria Metcalfe opened her eyes slowly and couldn’t believe it. The
day had finally come. The day she, her sister, and her father would begin their
new lives in America. Victoria’s father, James, was a wealthy man, having made
his money in the ever-booming steel business in England. Victoria’s mother had
died many years ago during childbirth with her sister, Shannon, and with no
family ties to bind them to England, sailing on the grandest ship in the world,
as dubbed by the British press, seemed to be the next step in their lives.
Victoria stayed in bed, watching the sun through the sheer hotel curtains. She
smiled to herself, thinking of the dinners, the small talk, the people, the
lifestyle, as well as an exciting adventure that the young woman of twenty
would soon embrace. With Father’s steel business being used to help construct
the Titanic, it was only appropriate that when the ship sailed, the Metcalfe
family would be on board for its historic maiden voyage.
Victoria was shaken back into the
world by a knock on her door. "Come in!" she said.
The door slowly opened, and
Belinda, her personal servant, entered tentatively. "Ma’am, your father
has requested that both Shannon and you be ready to leave the hotel by ten. Boarding
calls for first class start at eleven. Melissa is dressing Shannon as we speak.
That gives you a little over three hours to bathe, dress, and have Franklin
bring your things and Miss Shannon’s things downstairs." Victoria smiled
at Belinda. Belinda had known Victoria and her younger sister, Shannon, ever
since their mother had passed away ten years ago while giving birth to Shannon.
Franklin was Belinda’s brother and her father’s attendant. Melissa was
Belinda’s cousin and was Shannon’s personal servant. Both ladies were pleasant
and never harsh with the girls. Belinda was an older woman, almost fifty, and
Franklin was in his mid-forties. Melissa was about Victoria’s age. Like
Victoria and Shannon, Melissa’s mother had passed away in childbirth, only that
time both Melissa’s mother and the baby died. Melissa's father had died
sometime later after a long history of alcoholism, so Belinda had retained
custody of Melissa and the rest was history. As well as the help, Franklin had
his way with the girls, too. He would sneak the girls cookies and other
forbidden foods when their father wasn’t looking. It was almost a secret
society the girls had with Franklin.
"Thank you, Belinda. Tell
Father I will be ready when it is time to leave. However, I cannot guarantee
anything about Shannon. You know how she is." Belinda nodded, knowing
Victoria was speaking the truth. Shannon was only ten, and was every bit as
wild as Victoria was when she was her age.
"If that is all, miss, I
need to finish packing Melissa and Franklin’s belongings as well as mine so
your father is not mad at me." Victoria smiled and nodded and Belinda
curtsied and excused herself to finish packing what few belongings they had.
Victoria arose from bed and made
her way to her dressing table. She admired herself in the mirror. Her father
had always said she had a strong resemblance to her mother, yet Victoria was
too young to remember what she looked like. Her father had photos of her
mother, but according to him, they simply did not do her justice. The mere
thought of this brought a wave of sadness over Victoria, yet she shook it off
and smiled in her mirror.
"I’m starting a new life.
Father, Shannon, and I are going to be very happy in New York," she said
to herself. But still, the overwhelming sadness of knowing her mother would
never experience the joy she, her sister, and their father were going to
experience seemed so unfair. Shannon would never know about their mother.
Father rarely talked about her. The memories were too painful.
Victoria shrugged it off as she
admired her boarding gown. Belinda had selected a beautiful deep purple gown
with matching gloves, and equally beautiful shoes with amethyst crystals
surrounding the toe and a hat that matched the shoes. Belinda knew Victoria
loved purple, so it only seemed fitting that boarding the grandest ship in the
world, Victoria would be dressed in her signature color. Victoria felt the silk
fabric in her hands and ran her fingers over the amethyst crystals embedded in
the gown. Father had always insisted that his baby girls be only allowed to
have the finest clothing that money could buy, and he had held up his end of
the bargain.
Belinda knocked on the door
again. Victoria called out to her, and Belinda entered. "Ma’am, I am done
packing our belongings. Would you like assistance with your bath?"
"Yes, Belinda. Thank
you." Belinda left for the powder room to draw Victoria’s bath.
"Tory! Tory!" a
shrieking young female voice called out.
Victoria smiled, knowing that the
only person to call her by that name was her younger sister. "In here,
Shannie!" she called back, using her own nickname for Shannon.
"Tory! Can you believe it?
We are about to leave and go sailing on the largest boat ever made!"
"It’s a ship, Shannie, not a
boat."
"Tory, are you excited? Will
we meet lots of people? Will Daddy be there to help us? I know he's going to be
busy, with him being an important passenger. What will it be like?"
Shannon, being as young as she was, was full of life and questions.
"Shannie, this is going to
be the adventure of a lifetime for both of us. We are going to meet very
wealthy and social people. Most of these people know Father, so we should
always be on our best behavior. Is this understood?"
"Daddy thinks it’s about
time you found a husband." Shannon, so young, had no clue what this meant.
Belinda hid a smile, and Victoria just shrugged it off.
"I’ll get married soon. I
promise. But when I move out, it’ll just be you and Father. Are you ready for
that?" Victoria did not expect an answer from her younger sister, but she
got one anyway.
"Tory, I want you to be
happy. Daddy seems to think you are ignoring the fact that you are a lady of
age who needs to make her debut into society and find a husband." Victoria
smiled, knowing Shannon had no idea what that meant. She had just heard Father
and his friends talking about it, and Shannon had overheard it all.
"I will find a husband once
we get to America. You may visit anytime you wish."
Shannon nodded, and Belinda told
Victoria that her bath was ready. Shannon, full of energy as always, bounced
happily down the suite’s hallway, holding Melissa’s hand after Melissa had
found out where the youngster was.
Victoria followed Belinda into
the powder room. "Miss, let me know when you are done. We will get you
dressed and then we need to leave. Your father is already asking about
you."
"Belinda, please tell Father
I am going to be ready. Melissa just came to dress Shannon."
Belinda nodded and closed the
door.
Victoria soaped her body and
rinsed off. She stayed in the tub a bit longer than Belinda would have liked,
but when she was done, she called Belinda, who dried her off. Belinda led
Victoria over to the bed.
"Hands here." Belinda
pointed to the posts of the mahogany hotel bed. Victoria sighed and allowed
Belinda to tighten her corset. Godawful things these are, she thought to
herself. When she was done, Belinda helped Victoria into her gown. She looked
stunning, even with her hair not fixed. Belinda retrieved some amethyst studded
combs from the makeup drawer and swept her hair up on both sides, but left the
back of her hair down. It just completed the china doll look that Victoria had.
Her smooth, pale skin was framed by her dark auburn curls.
"There. You are finished,
miss." Belinda looked pleased after finishing her makeup.
Victoria turned around and saw in
the full length mirror a woman who looked at least thirty staring back at her.
"Belinda, this is perfect. Father will be pleased." Belinda beamed
with pride. Franklin knocked on the door and announced that he was there to
collect Victoria’s things. Belinda busied herself showing her brother what to
pack and what to leave there with their family for Victoria’s father’s trip
back over to collect it at a later date.
Victoria put on her shoes and
made her way down the hall to the formal dining area of their hotel suite.
Shannon was already there, wearing a blue and white dress, but it was nowhere
near as stunning as hers was. James rose when she walked into the room. He
walked over to her.
"Victoria, you look
stunning. Belinda did a wonderful job."
"Father, she had help. The
wonderful clothes you buy both Shannon and me compliment any lady."
"But not nearly as well as
my two wonderful daughters." James planted a small kiss on Victoria’s cheek,
carefully enough not to smudge Belinda’s makeup job.
"Shall we leave? I believe
Franklin has packed the cars for all of us." Franklin looked up from the
doorway of the hotel room and nodded. "Very well, then," James said.
"Girls, if you are ready, let’s go." Shannon jumped up excitedly and
ran for the door, closely followed by Melissa, who was struggling to hold her
bag as well as Shannon’s coat. Victoria giggled and maturely walked out with
her father, Franklin, and Belinda.