AN ADVENTURE TO REMEMBER AND A MEMORY TO FORGET
Chapter Twenty-One
Harry’s POV
It was the fourth time I had
woken up since I had first fallen asleep. I had walked Tory back to her room
and kissed her good night. I was light in my steps as I came back to my room to
settle down. But as I slept, I kept hearing those voices in the ocean, calling
out for anyone to come back. Just for one boat to go back and save them from an
icy grave. I was the only one to go back. Out of the twenty boats, I was it. By
the time I got there, it was too late. Everyone except the six I had saved had
passed on in the unforgiving waters of the Atlantic. The room began to spin and
a wave of nausea washed over me. I quickly threw the covers off me and ran to
the bathroom adjoining my room.
"So much for my lunch,"
I muttered to my reflection in the mirror as I rinsed off my hands and tried to
go back to sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I could hear those screams. I
could hear the desperate cries for anyone to come back and save them. Then, one
by one, the screams and cries stopped until all I could hear was my own voice,
calling out to anyone who could hear me. No one did.
After lying in bed a few more
minutes, thinking of the bad things that went on over the past twenty-four
hours, I decided to concentrate on the good things, in particular Tory and my
upcoming wedding. I was going to get her an engagement ring when I got my
paycheck from sailing on the Titanic. She told me I didn’t need to, but I
wanted to. It was something I had to do. After thinking about that for a little
bit, I did feel my eyes getting heavy and fell back on my pillow, hoping that I
would be able to get through a night’s rest without hearing those cries. Those
awful cries I’d never be able to get out of my head again.
The Next Morning
Victoria’s POV
"Rose, are you awake?"
I turned over to see Rose still sleeping with the sheet pulled up over most of
her curly red hair. She mumbled something, but it was not clear as to what she
said. I figured I’d let her sleep and she’d talk to me later. I got out of my
side of the bed and went to check on Shannon.
"What are you doing,
Shannie?" She was staring out of a window in our room.
She shrugged her shoulders.
"Nothing." Her gaze never left whatever it was she was fixed on.
"What’s wrong? You have
barely spoken to me. Are you mad? What did I do?"
Shannon began to say something,
but stopped. She turned around to face me and looked me in the eye. "You
almost died." She started to cry. "I didn’t want to lose my big
sister. I love you. You didn’t stay with me. You didn’t stay with Father. You did
what you wanted. I thought you died. Father thought you died. And now Melissa
is the only one who survived, and I haven’t even seen her." She was crying
harder when she finished.
"Shannie, I didn’t die.
Harry saved me. Did Father tell you?" She shook her head no, so I took her
into the sitting room so we didn’t disturb Rose, who was still asleep.
"Harry came back for me. He saved Jack, Rose, and me, as well as a few
other people. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have survived."
"Harry came back for you?
Was he the only one?" Her big eyes got even wider as she was listening to
my story.
I sighed, knowing the painful
memory that was about to come out. I wanted to spare Shannon the details, so I
only told her a shortened version of Harry coming to get us, and me, lying on that
door, listening to Rose sing Come Josephine in my Flying Machine and
watching the stars as they floated by in the sky. "So, if it wasn’t for
Harry, I wouldn’t have made it. But I did make it. And you did, too, as well as
Melissa, and if you want to see her, I’m sure Father or I can take you down to
see her. He said she was resting after having sprained an ankle in a
fall."
Shannon nodded. "Father said
she was pushed into a lifeboat."
"That’s what he told me. Now
if you want, go get dressed. I’ll ask if it’s all right if I take you down to
see her." Shannon nodded and walked back into our bedroom. I sat in the
sitting room for a few more moments, trying to gather my thoughts. I finally
got up and found another dress that Elizabeth had laid out for me. I slipped it
on and pulled my hair back with one of her clips. I was lacing up my other boot
when Shannon walked in, eager to go see Melissa.
We stopped by Father’s room on
the way down. He was rooming with a few other men from the Titanic. They all
expressed pleasantries that Shannon and I were both all right. He told us what
room Melissa was in, and we took off below deck to find her.
Shannon found Melissa’s room and
knocked on the door. We heard a voice from behind it tell us to come in, so
Shannon eagerly opened the door.
A pleasant-looking older lady was
standing in the sitting area. "May I help you?"
I walked to her and extended my
hand. "My name is Victoria Metcalfe." I motioned to my sister after I
shook the lady’s hand. "This is my sister, Shannon. We have been told that
a lady by the name of Melissa Shelton has been staying in this room. She is my
sister’s attendant, and we’re very worried about her."
The lady stood up. "Yes. She
is in here with us. My name is Cathleen Overton. My husband and I took Miss
Shelton in when the disaster struck." Cathleen looked at my sister and
motioned towards the bedroom. "She’s in there, sweetie. You can go
in." Shannon smiled and ran into the bedroom. "Miss Metcalfe, I must
say, Miss Shelton is doing remarkably well, considering what all she has been
through. She did mention that a Mr. Franklin Wilson and a Mrs. Belinda Fleming
were on board with her and did not make it."
A wave of sadness washed over me
as I heard Belinda’s name mentioned. I swallowed a growing lump in my throat
and continued. "Yes, ma’am. Belinda was my attendant and Franklin was my
father’s. We’ve been living in England since I was born. Father and my sister
and I were traveling on the Titanic to America for Father’s business dealings.
Belinda has been with my family since I was born and Franklin since before I
was born." I watched as Cathleen extended a hand to catch herself as she
sat down on the couch. She held her hand out and motioned for me to join her. I
sat down next to her and she took one of my hands in hers.
"Sweetie, I am so sorry
about both your father’s loss and yours. I do understand that Franklin was the
reason why Miss Shelton survived." Cathleen was on the verge of tears as
she was speaking.
I was confused. "Begging
your pardon, but what did you say?"
She went on. "I heard from
her after the doctor left our room that she was looking for both Mrs. Fleming
and for Mr. Wilson. I hear that Belinda was related to Miss Shelton."
Cathleen paused as I nodded, then continued. "Mr. Wilson was the one who
made sure Miss Shelton made it on board a lifeboat. When she wouldn’t get on
without Mr. Wilson or Mrs. Fleming, he shoved her into a boat. She said the
last thing she saw was both of them, still on board, crying as the boat was
lowered into the water. Miss Shelton said she sustained the ankle injury
because of that."
I nodded and slowly tried to
digest what was being told to me. "Why didn’t Belinda try to get in a
boat? What about Franklin?"
Cathleen sighed. "Sweetie,
there is no easy way to say this, so I’ll just come on out and say it. You look
like a young woman who can handle the truth. Miss Shelton knew that she stood a
better chance of getting on board a boat than the two of them combined. She was
younger. Mr. Wilson and Mrs. Fleming were both older and didn’t have a chance.
It’s a sad truth, but that’s the way the world is. It’s the same reason all the
other passengers died the way they did. A lack of lifeboats and a society that
bases everything on material wealth. Maybe one day that will all change, but
until then, this is life."
I began to feel anger building up
inside of me. "Life is so unfair. Two deserving people didn’t make it. One
undeserving bastard made it. Cal didn’t deserve to live, but he did. Damn
him!" I got up and started to walk to the window in the room. I turned
around to face Cathleen. "Mrs. Overton, I do apologize for my outburst. It
was not polite of me, and I do apologize and hope I have not offended
you."
She looked up at me from the
couch and said she understood. I excused myself to check on my sister and
Melissa. Melissa was propped up in bed, reading a novel. She had placed the
book on the night table to allow my sister to climb in bed with her. Shannon
was perched next to her, and Melissa was stroking her hair.
"Victoria, please come
in." Melissa’s voice was weak. I smiled as I entered the room. Melissa sat
up to give me a hug. "I’m so glad to see both of you."
"Father has asked about
you." I looked at Melissa, and even though she was putting on a good façade
for my sister, I could still see the pain in her eyes.
"Yes. He sent word down here
via a steward that he was going to come see me and that you girls were on your
way down, as well." She took a sip of water out of the glass next to her
book. "The doctor came in earlier and said that I will be just fine in a
few weeks, after bed rest and if I stay off my foot as directed."
"That is fantastic news. I
am so glad to hear it." I sat there with Shannon a bit longer, until
Melissa started to feel tired. I told her Father would be by later, took
Shannon, and we left so she could get a nap. We told Cathleen that it was nice
to meet her and thanked her for everything she was doing.
As Shannon and I walked back to
our room, she said she was glad Melissa made it. I couldn’t help but feel
jealous. My sister’s attendant made it. Father’s attendant and mine didn’t. I
almost said something, but kept my mouth shut.
I needed to find Harry. He’d know
what to tell me to make me feel better.