AN ADVENTURE TO REMEMBER AND A MEMORY TO FORGET
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Victoria
I left Harry in his room and
headed back to our suites. I couldn’t wait until we were actually married so I
wouldn’t have to leave him. But until then, I still had to live with Father and
his rules. And he was the boss.
The elevator arrived on Harry’s
floor. I was taken up a floor and got off. As I walked down the hallway, I was
fumbling for the key to my room in one of the pockets of my dress. I found it
and let myself in. Quietly shutting the door, I tiptoed back to my room so as
not to disturb Father, whose room was right across from the sitting room. I
opened our door and saw Shannon in one of the beds in the room, already asleep.
I slipped out of my dress and opened the closet to hang it up. I figured I’d
just sleep in my underclothes until tomorrow, when I was sure Father would take
Shannon and me shopping for more proper clothing.
When I opened the door, I got
quite a shock. Gowns of all colors and fabrics were expertly hung up. I looked
them over, feeling the materials. I came across a deep red-colored dress with
matching gloves hanging on the far end of the closet. It was just like the
purple dress I lost while I was on board the Titanic. I slipped the hangers out
of the way to admire more of the gowns when Shannon woke up.
"Like them?" She was
rubbing her eyes, trying to wake up as she spoke.
I slowly nodded my head in
amazement at what stood before me. "Very much. Did Father arrange for
this?"
Shannon shook her head. "No.
He said one of his business friends did. They are to meet us here tomorrow for
breakfast. Father wanted us to look our best when we met them. I heard Father
say that your husband got a new suit, too. Father is having it delivered
tomorrow morning so he can join us."
"He’s not my husband yet,
Shannie. He will be, though." I turned my attention back to another dress
in the closet. "I love this one." I showed the deep green gown to
Shannon. I found the matching shoes and an emerald hair clip next to the dress.
"See what color this is?" Shannon nodded. "This one, if it were
in your size, would go great with your eyes." I flipped through a few more
dresses and found on a shelf in the back part of the closet a nightgown and
some clean undergarments. I breathed a sigh of relief to have something clean
to slip on rather than sleep in a dirty slip. I had Shannon help me with my
corset and I excused myself to the bathroom so I could change. I found a
hairbrush next to the sink, took the clips out of my hair, and let it fall
naturally. As I was brushing it out, Shannon came in and sat on the toilet. She
motioned for me to give her the brush, so I did. She stood up on the seat to
reach me.
"I love it when you do this
to me." She was brushing as she was talking.
"Mother used to do this all
the time to me before you were born. She said she was brushing the meanness out
of me. I guess it worked. No meanness here." I smiled as Shannon shook her
head.
"I doubt that. There’s still
some in there." She giggled as she spoke.
"Oh, like you have any room
to talk, Shannie. You can be plenty mean for the both of us when you want to
be." I motioned for her to turn around, and she did as I brushed the
tangles out of her hair before we went back to our room. I tucked her in and
kissed her good night as I stared out the window by my bed at the moon.
I imagined my life with Harry.
We’d get married soon enough and we’d find a place to live. I didn’t know if
we’d live here in America or if we’d be required to move back to England for
Harry’s job. The thought of my living so far away from my family scared me, but
if it meant Harry’s job depended on it, I’d move.
The Next Morning
I was awakened by a knock on my
door. I slipped out from under the bed covers and answered the door after
putting on my robe.
A young lady, about my age, was
standing there. "Miss Metcalfe?"
I nodded. "Yes?"
She extended her hand. "My
name is Madelyn Coleman. Your father hired me to look after you. My associate,
Abigail Spencer, will be here momentarily to tend to your sister."
I was stunned. I couldn’t believe
Father would just do this to us. I swallowed hard, thinking of Belinda,
Franklin, and Melissa. "Yes. Please, come in." Madelyn stepped
through the door and looked around our room.
"This is very nice. Have you
been in America long?" She turned to face me.
I shook my head. "No, ma’am,
we haven’t. We came over from England on the Titanic, but it sank. My
attendant, Belinda, perished in the sinking. Shannon, my sister…well…her
attendant survived, but is injured. Father set her up with a hotel room at the
Waldorf-Astoria away from all the commotion, and she will be going back home
when she is well enough to travel."
Madelyn nodded. "May I draw
you a bath?"
I looked at the clock on the wall
next to one of the windows. "Yes, please. Father wishes for my sister and
me to join him for breakfast. That will be most appreciated." Madelyn
nodded and excused herself to the bathroom. I stared at the door again, hoping
for Harry to come in next, when Shannon woke up.
"Did you see our new
maid?" She was still in her nightclothes.
"Yes, Shannie, I did. Her
name is Madelyn. Her friend, Abigail, will be working with you."
"Father hired them last
night. They were working for the hotel. Father gave them a job here. You know,
since Melissa can’t work and all." Shannon looked sad again. "Will
you take me to see her before she leaves? The doctor told Father that she could
travel in the next few days, and I’m sure Melissa will want to go find her
family. Will she want us to stop by before she goes?"
I saw the hurt in Shannon’s eyes
as she was speaking. Melissa had been around since Shannon was born. They had
grown up together, and Shannon was devastated that Melissa wouldn’t be coming
back to work. "Melissa’s parents aren’t alive anymore. But I think Belinda
had a sister that has offered to take Melissa in. I’m sure she’d want us to
stop by. In fact, I’m sure she’d be upset with us if we didn’t go. I bet Father
will allow us to go see her."
Shannon looked at me again.
"Do you think your husband will want to go?"
I smiled again. "Shannie,
he’s not my husband yet. He will be. I told you all of this last night."
She smiled. "I know. But I
like calling Harry your husband. It fits."
I slowly thought about what she
said. "Yes. You’re right. It does."
Madelyn walked back in when
Shannon and I were talking. "Begging your pardon, but Miss Victoria, your
bath is ready. I spoke with your father a moment ago. Abigail is on her way
here now to help Miss Shannon."
"Thank you, Madelyn. Thank
you very much." I turned to Shannon. "Please go with Madelyn and
await Abigail’s arrival while I take a bath. And mind your manners. We don’t
want to scare her off before she’s gotten a chance to realize that you can be a
pretty nice girl." I ruffled her hair as Shannon reached for Madelyn’s
outstretched hand.
I immersed myself into the warm
bath Madelyn had drawn for me. After relaxing for a good half hour, a knock
came on my bathroom door.
"Miss, your father has
requested that you be ready to go in half an hour for breakfast. Your gentleman
friend, Mr. Lowe, has said he will come pick you up then as well." Madelyn
poked her head around the door.
I motioned for her to come in.
She handed me a fresh, warm towel, helped me out of the bath, and helped me get
dressed. "Did Father say which gown to wear?"
Madelyn shook her head. "No,
Miss. He said for you to pick out your favorite."
I walked to the closet and
pointed to the green one I had shown Shannon last night. Madelyn got it out of
the closet and hung it on a hook behind the door. She found the shoes that went
with the dress and handed me a pair of stockings to put on when I finished with
my underclothes. She helped me with my corset.
"Miss, please let me know if
I hurt you." She was very polite.
"I will, and please, call me
Victoria. I sound so old when people call me that. I insist."
Madelyn nodded. "As you
wish." Madelyn finished with my corset and tied that off. She helped me
into the satin gown and tied it in the back. She motioned for me to sit down at
the mirror and proceeded to expertly fix my hair.
"Madelyn, where did you
learn to do this?" I was watching her work as she tied up my hair with the
clips that matched the gown.
"I watched my mother for
many years. She was in the same line of work I was in. I’d watch her through
the crack in the door or from under the bed or some other hiding spot, then
take my sister and practice on her hair. Pretty soon, I was better at doing
this than my own mother."
I watched her work some more
before she was finished. "You did an amazing job. Very well done."
Madelyn was very pleased with her work and her facial expression proved it.
"Thank you. Thank you, Madelyn." I admired myself in the mirror as
she left to go get my shoes to help me with those. I sat back down on the chair
and she helped me lace up my boots. When we were done, she answered the door
and there was Harry.
He walked into the room and was
standing by the door when I rounded the corner of the bedroom. "Wow."
He looked me up and down and walked slowly to me. "Tory, you look amazing.
Very amazing." He gave me a gentle kiss on my cheek and held out his arm.
"Ready? I just passed your sister in the hallway with your father. We
don’t want to be late."
I extended my arm, and together
we walked downstairs to the dining room to join my father and sister.