AN ADVENTURE TO REMEMBER AND A MEMORY TO FORGET
Chapter Three
As I shut the door after Harold
left, I sighed. I was acting like a school girl with a crush. But I couldn’t
help myself. Harold was unlike any man I have ever met before. There was
something different. Something I couldn’t put my finger on. But it was definitely
something I wanted to investigate. I wanted to find out why he had a hold on
me. I vowed then and there to find out what it was.
Shannon was running around
getting into everyone’s way. Father had walked in during all the commotion to
find out how we were coming along.
"Girls, are you finding
everything okay?"
"Father, everything is
coming along wonderfully. I am looking forward to the ship setting sail."
I wanted so badly to add in something about Harold, but felt that it was not
the right time to bring his name up. I wanted to keep my feelings to myself for
a while longer.
"Very well then. The ship is
due to leave port in a little bit." Father stopped himself to see Shannon
getting in the way. He continued, "Why don’t you take her to the boat
deck. They are almost ready to begin the preparations for the launch. Shannon
doesn’t need to interfere anymore than need be."
I perked up. Perhaps Harold would
be on deck. "Absolutely. Shannon, let’s let Belinda, Melissa and Franklin
unpack and they can join us up top when they are done." Shannon trotted
over to where I was and took my hand.
"I will lead you girls up
top and stay with you until the ship sets sail. Then I have some more business
to attend do. I will see both of you at dinner. Shannon, mind Melissa and
listen to your sister. I will see you girls later." He kissed both of us
as we walked out to the elevators.
"Belinda, we’ll be back in
time to dress for dinner." I called out before we left. She was so busy
unpacking, I don’t think she even heard me, but Franklin nodded and told me
he’d tell her.
True to his word, Father dropped
us off on the deck and took off in search of another steel partner of his, a
Mr. Caledon Hockley. Father said we’d meet him at dinner tonight. He was on his
way back to Philadelphia with his new fiancé and her mother. I was looking
forward to meeting some of Father’s friends.
"Tory, when will we be
leaving?" My sister was growing impatient. I hated when she got like this.
"We’ll be leaving. If you’ll
look over there, they are getting ready to shut the doors we walked in, seal
them up and we’ll be leaving in just a little bit." The cool breeze felt
good on my face. I closed my eyes for a minute and just let the sun warm my
cheeks. It felt good to be outside for once and not confined to hotel room or
in some boring etiquette class with Shannon. I had already finished finishing
school quite some time ago but it was Shannon’s turn to do the same classes I
did. Somehow I think she took more of a joy in those classes than I did. I
found them to be overbearing and boring. But it was part of who my family was,
so I obliged them and went. Shannon looked forward to them and it pained her to
be on break.
"So we meet again." A
familiar voice brought me back into this world. I turned around and there he
was. Harold. The breeze was blowing from behind him and every time the wind
picked up, I got faint hints of whatever aftershave he was wearing. He smelled
good.
I snapped myself back into
reality long enough to say "Father wanted Shannon to see what it was like
when a ship sets sail. He was looking for one of his business partners and I
told him I’d keep an eye on my little sister before dinner."
"You’ll get a treat if
you’ve never seen it." He squatted down to Shannon’s level. "You keep
an eye on your sister for me. Don’t let anything happen to her." He
smiled, kissed her hand and stood back up.
"Miss Metcalfe, I do hate to
leave, but duty calls. I enjoyed our time together. I just wish I had more of
it to spend in such great company." I smiled and looked down at Shannon.
She was too busy waving at people on the docks below to even notice what was
going on.
"As always, Officer Lowe,
it’s been a pleasure."
"Please, call me Harold. I
hate that title. Especially in company such as yours." I don’t know what
it was about that line, but I could feel my cheeks flush again.
"As you wish, Harold."
He took my hand, kissed it and with that, I watched him walk off. He turned
around to look at me again when he got a little ways away from me and almost
hit an open door. I laughed as did he.
"See what you do to
me!" he said as he walked back to the front of the ship.
I wonder if I really had that sort
of hold on him. I guess I’d find out.
About this time, we heard the
engines roar to life. Shannon giggled and squealed in excitement. Then with one
gentle bump, we were sailing out of the harbor where Titanic was and steaming
toward Cherbourg. I looked up about this time and a young blond and his perhaps
Italian friend ran past us. I heard their conversation as they leaned over the
balcony. "Goodbye, I’ll miss you" the blond one said.
"But you don’t know
anyone?" His friend asked with an air of confusion in his voice.
"Of course not, that’s not
the point." He waved even harder as he called out "I’ll miss
you!"
His friend, sharing his
enthusiasm, called out in his thick accent "Goodbye, I’ll miss you.
Goodbye!"
I had to laugh as I watched the
two of them. They were obviously friends for a very long time. In a way, it
made me just a bit jealous. I never had a friend such as these two. They were
friends but not for money or for power, but just because. Most of my friends in
finishing school heard my last name and only were my friends due to my father.
It hurts.
But my attentions were soon
turned by Melissa walking up beside me.
"There you are. Your father
has requested that Miss Shannon come back to our state rooms. She needs to rest
before dinner." Melissa took Shannon’s hand and walked back to our state
rooms.
"Melissa, please tell
Belinda I am going to stay up here for just a bit longer then head in. I
promised her I wouldn’t make us late for dinner." Melissa nodded and
walked off with my sister, leaving me here on the boat deck all alone.
I began to walk in the same
direction as Harold, just hoping that I might see him again.