AN ADVENTURE TO REMEMBER AND A MEMORY TO FORGET
Chapter Nine

After spending most of the night with Harry, I knew I didn’t want it to end. Father would have thrown both Harry and me off the ship if he knew where I was, so after running into Rose in the hallway, I fell into a deep sleep.

The bright sunlight woke me as it streamed through the windows next to my bed. I threw the covers back and sat up, looking out at nothing but crystal blue ocean water. Melissa came in to dress me after explaining that Belinda had taken ill the previous night. I voiced my concerns over Belinda’s health and Melissa assured me she’d pass along the message.

"Victoria, there you are." I heard my father’s booming voice over my shoulder. I turned around and he had a serious look on his face. I walked over and he kissed me on my cheek.

"Father. Good morning to you."

He looked me over as if he was checking me for something. "Sleep well?"

I nodded as we walked towards the breakfast hall.

"We’re having breakfast with Mr. Hockley, Rose, and her mother. Please get Shannon and meet us down there."

"Father, is anything wrong? You seem upset," I said, afraid that he might have found out about Harry.

Father stared off down the hall for a moment. He smiled, but a small smile, and told me that it was nothing to concern myself with. I got my sister and found the table. Rose looked downtrodden. I took my seat beside her after Cal had gotten up to help both Shannon and myself into our chairs.

"What’s wrong?" I whispered while the adults were in a conversation.

She shook her head. "Later. Wait on me after breakfast."

We ate in silence, mostly listening to Mr. Andrews, the ship’s designer, talk business with Father and Cal. It was boring, really. Shannon asked to be excused when one of the other girls her age asked her to take a walk on the deck. Rose stood up after Shannon left.

"Mother, I promised I’d take Victoria down to the library. I hear she has a fondness for Lord Tennyson’s poetry, and I found the most enjoyable book of poetry in the first class library. May I please take her?"

Rose’s mother nodded, as did my father. "Just make sure you are back in the room to be dressed for Sunday services in a few minutes," was all Rose’s mother said.

Rose and I said we’d be right back, and with that, Cal and my father stood up as we left the room. Rose practically dragged me to the outside decks. She stopped at the railing and leaned far over as if she was looking for something under the water. She suddenly snapped back up and turned around to face me.

"Cal knows about what happened last night with Jack and me. We had a huge fight before breakfast. He called me a whore and said if I was going to be his wife, I’d better start acting like his wife, even if I was just a wife-in-training right now." She stopped talking and ran her gloved hands over the wooden railings of the ship. I noticed tears forming in her eyes.

"What did your mother say when you told her?"

Rose laughed and turned to me. "That’s just it. She hasn’t said anything to me. She heard the fight between Cal and myself, but chose not to say anything. I’m sure that when we’re on our way to services, I’ll hear about it." She stopped to collect her thoughts. "We’d better get back to our staterooms. Sunday services start in a few minutes, and we need to dress."

Rose and I walked back into our rooms and said good-bye after I promised I’d sit with her.

Rose’s POV

Trudy was helping me with my corset when my mother stormed into my stateroom.

"Tea, Trudy," she said.

Trudy curtsied and excused herself from the room. Mother motioned for me to turn around. She started pulling on my corset strings, almost to the point of pain.

"You are not to see that boy again," Mother said coolly.

I didn’t respond. I just shrugged my shoulders.

"Rose, I forbid it. You know the money’s gone. You know how precarious our situation is." She was beginning to get snotty.

I sighed. "Oh, stop it, Mother. You’ll give yourself a nosebleed."

She grabbed me by the shoulders and harshly turned me around to face her. "Rose, this is not a laughing matter. It is a fine match with Hockley. It will assure our survival. Yes, you may not love him now, but eventually it may come to that. You just give him what he wants, which is a son, and he’ll keep us both in the lifestyle we both want and deserve. Otherwise, we’ll both have to be working as seamstresses. Do you want that for us?"

I couldn’t look at my mother. "How can you put this on my shoulders? What about what I want?"

She laughed quietly. "We’re women. It’s never about what we want. The sooner you learn that, the better off you’ll be. Just do as Cal wishes and everything will be fine. Now, turn around, love. We’re going to be late." Mother kissed me on the forehead and turned me back around to finish dressing me.

I let Mother and Cal walk together towards services. I walked slowly and alone. I was dreading going to another society function.

"You’re Victoria’s friend, aren’t you?" I heard a Welsh accent behind me. I turned around.

"Yes. Who are you?" I looked at him. I knew him, but didn’t know who he was.

"Fifth Office Harold Lowe." He kissed my hand. "I’ve seen the two of you together. Do you know where Victoria is?"

"She’s on her way, if not already there, to Sunday services. Were you planning on going?"

"Yes, I was. All the off-duty officers are required to go. Would you care to be my escort to the dining area?" he asked. He held out his arm, and I took it. We walked together.

"You really like her, don’t you?" I didn’t mean to be blunt, but I wanted to know.

Harold blushed. "Yes. I do. There’s something about her that just draws me closer to her every time I see her. I wish I knew what it was, but I don’t."

I noticed that he blushed. "It was not my intention to embarrass you in any way, sir. I just know that Victoria talks about you when you’re not together. She adores you very much. I wanted to make sure the feeling was mutual."

He opened the door to the dining area for me. "Very much so. I’ll be standing at the front of the services with the other officers, or I’d enjoy sitting next to you and Victoria, but I will walk you to your seat."

We walked inside and found Victoria with Cal, Mother, and her father. "Victoria, surely you remember Mr. Lowe." I watched Victoria’s face lose all color. I just smiled, knowing what I did, but I needed to at least see someone happy, even if it wasn’t me.

"Mr. Lowe. What a pleasant surprise. Will you be joining us for services? I believe there is an empty seat next to my daughter." Mr. Metcalfe was embarrassing his daughter more than I was trying to. I saw as he motioned for Harold to sit next to Victoria. She was blushing, and I almost asked her if she was hot.

He looked at me and smiled. "I’d love to. I wholly enjoy the company of both you and your daughter, but I must sit with the other off-duty officers at the front." He gave Victoria a look before he took his place at the front of the services. I kept an eye on both Harold and Victoria during the services. The feelings and looks they were giving each other were able to be seen by even the blind. I smiled, knowing how much those two loved each other, even if they didn’t want to say anything.

After the services were over, Mr. Andrews wanted to give us a tour of the ship. He noticed Harold and Victoria looking at each other during the service and arranged for Harold to be Victoria’s escort. She was in heaven.

Victoria’s POV

"Excuse me, but there’s another ice warning. This one’s from the California." A radio operator interrupted our conversations. He gave the information to the captain, who in turn told all not to worry. We continued on our journey. I was beaming when I was with Harry. Rose walked with Mr. Andrews, and Rose’s mother and hideous fiancé walked together.

"You should really thank your friend for what she’s done for us," Harry whispered into my ear.

"What did she do?"

Harry motioned for me not to walk as fast. "She arranged for us to walk together with Mr. Andrews. I don’t go on duty for the rest of the afternoon. I work tonight. I wanted to see you, but I knew with your family around, we couldn’t. It was Rose’s idea for me to walk with you on the tour. Mr. Andrews helped make it possible. He met his wife in much the same way." He squeezed my hand as he talked. It made me want to melt.

"If only we didn’t have to go on this tour. I’d enjoy spending some private time with you before you go on duty tonight."

Harry checked his pocket watch. "I don’t start my shift until after dinner. If you wanted to meet me right before, I wouldn’t mind." He flashed me that award-winning Welsh smile of his.

I noticed Rose was no longer with us. "Where’d Rose go?"

Harry looked over his shoulders. "I saw that kid from steerage leaning against a lifeboat. He asked me to help him get up here so he could talk to Rose. Considering what she’s done for the two of us, I figured I’d help the kid out. Seems like a nice boy."

I smiled. "Rose likes him very much. I know she’s tired of always being told what to do." I stopped and sighed. "I know how she feels."

"Victoria, where’d Rose go?" Cal turned around to ask me. "I saw you talking to her on our way up here. Was she feeling ill?"

I cleared my throat. "Um…no, sir, Mr. Hockley. I believe she said she was missing an earring and went back into the dining hall to see if they found it. She said it was one of her favorites."

Cal nodded. I had convinced him.

"Good one," Harry whispered in my ear. We caught up to the group.

"Ladies, what did you think? Such a grand and yet unsinkable ship." Cal turned around to face Rose’s mother and myself. Rose came walking up beside me at that moment.

Cal walked to her. "Find your earring?"

Rose had a bewildered look on her face. She was obviously upset. "Um…no. I didn’t. I asked the crew to keep an eye out for it. If you’ll excuse me, I need to go lie down. I believe the sun has caused me to become faint. Victoria, will you walk with me?"

I looked at Harry. "Mr. Lowe, I appreciate your company. I do hope I see you again."

He took my hand in his. "The pleasure is all mine." He kissed my hand. "If you will excuse me, I am going to walk these two ladies to the entrance to their staterooms. Then I am going to take a short nap before I come on duty." Harry held out his arms, and Rose took one, while I took the other.

"Darling, I will check on you later," Cal spoke out as I watched him and Rose’s mother continue with my father around the rest of the ship.

"Come by my stateroom when you get finished, please," Rose said.

I nodded, and she excused herself inside. I was now alone with Harry. He led me behind a lifeboat, where we were out of the way. I looked up at him. He touched my cheek with his warm fingers. "I missed you so much. I was scared I’d never get you alone." He kissed me on the cheek, then gently on the lips.

"Harry, I need to tell you something." I took his hands into mine. "I just wanted you to know how much I have enjoyed being around you the past couple of days. I know you may think I’m silly or childish for saying this, but…" I stopped and took a deep breath. I blurted out, "But I can’t fight this feeling I have for you any longer. I have found myself falling in love with you. I don’t know why…"

Harry interrupted me with a sweet kiss on my lips. He hugged me and whispered into my ear as he held me, "I love you, too."

I realized then that there were no sweeter words that I’d ever hear.

Chapter Ten
Stories