EVERYTHING’S NOT LOST
Chapter Fourteen

The group sighed as I laughed in victory, collecting the paperclips and miscellaneous objects that were in the betting pool.

“You are too good at this!” Moody said, rubbing his eyes.

“Are you sure you haven’t played before?” Lightoller continued. He has interrogated me all night, ever since I began winning. He thinks it’s some conspiracy or that I have cards hidden in my dress or something along those lines.

“Beginner’s luck?” I suggested meekly, shrugging a shoulder. I haven’t won the whole time—Will has one once and so has Harry—but Bride had definitely won more times than any of us. Too bad he had to leave and Jack never got the chance to join us. I already miss Bride, he was sweet.

Besides, the betting! I already had to throw my evening gloves into the mix during one round because I was out of paperclips. I’m waiting until I have to give up my shoes.

“This is ridiculous!” Will laughed, trying to sound angry at me. I’m surprised he’s not acting too vicious towards me—His face dropped when he saw Harry holding my hand.

“Oh, come now,” I laughed, “they’re just paperclips.”

“Our pride is completely shattered,” Harry joked.

“We’re not men,” Moody chuckled. “Where’s Bride, he was beating us!”

“I know,” I sighed. “Well, I have no use for paperclips. You’re going to get them back. Harry would’ve taken them and used them to his full advantage.” I paused. “We’re going to start over, right?” Lightoller nodded, collecting the cards from us and beginning to shuffle them.

“I’m shuffling them well,” Lightoller explained, shooting a look at me. “I think I was too easy with my shuffling.”

“How can you be easy on shuffling?” I questioned with a raised eyebrow as Harry hid his laughter. Lightoller cautiously shuffled, eyeing me closely as I picked up my cards. Hmm. I glanced down at the paper, then back at the cards. Alright, I seem to have a pair of queens, a king, a four, and a seven. Alright, not too bad—a pair of queens. Could’ve been better. Lightoller is going to make me give up my shoes. I can feel it. Now, the bets.

Harry threw in a few coins from his pocket and so did Lightoller. Moody actually pushed his cuff links in. Are we playing hardcore or are we going to get our things back? The paperclips are still in the center of the table. Were we supposed to get a bunch of them again or…no? I’m taking this as a no.

The only thing I wanted back from my last victory were my gloves, and I’ll probably have to throw them back in, my luck. I hate those gloves, anyway. They’re too long, they go up to my elbow. My mother thinks they make women—women. Oh, what would my mother be thinking of me now? Playing poker with a bunch of men? This is now truly wonderful.

Will glanced around the table before pulling out a notebook and throwing it onto the table. “That’ll be worth something, someday,” he said, with a smile. “It’s everything I’ve had to do on this ship.”

“You’ll win it back,” I joked. My turn. I glanced around at what I had. No money on me, sadly—I had already thrown it into the betting hole of doom, as I now lovingly refer to it, and I hate my gloves…Hmm…As I turned my head, something pulled on my hair and made me yelp. “Ow! You know…!” I growled as I attempted to find out what caused me such pain.

“Are you alright?” Harry asked me, concerned. I nodded as I untangled my hair from those stupid earrings I just had to have. I smiled. I’m throwing ‘em in! I took them off and threw them into the load of goodies. “Those earrings aren’t that bad, you know!” Harry laughed.

“Well, I despise them. Plus, they’re gems. Someone will find a good home for them.” Will stifled his laughter. “We getting rid of cards or what?” I questioned.

Lightoller nodded and tossed a card away, Harry threw away two, and Will threw away one before collecting the right amounts in which were due. I glanced at the cards in my hand. The queens would stay, that’s at least one pair. Hmm…Alright, the four it is. I threw it into the pile of useless cards and took a card from the deck. Oh, a seven. I think that’s good!

Now, more betting. Really, poker is a man’s game. There’s so much risk—imagine playing with actual money and other valuables! Some more coins, some more other miscellaneous objects and then it was my turn. I bit my lower lip, now what? My purse. I hate this silly little thing and I’m sure nobody will want it, so I have a good chance of getting it back. I think. I own it and I hate it. I picked up my purse and threw it into the table.

“We done?” Moody asked. Everyone nodded. “Alright, what did everyone get?”

“Nothing!” Lightoller sighed, agitated. He must think I’m a witch—Actually one with magical powers.

“Two pair,” Harry said happily.

“One pair,” I said, throwing the cards onto the table and leaning back into my chair.

“Three of a kind,” Will said proudly, displaying his winning ticket before gathering up his new winnings.

“Well, at least it wasn’t Antoinette,” Moody said with a laugh.

“Thanks, that was so sweet of you,” I replied sarcastically. With that, there was a knock on the door. Everyone immediately jumped to attention at the sound and the cards and winnings were collected quickly and threw them into Lightoller’s hat, which he threw to his feet, kicking it under the table. Everyone sat down again and Moody said it was alright to come in. They had that synchronized! Incredible.

The door opened and there stood an older man and a breath of relief filled the air and the tension in the room disappeared immediately. Oh, that’s Henry Wilde—I remember him from lunch.

“Dear God,” Will breathed, sighing for the sake of relief.

“We thought you were the Captain!” Moody explained.

“That’s what you do when you think the Captain’s coming?” I questioned, gesturing to the officer’s hat filled with cards and the stupid betting objects.

“It’s a routine,” Lightoller shrugged. “We do that in case it’s the Captain or someone else high up in the White Star Line.” Ismay, perhaps?

“The Captain doesn’t approve of gambling,” Harry explained.

“I wonder why that could be,” I laughed into in his ear as Lightoller took the hat from the floor and dumped its’ contents back onto the table where they belonged.

“Actually, the Captain doesn’t believe in any extracurricular activities that don’t involve the ship we’re sailing,” Moody pointed out.

“Well, my shift’s over,” Wilde chimed in, taking off his hat and wiping his brow. “It’s bloody cold out there.” He gestured to Harry. “It’s almost time for your shift, Harry.” He then saw me and smiled. “Well, I didn’t see you there!” he said with a laugh. “Heard the voice, just not its’ source.” He smiled. “Miss Andrews, how are you?”

“She’s winning at poker,” Lightoller muttered.

“You’ve got her playing poker?” Wilde asked before laughing. “And she’s winning?” The group nodded unanimously.

“Shocking, isn’t it?” I asked with a chuckle as he took my hand and shook it. “Pleasure to see you again.” I barely remembered him.

“You, too.” He glanced over at Harry and I turned to face him. He seemed to have his mind somewhere else, it obviously wasn’t in this room. “Harry?” Wilde asked at him. He didn’t respond. “Your shift, you should bring Miss Andrews back to her room before it gets too late and you have no time…”

“Harry?” I asked and he immediately snapped to attention.

“Yes, Ann?” The group laughed under their breath.

“Did you hear him?” I asked, gesturing to Wilde.

“Who?” He sounds completely clueless.

“Officer Wilde.”

“Oh, no, what was he talking about?”

“Your night shift’s going to be starting soon.” He glanced down at his watch and then nodded.

“Oh, it is.”

“You ought to bring Miss Andrews back to her suite,” Wilde advised.

“Yes, yes, of course.” He stood up and so did I as Wilde took a seat in Bride’s unused chair. I gathered up my gloves and my paper with the White Star Line rules and regulations on it and folding it up, I stuffed it into the hand of my gloves.

“Well, congratulations, Will, you won,” I said, with a smile. He managed a smile.

“Alright, well, thank you for letting me ruin your poker game,” I said with a nod to the other officers still seated at the table.

“No problem,” Moody said with a smile.

“It was our pleasure,” Lightoller reassured us. “Come back tomorrow. Tomorrow’s blackjack night.”

“Blackjack?” I paused, but nodded. What have I got to lose—except for some useless jewelry and accessories? “Alright.” Harry took my hand, ready to walk out the door when Will said simply, “Oh, wait.” We both turned as Will as he stood up, beginning to dig through the pile of his newly acquired winnings. We stood there, his back to us, wondering what he was doing—until he turned. In one hand were his earrings and in another was my purse.

“Here.”

“Will, you won them,” I concluded. “Keep them.”

“I couldn’t do that,” he said, holding them out for me. “They’re yours.”

“You could give them to some lovely lady,” I conjured on, with a wink. They’re just objects, anyway, they don’t mean anything to me. I hate those earrings and I hate that beaded purse. Sighing, I took the objects back. I owe that to him, anyway. If woman-less Will wants me to have my things back, I can do that for him, at least.

“I just did,” he replied. How sweet was that? I feel so guilty, remembering that disappointed look on his face.

“Thank you, Will,” I said as sincerely as I could muster.

“No problem. Night.”

“Night.” And to everyone else, “Night!” I turned back to Harry and squeezing my hand, we began our trek back to civilization in silence.

“How long is your shift tonight?” I asked him as we continued down the cramped hallway.

“At least four hours,” he sighed, glancing over his shoulder at me.

“Oh.” As we made our way towards the first class, Harry still knowing the ship better than I do, and as the Master Shipbuilder’s daughter—this is not necessarily a good thing! Now out of the cramped hallways and in one of the many first-class carpeted hallways, lit by those convenient little lights hanging high on the walls, Harry turned to me. Why are we stopping? The hallways are empty, sure, but I’m so tired, I can barely think straight.

“Did you have some fun tonight?” he asked me, with a slight smile. I nodded.

“Absolutely. Even though I’m not a big fan of mathematics, I still had a great time.”

“I’m so happy to hear that, Antoinette. I really am.” He paused.

“Granted, I’m tired now and starving—”

“I can go get you something to eat,” he offered.

“Remember what happened last night?” I said, with a smirk. “If you can’t remember, it wasn’t good.”

“That’s true.”

“I still wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.” He smiled, almost surprised.

“Really? You had that great of a time?” He seems doubtful.

“I did.”

“Well, then, I…” He took a step towards me, keeping is eyes on me, refusing to look away. “Dear God, what was I going to say?” he mumbled, more to himself than to me. I don’t understand where these nerves are coming from, but whenever he takes my hand or what-not, I’ve realized my stomach does these little summersaults. I’ve never had that feeling before, but the summersaults never seem to stop. Even with my stomach being empty, the summersaults just continue, until Harry isn’t holding my hand or something along those lines. “Antoinette…” His voice trailed off.

“Yes, Harry?”

“I love you.” I’m taken aback as he sighed a breath of somewhat relief, wiping his forehead.

“What?” I asked, unsure if what I heard actually was what he had said or if he had merely told me good night and my hunger was making me hear things.

“I love you,” he repeated. “With every single word you say, I’m falling more in love with you! More in love with you than I already am.” Okay, what am I supposed to say to that?

“You’re being direct again,” I said softly. He smiled.

“Yes, I suppose I am, but I do love you. You’re different from any other person I’ve ever known. Antoinette.” He touched my cheek gently, and I swear to you, I almost felt as if I was floating on air. “I know this is so sudden, we barely know each other—but from the first moment I saw you, I’ve loved you.”

Well, it’s nice to know I wasn’t the only one who felt the initial spark that day at lunch. I thought I was losing my mind for a moment or so there. Then, there was this silence and he squeezed my hand.

“Ann? You want to add anything?” he asked, sounding completely worried. I was so giddy last night and even today, I’ve never felt that way about anyone else before. I think I love him, too. I think I fell for someone like Harold Lowe, after all. I didn’t say anything, but kissed him. Surprised, he seemed to be taken aback, but pulled me in closer to him. When he let go of the kiss, I smiled at him.

“I love you, too, Harry.” I never realized how wonderful it felt to say I love you and actually, truly mean it. I’ve said I love you so many times these past few months—to family and close friends—but I never truly meant it. I mean it now. I paused, biting my lower lip. “And who cares if it’s sudden? I like direct.”

“How could I forget?” With that, we kissed again.

Chapter Fifteen
Stories