FINDING LOVE ON THE TITANIC
Chapter Nine
April 14, 1912
Captain Smith ordered all
steamship boilers lit, thus pushing the engines to their fullest capacity. The
president of the White Star Line, J. Bruce Ismay, requested the RMS Titanic’s
new arrival time in the New York City port be pushed ahead to Tuesday night.
The new arrival time would be faster than any previous transatlantic crossings
attempted, thus giving the ship’s maiden voyage extra publicity.
Ross and Rachel had attended a
Church of England service in the grand dining saloon, presided over by Captain
Smith. The service was not from the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer,
but instead was from the White Star Line’s own prayer book. All those present
joined in on the hymn Eternal Father, Strong to Save, which ended with,
"Oh, hear us when we cry to thee, for those in peril on the sea."
The service ended promptly at eleven AM.
"Would you like me to place
your evening dress on the bed for you Miss Green?" Violet somewhat
enviously inquired while replacing the towels on the washstand. Rachel’s dress
was red satin with a chiffon overlay, beaded appliqués, and beaded chiffon
overlay over the bodice. Rachel had found the new design in Paris. Being a
fashion consultant, she could not wait to show it off it at dinner. Ross and
Rachel had been issued an invitation to attend a dinner for Captain Smith
hosted by Mr. and Mrs. A.L. Ryerson in the A la Carte Restaurant. She knew they
would be dining with the social elite and had spent many hours carefully
preparing for the party.
Ross gently knocked on the
stateroom door. Rachel opened the door. Rachel, with the doorframe surrounding
her, gave off the appearance of a perfectly framed picture. "Wow. You look
wonderful." Ross stood silent for a moment, just admiring her picture
perfect appearance.
"I’m ready. Shall we
go?" Rachel informed Ross as she took his arm.
Ross, with Rachel on his arm,
glided into the deluxe À la Carte Restaurant. What had started as a small,
twenty-five table deluxe restaurant on the Olympic had expanded into a one
hundred forty seat social club on the Titanic just a year later. The
introduction of the restaurant appeared to create a new class of passenger, who
assumed an air of superiority and held themselves aloof from the ordinary
dining saloon diner. Ordinarily, meals for all classes on the Titanic were
included in the price of the passage and diners selected their meals from a
generous but fixed menu. However, in the À la Carte Restaurant diners could
choose each course separately from a wider selection than that available in the
main dining saloon. However, every luxury had a price. Passengers had to pay
for the meals out of their pocket.
The room itself was decorated in
the French style, Louis VI, and featured walls with delicate walnut veneers set
off by gilded swags and festoons. These gilded swags were repeated in the
plaster ceiling and on the boarders of the china. Crystal chandeliers hung over
tables decorated with White Star Line first class china.
Captain Smith sat at the main
table, having a conversation with Benjamin Guggenheim and his mistress, Madame
Aubert. The soft-spoken Countess of Rothes was also at the Captain's table.
Sitting directly beside her was Helen Candee.
"Rachel, you look stunning.
Was that a Paris find?" Lucille, Lady Duff-Gordon quipped while taking in
every detail of the newfound design.
"Yes. It was in the new
spring line," Rachel replied, taking Ross’s arm to leave. She was anxious
not to reveal anymore information than necessary to a known competitor.
"Hi, Ross, nice to see you
made it. Several of us will be going to the first class lounge after the meal
for a drink. You both are welcome to join us," Colonel Gracie informed
him.
"Rachel and I had previously
discussed listening to the string band in the reception room. However, we may
change our minds and join you later," Ross replied as he guided Rachel to
their assigned seats.
Ross and Rachel completed their
meal with the social elite and cordially exited the party at approximately 9:30
PM.
After listening to the string
band and trying out a few waltzes for close to an hour, they next decided to
take a brisk walk on the boat deck.
Stars shone brightly on the
moonless ocean. The calmness on the ocean gave off the appearance of a
millpond. Periodically, pieces of ice began floating by.
"It is much colder on deck
than I imagined. Would you care to go back inside?" Ross inquired,
somewhat shivering while buttoning his coat up all the way to the collar.
"To me, the crisp ocean air
feels invigorating," Rachel replied while sensuously nuzzling against him.
He leaned over and gave her a
soft kiss. Suddenly, a loud, shrill bell began clanging from the crow’s nest
directly above them. Between the periodic rings they could hear lookout
Frederick Fleet as he yelled, "Iceberg straight ahead!" Ross and
Rachel stood frozen in silence. A white wall of ice was coming directly towards
them.