FORMALITY
Chapter One
April 10, 1912
The car moved slowly through the
mobs of people on the pier to see the unsinkable Titanic. I was sick of hearing
about it--about everything. No ship is unsinkable. Anyone can see that--except
these thick-skulled rich people that we are acquainted with. It's always the
same gossip, the same stiffness. Who really cares if Mrs. Astor is wearing fur?
So maybe she likes it. What I'm most sick of is my family. It's not that I
don't like them. It's just that every day is the same--the same news, the same
boring old routine. But this trip hasn't been boring--touring Europe was
exciting when I went out for walks by myself. And on this trip, my mother
expanded my wardrobe even more with gaudy, uncomfortable, fashionable dresses.
"Isabelle," she would say, "you have to look nice for the
gentlemen and carry on our family name and fortune." God, I'm so sick of
hearing that. I want someone who will love me for who I am, not for the amount
of feathers I wear in my hat.
A servant opened the car door for
me, holding out his hand.
"No, thank you. I can get
down myself," I said as I pushed past his hand and into the shadow of the
great Titanic that loomed over us.
"Here we are, girls, the
grandest ship ever built," my father said as Mother took his arm.
"It's marvelous,
Daddy," my sister, Marie, said in her grown-up tone. She's only fourteen
and she thinks that she's better than me. I really don't care, but her attitude
is enough to drive you mad. I think she gossips more than Mother! And if that
isn't enough, she repeats things, and whines if I don't pay attention!
"Yes, it's big," I
said, a bit annoyed by my family already, and it was only five 'til twelve!
"What staterooms are we in
again, darling?" my mother asked my father. He took out a scrap of paper.
"Let's see. You and I are in
B98, Marie, you're in B96, and my Belle, you're in B94," he said as we
walked up the gangplank. I was walking as fast as Mother would allow me. I
wanted to get to my room and take off the hideous hat that she insisted I wear
when we boarded.
"It's too bad we couldn't
get a parlor suite," my mother said for the third time that day, and for
the thousandth time that week. "I hear Mr. Hockley is in one, along with
the DeWitt Bukaters. You know, those red-haired ladies."
"Yes, Mother," I said
with an exasperated sigh. My father stopped to ask a steward to direct us to
our staterooms when we entered the grand ship in the D deck reception room, or
so read the sign.
We followed the steward to the
lifts, and went up to B deck. We walked around the Grand Staircase, which I
thought was beautiful. I saw a man pushing a green safe ahead of us. I think he
turned into a parlor suite.
Our cabins were at the end of the
hall, and unfortunately, my cabin was connected to Marie's. As soon as I got
into my room, I took off my hat and flung it on the bed by the door. My cabin
included a sink, a couch by the window, and a small desk/vanity. What I really
liked was the reading lamp above my bed. The only free time I got to read in
peace was at night. My father had given me a book called Futility for my
birthday two days before, and I was anxious to read it.
The door opened and a steward
with my trunk came in, and my maid, Becky, followed him in to unpack.
"Um…excuse me," I said
to the steward before he walked out the door.
"Yes, miss?" he asked,
turning to face me.
"Do you have a map that I
could have?" I asked him.
"Certainly, miss," he
said, pulling a piece of paper out. "I'll even mark your stateroom for
you." He smiled as he handed me the map. "My name is Mark, and I'll
be your steward. If you need anything, just ring. Enjoy your voyage on the
Titanic," he said before turning and leaving. The ship jolted slightly
with the start of the engines, so I told Becky to tell my mother that I went up
top, and I left the room. Checking my map, I found that my stateroom was right
next to the Aft Grand Staircase, so I used those up to A deck and went out on
the crowded covered promenade. I found a spot at the rail and looked down at
the crowd of people below on the docks. It looked as if they were slowly moving
instead of us. Almost all of Southampton was there. At least, that's what it
looked like, just to see the Titanic off on her maiden voyage.
Soon we were out of the port and
steaming down the river. My small wristwatch read 12:20. I knew that my mother
expected me to accompany her to tea soon, so I walked along the promenade for a
while before heading to the Grand Staircase. As I walked back down the hall,
which was bustling with people, I saw Becky standing outside the separate corridor
to our staterooms.
"Miss, your mother said to
change and meet her in the Cafe Parisien," she said as I approached her.
"Thank you, Becky," I
said as she helped me change. "I don't know why Mother insists I sit with
her and listen to pointless gossip."
"Just go along with her,
miss. She's not one you'd want to mess with," Becky said as I walked back
out the door. A smile crept across my face. Even Becky was afraid of my mother!
The rest of the evening was the
usual bore, although around dinnertime, when we were stopped at Cherbourg, I
did get the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Astor. She's actually quite nice. Margaret
Brown also boarded at Cherbourg, the one my mother disliked and always talked
about. I liked her. She wasn't afraid to just be herself in front of everyone.
She sat with us at dinner, and she and I had a good conversation.
"Are you charming any young
lads, Belle?" she asked me, shocking me with the forward question. No one
else would have asked me that.
"No," I said. "My
parents have selected suitors in the past--none who were to my liking."
"You'll find someone,"
she said warmly, winking at me. For the first time in a while, I actually
enjoyed the company at dinner. After dessert was served, I excused myself from
the table and walked out to the stairs. From there, I took out my map and
followed the stairs up to the boat deck. The wind was chilly, and stars were
blazing bright overhead. My watch said 9:30, but I wasn't a bit tired. I sat
down on an empty deck chair and just took in every moment of being alone.
I had been sitting there a long
time when Becky came up. "Miss, your parents are looking for you,"
she said, helping me off the chair.
"Oh, all right," I said
reluctantly, going along with her.
"Miss, are you aware that
it's nearly eleven o'clock?" she reminded me.
"Oh, no! I had no idea!
Mother's not going to be too happy." Becky and I practically ran down the
deserted boat deck back to the Grand Staircase. Bursting out of the lift, I ran
right into a tall gentleman.
"Oh! Excuse me. I'm so
sorry," I said, looking up at him. His green eyes sparkled at me, his
shaggy brown hair was long but not too long, and his bangs fell to the side of
his forehead.
"Are you all right? No need
to apologize. It was my fault, really," he said warmly.
"I'm fine," I answered.
"I'm Robert
Wellington," he said, extending his hand to me. I took it.
"Isabelle Martin," I
said.
"I'll see you around, then.
It's mighty lucky of me to run into a beautiful woman such as yourself on the
first day of sailing," he said, his eyes twinkling. I smiled at him.
"It's nice to meet such a
fine gentleman," I said.
"Miss, we really should be
going," Becky reminded me, taking my elbow.
"Hope to see you
around," I said over my shoulder.
"He was a handsome
fellow," Becky said as we walked down the long corridor to my stateroom.
"Yes, he was. Did you see
his eyes?" I asked in a low whisper as we turned into our small hallway.
Mother was sitting on the couch
in my room.
"Where have you been?"
she asked, a little annoyed.
"Out on the boat deck. I
needed some air," I said, taking clips out of my blonde hair.
"Becky?" My mother
looked at her with a questioning look.
"Yes. That's where I found
her, ma'am," she replied quickly.
"All right. Belle, don't go
off wandering without telling me again. Surely too much salt air can't be good
for a girl," she said haughtily as she closed the door behind her, Becky
on her heels.
Changing into my nightgown, my
eyelids began to get heavy. I flipped off my reading lamp and crawled under the
cool, crisp new sheets. Futility was going to have to wait.
My thoughts kept drifting to
Robert's emerald eyes. The way they sparkled made my heart race. I'd seen
plenty of men, but Robert was different. Before I knew it, I was asleep.