AN UNEXPECTED TURN
Chapter Thirteen

About half an hour later Gwen some how found herself in a dining room, receiving some soup and a roll. She sat down with the food and devoured it. As she ate she realized she had not had anything to eat since the day before, she and Will had enjoyed lunch together. Once she was done eating she went back out onto the deck and sat down on a bench, not thinking about anything or anyone except for Will and her father. She was so immersed in her thoughts that she didn't even realize it when someone sat down beside her.

"Gwen?" the voice asked.

The woman’s voice was soft and cool.

"Gwen darling?" the voice asked again.

This time Gwen turned to the voice, sitting beside her was Molly.

"Oh...hello Molly," she muttered.

"I've been looking for you, I was so scared that you didn't make it. I caught up with Judy and she said she last saw you when you pushed her onto a lifeboat. How long was it before you got off of the ship?" Molly asked.

"Well the ship was almost completely submerged in water when I finally got off," Gwen replied.

"Oh, where’s your dad and Will? Please say they made it," Molly asked.

Gwen looked away and was silent. She knew that if she answered it and actually said the words she would begin to cry again.

"Gwen?" Molly asked.

Gwen looked to her friend with tears welling up in her eyes.

"Oh darling," Molly said.

She pulled Gwen into a embrace and didn't let go.

"My daddy froze and...Will...he shot himself," Gwen sobbed.

"Come on darling, they have rooms set up for the first class passengers. You need to rest and Judy and Melanie will be there," Molly said.

She stood up and helped the crying girl up and then she led her to the room. Once inside the room they were greeted by Judy and Melanie.

"Oh Miss. Gwen!" the two maids cried.

Gwen sat down on a bed and looked up at the women.

"Hi," she said as she wiped at her face.

"Oh miss I was so worried about you," Judy said.

"I was worried about you too. But I wanted you on a boat. Your getting married and I was not going to deny you that chance," Gwen replied.

"Oh miss!" Judy said again, this time she embraced the girl.

Gwen stretched out on the bed, "I do not know if I'll actually fall asleep. But...I'll try," Gwen said softly.

"That’s the best thing right now darling," Molly said softly.

Gwen nodded, the last thing she remembered was feeling a blanket pulled up over her and she was out of it.

And then she slept, not knowing how long really. But the next thing she knew it was the late afternoon, still on the ship. At first she had thought that all of that had been a horrible memory. But when she saw the interior of the room she was in, she knew it was not a dream. As she looked around, she looked out the window and saw that the sun was high in the sky.

'What in the world?' she asked herself, knowing full well that when she went to sleep the sun was not that high.

She got up out of the bed and found Melanie asleep in the bed beside her and Judy asleep in another bed. Molly was no where to be found. She left the room and went out onto the deck. Gwen looked around and spotted Molly a little ways ahead, helping a officer and what looked to be a third class passenger.

She waved, but did not wish to disturb Molly for she looked busy.

"Miss. Wilde?" a voice from behind her asked.

Gwendolyn turned to see a officer approaching her.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Hello Miss. Wilde, I'm Charles Lightoller. First off I would like to offer you my condolences," he began as he took his hat off.

"Oh..." she said softly.

"Your father was a wonderful man, I also knew you were quite good friends with Will Murdoch. I knew Will very well and I was devastated when I heard what he did," Charles continued.

Gwen looked down at her feet then back up to Charles.

"Well thank you for that, Will was indeed a friend of mine. Over the few days we were on the ship he and I grew very close," Gwen replied.

"Yes, well just one more thing. I just came from Bruce Ismay's private suite. He said he was quite worried about you, seeing as how you are his fiancée. He said if I saw you that if I did not mind if I could take you to his room," Charles said.

Gwen looked at him.

"What? No sir, I refuse to be in a room alone with that man," Gwen stated.

"Well I will take you to the room. I will not leave you in there miss but he wishes to see you," Charles replied.

Gwen was silent for a moment but then deiced, she had something to tell him.

"Very well, but you have to stay outside of the room," Gwen said.

Charles nodded and then he led her to Bruce’s room. She took a deep breath before knocking. Once she knocked the door was opened by a horrible looking Bruce.

"Gwen?" he asked, not quite believing he was seeing her.

He reached out for her but she stepped back.

"Do not...do not touch me," she said.

Bruce looked taken aback but actually obeyed, he stepped aside and Gwen walked inside the room.

He closed the door with Charles left standing outside.

"Why did you ask for Charles to look for me?" Gwen asked.

"I was worried. I was so frightened that something had happened to you," Bruce answered.

"Yes Bruce, I'm sure you were worried," she snapped.

"But I was..." he began.

"Bruce, now that I am a orphan I do not believe you have any ties to me. I don't love you, I never have, and I never will. Especially not after what you did to me the other night. Right now my heart is just broken and in all honesty I blame you for everything that happened with the sinking. I did not say anything at lunch that day when you were urging the Captain to make the ship go faster but as I think about it, I think it's your fault. If we had not gone faster we more than likely would of been able to avoid that iceberg all together. But you had to make headlines! Titanic had to make history! You wanted that and for what? You have your headlines now sir but for what? The cost of all of those peoples deaths?! My father is dead because of you! William Murdoch is dead, because of you! Nothing can bring them or anyone else back. Just remember that, ok? Remember that you are one of the causes for the sinking of the R.M.S Titanic. Mr. Bruce Ismay, President of the White Star Line!" she shouted.

Then she turned around and left the room. Bruce stared at her, he somehow knew that this was all his fault. He already knew, and he didn't chase after Gwen. He let her go, she was definitely better off without him chasing her.

"Thank you Mr. Lightoller," she said.

Then she turned in a opposite direction and left. Not wanting to be anywhere near Bruce Ismay.

When she found Molly again she soon learned that she had slept until the morning of the sixteenth. Then two days later, at around nine o'clock, the Carpathia pulled into New York Harbor. Gwen stood with Judy, staring up at the Statue of Liberty. They somehow tore their gaze from the beautiful woman and looked at the hundreds of people who were standing on the docks, waiting with hope that the people they loved were there. Gwen got off of the ship with Molly, and the two maids and they left. Staying in a hotel for a few days, until Gwen could sort through things and figure out what she was going to do next.

Judy soon got caught back up with her fiancé. He was on a train going to New York city from New Jersey. He was soon there and after a tearful farewell and the returning of the coat Judy had been wearing since Titanic sunk Judy left with her fiancée, but leaving Gwen a address so that she could write. That same day Gwen sent out a telegram to her grandparents in London, they wired her some money and with some great determination she got back onto a ship. It wasn't the ship she feared so much, she mostly feared that she would see Will shoot himself, as she had seen him do. Over and over, each night in her nightmares. She said goodbye to Molly, with the hopes of seeing her friend again and then she left.

A week later she arrived in London, a car was there with her younger brother who was sixteen waiting for her. She spoke not a word, not after remembering how much her brother resembled her father. They got in the car and drove in silence to her grandparents mansion. She held her coat close to her and as she felt around in the pocket she felt something in there. Gwen looked down at the pocket and pulled out a small parcel. Wrapped up inside was something that made her choke back the tears. Wrapped up with loving care was something she had inherited from her mother. A diamond necklace, and a few other things that belonged to her mother that she had taken on the ship with her.

She smiled as she realized that Judy must of saved it from the suite the night that the ship hit the iceberg. After about five to ten minutes of driving they pulled up outside of the house. When Gwen got out of the car she was greeted by her two other siblings. Colette and Peter, Colette being twelve and Peter being the youngest, five.

"Gwen!!!!" They cried.

Matthew (the oldest brother) stepped out of the car and pulled out the two gowns that Molly had bought for her and then took them inside. As he made his way inside Gwen's grandparents came out.

"Oh Gwen dear," her grandmother said.

Gwen smiled slightly at her grandmother as she embraced all of her siblings. Then she embraced her grandparents, both who had a smell which reminded her of her father. They went inside the house and Gwen sat down with her family, talking only a little.

Chapter Fourteen
Stories