AN UNEXPECTED TURN
Chapter Two
William McMaster Murdoch was born
on February twenty-eighth in 1873. He was the fourth son and was born to Samuel
and Jane Murdoch. How he got his start in working as a officer was simple. He
grew up around men who were involved with the water. His father was a Captain
and a master mariner. Will's grandfather and four of his great uncles were all
Sea Captains. When he got the job offer to work on Titanic he couldn't possibly
turn it down. He was originally on the job as the Chief Officer of Titanic but
then Captain Smith made him First Officer temporarily. Now here he sat, on a
break from work eating lunch with the passengers of Titanic and his fellow
officer Harold Lowe.
The woman who sat down (know now
as Gwendolyn) looked liked she was upset with Bruce. He thought of her to just
be another woman who worked on the ship, and as the others asked her questions
and she was forced to answer them as hard as he tried he could not tear his
gaze away from the girl. She quietly ordered her lunch and then proceeded to answer
question after question.
*****
"So you see I have known
Gwendolyn here for at least seven years now. Since she was ten, you are
seventeen now. Correct?" Ismay said, he asked for her correction like she
was a student of his and if she did not answer he would beat her like teachers
did to their students when they answered incorrectly.
"Yes, I will be eighteen in
about five months," Gwen answered, growing tired of this conversation
quickly.
"Very well," Bruce
said.
Once Gwen finished her lunch she
excused herself, trying to get away from her fathers friend so that she could
retreat to her room. Will watched her leave with his mind racing. When
Gwendolyn finally reached her room she sat down on her couch but was up again
soon because their was a knocking on her door. Judy must of been on a walk like
she had been told she could, Gwen stood up with difficulty (due to the oh so
tight corset) and answered the door. On the other side stood her father.
"Hello Gwen, may I come
in?" he asked.
"Of course father," Gwen
answered. She stepped to the side and allowed her father into the room.
"Anything in particular that you would like to talk about?" she asked
as she shut the door and then sat down.
"Well yes actually.
Something that’s very important," her father said as he also sat down.
"What is it?" she
asked, worried that something was the matter.
"Well it's about Bruce
Ismay. We were talking a moment ago," her father said.
Oh, Lord in heaven. What did I
do this time? she
thought.
"What is it?" she asked
again.
"Well tonight you will be
escorted to dinner by Bruce. For a certain reason. About two months ago he
asked for your hand in marriage. I have finally agreed to let him marry you. As
you know his wife died five months ago and left him with four children who are currently
under the care of a nanny in London. He needs a fine woman to marry and raise
his children and he chose you," her father explained.
Gwen looked at her father in
horror.
"Oh well tell him I thank
him for his proposal. I will be awaiting him to escort me at ten minutes to
seven," was all Gwen could say.
"Good girl," her father
said. He gave the distraught (although she hid it well) girl a kiss on the
cheek and left the room.
Once she was sure her father was
gone Gwen almost wanted to yell and break things. How could she be married to
Bruce Ismay? That slimeball who always looked at her weird, the minute her
chest started to swell, even when he was married he would look at Gwen in just
a uncomfortable way. Now she would be married to him until death do they part.
And raising his children? What in the world was that about, just as the tears
of anger came up Judy came into the room. When she saw the girl in a heap on
the floor sobbing she went to her.
"Miss, whats the
matter?" Judy asked.
"I'm engaged now. Soon I
shall no longer be Gwendolyn Ann Wilde," she sobbed.
"Pardon miss?" Judy
asked.
"Bruce Ismay asked for my
hand in marriage. My father accepted his proposal," Gwen sobbed as Judy
rocked her back and forth slowly.
After Gwen's mother had died Judy
had become sort of a big sister to her. Judy was only twenty-three and would be
married when they reached New York. But when ever Gwen needed someone Judy was
always there.
A few hours later Gwen was
holding onto the bed post as Judy fixed the corset that went along with the
elegant gown that Judy had picked out for her. Judy tied the corsets and Gwen
stood in silence, then still in silence she helped her into the gown and
fastened her jewelry. Just as Judy was finishing her hair there was a knock on
the door. Gwen was hesitant but of course had to answer. Judy opened the door
and on the other side stood her father and Bruce. Gwen curtsied and then took
the now held out arm that Bruce was offering her. She gave a scared look to
Judy just as the door was being shut.
"You look splendid
tonight," Bruce commented, in a unsuccessful attempt at making small talk.
They made it into the dining
saloon and after having to stop and talk to everyone who was anyone and with
Bruce saying at least once in each conversation, "I'm Bruce Ismay, as you
all should know." This is one thing that really disturbed her about Bruce,
she was soon convinced that this man was in love with himself. Hopelessly and
madly in love with himself.
Finally they sat and Gwen soon
realized that she was seated between her father and Bruce, her father was
seated between his daughter and the Captain. Great oh and then at least the one
officer she had met briefly that morning. Will Murdoch, she was at least
allowed to order her food While they all waited Bruce began to make a taping
noise on his wine glass. Gwen looked at her now fiancé to see what the heck he
was making such a annoying sound for. Then to her horror he stood up with the
glass in his hand a box. A small ring box. Oh, dear Lord, she thought.
"Well to my friends and
colleagues this as you know is Gwendolyn Wilde. Her father is the chief
officer, as I said to at least one or two of you this morning I have known her
for quite some time, being close friends with her father. About two months ago
I asked her father for her hand in marriage and then about two days ago he
agreed," Gwen shot her father a look at the news that he had known she
would be Mrs. Bruce Ismay for two days. "I wanted to announce this, that
as soon as we are back in London she and I shall wed," Ismay continued. He
gestured for her to stand up, she looked at her father who had a happy proud
look on his face.
Gwen stood up beside the man and
then Bruce stuck a huge diamond ring on her finger. She tried to look directly
at it but was blinded by the light. Oh great, now she would die from trying to
look at her ring and she would die with Bruce Ismay holding her hand. After
that Bruce calmed down a bit from announcing that this woman would be his wife,
this ring was his claim on her. While they were still waiting Gwen couldn't
take it anymore, she stood up and excused herself from the table and went out
to the deck.
Will watched with interest and
then about two minutes later he excused himself as well. He went up to the deck
to look for Gwen. When he looked about he saw her down at the deck looking at
the water. He approached her slowly and as he came closer he heard muffled
sobs.
"Miss Wilde?" he asked.
Gwen turned to the Scottish
voice. Behind her, she saw this Will Murdoch fellow. She wiped her eyes but
almost started to cry as she caught a glance of her ring.
"Yes Mr. Murdoch?" she
asked as she tried to calm herself down.
"I came out here to check
and see if you are all right," Will said.
"Yes I'm fine, what would
make you think that I'm not all right?" Gwen asked.
"Well Ismay made such a big
to do about your engagement and you looked, confused and frightened,” Will said
as he quoted Bruce from that afternoon.
Gwen laughed, she was beginning
to like this man as he quoted his boss, making Bruce sound even dumber.
"Well in all honesty the
engagement was just sprung on me after I left lunch today," Gwen admitted.
"Oh, well even then you
seemed annoyed," Will said.
"Well I had to sit with
Bruce Ismay. Who wouldn't be annoyed, he escorted me to dinner tonight and
everyone he talked to he mentioned the fact that he was Bruce Ismay and that he
owned the White Star Line company. I mean it, every conversation," Gwen
replied.
Will let out a bemused laugh.
"Ah…he did the same thing to me the first time I met him," Will said.
Gwen laughed again, this was
turning out to be a very interesting conversation.