AN UNEXPECTED TURN
Chapter Three

"Well it's nice to know that I'm not the only one and everyone else on the ship aren't the only ones," Gwen said with a laugh.

"So then Miss Wilde, what are you doing when you get off the ship?" Will asked.

"Well please call me Gwen. People may frown upon me all they wish. But as a answer to your question were gonna get off the ship deal with some business I guess then it's back to London for the wedding of the century to the most pompous jerk in all of England. Oh and did I mention I get to raise his four kids?" Gwen asked with as little bit as enthusiasm as possible.

"Oh that sounds lovely," Will replied.

Gwen studied the man and noticed he was watching her, she looked at him and looked at his handsome features. He was a very attractive man in all honesty. Better looking then Bruce Ismay, that was for sure. Well anyone was better looking than Bruce Ismay. The two talked for at least half an hour, getting to know each other more and more. What almost disturbed Gwen was that Bruce hadn't even come looking for her. But it was disturbing that she could be off kissing some other man or something and he didn't even care. She could of even jumped into the ocean and he wouldn't of come looking for her. He's probably in the smoking room getting disgustingly drunk.

"It's getting late. You should get back to your suite now. You don't want your father and fiancé worrying about you," Will said with a slight laugh at fiancé.

"Yes it is. Thank you so much for your company Will," she said. Will kissed her cold hand and she walked back to her suite. When she entered the room Judy was sitting on the couch reading a book.

"Oh good evening miss. I was actually beginning to worry something had happened to you. How was dinner?" Judy asked.

"I didn't stay long. Bruce felt the need to announce to everyone that I was his fiancé. Like I was property or something. Look at this," Gwen said as she held her hand out for Judy to examine the ring.

"Oh Jesus Mary and Joseph! That surely must be heavy on your hand," Judy said.

"It is, I don't even want to wear it! It's disgustingly heavy," Gwen replied as she attempted to take her hair down.

Judy stood up and began to take the jewels out of it. She took all of the pins out of the hair causing her soft brown curls to fall upon her shoulders. Judy put the hair accessories onto the desk and then they walked into her bedroom and Judy helped her take the dress off. Then after hanging the dress up she untied the corset and finally that day Gwen was able to take normal breaths. They got her into a nightgown and after putting on her robe she went out onto her private promenade deck and looked out at the ocean. As she was almost falling asleep while standing, due to the soothing sounds of the ocean hitting the side of the ship she heard a loud knocking on her door. She was frightened as to who stood on the other side. She listened and heard Judy telling the visitor that Gwen was not decent and could not come. But then she heard it, his voice.

"Do you know who I am? I am Bruce Ismay! President of the White Star Line! She is my fiancé, if I want to see her before going to sleep I will see her!" he yelled.

That answered her suspicion, he was drunk. Definitely drunk, she stood in the farthest corner, hoping he wouldn't think to look for her out here. To her immense relief he did not look for her except for in her bedroom. He told Judy to have her awake in the morning so that he could take her to breakfast. After he was gone Judy came out and told her so, then she decided to go to sleep. Judy walked her to her bedroom, put on the Victrola box that her father had brought along for her and she drifted off to sleep. Not wanting to think about Bruce, and wanting to think about one man and one man in particular...Will Murdoch.

*****

The next morning Gwen decided that she didn't care about Bruce Ismay, she was going to sleep in. She told Judy not to wake her and if Bruce came to escort her to breakfast then to tell him she was asleep and refused to get out of bed. She was just to tired, after a long annoying explanation about this to Bruce he finally decided that he was defeated and left for breakfast. Gwen smiled to herself in triumph, she had just caught the tale end of this conversation as she fell back asleep. But she woke up about half an hour later, just coming out of the strangest dream. She couldn't even believe she had thought about it. There was just no way her mind could even think of such things. Yet it did, she had dreamt that she and Will had professed a love to each other and then killed Bruce so that they could be together. She hated Bruce Ismay but not enough to commit murder. That was just out of the question, no way no how! She decided to dress and just as Judy was starting with her hair there was a knock on the door.

"Please don't be Ismay!" she whispered.

Judy left to answer and then that was when Gwen heard the voice, the voice of the man she had most wanted to see. Will, he had come to make sure she had gotten in all right. She took a deep breath and left the room, first checking to make sure she looked fine and then she went out to greet her new friend.

"Good morning Will," she said.

"Good morning Gwen. I just had a meeting with Thomas Andrews and that’s when my shift of the past two hours ended so I decided to come and check on you," Will said with a smile.

"Oh thank you for thinking about me," Gwen said. "Please sit," she continued as she indicated the empty chair as she sat in the sofa.

"Thank you Gwen," he said with a smile which caused Gwen's heart to almost scream out.

This was ridiculous, she just met him last night. There was no way now that she could be falling in love with him. No! Not to mention she was engaged, engaged to a pompous jerk. But still engaged, she couldn't fall in love. But she was, falling in love that is.

"Did you have any visits from the, what was the term of endearment you used? 'The most pompous jerk in all of England?' he asked with a laugh.

Gwen laughed, remembering that she had indeed called Ismay a pompous jerk.

"Well last night he came demanding that since he was Bruce Ismay that he had a right to see me. Then he came this morning and it took Judy ten minutes to explain to him that I did not want to wake up," she said with another laugh. They were silent for a moment and then Gwen spoke. "Have you had anything to eat?" Gwen suddenly asked.

Will shook his head, "No, since I left dinner last night I haven't actually had anything to eat since yesterday at lunch," he answered.

"Judy could you please order some breakfast? I hate to have them bring food up here, but I am hungry. Mr. Murdoch is hungry. We can't have a hungry guest," Gwen said with a smile to Will.

"Oh please, there’s no trouble. I just came for a moment," Will began to protest.

"No your hungry and you only left dinner because of me. Your staying for breakfast, we can eat on the promenade deck. That’s settled, I realize I'm just a woman and your a first officer but I am requesting that you do this woman a favor and stay for breakfast," Gwen said.

Will looked at her in amazement, "Very well," he said finally.

Judy nodded and then went to a phone that was connected to the kitchen, she placed a order for two breakfasts be brought to the room and then she went out onto the promenade deck and set up the table and chairs. Gwen went into her room and fixed her hair up and then the two went out onto the deck just as some food was being brought in for them.

"Thank you so much," Gwen and Will both said.

Judy poured them some tea and the two sat down.

"Cheers," Gwen said with a big grin as they clinked glasses.

She took a small sip from the drink and then they began to eat.

The two finished eating but still spent the next two and a half hours talking. Just learning about each other and their past and what they had planned for the future. Finally they parted, with the hopes that he could get out of his shift at dinner time so she wouldn't be stuck with her pompous fiancé. As he had done the night before he planted a kiss on her hand and then said 'good afternoon,' and left.

Gwen sat on the deck for another hour just thinking, she definitely had feelings for this man. But she was engaged, as she sat wrapped up in her thoughts Judy knocked on the door to the deck.

"Yes?" she asked in a far off distant voice.

"Are you going to lunch miss? Mr. Ismay said he would be here to escort you," Judy said.

That’s when she was brought back to earth. Bruce, she had almost forgotten about him.

"I will go to lunch for some tea perhaps. But I am still full from breakfast, I can't avoid him for the rest of my life. Unfortunately," Gwen said the last bit quite a bit softer.

She went into the bathroom and dipped a rag into some water and scrubbed at her face. Then Judy put some light rouge onto her face to add a bit of color to her already lit up face. She of course did not have a lit up face about Bruce. She was thinking about Will and something he had said to her. Once she was finished getting ready as if Bruce had been spying and knew she was finished he had knocked on the door. Judy admitted him into the room and Gwen went out to meet him.

"Good afternoon Bruce," she said.

"Good afternoon dear. We missed you this morning at breakfast," he said.

"I am sorry about that. I slept in, but Judy did order some breakfast for me once I woke up," Gwen said with a grateful smile to Judy. Not daring to mention she dined with another man.

"You look quite beautiful this morning," Bruce said as a comment on her gown.

"Thank you," Gwen said with a fake smile.

"Well this afternoon we are dining with the captain. I do not want to keep him waiting," Bruce said.

"Wonderful, I look forward to it," Gwen said with yet another fake but convincing smile and as they left the suite she sent a pleading look to Judy.

As they sat at the table that afternoon with Bruce and the Captain talking about things that women should have no say in, she sat their sipping on her tea and thinking. She wouldn't last one day in this marriage, all this life would be is fake smiles. Endless parties and endless fake smiles, when she was with Will she felt like she could be herself. The outspoken woman that her mother always told her she was.

She sat in silence but suddenly perked up when she heard Bruce speaking.

"So you've not lit the last four boilers then?" he asked.

"No, but we're making excellent time," the Captain said proudly.

Bruce got a look of impatience on his face, "Captain, the press knows the size of Titanic, let them marvel at her speed too. We must give them something new to print. And the maiden voyage of Titanic must make headlines!" he replied.

Gwen rolled her eyes, yes this ship would make headlines and then the headlines would be that he's getting married! Drinks for all!

"I would prefer not to push the engines until they've been properly run in," the Captain replied.

If it had been proper Gwen would of agreed with the Captain, purely because he was right. She knew not much about ships but it seemed right.

"Of course I leave it to your good offices to decide what's best, but what a glorious end to your last crossing if we get into New York Tuesday night and surprise them all," Bruce said.

Oh, Bruce, shut up! she wanted to yell. But of course didn't.

He was quiet for a moment and then Bruce opened that stupid mouth of his again, "Retire with a bang, eh, EJ?" he asked.

Gwen looked to the Captain who was silent a moment but then nodded his head.

Oh great, so he had control over me now and the Captain. What is this world coming to? she thought.

Chapter Four
Stories