AN UNEXPECTED TURN
Chapter Five
Being in Will's arms Gwen didn't
care about if people thought it was strange that she was in a tight loving
embrace of another man. She just didn't care, being in his warm arms gave her a
calm feeling about herself. She wished he would never let go of her but
unfortunately he did.
"Do you think he'll come
looking for you?" Will asked.
"Who knows, he didn't come
looking for me until late last night. But I was out on the deck, hiding from
him," Gwen answered.
"Well do you think he'll
still be at your room?" Will asked.
"No more than likely he's
gone to the smoking room," Gwen replied.
"Do you wish for me to take
you back to the suite?" he asked.
"He'll just come looking for
me there," Gwen said, glumly.
"Well I'll take you to your
suite and since I don't have a shift until two I'll stay guard outside your
room," Will replied.
"You wouldn't mind?"
Gwen asked.
"No, of course not!"
Will answered.
Gwen hugged him and once they
pulled apart he held his arm out to escort her back and they walked back to her
suite. He walked her into the room and they were immediately greeted by Judy.
"Oh miss! Are you alright? I
heard you outside the room earlier. I heard you say to Mr. Ismay 'Please stop
touching me, it's making me uncomfortable. I wasn't eavesdropping but I wanted
to make sure he didn't do anything to you and that if I had to I could open the
door just in time. For your own sake. Then I heard the sounds of running feet
and him scowling. Are you alright miss?" Judy asked.
"Yes Judy I'm fine. I got
upset with Bruce and then I ran into Will," Gwen answered, as she leaned a
bit (quite tired) into Will.
"Oh Mr. Murdoch, thank you
for bringing her back. I was so worried but I did not want to go out there
because of Mr. Ismay. You kept her safe though," Judy said with a grateful
smile at Will.
"Well we bumped into each
other and she was in hysterics. I got her to calm down and then she told me
what happened. Gwen did not want to come back but I told her that I would stay
here until my shift begins so that if Mr. Ismay decides to pay her a visit he
will have another thought coming," Will replied.
"Thank you sir. You are a
true gentlemen," Judy said.
She left the room for a few
minutes to get Gwen's night gown out. Gwen stood up straight to look up at
Will.
"You'll be alright now,"
he said softly.
Gwen smiled a sleepy smile at
him, "Thank you Will," she said.
The two were quiet, no words
needed to be spoken. Will was looking down at her with soft loving eyes, while
yes they had only met last night he felt like he had known Gwen for an
eternity. She felt herself get closer to Will, slowly but surely. He was
leaning down and then there lips met. For what seemed like forever they were
kissing but then it was over all to soon as the door opened. They pulled apart
as they heard the sound and Gwen froze when she saw her father and Bruce
standing on the other side.
Then a second later Judy came in
with a puzzled look on her face. She looked from the nervous couple to the
angry men in the door.
"What? Pray tell me, what
were you two doing?!" Bruce asked.
Gwen's mouth opened as she tried
to answer the question but no sound came out of her mouth. Will stood there,
his mouth shut as he tried to think of a lie.
"I'm sorry Mr. Ismay, Mr.
Wilde. What has happened? I was in her bedroom preparing her things for
sleep," Judy said.
"I came in here with Bruce
to check on Gwen to see if she had gotten to her room alright. He told me she
had gone out on a walk," her father began. Gwen almost gave a sigh of
relief, Bruce had not told him that she had poked him with a hair pin.
"We were opening the door
when we saw them...kissing," her father said.
"Father I can explain...well
you see...it was just a brief kiss," Gwen began.
Will looked at her with a bit of
confusion as he tried to figure out what she was getting at.
"Well you see I nearly fell
down, from the first class balcony down to the third class. I know it sounds
stupid and odd but he broke the fall for me and caught me. I was giving him a
quick kiss of gratitude, I was only aiming for the cheek but missed and found
his lips," Gwen said, as she tried to make the lie sound believable.
"Gwendolyn Ann Wilde, you
should know by now that you are a horrible liar. If it was indeed just a kiss
of gratitude then how come you two pulled apart as fast as possible and then stepped
to almost the other side of the room. Mr. Murdoch you may leave and go on ahead
to your shift. I need to speak to my daughter. Bruce I will deal with this. Go
on ahead to your room," Henry said.
"Yes sir, good night Miss.
Judy, Gwen, Mr. Ismay," he bowed slightly and then left the room.
"Judy you may go to your
room until I am finished talking to my daughter," Henry said.
"Good night Henry,
Gwen," Bruce said then he left the room. Judy curtsied and left the room.
Henry shut the door and looked
over his daughter.
"Gwen what is the matter
with you?" her father asked.
"Father you have to let me
explain!" Gwen protested but her father stopped her from speaking another
word.
"Gwen you are engaged! When
we return to London you and Bruce will marry. He has already sent out
Marconigrams to people in London letting them know! The children are getting
ready! You know this and yet what do we find you doing? Kissing another
man!" her father shouted.
"Father this is bringing out
something that mother always told me I inherited from her. I'm going to speak
out! I hate this arrangement! I don't care about money and position and social
class! I don't care about Bruce Ismay and the fact his wife died and his four
little children. I'm sorry his wife died, I'm sorry those kids have to grow up
without a mother and they have that man as a father but I don't care about
Bruce Ismay! You didn't even ask me about this arrangement! That’s pretty
strange seeing as how you ask me about things all the time! I don't want to be
Mrs. Bruce Ismay! All he does is treat me like a object, something that gets a
pat on the head or something every time I make him happy! He doesn't care about
me! All he cares about is his brandy and the fact that he's Mr. Bruce Ismay,
president of the White Star Line!" Gwen finished her shouting and waited
for a response.
"Oh and you would have me
know that Will loves you? You two only met this afternoon! He knows nothing
about you!" her father replied.
"Well guess what father? We
met last night, and talked and then this morning we had breakfast together.
Even after breakfast we talked for at least two more hours! I know a lot about
him and he knows a lot about me! So don't even begin to tell me he knows
nothing about me. And at least I'm the happiest with him than I have been since
before mother died. She died and you know what it did to me, I was so un-happy.
You selling me off to Bruce did not add to my joy. Then I met Will, we share
some of the same thoughts, passions, and dreams! I can't stop smiling when I'm
with him!" she said.
Henry looked at his daughter but
did not falter.
"Gwen you will be marrying
Bruce when we return to England. If you are with Will again it will not be a
pretty sight," her father said. Then he turned on his heel and left the
room. Gwen stared after him in shock and anger.
Judy came out and without saying
a word to each other, they walked into her room. Then Judy took all of Gwen's
jewelry off of her. Then they got the dress off, took her hair down. Got the
corset off and put her nightgown on. Then Gwen crawled into bed and cried
herself to sleep.