AN UNEXPECTED TURN
Chapter Eight

When they reached Will's room Gwen began to feel as if she was going to throw up. This was crazy! She couldn't be feeling like this, let alone be in love with a man she only met two days ago. But here she was, about to go into a suite to find out if this man cared for her the way she cared for him. Gwen was standing behind Molly who was knocking on the door. The door was finally opened and now Gwen felt like she might run for it. Although she would not get very far. Not in this dress and corset.

"Uh hello Molly," the man said.

Gwen was silent as a stone, she really was not ready for this.

"Hello Will, I've brought someone here to see you," Molly replied.

She stepped to the side and there Gwen stood, facing Will. He looked at the girl and his eyes softened a bit.

"...Hi...Will," she said slowly.

"Hi Gwen," he said back.

"I came back for one of two things. Please answer it if you can," Gwen said.

Will nodded and stepped to the side to admit Gwen in.

"I'll stay out here and just keep watch," Molly said laughing.

Will smiled and then closed the door. Then he turned to face the now sitting Gwen.

"What do you need to ask me?" he asked.

"I need to know, something. We shared that kiss last night...and well I was just wondering. How do you feel about me? In that sense, I felt something when we kissed and I wanted to know how you feel," Gwen said slowly.

Will was quiet for a moment and then he sat down beside Gwen.

"I have the same feelings for you that you have for me. Or at least the feelings I believe you have for me, which are...love," Will said.

Gwen smiled just a bit for the first time that day.

"What are the feelings that you have for me?" Will asked.

"...Love..." she answered.

Will smiled again.

"If you love me though then why did you ask me to leave today?" Will asked.

"Well I was afraid that if Bruce came in he would see us and think we were kissing again. I don't want you to loose your job because of me," Gwen replied.

"Gwen...I don't care. I love this job but I don't care. I don't need the job honestly to support myself. I have my own personal income that I get. If I wanted to I could retire tomorrow and still have money to support myself," Will said.

Gwen looked at him in disbelief, "Oh...ok," she said slowly.

Gwen looked down at her feet, embarrassed by this. Will watched her and then he took her head in his hand. He cupped her chin in his hand and their lips were just about to meet when they heard Molly outside.

"Bruce, I'm here simply because I can!" she said.

Gwen looked from the door to Will.

"I've gotta hide!" she said.

Gwen stood up and Will took her into his bedroom. Then he opened the wardrobe doors and she somehow got herself squashed in there. Then he rushed out of the room and went to answer the door where there was a loud knocking, even though he had told her he didn't care if he lost his job or not. He knew already that Gwen had endured a long enough day. She did not need Bruce adding onto the stress. When he reached the door he opened it to see a very drunk disheveled looking Bruce Ismay and Molly who stood behind him mouthing 'I'm sorry!'

"Hello Mr. Ismay, hello Molly," Will said as normal sounding as possible.

"Mr. Murdoch! I went to Gwendolyn Wilde's suite to look for her and I could not find her. I have reason to believe that she is here!" Bruce said in a very slurred manner.

"Mr. Ismay, I do think you have had a few too many drinks tonight. Perhaps the cigars and brandy has impaired your thinking," he said plainly.

"Don't play games with me! I am Bruce Ismay! President of the White Star Line! Let me in!" he said, still in a slurred manner as he shoved Will to the side and stumbled into the room.

"Where is she?!" Bruce yelled as he looked under a pillow.

"Really though where is she?" Molly whispered.

When Bruce wasn't looking Will made a slight gesture towards the bedroom and whispered, "Wardrobe."

"Honestly Mr. Ismay I have not seen Gwen since last night. When you and her father came into the room," Will lied.

Bruce got down on his hands and knees and looked under the sofa, then he pulled open the bathroom door. Being to stupid to think about looking in the bed room.

"Fine! I will sort of admit defeat! But I will find her!!" Bruce yelled, he turned around and went running out of the room.

Once Bruce was far off Molly shrugged and then closed the door. Will went to the bedroom and pulled open the wardrobe.

"He's gone," Will said.

Gwen stepped out with a tiny bit difficulty and then they walked back into his sitting room. The two sat down on the sofa for a moment, silent.

"Are you working tomorrow?" Gwen asked.

Will thought for a moment.

"Somehow I managed to get tomorrow off all the way until Sunday evening, when I have a eight hour shift," he said with a smile.

"Maybe tomorrow I can get away from him," Gwen said with a smile.

"Good, I will more than likely be here," he said.

Gwen nodded and then the two stood up. They walked to the door and right before Gwen reached the door knob Will pulled her closer to him. She breathed softly and then he pulled her into a kiss. They kissed for at least three minutes. At this point Gwen was enjoying it and yet she had no idea what she was doing. She just met Will and now here they stood in his suite, kissing.

Finally they pulled apart and with one last grin at each other Gwen left the room. Molly took her by the arm and they walked back to her suite.

"Thank you so much Molly," Gwen said.

"It's nothing really, I was worried about your well-being. I wanted to make sure you were happy. Now I know you are," Molly said.

The two women hugged and then Molly went to her suite.

Gwen stood, leaning against the door in a daze. Slowly Judy came out of her bedroom.

"Miss?" she asked.

Gwen let out a slight giggle, with the look on her face that she had during the kiss.

"I take it that it went well miss?" Judy asked.

Gwen nodded slightly, she took a sip of the glass of champagne that still sat on the table and then she went to her bedroom with Judy following. As the usual ritual went, they got her out of the dress and corset and then she put on her nightgown. Then Gwen crawled into the sheets and fell asleep.

The next morning as always she woke up, today though she woke before Judy did. She got out of the bed, bathed and then opened her wardrobe to look through her gowns. The dress she chose was white with the usual ruffles and it had little pink flowers all over it. By the time she had chosen the one she wanted Judy was coming into the room.

"Well miss, your up early," Judy said.

"Well I thought that maybe if I got to breakfast early then I could try to sneak away sooner than I thought," Gwen said.

"A very wise plan. Do you think you can hide from Mr. Ismay all day?" Judy asked.

"Well I could eat breakfast with him. Go to be with Will, go back at lunch, and then with Will again. Then back at dinner and then I would probably have to go to my room," Gwen explained.

"I think that might work," Judy replied as they got her into her corset.

"Curse who ever invented corsets," Gwen said.

Judy laughed and then once the corset was finished they got her dress on, then brushed her hair out, put it up and then Gwen went to breakfast where Bruce was waiting. She sat down and soon the table was joined by the usual group who sat with them.

As Gwen ate her food she got lost in her thoughts but was soon pulled back to earth when Bruce lifted her hand and began to show it around like a trophy. She looked at him like the mental idiot he was and then realized what he was doing. He was showing everyone her engagement ring and boasting about how it was so many karats and how much it cost. That seemed to be all that mattered with Ismay, money!

Chapter Nine
Stories