Gatti, of course, had obliged – after a considerable fee was discussed.
“I wonder where old Gatti is,” Albert declared, diving into his consommé. “I must tell that delightful bugger his food is simply superb. I cannot tell the difference between this, and what is served in London’s finest restaurants.”
Georgiana caught Cecilia rolling her eyes, and accidentally snorted into her water glass, receiving a concerned look from William, who seemed to think she must have accidentally choked, and a disapproving one from her parents. Her father didn’t want to see Gatti because he saw him as an “old friend”, but because he wanted to prove his superiority to the other passengers. Albert wanted the ability to say, “See, look at me. I don’t just know Gatti, I know Gatti.”
Cecilia flashed Georgiana her dazzling smile, her dimple deepening; she’d never seen someone with such a large, happy mouth. Georgiana sincerely doubted Cecilia knew what misery was; she seemed thoroughly incapable of ever feeling genuinely morose – the opposite of Eliana, who could be spiteful and nasty, if one of her moods inspired her. As Eliana was five years older than Georgiana, and Georgiana only eighteen months older than Cecilia, this suited the younger sisters just fine; Eliana had always appeared haughty, as if she believed her age made her superior to her younger sisters, and she had always been cold, filled with judgement. She also enjoyed reminding them that, as the eldest, she was to marry first – and she’d gloated, repeatedly, about her prestigious marriage to George, how she would one day become the Lady of Gresham manor, even though she hadn’t loved him. Georgiana remembered she’d convinced herself she was in love with a simple stable boy, and she wondered if Eliana ever thought on that, if she ever remembered her convictions, the declarations of love she had made at thirteen, where kindness had still filled her heart, despite her vain disposition.
Georgiana somewhat doubted it. She didn’t know why, but Eliana had decided, once she turned fifteen, that she would be the perfect, dutiful daughter, as well as the ideal, obedient wife. Perhaps it was a discussion she’d had with their parents; perhaps it was the stick Georgiana was sure was stuck up her sister’s ass, though she’d never dare say that thought aloud to anyone but William, who would laugh at her, kiss her nose, and admonish her slightly, reminding her that kindness didn’t cost a cent.
Georgiana would protest that it wasn’t cruel if Eliana was unaware; William argued cruelty was cruelty all the same, regardless of who heard it. Georgiana would sometimes despair, and William reminded her that he loved her because she wasn’t cruel, and he didn’t want her sister to turn her into someone she was not. While she could not deny her husband’s innate compassion, though she thought it was a touch histrionic, but it was his incorruptibility and his sincerity that she loved so.
Georgiana diverted her attention back to her family, ordering courses as they came: filet mignon lili, cooked rare, with a red wine jus reduction; followed by roast duckling with orange sauce instead of apple (a request she made; something that was a luxury only provided by the Restaurant); a palate cleanser of Punch Romaine, which was mostly an alcoholic sorbet; she skipped the seventh and eighth courses (her corset had become painfully tight, and the dress she was wearing was not designed for ladies with bloated bellies), though she enjoyed the Foie Gras and the vanilla eclairs, before sipping tea with lemon and honey and eating a few grapes and strawberries of the fruit and cheese platter, the final course of the night.
After the family had dined – to the point of exhaustion – the men decided to retire to the Smoking Room, located aft of the first-class grand staircase, and kissed their wives goodnight, declaring they’d only stay “for a drink or two” whilst the women, bar Eliana, decided to retire to the restaurant’s lounge, decorated to match the restaurant itself, to gossip about their voyage so far and Georgiana’s honeymoon. Eliana had claimed that she was suffering from mal de mer, and insisted that she retire to her suite. Her children would already be fast asleep, having eaten their dinner in the first-class dining saloon with Nanny, though Georgiana imagined she would sneak into their room and kiss their foreheads before retiring for the night.
Georgiana couldn’t imagine a mother wanting to do anything more than kiss her children goodnight before laying down to rest; it was something she already yearned for, and she was not yet with child. Soon, she thought, thinking of her niece and nephew.
Eleonora claimed she would soon follow, yawning emphatically, kissing her daughter’s cheek goodnight.
“Pray, tell me, was the honeymoon as desirable as you described at dinner?” her mother asked eagerly. Georgiana was well aware that her mother not only supported her marriage, but was the catalyst behind getting her father to accept it.
“Oh, Mama, it truly was,” gushed Georgiana. “William is more a gentleman than any man I’ve come across. He is kind, and loving, and everything a woman could want.”
Eleonora smiled. “I am glad. And do you really think you could be with child, so soon?”
“Perhaps,” Georgiana relented, afraid to curse herself. “I very well could be. The signs said no last month, but who knows what April shall bring? Pray, I could be with child right now and not know it!”
Eleonora smiled, this time her smile reaching her blue eyes, so similar in shape and colour to her Georgiana’s. “I am glad, dearest,” she said, before moving the conversation along.
She lingered only a few more minutes, and barely touched her chamomile tea before deciding to retire, leaving Georgiana alone with her younger sister for the first time in months. Georgiana knew that, after undressing and ordering a turn-down service, she would request a chamomile tea as she read in bed while waiting for her husband to return. If Albert didn’t return within the hour, she knew her mother would fall asleep, her novel resting on her chest. She’d seen it a million times before; Eleonora was an avid reader, and a deep sleeper. Georgiana wondered what it must be like, falling asleep so easily and readily. She found that she was used to spending nights worrying about her life; that was, until she met William.
“What’s it like, being married?” inquired Cecilia, as soon as their mother was out of sight.
“It’s wonderful,” Georgiana gleamed, her eyes sparkling. “William is perfect. Earnestly, my dearest Celia, I did not believe such a thing could possibly exist past the tragic operas and the great Shakespearean plays, yet somehow it does. I look into his eyes and I feel at home, as if all the world’s troubles are gone, and there is nothing but him and me. I ache for his touch, my dear sister, and I long for his smell. I am the cat that has the cream. But, pray, tell me, something’s changed within you. What is it?”
Cecilia flushed, and Georgiana knew she had been right to trust her instincts; her sister had met someone.
“I don’t know quite what you mean.”
“Of course you do,” Georgiana countered. She didn’t want to waste time pretending to play coy, she was tired and eager to return to her suite. She knew William would not stay in the Smoking Room long; he would want to come and find her, and make love to her before bed. He wanted a child even more than she.
“I –” Cecilia looked as though she might continue her lie for a moment, before deciding to confide in her sister. “I met someone.”
“Tell me more.” Georgiana felt excitement flush through her; if he was a decent match, a man with a title and money, their father could be persuaded to nullify her arrangement with the Vanderbilts. Perhaps I can scour the passenger manifest after I retire, she thought to herself. She would find all the passengers with a title to their name and try to ascertain which one had caught her sister’s eye. Then, Georgiana would formulate a plan to convince her father to allow Celia to remain in England.
“His name’s Henry,” gushed Cecilia, her eyes lightening up, as if she suddenly couldn’t contain her emotions any longer. “I met him on the Promenade Deck. He was taking moving pictures with his Pathé camera.”
“He has an interest in photography?” she didn’t know too ma
ny gentlemen that had significant hobbies of the sort. Georgiana wondered if the gentleman was learned, the way a proper aristocrat should be.
Celia wouldn’t have to leave her at all.
“Not just photos, Georgiana, moving pictures! He’s transporting film to America, to the Biograph Company. He’s merging a lot of the film from his company with theirs. Isn’t that marvellous?”
Georgiana frowned; she did not know of any gentlemen that owned businesses. The wealthy had investments, and money because they were wealthy. Georgiana wanted to be supportive of her sister’s new friend, but she was not sure she could be if he didn’t have a title to his name. Still, her father was right when he complained with the way the world was progressing, leaving behind its archaic and conservative values. “You do remember that you already have a prior arrangement?”
Cecilia shot her sister a contemptible glare. “I distinctly remember you not having the same scruples when I was your accomplice in assisting your romance with William.”
“I also didn’t have any prior arrangements at the time,” retorted Georgiana.
“Yet you still chose to follow your heart. Why can’t I be offered the same?”
Georgiana sighed. “It’s not that, Celia.”
“Why don’t you want me to be happy? Why are you pointing out my intended?”
“Never mind that. I desperately want you to be happy, dear sister, but it’s only been a few hours, and you know how unkindly Mama and Papa took to William, and he’s a Viscount, for golly’s sake. I’m guessing this Henry’s untitled, otherwise you would’ve mentioned his title, not this Pathé machine, and you know that Papa’s a dreadful snob. Father’s convinced that an alliance between the Americans and us will do wonders for the Gresham Estate. He’s convinced that you’re his next cash cow, and he wants to use you to the best of his ability. Are you truly willing to prevail, against all of that? Is this Henry worth that much to you, having known him for such a brief period?”
“That’s not fair and you know it,” objected Cecilia.
Georgiana silently agreed with her sister, but perhaps marriage had changed her. Or maybe it was the difficulty she faced in marrying William; she did not want Cecilia to go through something she would soon regret. Georgiana had made her decision to marry William after months of correspondence, even though sometimes it felt as though she had made it that night they met. In some ways, she supposed she had, but it had taken months for her heart and mind to align.
“I know, but you also know it’s not entirely unfair. I want to help you, Celia, I really do. If this is what you want, you’ll always have my support, no matter what Mama and Papa decide. William’s money does not come from the Gresham Estate, but from his own, so we can help provide for you, offer you a home. I just want you to be sure it’s something you want before you throw everything up in the air. It’s what I did. I may have wanted to run away with William the very night I met him, but I didn’t. We developed a friendship, a courtship, and from there, I was certain I hadn’t misjudged him, nor his intentions. William was always who he presented himself to be to me, and throughout the months that we wrote each other, I loved him more and more. I want to ensure that’s the same for you, my darling. I don’t want you hoodwinked by some handsome stranger.”
Georgiana despaired inwardly; she wanted to tell her sister that it didn’t matter, and Cecilia had every right to marry whom she wanted. And, in many ways, Cecilia did have that right; however, as Georgiana had most recently experienced the wrath of her parents for disobeying them, she knew it was a far more onerous task than one would want to willingly take on. Before Georgiana had made her decision to marry William, she had to reconcile with the fact that she may have had to be accustomed to a very different life than the one she’d previously led; that she may not have been able to contact her parents, nor Cecilia – not, at least, until Cecilia was no longer living under their parents’ roof. Had she had to make those sacrifices, Georgiana would not be as happy as she currently was, and her decision would have been all the more difficult.
And Georgiana had thought of that, and more, and decided that any life with William, regardless of her parents’ reactions, was better than no life with him at all. Was that how her sister was currently feeling?
She watched as Cecilia mused, repeatedly biting her lip. “Perhaps you’re right,” she said, though her tone reflected her abnegation. “Perhaps it’s all in my mind. He was rather rude this afternoon, after all.”
“Rude? How so?” Georgiana felt relief; she didn’t want to be a terrible sister, but they were women. Men controlled their choices. Even women like Maggie Brown’s choices were shaped by the men in her life.
“He insinuated I wouldn’t be happy if I married Thomas.”
“How presumptions!” cried Georgiana, horrified. Did the man have no manners? How could he say such a thing to a proper lady? Didn’t he know who Cecilia was? If he doesn’t, he is not worthy of her. “He doesn’t sound of genteel breed, as no gentleman would dare say such a thing, so perhaps that’s for the best. He does not know you well enough to make such an audacious statement.”
Georgiana could tell by her sister’s face she didn’t necessarily agree with her sister’s assessment – perhaps she agreed with Henry’s – but Georgiana was tired from a long day, followed by a long journey, especially as the Titanic had been over an hour late arriving in Cherbourg. There were rumours, of course, about the ship running into trouble before she’d left port, but Georgiana dismissed them as nonsense. What crisis could the Titanic surrender to? Ships in this day and age simply didn’t just sink. They were too large; there was always another vessel in the vicinity to rescue the passengers and crew. It wasn’t that the Titanic itself was special – there were scarce differences between her and her sister ship, Olympic – it was just that was the way of the new, industrious world men had created.
Georgiana sighed; she wanted to retire to her suite, where she could make love to her husband once he retired from the Smoking Room – something she desperately hoped he wouldn’t stay for too long, and really would only have “a drink or two”, instead of the usual “drink or two” meaning “three or five” among her father and brother-in-law. She doubted it, knowing he would crave her flesh, but still the worry plagued her.
“Regardless, you know that you can count on my support, don’t you?” Georgiana asked, as she stood, preparing to take her leave, and escort her sister back to the parlour rooms.
“I do,” Cecilia replied.
“I hope so, because if you’re serious, I can fabricate reasons for some of your disappearances, should they occur. But I want full transparency, yes?”
“Of course,” Cecilia replied, hugging her sister. “Thank you, Georgie.”
“Come,” Georgiana said, reaching for her sister’s hand. “Let us retire to bed.”
PART II
“The Olympic is unsinkable, and Titanic will be the same when she is put into commission. Either of these vessels could be cut in halves and each half would remain afloat almost indefinitely. I cannot imagine any condition which would cause the ship to founder. I cannot conceive of any vital disaster happening to this vessel.”
- E.J Smith
Chapter Twenty
Dear Ma,
Yours received in Cherbourg, France yesterday evening. We have had everything working nicely so far, except when leaving Southampton.
As soon as the Titanic began to move out of the dock, the suction caused the Oceanic, which was alongside her berth, to swing outwards, while another liner broke loose altogether and bumped into the Oceanic. The gangway of the Oceanic simply dissolved.
Middleton and myself were on top of the after tunnel, so we saw everything quite distinctly. I thought there was going to be a proper smash up owing to the high wind; but I don’t think anyone was hurt.
Well, we were at Cherbourg last night. It was just a mass of fortifications. We are on our way to County Cork. The next call then is New York.
This morning we had a full dress rehearsal of an emergency. The alarm bells all rang for ten seconds, then about 50 doors, all steel, gradually slid down into their places, so that water could not escape from any section into the next.
So you see it would be impossible for the ship to be sunk in the collision with another.
Your loving son,
Albert Ervine
- Assistant Electrician
Died April 15th, 1912
Chapter Twenty-One
Thursday, 11th April, 1912
Bride
Twenty-two-year-old Harold Bride sat, working side by side, with Jack Phillips, the senior Marconi operator, but more importantly, his friend. Bride was a junior assistant, and he was proud of the Titanic’s Marconi system. It was state-of-art technology, transmitting and receiving a radius of over four hundred miles, superior even to her sister ship, the Olympic, and working for Marconi – especially on board a ship as fine and grand as the Titanic – was every young wireless operator’s dream. Bride wondered if Jack Binns, who had originally been offered Phillips’ position (and whose spectacular save of all the passengers on the Republic had even been garnered into a silent film, with everyone wanting to know of Binns’ heroics), was regretting his rejection. However, Binns’ loss was Bride’s gain.
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