An Unsinkable Love

chapter 3


Friday, April 12 through Saturday, April 13

A loud bang on the door shocked Bree awake. Anne moaned as she stumbled out of bed below. Bree sat up, catching herself just in time to prevent another headache.

Anne looked up and smiled as she ran fingers through her tousled blonde hair.

"Mornin', Bree. As soon as we're dressed, I'll show you the best dining room. We can have breakfast together. Since I'm assigned to second class, we won't see much of each other during the day. I tried to wait up for you last night but it got so late, and we have to get up early."

Bree waved off the apology. "I'm glad you didn't. I found a nice cozy spot in an employee lounge and stayed up to alter my uniforms. By the way, thanks for leaving the light on for me," she said as she climbed down the ladder.

"No problem. I'm so tired by the time I hit the pillow, it could be broad daylight and it wouldn't bother me." She opened the wardrobe and pulled out a fresh uniform. "You must have found the big common room. I went there the first night, but ended up staying out dancing so late I almost didn't make my shift in the morning. I decided I'd better stay away. There's another, smaller, lounge up near the bow. It's much quieter and they have a good library. I go there most nights for a while after dinner. It's not as much fun, but I don't want to risk getting into trouble. There's time enough 36

An Unsinkable Love

by Terri Benson

for that when we get to New York, right?" Anne grinned and waggled her eyebrows, and Bree couldn't help but laugh.

The blonde pinned her watch to the top of her apron and exclaimed, "Oh, Lord, if we don't get a move on, we're going to be in trouble right now."

Bree finished tying the apron of her own uniform and they hustled out into the hallway. As they hiked the long corridors to the dining hall, Anne pointed out reference points to help Bree find her way around the ship on her own.

Breakfast was plentiful and of good quality, but Bree worried so much about being late to work she only managed a few bites before she scurried off. Her reward was a lengthy wait outside the tailoring room. When Mr. Thorpe eventually showed up, he merely sniffed in greeting before he unlocked the door and led the way in.

Bree returned the tools she'd borrowed. He showed her where and how each piece should be kept. The tailor shop was extremely well organized, with a special nook or cranny for everything. She set to work on a replenished pile of clothing that repeated the prior day's contents of buttons, lace and mending. Mr. Thorpe seemed to spend most of his time puttering around the room as he rearranged papers and checked her work. Conversation was minimal.

Bree enjoyed a brief respite at noon for a quick meal in a different, smaller employee dining room. Because she didn't know anyone, she avoided entering any of the animated conversations eddying around her. With only thirty minutes to eat, she knew it would be difficult to get to know anyone, so she didn't linger.

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An Unsinkable Love

by Terri Benson

The afternoon passed slowly as Bree worked her way through the seemingly endless pile of mending. At six o'clock precisely, Mr. Thorpe cleared his throat and stood, giving her a slight inclination of his head toward the door. Bree quickly put away the few tools she'd gathered during the day and hurried out into the corridor. She headed to her cabin, leaving Mr. Thorpe locking the door.

As she set foot on the lower stair up to E Deck, she couldn't help but reflect on her previous encounter with the boorish young man. She grudgingly admitted, boorish or not, it was impossible to keep from scanning the hallway each time she passed, secretly hoping to see him again. "And I'm a foolish Cailín, I am. He's rude and forward, and like as not would get me into a pickle with Mr. Thorpe or Mr. Barton,"

she muttered.

Back in her cabin, she removed her wrinkled uniform, hung it carefully in the closet, and donned one of her own outfits.

As she washed her face in preparation for dinner, Bree tried, not very successfully, to forget dancing cobalt eyes.

Anne breezed through the door and smiled. "Oh, I'm so glad you're here. We can have dinner together and I can show you around some more."

Bree was happy to have someone to talk to after the near silence of her day, and Anne provided a much-needed distraction. The blonde had made numerous friends in the first few days of the cruise and introduced Bree to everyone she knew in the dining room and, later, in the small forward lounge. Bree finally gave up trying to keep names and faces straight and just focused on memorizing directions to the 38

An Unsinkable Love

by Terri Benson

various employee gathering places and identifying the areas people worked in by the type of uniform they wore.

They called it an early night and climbed wearily into their bunks.



* * * *

The next day began as a repeat of the previous one, with the exception of waking in the pitch black darkness of the cabin. Bree sighed thankfully when Anne managed to slap the light switch on her third try. She found it disconcerting not to see her hand waving in front of her face without the dim fixture on the ceiling. A momentary jolt of fear flashed through her mind at the thought of being caught in the maze of dark corridors if the ship's lights were to somehow turn off.

She shuddered.

Anne laughed at her fears and pointed out emergency lights. They went their separate ways after breakfast, agreeing to meet in the cabin when their shifts ended.

After work, Anne wheedled Bree into donning her second-best dress for a visit to the larger common room after dinner, pointing out there were only a few more days aboard ship to meet other employees. When Bree reminded her of her vow to stay out of trouble, Anne just laughed and said, "I didn't say we had to go to bed early every night! Come on, Bree.

We'll have to stay in a rooming house in New York right by the docks. If we don't find someone who knows the city, we won't get to see any of it before we sail again. It'll be ever so much more fun if we have a local to show us around. Please, please, please?"

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An Unsinkable Love

by Terri Benson

Bree finally gave in to her roommate's ardent pleas with a laugh, shaking her head ruefully.



* * * *

Seated in the packed dining hall, Bree gaped at the menu, amazed at the wide variety of dinner options allowed. She had her choice of fish, lamb, chicken or turkey—the same menu offered to second class passengers. For dessert, Bree tried American ice cream.

"This is the most wondrous thing I've ever tasted!" she declared as she licked the frozen concoction off her spoon after scraping the bottom of her bowl clean.

Anne countered, "It can't be as good as these coconut sandwiches!"

They still argued good-naturedly as they headed to the lounge. As on her first night aboard ship, the large room filled quickly. More singles and couples strolled into the room until all the tables, sofas and chairs were filled to overflowing. The same man plopped down at the piano amid clapping and hooting, and pounded out more raucous show tunes. Couples streamed out onto the dance floor.

Bree and Anne exchanged looks and giggled as a phalanx of young males headed toward their table and vied for dance partners. The rest of the evening became an exciting whirlwind of dancing, laughing, and fending off more than a few eager advances. Anne kept reassuring an inexperienced Bree the evening was perfectly normal for young, single females in the company of young, single males. Pulled, yet again, onto the dance floor by an Italian first class steward, 40

An Unsinkable Love

by Terri Benson

Bree laughed out loud, amazed at how much fun she was having.

They danced late into the night. Bree, completely tuckered out, had to drag Anne back to their cabin, amid sighs and entreaties for "just one more dance" from the group of zealous partners they left behind.

Bridget fell asleep as soon as she snuggled down into her hard mattress.



* * * *

Malcolm wandered the shadowed deck, breathing in the salt-tinged air. The sound of chamber music from The Parisian Restaurant drifted on the wind. He wore a heavy wool coat, collar turned up against the chill. The temperature had plummeted when the sun went down and few other passengers braved the open promenade.

He'd been making the rounds of all the public rooms for the past two days, searching for a jaunty tangle of coppery hair. So far, his efforts were for naught. It seemed quite strange he hadn't been able to find even one person who recognized his description of Miss Barry, or who had heard of her. Malcolm shivered as he rounded a protective bulkhead and caught the stiff breeze full in his face. He decided to give up the hunt for the night and resume on the morrow.

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An Unsinkable Love

by Terri Benson