Titanic Affair (18 page)

‘We’re so lucky to have Captain Smith,’ said Pansy, as she turned her eyes forward. ‘He’s the best Captain there is. Robert and I have sailed under him before. Some people won’t sail under anyone else. They call him the millionaires’ captain, you know, because he always captains the best ships. But then it’s not surprising. He’s steady, and he’s safe. I asked him once about his years at sea, and do you know what he said? He said they’d been uneventful. Isn’t that the best thing for a captain to say? He’s never been in any accident worth speaking of, he told me. In fact, I’ve heard him saying so many times.’

‘Yes, we’re in safe hands, all right,’ said Robert. ‘Smith’s an experienced man. He’s been making the Atlantic crossing for years.’

The conversation gradually dwindled into silence and the service began. It was a simple ceremony, but it was conducted with dignity. Captain Smith had a wonderful presence and a fine voice. As the service progressed, Emilia could see why people liked to travel with him. There was an air of calm assurance about him which promoted a feeling of confidence in those who saw or heard him.

At last the service was over.

The congregation thanked the Captain, then began to drift out of the dining-room and go their separate ways.

‘I’m surprised there is no lifeboat drill,’ said Pansy as they left the dining-room. ‘There’s always a drill on the first Sunday of a voyage. I can’t think why Captain Smith didn’t hold one today.’

‘He doesn’t need to,’ laughed Robert. ‘This ship’s unsinkable. What does he want to hold a lifeboat drill for, on an unsinkable ship?’

‘Is it really unsinkable?’ asked Pansy.

‘Of course it is,’ replied Robert. ‘I heard one of the deck hands saying so earlier. One of the passengers asked him "Is this ship really unsinkable?" and he said, "Yes, lady, God himself could not sink this ship".’

Pansy laughed.

‘Oh, Robert!’

‘It’s true. Besides, there’s no way a ship could sink these days,’ Robert went on. ‘Even Captain Smith thinks so. Don’t you remember what he said, on the maiden voyage of the
Adriatic
?’

‘Now you mention it, yes, I
do,’ said Pansy. ‘We sailed on the
Adriatic
’s maiden voyage as well,’ explained Pansy to Emilia. ‘It was a splendid voyage. I was wearing my dark red coat and ribboned hat, I remember, as we arrived in
New York
. Captain Smith said he couldn’t imagine any condition which would cause a ship to founder. He said modern shipbuilding had gone beyond that.’

‘I’m glad to hear it,’ said Emilia with a smile.

They chatted for a few more minutes, and then Emilia excused herself, arranging to meet Pansy and Robert again for dinner that evening. She returned to her stateroom, intending to deposit her coat before heading for the library.

Hardly had she hung away her coat and tidied her hair, however, repairing the damage caused by her walk along the deck, when there was a knock at the door. To her surprise, when she opened it, she found Mrs Latimer standing there.

‘Mrs Latimer. What a pleasant surprise. Do, please, come in,’ said Emilia, welcoming Mrs Latimer into the room.

‘Thank you, dear. I don’t mind if I do.’

Her step was light, her cheeks were rosy, and she seemed full of life.

‘It’s a good thing you’re here,’ said Mrs Latimer, as Emilia offered her a seat. ‘I called a few times yesterday but you were out.’

‘I was exploring the ship,’ Emilia said. ‘Would you like some tea, or coffee?’ she asked, once Mrs Latimer had sat down.

‘Oh, yes, I’d like a cup of coffee,’ she said. ‘It seems a long time since I had my breakfast.’

Emilia rang for Mrs McLaren, her stewardess, then sat down opposite Mrs Latimer.

‘This is nice,’ said Mrs Latimer, looking appreciatively round the sitting-room.

‘Isn’t it?’ agreed Emilia, following her gaze and taking in the elaborately moulded fireplace and the elegant chairs. ‘I knew
Titanic
was magnificent but I never imagined my sitting-room would be so sumptuous.’

‘And these chairs are comfy,’ said Mrs Latimer, settling herself back in her seat. ‘Now it seems to me these ships are getting better all the time.’

‘I keep having to remind myself I’m on a ship at all,’ said Emilia with a smile.

‘I know just what you mean. It’s got so many libraries and cafés, it’s like being in a town instead of on a ship. But it’s a good thing I’ve found you in at last.  I’ve been wanting to talk to you,’ said Mrs Latimer.

She broke off as the stewardess entered with a tray of coffee. The coffee was in a silver coffee pot, and next to it were cups and saucers, a cream jug and sugar bowl, all in fine Crown Derby china.

‘Will there be anything else, miss?’ asked Mrs McLaren.

‘No, thank you,’ said Emilia. ‘That will be all.’

Once Mrs McLaren had gone, Emilia poured out two cups of coffee.

When both ladies had taken a sip, Mrs Latimer said, ‘Do you know, it’s a good thing you came into my cabin on Thursday and said that Dr Allerton was a fraud. I didn’t have a chance to thank you properly over dinner, what with Mr Ismay and Mr Andrews being there, but it’s made a big difference to my life. Carl’s got rid of the doctor, and I can do as I like. I can’t remember when I had such a good time.’

They fell easily into conversation about
Titanic
and all the wonderful things there were to do on board. The conversation then progressed to Mrs Latimer’s life in
New York
, and the difficulty she had had in fitting in to her new circumstances in life before she had settled and started to enjoy herself as much as her low spirits had allowed.

‘I’m very proud of Carl,’ she said, ‘but it was hard making friends in a new place, especially when I’d never been anywhere so grand in all my life. I liked my terrace house, but Carl wanted me to have something better. Not that I’m complaining, but I didn’t think it was better myself. There was always something going on and everyone was always so neighbourly when we lived in
Southampton
. We helped each other. We had to. Things were hard. Then away we went to
America
and it was all very different. I never had to go shopping or make the meals. It was easy, but it was lonely.’

Emilia could well imagine it.

When she had been growing up she had lived in a  lovely big house, but it had been in a small village where everyone knew everyone, and where the same families had lived for generations. Then, when she had moved to
Southampton
, she and Aunt Clem had lived in a terrace house where neighbourliness had been the rule. But to go to live in a big house in a large community, not knowing anyone, must have been difficult.

‘Well of course I tried to get to know the neighbours,’ said Mrs Latimer, ‘but they pretended they weren’t in and didn’t come to see me. Well, all except one of them. She used to come and see me.’

‘That was nice of her,’ said Emilia encouragingly.

‘Well, no, it wasn’t.’ Mrs Latimer pulled a face. ‘In all my life I’d never met anyone like her, and a good thing, too. She wanted to make me squirm. She asked me how I was feeling, and pretended to be friendly, but really she came to tell me I wasn’t one of her sort. "You were a lot more comfortable in your last house, I’m sure," she said to me. Well, it was true, but I wasn’t going to tell her so. "It’s so difficult to move out of ones own sphere in life", she said. "I expect you don’t know what to do with yourself. It must be so difficult if you don’t play the piano, or paint, or sketch. You must wish you were still scrubbing floors".’

‘The cheek!’ exclaimed Emilia.

Mrs Latimer nodded.

‘Well of course you’re right, dear, but I was feeling so low I let her get away with it.’

‘She sounds dreadful,’ said Emilia in disgust.

‘That’s about the size of it,’ Mrs Latimer agreed. ‘She used to tell me about her Evelyn - how beautiful she was, how clever, how all the men were wild for her - then ask about my own girls and saying, "How quaint," when I told her how they were doing, or something even worse. I told her how happy Vicky was, always singing around the house, and do you know what she said? "I had a maid who used to do that. Of course, I trained her out of it in the end".’

‘What a monster!’ said Emilia, torn between outrage and laughter.

Mrs Latimer chuckled, then shook her head. ‘I shouldn’t have let her get under my skin. It’s made me . . . ’

Emilia looked at her enquiringly.

‘Well, It’s made me do something I shouldn’t have,’ said Mrs Latimer, looking sheepish.

‘I don’t believe you could ever do anything you shouldn’t,’ said Emilia reassuringly. She had warmed to Mrs Latimer, and was enjoying their conversation.

‘You’re a good girl, but I have, all the same. As soon as she heard Carl was taking me to
Europe
she paid me a visit and started giving me orders. "Evelyn loves Maison Worth" she said to me. "Charles Worth is a couturier,’ she said, like she was talking to a child. "Yes, I know who Charles Worth is," I snapped back at her. "As  a matter of fact I bought one of his frocks for Vicky the last time I was over there." Frocks?" she said, like she didn’t know what I was talking about. "Oh, you mean gowns." Now would you believe it, she ended by telling me I could bring some Worth gowns back for her Evelyn, without ever a please or a thank you.’

‘Well!’ exclaimed Emilia.

Mrs Latimer nodded her head.

‘That’s just how I felt. But I was feeling low and so I didn’t say anything. Well, away we went to
Europe
. Carl thought it would do me good. And it might have done, if I’d gone out and enjoyed myself, but I stayed in hotel rooms most of the time.’ She shook her head. ‘Anyway, when we got to
Paris
, Carl made them bring some frocks to the hotel so I could look them over. He wanted to buy some for his sisters. He’s always been so good to them. He’s always been good to us all. Well, I chose some frocks for my girls, all right. And then I did a mean thing.’

‘ I suppose you didn’t buy Evelyn a gown,’ said Emilia. ‘But then, why should you? It’s not as if you’d offered to buy her one.’

Mrs Latimer pursed her lips.

‘You’ll think me a very wicked old woman,’ she said, ‘but I did something worse. I did buy her one, a lovely frock, the prettiest in the whole collection.’

‘I hardly see why that’s mean,’ said Emilia confused.

There was a twinkle in Mrs Latimer’s eye.

‘Well, now,’ she said, trying to suppress her laughter, ‘I bought the wrong size so it wouldn’t fit her! Evelyn’s a beefy girl, and it’s far too small! I shouldn’t be laughing,’ said Mrs Latimer, tears running down her cheeks. ‘It wasn’t a nice thing to do, and it will be even worse to give it to her, knowing she won’t be able to get it on! I really can’t do it, even thought it cheered me up just to think of it at the time.’ She sobered. ‘I don’t like the waste, though. I’ve been poor long enough to know it’s a sin to be wasteful.’

‘Can’t you give the gown to one of your daughters?’ asked Emilia. ‘I’m sure they’d like it.’

Mrs Latimer shook her head. ‘It’s too small for them as well,’ she said. ‘They’re fine girls, but well made. They’re not beefy like Julia, but they’ve got broad shoulders and fine bosoms. They’re not little sylphs like you.’

Her expression suddenly changed, becoming thoughtful. ‘Well, do you know, it would be just the thing for you,’ she said, as though she’d just thought of it. She brightened. ‘That’s it. I’ll give it to you.’