The Light in the Darkness 2 by Carla Louise Robinson

Author:Carla Louise Robinson [Robinson, Carla Louise]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-04-13T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Forty-Two

Monday, April 15th, 1912

Hazel

Several of the Gresham servants, including Nellie, had already boarded the lifeboats. They’d been sent first, with a lot of the Gresham’s family money and jewels “for safekeeping”. Hazel didn’t understand; no one in the entire party believed the ship was sinking, and there was nothing she could conjure that would sink a liner. She didn’t know why anyone would think that such a ship would sink, even if she could feel the tilt on the boat deck. Hazel knew that the White Star Line’s service was impeccable. She’d heard Albert repeatedly boast of the fact that only two lives had been lost in several years, and he thought them to be crew or steerage (similar in Albert’s mind, unless the crewman happened to be an officer or the Captain). He’d spoken fondly of how Jack Binns had saved everyone on the Republic; the Marconi operating system had been able to call to nearby vessels, with all the passengers able to transfer safely. And, she’d heard Albert say, that had been in 1909; three years had passed since then, and the Titanic’s Marconi system was even superior to her sister ship’s.

Hazel was also aware this was information Albert had only learned once boarding the Titanic – likely over a dinner conversation where he found himself with the ship’s Captain or someone of his ilk. Though Albert would likely believe anyone after enough brandies and cigars; for a man so punctilious, he sure was gullible.

Hazel, however, was to accompany Lady Eleonora and Lady Eliana, who were preparing to board a lifeboat. They hadn’t found Lady Cecilia yet; she wondered why Lady Cecilia’s family were so obtuse. Did they not really consider than she had run off, to be with Mr Henry Hamilton? Albert looked pale, however, and was kinder than usual, leaving Hazel with a wretched feeling in her gut. Albert wasn’t a man known for kindness, and in her years as a servant for the Greshams, something she seldom witnessed. She knew he’d spoken with both Mr Ismay and Mr Andrews at some point, and she wasn’t sure if the conversation he had was satisfactory. Perhaps Mr Ismay had informed him that the damages would cause a significant delay, making their planned arrival in New York on Wednesday impossible. If Albert had to force Lady Cecilia to remain a prisoner in her own room for longer than a few more nights, he might be worried that she would truly defy him. Hazel knew that he firmly believed that once docked, and after Lady Cecilia became acquainted with the Vanderbilt boy, she would return the lad’s affections. She wondered if Albert understood anything about love; for all Hazel knew, the boy didn’t care for Lady Cecilia. Though, she had heard through Her Lady that the boy, Thomas, had bought a puppy for the Gresham family’s arrival. Apparently, Lady Cecilia had written him, speaking of her unhappiness, and Thomas has resolved to ensure that her arrival in New York was pleasant in every possible way.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.