Unsinkable

Hard to Starboard!

*NSFW*

April 14, 1912
6:30pm

Beth and Arthur managed to sneak back inside, while the others were still at dinner. Beth wanted to show Arthur her quarters and to ask him a very important question, which up until now, she didn't know she was going to ask.

"Wow." Arthur whistled, looking around.

"What's that?"

"It's nice."

"Oh," She breathed a laugh."I guess so, I could live without it."

Arthur followed Beth down a long hallway off the sitting room, which then lead into a closet. There was a desk, a mirror, some coats and travelling trunks. This was not a typical closet.

Beth walked over to the desk where a green safe sat and began fiddling with the combination lock. Arthur stood back, not wanting to hover like a vulture.

When the safe was finally opened, it revealed stacks of money, some newspaper clippings, a gun and a black velvet box.

"Calvin insists on guarding this thing everywhere." She opened the box and picked up the necklace.

Arthur ran his thumb over the heart shaped necklace."It's nice, is it a diamond?"

"Yes, a very rare diamond," She breathed."...Arthur, I-I want you to draw me wearing this."

"I can do that."

"...wearing only this."

He glanced up at her unsure if he had heard right and when she didn't waver or change her mind, he gave a light nod - barely a nod at all. He was too stunned to really do anything else.

"But not here-" She added.

He shrugged."Then where?"

"I know a place with better lighting, seating, color - perfect for the Artist that you are."

He leaned in."The cargo hold?"

"No, even better than that," She grabbed a black robe that was draped over a chair, then took his hand."Follow me."

He followed her through the quarters, down another narrow hallway off the sitting room. Luckily for him, the black wool coat had an inside pocket, big enough for all of his charcoals and some paper. It beat sticking it up under his arm and running the risk of losing a pencil.

And much to his surprise, the ideal place for him to draw her was in was Calvin's quarters, which had an adjoining door. It shouldn't bother him that he was so close, he trusted that Beth wouldn't allow him in her room, but still, the idea of him being just down the hall from her didn't feel right to him.

"I'll be in the dressing room."

"I'll be here...gettin' my stuff out-" He ran his hand over his hair."Uh, you think we'll be expecting ol' Cal anytime soon?"

"Not as long as the cigars and brandy hold out."

Arthur shucked off his coat and placed his things down on the coffee table. He moved the couch around to his liking, then tossed the pillows around to make the couch look more comfortable. He sat down in the chair, opened up to a blank page and began sharpening his charcoals.

Beth changed into the black see through robe with the tassels, that Lady Lucille Gordon made for her before the trip. She would leave it as proof that she was there - after all, Calvin always insisted that she leave some of her things at his place.

She fluffed her hair in the mirror and gently draped the gaudy, heavy, sapphire around her neck.

When she emerged from Calvin's dressing room, Arthur looked up from sharpening his pencils. She leaned against the door frame, swinging the tassels around. And he couldnt help but smirk as he leaned back in the chair.