The Olympian Sisters #3 The Gilded Age

Chapter 27

SOUTHAMPTON ENGLAND AUGUST 27 1928 "MAURETANIA"

I waited impatiently for the lines to be tossed. "Hurry up! Hurry up!" I grumbled. "Patience Mauretania, we'll be underway soon and then you can go as fast as you want." Captain McNeil said. "Fine!" I huffed.

Four years earlier, I had lost the Blue Riband to the German liner Bremen. I had owned the thing since 1906 and it was family to me. I felt empty without it flying at my masthead. I still had the eastbound Riband but it was only a matter of time before Bremen claimed that too. "I'll get her, I'll get her." I muttered.

I tensed like a racehorse in the starting gate, ready to break as soon as the bell rang.

At last, the lines were tossed and I was underway. "You mark the starting time down?" I asked. He nodded. "12 noon exactly." He said. I didn't wait for the tugs to start maneuvering me, I started my engines and began dragging them along behind me. Their captains shouted curses at me and quickly dropped the lines. I shot away like a slingshot.

"Yes!" I screamed and raced away to recapture the Blue Riband. A few hours later, I stopped at Cherbourg. Bremen was there, picking up passengers. "How long did it take you to reach Cherbourg?" I asked. "About 5 hours, why?" She asked. My time so far had been 5 hours. I didn't answer, I just looked hopefully at the Blue Riband that fluttered from her masthead.

"Ah, you want it eh?" She asked, amusement entering her voice. "I held that thing for 22 years. It's mine and I want it back." I replied and as soon as my passengers were aboard I whirled around and raced off. "Good luck, Maury!" Bremen called from behind me.

I gave her a blast on my whistle in acknowledgement before continuing on at 27 knots for Ireland. A huge crowd awaited my arrival as I pulled into the harbor at Queenstown. "You go Maury!" The two tenders cried. "You can do it!" I grinned. "Thank you." I replied and once everyone was aboard, I left Ireland behind as I continued on across the Atlantic.

The weather was perfect and without ports of call to slow me down, I quickly surpassed Bremen's time. But just a half a day from New York, a wall of fog blocked my way. I was torn with indecision. There was no danger of icebergs at this time of year but there were rocks and other ships to worry about. Not wanting another Titanic, I slowed down, knowing I had lost the race.

I bowed my head. "You did your best, Maury." Captain McNeil said. I nodded. I pulled into New York that morning, four hours late. Arizona was waiting for me as I rounded the southwest spit.

"If it wasn't for that damned fog, you would've beaten her. You should be proud of yourself, Maury, after 23 years of service, your speed and brand new Bremen's differed by little more than half a knot." She said. "Thank you, Arizona." I said. She dipped her head and disappeared back into the navy yard.

Olympic was at her berth, watching me dock. "You're late." She said. I winced. "I tried." I moaned. She reached over to nuzzle me. "You did more than what was expected of you." She murmured.

I'd lost the Blue Riband but my attempt didn't go unnoticed. It wasn't long before a camera crew came to interview the crew at a local hotel.

"She did her very best and I'm very proud of her." Captain McNeil said. "We gave it our best shot but came up short, even so, I'm glad for the opportunity." There was a microphone placed in the bridge so I could hear all that was being said.

"Now say goodnight, Maury like the good girl you are." He ordered. Smiling, I gave 3 loud blasts on my whistle and my voice was heard all throughout America and the world. I got answering calls from the ships in the harbor. "Three cheers for Mauretania!" Arizona called. "Hip, hip hooray! Hip, hip hooray! Hip, hip hooray!" They all cried.

I was overcome with emotion. Tears spilled from my hazel eyes. "Thank you, all of you." I managed to choke out. Olympic smiled and brushed her bow along my side.

There was a slight breeze and on it I heard my sister's voice, tinged with unmistakable pride. "Well done, Maury! Well done!" She said. I closed my eyes. "Thank you, Lucy." I whispered.

I arrived back in Southampton a few days later and the news came. Bremen had taken the eastbound Blue Riband. I watched as it was lowered from my mast for the first time in 22 years. It was cased and prepared for its new home. "Goodbye." I whispered as it was loaded onto a truck and taken away.

Then turning away, I cried as the loss overcame my control.