The World Over

Granddad Smith

Chapter Eighteen

            Granddad Smith

Gerald (Edith’s Dad)’s POV

     How dare that man come up to me and claim that my daughter is alive! And to rub salt into the wounds, he tells me that she is marrying a first class man! My daughter would do no such things!

      “Who was that man?” Harriet asked, looking up at me, she had always looked like Edith, even though I will not ever see my daughter again, Harriet always looked like her when she was a young child, and I could not see Edith changing her appearance much before dying.

       “I do not know, but he was a bad man.” I told her.

              “Why was he a bad man?” Peter, Harriet’s twin brother asked. He had dropped his hands down to his sides and stopped playing hand games with his sister.

     “Because he lied about something terrible.” I replied. “Now go back to playing and stop asking questions that do not concern you.” I ordered and they obeyed straight away, like they always did and I sat on the stool at the table, lost in my own thoughts about everything. How did that man know my name and get hold of that photograph?

     I sighed. Alice wandered out of the room this morning when I was waking the children up and she has been gone since, I was going to look for her after we had dinner, but he had come and I was too annoyed and angry to try and find her on this huge ship.

    “Two seconds.” I told the twins before wandering over to one of the staff that was supervising. “Sir, do you know if there is an Edith Smith on board?” I asked, wanting to try and stop myself from going insane. Lord Darlington and his daughter definitely told me that Edith had drowned in the river, and I do not see any reason for them to lie to me.

     He shook his head. “I cannot tell you sorry.” He spoke, like he had some sort of authority over me, making me feel ridiculed.

     “Look here! I do not care that I am a third class passenger! I fought in both Boer Wars and want to know if my daughter is on this ship!” I ranted. “No please could you tell me, is there an Edith Smith on board?” I asked more calmly.

     His eyes were as wide as saucers as he nodded his head. “I will find out now for you sir.” He replied before disappearing. My officer status in the army, must be rubbing off on him. I smiled as I sat down at an empty table near to where he was stood.

     A few moments later, he came back with a scared expression on his face. “Sir there is no Edith Smith on this ship.” He told me gravely. “Did you get the name correct?”

    “Yes!” I snapped. “I know my own daughter’s name.”

    “Sorry then sir.”  He finished. I thanked him before wandering back over to the twins.

           “Come on you two, we need to get back to our cabin.” I told them and they followed behind me slowly as I guided the way.

    Once we were there, I unlocked the cabin door and sat down on one of the bottom bunks, Harriet joining me. I smiled down at her before watching Peter struggle to get onto the top bunk, making me smile even more. “Father, do you know where mother is?” Harriet asked and I shook my head.

    “I do not; she went for a walk this morning.” I replied. “Now stop asking questions and go and play with your brother,” I told her and after she sat there sulking for a few moments, she got up and shuffled onto the bunk next to her brother. I got my book from under the covers and laid down, opening it up. Before I could even read one word, her laugh sounded throughout the room.