Cold All the Way Through, But Warming

Breakfast and Society Tea

"It wouldn't have been right to leave you like that." Will said, his voice gentle. "Besides, I just couldn't stand to see you that way. Not over him."

"Yes, well, I'm afraid I was a bit more upset at myself."

"That's foolish." Will placed his cap on an unoccupied chair before continuing. "You did nothing wrong, he was the one who acted beyond what he should have." I could see him bite his lip before muttering, "If only I could have grabbed the Master-At-Arms from what he was doing."

"Pardon?"

"There was an incident last night that necessitated the Master-At-Arms to intervene. After I left you I went to go find him to determine if something could be done about your situation but he was attending to that, so I was unable to."

I leaned forward, "That was nice of you, but tell me, what happened? Nothing serious, I hope."

Will cast a glance around, pitching his voice low so that I had to lean even further in. "Miss DeWitt Bukater and a steerage passenger were caught on the stern deck. She said he saved her when she fell over the railing while looking at the screws, but from what I hear he was found on top of her, lying on the deck, with his shoes and jacket removed."

"No, you must be joking." I couldn't help the little gasp. An engaged society woman, possibly about to be violated by a steerage passenger and she invents a whole rescue story? By God, was he actually trying to force himself? Or did she actually fall and almost die? It made what happened to me last night seem so trivial by comparison. An unwanted dance had sent me quivering like a jelly.

"I hear they even invited him to dine here tonight." Will grinned, "You'll have to give me a report on how everything goes, the other officers are quite curious about what exactly went on." Our waiter then showed up with the food and conversation fell by the wayside as we set to. The steward paced a bowl of oatmeal and a plate of smoked salmon in front of Will, with a glass of orange juice. My order wound up taking up the majority of the table; bacon, grilled sausage, fried eggs, cornbread and honey, with a glass of milk.

Will looked up from his oatmeal. "Will you eat all of that?"

I had already polished off the plate of bacon, "Oh yes, I quite enjoy breakfast."

"I'm amazed you can eat anything the rest of the day."

"Sometimes I forget to eat lunch, so I find it better to eat a large breakfast." I swallowed before smiling at him, reaching for the fried eggs. Delicious, perfectly seasoned and they went well with the grilled sausage I paired them with on my fork. I saved the cornbread for the last, sopping up the last bit of honey with it. The steward fairly goggled when he came back to our table, plates clean and stacked for him. We sat for a few more moments, and I almost fell asleep before I heard Will's chair move back.

"I hate to interrupt your nap, but my watch begins soon. Shall we?"

I took his arm, "That is the drawback to a large breakfast, all you want to do is go back to sleep." He gave a laugh at that,

When we reached the boat deck, a ways away from the officer's promenade where I could see Mother waiting, I pulled Will aside. "I think I am going use your method to help myself avoid a re-occurrance of my spell last night."

"My method?"

"Distraction, I shall find various tasks to distract myself all day and keep my mind away from thinking about it. I shall write a letter, and take tea, and read a book. And perhaps a nap."

"And if your unwanted admirer shows himself?"

"Well, I certainly won't invent some story about him rescuing me while I was looking at the propellers. I shall find my parents, my Father specifically, or run to my cabin and shut myself in." I tried to sound confident, to be sure of myself.