Cold All the Way Through, But Warming

The Business of Pleasure

"Mr. Perry seems awfully invested in this race coming up."

"More than likely he is literally invested, from what I heard the losers must send the victors a selection of fine champagnes. Purchased with their own accounts." I gave Will's hand a squeeze, wishing that I had left off my gloves so I could actually feel his skin under my fingers. "You're going to be in society now, you must accustom yourself to this."

"I am going to be on a ship, and leave you to handle all of that." Will shook his head, "Such foolishness, a waste of money. And it's not as if they are going to develop some new method of shipbuilding with their little boats."

"Then simply tell Mr. Perry you prefer steam to sail," I watched his brow furrow, "I am sure he will leave you alone after that."

"Well, I shall have to stop and pick up my pipe before then. It will give me a chance to send you off to tea with the ladies." He slipped his hand into his jacket, pulling out my book. "Perhaps you'd care to have me read another chapter before then?"

"What about poetry?"

Will handed me down into a chair, taking a seat next to me. "Poetry is for night like last night, when all you want is to be warm and safe with the one you love." He leaned closer, his lips ghosting over my ear and sending a chill down my spine. "Besides, listening to you read poetry, you're irresistible my dear. And you wouldn't like to make those sounds out here on deck, would you?"

My fingers were digging into my palms, "God Will, just read." He wound up making it through three chapters, although he kept griping through the story. It was after one of these asides that I plucked the book from his hands, "Just because Verne hadn't seen as much of the sea as you doesn't mean it can't be a fun story."

"Well, you are welcome to enjoy it." Will stood, helping me up. "It's about time for tea, which means I am off to the smoking room."

I couldn't help but smirk at the flatness of his voice. "Hmm, which is the worse fate; to read a book to your fiancée or to suffer through society?"

"Society, obviously." He snorted, "But I could use a pipeful of tobacco at the moment, if only to give me something to do." It took him only a moment to collect his pipe from his bag, and he quickly had me back to the lounge. It had been set up for tea, finely dressed ladies already gossiping over finger sandwiches. I felt out of place in my shirtwaist, seeing all the fine silks and laces on display, but I gave Will a smile as he left me with a kiss on the cheek. "I'll be back for you after tea. Don't wander off, you make me worry when you do that."

I gave his hand a squeeze, "Where could I wander off to Will?"

"Knowing you, the engine rooms, the cargo holds, I might even find you stoking a furnace." Will chuckled as he turned, heading for the small smoking room on the other side of the ship. I quickly found Constance, who was kind enough to invite me to join her table. The names of the other women ran right through my mind, and I tried to focus on piling a few sweets onto my plate as they set to chatting.

As usual for a crossing, shipboard gossip was the main form of entertainment at tea. A woman in second class had been spotted going off with a man, not her husband, last night. A ladies maid had shown up hungover this morning, trying to pass it off as seasickness. But one piece of gossip made my spoon clatter against my cup, my fingers stilling. "To think that there is a man of the working class, traveling among us here in first." One of the ladies batted her eyes over her tea. "And that he was at the helm of the Titanic!"

"Maud, wherever did you hear that?" A lady spoke up from the far end.

Maud fairly preened, "Our dear Mrs. Perry remembered him just this morning, from the papers in New York. He was in them for months!"