The shipbuilder's daughter

April 10th, 1912

"Okay, let's go" Lily says. What is your name and in which class are you boarding? "I'm Tommy Ryan and I'm a third class passenger" he replies. "What do you think of the boarding conditions? Tommy glanced around, before turning his attention back to Lily. "Not bad at all. I'm not used to travelling, but I can say I've been in worse! Everyone seems happy with it". Lily scribbles a few words, before continuing: "And what do you think of the health inspection? Do you find it degrading?" She was speaking in the straightforward way she always did. It's precisely for this reason that she's dealing with the third class and not the first one, to which her father's tact was more suited. "I don't know", Tommy replied. Lily looks up at him, a little surprised. She was not offended by his answer, but genuinely intrigued. So far, none of the other third-class passengers had responded in anything but a positive way. "What do you mean by that?" she asks, curious to investigate this answer further. A little worried that he may have been too sincere, Tommy lifts his bowler hat to mechanically run a hand through his curls, before replacing his headgear. "Well... I can understand doing that, because that's how it works. But it's not necessary, I mean, we're not animals, you know. Just because I have a third class ticket doesn't mean I'm a wild, dirty beast, whose hygiene needs to be checked", he finally replied, hoping he hadn't gone too far.

Lily, writing about what she had just heard, remains silent for a few seconds, which seemed an extremely long time for Tommy.

"You're right" she finally says, her words sounding like a relief to him. "Thank you very much, Mr. Ryan" Lily adds, giving him another smile. "You're welcome" he replies. Lily was about to continue her walk, when she felt the man's hand gently take her arm to hold her back. "Forgive me, but I'd really like to know your name" he asks in a rush that even surprised him. He knew that this was not a way to behave with a woman of her rank, but he couldn't help asking her.

She turns around and with a last smile, she replies: "Lily Andrews".

❇

It is midday and the Titanic is finally sailing away. Lily has joined her father after reviewing the second class boarding, which went as well as the third class. After a quick comparison of notes, they settle into their cabin. Lily and her father occupy two different cabins, next to each other, not far from the grand wooden staircase, one of the wonders on the Titanic.

As she puts her things away in her wardrobe, Lily thinks of the man she had interviewed on the docks. She smiles as she remembers his answer.

Then someone knocks on her door, it's Thomas Andrews. "Come in" Lily quickly answers, before walking over to him and giving him a hug. Andrews returns his daughter's embrace, then kisses her on the forehead.

"Your help was invaluable today. You can't imagine how proud I am of the woman you have become" Thomas confides, looking into her eyes.

"It's going to get a little more complicated when we're with them" Lily replies, implicitly referring to the other first class passengers they'll be dealing with during this trip.

Indeed, if the third class passengers are surprised by Lily, the first class passengers are simply shocked. Many could not understand how Thomas Andrews would allow his daughter to act and dress in such a way.

Thomas releases a small smile, rolling his eyes. "What, am I not right?". Lily looked a little concerned. "Aren't you tired of hearing them criticize my choices or keep saying that a woman in trousers is infamy?"

"You can't decently work wearing a dress, that's a fact" replied Thomas. "I can't decently work at all, they say. A young woman doesn't work, Papa. She's being courted and has to wait for the best proposal her rank could allow her to get" Lily argued.

"Indeed, that is how this world works. But you have decided to take a different path and I don't see any problem with that" said Thomas. "You don't?" replies Lily, before pausing. She sighs: "It's going to be even more complicated now that the news has spread around their little world. You might hear about it". Lily was here mentioning an episode that happened last summer. A young man named Jonathan Dashwood had eyes only for her. This had been going on for quite some time and, seeing that he was sincere, Lily felt that she had to make him understand that it was not mutual and that she could not give him her love. Jonathan had become very self-conscious and depressed, trying to find out what the problem was and what he needed to change in order to gain Lily's favour.

But Lily could not bring herself to watch this kind and sincere young man mope around forever, so she decided to tell him the truth. She didn't want to marry him or anyone else. She had chosen her career. She already knew that a husband would expect from her to stop all her activities, so that she could concentrate on her new "job": being a loving wife. 

In his sadness, Jonathan felt the need to discuss this with his sister Lucy. Unfortunately, Lucy Dashwood was not as benevolent as her elder brother, and she was quick to tell the whole of high society that the shipbuilder's daughter Lily Andrews intended never to marry anyone, preferring to work for her whole life like a man.

It didn't take long for all those people to start gossiping about the Andrews, even more than they already were.

Mr Andrews had been very saddened by this, not because he was worried about his reputation, but mainly because he had found very hard bearing the fact that his daughter was still the subject of contemptuous gossip.

"I thought this whole masquerade was just a passing thing and that he was letting it happen to help her get over her mother's disappearance" some said. "It was obvious that she would stop this childishness when she'll finally meet her husband, but now it's surely not going to happen" others said. On the other hand, even though Lily could handle all these comments more or less easily, she sometimes finds herself very confused as well.

"My Lilybug" Thomas began. "You are and will remain my greatest achievement. And even if our nerves are sometimes tested, those people will never change my mind. I wouldn't have wanted you to be any different" he said in a confident and more than comforting tone.

He had just closed this conversation with a masterful hand. What could she say to those words? Lily smiled and turned to pick up her coat, before taking her father by the arm and walking towards the door of the cabin. Now it was time for them to go and share a quick talk with their « fellows ».