The shipbuilder's daughter

Into the snake pit

Lily took a nap for a few hours and even skipped lunch. She needed to rest in order to calm down and fix her mind after all these painful emotions. When she wakes up, she's surprised to see how long she had slept. She now feels a bit better. She decides to leave her cabin to take a walk on the deck: she needs some fresh air.

While walking, she passes by Mr Formosa who sits on a bench. He's looking at the ocean and seems being lost in his thoughts. She decides to take a seat next to him. « Hello again » she simply says. Her voice sounds sad though. Formosa notices it. « Is everything fine, Lily? » he asks. « Well, not really. But that's not the point. Actually, I've been considering your proposal » she says. Mr Formosa looks very surprised: « Have you? ». « Yes, I have. I'm thinking about accepting it » she adds. « What made you change your mind? » he asks, a little perplexe. « Don't get me wrong, but I have a feeling that you might accept for the wrong reasons » he explains. Lily leans on the back of the bench and crosses her arms. She was not comfortable opening up, but since he had the courage to make a real confession himself, she thought she should do the same. She sighs: « For a brief moment, I thought that I had found someone to whom I could open my heart ». She winces as she finishes her sentence, she's not used to being so romantic. « But obviously, I was mistaken it. So I don't see what would keep me from accepting your offer » she adds.

« Are we talking about the man I saw you with two days ago? » Mr Formosa asks then. Lily frowns but remains silent. « I'll take this as an affirmation » he adds with a smirk. « Third-class passenger, then? Lily Andrews, you really are a surprising woman. And I would be honored to become your husband, but I don't think this is the right thing to do. To pretend otherwise would be selfish ». Lily sits up. She had not expected this answer. « Do you mean you no longer wish to marry me? » she asks. Formosa smiles fondly: « I mean that I would love to, but I think it would deprive you of your happiness. My only advice, for what it's worth, would be not to give up. If, for the first time in your life, a man makes your heart beat... Well, you must fight for him » he tells.

Lily listens carefully to Mr. Formosa. All her life so far, she has been fighting for what she believes in. For the dreams she pursues. She had never given up. Against all odds, she never cared about what people thought. She never lost sight of what she really wanted. Maybe Mr. Formosa was right. She has to fight for this budding love, even if it's a feeling she had never experienced before. Maybe that was even the best reason.

« Listen, if it turns out that this love is truly doomed and if by the time we get to New York you are absolutely certain that it is an impossible love, we'll consider our future together » Mr Formosa adds, interrupting her thoughts. « But I sincerely hope you won't give up until then ». Lily nods in agreement. She turns her head to him and smiles warmly. « You truly are a wise and kind man, Mr Formosa » she says. Formosa smiles in turn. « This world cannot stop you from offering yourself to the man who fills your heart with joy ».

« Thank you for those comforting words » Lily says as she stands up. « My pleasure » Formosa answers. « I have to leave you, unfortunately. I have work to do. But I will think about your wise speech » she adds.

As she leaves Mr Formosa, Lily thinks about the fact that Jack and Rose were probably walking around on the first class deck. Obviously, she prefers to avoid them at all costs. So she decides not to hang around. Unfortunately, she couldn't go around in third class either, at the risk of running into Tommy. The situation being extremely delicate, she does not want to cross paths with him or it will make it even more awkward.

So Lily thinks it might be time to go down to the engine room. Indeed, the men who work downstairs also have the right to speak. She wanted to know if everything was going well and if the engine room needed any modifications.