exhausted.
“Edwina Winfield,” she managed to say as she watched the other survivors being slowly raised to the deck just as she had been only moments before. And they still had more lifeboats to reach and she was praying the others would be in them.
“And your children, Mrs. Winfield?”
“My … I … oh …” She realized suddenly who they meant. “They’re my brothers and sister. George Winfield, Frances, and Theodore.”
“Were you traveling with anyone else?” Someone handed her a mug of steaming tea, and she could feel dozens of eyes on her as her pale blue evening dress fluttered in the wind, and she warmed her hands on the steaming mug as she answered.
“I was … I am traveling with my parents. Mr. and Mrs. Bertram Winfield of San Francisco, my brother Phillip, as well, and my sister Alexis. And my fiancé, Mr. Charles Fitzgerald.”
“Do you have any idea where the others are?” the stewardess asked sympathetically as she ushered Edwina into the main dining saloon, which had been turned into a hospital and lounge for the
Titanic’
s survivors.
“I don’t know …” Edwina looked at her, with tears filling her eyes. “I think they must have gotten into another lifeboat. My mother was looking for my younger sister when we left … and … I thought … there was a little girl in our boat, and at first I thought …”She couldn’t go on, and with tears in her own eyes, the stewardess patted her shoulder and waited. There were a number of others in the dining saloon by then, women who were shivering or vomiting, or simply crying, their hands torn to shreds by the rowing and the cold. And the children all seemed to be huddled in one spot, with huge, frightened eyes, many of them crying quietly, as they watched their mothers and mourned their fathers. “Will you help me look for them, please?” She turned huge blue eyes to the stewardess again, while still glancing at George frequently, but for once, he wasn’t a problem. Teddy was being looked at by a nurse, he was still stunned by the cold, but he was beginning to cry now and his face was no longer quite so blue, and little Fannie now clung to Edwina’s skirts in silent terror. “I want Mama …” she cried softly as the stewardess left them to speak to some of the others, but she promised to come back as soon as she could, and to tell Edwina if there was news of her parents.
And now, boat after boat was being reached, even the four that had been tied together. The men in collapsible B had been rescued long since by lifeboat number twelve, and it was here that Jack Thayer finally wound up, but when they took him off the overturned canvas boat that was sinking fast, he was too exhausted to notice anyone else in the boat. His own mother was in number four, tied up right next to him, and he didn’t even see her, nor she him. Everyone was exhausted and cold and intent on his or her own survival.
Edwina left the two younger children with George, still drinking hot chocolate, and went out on the deck to watch the rescue operations. There were several other women from the
Titanic
standing there, and among them, Madeleine Astor. She had little hope that her husband had managed to get off after she left, and yet she had to see the survivors boarding from the lifeboats.Just in case … she couldn’t bear the thought that she had lost him. Just as Edwina prayed that she would see a familiar face coming from the lifeboats now. She stood high up, at the rail, watching as the men climbed the rope ladder, and the women came up in the swing, and the children in the mail sack, although some of the men were too tired to climb, and their hands were all so cold they could hardly hold the rope now. But what Edwina noticed most of all was the eerie silence. No one spoke, no one made a sound. They were all too deeply moved by what they had seen, too cold and too afraid, and too badly shaken. Even the children seldom cried, except for the occasional wail of
“Edwina Winfield,” she managed to say as she watched the other survivors being slowly raised to the deck just as she had been only moments before. And they still had more lifeboats to reach and she was praying the others would be in them.
“And your children, Mrs. Winfield?”
“My … I … oh …” She realized suddenly who they meant. “They’re my brothers and sister. George Winfield, Frances, and Theodore.”
“Were you traveling with anyone else?” Someone handed her a mug of steaming tea, and she could feel dozens of eyes on her as her pale blue evening dress fluttered in the wind, and she warmed her hands on the steaming mug as she answered.
“I was … I am traveling with my parents. Mr. and Mrs. Bertram Winfield of San Francisco, my brother Phillip, as well, and my sister Alexis. And my fiancé, Mr. Charles Fitzgerald.”
“Do you have any idea where the others are?” the stewardess asked sympathetically as she ushered Edwina into the main dining saloon, which had been turned into a hospital and lounge for the
Titanic’
s survivors.
“I don’t know …” Edwina looked at her, with tears filling her eyes. “I think they must have gotten into another lifeboat. My mother was looking for my younger sister when we left … and … I thought … there was a little girl in our boat, and at first I thought …”She couldn’t go on, and with tears in her own eyes, the stewardess patted her shoulder and waited. There were a number of others in the dining saloon by then, women who were shivering or vomiting, or simply crying, their hands torn to shreds by the rowing and the cold. And the children all seemed to be huddled in one spot, with huge, frightened eyes, many of them crying quietly, as they watched their mothers and mourned their fathers. “Will you help me look for them, please?” She turned huge blue eyes to the stewardess again, while still glancing at George frequently, but for once, he wasn’t a problem. Teddy was being looked at by a nurse, he was still stunned by the cold, but he was beginning to cry now and his face was no longer quite so blue, and little Fannie now clung to Edwina’s skirts in silent terror. “I want Mama …” she cried softly as the stewardess left them to speak to some of the others, but she promised to come back as soon as she could, and to tell Edwina if there was news of her parents.
And now, boat after boat was being reached, even the four that had been tied together. The men in collapsible B had been rescued long since by lifeboat number twelve, and it was here that Jack Thayer finally wound up, but when they took him off the overturned canvas boat that was sinking fast, he was too exhausted to notice anyone else in the boat. His own mother was in number four, tied up right next to him, and he didn’t even see her, nor she him. Everyone was exhausted and cold and intent on his or her own survival.
Edwina left the two younger children with George, still drinking hot chocolate, and went out on the deck to watch the rescue operations. There were several other women from the
Titanic
standing there, and among them, Madeleine Astor. She had little hope that her husband had managed to get off after she left, and yet she had to see the survivors boarding from the lifeboats.Just in case … she couldn’t bear the thought that she had lost him. Just as Edwina prayed that she would see a familiar face coming from the lifeboats now. She stood high up, at the rail, watching as the men climbed the rope ladder, and the women came up in the swing, and the children in the mail sack, although some of the men were too tired to climb, and their hands were all so cold they could hardly hold the rope now. But what Edwina noticed most of all was the eerie silence. No one spoke, no one made a sound. They were all too deeply moved by what they had seen, too cold and too afraid, and too badly shaken. Even the children seldom cried, except for the occasional wail of
Similar Books
