so….” She looked up at George then and pulled him close to her, and then Fannie, still bundled up in her blanket.
“When will Mama be here?” she wanted to know.
“Soon, my love … soon …” Edwina found herself choking on the words, as she watched the survivors continue to drift into the Grand Saloon of the
Carpathia
, looking dazed from their ordeal in the lifeboats.
And then, trying not to think of all they had lost, she picked up her baby brother and held him close, crying softly for the others.
Chapter 5
HE CAME UP THE LADDER WITH HANDS so FROZEN THAT HE could barely use them, but he refused to come up in the swing like a girl. He had been picked up by number twelve after he left collapsible D, and then he had lain on the floor of the lifeboat almost unconscious with exhaustion. But now, in some distant part of him he felt the exhilaration of being saved. Theirs was the last lifeboat in, and it was eight-thirty in the morning. He came up the ladder just before the crew, and a moment later he stood on the deck of the
Carpathia
with tears running down his cheeks, unable to believe what had happened to all of them. But he had made it. He had made it alone, without parents or sisters or brothers, and now he only prayed that they had made it too. And on shaking, frozen legs, he walked slowly into the dining saloon, and saw a sea of unfamiliar faces. Seven hundred and five people had survived, and more than fifteen hundred had died, but at that precise moment, the survivors lookedlike thousands to Phillip. He didn’t know where to begin looking for them, and it was fully an hour before he even saw Jack Thayer.
“Have you seen any of them, man?” He looked desperate, with his hair still damp, his eyes wild and black-circled. It was the worst thing that had ever happened to any of them, and probably ever would. And everywhere were half-dressed people in blankets and evening clothes and towels and nightgowns. They couldn’t seem to get away from it even now. They didn’t want to go away, or change, or leave each other, or even speak. They just wanted to find the people they had lost. And now they were all desperately looking through the crowd for familiar faces.
Jack Thayer nodded distractedly, but he was still looking for his own father. “Your sister is here somewhere. I saw her a while ago.” And then he smiled sadly. “I’m glad you made it.” The two boys embraced, and held each other for a long time, the tears they had yet to shed choking them now that they were safe on the
Carpathia
and the nightmare had finally ended, or almost.
And then as they parted, Phillip looked frightened again. Looking for the people he loved was frightening; the fear that they might not be there was almost overwhelming. “Were any of the others with her?”
“I don’t know …” Jack looked vague. “I think maybe a baby.” That would be Teddy … and the others? Phillip began to wander the crowd, and walked out on the deck, hoping to find her, and then finally, back in the saloon, he suddenly saw the back of her head, the dark hair, the slim shoulders, and George standing next to her with his head bowed. Oh, God, Phillip began to cry, as he pressed through the crowd and hurried toward her. And then without a word, as he reached her, he pulled her around, looking down into her eyes, andpulled her into his arms as she gave a gasp, and a sob, and began to cry.
“Oh, my God … Oh, Phillip … Oh, Phillip….” It was all she could say. She didn’t dare ask for any of the others. And everywhere around them, people who had been less fortunate were crying softly too. And it was a long time before he dared to ask the question.
“Who’s here with you?” He had seen George, and now he saw Fannie, concealed in her blanket just behind Edwina. And Teddy was lying on the floor, wrapped in blankets, in a makeshift cradle. “Is he alright?” Her eyes filled with tears again, and as she looked at Phillip, she shook
“When will Mama be here?” she wanted to know.
“Soon, my love … soon …” Edwina found herself choking on the words, as she watched the survivors continue to drift into the Grand Saloon of the
Carpathia
, looking dazed from their ordeal in the lifeboats.
And then, trying not to think of all they had lost, she picked up her baby brother and held him close, crying softly for the others.
Chapter 5
HE CAME UP THE LADDER WITH HANDS so FROZEN THAT HE could barely use them, but he refused to come up in the swing like a girl. He had been picked up by number twelve after he left collapsible D, and then he had lain on the floor of the lifeboat almost unconscious with exhaustion. But now, in some distant part of him he felt the exhilaration of being saved. Theirs was the last lifeboat in, and it was eight-thirty in the morning. He came up the ladder just before the crew, and a moment later he stood on the deck of the
Carpathia
with tears running down his cheeks, unable to believe what had happened to all of them. But he had made it. He had made it alone, without parents or sisters or brothers, and now he only prayed that they had made it too. And on shaking, frozen legs, he walked slowly into the dining saloon, and saw a sea of unfamiliar faces. Seven hundred and five people had survived, and more than fifteen hundred had died, but at that precise moment, the survivors lookedlike thousands to Phillip. He didn’t know where to begin looking for them, and it was fully an hour before he even saw Jack Thayer.
“Have you seen any of them, man?” He looked desperate, with his hair still damp, his eyes wild and black-circled. It was the worst thing that had ever happened to any of them, and probably ever would. And everywhere were half-dressed people in blankets and evening clothes and towels and nightgowns. They couldn’t seem to get away from it even now. They didn’t want to go away, or change, or leave each other, or even speak. They just wanted to find the people they had lost. And now they were all desperately looking through the crowd for familiar faces.
Jack Thayer nodded distractedly, but he was still looking for his own father. “Your sister is here somewhere. I saw her a while ago.” And then he smiled sadly. “I’m glad you made it.” The two boys embraced, and held each other for a long time, the tears they had yet to shed choking them now that they were safe on the
Carpathia
and the nightmare had finally ended, or almost.
And then as they parted, Phillip looked frightened again. Looking for the people he loved was frightening; the fear that they might not be there was almost overwhelming. “Were any of the others with her?”
“I don’t know …” Jack looked vague. “I think maybe a baby.” That would be Teddy … and the others? Phillip began to wander the crowd, and walked out on the deck, hoping to find her, and then finally, back in the saloon, he suddenly saw the back of her head, the dark hair, the slim shoulders, and George standing next to her with his head bowed. Oh, God, Phillip began to cry, as he pressed through the crowd and hurried toward her. And then without a word, as he reached her, he pulled her around, looking down into her eyes, andpulled her into his arms as she gave a gasp, and a sob, and began to cry.
“Oh, my God … Oh, Phillip … Oh, Phillip….” It was all she could say. She didn’t dare ask for any of the others. And everywhere around them, people who had been less fortunate were crying softly too. And it was a long time before he dared to ask the question.
“Who’s here with you?” He had seen George, and now he saw Fannie, concealed in her blanket just behind Edwina. And Teddy was lying on the floor, wrapped in blankets, in a makeshift cradle. “Is he alright?” Her eyes filled with tears again, and as she looked at Phillip, she shook
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