Titanic Affair by Amanda P Grange

richest men in the world.’
    ‘Really, Pansy,’ said her husband, but without rancour. He was clearly used to Pansy’s harmless enjoyment in spotting the rich and famous, and did no more than offer a token remonstrance.
    ‘The girl beside him is his new wife. Their marriage was quite a scandal,’ went on Pansy, taking no notice of her husband and turning to Emilia. ‘Madeline is only eighteen years old - younger than his son. They went to Egypt right after the wedding, to avoid the gossip, but Madeline’s in a delicate condition so they’re heading back to New York . And look, behind them, that’s Margaret Brown. She comes from a family of Irish immigrants, and she married a miner. You wouldn’t think so to look at her now, would you? He made his fortune somehow or other,’ Pansy went on, ‘and she rose to become one of Denver ’s most prominent citizens. They don’t see a lot of each other nowadays, though. He doesn’t like the high life, and she does. She’s been staying with the Astors in Cairo , but her grandchild’s ill so she’s going home.’
    Pansy’s eyes travelled round the room.
    ‘Over there’s Dickinson Bishop,’ Pansy continued. ‘He’s from Michigan . He’s been on honeymoon, too, with his second wife Helen. And at the next table is Paul Chevré the sculptor and Jacques Futrelle the writer - he writes mysteries, you know. Have you read any?’
    ‘Yes, as a matter of fact, I have,’ said Emilia.
    She’d enjoyed Monsieur Futrelle’s novels immensely, and was interested to see him in person. But she did not have long to look at him before Pansy pointed out the next celebrity.
    ‘Over there’s Henry B Harris, the Broadway producer. He’s been over to London to see about a play for Rose Stahl, one of his actresses. And look, there’s Archie Butt.’
    ‘Major Butt,’ her husband interposed.
    ‘Very well, Major Butt,’ said Pansy with the air of one humouring a child. ‘He was military aide to President Roosevelt, and then to President Taft, but his health’s been suffering lately and he’s been to Europe to recover.’
    ‘A good thing, too,’ said Robert. ‘All that in-fighting must get a chap down.’
    ‘Oh, politicians are always fighting,’ said Pansy blithely. ‘At the next table is Dorothy Gibson,’ she said with a sigh. ‘The lady with her is her mother. They are travelling together.’
    Emilia turned to look at Dorothy Gibson. Miss Gibson was a celebrated actress, and Emilia had seen one of her films with Aunt Clem.
    ‘She’s very beautiful,’ she said.
    And indeed Miss Gibson, with her fine features and expressive eyes, was very lovely.
    ‘Isn’t she?’ sighed Pansy. ‘I think she’s even more beautiful in real life than she is on the screen. I’d love to go and talk to her, but I can’t pluck up the courage to do so. She’s just made a new film, I hear, called The Easter Bonnet . I’m dying to ask her all about it, but I don’t suppose I’ll get the chance.’
    Emilia was enjoying herself immensely. Pansy recognised a great many people, and Emilia was learning a lot about her fellow passengers. It was almost worth missing her chance to disembark at Queenstown, just to see so many famous faces.
    It was also a help in diverting her thoughts from Carl. She had hoped that by dining in the à la carte restaurant, where she would not see him, her thoughts would not keep straying to him, but she had been wrong. Memories of the evening before kept returning to her. She kept remembering the way he looked, the things he said, and the way he smiled. Even with Pansy’s conversation sparkling round her she could not stop thinking about him; without it, she would have thought of nothing else.
     
    Emilia could hardly believe she had been on Titanic for almost three days. So much had happened, and the time had passed so quickly. But as she wrote up her account of the voyage on the morning following her meal with Pansy, the morning of Saturday 13 th April, she