Titanic: The Long Night by Diane Hoh Page B

resemble a café, and the waiters speak French, so we can imagine the rest, can’t we?”
    Elizabeth protested that it wouldn’t be as warm and cozy as the lounge. Lily laughed and tossed her long, dark hair, saying, “Ah, Elizabeth, comfort should not always be the most important thing. Is not fun important to you also?”
    “It’s hard to have fun when I’m cold,” Elizabeth answered, but her tone was pleasant enough. She was determined not to ruin the evening. And the fact that her parents had not yet arrived served to maintain her good mood.
    The Farrs appeared in the doorway just as the quartet was leaving. Nola was laughing at something her husband had just said, and her cheeks were high with color, proving that she, too, was having a good time.
    She’ll be in a pleasant frame of mind later, Elizabeth told herself happily. And because she is, Father will be, too. I would be wise to take advantage of that. I’ll have to make a point of getting back to the cabin before they retire.
    But Nola’s smile disappeared when Max appeared at Elizabeth’s elbow. She was barely civil as she greeted them.
    “Whew!” Max said under his breath to Elizabeth as they entered the Parisian café. “She really isn’t one of my fans, is she? Have I done something to offend her?”
    Yes, Elizabeth thought, you defied your parents. She was glad Max had noticed her mother’s coolness. Perhaps now he would understand why she was so anxious about her own future. But she didn’t want to discuss that now. She was here to have fun, as Lily had said. “I think it was your haircut when she first met you,” Elizabeth answered smoothly. “Even though you’ve had it cut since, she disapproved. It didn’t meet her standards. But then, almost nothing does.”
    “Will she forgive me?”
    “Probably not. But it doesn’t really matter, does it?”
    Max fixed a skeptical eye on Elizabeth as a waiter, conversing in French with Lily and Arthur, ushered them to a table. When Max asked in a low voice, “Why am I getting the feeling that if your mother did like me, you wouldn’t be here with me now?” Elizabeth just stared at him.
    They sat down, Max beside Elizabeth, Arthur’s and Lily’s barrel-backed rattan chairs side by side. Greenery trailed up white trellises along the walls, a whimsical but attractive detail. The round, heavy tables were crowded with passengers, all of whom seemed to be having a good time. But Elizabeth was focused on Max’s strange remark. “You think I’m here to spite my mother? That if she approved of you, I wouldn’t? You think I’m that vindictive?”
    He shook his head. “No, not vindictive. But the thought crossed my mind that you might be using me to get back at her. I saw you watching the doorway all through dinner. As if you were hoping she’d show up and see you sitting with me.”
    Elizabeth laughed. “If that’s what you thought, you’re not nearly as smart as I gave you credit for. It was just the opposite. I was dreading their arrival. I knew she’d be watching me like a hawk every single second. In fact, she said as much when I was leaving the cabin. She’s very afraid rumors will get back to Alan. I’m not, but she is.”
    Lily and Arthur stopped talking suddenly, and all Max could say was, “Really? That’s the truth of it?”
    “That’s the truth of it.”
    He looked satisfied then, and since neither Lily nor Arthur was impolite enough to ask what they’d been talking about, the conversation turned to the delightful atmosphere of the café.
    When their pleasant interlude in the Parisian café came to an end, Arthur invited Lily to stroll the promenade with him. Max suggested that he and Elizabeth go up to the boat deck for a last look at the stars before retiring for the evening.
    “How do you know there are any stars out tonight?” she teased as they moved on up the staircase to A deck. “It could be cloudy.”
    “It’s not. I promise.”
    He was right. The sky was