his voice and adding a little tenderness.
“My mother has forbidden me to see you.”
He laughed softly. “And yet here you are.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
He reached up and ran a fingertip gently down her face. “Only that I don’t think you always do what your mother wants.”
“Well, I try not to.”
She smiled at him for the first time since early morning.
“So what do we do now, Carrington?”
“I have no idea. I still think I resent everything that’s happened between us happening because you wrote it.”
“What if the reason I wrote it was because deep down, I really felt all that? That I wanted it to happen that way?”
“It still isn’t fair, Beckett, that it was only what you wanted.”
He moved closer. “Are you sure it was all just what I wanted?”
She knew he was going to try and kiss her. And somehow, she wasn’t ready for that. Not yet, anyway.
“I’m not sure about anything just now, Beckett.” And she turned and walked away. He watched her until she was out of sight, and then turned and leaned against the railing, watching the ocean slap against the ship and wondering what to do next.
******
Jack Phillips was swamped with messages that passengers wanted to send. So swamped that he almost resented having to receive messages. Another ice warning came across. Captain Smith hadn’t seemed terribly concerned with the others. He pondered what to do and after a moment’s deliberation, set it aside to pass on to the bridge later and got back to the task at hand.
*******
Wilson St. Clair spoke to his wife. “I’m not at all sure that we want to forbid this friendship, or whatever it is, between Carrington and Beckett MacKenzie.”
“You can’t be serious! The boy took advantage of your daughter.”
“Did he? By Carrington’s admission, she went to his room, not the other way around.”
Rose sank down into a chair. “What are you suggesting, Wilson?”
“That Beckett MacKenzie may be the only young man we could ever marry her off to.”
“And how would you propose to do that?”
“Jackson and I are, as you know, old friends. I discussed the possibility of a merger with him. I think he is open to it. It couldn’t hurt us to have a bank at our disposal, nor could it hurt Carrington to have Beckett’s inheritance.”
“Does he have an inheritance? Or is that all show?”
“According to his father he is a wealthy young man in his own right, aside from whatever he stands to inherit one day.”
Rose considered that. “I still can’t allow her to be with him. I can’t have people talking.”
“Who would talk, my dear? Mr. Guggenheim is sitting at the table every night with a woman who isn’t his wife. Mr. Astor has been the subject of enough gossip himself recently that I doubt he would. That Brown woman? Are you honestly worried about new money?”
“And if something…happens…because of their actions last night?”
“Highly unlikely, but we would have to deal with that if it happened.”
“She’s so headstrong.”
“You cannot let her think you are in favor of a union.”
“Are you sure this is a good idea?”
“I’m sure that all other attempts to curb her spirit, to find her a husband have failed.”
Rose nodded. “I won’t get a decent night’s sleep until she is properly married.”
“Just consider it, Rose.”
He left her in their cabin. She sat on the chair and thought about what he had said. It would be a big society wedding. They could invite the Astors and the Guggenheims. Even Molly Brown. She could tell everyone, I knew, even when they were children, that one day they would marry. No one would need to know about their daughter’s indiscretions on
“My mother has forbidden me to see you.”
He laughed softly. “And yet here you are.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
He reached up and ran a fingertip gently down her face. “Only that I don’t think you always do what your mother wants.”
“Well, I try not to.”
She smiled at him for the first time since early morning.
“So what do we do now, Carrington?”
“I have no idea. I still think I resent everything that’s happened between us happening because you wrote it.”
“What if the reason I wrote it was because deep down, I really felt all that? That I wanted it to happen that way?”
“It still isn’t fair, Beckett, that it was only what you wanted.”
He moved closer. “Are you sure it was all just what I wanted?”
She knew he was going to try and kiss her. And somehow, she wasn’t ready for that. Not yet, anyway.
“I’m not sure about anything just now, Beckett.” And she turned and walked away. He watched her until she was out of sight, and then turned and leaned against the railing, watching the ocean slap against the ship and wondering what to do next.
******
Jack Phillips was swamped with messages that passengers wanted to send. So swamped that he almost resented having to receive messages. Another ice warning came across. Captain Smith hadn’t seemed terribly concerned with the others. He pondered what to do and after a moment’s deliberation, set it aside to pass on to the bridge later and got back to the task at hand.
*******
Wilson St. Clair spoke to his wife. “I’m not at all sure that we want to forbid this friendship, or whatever it is, between Carrington and Beckett MacKenzie.”
“You can’t be serious! The boy took advantage of your daughter.”
“Did he? By Carrington’s admission, she went to his room, not the other way around.”
Rose sank down into a chair. “What are you suggesting, Wilson?”
“That Beckett MacKenzie may be the only young man we could ever marry her off to.”
“And how would you propose to do that?”
“Jackson and I are, as you know, old friends. I discussed the possibility of a merger with him. I think he is open to it. It couldn’t hurt us to have a bank at our disposal, nor could it hurt Carrington to have Beckett’s inheritance.”
“Does he have an inheritance? Or is that all show?”
“According to his father he is a wealthy young man in his own right, aside from whatever he stands to inherit one day.”
Rose considered that. “I still can’t allow her to be with him. I can’t have people talking.”
“Who would talk, my dear? Mr. Guggenheim is sitting at the table every night with a woman who isn’t his wife. Mr. Astor has been the subject of enough gossip himself recently that I doubt he would. That Brown woman? Are you honestly worried about new money?”
“And if something…happens…because of their actions last night?”
“Highly unlikely, but we would have to deal with that if it happened.”
“She’s so headstrong.”
“You cannot let her think you are in favor of a union.”
“Are you sure this is a good idea?”
“I’m sure that all other attempts to curb her spirit, to find her a husband have failed.”
Rose nodded. “I won’t get a decent night’s sleep until she is properly married.”
“Just consider it, Rose.”
He left her in their cabin. She sat on the chair and thought about what he had said. It would be a big society wedding. They could invite the Astors and the Guggenheims. Even Molly Brown. She could tell everyone, I knew, even when they were children, that one day they would marry. No one would need to know about their daughter’s indiscretions on
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