The Titan Drowns: Time Travel Romance by Nhys Glover (highly recommended books .txt) 📕

In the moments she thought they were talking about a future together, she had been happy to consider the idea, even when she had known him for only a few days. Back then, she’d even been hopeful that he might understand the awful thing that had happened to her and not think less of her for it.

However, now that dream was smashed. And she must pick herself up, as she had been forced to do so many times in the last year and a half, and soldier on. Karl had to be put behind her. She only hoped that he would heed her wishes and stay away. She might have to warn the other women about him too.

What if he were dangerous? What if he would not leave her alone and kept on about this crazy idea? Would she need to report him to the Captain? That would be an extreme measure. But she had been the object of one man’s crazy infatuation and she would not be another's. Whatever she had to do to protect herself and her baby, she would.

 

Chapter Seventeen

 

Max

 

The day dragged on endlessly. He’d watched their entrance into Queenstown Harbour in the early afternoon, the emerald green hills of Ireland dramatically rolling out along the shore. He’d seen the new passengers and cargo loaded. He’d even enjoyed the speed they got up to once they left the harbour, as if the Titanic were a huge horse that had finally been given its head. It almost felt like now that the ship had done its duty by the ports of Europe, she could stretch her legs and reach for the distant shores of America.

Not that she would ever reach those shores. She would fall at an icy hurdle half way there and sink without a trace. Damn, he wished he could get that out of his head for even a few, short minutes.

He wandered along A Deck promenade, lost in thought, lost in hopeless conjecture about what might be if he could change the events that were to come. Even though he knew it was wrong, his mind played with the possibilities.

What if he talked to the Captain and told him about the ice?

But Eilish had said the Captain would be warned by Marconi about the ice sheets in the area and would ignore them, thinking his unsinkable ship could avoid any approaching danger.

What if he alerted the passengers and prepared them for the lifeboats so that more could be saved? Eilish had told him that many of the lifeboats would be half empty when they were lowered away.

But how could he let them know without casting himself into the role of crazy man? They all thought the ship was unsinkable. They’d hardly rush to board a lifeboat just because he suggested they do so a day before the event transpired.

No. No matter which way he looked at it, there was no recourse for him but to accept fate.

Max glanced up and saw a young couple walking toward him, very much in love, if their attentive looks were any indication. Was she with child? He let his eyes linger longer than was politely necessary. When the man’s hand lay for a second on his wife’s stomach, he had his answer.

These two were possible Targets. He must find Carter and Finn and tell them about his find. He knew the two Jumpers, as they were called, were assessing the other passengers for any prospective Targets. Who better than a pregnant woman to add to their group? But he would need to know their names and a little about them if he were to assist.

With an unacceptable lack of decorum he stopped the couple and introduced himself. Their stunned surprise was politely hidden and they greeted him warmly.

‘No, I do not think we have met. Mr Ingham, did you say? We are not from England. We just joined the ship at Queenstown. I am Phillip Lunridge and this is my wife, Clarissa. We are from Portland, Maine. We have been travelling Europe on our honeymoon for the last three months and now we are returning home.’

‘Am I correct in surmising that there will be happy news for your family when you arrive?’

The young woman blushed and dropped her head demurely.

‘As a matter of fact we only found out before boarding the ship. Clarissa has been feeling unwell in the last few weeks and I finally convinced her to see a physician. We will be parents in just over six months, so he told us.’

‘Congratulations. I could see a warm glow around you two, as if you shared some good news of that kind. I hope you do not mind that I mentioned it. My wife and I have long wanted children but have not been so blessed.’ He lied admirably, convinced as he was in the rightness of his actions. He was attempting to save this couple’s lives and that of their unborn child; a little lie like this was acceptable.

And in the back of his mind he realised that it was not entirely untrue. He and Agnes may not have wanted a child but he did. And now, of course, he would never be a father. Committed to a barren woman in a barren world, a child was never to be his.

However, he had Eilish, which was enough for any man.

‘I am sorry to hear that. It is truly a gift all loving couples should share.’ Clarissa raised her head and spoke softly for the first time. Max could see she was a serene young woman and seemed very content with her condition.

‘I will let you continue your exploration, and I hope we will meet again during the voyage. It is quite a ship we travel on.’

‘Indeed. The “Ship of Dreams,” they are calling it.’ Phillip smiled down at his wife and squeezed her arm.

As they went their separate ways, Max could only think that those dreams would soon be nightmares from which most would never wake.

Nevertheless, he must find Carter and Finn and tell them of his discovery. These were possibly another two who could be saved. Maybe they could get Eilish up to talk with the wife. A woman could be more open with one of her own gender.

He knew he was clinging to straws. He kept trying to find a reason that would bring Eilish to his side. It had been a day and a half since he’d seen her and it felt like a year and a half. He’d barely slept a wink the night before because she was not by his side. On top of the sleepless night in Southampton, it meant he would soon be too fatigued to function.

 

 

Eilish

 

The large family wandered around the Poop Deck, the children agog with saucer-eyes just as everyone else had been the day before. It was therefore easy to identify these people as the new arrivals from Queenstown – the O’Hallorans, if Eilish didn’t miss her guess, and they were her Targets.

She wandered in their direction and started up a conversation with the total strangers, just as she had done so many times in the last day and a half. One of the good things she had discovered about sea travel was that people were far more willing to make new friends than they would have been at home. There was something about them all being strangers in a strange world set adrift on the empty ocean.

‘You just come on board?’ she asked the wife, a dark-haired woman in her late thirties who looked tired and fed up.

‘Aye, and weren’t it about time, I’m thinkin’. We sat around on our behinds almost the whole day waitin’. And now we’re wanderin’ around here like lost sheep. What time's tea?’

Eilish was shocked by the litany of complaints the woman spewed out, even before they'd exchanged names. Even so, she knew what it was to be tired and fed up, so she gave the woman the benefit of the doubt.

‘There’s bouillon for you and the little’uns shortly, if you’ve a mind. Otherwise tea is at six and supper at eight. The food is good and plentiful, you'll be finding.’

‘You’re Irish then,’ the woman stated more than asked, as Eilish exaggerated her long-forgotten accent to create a bond.

‘Oh, aye, County Cork, and you?’

‘County Clare. What will we be gettin’ for tea then?’

A whining child began to tug on his mother’s skirt and the woman back-handed him without comment. The boy, who must have been about five, burst into noisy tears and his big sister grabbed him and pulled him away. The girl was probably eleven or twelve, but she had eyes that were far older. Eilish didn’t miss the sullen look she threw at her mother as she comforted her brother.

‘I’m to the bar,’ said the husband, who had only been partially listening to the women’s conversation.

‘Oh, aye, leave me with the brats why don’t yer? You’ll be the death’o me, Mick O'Hallaran, you surely will!’ The woman whinged at her man in much the same way her son had done to her only moments before. Eilish was waiting for Mick to apply the same rough punishment to his wife as she had meted out, but he didn’t. He just shook his head and sidled off as sullen and put upon as his children.

‘Tea is cold meat and pickle on bread and a pudding.’

‘Is that all?’

‘Well, dinner was a large roast. You can’t expect hot food for every meal,’ Eilish found herself responding indignantly.

‘I haven’t eaten nothing since I broke me fast first thin'. You’d ha’ thought they’d a given us summit while we waited. But oh no, not those buggers. Treat us like scum, they did. I’ll be expectin' better in America…’

‘I’m sure you will,’ Eilish said without inflection. She was already fed up with the woman and wanted to get away. However, the children were her first concern. ‘Would you like me to give you a break for a while with the young 'uns.? My son is ten and he’s already got the little ’uns playin' nice together down in the General Room just below us.’

‘Sure an' wouldn’t that be fine to be rid of the lot of them for an hour.’ She turned to her children. ‘Go along wi' ye now and meet up with some of the other young rascals. No fightin’, you hear, or I’ll take me spoon to yer behinds good an’ hard.’

As Eilish guided the children away, leaving their harridan of a mother to lean on the railings and look out to sea, she knew that they would not be Targeting this set of parents. These children would not know what to do with the love and care that would be showered on them in New Atlantis. It warmed her heart to think of it.

‘I’m Mary. What might your name be, lass?’ she asked the older girl who had taken charge of her crying brother.

‘Maggie, missus, an that’s Micky and that’s Aine and Siobhan.’ She pointed to the twins girls who looked about eight. They had more freckles on their faces than Eilish had ever seen.

‘Call me Mary, please. And you’ll be likin' me son Micky. He's about your age, I’m thinkin, and not bad for a boy.’

Maggie grinned at her and Eilish was shocked to notice the girl was missing her front teeth. Surely, her adult teeth would have grown in by this time. Her shock must have registered on her face, for Maggie lost her smile and covered her mouth with her hand.

‘Me mam can be heavy handed wi’ the drink in ‘er,’ she said by way of explanation as she looked away.

‘Oh, aye, well that can be fixed. In the new world, anything can be fixed.’ She didn’t want to say