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

a marketplace feeling like the king of the world,’ Marco said, after he stopped laughing. ‘My papa was a big man, tall like me, and so he was head and shoulders higher than most people. With me on his shoulders, I could almost touch the sky.’

For a moment, they sat enjoying their memories. ‘I remember the first child I helped. She was lost in the forest and my partner and I were looking for her. We thought we would reach her before she got too deeply into the forest but we were delayed. When we found her, she was so happy she threw herself into my arms and I swung her around and around until we were both dizzy. Then we brought her to… safety. Now she is much loved and very happy.’

‘Your partner?’

‘We work in teams, for safety. Not usually the same person every time. That time it was my first rescue and I was with Ca… Hilda. You know Hilda. She is the pretty blonde with the very tall husband.’

‘Ah yes, as distinct from the very pretty red head with the English husband.’

‘Right. That’s Jane.’

‘You say that like Hilda and Jane are a different species from you. Or they belong to a club that excludes you.’

‘They are very pretty; beautiful, in fact. It is an exclusive club.’

‘You are pretty, too, my sweet mouse. Do not discount yourself so readily.’

‘I am pretty enough, but nothing special. Not very pretty like Jane or Hilda or even Eil... Mary.’

Marco shifted around to the side so he could look her in the eye. His gentle fingers lifted her chin so she could do nothing but meet his incisive gaze. ‘What you look like makes no difference. I should know that better than most. Your beauty shines out through your eyes and it makes you lovelier to me than either Hilda or Jane. ‘

‘I’m nothing special,’ she said softly.

‘You are to me. I can have almost any woman I want. But I want you, sweet mouse. Does that not make you special?’

‘You have tickets on yourself, as Jane would say, Mr Cat,’ she said indignantly, trying to pull away.

‘That saying means I am arrogant? Maybe, but I just speak the truth. It is not a sign of specialness that I can have any woman. I did nothing to get this face or body. I inherited… that is the word, is it not, inherited? I did not earn them. It is nothing to be good looking. It is more important to be sweet and kind and genuine.’

‘Nice,’ she said with a shudder.

‘Sí, nice. There is nothing wrong with nice. I am not nice and I wish I were.’

‘I think you are nice,’ she offered shyly.

‘With you, maybe I am. With you, I want to be nice. Can I kiss you, sweet Petra? Would that make me not nice?’

She drew back a little at the shock of the request. She wasn’t sure if this was part of the game he was playing or something else. But in this moment she didn’t care. More than anything she wanted to be kissed by this handsome Italian.

Something in her face must have given him the answer he was looking for because he moved slowly toward her, lifting her chin up just a little more so he could align his mouth with hers. Then he was kissing her deeply, and the thrill of it thrummed through her system like the vibration of a guitar-string being plucked. Her whole body vibrated and sang out its joy.

She pulled away with a start, terrified by what she was feeling. Terrified by what this man was starting to mean to her.

‘Too much?’ he asked shakily. She was pleased to note that he too was moved by what had happened between them.

‘Yes. Too much, too soon. I can’t… not with you… you cannot know… I… I am sorry; I have to go.’

She tried to climb to her feet, but his hand tightened on her arm and held her in place. ‘I am sorry; I will not do it again. Please stay. Do not leave me yet.’ His voice pleaded with her as her heart pleaded with her. And uneasily she gave in and relaxed back into her place. But now she kept as much space between them as she could.

‘Was that so bad?’ he asked, his obvious concern in every word.

‘Not bad. But I cannot.’

‘Do you belong to another?’

‘No, no of course not. It is not that. You… you and I will go our separate ways in a few days. We will never see each other again. I cannot start something now… when it will end so soon.’

‘But it does not have to end. I will stay in New York. I will court you formally. Then we will marry and I will take you to see the Wild West.’

Her shock was extreme. It tore all thoughts from her mind. All that remained were his intentions. He wanted to court her. He wanted to marry her. How cruel was such an idea when she knew his fate?

‘I cannot! Do not think such things. This is madness; I must go.’ This time he did not try to stop her when she climbed to her feet.

Then she was running across the cold deck, away from the first man she had ever wanted, away from the intensity of feeling she had lost the ability to withstand.

When had she felt like this before? In her Original? It was that long since she had felt these feelings. But even then, she could not remember ever feeling this needy, this desperate to be with someone, to kiss and hold and join with someone.

No, it couldn’t be. She had to finish her task and return to her world. And Marco would… die. What other choice was there?

 

Chapter Twenty

 

Eilish

 

Friday, 12 April 1912, TITANIC

 

After a filling breakfast of porridge, ham and eggs, fresh bread and marmalade, and several strong cups of coffee, the eight of them roamed the decks until they were given permission to go below to their cabin. The young lad who was their steward was friendly, helpful and quick to let them know when inspection was over so they could return.

Once in cabin 107, two people sitting on each bunk, the meeting started.

‘First, I received word just a few minutes ago from Teddy, our steward, that Eilish is needed up in first class. They have located another pregnant woman, a recently wed lady, it would seem. The guys aren’t sure how to handle it,’ Jac started.

Eilish felt her heart lift. Finally, she was going to get to see Max again and she had a legitimate reason to do so. ‘When will I go?’

‘The note said for dinner. How can you have dinner up there? You’ll stand out like a sore thumb with those upper-crust elite.’

‘Max has one of my dresses. I will look well enough and we will dine in the À la Carte Restaurant away from the bulk of the elite.’

‘Good enough. The note said they will invite the young couple to join them for dinner. It seems Carter, Hugo, Finn and Jean Pierre will be joining you.’

‘Excellent. It will give me a chance to find out how things are going with them. I am assuming they are all on board, so to speak.’ There was a titter of amusement around the group.

‘Right, then that is sorted. Cara, what were the results of your trip to second last night?’

‘Good. Karl had laid the groundwork with three of the ladies and also discovered the stewardess is pregnant. It’s a regular breeding ground up there! I took them all aside in Karl’s stateroom and laid it out for them. I think some are still a little shell-shocked, but I think I've convinced them that it’s worth considering if the alternative is death. Karl will handle any questions they might have and as Lucy will be with us; it will make it easier getting them all to the extraction point, wherever that might be.’ She gave Luke and Julio a playful glare. They all knew the men had been scouring the ship for a suitable spot but were still undecided about the exact extraction point.

‘Oh, and just a little grist for the gossip mill – our doctor has fallen foul of the love bug. He's down with it bad and I couldn’t be happier.’

‘Cruel woman,’ Jac said with a smile. ’Who’s the lucky girl?’

‘One of the pregnant ladies, luckily; otherwise, it might be a bit dicey bringing her along.’

‘Why can’t we rescue a few worthy individuals? It is not fair that we are only Targeting pregnant women and children! It’s prejudice!’ Pia exploded vehemently, before collapsing into a horrified little ball.

‘Not you, too?’ Jane announced with a chuckle. ‘Who is he? One of the Swedes?’

‘No. It is no one. I just meant… it is not fair that we leave good, decent people here when we have it in our power to save them!’ Pia was almost in tears and the others exchanged troubled looks.

‘Marco,’ Bart provided with a grin, as he threw a ball of squashed up paper from one hand to the other. ‘It’s Marco. He helped me yesterday. He likes Pia.’

‘He doesn’t!’ Pia interrupted quickly, but her tone made a lie of her words.

‘He helped Bart, I say he deserves a place with us,’ Luke said firmly, giving the fair boy at his side a gentle shove so he was put off his next catch. The boy scowled good-naturedly at his father as Luke went on as if nothing had happened. ‘And I’d like to bring in a couple more stewards other than this pregnant girl for logistical purposes. Our steward is a good kid, bright and flexible. He’ll do well in New Atlantis. And he can run resistance when we’re trying to get the kids where we need ‘em. If we have a few coming down from first, then we might need one of theirs as well.’

‘I concur,’ Julio said. ‘One of the problems we are having with the extraction point is being too visible. If we have crew members with us, we have a legitimate reason to be wherever we are.’

‘Eilish, find out about a suitable steward while you are up in first tonight,’ Jac said. ‘And unless there is anyone who has a strong reason why we shouldn’t include this Italian waiter, speak up now or he’s in.’

Eilish turned to look at Pia, curled up in a tight, anxious ball at the back of the bottom bunk across from her. The moment Jac gave his approval, her body relaxed and, if she wasn’t mistaken, let out a soft sob.

She wasn’t mistaken, because Jane heard it too and drew the girl over and wrapped her arm around her. ‘Did you think we wouldn’t want him to come if he has your heart? Are any of us that cruel? Of course Marco will be with us. He is an open, adventuresome type; he'll probably make a great Retriever.’

‘I did not feel it was right to put him forward,’ Pia said with a sob. ‘I do not know what is wrong with me. I do not cry.’

‘Join the ever-expanding club, dear girl,’ Eilish said with a grimace. ‘You will get used to it after a while. I did not know what hit me in those first few days with Max. I still feel like I am someone else. Someone who is madly happy, and yet strangely distraught, when I am away from him.’

‘Sounds familiar,’ Julio put in, leaning down over the edge of the bunk so