Titanic: The Novelization (110th Anniversary Edition)

April 11

In the morning of Thursday the eleventh, Titanic passed close to Cornwall. She steered in a winding pathway as the crew wanted to test her compass. Thomas Andrews seemed to be in a good mood today, as Rose and her party noticed at breakfast in the dining saloon.

"A chipper gentleman, isn't he?"

"That gentleman happens to be the man who built this ship," answered Cal. "I believe he's Irish. I'm sure Bruce will tell us more about Mr. Andrews as soon as he gets here."

But Ismay had his own table alone, preferring to eat in solitude. Ruth felt like dining alone as well. She could see Margaret Brown at the table next to her chatting happily away with the Wideners and the Astors.

"If that miner's wife even thinks about dining at our table tonight, I might as well throw myself overboard," she said in disgust.

Rose was quick to come to her defense.

"Mother, you don't even know her that well. I'm sure if you opened up to her, you might actually notice that she is not as bad some people think she is."

"I think I will take my chances alone with the company of the Countess. What could you possibly know about Mrs. Brown?"

"I know from the newspapers that Maggie is cultured in many ways," Rose said. "I once read in the society columns that she speaks French, started a juvenile court and even divorced her husband for money."

Cal laid his hand on Rose's.

"I'd hate to think what would happen if you were to divorce me," he smiled, trying to sound genuine. "You know it's sin to end a relationship like that."

Rose cocked her eyebrows. She wanted to say "If I divorced you, I'd be the happiest woman on the planet." But instead, in a rather genuine, but actually false tone...

"I would never dream of divorcing you, darling. That is something only the English do."

The three continued to eat their breakfast in silence.

Two tables away, on the port side, Karl Behr, the famous American tennis player, couldn't help but whisper his overheard findings to his own fiancée, Helen Monypeny Newsom of Columbus, Ohio.

"Wouldn't it be wonderful if those two married aboard this ship? The whole world would talk about it!"

"I don't know," said Helen. "I think it would be much wiser to ask the betrothed's opinion on the matter and if we were the ones getting married aboard the Titanic, then I would have to say 'no'. I'd be much happier in a nice cathedral on land."

"Whatever you say, darling," smiled Karl.

It was noisy in the deck below where the Third Class passengers congregated over breakfast. Jack, Fabrizio, Olaus and Bjorn were looking forward to meeting some of the steerage passengers who had embarked at Cherbourg last night, but Fabrizio was looking forward to making a proper introduction to Helga.

"We not we have breakfast with the Norwegian family again and then we can invite them to a smoke later?"

"A smoke?" Jack said. "I don't even think a girl like her would smoke, she's too young for that. Not even sure if she drinks if you know what I mean."

Unfortunately for them, the Dahls already had their breakfast and were taking a walk around the stern, so Jack and Fabrizio dined with two English families, the Goodwins and the Sages, large families with tons of children who were on their way to Florida and Niagra. Bjorn and Olaus, hoping to learn more English phrases from them, joined Jack and Fabrizio, having accepted in some way that their brothers were nowhere to be seen on the ship.