Harold Lowe has managed to claw his way up the career ladder of the British merchant marines, rising from a ship's boy to a master mariner with one of the world's elite passenger lines. Along the way, he's learned to master not only his craft, but...
Of all the chapters I've written, none has twisted my heart into emotional knots quite like this one. I hope it does the same to you.
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The next morning, Harry told her he was skipping the inquiry altogether. It was a surprising move, as he had attended almost every day of testimony, listening carefully to the accounts of the disaster from both crewmembers and passengers. But today, he said, was just for them.
It was drizzling, as it was when they had first arrived in America nearly two weeks ago, but he wanted to walk the city with her, see some sights like a proper tourist, he said. So he bought a large umbrella, and they ventured out onto the wet streets, creeping down the back stairwell to avoid the lobby and Mr. Chaffee's prying eyes.
The Hotel Continental was strategically placed on North Capitol Street, and its major boast was its proximity to many prominent locations in the nation's capital. From the dining room where Corrine worked, one could look out and see the Capitol building, and other attractions, including the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Museum, the Washington Monument, and the White House, were within walking distance. Harry was determined to see them all with her - well, almost all of them, he clarified. He would go anywhere but the Senate Office Building - he had seen enough of that, he remarked dryly.
Spring had arrived at last, and the cherry trees, a recent gift from Japan, had just started to lose their blossoms. They lay scattered on the sidewalk, soggy and broken from the tromp of passing shoes, as they set off for their self-guided walking tour of Washington.
Arm in arm, they first sauntered the short distance to the Capitol building, gazing at its domed construction from the outside. Initially hesitant, Harry allowed himself to be persuaded by Corrine's urging to go in and peek at Congress in session, looking down at the floor of the busy chamber from the visitor's gallery. Afterward, they admired the famous fresco in the eye of the Rotunda and the amphitheater-like statuary hall before heading back outside. A short distance away lay the Library of Congress, and they stopped there as well. She became dizzy at the sight of the enormous four-story circular Reading Room, with its soaring dome supported by giant marble pillars, and Harry had to hurriedly escort her to the nearest bench before she swooned all over the marble floor. "It's grander than the Titanic," she gasped, staring awestruck at the endless number of books on the alcoves that lined the room while Harry laughed and fanned her with a pamphlet.
They took their time meandering down the sidewalks and little paths of the National Mall. People hurried by them, intent on some mysterious mission only they understood. It seemed that Washington was a city in constant motion. Southampton had been busy, too, of course; because it was a seafaring town, there were always new people to see, exotic wares from all over the world to purchase. But it had been restricted by a rigid adherence to tradition and discipline. In America, everything seemed so... free. And the people themselves amused, intrigued, and confused Corrine in equal turn. She was convinced they had figured out the secrets of life that the rest of the world still had yet to learn. Everyone in this country seemed to have an uninhibited energy and boldness. Conventions were shunned; there was a sense of throwing off centuries of restraints - and not just by the women she saw on the corner, picketing for the right to vote despite the rain dampening their signs. Everywhere she looked, people looked her straight in the eye, and walked around with their heads high, answerable to no one. There was a swagger and confidence, a feeling of endless possibility in this country that she had never experienced before. In a way, she thought, amused, Americans reminded her a lot of Harry - although she knew better than to tell him so.
