Cold All the Way Through, But Warming

A Ball

The entrance to Sherry's was subtle and understated, but that vanished the moment you stepped inside. Mrs. Brown had seen fit to order not one, but three hothouses worth of flowers and it was almost overwhelming to have the different scents assault you as you walked in. White was the theme though, the color of innocence and purity, things that were lost during the sinking. It was also the color of sacrifice and remembrance, which was evident when I was immediately presented with a small posey of white roses to pin to my dress. Mrs. Brown grinned as she placed it on me, "All us survivors are wearing one, and it looks so nice against the black of your dress."

"Thank you, Molly." I tried not to twitch under her hands as the pin gently scraped against my skin. I could see her own posey pinned in place of a brooch on her dress. I brushed my fingers against the flowers, enjoying the light scent that wafted up. "Have our targets for tonight shown up?"

She laughed, "Our targets, lovely term there dear, are fashionably late as ever." A passing waiter stopped by, and she handed Ezekiel and I flutes of champagne. I sipped at it, knowing that it would have to last me half the night. Molly took a healthy swallow of her own, "But there are some smaller fish to go after."

"Well, we had better get to fishing then." I looked around the small crowd in the ballroom. Some of the finest of New York society was present; Astors, Vanderbilts, Fishes, and I could even see old Theodore Roosevelt sipping on a whiskey in a darkened corner. Aside from him, none of the ones present were the scions of their families, which meant a limited income to spend on charitable causes. But Mrs. Brown had worked her contacts well, and was assured the prominent members of those families would attend. I looked over to Ezekiel, "You don't have to be by my side the whole time, and I don't think you'd have much fun trying to weasel money out of their pockets."

"Annie," He offered me his arm, "There's one thing I fear more than these society types, and that's your mother in a temper." I smiled as I took his arm, and we made our way over to the group that had gathered around a small display of items from the sinking. Survivors had been more than willing to lend these morbid souvenirs for the ball, and I spotted my own seawater stained stockings displayed next to a pocket watch. Other items littered the table; cards, shoes, jewelry, gloves, menus from the dinner that night. A collection of detritus that seemed so ordinary before, now only memorable because of a tragedy. The gathering around the table quickly turned as I came up, and immediately began to pepper me with questions. I tried to smile and be patient as it seemed I answered the same question three different times, and I could feel Ezekiel twitching under my hand.

A minor Astor daughter flashed a smile at him, "And would this be your dashing suitor?"

"Oh, I'm afraid Mr. Murdoch was unable to be here tonight." I looked over to Ezekiel, "This is a family friend, Ezekiel Fields."

"Of the Boston Fields?" She turned her eyes toward him, batting her lashes.

"My family was from Rhode Island before we moved here." Ezekiel had turned a delightful shade of red, "My father is a captain on one of her ships." At the admission of his lower status any thoughts of flirting seemed to vanish, but I was able to get her to agree to a small donation. As we moved away from the display table I looked to him, "You know, you could have lied to her. Might have been able to get a dinner out of it."

"You know I get uncomfortable around these types." He shrugged, pulling out a chair for me at a table. I sat, setting my champagne on the silk tablecloth. Ezekiel almost fell into his chair, reaching for his tie again. "All that money, they'll never use it all. And here I am, in a borrowed suit and completely out of place"

"You aren't uncomfortable around me."

"Well Ms. Astor back there wasn't confined to my room for two weeks with chicken pox when she was twelve."