𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 |Harold Lowe

Chapter 2: The heart of the ocean

February 20, 1912

It was evening, the streets of London were starting to empty, people were heading to clubs, pubs and restaurants. Everyone except Meredith. She was on her way home, after a day of betting and selling, she had earned enough today too, enough to afford new clothes for the journey ahead of her.
Like almost every evening in London, the cold winter wind was very biting, while the cold pinched her nose making it red as a cherry. A sudden gust raised a strong wind, making some leaves fly off the road, causing them to land on the girl's dress... One thing, however, attracted her attention... a sheet of newspaper. But it certainly wasn't that itself that had intrigued her eyes, but the image that the page had. "The Heart of the Ocean," the girl read. A necklace with an ocean-blue diamond in the shape of a heart, formerly worn by Louis XVI. Meredith's eyes lit up, she couldn't believe what she was reading under the image of the jewel: CALEDON HOCKLEY IN POSSESSION OF THE MOST PRECIOUS DIAMOND IN THE WORLD? PROBABLY YES. IT WILL TRAVEL WITH HIM TO NEW YORK ON THE TITANIC ON APRIL 10. RUMORS SAY THAT WILL BE THE WEDDING GIFT FOR HER FIANCE.

Meredith folded the piece of paper and tucked it into the neckline of her dress and hurried home, eager to show it to Dean and see his expression.
Arrived in the apartment, the girl looks for her friend pulling out of her dress the piece of paper "Dean! Are you at home?" Meredith headed for the guest bedroom, the one the boy occupied, but he wasn't there. It was already very late now, and Dean usually gets home before Meredith, unless he's ended up drunk in some brothel or beaten up by some man he owed money to, as he had been before.
The young woman decided to wait for him, lying down on the sofa, with a good glass of brandy and a cigarette.
It was already late at night and Dean hadn't come home yet. When he lives the way they live it is to be expected that he will end up in the wrong places or in the wrong company.

It was already early in the morning when the door opened, showing the figure of a boy in the shadow of the night who silently walked towards the corridor leading to the bedrooms. "Dean?" the girl's tired voice made the boy stop before leaving the room "Meredith..." he replied in a faint voice "where have you been? Did you end up in some brothel drunk again? or did you go home with one of the dancers ?" the girl who in the meantime got up from the comfortable couch asked him "On the contrary Meredith. I owe money to a man, money for alcohol and various bets that I lost. Tonight he made me understand that it was his last warning.. ." the girl knew that it wasn't just about this, but about something even more serious and dangerous. Dean never had the situation under control like she did, he had ended up in an arms deal that was now costing him his life. "Now I have to be careful until the trip, I can't move from the area... on the contrary, maybe I'll avoid leaving the house" he said reaching the girl and sitting down on the sofa in front of her "Do you have any news instead?" he asked her "Look here." the girl throws him the piece of paper "What is it?" he asked observing the way in which Meredith had closed the paper "Open it and read ..." she answered him, pulling out another cigarette. The girl observed her friend carefully, trying to see the same expression that she had too. "A necklace?" he asked laughing "Dean is a diamond, it will be on the titanic too!" Meredith stood up and went towards him "No Mery! no..." the boy gave the piece of newspaper in the girl's hand "Why not?" she asked looking at the paper he handed her "Why not? we're going back to the United States to be able to start a new life, an honest life, and you want to steal a million dollar diamond from a man who's about to give it to his future wife? Meredith no! I'm not in!" Dean was exhausted from this life, almost every day he came back with a new bruise. He was scared of this situation, he wanted a quiet simple life, he hoped for a future to have a family and an honest job, but continuing like this ... how could he hope that? ...

"Dean is our chance to start living better in America. We can resell it and get enough money to get a house for me and one for you...it's a chance Dean! I don't mean to get you in trouble. there is to know about this Caledon and his family and we won't take any chances. I promise you Dean." Meredith hugged the boy, saying these words trying to convince him... Dean didn't feel like saying no, on the other hand they've always lived like this, they've always stolen jewels, one more didn't make a difference.
—————————————————————
The Titanic will be in the next chapter !
Stay tuned ;) thanks for reading !