Titanic Bound by Destiny

Chapter 3: The Arrival in Cherbourg

April 10, 1912. (6:45 PM)

As the sun began its slow descent beyond the horizon, dimming the daylight to a soft twilight, Nicholas was still sitting absorbed in a book in the second-class library, where the electric lights flickered into prominence, casting a warm, inviting glow over the pages before him. It was just another thing they had never had back home. Electric lighting had become more prominent recently, but they had yet to install it in their home. The stark contrast between the library's modern amenities and his humble home was not lost on Nicholas. He had heard from his brothers through letters about the new things they had found in New York, and electric lighting was one of those. He wondered how different it would be. The ginger ale he had been drinking was running low, but he had been so engrossed in this book about an alien invasion that he had shifted away from the things around him. The room may have been busy with people coming, but Nicholas did not care. The only time he had been drawn back to reality in the last few hours was the bugle boy who had announced dinner with a noise almost making Nichols jump into fight mode. Alas, Sebastian had reassured him that all was, in fact, okay.

However, the book struggled to keep his attention as his eyes spotted Land outside the window. Outside, the Land was illuminated by the sun's setting, its golden rays casting a warm spring blanket across the fields and homes. Nicholas guessed this was France, more specifically Cherbourg. The ship was late but had attempted to catch up after the near incident earlier. The memory of that accident still sent a shiver down Nicholas's spine. He made a conscious effort to focus on the book, the steady rhythm of the engines keeping him calm, but the beautiful sight outside the window was a constant distraction, pulling at his attention. His gaze kept drifting up from the pages, his focus slowly drifting away into the clouds. Unbeknownst to Nicholas, Sebastian noticed his drifting and slowly began moving over to him. Sebastian had been friendly to Nicholas since he stepped foot in the library, but he kept putting it back in his mind. It was his job to be pleasant, after all; some of Nicholas wanted to hope he was being friendly for other reasons, but he did his best to ignore that.

The last of his attention faded; the book lowered from his gaze as his eyes shifted to the enchanting sunset out the window. The outlines of Cherbourg were slowly coming into view now; he could see them in the distance; it helped that the Titanic was slowing. He could feel the hum of the engines grow quieter and quieter with each passing second. He wondered how many people would join them here and how many would then join them in Ireland. It was likely that the ship would be full of all sorts of different people. Some seemed nice; a young lady had waved to him earlier, but he speculated that not everyone would be so kind. He looked off at the city again; its shimmering lights reflected off the water, and the glowing sun behind the buildings cast its warm glow. It all seemed so picturesque to Nicholas, like something you would expect to see in an art gallery, though he hadn't been to open before, so he may have been wrong in that assumption.

"Enjoying the book?" Sebastian asked, walking towards him with grace, grace Nicholas had never seen before. Nicholas was still focused on the window as he responded, "It's been a great read so far". Sebastian chuckled. Nicholas placed the book on the table, unable to focus on it. He would return to it at a later day. He had seen many sunsets before, but this one felt extra special. After all, it was the first sunset Titanic had seen at sea. And here he was, getting to experience it. "I was just trying to get a glimpse from here, but it's not quite the same through these small windows." He added with a sigh. He was saying this but didn't know why; it was not like Sebastian cared. He had a job and was curious if this was part of it. He pondered how long they would be in port before Sebastian's response pulled him back into reality. "Well, my shift is over now. I have some spare time". Nicholas turned to look at him, trying and failing to hide his shock. Sebastian's warm smile sent a shiver through his body.