˗ˏˋ𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐟𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫'ˎ˗

𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉ℯ𝓇 𝒪𝓃ℯ

˗ˏˋ𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐟𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫'ˎ˗

Southampton, England, April 10, 1912.

The driver opens the door for me and I begin to step out slowly from the motor vehicle. I wore a lilac coloured dress with a bow type effect on my bodice with a matching feathered hat. I look up at the grand ship before me, taking in every detail.

"I don't see what all the fuss is about. It doesn't look any bigger than the Mauretania," I say, not taking my eyes off the unsinkable ship.

"You can be blase about some things, Elizabeth, but not about Titanic. It's over a hundred feet longer than Mauretania, and far more luxurious," My fiance, Cal says behind me.

"Your daughter is much too hard to impress, Ruth." Cal notices a puddle in front of Ruth and says, "Mind your step."

"So this is the ship they say is unsinkable," I hear my mother say while walking towards the ship slightly.

"It is unsinkable. God himself couldn't sink this ship," Proud flows from his voice.

"Sir, you'll have to check your baggage through the main terminal, round that way–" I hear a white star line worker tell Cal. Cal, obviously annoyed that the worker is interrupting him, nonchalantly hands the man a fiver. The porter's eyes dilate. The porter instantly took it and was now willing to do as Cal says.

"I put my faith in you, good sir," Cal indicates to Lovejoy and he takes over the situation.

As Cal checks his pocket watch, he notices the time, "We'd better hurry. This way, ladies."

He indicates the way toward the first class gangway. We begin to move into the massive crowd. Trudy, my personal maid, follows behind us with some of my favourite bags with my personal belongings (I refuse to have certain people touch.) Me, Trudy and my mother follow Cal through the crowd as he guides us through all types of people such a s third class, second class, first class and even people who are wishing their farewells to their family and friends. However, I began to notice that the first class passengers were avoiding the third class passengers. I saw steerage queuing up to get their health inspections like animals. I felt bad but I had no way of helping those poor souls. I look up at the ship as we gradually get closer and closer. It looms over us. Cal motions me forward to the gangway to the D deck doors. I felt a gut feeling in my stomach as if death was near. I felt as if I was getting dragged like a stubborn dog on this ship as Cal locked arms while making sure I stayed close to him. The doors began to swallow me as I entered the cell.

˗ˏˋ𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐟𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫'ˎ˗

A room service waiter pours champagne into a tulip glass of orange juice and hands the Bucks Fizz to me. I look through each painting, deciding which ones I'll pick for my new room, I'll be staying in until we reach our destination. Meanwhile, Cal is out on the covered deck, which has potted trees and vines on trellises, talking through the doorway to me.

"Those mud puddles were certainly a waste of money," I can almost taste the venom coming from my arrogant fiance's mouth.

"You're wrong. They're fascinating. Like in a dream. There's truth without logic. What's his name again...?" I read the name off the canvas, "Picasso."

"He'll never amount to anything, trust me. At least they were cheap."

I scoff lightly at his comment. I see the porter wheel in Cal's safe into the room but I take no notice of it.

˗ˏˋ𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐟𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫'ˎ˗

"...and our master shipbuilder, Mr. Andrews here, designed her from the keel plates up."