Make Each Day Count

Welcome Aboard

I was sitting in the car next to my fraternal twin sister Rose. Her fiancé, Caledon Hockley sat opposite to us with our mother. They don't like me very much. I'm the rebel, the black sheep of the family. Everyone always says I should be more like Rose. But who wants to look like a porcelain doll, and be treated like an object? I think my sister does, because she never complains, I just don't understand why.
We stepped out of the car and I looked up at the ship from under my ridiculously big hat.

"I don't see what the fuss is about." I commented flatly. "It doesn't look any bigger than the Maurentania." Cal chuckled.

"You can blasé about some things, Daisy." He told me. "But not about Titanic! It's over a hundred feet longer than the Maurentania, and far more luxurious. It has squash courts, parisian café. And even Turkish baths!" Cal praised and took Rose and mother, one on each arm and started escorting them towards the ship. I was left to walk alone but that was fine by me. "Your younger daughter is far too difficult to impress, Ruth."

Mother let out a small laugh and sent me a glare. She was displeased with me. Again. Rose scoffed while I rolled my eyes.

"So this is the ship they say is unsinkable." Rose stated.

"It is unsinkable, darling. Not even God himself could sink this ship!"

"Actually Cal, it's made of steal. Therefore, it can." I said and he turned to me, a little bit amused.

"Say what you will, dear future sister-in-law. But I assure you, the possibility of the Titanic sinking is unexciting." He said and I didn't have the energy to argue with him anymore so I let it drop.

"Sir!" Called one of the White Star Line porters as he scurried over to us. "You'll have to check your baggage through the main terminal. It's around that way, sir."

Cal just reached into his pocket, and brought out a fat wad of bills, gave to them to the porter. "I put my faith in you, good sir. Now, kindly see my man." He gestured to his 'body guard', Spicer Lovejoy.

The porter stared at the enormous tip in his hands and cried out. "Oh, yes sir! My pleasure, sir! If I can do anything at all-"

"Oh yes," Lovejoy cut in and lead the porter around the car to show him all of our luggage. "All the trunks are in this car here, twelve from there," he pointed to the silver Daimler. "and the safe, to the parlor suite rooms B-52, 54, and 56."

Cal checked his pocket watch. "We better hurry ladies." He said and led us, including our personal maid Trudy, towards the gangplank. I spaced out for a while but when I focused again I heard Cal, Rose and mother talking.

"Honestly, Mr. Hockley," Mother complained. "If you were not forever booking everything at the last minute, we could have gone through the terminal rather than running along the dock with the squalid immigrant families. Isn't that right, Rose?" My sister muttered something I didn't quite catch (it was something along the lines "ugly old hag" but I can't be sure) and nodded.

"All part of my charm, Ruth." Cal smirked before glancing at me. "And at any rate, it was your darling daughter's beauty rituals that detained us."

"You told me to change." I reminded him.

"Well, I couldn't let you wear black on a sailing day, Daisy dear. It's bad luck."

"It's always bad luck if you're around." I muttered.

"What was that?" Cal asked.

"Nothing, nothing." I said and he chuckled.

"Here I've pulled every string I could to book us on the grandest ship in history, in the most luxurious suites... and you act as though you're going to your execution." He told me. I tried to calm myself and just smiled politely at him. I looked back up at the Titanic. It may have been the ship of dreams to everyone else, but to me it was a slave ship. As soon as we docked in New York, I was to marry Dominic Hockley, Cal's brother, who was in his late thirties. And I was seventeen for God's sake! I did my best to act polite and sophisticated, but inside I felt like screaming, screaming to be saved from my horrible, already planned out life. I wanted freedom.

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The first chapter was short, but the following will be longer. Feel free to tell me what you think.
Much love,
Charlie