Ice & Iron (Titanic)

Chapter 1

Wednesday, 10th April 1912

Today was the big day. The day the greatest new cruise ship of the White Star Line set off on her maiden voyage. The RMS Titanic. What made today even more exciting for me was that this voyage was going to be spent as a family. The only male figure I've ever had in my life was a man named William Murdoch. He'd been an officer on these types of ships for years, making his way up the ranks. Only recently in the past year he was promoted to being a First Officer. Now he was known as First Officer William Murdoch on the RMS Titanic. Today was special as we'd bought First Class tickets for Titanic's maiden voyage. My stepfather was the First Officer for this ship and we'd be spending it with him. We wouldn't see him all day every day, but we would still see him around the ship.

I'd never known who my biological father was. He had walked out on my mother when I was just a baby. She'd bought me up for most of my life as a single mother. Life hadn't been easy, living in a small house with barely any money to buy food and clothes. Until nine years go. That's when she met William Murdoch, back in 1903 when I was seven years old. Four years later in 1907, they had married and he became my stepfather. But I saw him as my father. He was the only man I'd had in my life and we had gotten along well from the moment Mother introduced me to him as her daughter. He was my hero. I was now sixteen and life had gotten better. My mother was happier than I had ever seen her. Life was better than before with a new house and having more money. Mother had even been employed by the local school that I attend to be a teacher.

Mary drove us to the docks where swarms of people were standing around. These people were either boarding the ship or seeing the launch of the greatest new cruise ship around. I heard that passengers had arrived and began to board the ship since nine-thirty this morning. Mary told us it was now eleven o'clock. This one was meant to be special. The designer of the ship, Thomas Andrews, had designed it to be unsinkable and it had attracted much attention. My stepfather was already on the ship as the officers had spent the night on board, and most of them had boarded at Belfast before coming to Southampton. Captain Smith the Chief Officer and other crew boarded early this morning.

We stepped out of the car and Mary helped unload our bags, I placed my personal bag over my shoulder and carried the other two suitcases I had for the trip. We walked along the ramps and into the ship.

Inside, a crew member checked off our names and handed Mother two keys. He directed us where to go and we started walking.

"This is the mighty Titanic," Mary said, looking around in awe. She wasn't travelling on the voyage with is, she was staying at the house in England for the next month or so. But she was helping us to carry our bags and other belongings in.

Around us, the other First Class passengers were hauling their bags and suitcases towards their cabins. Some were even bringing dogs on board! It even looked like some were moving on board.

"Here we are, Stacey," Mother said. "This is our parlour suite. Pretty cosy, right? There are only four of these suites in First Class and we got one of them. We're on the port side of C Deck. Don't forget that."

My mouth dropped open. Our suite was more like a hotel! But on the sea. There was a sitting area with three leading to different rooms which I assumed were bedrooms and the bathroom. I immediately began looking around and opening the doors. Two of the doors led to two large bedrooms, both had walk-in wardrobes. There was a bathroom and lavatory. The sitting room itself was huge and decked out with a faux fireplace, a large table, plush sofa and chairs, sideboards and a writing desk. Mary carried in a small wooden jewellery box where Mother had bought along her favourite pieces. The things I valued most in my life were with me on the ship in my bag, but most of my possessions remained at the house. I remembered Mother's warning.