Ice & Iron (Titanic)

Chapter 15

15th  April 1912

The clock ticked over to midnight. I still couldn't believe that it had only been twenty minutes since Titanic hit the iceberg. I now sat anxiously on the sofa. What were the officers discussing or finding out at this very moment? Was it good or bad news?

No one else apart from the crew, Mother and me knew what happened. All the passengers are probably wondering what the shudder was and asking for answers.

I had also noticed that Titanic was no longer moving. The crew must have shut off the engines. What did that mean?

Ten minutes after midnight, the door to the suite bursts open and Murdoch steps through, looking very worried.

"What's happening?" I demanded.

"Captain Smith has ordered the crew to prepare the lifeboats about five minutes ago," he said. "I rushed here as soon as I heard."

"Is the Titanic going to be okay?" Mother asked.

"No." Murdoch shook his head. "Thomas Andrews has informed us that the first five watertight compartments have been breached. Unfortunately, she could stay float if only the first four were breached."

"The ship is sinking?" I asked, numb with shock.

"Yes, she is," said Murdoch. "We've got about two hours."

"So what's going to happen now?" Mother asked.

"You two need to pack your bags and come immediately to the deck," explained Murdoch. "You have your small bag, Stacey, put your best possessions in it. Same with you Ada. And make sure your warm. You won't know how long you'll be out there for. Make sure you only bring small bags with what to absolutely need. And don't alarm other passengers. We don't need thousands of people swarming us."

"Yes Father," I said. "What about you?"

"I'll be loading lifeboats," he said. "On the starboard side. Make sure you come there to see me. I need to go now, I'll see you two out here, preferably as soon as possible. We don't have much time left."

Just as quick as he came in, he exited the suite.

Once he was gone, the realisation fully sank in. When Titanic hit the iceberg, it was fatal. We were going down

Throwing open the door to my bedroom, I found my fabric bag and took a moment to stop and think about what I would bring with me. The bag was only small so I could only bring a few belongings.

I emptied the contents of my bedside table onto my bed. Definitely, the photos, the locket and my key necklace were coming with me. When Titanic went down, I wanted to keep the one thing that the ship gave me. The Captain and Officers would make sure everyone would make it to safety. Looking back at my belongings, I realised the books would have to be left behind unless there was room.

I entered the walk-in wardrobe again and looked at the dresses all hanging neatly, organised in day and nightwear. I was already wearing one dress and two coats with a scarf. The first dress that I pulled off a hanger was the dress Murdoch gave me. That dress was a definite item to bring with me. I grabbed a pair of more comfortable shoes and swapped them out for what was already on my feet. The shoes I now wore were the black flats I usually wore with my day dresses. Back in the room, I rolled up the dress and placed it inside my tote bag. There was still room for another dress, which I pulled down the day dress that I hadn't yet worn. No way was I bringing the red dress, that had too many bad memories.

With the two dresses rolled up tightly in the bag, I slipped the photos and two necklaces in between both, to make sure they were secure. I didn't care for another pair of shoes and another dress wouldn't fit. Coats and other warm gear I might be able to squeeze on over the top of what I already had on. In the end, I decided to grab one of the books I had brought along as well. Turns out, it was the book Murdoch gave me for my birthday earlier in the year. Most of my possessions in this bag were given to me from Murdoch.