Fumbling Toward Ecstasy

Chapter 4: Harland and Wolff

Chapter 4

Brynne stared at her reflection in the full-length mirror. Her dark hair was pulled up into a neat bun. She wore a navy pinstripe dress suit topped off with a similarly colored hat on her head. She looked herself over and hardly recognized herself in the Edwardian garb. It wasn't really so bad as she'd expected. While she would probably never choose to wear an outfit like this, she couldn't deny that it was kind of snazzy. The corset would take some getting used to, though.

She looked to Carmen, who stood behind her and slightly to her right. "What do you think?" Brynne asked her.

Carmen smiled. "I think you've got a ship to build," she said.

xxx

Harland and Wolff didn't look like much on the outside, but Brynne knew better. What was going on inside the three-story building was much more important than external appearances.

Directly inside the front entrance was a reception desk, where a young man sat, engrossed in a newspaper.

Brynne strode confidently up to the desk. "Excuse me," she said to the man.

The receptionist looked up at her, breaking his gaze from the reading. He was a small-framed man with a pair of glasses on his nose. "Yes, ma'am?" he said. "How can I help you?"

"I'm here to see Mr. Thomas Andrews," Brynne informed him.

xxx

"Are you quite certain that this … woman is the right person for the job?" Jeremy Bratt posed the question to Thomas Andrews, Harland and Wolff's managing director and Jeremy's boss. That Andrews, who usually devoted great attention to detail, would bring someone (a woman no less) in on something as important as Titanic without ever even meeting her was a difficult pill for Jeremy to swallow. "We really have no idea at all about who she is," Jeremy continued. "After all, it was only by accident that her credentials found their way to the firm. Perhaps a trial period would be in order, sir?"

"No," Andrews insisted. "I believe she's more than qualified. She hasn't had much experience in the way of shipbuilding, but the work that she has done is exceptional. I think she can significantly add to our efforts to design Titanic's interior."

The knock on the door put their conversation on hold. "Come in," Andrews called out.

The door opened and a short man with glasses stepped into the office. It was the receptionist from downstairs. "Ms. Brynne Larence here to see you, sir," the little man said.

Brynne stepped past the receptionist and into plain view. Jeremy's jaw nearly dropped once he finally got a decent look at her. He hadn't expected her to be so beautiful. This was a career woman, and from his experience with them, they weren't of the attractive variety. Usually, they'd only turned to careers because they'd failed to find husbands to provide for them. Obviously, his previously held notions concerning career women would have to be altered.

The receptionist made a hasty exit, closing the door behind him. Andrews took Brynne's hand and gently shook it. "Ms. Larence," he greeted with a warm smile. "I'm Thomas Andrews, the managing director here. I'm so glad you could join us."

"Thank you for having me," Brynne replied. "It is incredible how things work their way out, isn't it? I was sending those plans and drawings to my sister in England; how they ended up here is a world of mystery to me." In all truth, Brynne knew exactly how they'd ended up at Harland and Wolff. Carmen had made sure this was where they would arrive.

"Fate has a way of seeing to it that things turn out the way they're supposed to, and I'm glad it rang true this time," Andrews said. "We need someone like you on our team." He stepped aside. "I'd like you to meet Mr. Jeremy Bratt. He'll be working with you on the interior designs."