nodded.
"No, he hasn't," Phoebe corrected. "Only the jumping one in the gym."
Henry continued playing with the utensils, unperturbed.
"I haven't ridden the camel," Lydia said, "but I looked in the window of the gym and saw it. The mechanical horses too."
S. J. began to tell John about the gym. Lydia noticed Caroline and Lady Lavinia often spoke in soft tones as if the conversation were not for the entire table.
Soon their lunch came, and while enjoying the sumptuous food Lydia tried not to be too obvious in observing Phoebe and Henry. She liked children just fine, but generally gave them little thought. Now she wondered if her child would be a girl like pretty Phoebe or a boy like the adorable Henry.
While eating, she noticed Caroline and Lady Lavinia still engaged in private conversation. However, any uneasiness vanished when lunch ended and Lady Lavinia addressed Lydia. "Caroline and I have been scheming," she said. "We should meet for tea this afternoon with some of the other ladies and get this wedding event under way."
As Craven had warned, she shouldn't put the cart before the horse. "The invitation is only for dinner. The captain didn't mention a wedding."
"Well, if Caroline and I aren't convincing enough," Lavinia said, "we'll sic Molly on him."
They laughed, knowing the flamboyant Molly Brown's charm and personal stories delighted and impressed everyone.
John spoke up, "With you ladies ganging up on the captain, what can he say?"
"What else?" Lydia said, finding John's playful mood contagious, "but, 'Ahoy mates'?"
12
Saturday afternoon tea, April 13, 1912
E ach time Lydia thought of becoming John's wife in this romantic setting, shivers of excitement washed through her like an ocean wave about to overwhelm. The wedding bells seemed to be ringing, and she'd had little time to freshen up since lunch and be ready for tea with heaven only knew who.
The girl in the mirror looked at her with shining eyes, glowing skin and a smile on her lips. "Sorry, Lady Grace Frazier," who would have looked forward to planning her wedding, "I'm off to plan my own wedding."
She hardly had time to even miss John. But he was off on important errands after lunch. Caroline reminded him he'd need to respond to the captain's invitation. And John said he would show the invitation to Craven, since he was included.
A few minutes before two o'clock, Lydia left her suite and almost floated up the grand staircase to the boulevard leading to Café Parisien. She entered the sunlit veranda decorated with ivy and other plants scaling the trellises. Yes, this really was a boulevard and as Phoebe had said, even more like Paris than Paris itself. The other ladies were already seated.
Caroline saw her first and lifted her hand in greeting. Three tables had been moved together. Around them were seated Caroline, Lady Lavinia, and Phoebe. Three others she'd seen but had not met formally were Molly Brown, Madeleine Astor, and Harriett Sylverson.
Introductions were made, congratulations extended, questions and answers exchanged between Harriett and the French waiter, and tea and scones ordered by everyone, except Phoebe, who preferred hot lemonade.
The discussion turned immediately to the wedding.
"But," Lydia cautioned. "shouldn't we wait until the captain tells us for sure?"
"Oh, he knows already," Lady Lavinia said with a dainty sweep of her thin, lace-gloved hand. Madeleine smiled sweetly as if agreeing with her statement.
"Of course he knows," Molly said, "but before telling us women—" the roll of her eyes brought chuckles and nods, understanding exactly what she meant by that sarcastic tone of voice, "he will make certain the right men are present. They will make their plans about how the publicity is to be handled. Just you watch who's at the dinner table tonight and be prepared for all the photos being snapped."
Conversation quieted while the waiter served the delicacies.
Lady Lavinia took a sip of tea, lowered her
"No, he hasn't," Phoebe corrected. "Only the jumping one in the gym."
Henry continued playing with the utensils, unperturbed.
"I haven't ridden the camel," Lydia said, "but I looked in the window of the gym and saw it. The mechanical horses too."
S. J. began to tell John about the gym. Lydia noticed Caroline and Lady Lavinia often spoke in soft tones as if the conversation were not for the entire table.
Soon their lunch came, and while enjoying the sumptuous food Lydia tried not to be too obvious in observing Phoebe and Henry. She liked children just fine, but generally gave them little thought. Now she wondered if her child would be a girl like pretty Phoebe or a boy like the adorable Henry.
While eating, she noticed Caroline and Lady Lavinia still engaged in private conversation. However, any uneasiness vanished when lunch ended and Lady Lavinia addressed Lydia. "Caroline and I have been scheming," she said. "We should meet for tea this afternoon with some of the other ladies and get this wedding event under way."
As Craven had warned, she shouldn't put the cart before the horse. "The invitation is only for dinner. The captain didn't mention a wedding."
"Well, if Caroline and I aren't convincing enough," Lavinia said, "we'll sic Molly on him."
They laughed, knowing the flamboyant Molly Brown's charm and personal stories delighted and impressed everyone.
John spoke up, "With you ladies ganging up on the captain, what can he say?"
"What else?" Lydia said, finding John's playful mood contagious, "but, 'Ahoy mates'?"
12
Saturday afternoon tea, April 13, 1912
E ach time Lydia thought of becoming John's wife in this romantic setting, shivers of excitement washed through her like an ocean wave about to overwhelm. The wedding bells seemed to be ringing, and she'd had little time to freshen up since lunch and be ready for tea with heaven only knew who.
The girl in the mirror looked at her with shining eyes, glowing skin and a smile on her lips. "Sorry, Lady Grace Frazier," who would have looked forward to planning her wedding, "I'm off to plan my own wedding."
She hardly had time to even miss John. But he was off on important errands after lunch. Caroline reminded him he'd need to respond to the captain's invitation. And John said he would show the invitation to Craven, since he was included.
A few minutes before two o'clock, Lydia left her suite and almost floated up the grand staircase to the boulevard leading to Café Parisien. She entered the sunlit veranda decorated with ivy and other plants scaling the trellises. Yes, this really was a boulevard and as Phoebe had said, even more like Paris than Paris itself. The other ladies were already seated.
Caroline saw her first and lifted her hand in greeting. Three tables had been moved together. Around them were seated Caroline, Lady Lavinia, and Phoebe. Three others she'd seen but had not met formally were Molly Brown, Madeleine Astor, and Harriett Sylverson.
Introductions were made, congratulations extended, questions and answers exchanged between Harriett and the French waiter, and tea and scones ordered by everyone, except Phoebe, who preferred hot lemonade.
The discussion turned immediately to the wedding.
"But," Lydia cautioned. "shouldn't we wait until the captain tells us for sure?"
"Oh, he knows already," Lady Lavinia said with a dainty sweep of her thin, lace-gloved hand. Madeleine smiled sweetly as if agreeing with her statement.
"Of course he knows," Molly said, "but before telling us women—" the roll of her eyes brought chuckles and nods, understanding exactly what she meant by that sarcastic tone of voice, "he will make certain the right men are present. They will make their plans about how the publicity is to be handled. Just you watch who's at the dinner table tonight and be prepared for all the photos being snapped."
Conversation quieted while the waiter served the delicacies.
Lady Lavinia took a sip of tea, lowered her
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