least that was what they told Charles half an hour ago, but now they want us all up on deck, in life vests, at our lifeboat stations.”
“I see.” Kate was already looking around the room, and glanced at Edwina’s feet as she did. She was wearing gossamer-thin silver sandals with delicate heels, and her feet would have been frozen in less than five minutes on deck. “Edwina, change your shoes. Oona, put your coat on, and put the life vests on Fannie and Teddy at once.” But Charles was already helping her, as Bertram went to put trousers over his pajamas and exchange his slippers for socks and shoes. He put on a sweater that he had brought and not yet worn, and then put on his coat and his life vest, and he brought a warm wool dress to Kate in the room where she was helping Alexis dress, and as he did, he was suddenly aware that the floor beneath his feet was now sloping more acutely, and for the first time since he’d woken up, he was secretly frightened.
“Come on, children, hurry up,” he said, trying to appear confident when he wasn’t. Phillip and George were set. Edwina had brogues and her own coat on now, over her blue satin evening dress, and Charles had successfullyhelped her get clothes and life vests on Fannie and Teddy and Alexis. Only Oona was running around in bare feet and her nightgown. And Kate was pulling the heavy traveling dress Bert had handed her over her dressing gown, as she stepped into walking shoes, and then struggled into her fur coat.
“You have to dress,” Edwina hissed at Oona, not wanting to frighten the children more than they were, but wanting to impress on her the importance of the situation.
“Oh, Alice … I must go to my cousin Alice, and little Mary …” She was half crying and wringing her hands as she ran around the cabin.
“You’ll do no such thing, Oona Ryan. You’ll put your clothes on and come with us,” Kate snapped. She was still holding Alexis by the hand, and although the child was terrified, she was no longer protesting. She knew she would be fine, as long as she was with her mother and father. They were all ready, except for Oona, who was suddenly too frightened to join them.
“I can’t swim … I can’t swim …” she cried.
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Kate grabbed her arm, and motioned to Edwina to start out with the others. “You don’t need to swim, Oona. All you have to do is come with me. We’re going upstairs in a moment. But first you are going to put your dress on.” She put a wool dress of her own over the girl’s head then, knelt at her feet and helped her slip on shoes, put one of her own coats over the girl’s shoulders, grabbed a life vest, and within a matter of minutes they were just behind the others. But now the corridors were crowded with people heading for the decks, in equally peculiar outfits, with life vests and worried faces, although some laughed and said they thought it was all very foolish. It was twelve-fifteen by then, and Wireless Operator Phillips was making his first call for help, as the water level below decks roserapidly higher, and much faster than Captain Smith had expected. After all, it was only half an hour since they’d hit the berg. But the squash court was filled to the ceiling by then, and Fred Wright, the squash pro, said nothing of it to young Phillip when he saw him on the way to the lifeboats.
“Should I have taken any of my jewelry with me?” Kate suddenly asked Bert worriedly. It was the first time she had even thought of it, and she didn’t want to go back now. She had worn only her wedding ring, and it was all she really cared about or wanted.
“Don’t worry about it.” He smiled and squeezed her hand. “I’ll buy you some new baubles if you … misplace these….” He didn’t want to say “lose,” for fear of what that implied. He was suddenly terrified of what was going to happen to his wife and their children. They went all the way up to the Boat Deck, and when Bert
“I see.” Kate was already looking around the room, and glanced at Edwina’s feet as she did. She was wearing gossamer-thin silver sandals with delicate heels, and her feet would have been frozen in less than five minutes on deck. “Edwina, change your shoes. Oona, put your coat on, and put the life vests on Fannie and Teddy at once.” But Charles was already helping her, as Bertram went to put trousers over his pajamas and exchange his slippers for socks and shoes. He put on a sweater that he had brought and not yet worn, and then put on his coat and his life vest, and he brought a warm wool dress to Kate in the room where she was helping Alexis dress, and as he did, he was suddenly aware that the floor beneath his feet was now sloping more acutely, and for the first time since he’d woken up, he was secretly frightened.
“Come on, children, hurry up,” he said, trying to appear confident when he wasn’t. Phillip and George were set. Edwina had brogues and her own coat on now, over her blue satin evening dress, and Charles had successfullyhelped her get clothes and life vests on Fannie and Teddy and Alexis. Only Oona was running around in bare feet and her nightgown. And Kate was pulling the heavy traveling dress Bert had handed her over her dressing gown, as she stepped into walking shoes, and then struggled into her fur coat.
“You have to dress,” Edwina hissed at Oona, not wanting to frighten the children more than they were, but wanting to impress on her the importance of the situation.
“Oh, Alice … I must go to my cousin Alice, and little Mary …” She was half crying and wringing her hands as she ran around the cabin.
“You’ll do no such thing, Oona Ryan. You’ll put your clothes on and come with us,” Kate snapped. She was still holding Alexis by the hand, and although the child was terrified, she was no longer protesting. She knew she would be fine, as long as she was with her mother and father. They were all ready, except for Oona, who was suddenly too frightened to join them.
“I can’t swim … I can’t swim …” she cried.
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Kate grabbed her arm, and motioned to Edwina to start out with the others. “You don’t need to swim, Oona. All you have to do is come with me. We’re going upstairs in a moment. But first you are going to put your dress on.” She put a wool dress of her own over the girl’s head then, knelt at her feet and helped her slip on shoes, put one of her own coats over the girl’s shoulders, grabbed a life vest, and within a matter of minutes they were just behind the others. But now the corridors were crowded with people heading for the decks, in equally peculiar outfits, with life vests and worried faces, although some laughed and said they thought it was all very foolish. It was twelve-fifteen by then, and Wireless Operator Phillips was making his first call for help, as the water level below decks roserapidly higher, and much faster than Captain Smith had expected. After all, it was only half an hour since they’d hit the berg. But the squash court was filled to the ceiling by then, and Fred Wright, the squash pro, said nothing of it to young Phillip when he saw him on the way to the lifeboats.
“Should I have taken any of my jewelry with me?” Kate suddenly asked Bert worriedly. It was the first time she had even thought of it, and she didn’t want to go back now. She had worn only her wedding ring, and it was all she really cared about or wanted.
“Don’t worry about it.” He smiled and squeezed her hand. “I’ll buy you some new baubles if you … misplace these….” He didn’t want to say “lose,” for fear of what that implied. He was suddenly terrified of what was going to happen to his wife and their children. They went all the way up to the Boat Deck, and when Bert
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