Four Days in April
by Del_kaidin
Day 2 - April 11, 1912
10:00 AM
Erin stood on deck watching Ireland come into view. At 8 AM Molly Brown had come
and awoken both her and Catherine with orders for Catherine to be dressed and ready for
breakfast no later than 9:30. Then the whirlwind had left to prepare herself. Erin quickly
discovered she had a lot to learn about being a lady's maid. She would never forget the
expression on Catherine's face when she had brought the dress she had picked out for her.
Patiently Catherine explained the difference between a morning, tea, evening and formal
dress. When she had commented that she saw no reason for a body to change clothes five
times a day, Catherine had smiled and said she was sensible and fashion was definitely not
sensible.
The Emerald Isle, grew larger and larger by noon they had pulled into the Queenstown
docks. Erin watched the passengers embark and disembark, cargo loaded and unloaded.
Her thoughts were not on the activity below her but on Catherine's mood. She was
unhappy about something. All through the night Erin had awoken to alternately screams
and sobs coming from Catherine's room. Once she had heard the name Gabrielle screamed
followed by heart breaking sobs. This morning there was a quiet sadness that hung around
her.
'If only she would confide in me. Think, Erin, you're her maid not her confidant.' she
thought. 'She has something tearing a whole in her soul. Some type of loss. It has to be.
Only that would account for her behavior.' Her thoughts racing Erin stood looking at the
dock but not seeing it.
*********
3:00PM
Molly Brown watched the girl sitting beside her. Tea was a social event for the British
and she had every intention of enjoying the society of the ship. For all her boldness Molly
had a heart of gold, she sensed Catherine's melancholy and wondered how to pull the girl
back to the living.
"If you will excuse me." Catherine said rising from the table.
"Certainly you just run along and get some rest. This will be our first full night at sea and
I want you fresh and well rested for the Captain's Dinner tonight." Molly shooed the girl
on her way, but watched as she headed for the door.
With her coloring, those sapphire eyes and that mass of black hair Catherine was a beauty,
but with her shoulders slumped, the lack of any light in her eyes dark, and that magnificent face
slightly bowed, the girl was the picture of sadness. A plan began to form in Molly's mind.
'Now what was that fellow's name? They would be so perfect together....' It was easy to
picture him, that one was hard to forget, tall, broad shouldered, handsome, blond hair, blue
eyes.... oh what was his name... Matchmaking was second nature to Molly, she thought
everyone should be happily married and a man was just the thing to perk up the girls
spirits. She saw him enter the tea room and went to speak with him.
Molly was more right than she knew, but only one man could have healed Catherine's
shattered heart. . . who was even now resting in his crib in Grey Manor.
*********
7:00PM
Erin was putting the final pins in Catherine's hair when a knock sounded at the door. "Well
I'm glad I got that done. Let me just go let Mrs. Brown in and I'll be back to help you get
dressed." Without realizing it Erin squeezed her shoulder before leaving to open the door.
"Evening, Mrs. Brown. I'll...." Erin broke off, standing in the door was not Mrs. Brown.
but a tall, handsome, blue eyed, blond haired stranger. "Excuse me sir, but I think you
may have the wrong stateroom."
"This is Catherine Grey's room? Mrs. Brown isn't feeling well this evening and asked me to
act as escort."
Erin motioned for him to come in. "Sir if you'll just take a seat I'll have Miss Catherine
ready in a few minutes. Who shall I tell her is calling?"
"Oh forgive me, Matthew Light."
"Well, Mr. Light if you won't mind waiting I'll go get Miss Catherine ready for dinner."
Erin reentered the dressing area where Catherine was waiting patiently. "Ma'am..."
"I thought I asked you to call me Catherine. What's wrong you look so shaken."
"Catherine... I thought that the door would be Mrs. Brown but..."
"But?" Catherine prompted arching an eyebrow.
In a rush Erin explained "Mrs. Brown sends her regrets she's not feeling well and has sent
a Mr. Matthew Light to escort you to dinner."
"I see. Hand me my robe." Puzzled by the request Erin handed the requested robe to her.
"Now I'll speak with this Mr. Light." Catherine swept from the room reminding Erin of a
queen or a warrior...... the memory which for a second had floated into focus retreated
back.
***********
7:15PM
Entering the sitting room, Catherine reagally nodded to the man rising from the chair. "Mr.
Light?"
"I'm sorry I was under the impression that you knew... about Mrs. Brown not feeling well
that is."
"No, I was not. Sir if you will forgive me I am not feeling well myself and was about to
ask my maid to inform Mrs. Brown I wouldn't be able to join her. If you would please
excuse me. I think I'll lie down for a while. Good night sir." Finishing she shut the door
on the surprised man's face.
Outside the door Matthew Light was stunned. She had maneuvered him so skillfully to
the door and out he was surprised when it shut in his face. Smiling he turned and headed
to Mrs. Brown's room to inform her the plan had failed.
*************
10:00PM
Erin sat in the sitting room reading one of the many books from the ships library on
Ancient Greece. Sometimes she could almost see the places they spoke of, Athens,
Corinth, Thesely, she could almost smell the streets, hear the voices of people walking,
talking through there streets.
An hour ago she had given up trying to sleep. Catherine had climbed immediately into bed
after ejecting Mr. Light, with Erin doing likewise thirty minutes later. Then the screams
had started, those heart breaking soul wrenching screams of pain and grief, issuing from
Catherine as she slept. More names had emerged from the sleeping woman, Gabrielle,
Ephiny, Solon, Callisto and one she recognized Hercules. So her she sat researching each
name. She had only been able to find Callisto and Hercules so far.
**********
11:00PM
An hour later and Erin finally found a mysterious reference in the last book.
"Legend has it that Hercules turned the Destroyer of Nations from her path of distruction.
However it should be noted that other than this one source there is no evidence the
Destroyer of Nations was female."
A few minutes later the book slipped from a sleeping Erin's hand to the floor. Her dreams
filled with Warlords, Heroes, Kings and Adventure.
Day 3 or Back To The Library
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