DANGEROUS GAMES
Chapter Two
Savannah loved the feel of
Thomas’ eyes upon her as she dressed. She sat a vanity table against the wall
of his bedroom, slowly pinning her auburn hair back into place. Thomas stood by
his wardrobe, redressing himself, never taking his eyes off Savannah.
When she finished, she stood and
said, "I must return to my stateroom."
Thomas nodded and said,
"Yes. It’s almost six. Bruce will be missing you."
Savannah’s face dropped at the
mention of her dear husband’s name. Thomas took notice of the change and slid a
finger under her chin, lifting her face until their eyes met. He kissed her
softly on the lips and watched the smile return to her face. He smiled in
return and led her to the door.
Giving him one last kiss,
Savannah said, "I’ll see you at dinner."
Thomas nodded and said,
"I’ll see you later."
*****
"Ah…there you are,"
Bruce said as Savannah strolled through the door. He was standing in the
doorway to the promenade, adjusting his dinner tuxedo.
"Yes. I’m afraid time got
away from me," Savannah said as she approached him.
Bruce kissed her cheek and eyed
her carefully as she shooed his hands away. He watched her closely as she
straightened his bowtie with a smile on her face.
"Did you have a pleasant
afternoon?" he asked as she finished her work and made her way to their
bedroom.
Savannah pulled a red dinner gown
from her wardrobe and called back, "Yes, it was…quite enjoyable," a
knowing smile playing on her face. She held out her arms as Jane helped undress
her.
Once she was free of her gown,
Jane paused at the sight of Savannah’s corset strings. "Oh, my, ma’am. I’m
terribly sorry. I did an absolutely horrid job of lacing this morning. How
uncomfortable you must have been!"
Savannah paused for a second and
choked back a giggle before saying, "Oh, no worries, Jane. Just be more
attentive in the future."
Jane quickly unlaced Savannah and
redid the entire job, all the while apologizing for her mistake. When Savannah
was finally dressed, Jane sat her down to pin her hair. After adorning it with
a beautiful string of gems, Jane helped Savannah with her gloves and fan before
sending her out to meet Bruce.
"Oh, darling, you look
exquisite," Bruce said as he kissed her hand. Offering her his arm, he
said, "Shall we?" and led her away.
*****
As they descended the grand staircase,
Savannah scanned the crowd for Thomas. Suddenly, Bruce stopped. "Colonel
Gracie, E.J., how are you this fine evening?" she heard Bruce say as he
shook hands with the two distinguished older gentlemen.
"Bruce, I do not believe I
have met this young woman," Savannah heard E.J say.
Bruce beamed with pride as he
said, "Gentlemen, may I present my new wife, Miss Savannah Wolff
Ismay."
Snapping out of her daydream,
Savannah smiled at the two gentlemen and offered her hand to both.
"Wolff? As in Harland and
Wolff?" Captain Smith asked curiously.
Savannah nodded and replied,
"Yes. Gustav Wolff was my father." Spying Thomas in the crowd,
Savannah asked, "Will you excuse me, gentlemen?" and made her escape
towards him.
"Mrs. Ismay." He
greeted her formally with a kiss on the hand. "You look breathtaking, as
always."
Savannah blushed and replied,
"You look handsome, as well, Mr. Andrews." Before she could say
anything more, a handsome man and a young woman approached them. "Mr.
Hockley, Miss DeWitt Bukater, how are you?" Thomas greeted them both with
a smile.
The man smiled at Savannah and
asked, "Thomas, who is this beautiful young woman? I don’t believe we’ve
had the pleasure."
Thomas looked at Savannah and
said, "Mr. Hockley, this is Savannah Ismay, Bruce Ismay’s new wife.
Savannah, this is Cal Hockley and his fiancée, Rose DeWitt Bukater."
Savannah greeted them both and
then excused herself to rejoin Bruce.
At the dinner table, Savannah was
seated between Bruce and Rose. On Bruce’s left were Colonel Gracie and his
wife, followed by Captain Smith. Cal sat to Rose’s right, followed by Rose’s
mother and then Thomas, directly across from Savannah. Throughout dinner,
Savannah could not keep her eyes off Thomas. The conversation was incredibly
dull, and she continually found herself lost in daydreams of her time with
Thomas that morning.
"Savannah." Savannah
jumped at the sound of her own name. She turned and saw Bruce standing behind
her. "Savannah, we’re off to the smoking room. Would you like me to escort
you back?"
Savannah shook her head and said,
"No. I’ll stay out here for a bit," and watched as all the gentlemen,
including Thomas, left the dining room.
"Savannah, would you like to
walk the boat deck with me?" Rose was standing now, her eyes directed at
Savannah, waiting for a response. Savannah nodded and bid the other ladies good
evening.
Once outside, Rose and Savannah
walked in silence for a few minutes before Rose finally asked, "How long
have you and Bruce been married?"
Savannah faked a smile and
replied, "Three months. We married in February of this year."
Rose looked her in the eye and
asked, "You’re not happy, are you?"
Savannah was caught off guard by
Rose’s question. "Of course I am. I love Bruce," she said, more as a
reassurance to herself than to Rose. She could tell Rose didn’t believe a word
she was saying.
"Savannah, you can’t fool
me. I know the game you’re playing." Savannah stopped in her tracks and
turned to face Rose. "You married him weeks after your father’s death in
order to preserve your family’s name and fortune. Your mother arranged the
whole affair, with no consideration for your feelings, your needs, or even your
age."
Savannah watched Rose’s
expression fall. "That’s why you’re marrying Cal," was all Savannah
could manage to say. Rose only nodded in assent. As they continued to walk,
Savannah realized Rose was one of the few people she could trust. "I’m so
confused, Rose. I don’t know what to do. I just…I think I might care for him,
but sometimes I just…"
Rose continued, "Hate the
way he forces affection."
"Hate the way he talks to
me."
"Hate the way he looks at
me."
"Cringe when he touches
me."
Rose looked up to the sky and
asked, "I hope this isn’t too personal a question, but what was your
wedding night like?"
Savannah had been trying to
forget that night since the morning after. "It was…I can’t describe it. I
was terrified, of him, of the whole...event that was going to take place. I had
never been with a man intimately, and he knew that, but it didn’t matter to
him." Rose pulled Savannah over to the railing and rested her hands on
Savannah’s hands as she continued. "We were in this extravagant honeymoon
suite, and all I did was lie on the bed and cry. It was an unbearable evening.
This is the first time I’ve spoken of it."
Rose nodded and said, "That
sounds exactly like the first time Cal and I were intimate. And he wonders why
I resist his advances."
Savannah nodded and they continued
to walk again, letting silence overtake them. Out of the blue, Rose asked,
"So, how long have you and Mr. Andrews been involved with one
another?"
Savannah stopped in her tracks,
her face betraying her surprise. "How did you…" was all Savannah could
manage to say.
Rose smiled and said, "I
could see how he looked at you this evening at dinner. Tell me
everything."
Savannah nodded in acceptance and
began to tell the story. "While Bruce was in meetings at the shipyard,
Thomas and I spent many hours walking along the docks. We became very close,
but never actually made any physical advances towards one another. One night
last week, Thomas and Bruce were working on the final plans for the Titanic and
I was stuck in the office with them. It was almost ten o’clock when Bruce told
Thomas he could leave for the evening, but asked him to escort me home. Bruce
expected he would be there until early the next morning. Thomas brought me
home, and I invited him inside. We talked and that led to us sharing a kiss…or two…and
before I knew it we were upstairs in the master suite." Savannah began to
blush as Rose chuckled at her new friend’s narrative. Savannah closed her eyes
and continued on. "It was the most intimate, loving…passionate night of my
life. I swear, sometimes, I can still feel his touch…and nothing Bruce does
will ever make me feel the same as I did that night…or this afternoon,"
Savannah finished with a grin.
Rose gasped. "What? You’ve
been with him since?"
Savannah nodded and said,
"I’m captivated by him. He is like this intense flame burning in the
darkness that I can’t take my eyes away from. Every time I leave him, I feel as
if I don’t see him once more, I won’t be able to survive."
Rose only nodded and continued to
walk on with Savannah. They walked a few more feet in silence before entering
through the first class entrance. They stood together on A-Deck, at the railing
overlooking the grand staircase.
"I don’t know what to
do," Savannah said to anyone who would listen.
Rose rested a hand on her shoulder
and said, "Let’s meet again tomorrow. We are having lunch together."
Savannah smiled and said,
"Good night, Rose," before heading off towards her stateroom.
*****
Savannah’s nightgown had never
felt so good. The warmth and softness of the cotton enveloped Savannah as she
sat up in bed, pillow propped behind her back and book on her lap. It was
nearly 2:30 in the morning when Savannah heard the front door open and close.
Savannah continued to read her book until Bruce pushed her door open.
Savannah took up her loving wife
mask and asked, "Did you have a pleasant evening, darling?"
Bruce smiled at her and replied,
"Yes, it was quite nice."
He approached her bed and sat on
the edge. Savannah closed her book and moved her legs to the side to make room
for Bruce. "Is something wrong, Bruce?" Savannah asked, hoping he
would simply kiss her good night and go off to bed.
Bruce shook his head and said,
"No, I was just thinking about how lucky I am." He inched closer to
her and placed his hand on her cheek. "You’re so beautiful, Savannah. Have
I ever told you that?"
Savannah smiled. As much as she
detested her marriage, she had to admit he was a very sweet man when he wanted
to be. "Bruce, you tell me all the time. Is there something wrong?"
she asked him gently, wondering what had brought this side of him out.
Bruce shook his head and replied,
"Nothing is wrong, my love. I just…I just can’t help but feel you haven’t
been happy with me. Did I do something wrong?"
Savannah shook her head and said,
"Bruce, no, you’ve done nothing wrong. You know I care for you."
Bruce shook his head and said,
"But you do not love me." Savannah was unsure how to answer. She
opened her mouth to speak, but was halted by Bruce. "Please, Savannah, do
not lie to me. I know you do not love me, but I want that to change." He
looked into her eyes and said, "I want to make you happy, Savannah. I love
you with all my heart and would give anything for you to feel the same. What
can I do, Savannah?"
"Bruce, I…" Savannah
began before Bruce again interrupted her, this time with a tender kiss placed
upon her smooth pink lips. Savannah’s heart melted at this sudden occurrence of
affection. It had been over a month since he had been this warm towards her.
His hand remained on her cheek and she allowed him to deepen the kiss before
withdrawing. "Time," Savannah said softly to him. "I just need
time, Bruce."
He nodded thoughtfully and
motioned for her to slide over a bit. Savannah slid to the other edge of the
bed and made room for Bruce. He sat beside her, his back against the bare wall.
He held his arm around her shoulder and eased her head down to his chest.
Savannah rested her head and snuggled into her blanket. As he stroked her long
auburn hair, she slid into a peaceful sleep.