FORMALITY
Chapter Five
"We’d like two hour and a
half massages, please," Rob said, laying down two dollars on the counter.
"Yes, sir. Will the lady
come this way? And you, sir, follow him," the attendant said. I followed
him to a curtained area, took off my dress, and wrapped myself in a towel. I
lay on the table on my stomach, and in a few minutes he was back and gave me
the massage, which was so relaxing. What a wonderful ship, this Titanic.
Wonderful bubble baths, wonderful libraries, wonderful massages...it’s like
heaven on the sea. After the massage, I hugged Rob to thank him.
"Thank you so much," I
said.
"You’re welcome," he
said, hugging me back tightly. We walked around and came across the swimming
pool.
"Let me take you swimming
tomorrow," he said.
"It’s a deal," I
agreed, smiling into his shining eyes.
"Are you as hungry as I
am?" he asked as we walked up to E Deck.
"Famished," I said. We
took the lifts back up to B Deck, and Rob and I went into the a la carte
restaurant and sat at a small table for two off in a corner. Rob ordered a cold
turkey sandwich and I ordered a garden salad.
"There’s so much to do on
this ship," I said.
"Indeed. I heard that
there’s a squash court on board somewhere. I’ll teach you the skills of
squash," he said.
"Squash? I’d love to learn
how," I said excitedly. I looked at my watch--2:30. We continued talking
while we finished our food.
"So, tell me, where do you
get your beautiful, wavy hair?" Rob asked me.
"Let’s see, my mother and my
sister both have really curly hair, and my father has straight, so I’m kind of
in the middle, I guess," I said.
"What a perfect
combination," he said, smiling.
"You’re flattering me,"
I said, my cheeks warming.
"You don’t like to be
flattered?" He smiled.
"No--it’s just that…well…no
one actually compliments me besides my father," I managed to say.
"Well, you would think a
beautiful woman such as yourself would get plenty of compliments," he
said, taking the last bite of his sandwich.
"But it’s not so," I
said, shaking my head.
"Then I should compliment
you more often," he said. We both laughed.
"I should be heading back. I
have to have tea with my mother since I skipped lunch and breakfast," I
said, getting up.
"I’ll see you at
dinner," Rob said, getting up with me as a proper gentleman should.
"Yes, sir," I said,
winking at him from over my shoulder.
The restaurant was right by my
room, so I was there in less than five minutes, leaving me plenty of time to
change and make myself presentable for Mother. There was a note on my table
instructing me to be in the First Class Lounge at four. I had just finished
changing and was fixing my hair when Marie came barging in through the door
that connected our rooms.
"Where have you been? You
missed breakfast and lunch!" she said with a motherly attitude.
"Do you have to use that
tone with me?" I shot back.
"Well, somebody has to if
Mother won’t. You’re out prancing about, making the ladies gossip about you. It
seems that I’m the decent daughter in this family," she said, sticking her
nose in the air. I groaned and turned back to the mirror.
"Fine. Don’t talk to me,
then. I’ll just tell Mother that you’re being a brat and you’ll have to skip
dinner tonight," she said, walking out of the room.
"Bite me," I mumbled
under my breath when Marie was out of earshot.
In the lounge, we sat with some
ladies that I’d never met before, and I wasn’t too excited about meeting them,
either. The same typical upper class wives, with the same typical gossip.
Fortunately, my father came in around 4:30 and saved me. I excused myself, took
my father’s arm, and he led me out to the Grand Staircase.
"Where are we going?" I
asked him.
"Can’t I take a leisurely
stroll with my favorite daughter?" he asked, smiling at me.
"Yes, of course you can,
Father," I said as we walked out onto the covered promenade.
"I know that your mother has
been nagging at you a lot lately, and I’ve been trying to get her to tone down
a bit, but she’s stuck on turning you into a society bore," he said.
"I’ll never let her do
that," I said seriously.
"The only thing that I wish
for you is that you find true happiness with someone, Belle," said my
father.
"I already have," I
said, looking up at him to see his reaction. I knew that he would be thrilled,
but I wasn’t so sure about my mother.
"Really? Who?" he asked
excitedly.
"I’m afraid it’s someone I
know Mother will not approve of. Robert Wellington," I said.
"Oh, his father owns the
railcar company. I suppose you’re right about your mother. She believes
everything she hears about everyone, including the rumors," my father
said, looking down at me kindly. The smile faded from my face.
"Oh," was all I could
say.
"But, Belle, who cares? If
you are happy, then I’m happy," he said, smiling again. When I saw him
smile, I knew it was all right with him.
"Father? Can you keep this a
secret? I’m not ready to tell Mother just yet," I said.
"Of course, Belle. Just
between you and me," my father said, still smiling ear-to-ear.