Once We Were (15 page)

“
But if I am God, I should have control over whether I live or die. If I jump and get pulled under, then there is a God. But if I should survive...”

“
You misunderstand my words. There is no
if
involved. If you jump, you die. That is all.”

“
I'm willing to take that gamble,” Beatrice grinned. “Let's see who's playing God this time.”

“
Please, signorina, don't!” Gianni cried. She smiled at him, turned away, and stepped quietly over the edge. She fell peaceful and still into the rushing water.

Gianni leaped from his seat, shattering the easel against the tree. “Help!” he cried. “The signorina! She's gone over! She's fallen in!”

Everyone had gone inside. Gianni stood over the river searching desperately for her. She was gone. One more death on his hands. There was no time to call the attendants. They'd fry him for good this time. He had to make a decision. Leave his fate in their hands or follow the signorina's example.

He drew a deep breath and jumped.

Chapter 11

Mrs. Dillsworth sat at her tiny table in the kitchen. The aroma of ginger peach drifted from the teacup she cradled in her hand. It was the only brew that calmed her nerves. The way she looked at Ioan when he walked in made him stop at the door. Something was not right.

“
Good evening, sir,” she greeted stiffly.

“
Where is Miss Harlow?” Ioan asked.

“
Miss Harlow isn't well,” she said. “She hasn't come down from her room all day. She won't accept food, company, or tea,” the lady lamented. “I've had it! I had no choice but to call her father again and see if he could help her. He's on his way now.”

“
She was fine when I left. What happened?” Ioan questioned.

“
Well that was before she read the paper,” Mrs. Dillsworth said. She slapped it in front of him. “My, you've gone and made a right mess now, haven't you, sir?” Ioan stared at the page.

“Titanic officer love scandal?

Officer Ioan Saier, who appeared before the U.S. Senate Inquiry, is being suspended from White Star Line Shipping Company under suspicion of having an illegitimate love affair with a female passenger on board the ship. Company guidelines deem such behavior unacceptable and many are questioning the competence of the company's crew in light of the suspected affair. Officials question the motive behind Saier's sudden engagement to the passenger. Officer Saier refuses to comment on the accusation, claiming he conducted himself according to company regulations.”

“Mr. Spruce is on his way too. I'd take that there knife with you, sir. It's two against one,” she suggested. Ioan turned from the kitchen and started upstairs to Cora's room.

“
She won't see you.” A voice came from the sitting room. “She's made up her mind she never wants to again.” Mr. Harlow stood waiting. “And I have no objections.”

“
I need to speak to her,” Ioan persisted.

“
Did you hear me, Mr. Saier?” Mr. Harlow questioned. “Haven't you done enough?”

“
I refused to tell them anything but the truth,” Ioan said. “Naturally they'd want to get rid of me, which I will accept and walk away with dignity. But I will not have Cora suffer any longer from this. Once I find the person responsible, it will be dealt with.”

“
And what is she to do until then? The damage is done,” Mr. Harlow protested. “You
are the responsible one.”

“
I intend to fix whatever wrongs I have committed.”

“
Nothing
can fix this,” Mr. Harlow snapped. “I trusted you with my most precious treasure. You ruined my family name and shattered her reputation. I should have stood my ground from the beginning. When your father begged me to keep Cora away from you, I readily agreed. You fooled me. For a moment, she was so happy, and I forgot how much heartache you really are accountable for, Mr. Saier. I have no choice but to act as I should have before. Cora and I are leaving tonight. She will have no further contact with you, and I strongly recommend you do not attempt to contact her.”

“
You can't just come into my home and make this decision!” Ioan protested.

“
She is my daughter!”

“
She is my fiancee! You can't order I stay away from her. I won't. You have no house and no stable income. She is not safe out there on those streets. She'll stay here.”

“
I will not allow you to keep my daughter living here like a harlot!” Mr. Harlow shouted. “What exactly happened on that ship to make you think you have any authority over her life? Why would
you
marry her?”

“
I love and respect your daughter and I would not marry her for any other reason.”

“
You are not
her husband, thankfully, and my
word is above all others.”

“
Neither of you can make a good decision on my behalf,” Cora commented. “Look at you two, shouting at each other like children. I
am my only honest advocate. The decision is mine.”

“
Cora, pack your bags. We're meeting the nine train,” Mr. Harlow ordered.

Cora looked Ioan straight in the eyes. “You played your part so well,” she said. “I honestly believed you would keep your promise.”

“Cora, dear, it's no use,” her father told her. “It can't be mended. You won't stay in this house any longer.  I've found a better situation for you.”

“
You looked at me like this,” Cora told Ioan. “And you told me we'd be done with it. I'll spend my whole life wondering how a person could lie so effectively.”

“
I won't ask forgiveness because I don't want it,” Ioan told her.

“
You won't get it either way,” she answered.

“
What I do ask, if nothing else, is that you think on it one day and understand that I loved you enough to do what I did,” Ioan replied.

Cora chuckled. “Oh!” she exclaimed. “Well, that makes perfect sense now. I only  hope one day you understand the true nature of a promise and how I kept mine and walked away. I wish you all the best, Mr. Saier.”

“I wish this house the best,” Mr. Spruce commented. “If you two must settle your differences under this roof.”

“
So you called your lawyer to speak for you? Typical,” Cora remarked. “The case is closed, Mr. Spruce.”

“
I'm not here to defend, Mr. Saier, whom I will deal with later. I'm here to provide free consultation to you, Miss Harlow,” Mr. Spruce replied. “I know you mean well, Mr. Harlow, but taking Cora away in the dead of the night will only raise more suspicion about her fragile reputation. It won't save her.”

“
Are you suggesting she marry this-this-?” Mr. Harlow stumbled for an insult but could think of nothing. “Welsh man!”

“
On the contrary,” Mr. Spruce replied. “I say we do nothing.  We must not act guilty. A wedding today would only raise more suspicions about the couple's accused behaviors on board the ship, whatever they may be.”

“
I swear there was nothing of that nature going on,” Cora defended.

“
Nonetheless, the wedding plans must proceed as usual and you must be formally introduced to the public as the future Mrs. Saier,” Mr. Spruce informed her.

“
How can I marry a man I can't trust?” Cora replied bitterly. “It's impossible.”

“
It's been done longer than you've been alive and quite successfully,” Mr. Spruce replied. “There is no escaping marriage now that you've shacked yourself in Mr. Saier's home.”

“
I have lost all respect for that man,” Cora said. “There's no way I can stand looking at him for the rest of my life. I can't even look at him now without wanting to rip his head off.”

Ioan cleared his throat. “I'm going out. I can't stand this much amusement,” he said to Mr. Spruce. He left the room, closing the door behind him.

The room fell silent. “Miss Harlow, do you know what the real world's like?” Mr. Spruce asked quietly.

“
Not the fantasy pantomime you find yourself in now, but the reality of your situation? I'll be the first to admit that Mr. Saier has done you a disservice, not because he exercised his masculine right to his own decision, but because he's done everything in his power to shelter you from the situation you deserve. He has put his reputation at stake just by giving you as much regard as he does, while the majority would have taken what they wanted and thrown you out on the streets. The very least you could do, Miss Harlow, is grant that man some courtesy.”

“
Fine. I'll play your little house game,” Cora snapped. “It changes nothing. Nothing will ever take back what he's done.”

“
It's a shame you can't take back yours either,” Mr. Spruce replied. “We have to do something about that attitude. Fortunately for you, I know an excellent tutoress. No one can root out all your bad breeding, but she will at least teach you silence to hide it.”

“
I beg your pardon, sir!” Mr. Harlow protested.

“
Good evening to you both,” Mr. Spruce left the room.

*              *              *

“What can I do you for, Mr. Henry?” the company attorney asked as Mr. Henry strode into his office.

“
I've written up a charge on the officer I told you about. You'll see everything is there.”

The attorney daintily put on his glasses as he scanned the paper. “Officer Ioan Rhys Saier,” he read the heading. “I must admit I'm surprised. He's been with the company for years. The last time I saw his name on my desk was to question his age when joining the company. He was a smart, eager lad. What did you say his charge was?”

“I've written it in detail in paragraph three.”

The attorney took a moment to read. “Is this it?” It was not the reaction Henry was looking for. “This is a very serious offense against company policy.”

“And have you any solid evidence?”

“
I have a witness.”

“
A witness,” the attorney took off his glasses. “Mr. Henry, do you know what I deal with on a daily basis? I haven't slept since the sinking. I have a cabinet dedicated to compensation lawsuits. The company is not interested in your romance novels. What officer doesn't give a smile at the ladies now and then? Of course it's quite rare when an officer boards a ship with no romantic attachments on shore. We old men can't hate him if the ladies drop their handkerchiefs when he passes. It's to be expected.”

“
It's not as benign as that,” Mr. Henry persisted. “What kind of example is he setting if we let him resume his position? His behavior was completely unacceptable.”

“
Which behavior are you referring to? The fact that he's a man with a life outside of his work or the fact that you find him threatening because he disagrees with you?”

“
It should be obvious. We'll lose many notable patrons over this. They'll refuse to bring their wives on board. We may as well turn our ships into floating harems.”

“
That's a bit of extreme thinking, sir. I haven't had anyone come at us with a pistol yet. If he has done anything, it seems harmless and is his own moral business. I'm not God. I don't punish sins.”

“
Blast! I wish you'd take this seriously!”

“
You knew I'd say this. Why waste my time? What do you find so threatening about him? He's a quiet man. He's never been in trouble with the company in all his eleven years of service.”

“
He's an anarchist! He's a young defiant gremlin! If only you heard the outrageous statements he told the inquiry. His only objective is to ruin this company.”

“
Why ruin the company that feeds him?”

“
Well, he's not exactly starving now, is he?” Mr. Henry snarled. “After his little inheritance, his officer salary is merely pocket change. Perhaps he's doing it to bring down the company and promote his own commercial agenda. It's us that will starve.”

“
Saier. The lost heir to Charles Saier, you mean? Well, that's rather unconventional. How did we miss that one?” the attorney chuckled. “He's a gentleman then. And if I'm correct, he's represented by an old friend of mine, Mr. Edward J. Spruce.”

“
That's very touching, but just because he's a rich officer doesn't mean he should be exempt from regulations.”

“
In a perfect world,” the attorney smiled. “Normally, I'd say if you want him fired then go right ahead. However, in this case, I'd strongly advise you to take caution. With no evidence and no other witnesses, Spruce will tear you apart if Saier chooses to fight it.”

“
So you'll just sit there and let him do what he pleases with this company? If he doesn't stand down, we're finished.”

“
Then find another way to get him to stand down. If you will excuse me, Mr. Henry, I'm up to my hind parts in paperwork.”