An Unsinkable Love(22)
He snorted, giving her the distinct feeling he wouldn't tolerate her mandate for very long.
Mr. Cave returned shortly with the linens. Malcolm stood to allow him to turn the sofa into a bed. After the steward left, Malcolm began pacing again. Bree watched, thinking of a tiger she'd seen once in a circus cage. They both showed the same sinewy grace and single-minded intent.
He halted and she dropped her gaze before he caught her staring. "I'll return shortly, Miss Barry. I think I'll see if I can find my stepfather and let him know of the new arrangements. I'll ask the steward to keep a close eye on the suite. I don't like to think about you and Mother being on your own here."
Before she responded, Malcolm strode purposefully out of the room then paused with the door half closed. "Lock the door behind me Bree, and the one to the adjoining room as well, if you please." She nodded somberly, not wanting to read too much into his concern.
She flipped the latch behind him then did the same to the door into Eldon's chamber. The sudden silence in the suite became oppressive and Bree experienced a twinge of disappointment she would no longer be sparring with Malcolm. She knew it would be more restful without him 76
An Unsinkable Love
by Terri Benson
watching her every move with those magnetic eyes, but still...
As she flounced into the chair and took up her sewing, her lips curled in a fiendish grin as she considered what might happen to Eldon if Malcolm caught up with him while in a temper. Eldon was a big man, but going to fat, while Malcolm was just as big and didn't appear to have a soft spot on him.
Not in those broad shoulders, or narrow waist, or long legs.
She chastised herself. It wasn't the least bit proper for her to have such intimate thoughts about a man she'd met only a few days ago. Oh, but he was quite a magnificent specimen of manhood!
* * * *
The clock on the mantle chimed half-past eleven, startling Bree. She glanced up in surprise. Surely it couldn't be so late?
With dismay, she realized she'd never sent word to Mr.
Thorpe that she would be staying to help Mrs. DuMont. It was too late now. "Oh, what if he fires me?" she moaned. Her vivid imagination conjured up several different scenarios, from being put off the ship on a desert island, to being sent to work in the bowels of the ship shoveling coal, to the unlikely event Mr. Thorpe would smile and say it was just fine, so long as she made the passenger happy. Unable to keep her mind on the gown she was working with, she stood and stretched, wincing as her stiff shoulder muscles popped. She rolled her neck and let her head hang, thoroughly exhausted and depressed.
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An Unsinkable Love
by Terri Benson
A muted rumble and a vibration lasting several seconds brought her head up with a snap but the sounds weren't repeated. Bree wandered around the room aimlessly as she worked the kinks out of her back. With a heavy sigh, she picked up the gown again and prepared to get back to work.
A loud thumping began at the door.
The normally composed voice of Mr. Cave shook with emotion. "Miss Barry? Miss Barry, please come to the door.
It's urgent."
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78
An Unsinkable Love
by Terri Benson
Chapter 7
Worried something had happened between Malcolm and Eldon, Bree raced to the door and frantically undid the lock.
The steward stood outside the door, perfectly groomed, as usual. His voice, however, was pitched higher than normal and his words even more clipped. "Please, miss, get the madam dressed in warm clothes. And get your life jackets."
"What is it? What's wrong?" Bree knew it would take something very serious indeed to cause him to expect an injured passenger to get out of bed.
He motioned her into the cabin and closed the door. He glanced toward the bedroom door and leaned in close to Bree's ear. "We've hit an iceberg, miss."
Bree protested, "Surely that's not a catastrophe. The Titanic is unsinkable."
"Not unsinkable, miss. No ship is unsinkable. I spoke with Mr. Ismay himself. He and Mr. Andrews have been speaking with the engineers, and the ship is sure to go down. Please, miss. Hurry. They'll be loading the lifeboats very soon. I'll be back in a few moments to help you with the madam."
He turned and slipped out the door. Bree stood in the middle of the room and tried to decide whether she'd imagined the whole conversation. She became aware of loud voices in the corridor. She opened the door a few inches and was shocked to see passengers streaming into the hallway, some fully dressed and others in their nightclothes. Most carried life vests.