The White Empress

by Lyn Andrews

  She relaxed a little as both David and his father tried their best to ease her obvious nervousness. Even Miss Sabell smiled encouragingly when she spoke about her work. But she felt Mrs Barratt’s gaze on her all the time, yet even when she spoke to her directly, she seldom held Cat’s gaze for more than a few seconds. It was a mannerism that unnerved Cat more than the directness of her questions. And there seemed to be an endless succession of those. Had she enjoyed her life in Dublin? How old had she been when she had left Ireland? Were her father and sister still living there? Did she enjoy living with relations? What exactly did her uncle, Mr Gorry – was that his name? – do? Did she enjoy her work? Did she intend to make a career out of it?

  Obviously David hadn’t yet mentioned their intended marriage, she thought as she endured this inquisition, although she thought she understood why. Obviously in the society to which they belonged, it was not the ‘done thing’ to bring home a strange girl and immediately announce one’s intention of marrying her. Things must be done in a prescribed manner and the first meeting was the first step along that road.

  ‘Oh, come now, Marjory, of course she does! It’s an excellent career for a girl, aren’t I the proof of that?’ Miss Sabell saved her from the last question, but it was followed by another.

  ‘Yes, but Eileen, you know how I feel about girls having careers! I’m afraid I’m rather old-fashioned. Is it a career, Cat?’

  Miss Sabell started to protest but her sister silenced her with a wave of a plump, be-ringed hand. ‘A good career is essential for a man and we have high hopes for David, don’t we dear?’ Her gaze rested on her husband. ‘Command of his own ship one day! Nothing less will do!’

  Miss Sabell lit another cigarette. ‘Marjory, I’ve told you it takes years and he is still very young!’

  ‘That’s just the point I’m trying to make!’

  Despite her nervousness Cat was no fool. Mrs Barratt was impressing on her the fact that whether she was deemed suitable or not, she must in no way interfere with David’s career. She decided she didn’t like Marjory Barratt at all and she sensed that the feeling was mutual. This realisation gave her courage.

  ‘I totally agree with you, Mrs Barratt, in that respect, and I can assure you that my views are very much in line with those of Miss Sabell. In fact, one day, I hope to become a chief stewardess myself!’ It came out very crisply, her tone clipped, and she wondered if she had gone too far.

  ‘Then I’ll have to watch you very closely, Cat, if it’s my job you’re after!’

  She froze but then relaxed. Miss Sabell was smiling and she had never called her by her Christian name before. She also noted that neither David or his father had very much to say.

  When she finally escaped, two hours later, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes. The ordeal was over and she never wanted to have to repeat the experience.

  ‘You mustn’t mind Mother, she’s always like that, always has been. Dad says she’s never happy unless she’s organising something or someone. But they liked you, Cat, I could tell that much.’

  ‘Do you really think so?’

  He patted her hand. ‘Of course!’

  ‘You didn’t say very much, David,’ she murmured after a while.

  ‘There were two reasons for that. Firstly, I wanted to let you have the limelight, so to speak.’

  ‘You mean you wanted to see if I could speak up for myself?’ She was a little surprised at herself. Occasionally this happened. Her thoughts popped out before she could stop them and she hadn’t meant it to sound like that at all.

  ‘Oh, Cat, darling, wherever did you get that idea? I just wanted them to see what a lovely, natural girl you are!’

  ‘And the second reason?’

  He laughed. ‘I should have thought that was pretty obvious! It’s difficult to get a word in edgeways with Mother most of the time!’

  She laughed with him but she couldn’t tell him that she was certain his mother didn’t like her. Or that she had the distinct feeling she hadn’t come up to expectations. She had never spent a more fraught or exhausting two hours in her life. Well, she didn’t care! It was David she was going to marry, not his mother! David was the only person who really mattered to her. But if that was what form the ‘opposition’ took, she knew she could never, ever tell him the truth about her family.

  The Empress sailed from Southampton for New York the following week and from Pier No. 7 she set out on her world cruise. On her maiden voyage the then Prince of Wales had sailed on her, and now, as King Edward VIII, with his romance with Mrs Wallace Simpson being common knowledge, the competition for the very state room he had occupied on that voyage was intense. The Empress sailed with a full compliment of crew and passengers.

  Cat stood with Marie on deck as they left the Manhattan Pier and moved up the Hudson. Marie was still enthralled with her new life and surroundings, but Cat was silent and preoccupied. Ahead of her she could see the Aquitania tied up and she thought of Joe, wondering if he was watching the White Empress leave, knowing she was aboard.

  Among Cat’s passengers were a very wealthy American couple, Mr and Mrs van Reitenburg, the Earl and Countess of Rossmore and to her intense trepidation, HRH Princess Mary. This addition required a special briefing from Miss Sabell.

  ‘Her Royal Highness has travelled with us before. She wishes to be treated as just an ordinary passenger, but that of course is impossible. It is all our duties, from the captain down to you, to keep the insatiably curious from imposing themselves on her, as some are quite likely to do. She will take her meals in the first-class dining room with her lady-in-waiting. She is a very gracious lady and although she does not stand on ceremony, that does not mean there can be any familiarity on our part, do you understand?’

  ‘Yes, ma’am. How should I address her? Will I be expected to curtsey?’

  ‘No, you will not be expected to curtsey on every occasion. I don’t want you bobbing up and down like a cork while in her presence, only when you first enter the room, and before you leave it. You will address her as “your Royal Highness” and you will speak only when spoken to. It goes without saying that anything you see or hear goes no further, no matter what inducements are offered to you. If anyone is persistent, then you must report them to me, that includes everyone!’

  ‘May I ask why I have been given such an honour?’

  ‘Because, in my opinion, you deserve it. It is also a test, I shall be watching your every move!’

  Cat thought she saw the glimmer of a smile in the chief stewardess’s eyes and she remembered her conversation about careers. She turned to leave.

  ‘Oh, before you go, I want a private word with you, Cat.’

  She was taken aback. She hadn’t expected Miss Sabell to call her by her christian name outside the precincts of David’s home. ‘Yes, ma’am?’

  ‘My sister, as you may have gathered, has high hopes for David.’

  ‘I know that, he told me how his parents didn’t want him to go to sea at all.’

  The older woman nodded. ‘Don’t expect too much from him, not yet.’

  She stiffened. What was his aunt trying to tell her?

  ‘He has a lot of hard work ahead of him. There is a great deal of pressure on him and . . . well, it wouldn’t be fair to increase that pressure, would it?’

  ‘No, ma’am. I understand.’ She didn’t understand. What did she mean by ‘pressure’? Pressure from his mother? Was she telling her that David was a little wary of his mother? He wasn’t weak. He was strong and determined, he believed in his ideals. Perhaps she was trying to tell her in a roundabout way, that his family did not approve of her? Perhaps it was her way of warning her.

  ‘I knew you would understand, you’re a sensible girl. Now get on with your duties . . . Miss Cleary.’ She smiled.

  Cat was more than a little perturbed as she went back to her cabin.

  Marie was speechless, then there was no stemming the flow of words. ‘Oh, imagine! Oh, you’ll have to t
ell me what she looks like, what she wears, what she says—’

  ‘That’s just it, I can’t! She made that absolutely clear! Unobtrusive service and no gossiping! She said she was testing me.’

  ‘You shouldn’t have told her you wanted to be a chief one day! But, Cat, what an opportunity! What an experience!’

  She found the experience far from nerve-racking. HRH Princess Mary, The King’s sister, was a woman of nearly forty. Quietly spoken and plainly dressed, although it was obvious that the Herbie sports suit was expensive. She was neither haughty, patronising or over-familiar and after her first introduction, Cat saw little of her. She was only asked to serve afternoon tea once. The lady-in-waiting attended to most of her needs.

  They had the usual time ashore in Havana and Portau-Prince and this time it was Cat who ushered Marie around the sights and had to restrain her friend who seemed intent on buying everything that took her fancy.

  ‘We have seventy-one ports in which to buy things and at this rate you’ll be broke before we even reach the Far East!’

  ‘Are you going ashore with David tonight? Brian Rothwell, the second electrical officer, has asked me out. We can make up a foursome?’

  Cat sighed, gazing along the Champs de Mars. ‘No, he’s on duty. I wish he wasn’t. Haiti is special for me, it was here that, well . . . it’s just special. Get Brian to take you up to Petionville, the view is fabulous and the twisting, winding road is flanked with such pretty, quaint houses and hundreds of flowers!’

  Marie stared at her hard, a note of deep tenderness had crept into Cat’s voice. ‘I will, if it’s that beautiful, or maybe it was viewed through rose-tinted spectacles?’

  ‘I suppose you could say that. But go, just the same, it’s worth it.’

  They sailed through the Panama Canal with only seven and a half inches to spare either side in the locks. The Empress was the biggest ship ever to sail through and, looking down from the promenade deck, it seemed to Cat that any minute they would become stuck. It was to everyone’s relief, not least the captain, that they slid out into the waters of the Pacific Ocean, heading for Hong Kong, Bali, Singapore, Malaya, Siam, Japan and Ceylon and India. And when Cat first saw Bali, in a spectacular sunrise, she knew that this was even closer to paradise that Petionville.

  Through markets and temples, pagodas, gardens and parks they wandered, both feeling as though they were on a different planet entirely. They dined in floating restaurants amidst lotus blossoms, sampling delicacies inexpertly with chopsticks, while laughing at their clumsiness. Sometimes Cat and David went ashore alone to find privacy amidst the palms on beaches of pure white sand and sea so clear and blue that it was like a tinted mirror. Beneath the whispering palms and in private little pagodas their love blossomed. She felt for David as she had never felt for any other man and all thoughts of Joe had been obliterated from her mind.

  Marie, too, had found romance with Brian, for they had many things in common and so they placed no restrictions on each other and there was no division of loyalty, no straining of the bonds of friendship they had built up over the years. They were each content to be with the man they loved.

  When they docked in Colombo they were allowed longer time ashore, having completed half the cruise. The harbour was filled with craft from the small junks, to freighters and smaller liners. They found it a town of indigenous cultures and a mixture of influences. There were Portuguese names and words, Dutch buildings, fortresses strung along the coast. English was the predominant language but the two main religions were Hindu and Buddhist, and everywhere there were magnificent, gilded temples of both religions.

  After wandering the streets for a few hours they went their separate ways. Marie and Brian to find a restaurant that had been recommended, David and Cat to one of the beaches just beyond the city.

  ‘I would have brought my swimming things, if I’d known. The ocean looks so inviting,’ Cat sighed as she sat down, her back resting against the trunk of a gently swaying palm. She closed her eyes, letting the warmth of the sun and the sound of the surf wash over her. The sun was already sinking. When she was with him the hours just seemed to fly.

  ‘I wanted some time alone with you, Cat.’

  She opened her eyes to find him leaning towards her. She smiled, her heart in her eyes.

  ‘There is something I want to tell you. I was going to leave it until the end of the Cruise, but . . .’

  She sat up, puzzled by his serious expression. ‘What?’

  ‘I’ve been offered promotion. Second officer. It’s not often someone as young as me is given such a chance, but it won’t be on the Britain it will be on the Empress of Japan.’

  The breeze was suddenly cold. The sound of the surf beat against her ears and her heart plummeted. The tears started in her eyes.

  He took both her hands. ‘It’s a chance I can’t pass up, darling! You do understand that, don’t you?’

  She nodded miserably. It was all she could do.

  He took her in his arms. ‘Cat, I love you! You mean everything to me, but you do understand how hard I’ve worked for this? I do have to justify the promises I made my parents, the pride they have in me. It’s difficult being an only child. The pressures, usually absorbed by brothers and sisters, are concentrated on me. I love you and I don’t want to be away from you!’

  ‘Oh, David!’ she choked. She was losing him. She knew it. She felt it and the thought terrified her. They would seldom see each other and . . . An even more terrifying thought took hold of her. What if he found someone else? There were other girls – stewardesses – much prettier, better educated! He would see them every day! What if he forgot about her? What if he really wasn’t serious about her?

  ‘Darling, Cat! Don’t cry! I hate to see you upset, it won’t be forever! And in the long run it will be for us.’ He wiped her eyes with his handkerchief but she continued to stare at him pathetically. He traced the shape of her lips with his finger and then kissed her, gently at first, but then with more passion. She responded with every fibre, driven now by fear. His lips burned the skin of her throat, his fingers were gently caressing her neck, then her breasts.

  Despite her longing she instinctively drew away from him. ‘No! No, David! It’s wrong, especially now!’

  ‘Cat, don’t you understand? I love you and I want to marry you! I want you to be my wife, I want to love and cherish you forever! Will you marry me, Cat?’

  The fear evaporated as she uttered a strangled cry of joy. How could she have doubted him? Then she was in his arms and he was covering her face with kisses.

  ‘Say yes, Cat? Say you’ll marry me?’

  ‘Oh, David! David! Of course I will! Oh, I will and you’ll never regret it!’

  ‘Neither will you, my love, I’ll make you the happiest girl on earth! Anything you want will be yours, that’s what I meant by my promotion being for us in the long run.’

  A little dart of fear niggled as she thought about their separation. She was being a fool! He wanted to marry her. He wasn’t interested in anyone else. She clung to his lips, her heart racing.

  ‘But let’s keep it a secret for a little while, at least until I’ve told my parents. You know how the crew gossip and I won’t have you talked about, not like that.’

  Oh, she loved him for that too. It was so characteristic of him. He wanted things done ‘properly’, he wasn’t going to make her a target for idle speculation. She couldn’t fight her longing and now was there really any need to? Her head was swimming as she felt his body close to hers, his hands moving over her shoulders, the thin cotton blouse falling, just as she was falling, sinking into the warm darkness of the tropical night as she gave herself willingly to him.

  She lay in his arms, her eyes closed, her senses saturated. ‘I’ll always remember this night, David.’

  ‘So will I, Cat. This feeling of love is like a blossom and as I was the first to gather that blossom, I will protect it! Trust me, darling!’

  She stroked his hair. S
he did trust him. He was so strong and honourable. Passionate, yet gentle and sensitive.

  ‘We’d better be getting back,’ he sighed, ruefully.

  She sat up and adjusted her clothes. At his words some of the euphoria disappeared and down over the years, unbidden, came a whispered warning. Never marry a sailor, Catherine. ‘Oh, David, I wish we could just stay together as we are now!’

  ‘Darling, so do I but things change. Sooner or later promotion would have come and with it separation. But it’s for us, don’t you see that?’

  She stared out over the now darkened beach and inky ocean. She was seeing months and months of loneliness.

  He drew her to her feet and held her closely, trying to lift the sadness he had glimpsed in her eyes. ‘What about your ambitions? How often have we talked about them? Chief stewardess, have you forgotten that?’

  ‘No. Oh, I know I’m being stupid, David! But I love you so much and I can’t bear to think of being away from you. My ambitions don’t matter any more!’

  ‘But they should, Cat. I persuaded Aunt Eileen to give you the Princess. I’m trying to help you.’ He didn’t understand this facet of her character. When he had first met her that had been the one thing that had impressed him. Her ambition and her determination, both of which he had watched grow with a certain amount of pride. He had thought the fire of ambition that consumed him, burned in her also.

  ‘Your aunt has many years with the company still, what chance is there for me? I’m far too young, I’ve only just been promoted to first class.’ The words came out slowly, with an edge of coolness that she didn’t feel inside.

  ‘You don’t have to wait for her to retire, there are other Empresses, other ships!’

  She shook her head. There would never be another ship like the Empress of Britain, not for her. Just as there would never be another man like him, and he wanted to marry her. That was her only ambition now. To be his wife. She smiled up at him.

  ‘That’s better. I don’t want to see the future Mrs Barratt looking so sad. We have years ahead of us, Cat, we don’t have to settle for second best, either of us!’