“Come on, let’s get you sorted out,” James said, wrapping Shelley’s cloak around her and scooping her up into his arms.
“You can’t carry me, I’m too heavy,” complained Shelley, struggling to get down.
“You’re light as a feather, and you don’t have the strength to walk. Now come on or you’ll be too late to board.”
Shelley sighed and settled her head against his shoulder. She closed her eyes, hardly daring to believe she had found an escape route.
* * *
No sooner had Shelley dozed off than she was being woken up. All she wanted to do was sleep, but Michelle was insistent.
“Come on, James will make you a sandwich while we get you cleaned up and changed into something more suitable.”
Shelley reluctantly followed the young woman into her bedroom. She felt a pang of guilt when she once more examined the damage to her gown.
“Don’t worry, I can scrub those marks out, and I’m sure that rip can be mended.”
Shelley handed the dress over. “Well, if you can do anything with it, keep it. I’m sure it’ll fit you.”
“Oh, thank you. That’s so kind of you. I’m afraid all I can give you in exchange are the two maid uniforms I have,” Michelle shrugged apologetically.
Shelley smiled brightly. “Right now, they are more valuable to me than anything. You don’t know how much this means to me. I’ll never forget your kindness.”
“I’ve just realised, I don’t even know your name,” Michelle pointed out.
“Sorry, where are my manners? I’m Shelley Robertson-Bell, daughter of Lord and Lady Robertson-Bell.”
“Pleased to meet you, ma’am,” Michelle grinned, making Shelley laugh when she teasingly curtsied to her. “Now let’s get you fed before we go.”
* * *
A short time later, after putting on the drab black and white uniform of a maid, Shelley sat at the table with Michelle and James. She thanked them once more for their hospitality. She hadn’t realised how famished she was until they put a cheese sandwich and a cup of tea in front of her, and she hungrily devoured every morsel.
Although her clothes were dowdy, she felt clean and fresh. She also felt much better with some food inside her stomach. The small meal had quelled her light-headedness, but she longed to be able to put her head down for a while and sleep. Sadly, there was no time for that.
“We’d better go now,” James told her. Shelley nodded and stood up.
“Can you walk?” he asked with concern.
“Yes, I feel much better, thank you. My legs were a bit wobbly earlier, but they’re fine now.” Shelley was so keen to board that ship, she would run to the dockyard if necessary. Although she was still extremely tired, the kindness of strangers had significantly improved her mood.
* * *
Although the walk was short, Shelley was relieved when they reached the dockyard again.
“Here we are,” Michelle told her, handing over her boarding pass and papers. “Are you sure this is what you want to do?”
“More than anything,” Shelley replied, her hand trembling as she took the documents from her and gripped onto them.
“Just don’t forget your name’s Michelle Ellis now,” she reminded her.
Shelley nodded. “That won’t be too difficult. I can still ask people to call me Shelley,” she smiled. She was pleased she would not have to go by another name, as she was certain she would soon trip herself up if that was the case.
Michelle squeezed her hand gently. “Take care. I’m sure your bruises will fade in a day or two,” she said. Shelley instantly blushed as she recalled the young woman’s gasp of shock at seeing her bruised bottom as she stripped off to wash. Shelley had been truthful, describing how her mother had taken a hairbrush to her in an attempt to force her down the aisle. She also told how her father intended to belt her, which was why she had fled her home. Michelle had been very sympathetic, and this news seemed to make her more willing to help Shelley escape.
“Please don’t tell my parents where I am,” Shelley begged, wondering if she had made a mistake in being truthful about her identity.
“I won’t,” Michelle promised, squeezing her hand gently.
“Time to go,” James interrupted, leaning forward and kissing Shelley on the cheek. “Good luck.”
“Thank you for everything.” Shelley swallowed back the lump in her throat. “I’ll never forget your kindness.”
Clutching the papers in her hand, Shelley walked towards the ship. After a few steps, she turned and looked back over her shoulder. Michelle and James stood hand in hand, smiling brightly.
“Good luck,” Michelle smiled. “Be happy.”
“Thank you so much. I hope things go well with his family,” she said to Michelle. “They can’t fail to see how happy you are. Good luck with the wedding,” Shelley added sincerely.
Shelley headed towards the ship, stopping one final time to turn and wave to the couple who had given her this lifeline. They waved back and Shelley turned away, gripped onto the boarding pass and papers as if her very life depended on them, and headed towards the Titanic.
The view once more took her breath away and Shelley gazed in wonderment. She glanced down at the documents in her hand, hardly able to believe they were real. Suddenly worried that someone might snatch her chance of escape away, Shelley took a deep breath and headed cautiously towards the boarding gate. She moved slowly up the gangplank onto the ship, and with trembling hands she passed her papers to the man who was checking staff in. He smiled and welcomed her aboard, and moments later she breathed a sigh of relief as she was shown to the room where she would spend the next week.
“You will sleep here at night, but you will spend your days with Henry Kendall and his daughter Jessica. You will meet them later, when they board. Someone will be round soon to give you a guided tour, but for now you need to wait here. This is Clara Carter, Mr Kendall’s nanny,” he told her, indicating a small, plump girl sitting cross-legged on the top bunk, her long blond hair pulled back in a ponytail.
Clara smiled and immediately climbed down from the bed. “Pleased to meet you,” she greeted Shelley, surprising her when she pulled her into an affectionate hug. Shelley was not used to such open displays of emotion. Only her mother hugged her, and occasionally Dexter. Shelley sighed deeply and tried to push all thoughts of home out of her mind.
“I’m Shelley Rob… erm, Michelle Ellis,” Shelley told Clara, remembering just in time to use her borrowed identity, “but everyone calls me Shelley,” she quickly added.
“You will also share the room with another two maids, who have not yet arrived,” the man told them, before leaving them alone to acquaint themselves.
Shelley sat down on the bunk below Clara’s. She smiled shyly when Clara settled down beside her. They chattered non-stop, and Shelley held Clara’s hand as she listened to her tell the sad story that had led to her sailing to America.
“My family home is in Newcastle, in the northeast of England,” she told Shelley. “My father worked down the mines for years. A couple of months ago, there was a terrible accident. The mine shaft collapsed,” she explained. The colour drained from her face and she clutched Shelley’s hand. “My father died instantly.”
Clara blinked back tears as Shelley gripped her hand tighter and offered her condolences.
“Thank you,” Clara smiled bravely. “Obviously without my father’s wage, our family has fallen on even harder times. My mother needs to stay home with my little brothers and sisters. I’m the breadwinner now,” she declared, a hint of pride in her voice.
“I’ve been doing some cleaning for a family in Newcastle. They informed me recently that their friend Mr Kendall was in the UK on business. He was looking to recruit a nanny, so they arranged for me to meet him. I’ve helped my mother with the little ones so I definitely have the experience,” Clara smiled.
“And Mr Kendall was so impressed with how well I got on with his daughter, he asked me
to return to New York with him.” She wiped away a tear and sighed deeply. “I’ll miss my mother and the little ones, but at least I know they’ll be well cared for with the money I send home.”
Shelley blinked back tears as Clara continued with her sad story. “Mr Kendall is so kind. I told him my wages were to be paid directly to my mother, and he immediately gave her a large advance. He also bought some toys and clothes for the little ones, which they loved. And he purchased some groceries for my family too. I owe him so much,” she told Shelley.
Shelley watched her in astonishment. She wondered how this young woman, who was being dragged halfway across the world a short time after losing her father, separating her from the rest of her family when she needed them most, could be so upbeat and brave.
“Mr Kendall is a lovely man, very kind, but also very strict. He expects things to be done his way, immediately. You’d do well to remember that,” Clara smiled ruefully, touching a hand to her bottom. Shelley’s eyes widened and she wondered if she had misunderstood the girl’s warning. Before she had chance to ask, Clara started to talk about her family.
Shelley listened intently as Clara talked affectionately about her mother, her two brothers and two sisters, and admitted how much she would miss them. Shelley felt a pang of guilt about her own situation. She even felt a little bit selfish. Clara would surely give anything to have Shelley’s troubles rather than her own.
“Right, you know practically everything about me,” laughed Clara. “Now what’s your story?”
Shelley swallowed nervously. She hadn’t prepared herself for this question. She twisted her hands in her lap and sighed, trying desperately to come up with a believable story.
Shelley glanced at Clara and nervously chewed her lower lip. “I ran away from home,” she told her truthfully, for some reason feeling at ease after only a short time in her company. “My parents arranged for me to marry a man I do not love. I tried to talk to them, but my father refuses to listen. He’s too stubborn. So I left,” Shelley admitted.
“I’m not Michelle Ellis, I’m Shelley Robertson-Bell,” she told Clara, who listened with wide-eyed fascination. “But please don’t tell anyone,” Shelley urged.
Clara smiled and touched Shelley’s hand. “You must have your reasons for running away, but I promise your secret is safe with me. So, when are you supposed to be getting married?” she asked, with growing interest.
After a moment’s hesitation, a slightly embarrassed Shelley whispered, “Today.”
Clara’s eyes lit up and she grinned. “I can’t believe you’ve jilted your groom at the altar. Is he really that bad?”
Shelley shrugged, feeling slightly ashamed that the duke of Southampton would soon find out his bride-to-be had fled her home during the night and there would now be no wedding. “I have no idea. I’ve never met him,” she explained. “But surely his title tells us all we need to know. Don’t you agree that Alexander Armitage, the duke of Southampton, sounds like a stuffy old man?” said Shelley, in an overly exaggerated posh accent.
Clara gasped audibly and her face broke into a huge grin. “You were going to marry a duke? Wow. I’m impressed. Are you royalty or just rich?” she asked.
Shelley giggled. “I’m certainly not royalty, but yes, Father is rich. Mother says he’s an industrialist, but I’m not exactly sure what that means,” she shrugged dismissively. “I know he owns a few factories, he has quite a large estate, and he wears very expensive suits, but that’s all I know.”
Clara looked suitably impressed, but Shelley pretended not to notice.
“I imagine you’re used to having servants of your own,” observed Clara. “How will you cope now the tables have turned?”
Shelley shrugged again. “I’m sure I’ll manage. It gets a little boring at home sometimes, so I help the maids. Father would be horrified if he knew I was doing household chores, but Mother turns a blind eye. I’m actually looking forward to working on the Titanic. It’ll be a challenge.”
Clara nodded understandingly. “If you need any help or advice, let me know. It’s going to be such fun working together,” she grinned.
“Thank you,” said Shelley. She felt huge relief that she had been truthful with Clara. She was not sure she could have lied to her for more than a week. She would surely have cracked under the pressure.
“So what will you do when we arrive in New York?” Clara asked. “Will you go home and apologise to your parents, or do you intend to stay there?”
“I don’t know. I guess I’d like to stay in New York and build a new life for myself. My parents have probably disowned me by now, but I wouldn’t like to think I’ll never see them again,” she sighed. Shelley hoped that when they reached New York, she would be clearer on what exactly she wanted to do. At the moment her mind was in a whirl. One minute she wanted to go home, the next she desperately wanted to prove she could make a successful life for herself without her parents’ help.
Clara and Shelley’s chat was cut short when the crew member returned. He introduced another two maids who would be sharing Shelley and Clara’s room. When he left, another member of staff appeared and took them and a group of other maids and nannies on a quick tour of the ship. He showed them the various dining rooms for the different classes of passenger, the saloons and cafés, and the various sleeping accommodations throughout the enormous ship.
The girls enthusiastically agreed that the best part of the Titanic was the first-class staircase. They gaped in awe at the splendour of it. Shelley knew her father would be very impressed and she suddenly wished her parents were with her. Although she did not want to admit it, she was missing them already.
Focusing on the staircase, Shelley marvelled at the gilded balustrades and sumptuous oak panelling. She looked upwards, along with the rest of the group, and they gasped as their eyes were drawn to the ceiling, which was decorated with an ornate dome of wrought iron and glass. The girls gazed dreamily towards it.
They then turned towards a large panel on the uppermost landing. It contained a clock that was supported by two elaborately carved figurines, and Shelley stepped closer to get a better look. Although she was used to the finer things in life, the luxury of the first-class staircase was unlike anything she had ever seen. She gained even more pleasure seeing the expression of undisguised delight on Clara’s face as she reached out and ran her fingers over the intricate piece of art.
Their tour ended too quickly, and the ship had now filled up with staff and many of the passengers. Shelley and her roommates headed back to their cabin, and waited anxiously to join the families they would be travelling with.
“Can you imagine how wonderful it will be to tell our grandchildren, many years from now, that we were on the Titanic’s maiden voyage?” Clara said dreamily.
* * *
A little while later the girls were taken to meet their respective families, and Clara introduced Shelley to Henry Kendall and his three-year-old daughter Jessica. Shelley had assumed he would be older, but guessed he was only in his early to mid-thirties. She couldn’t fail to notice how attractive he was and she blushed as he smiled and shook her hand firmly. Tall and stocky, but certainly not fat, his dark hair was neatly styled. She felt she could quite easily melt into his dark brown eyes and had to force herself to look away, for fear of staring at him.
Shelley quickly cleared her mind and focused on the task at hand. As she busied herself with learning what her duties would be, the Titanic’s whistle gave three sharp blasts and they left the dock an hour behind schedule, just after noon. Shelley smiled brightly as Jessica held hands with her and Clara. They walked out onto the deck and the little girl giggled as Henry hoisted her up into the air, affording her a clear view of the huge, frantically waving crowd who lined the dockyard. Jessica waved back excitedly, and Shelley and Clara joined her as the ship slowly moved away.
Shelley breathed deeply, suddenly the enormity of what she had done dawning on her. There’s no turning back now, she thought s
olemnly.
Swallowing a lump in her throat, Shelley headed back into the cabin with Henry, Clara, and Jessica. She knew without a doubt that she had made the right decision. No matter how disappointed Lord Frederick and Lady Annabelle would be, they would one day realise—hopefully when Shelley was happily married to a man she truly loved—that their daughter did not need their help to find a suitable husband.
Chapter Five
After she had unpacked Henry and Jessica’s luggage, and put everything in the appropriate place, Shelley familiarised herself with the layout of the suite and the duties required of her. It seemed simple enough.
Henry had booked a luxury suite on board the ship, which Shelley imagined must have cost him a small fortune. She thought about her parents once more, and imagined her father sitting in the grand room, dressed smartly for dinner. She smiled as she pictured her mother trying to decide which of her many dresses to wear. Like her daughter, she would be fascinated by the whole experience and filled with awe.
Shelley’s smile quickly faded as she wondered if her parents were concerned about her or simply angry, and what they had told people when she failed to show for her wedding. They must surely be humiliated beyond belief, she thought.
Not wanting to ponder what the situation might be at home, Shelley blinked back tears and wandered out onto the private deck area, where Clara was playing with Jessica. She sat down on the floor with them and joined in their game of ‘Snap,’ something she fondly recalled Dexter and her nanny playing with her when she was little.
Shelley turned her attention back to Clara and Jessica and concentrated on their game. She couldn’t help but laugh when Jessica frequently shouted “snap” and smacked her little hand on top of the cards, before adding them to her rapidly growing pile. “Those cards didn’t match,” Shelley pointed out, when Jessica put her pig on top of a cow and shrieked “snap” as she snatched the cards away.
The Delinquent Bride Page 4