Read Online Hearts That Survive by Yvonne Lehman - Free Book Online
Authors: Yvonne Lehman
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cup, and addressed Molly, "You'll be with us at the captain's table tonight, I assume."
Molly's china cup clinked against the saucer as she set it down. "Been there every night so far." She laughed. "The men will make the decisions, but they need some outspoken women to tell them which ones to make."
Lydia had loved her before she formally met her. Some who were considered among the "new money" class weren't really accepted by some who had name, background, and wealth reaching as far back as Methuselah. But Molly accepted herself, and from the expressions of the women around the tables, including Lydia, they admired her spunk and forwardness, a quality that proper ladies were expected to keep in strict abeyance.
"You see," Lady Lavinia explained further, "this is an event to be publicized. The Titanic has already received wide acclaim. Simply sailing into New York harbor is anticlimactic. But a new bride, being the first to be married on this floating pal—"
"City!" Molly broke in. "This is no palace. It's a world. There's nothing like this in all Europe. And I've seen it all."
"Quite true," Lady Lavinia agreed. Others nodded. "Grander even than Windsor."
"Well, let's get on with the plans," Molly said. "We'll have ourselves a wedding, and if Edward can't perform the ceremony, I'll do it myself."
"Then it's settled," Caroline said in her calm way. "We'll tell that to Captain Smith, and he won't dare back down. He doesn't allow chaos on his ships."
With the what-ifs and maybe-nots out of the way, the real plans began.
"You'll need something borrowed, something blue, and a sixpence for your shoe," Caroline said.
Lydia laughed. "You don't suppose a coin in my shoe would cause me to trip and fall? That would be the ultimate disgrace."
"Oh, but you'll have someone to escort you, won't you?" Madeleine asked. "Like walking someone down the aisle of the church?"
"My father isn't here, and I don't have anyone to do that."
"What about that nice Mr. Dowd?" Lavinia said. "He seems to hover over you and John like a chaperone."
Lydia began shaking her head and glanced at Caroline, who smiled knowingly. "Um . . . nooo."
"Enough said," Molly put in, getting the point that Craven's role had not been to chaperone. "You don't need an escort. The attention should be on you only."
Phoebe spoke up. "I could be the flower girl."
"Indeed! Yes!" came from several of the women, and they all looked pleased.
Phoebe looked ready to pop with pleasure. "I get pink roses in my room every morning. And I have a really pretty pink gown that Grandmother got for me."
"Oh, it's gorgeous," Lavinia said. "I hope it won't outshine the bride."
Phoebe shook her head and spoke wistfully, "She's so pretty."
"Well, that settles that," Molly said. "The prettiest bride and the prettiest flower girl on the ship."
Phoebe looked so grandly happy, Lydia supposed she didn't realize they would be the only bride and flower girl on the ship.
"Henry could be a ring bearer. He'll be good if we tell him he won't get a train for Christmas if he misbehaves."
"Holy Mackerel!" Molly came unglued. "I was lucky to get a whistle for Christmas. Not the whole train."
Finally, the group settled down from the kind of boisterous laughter Lydia had only experienced with her young friends. When she could get her breath, she explained John's toy trains to Molly.
"But," Lydia announced, "this was not preplanned. I don't have a wedding band."
"Let's see if you could use mine." Caroline removed her wedding band, and Lydia easily slid it onto her finger with only a slight tug over her knuckle. She returned it to Caroline, who said, "John wouldn't really need one. Many men don't wear them, you know."
"I have the perfect cushion in my suite for the ring," Madeleine offered. "And now that you have a flower girl and ring bearer, what about a maid or matron of honor and best man?"
Lydia slipped her hand over Caroline's and lightly tapped it. Her friend smiled, turned her hand
Molly's china cup clinked against the saucer as she set it down. "Been there every night so far." She laughed. "The men will make the decisions, but they need some outspoken women to tell them which ones to make."
Lydia had loved her before she formally met her. Some who were considered among the "new money" class weren't really accepted by some who had name, background, and wealth reaching as far back as Methuselah. But Molly accepted herself, and from the expressions of the women around the tables, including Lydia, they admired her spunk and forwardness, a quality that proper ladies were expected to keep in strict abeyance.
"You see," Lady Lavinia explained further, "this is an event to be publicized. The Titanic has already received wide acclaim. Simply sailing into New York harbor is anticlimactic. But a new bride, being the first to be married on this floating pal—"
"City!" Molly broke in. "This is no palace. It's a world. There's nothing like this in all Europe. And I've seen it all."
"Quite true," Lady Lavinia agreed. Others nodded. "Grander even than Windsor."
"Well, let's get on with the plans," Molly said. "We'll have ourselves a wedding, and if Edward can't perform the ceremony, I'll do it myself."
"Then it's settled," Caroline said in her calm way. "We'll tell that to Captain Smith, and he won't dare back down. He doesn't allow chaos on his ships."
With the what-ifs and maybe-nots out of the way, the real plans began.
"You'll need something borrowed, something blue, and a sixpence for your shoe," Caroline said.
Lydia laughed. "You don't suppose a coin in my shoe would cause me to trip and fall? That would be the ultimate disgrace."
"Oh, but you'll have someone to escort you, won't you?" Madeleine asked. "Like walking someone down the aisle of the church?"
"My father isn't here, and I don't have anyone to do that."
"What about that nice Mr. Dowd?" Lavinia said. "He seems to hover over you and John like a chaperone."
Lydia began shaking her head and glanced at Caroline, who smiled knowingly. "Um . . . nooo."
"Enough said," Molly put in, getting the point that Craven's role had not been to chaperone. "You don't need an escort. The attention should be on you only."
Phoebe spoke up. "I could be the flower girl."
"Indeed! Yes!" came from several of the women, and they all looked pleased.
Phoebe looked ready to pop with pleasure. "I get pink roses in my room every morning. And I have a really pretty pink gown that Grandmother got for me."
"Oh, it's gorgeous," Lavinia said. "I hope it won't outshine the bride."
Phoebe shook her head and spoke wistfully, "She's so pretty."
"Well, that settles that," Molly said. "The prettiest bride and the prettiest flower girl on the ship."
Phoebe looked so grandly happy, Lydia supposed she didn't realize they would be the only bride and flower girl on the ship.
"Henry could be a ring bearer. He'll be good if we tell him he won't get a train for Christmas if he misbehaves."
"Holy Mackerel!" Molly came unglued. "I was lucky to get a whistle for Christmas. Not the whole train."
Finally, the group settled down from the kind of boisterous laughter Lydia had only experienced with her young friends. When she could get her breath, she explained John's toy trains to Molly.
"But," Lydia announced, "this was not preplanned. I don't have a wedding band."
"Let's see if you could use mine." Caroline removed her wedding band, and Lydia easily slid it onto her finger with only a slight tug over her knuckle. She returned it to Caroline, who said, "John wouldn't really need one. Many men don't wear them, you know."
"I have the perfect cushion in my suite for the ring," Madeleine offered. "And now that you have a flower girl and ring bearer, what about a maid or matron of honor and best man?"
Lydia slipped her hand over Caroline's and lightly tapped it. Her friend smiled, turned her hand
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