Read Online No Greater Love by Danielle Steel - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Danielle Steel
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And he didn’t wait for the second officer to comment as he lifted his son into the lifeboat. He had lied by two months, but Bert had feared he might not get George on if he admitted his correct age. George himself had begged to stay with his father and Phillip,but Bert thought Edwina might need his help with the two others.
“I love you, children,” Bert whispered, staring at them till they were gone, as the lifeboat approached the water. Bert had shouted down his last words to them, “Mama and I will be along soon,” and then turned away so they wouldn’t see him crying.
And Kate gave an almost animal groan as they lowered the boat toward the water, and at last she dared to look down. She squeezed Bertram’s hand. She could see Edwina holding Teddy, and clinging to Fannie’s hand, and George looked up at them as the boat creaked and dropped slowly to the surface of the water. It was a delicate maneuver and Lightoller looked like a surgeon performing a difficult operation, one swift move, one careless gesture and the lifeboat would overturn on the way down, spilling its passengers into the icy water. And the voices below all shouted up at them, a mixture of frantic words, last messages, and I love you’s. And then suddenly before they were halfway down, Kate recognized Edwina calling. She saw her waving frantically and nodding her head and pointing. And as Kate looked to the front of the lifeboat, she saw her. The halo of blond curls was turned away, but there was no mistaking Alexis huddled at the front of the lifeboat. And Kate felt a wave of relief pass over her as she shouted down to Edwina, “I see her!… I see her!…” She was safe, with the others … five children, her five precious babies all in one lifeboat. Now all she had to do was get off with Phillip and her husband, and Charles. He was chatting quietly with some of the other men, who had just put their wives in the lifeboat, and they were reassuring each other that everything would be fine, and they would all be off the ship shortly.
“Oh, thank God, Bert, she found her.” Kate was so relieved to know where Alexis was that her whole bodyvisibly relaxed in spite of the continuing tension. “Why on earth would she get into the lifeboat without us?”
“Maybe someone grabbed her and put her in when she walked away from us, and she was too frightened to speak up. Whatever, she’s safe now. Now I want you off next. Is that clear?” He sounded stern only to mask his own fears, but she knew him better than that.
“I don’t see why I can’t wait for you and Phillip and Charles. The children will be fine with Edwina.” It was an unnerving feeling, thinking of all of them in the lifeboat without her, and yet now that she knew that Alexis was safe in her older sister’s care, Kate wanted to stay with her husband. She shuddered at what it would have been like to not know that Alexis was safe, and she thanked God again that Edwina had been able to let her know Alexis was with her and all right.
The lifeboats below were moving away from the ship, and as number eight turned on the icy seas below, Edwina clutched little Teddy to her, and she tried to maneuver Fannie onto her lap as well, but the seats were too high, she could barely make it. She wanted to move toward the front to let Alexis know she was there, but it was impossible to go anywhere, and George was busy rowing with the others. It made him feel important, and in truth, they needed his help. Finally, she asked one of the women to let Alexis know she was there, and watched pointedly as word was passed along toward the front of the lifeboat, and finally the little girl turned her head, so Edwina could see her, but as she did, Edwina gave a gasp. She was a beautiful child, and she was crying because she’d left her mother on the ship, but she wasn’t Alexis. And Edwina knew she had done a terrible thing. She had told her mother that Alexis was there, and they wouldn’t look for her now
“I love you, children,” Bert whispered, staring at them till they were gone, as the lifeboat approached the water. Bert had shouted down his last words to them, “Mama and I will be along soon,” and then turned away so they wouldn’t see him crying.
And Kate gave an almost animal groan as they lowered the boat toward the water, and at last she dared to look down. She squeezed Bertram’s hand. She could see Edwina holding Teddy, and clinging to Fannie’s hand, and George looked up at them as the boat creaked and dropped slowly to the surface of the water. It was a delicate maneuver and Lightoller looked like a surgeon performing a difficult operation, one swift move, one careless gesture and the lifeboat would overturn on the way down, spilling its passengers into the icy water. And the voices below all shouted up at them, a mixture of frantic words, last messages, and I love you’s. And then suddenly before they were halfway down, Kate recognized Edwina calling. She saw her waving frantically and nodding her head and pointing. And as Kate looked to the front of the lifeboat, she saw her. The halo of blond curls was turned away, but there was no mistaking Alexis huddled at the front of the lifeboat. And Kate felt a wave of relief pass over her as she shouted down to Edwina, “I see her!… I see her!…” She was safe, with the others … five children, her five precious babies all in one lifeboat. Now all she had to do was get off with Phillip and her husband, and Charles. He was chatting quietly with some of the other men, who had just put their wives in the lifeboat, and they were reassuring each other that everything would be fine, and they would all be off the ship shortly.
“Oh, thank God, Bert, she found her.” Kate was so relieved to know where Alexis was that her whole bodyvisibly relaxed in spite of the continuing tension. “Why on earth would she get into the lifeboat without us?”
“Maybe someone grabbed her and put her in when she walked away from us, and she was too frightened to speak up. Whatever, she’s safe now. Now I want you off next. Is that clear?” He sounded stern only to mask his own fears, but she knew him better than that.
“I don’t see why I can’t wait for you and Phillip and Charles. The children will be fine with Edwina.” It was an unnerving feeling, thinking of all of them in the lifeboat without her, and yet now that she knew that Alexis was safe in her older sister’s care, Kate wanted to stay with her husband. She shuddered at what it would have been like to not know that Alexis was safe, and she thanked God again that Edwina had been able to let her know Alexis was with her and all right.
The lifeboats below were moving away from the ship, and as number eight turned on the icy seas below, Edwina clutched little Teddy to her, and she tried to maneuver Fannie onto her lap as well, but the seats were too high, she could barely make it. She wanted to move toward the front to let Alexis know she was there, but it was impossible to go anywhere, and George was busy rowing with the others. It made him feel important, and in truth, they needed his help. Finally, she asked one of the women to let Alexis know she was there, and watched pointedly as word was passed along toward the front of the lifeboat, and finally the little girl turned her head, so Edwina could see her, but as she did, Edwina gave a gasp. She was a beautiful child, and she was crying because she’d left her mother on the ship, but she wasn’t Alexis. And Edwina knew she had done a terrible thing. She had told her mother that Alexis was there, and they wouldn’t look for her now
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