Share
Abandoned
Charlie
It was half past nine, and Mary Margaret still hadn’t made her appearance. Charlie slipped his pocket watch back inside of his jacket and took another sip of his drink. Surely, she’d be there soon. What could possibly be keeping her?
“It’s not like her to be late,” Alise mentioned, sliding up next to him.
“She said she’d be here at nine,” Charlie sighed. “You’re certain she’s not here?”
“I don’t see her,” the debutante replied.
“At least you know what she looks like,” Charlie muttered.
“I told you. She’s tall with blonde hair and a witty smile. She’ll light up the room as soon as she walks in, and half a dozen young fellows will trip over themselves scrambling to have their turn to spin her around the dance floor. She dances like a ... a swan.”
Charlie couldn’t help but chuckle at the description.
Related chapters
Ghosts of Southampton Attack
SouthamptonApril 8, 1912Meg“Miss? Miss? Get up!”Meg felt the jostling but could hardly pry her eyes open. Where was she? What time was it? Who was shaking her? After another hard jerk, she opened her eyes, and realized it was Charlotte.“Miss, your mother is asking to see you in the parlor,” the younger woman exclaimed. “She’s quite put out. Hurry! You should dress.”It took Meg a moment to realize that she was still in her room—but that she shouldn’t be. A glance at the clock on the wall showed her it was half past nine.Ezra had never come.Her mother knew.Charlotte scurried about the room, grabbing clothing items, hurrying her to take her night clothing off, and forcing her undergarments and gown on. She tossed some slippers in Meg’s direction and then, before Meg could even stand, threw herself on the bed and began to pull her hair up into a bun.
Ghosts of Southampton Fair
Charlie “Well, how was the ball?” Jonathan asked, handing Charlie a cup of coffee as they sat on his hotel room balcony overlooking the ocean.“It was actually quite fun,” Charlie admitted. “That Alise Townly is a character. And the English certainly know how to throw a party.”“That’s good to hear,” the liegeman replied. “So why the long face then? Was Miss Westmoreland not quite the beauty you had anticipated?”Setting his coffee cup on the table between them, Charlie replied, “I wouldn’t know.”“What’s that now?”“She didn’t attend.”Jonathan nearly choked on the liquid he was swallowing. “How’s that? Did you say she didn’t attend?”“That’s correct.”“At all?”“Unless she came and left
Ghosts of Southampton Gone
SouthamptonApril 9, 1912MegMeg’s dreams had morphed into nightmares, as if her unconscious mind wanted her to remember the events of the day before. She dreamt of her mother standing in the doorway screaming at her, saying she’d ruined everything, of the awful things her uncle had said, and finally of sinking in ice cold water, spindle fingers grasping at her ankle. When she awoke, the sun was already up, and Kelly was sitting on the edge of her bed, a worried expression on her face.“What time is it?” Meg asked, her eyes not yet focused.“Nearly nine,” Kelly said, a bit of relief washing over her countenance. “I tried to wake you, but you wouldn’t budge.”Meg yawned, but stretching hurt too much, and she didn’t want Kelly to see her wince, so she sat up carefully. There was no reason for Kelly to know what had happened, not yet anyway, and since she was already feeling much bett
Ghosts of Southampton Answer
CharlieCharlie had learned from business to always trust his gut. He knew when he was being treated fairly and when he was about to be made to look like a fool. Even though he was quite certain that this was not the day that he would meet Mary Margaret Westmoreland, her mother had asked him to return, so he intended to comply even if it turned out to be yet another waste of time.While he was off paying his visit, Jonathan was trying to find out if there was more to this story. He had a very hard time believing that Mary Margaret was actually sick the day before. If there was information to be found, Jonathan Lane would find it. Of that, Charlie was certain.Arriving at the Westmoreland residence, Charlie found the household in a bit of an uproar. Servants were scurrying about, and Mrs. Westmoreland was sitting in the parlor, red-faced and wiping her nose with a handkerchief, as if she had been crying. He was shown in and took the same seat he’d been in o
Ghosts of Southampton Ship of Dreams
She had not expected to find herself standing here aboard the largest cruise liner in the world, a Third Class passenger, staring back at the ever shrinking dock of her native Southampton, wondering where she was headed, how she would get there, and whom she would become upon the other side.Yet, here she was at midday on a cold, windy April 10, staring out at a myriad of faces she, thankfully, did not recognize, wearing someone else’s dress, her hair down and billowing in the breeze, leaving everything behind, starting anew.Well, perhaps not everything. The fresh wounds mingled with old scars, both figuratively and literally, and she couldn’t help but think about the baggage she carried with her, despite the one small carpetbag she had stowed below deck earlier before coming aboard to fake a smile and wave at strangers. It would take some time to let the lingering memories fade, let the wounds heal, let the scars dissipate. At least now, on this new journ
Ghosts of Southampton Ocean
“The ocean’s out there,” Jonathan Lane probed with a small nudge.With a slight blush, Charlie Ashton pulled his attention away from the young lady who had caught his eye and shrugged. “Sorry,” he mumbled. “I was lost in thought.”Jonathan shook his head knowingly. “I understand this isn’t where you expected to be, but we may as well make the most of it. It isn’t everyday one finds himself on the maiden voyage of the greatest vessel ever to sail the seven seas.”Charlie laughed, picking up on the sarcasm in Jonathan’s tone. “God Himself could not sink this ship,” he replied, quoting the often repeated phrase.“Aye, but The New Yorker might,” Jonathan stated, gesturing at the wayward steamship floating aimlessly away from the docks. “Come on, let’s go over here where we can get a better look,” he insisted, placing his hand on Charlie&r
Ghosts of Southampton Distractions
The First Class stateroom Charlie Ashton occupied had come at a considerable price, but when he booked his passage aboard the RMS Titanic on the morning of its maiden voyage, he had been pleasantly surprised that the famous ocean liner even had availability in its most luxurious accommodations. Jonathan had returned from booking the fair stating that J.P. Morgan, the owner of the vessel, had recently cancelled his own reservation (a possible omen that had caused Charlie to raise his eyebrows) which had left one of the finest staterooms available. Despite the fact that the very owner had determined not to make the maiden voyage, Charlie’s desperation to leave England had led him to board the ship, the idea that perhaps the Titanic was not as unsinkable as previously mentioned only a drifting thought in an over-crowded mind.Staring at the frothing waters below as the disturbance of the vast hull made her way through otherwise placid seas, he couldn&rsqu
Ghosts of Southampton Missing
It had taken some probing, but eventually, Charlie had agreed to join Jonathan for some fresh air outside on one of the boat’s many promenades. However, a compromise had been negotiated; rather than sauntering about amidst the over-dressed, overly formal members of First Class, Charlie had insisted on traveling down to one of the lower decks where the pressures of sophistication would be replaced with an air of excitement at the journey. Happy to be leaving the cabin, Jonathan agreed, and they made their way to C Deck where mostly Third Class passengers could leave the cramped quarters of Steerage for some fresh air and a view of the ocean.As they ambled about, discussing the various features of the vessel, Charlie was reminded of how fortunate he was to have such a scholarly valet. Jonathan had done quite a bit of research about the boat before they boarded. Likewise, he soaked up information from overheard conversations and discussions with other gentlemen of his pos
Latest chapter
