Titanic

Chapter Eleven

"We exchanged letters for two years before I asked her to marry me. It was quick, our marriage. We wanted it to be sooner rather than later. But from the moment I saw her that morning, I knew I had to marry her," Thomas said, looking to his wife who was sitting and smiling at the tale.

She too had loved him since she set eyes on him. She was a woman who always got what she wanted when she wanted it.

The group shared coos as they looked at the couple. They were this vision of love and every one of them knew, while they loved their other half, their love wouldn't match up to the Andrews.

"We're you the first of your friend group to marry?" Lady Duf Gordon asked looking to Elizabeth as she looked away from Thomas to look at her.

She nodded her head slowly. She had only been nineteen when she married. Twenty when she had her daughter but she wouldn't change it for the world.

"I was. All of them thought I was insane going for a man fourteen years older than me but I knew it. The minute I saw Thomas I knew he was it for me," Elizabeth said honestly. She wouldn't have loved another man the way she loved him.

"That is beautiful. You two are a vision of what a loving couple should be. It's lovely," The countess chimed in. Nobody ignored the subtle dig she threw at Cal. They all left out a little laugh unintentionally.

Thomas turned to his wife again. He still counted himself lucky and watching as she conversed with Jack, he knew her kindness is exactly what he wanted.

"They were right. My parents held a love for each other that was unknown in that time. Money or power were the motivations for marriage. But for them, it was pure love,"

***

"Who's that? He looked judgey when you spoke about your marriage," Jack said in a near whisper looking to Elizabeth.

She subtly followed his line of sight and caught sight of Benjamin Guggenheim. She laughed softly and shook her head, leaning almost across Molly to speak to Jack.

"That's Benjamin Guggenheim. That's not his wife beside him though," Elizabeth winked making Jack look at the other woman before back to Elizabeth who wore an amused smile.

"Your people are full of gossip and secrets," Jack chuckled sitting back in his chair as Molly and Elizabeth laughed at what he had said.

"Why do you think we show up to events?" Elizabeth smiled sipping her champagne and waving across the table to the mistress.

Molly laughed at her niece before turning to Jack to let him know some more. She could tell he was thriving off their shortcomings.

"Cal is looking extra possessive tonight," Thomas mused leaning closer to his wife. He had noticed the man moving closer to Rose and showing his 'power' every time Jack spoke.

Elizabeth's eyes flicked to the man before rolling them and looking back to her husband. She was tired of seeing Cal and the sooner they got off this ship, the better.

"Jack being here is damaging his man hood. He knows he's all money and 'power'. Jack, however, has something to offer Rose. Something she hasn't known before," Elizabeth said looking to her friend who's eyes were sparkling as she spoke with Jack across the table.

Thomas nodded his head, lacing his fingers with his wife's under the table. She squeezed his hand softly as her eyes flicked around at the faces sitting at the table. She couldn't believe this is the lifeless company she was forced to spend time with.