Titanic

Chapter four

Coming through a crew door onto the deck, they can barely stand as they're laughing. Lauren and Camila stand in each others arms. Their breath clouds around them in the now freezing air, but they don't even feel the cold.

"When this ship docks, I'm getting off with you."

"This is crazy."

"I know. It doesn't make any sense. That's why I trust it." Lauren pulls her close and kisses her fiercely.

"Bugger me!!" They vaguely hear someone shout above them, but they don't care.

With a sound like thunder, the berg smashes against the ship.

Lauren and Camila break their kiss and look up in astonishment as the iceberg sails past, blocking out the sky like a mountain. Fragments break off it and crash down onto the deck, and they have to jump back to avoid flying chunks of ice.

They rush to the starboard rail in time to see the berg moving aft down the side of the ship.

"Smell ice, can you? Bleeding Christ!" They hear the same voice shout.

Lauren and Camila lean over the starboard rail, looking at the hull of the ship.

"Looks okay. I don't see anything." She gently nudges Camila.

"Could it have damaged the ship?"

"It didn't seem like much of a bump. I'm sure we're okay."

Behind them a couple of steerage guys are kicking the ice around the deck, laughing.

A moment later Captain Smith rounds the corner, followed by Andrews and Carpenter Hutchinson. The three men, their faces grim, crush right past Lauren and Camila. Andrews barely glances at her.

"Can you shore up?" The captain asks.

"Not unless the pumps get ahead."The inspection party goes down the stairs to the well deck.

"It's bad." Lauren speaks lowly.

"We have to tell Mother and Shawn."

"Now it's worse."

"Come with me, Lauren. I jump, you jump. Right?"

"Right." She follows Camila through the door inside the ship.

They cross the foyer, entering the corridor. They sigh as Matthew is waiting for them in the hall as they approach the room. "We've been looking for you miss."

Matthew follows and, unseen, moves close behind Lauren and smoothly slips the diamond necklace into the pocket of her overcoat.

Shawn and Sinu are waiting in the sitting room, along with the Master at Arms and two stewards. The room is silent as Camila and Lauren enter. Sinu closes her robe at her throat when she sees Lauren.

"Something serious has happened." Camila speaks up.

"That's right. Two things dear to me have disappeared this evening. Now that one is back." Shawn looks from Camila to Lauren. "I have a pretty good idea where to fine the other. Search her."

The Master at Arms steps up to Lauren. "Coat off, miss."

Matthew pulls at Lauren's coat and she shakes her head in dismay, shrugging out of it. The Master at Arms pats her down.

"This is horseshit."

"Shawn, you can't be serious! We're in the middle of an emergency and you-"

Matthew pulls the Heart of the Ocean out of the pocket of Lauren's coat. "Is this it?"

Camila is stunned. Needless to say, so is Lauren.