An Unsinkable Love - By Terri Benson Page 0,9

and stayed up to alter my uniforms. By the way, thanks for leaving the light on for me," she said as she climbed down the ladder.

"No problem. I'm so tired by the time I hit the pillow, it could be broad daylight and it wouldn't bother me." She opened the wardrobe and pulled out a fresh uniform. "You must have found the big common room. I went there the first night, but ended up staying out dancing so late I almost didn't make my shift in the morning. I decided I'd better stay away. There's another, smaller, lounge up near the bow. It's much quieter and they have a good library. I go there most nights for a while after dinner. It's not as much fun, but I don't want to risk getting into trouble. There's time enough 36

An Unsinkable Love

by Terri Benson

for that when we get to New York, right?" Anne grinned and waggled her eyebrows, and Bree couldn't help but laugh.

The blonde pinned her watch to the top of her apron and exclaimed, "Oh, Lord, if we don't get a move on, we're going to be in trouble right now."

Bree finished tying the apron of her own uniform and they hustled out into the hallway. As they hiked the long corridors to the dining hall, Anne pointed out reference points to help Bree find her way around the ship on her own.

Breakfast was plentiful and of good quality, but Bree worried so much about being late to work she only managed a few bites before she scurried off. Her reward was a lengthy wait outside the tailoring room. When Mr. Thorpe eventually showed up, he merely sniffed in greeting before he unlocked the door and led the way in.

Bree returned the tools she'd borrowed. He showed her where and how each piece should be kept. The tailor shop was extremely well organized, with a special nook or cranny for everything. She set to work on a replenished pile of clothing that repeated the prior day's contents of buttons, lace and mending. Mr. Thorpe seemed to spend most of his time puttering around the room as he rearranged papers and checked her work. Conversation was minimal.

Bree enjoyed a brief respite at noon for a quick meal in a different, smaller employee dining room. Because she didn't know anyone, she avoided entering any of the animated conversations eddying around her. With only thirty minutes to eat, she knew it would be difficult to get to know anyone, so she didn't linger.

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An Unsinkable Love

by Terri Benson

The afternoon passed slowly as Bree worked her way through the seemingly endless pile of mending. At six o'clock precisely, Mr. Thorpe cleared his throat and stood, giving her a slight inclination of his head toward the door. Bree quickly put away the few tools she'd gathered during the day and hurried out into the corridor. She headed to her cabin, leaving Mr. Thorpe locking the door.

As she set foot on the lower stair up to E Deck, she couldn't help but reflect on her previous encounter with the boorish young man. She grudgingly admitted, boorish or not, it was impossible to keep from scanning the hallway each time she passed, secretly hoping to see him again. "And I'm a foolish Cailín, I am. He's rude and forward, and like as not would get me into a pickle with Mr. Thorpe or Mr. Barton,"

she muttered.

Back in her cabin, she removed her wrinkled uniform, hung it carefully in the closet, and donned one of her own outfits.

As she washed her face in preparation for dinner, Bree tried, not very successfully, to forget dancing cobalt eyes.

Anne breezed through the door and smiled. "Oh, I'm so glad you're here. We can have dinner together and I can show you around some more."

Bree was happy to have someone to talk to after the near silence of her day, and Anne provided a much-needed distraction. The blonde had made numerous friends in the first few days of the cruise and introduced Bree to everyone she knew in the dining room and, later, in the small forward lounge. Bree finally gave up trying to keep names and faces straight and just focused on memorizing directions to the 38

An Unsinkable Love

by Terri Benson

various employee gathering places and identifying the areas people worked in by the type of uniform they wore.

They called it an early night and climbed wearily into their bunks.

* * * *

The next day began as a repeat of the previous