Free Unsinkable by Lynn Murphy

bow of the ship. Ismay wanted to break records and create newspaper stories. All he wanted was to finish this, his last voyage, safely, as he had with every other cruise across the Atlantic in his long and successful career, He looked forward to retiring, but he knew that he would miss being at sea. Miss the view of the waves lapping at the sides of the ship as she cut through the water. Miss meeting and mingling with the passengers, miss the day to day operations of running an ocean liner.
     
    The White Star line had been his life. He was proud of his career and knew that he could end it on a high note. He also knew that even though they had never worked together, the crew under him on this voyage were experienced.
     
    The temperature had changed; it was much colder. There would, no doubt, be ice ahead. Since time seemed to be vastly important to Ismay, he would have to work around the potential danger, but Titanic was, after all, unsinkable. It was highly unlikely that the ship could be injured seriously enough to worry about any kind of disaster,
     
    They had already survived a fire in the hull that none of the passengers had been aware of with no real damage to the ship and no injury. Surely that was evidence of the ship’s reputation.
     
    He ran a hand over the rail. He almost wished that he and Titanic would have more voyages together.
     
                                    *******
     
    Molly sat in her cabin and tried to read. Her book couldn’t distract her from the story that Stead had told over dinner.
     
    If there really was a mummy on board, and she believed Carrington, then they could all be in danger. She had gone to Egypt with an open mind, a sense of adventure and just a little apprehension. She had read about the curses before she went, but the adventure had taken over and she had banished any idea that she was in danger. She had brought back her own souvenirs and now she wondered if anything she had packed in her three crates was considered sacred enough to incur the wrath of ancient spirits.
     
    Not that she believed any of that.
     
    Not in theory anyway.
     
    She climbed out of bed and went across the cabin to her smallest trunk. Opening it, she found one of the jade ushabtis like the one she had given Carrington. She found a ribbon and tied it around the small figure and tied a knot at the end.
     
    “Just in case,” she said aloud to herself as she slipped it over her head. Until they safely docked in New York- and maybe for a little while after- she would wear it for good luck.
     
    Feeling less anxious, she climbed back in bed and pulled up the covers and extinguished the light. No reason not to just go to sleep.
     
    She only hoped Stead’s story didn’t invade her dreams.
     
                               *******
     
    Carrington slipped off her bunk and found her slippers and a heavy robe. She couldn’t sleep. Stead’s story and Beckett’s were keeping her awake.
     
    Walking softly so as not to disturb her parents in the adjoining cabin, she left the room and walked down the narrow corridor. Looking around to make sure no one was watching, she tapped gently on Beckett’s door.
     
    He swung it open, looking attractively rumpled, as if he’d fallen asleep writing. The book was in one hand, his starched pleated shirt was wrinkled and unbuttoned.
     
    “Can I come in?” She whispered the words.
     
    He nodded and she stepped inside and he closed the door.
     
    “You couldn’t sleep?” he asked.
     
    “How did you know?”
     
    He laid the book on the desk and took her in his arms. “Because I wrote it.”
     
    “Before or after the story at dinner?”
     
    “Before lunch.”
     
    She looked up at him. “What happens now?”
     
    He pulled her closer. “I’m not sure that you want to know.”
     
    “And I’m fairly certain that I do.”
     
    He kissed her more passionately and she felt light headed as she kissed him