At first, Samuel had thought he was trembling rather than the momentary and irregular movement of the ship, but Amelia had clearly felt something, too.
His trained ear picked up an interference in the usual pattern of the engines. ‘Maybe it was—’
The vibrations escalated, followed by urgent chatter farther along the corridor.
‘Something’s happening.’ He reluctantly released Amelia and stepped out from beneath the staircase. When they had sought privacy, only two or three couples had been in the area, but now a number of people milled about, confusion etched on their faces as they garbled questions to whomever was closest.
Amelia came up behind him. ‘What is it?’
An older gentleman turned, appraised Samuel’s uniform and came forward. ‘You there. What’s happening? I heard a strange noise.’
The engines stopped.
What in God’s name was happening for them to halt? Dread knotted Samuel’s stomach. Something must be seriously wrong for the Captain to shut down the engines. Tension stiffened his shoulders as a several stewards hurried along the corridor carrying lifejackets and shoving them, one by one, to the nearest person, their strides long and their expression serious. ‘Put these on, please and make your way to the Boat Deck. Quick as you can, please.’
Samuel faced the gentleman. ‘Can I suggest you return to your room, sir? I will speak to the stewards and find out what’s going on.’
‘I will do no such thing. I felt something hit the ship, I’m sure.’
‘Samuel?’ Amelia gripped his forearm. ‘Is it bad?’
Whatever its foundation, every instinct in his body told him that whatever had caused the ship to list was serious. The last thing he wanted was to trigger unnecessary alarm. He fought to keep the concern from his face. ‘I’m sure everything is fine.’
‘Ladies and gentlemen.’ A steward stopped in front of the group. ‘Please immediately return to your rooms and dress warmly before donning your lifejackets. This is just a precaution. The ship has hit an iceberg, but it’s nothing to worry about. The Captain has insisted passenger safety is a priority. Please make your way calmly to your rooms.’
He hurried away along the corridor, towards the second-class cabins. ‘Make haste to the Boat Deck. Dress warmly. Lifejackets to be worn.’
The others scattered, making for their cabins and Samuel turned to Amelia. ‘Do as he says. I have to get to the control room and do what I can to help.’
‘But—’
‘Please. Do as I ask. Find Weir. Everything will be all right. I’ll come and find you as soon as I can.’ Without thinking, or concern for who might see them, Samuel pressed a kiss to her lips. ‘Promise me you’ll do as I say.’
‘I will, but what about you?’
‘I’ll be fine. See you soon.’
Samuel strode away from her, his heart beating fast. Why in God’s name had stewards been sent armed with lifejackets moments after the collision if it wasn’t immediately considered serious? Why the urgency and why the grave expressions of every member of staff he passed?
‘Sam! Sam!’ Archie grabbed hold of Samuel’s arm. ‘Where the hell have you been? I went to your cabin. We’ve been hit bad.’ He lowered his voice. ‘We’ll have to do what we can, but I swear to you, she’s going down.’
‘What the hell are you talking about? This ship is the most advanced the world has ever seen. It would take more than a brush with an iceberg to send her down.’
‘It wasn’t a brush.’
‘What?’
‘She hit and scraped along the side. Water is pouring into six of the forward watertight compartments. Andrews told the Captain we have less than two hours before she sinks. Just hurry, for God’s sake. Get your lifejacket on and meet me on the Boat Deck, we’ve been ordered to get as many women and children as we can into the lifeboats.’
Without bothering to get his lifejacket, Samuel bounded after Archie as they reassured and directed the deluge of passengers who had been roused from their beds. The noise was deafening as they climbed towards the Boat Deck.
When Samuel and Archie finally emerged onto the deck, the sights and cacophony of the passengers’ chatter and shouting, steam and creaking metal, drew them into a moment of paralysed shock. Side by side, he and Archie stared around them, the freezing air cutting through Samuel’s uniform and stinging his cheeks. A few women milled around, their arms tightly folded over their thin evening gowns, their gentlemen companions, arms slung around their wives’ shoulders, dressed in black suits and crisp white shirts.
There seemed to be more first-class passengers already on deck than any other. Had they been warned first? Or had the iceberg hit that area of the ship more directly? He and Amelia had only felt a tremor beneath the staircase.
The ship sat tilted in the water, one of its violated funnels releasing steam on a constant, ear-splitting scream. Passengers moved back and forth along the deck, men holding children, women cradling babies, the elderly clinging to one another.
Some faces showed confusion and panic. Whereas others seemed utterly convinced there wasn’t anything to worry about. Samuel had no doubt that nonchalance would soon change.
Briefly closing his eyes, he tried to get a hold on the rapid beat of his heart. The terrifying knowledge that whatever was happening would not be brought under control any time soon pulsed like a drumbeat in his head. Full out panic would begin soon enough. The shudder held been felt less than fifteen minutes ago and already the irregular angling of the ship was heart-stoppingly obvious.
They were going down.
‘Holy Christ.’ The blaspheme whispered from between Samuel’s lips. ‘What the hell do we do for these people, Archie?’
Now that the engines had stopped, the steam coming from all eight exhausts made it damn near impossible to think straight, let alone be heard.
His friend pulled him into a tight embrace and yelled gruffly into Samuel’s ear. ‘We do what we can. Take care, Sam.’
Their eyes locked and Samuel tried to stem the gnawing dread that unfurled inside him. ‘I’ll see you soon.’
Archie nodded and took off.
Sam watched him until he was swallowed up by the crowds and then raced towards the lifeboats on the port side. There were fewer people this side and things appeared calmer. Samuel looked around, assessing where he could be of the most assistance, his mind constantly filled with Amelia and how she fared. He prayed she’d appear on the port side soon. He would make damn sure he handed her into one of the lifeboats himself.
The First Officer stood farther along the deck, waving the sign for all hands on deck as lifeboats began to be lowered. Samuel sprinted to the closest lifeboat and set about hauling and coiling the ropes, ready for lowering. Every minute of their limited training aboard this ship and the years he possessed as a seaman came to the fore as his mind focused.
The clamour of shouting and the screeching of metal and steam made it impossible to speak with his fellow crewmen, but each worked methodically and confidently. It was only the lack of eye contact that gave any indication that his shipmates’ fears mirrored his own.
A bellowed message was yelled along the port deck.
‘Women and children only. Women and children only.’
Samuel glanced at the men around him. Each of them was likely to perish out here in the darkness, in the icy-cold ocean right alongside him. Sickness coated his throat as his Ma’s and sisters’ faces rose in his mind’s eye, regret for all he had planned to do for them no longer relevant. If to die on this ship was his fate, then he’d damn well do all he could to save as many lives as possible before his time came.
He clenched his jaw and stepped towards the closest people to him. A mother and father in their twenties and two young children. He clasped the father’s arm. ‘Sir, we need to get your family aboard a lifeboat. There is no time to waste. Please, this way.’
Thankful the man broached no argument, Samuel led the way to the lifeboats.
‘You there.’
Samuel turned to face a senior officer. ‘Yes, sir.’
‘I’m putting you in charge of getting passengers aboard this lifeboat. For God’s sake, man, put this on.’ He grabbed a lifejacket from a passing steward and pushed it into Samuel’s hands. ‘Not everyone will be able to get on the lifeboats. Keep calm at all times. Show nothing on your face. Do you understand?’
Samuel nodded as he donned the jacket. ‘Yes, sir.’
With a final lingering assessment of the growing crowds, the officer left, leaving Samuel in charge. He inhaled a long breath and then yelled orders as he and other crew helped women and children aboard the lifeboats. The weeping goodbyes and promises of reunion gripped Samuel’s heart and conscience, but he remained tight-lipped even as guilt pressed like a lead weight on his chest. Most people remained entirely unaware of the imminent fate of almost everyone onboard.
Anger and frustration, fear and loss swelled inside him. Who in God’s name was responsible for this? How had a ship so magnificent, so enormous, been reduced to a vessel that would sink, taking thousands of lives with her? And what of the damn lifeboats? Why had his senior officer been so certain that so many would not be saved?
A hard slap landed on his shoulder.
‘What’s your name, son?’
Samuel saluted the senior officer. ‘Murphy, sir.’
‘I’ve just learned you have experience of sailing vessels as well as steam ships. Correct?’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘Good. You are one of two seamen charged with rowing a lifeboat to the rescue ship. I will send your second along once I’ve ascertained the next best person and which boat you are to command. In the meantime, supervise the lowering of as many as possible. You are doing a fine job and I want you in charge until the last moment. You are not to climb aboard a boat until I give the order.’
‘I would prefer to stay aboard, sir.’ There was no way in hell he was abandoning ship when so many others would surely perish. ‘I can be of help to the end.’
The officer’s fairly amiable expression immediately darkened, his eyes aflame with urgency and anger. ‘This is not the time to play the goddamn hero, Murphy. You are in service. You are abandoning nothing. You are assigned to get women and children to safety.’ He glanced left and right. ‘You are saving their damn lives. Now get to it.’
The officer shoved his way through the mass around them, leaving Samuel standing rigid with indecision. What the hell was he supposed to do? He couldn’t get in a lifeboat knowing hundreds of civilians would die. If he survived and others didn’t, how was he supposed to live with that?
‘Samuel! Samuel!’
He sharply turned.
Amelia pushed her way to the front, her hand at Mr Weir’s wrist. ‘Thank God, I found you,’ she yelled. ‘I was so worried.’
He stared at her beautiful face, willing his racing heart to calm. ‘You need to do get in this lifeboat, Amelia. Right now.’
‘But—’
‘Now.’ He clenched his jaw, his eyes never leaving hers. ‘I mean it.’
The momentarily relief he’d seen in her eyes when she’d found him slowly evolved into confusion and then comprehension. A tiny flicker of fear passed through her gaze before she pulled back her shoulders. ‘No, I will help as many others as I can. I know more than most how it feels to be left for dead. For knowing life can change in an instant through no fault of your own. I am not leaving. Not yet.’
‘Amelia—’
‘I said, I’m not leaving.’ Her glare locked with his. ‘I told you before, no one will make me do something I don’t want to do ever again. Including you.’