Whispering Echoes - Maya Chandel (best books to read non fiction .txt) 📗

R.M.S. Titanic April 14th 1912

Hot tears started spilling down the little girl’s cheeks as her mother wrapped her red scarf tightly around her neck and buttoned up her velvet coat. It was late and it was cold, and whilst during the day there was nothing she found more exhilarating than playing on the ship’s deck and making out the invisible line that separated sea from sky, that her Mama had told her was called the horizon; right now she did not want to go out with Sarah. She wanted to stay in their warm cabin; to climb back into her snug bed where she had been soundly sleeping; though now that she had been awoken she rather thought she deserved another bedtime story before she resumed her slumber.

Perhaps this time it would be from Mama. She preferred it when Mama was the one to come to her, for Mama’s stories were not the ones from books like Papa read to her. Mama’s stories were special; magical stories of faraway places and people, where danger and adventure lurked around every corner and anything were possible. Papa did not know those kinds of stories, although Daniel did; in fact Daniel was the one person in the world who could tell even better stories than Mama.

The little girl sobbed a little harder as she thought of Daniel. Excited as she was at the prospect of their new life in America, there were things and people she was going to miss; Daniel being one of them and of course Letty and Michael. She wondered if she would make new friends to play with when they arrived in America; she hoped she would. The little girl rather thought that was what her Mama was worried about too, for she knew there was something troubling her; the usual sparkle that lit her emerald eyes had been notably missing the last few days.

‘Now Kitty why you are sobbing so?’ asked her Mama as she gently wiped away her tears. ‘I know you are tired darling, but just think at the little adventure you shall have. You shall go out onto the ship’s deck with Sarah under the dead of night; a million stars sparkling in the sky above you such that you can gaze at them as you stand there and see what shapes you can make out. Does that not sound like fun?’

‘Sarah does not how to stargaze Mama; only you and I do. I want you to come; why are you and Papa not coming?’ cried the little girl miserably.

At this her mother glanced up expectantly at her father who was stood leaning against the mantelpiece in his best white dinner suit, idly smoking a cigar.

‘Theo perhaps…’

‘Nonsense Evie, Kitty will be fine with Sarah. It is all quite a ridiculous hoo-ha anyway. What do they think they are about dragging people out of their beds into the cold of night? I didn’t pay a fortune for this sort of theatrical. I’ll be raising a few words of complaint in the morning, mark my words,’ he replied as he stubbed out his cigar in the silver ashtray.

‘But Theo she’s frightened…’

‘My little princess is not frightened of anything now is she?’ he smiled as he made his way over to them.

Kitty shook her head, not wishing to disappoint him.

‘There now see, it is just your Mama fretting for no reason as she does,’ he said as he gave her an affectionate pat on the shoulder. ‘Now you be sure to be good and do just as Sarah tells you; no playing her up understood.’

The little girl nodded.

‘That’s my girl,’ he smiled as he gave a nod in Sarah’s direction. The nursemaid instantly started forward. ‘Ensure you take good care of her Sarah.’

‘Of course Sir,’ said Sarah, casting a somewhat uneasy look at Evie, who was now donning on Kitty’s gloves. ‘Though Sir…’ she hesitated a moment, though as his deep blue eyes arrested upon her questioningly she suddenly plucked up her courage to say, ‘Sir they did say for all women and children to…’

‘Good God woman, do not tell me that for one moment you think this ship is actually going to sink!’ he exclaimed in annoyance, raking his hand through his thick dark hair. ‘Furthermore I bid you that you permit me to take care of my wife as I see fit…’

‘Theo there is no need to take that tone with Sarah; she was only anxious after me,’ cut in Evie with a warm smile in Sarah’s direction.

‘Yes well she should leave that to me,’ he said brusquely. ‘Last thing you need is catching a chill in your condition,’ he added at which Sarah’s eyes instantly widened in dawning enlightenment.

‘Well come along then now young one,’ said Sarah attempting to redeem herself. ‘Let us see if you can teach me to do a little of this stargazing.’

Kitty glanced reluctantly up at her mother.

‘No more tears darling,’ smiled Evie. ‘Everything is going to be fine, don’t you worry. We’ll have you tucked up in bed again soon enough.’

‘Will you tell me a story?’ asked Kitty.

‘Of course I will; I shall think one up whilst you are gone. How about that?’

Kitty nodded, not feeling quite as miserable as Evie drew her in a tight embrace. She nestled her face against her mother’s soft auburn curls and breathed in the scent of her familiar perfume, before finally drawing away and taking Sarah’s proffered hand.

‘I love you darling; your Papa and I shall be waiting for you,’ rang her mother’s voice as she and Sarah reached the doorway, such that the little girl instinctively turned her dark curly head back for one last glimpse as she left the room.

Roseland Peninsula, Cornwall 1930

As the Crossley Silver took a rather vehement jolt over yet another bump in the narrow country road, Kitty’s eyes flashed wide open and the scene abruptly vanished.

‘Damn these Cornish country roads!’ exclaimed Freddy somewhat crossly. ‘Simply bound to puncture a tyre at this rate.’

‘Well your father did advise you to hire a car dear,’ came Mrs Allen’s ever calm voice.

‘What and leave my little beauty behind?’

‘She might not be quite such a beauty by the time we return to London,’ smiled Kitty in amusement. Her cousin Freddy had been quite besotted with his new motor ever since he had clapped eyes upon it a few weeks ago; he had even christened her Bessie.

‘Well if I had known we were travelling back to the Dark Ages I might have paid more heed to Pater’s advice. Goodness knows how you have managed the whole Sleeping Beauty act so well,’ returned Freddy.

‘It’s little wonder she’s tired, the journey has been thoroughly exhausting. I only wish I was able to take a leaf out of your book dear, however, car rides and sleep I find simply never mix for me. You shall have to pardon me when we arrive at Rosevale; I fear you may not see me for a good few days whilst I recover,’ laughed Mrs Allen. ‘Still at least the ride has been rather more pleasant on the eyes this last stretch.’

‘Mmm, I’d completely forgotten how beautiful this place was,’ agreed Kitty as her eyes skimmed the passing acres of green countryside and rolling hills that were bathed in the early summer sunshine.

‘I suppose it’s all easy enough on the eye,’ smiled Freddy, ‘However, really Kit I can’t quite imagine you the retiring country lady of leisure; spending your days arranging flowers and attending your growing nursery brood.’

‘No nor can I really,’ laughed Kitty, her bright blue eyes sparkling mischievously as she drew a cigarette out of her reticule. ‘Be a darling and light this up Freddy.’

Out of the corner of her eye, Kitty could discern her Aunt’s customary frown appear at the sight of her smoking. Dear Aunt Elizabeth, kindly as she meant, was rather old fashioned in her ideas and still held onto the notion that smoking typeset a woman as loose and inviting of scandal. Still she had at least ceased to vocalise her inner thoughts since Kitty had come of age last year; appreciating a lost cause when she saw one.

Her independence and freedom were indeed one of the blessings of having turned twenty one that Kitty most appreciated. Not that she was in any way a rebel, and indeed for the most part she followed her Aunt and Uncle’s wishes for her without any reason for complaint or disagreement. Still it was always reassuring to know that were there to be any major conflict in their lines of thought in the future, she was at least of age and means to follow her own path. Were it necessary she could be a fully self-supporting woman!

That was indeed one of the reasons she had finally decided that the estate had to be dealt with. Whilst it was all well enough that she had all the money she was likely to ever truly need in her account at Westminster, she saw little point in holding on to the estate as a separate asset. The fact was that were she ever in need of another home, she was hardly likely to abscond to Cornwall; and whilst she had initially toyed with the notion that it might one day be pleasant to her to enjoy the fashionable privileges of a second country home, she was still unlikely to make much use of one situated as far as Cornwall. No, it was far more sensible to sell off the estate and have all her assets near at hand.

Still having come into her inheritance she had delayed the deed for just above a year now; knowing full well the reason for her hesitation. Selling Rosevale off would first mean setting everything in order and that of course required her presence there.

It was awfully silly of course, to be scared of a house! Yet she was. Kitty had not stepped foot inside that house since she was a girl of four. It was a place that belonged in another life; a life where her parents had been alive, before that God-forsaken night that had robbed her of them and hundreds others their loved ones.

It was strange actually. She had ceased having nightmares of that night for years now; and yet just now she had been dreaming of it so vividly that it was as if it was yesterday. Why she could even smell her mother’s perfume; a scent that had ceased to