Page 16 (1/1)
’Probably all the excite unconcerned
’I hope so,’ replied Anne ’I don’t want hie’
’He’ll be just fine by to an unheeded direA - tive, but when Anne went to wake Willia, she found hi a tenosed measles and was politely insistent that William should on no account be sent on a sea journey, not only for his own good but for the sake of the other passengers There was nothing for it but to leave him in bed with his stone hot water bottle and wait for the departure of the next ship Richard was unable to countenance the three - week delay and decided to sail as planned Reluctantly, Anne allowed the hurried changes of booking to be ed his father to let him accompany him: the twenty - one days before the Aquitania was due back in Southampton seemed like an eternity to the child Richard was adamant,,and hired a nurse to attend William and convince him of his poor state of health
Anne travelled down to Southampton with Richard in the new Rolls - Royce
’I shall be lonely in London without you, Richard,’ she ventured diffidently in their partinghis disapproval of emotional women
’Well, my dear, I dare say that I shall be somewhat lonely in Boston without you,’ he said, hiscotton workers
Anne returned to London on the train, wondering how she would occupy herself for the next three weeks Willia the spots lookcd less ferocious
Doctor and nurse were unanimous however in their insistence that he should re letters to the fa, but on Thursday ot himself up early and went into his mother’s room, very much back to his normal self He climbed into bed next to her and his cold hands immediately woke her up Anne was relieved to see hi to order breakfast in bed for both of theence William’s father would never have countenanced
There was a quiet knock on the door and a e, silver breakfast tray Eggs, bacon, tomato, toast and marmalade - a veritable feast Williasn looked at the food ravenously as if he could not relanced at thepaper Richard always read The Tiement assumed she would require it as well
’Oh, look,’ said Williae,’a picture of Daddy’s ship What’s a CA - LA - M=, Mommy?, All across the width of the newspaper was a picture of the Titanic
Anne, un as should a Lowell or a Cabot, burst into frenzied tears, clinging on to her only son They sat in bed for severalon to each other, William wasn’t sure why Anne realised that they had both lost the one person whom they had lovedStuares father, arrived almost ie while theput on a suit, the only dark piece of clothing she possessed William dressed himself, still not certain what a ’calamity’ was Anne asked Sir Piers to explain the full implications of the news to her son, who only said, ’I wanted to be on the ship with hio’ He didn’t cry because he refused to be - tieve anything could kill his father He would be aniong the survivors
In all Sir Piers’ career as a politician, diplomat and now ehairman of Kane and Cabot, London, he had never seen such self - containiven to very few, he was heard to reiven to Richard Kane and had been passed on to his only son
The lists of survivors, arriving spasmodically from America, were checked and double - checked by Anne Each confir at sea, presumed drowned After a further week even William almost abandoned hope of his father’s survival
Anne found it hard to board the Aquitania, but Williaer to put to sea Hour after hour, he would sit on the observation deck, scanning the featureless water
’Tomorroill find him,’ he promised his mother, at first confidently, and then in a voice that barely disclaimed his own disbelief
’William, no one can survive for three weeks in the Atlantic, ’Not even my father?’
’Not even your father!
When Anne returned to Boston, both grand for her at the Red House, mindful of the duty that had been thrust upon them