(3 years earlier)
"THE BLUEBERRIES looks scrumptious this year, aren't they?" Annelise suddenly spoke, her younger sister yelping softly at her presence. This made her laugh in amusement, while Helena only frowned in response, though a playful smile was dancing on her lips.
"You almost made me drop them. You do know grandmother gets mad if the blueberries are damaged." She grumbled, wiping away sweat from her forehead and neck using a handkerchief. Her knees ache from crouching down for half an hour, collecting the berries from the bushes.
It was a particularly hot day in Manchester, which means the summer months were approaching; their mother once claimed that the season is perfect for harvesting the berries. The two sisters immediately volunteered to go pick them up, in hopes of using the fruit for a fresh batch of muffins and sell them to their neighbours. Helena straightened up and dusted off stray leaves and dirt that clinged to her dress.
Picking up the pail full of berries, she asked her older sister worriedly, "I thought you aren't feeling particularly well today? You should get more rest instead of creeping up on me."
Annelise smiled. "I feel rather lonely in bed all day."
"I suppose so. It does sound dreadful." Helena agreed, taking one blueberry from the bunch then popped it inside her mouth. She hummed, pleased. "I'm certain we'll make good muffins with these."
"Oh. Better start baking then." Her older sister replied. She scrunched her nose, both in worry and confusion. Putting her hands on both her hips, she sighed as she observed Annelise from head to toe, noticing her face was pale and her body was shivering slightly.
"You need to rest and get better. I'll be in charge today. Come on." Helena took her hand to help her walk steadily, retreating back to their house. They moved slowly, not wanting to make her older sister tired. But once they were steps away from their porch, Annelise froze in her place, making Helena also stop and see what her sister was up to.
"Annelise?" She called out hesitantly. The older girl's grip on her sister's hand tightened, and her face contorted in pain. Both Annelise's arms and legs shook, as she forced herself to stand with steady feet. Helena dropped the pail of blueberries and rushed to hold her sister gently, a surge of nervousness running through her veins while countless conclusions ran inside her mind. She gulped. She never wanted to experience the fear of losing someone ever again.
They already lost their mother. She will not allow the world to take her dear sister away.
In a state of panic, Helena quickly asked, "What are you feeling? Is your body hurting?"
"No, I-it's..." A pained yelp escaped her lips, and Annelise fell down on the grass, dragging Helena with her. Helena's body sprang into action, kneeling down beside her sister, and with her heart drumming loud against her chest, she shouted at the top of her lungs.
"Annelise!"
Several crowds gathered at the ship dock, and people of different ranks ran to meet each other and exchanged pleasantries. The wind harshly blew upon them, and so Helena held on to her hat while her other hand clutched her shawl in order to keep them from drifting away. She stood beside her father, quietly waiting for his employer.
The Noahtic was much more humongous in person than it was in the newspapers. It was a ship perfect for a cruise, and she tried hard not to ponder on the privilege the nobles get to go aboard it. It was a possibility they were invited without even blinking an eye, their stand in the society being the main reason for it. She and her father were only lucky that one decided to take them along, and they agreed; yet that doesn't mean she trusted them. She hoped her father felt the same.
Helena inhaled, the smell of the sea filling her senses. Her eyes wandered around, but still careful not to catch the attention of some arrogant higher up. Chewing on her bottom lip, she turned to ask her father, "Father, what does Lord Hughes look like-"
"Tch!" A loud sound of annoyance came from beside them. She flinched, and her heart immediately started racing on its own, afraid that a nobleman would make them off and start rambling how they don't belong there. Hesitantly turning around, Helena sighed quietly in relief when she saw that the man in a suit was focused somewhere else. However, his face was in a frightening scowl, and she decided to put some distance between them.
A young boy in a uniform appeared, Helena guessing he was a helper from the ship. He faced the irritated man and stammered nervously, "W-What seems to be the problem, my Lord...?"
"This place is filled with dirty vermin," He replied, utter disdain and disgust in his voice, "Are these to be allowed on the ship's maiden voyage?"
Helena stiffened. Her father seemed to hear it too. Trying to make her less worry, he gave her a gentle smile. She forced a shaky one of her own.
"They are indeed passengers, my Lord. We made 3rd rooms affordable to even common citizens." The boy explained slowly.
"Huh? I was told that the ship will be for the high-born only. Do they not understand that fact from her majestic figure?"
The boy in the uniform stayed quiet, so the man, who Helena figured was a Lord and indeed a nobleman, continues, "The Noahtic! A great passenger liner, befitting its namesake, Noah! Do you remember any vermin that were allowed to be on the Noah's Ark, lad?"
A sweat dropped from the boy's forehead to his chin. "Eh...?"
"Noah's passengers were those chosen by God Himself-the same as I and my fellow high-born." The dread in Helena's chest was then replaced with fury, but she kept it at bay. This time, her father decided to hold her hand, having noticed her change in behaviour.
Unfortunately, the man ratted on. "Look around you. Those with the title of Earls or higher are rushing to get on board. All of them are looking forward to the opera on board tomorrow. Suppose a great flood was to engulf London and the whole world right this very moment, according to the Holy Bible...who do you think would be spared?"
She almost laughed at the irony. A man like him, speaking of people who will be spared by the Lord and even mentioned Noah's ark, when he acts like the spawn of Satan himself? He had no mercy for those below him, and Helena didn't recall people like that are allowed to enter the gates of Heaven. He must've read the wrong Bible.
"Is that Lord Blitz?"
"Lord Blitz!" A swarm of beautiful and sophisticated ladies dressed in magnificent gowns ran and surrounded him. Their sweet voices mixed altogether, a mesmerized look on their faces. They gushed and giggled, and this made Lord Blitz take off his top hat and smiled at them in return, obviously flattered. "Such an honour to meet you, my Lord! We did not expect to see you here."
"Ladies...you must have had a rough time among these peasants." He greeted them.
One of the women nodded and quickly agreed, "You can't imagine, my Lord!"
Helena squeezed her father's hand, a signal that said she wanted to get out of there. He only nodded in reply, and they walked away as silently as they could. While they both moved forward, closer to where the passengers were lined up, she saw another man wearing a black coat, his pale blonde hair standing out because of his dark clothing.
She blinked, a strange feeling overcoming her. Somewhere in the back of her mind, the thought of meeting the man before arises, thus the reason why he was familiar. His eyes were covered by the shadows of his top hat, and on one of his hand was a cane. What's stranger is he seemed to be staring at Lord Blitz quite intensely.
Then out of nowhere, his gaze averted to her, and their eyes meet. A heat crept up on her cheeks; not because she was flustered, but because she was scared.
Never meet their eyes.
Although her entirety was shouting at her to look away, it was like the mysterious man was pulling her in, almost like he was daring her if she can break their eye contact first. She sensed arrogance within him, but she also can tell he was intelligent with the way he carried himself. He is rich. He is powerful. He is a nobleman, possibly of a higher ranking.
Unconsciously, Helena's eyes narrowed into slits, and surprisingly enough, the blonde haired man did not have any sort of violent reaction whatsoever; he only remained stoic. Her breath got caught in her throat, suddenly not knowing what to feel.
"Right, time to go ladies! On board our ark!" She was the one to break eye contact first due to Lord Blitz's booming voice practically echoing amidst the noisy crowd, his arms on top of the ladies' shoulders. They followed him like they were his puppies, blinded by his fake charisma.
She inwardly grimaced. About to open her mouth to say a comment, her father beat her to it. "There he is. Lord Hughes!"
"Ah, Doctor Hawthorne." A man, not too old nor young, approached them with a kind smile. His wife stood beside him, their arms linked together, and she was equally as handsome as he is; wearing a satin yellow gown and a beautiful hat. Helena tensed, all words dying on her tongue when they moved a little closer. She had little experience with noblemen, and some of them were terrible.
"I and Fiona have utmost respect for you, Doctor Hawthorne. She is definitely back to her usual, healthy self. We couldn't be more pleased for you to join us in the cruise aboard the Noahtic." Lord Hughes thanked her father, sincerity swarming in his eyes. His wife, Fiona, beamed and nodded.
"Yes, thank you for everything. I'm glad you got to join us. The ship is lovely, isn't she?" Fiona said, voice delicate. Her attention then fixated on Helena, and her smile broadened. "You must be Doctor Hawthorne's daughter."
Her father cleared his throat. "This is Helena, my second daughter. She herself is quite talented in the medicine field too."
She slightly curtsied, smiling even when she felt like she could burst at any moment. "Thank you for sparing your time to invite my father to the cruise."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Helena. We look forward to the day you become a great doctor like your father." Lord Hughes expressed. He gestured to the ship. "Let's get going, shall we?"
Helena watched as her father agrees and talked with the Lord once more while they walked to the ship's boarding gate. She was left with Fiona, and the woman joyfully started a conversation. "You are quite the beauty, Miss Helena. I envy your complexion. Tell me, are you engaged to someone?"
"Oh, no, Lady Hughes. There is no need to flatter me. And I am not engaged as of the moment," she responded, a bit uncomfortable from the compliments since she wasn't used to it, "only the deepest love will persuade me into matrimony, which is why I will end up an old maid."
Fiona chuckled a bit at her statement. "I see."
She forced a soft laugh despite having a lump in her throat. Even if the couple showed nothing but kindness and hospitality, she still couldn't bring her heart to fully trust them. Helena silently followed the Lady Hughes, re-joining Lord Hughes and her father.
Unintentionally, she glanced back at the spot where she saw the blonde haired man earlier. He was no longer there.
With no time to ponder, Helena reluctantly boarded the ship.
"This is the captain speaking. I would like to send everyone joining us on the Noahtic's maiden voyage the most heartfelt welcome. We shall be sailing from London to Amsterdam." The captain announced. "The world's first opera performance aboard a ship will start tomorrow evening. Until then, please enjoy your time aboard the Noahtic. That is all."
After unloading the baggages in their respective rooms for they will be staying the night, Helena changed in a forest green, chiffon dress with an empire waist and a sweetheart neckline; the lighter green, puffy sleeves were short and made of sheer tulle. It belonged to Annelise. She also took the time to put on a simple necklace and some lip wax on her lips to make them softer. She cleaned up her hair, curled them and arranged it in an up do.
They sat at a table on the ship's elegant dining hall, patiently waiting for the chefs to serve their dinner. Helena fidgeted, smiling and nodding occasionally at Lord Hughes' stories and declarations, letting her father answer them. It didn't bother her, but Fiona noticed she was being quiet and so the Lady started a conversation.
"Miss Helena, I heard you've had the fortune of having an older sister. I have always wanted a sibling." She started, taking a sip of white wine.
Her eyes widened slightly at the mention of Annelise. "Yes, I do have an older sister. Her name is Annelise. It's a shame indeed she is not allowed to go anywhere. If she were here instead of me, she would've adored the opera performance."
"Ah, so she loves opera. But may I ask why she cannot permit to go anywhere?"
"She is bedridden, Lady Hughes, for a particularly unknown reason. The best doctors said so." Helena explained, smiling uneasily. "Oh dear. Do forgive me for asking." A look of sympathy spread across Fiona's beautiful face. "I do not know what to say about that, for medicine is not my expertise. But I wish for your sister's recovery."
She looked down at her folded hands. "It's no problem at all. And thank you for your kind wishes; I also am hoping for her to get better soon."
"Well, the opera tomorrow will be exciting. The first aboard a ship! And I've seen the storyline, it shall be entertaining." The Lady changed the subject, trying to erase the previous, grim conversation. Helena automatically nodded in response, not having the courage to tell the woman that she wasn't looking forward to the opera.
A few minutes later, a chef placed their plates with food right in front of them. She scanned over her dinner: it consisted of three pieces of medium roast beef glazed with rich gravy, scalloped potatoes and a Yorkshire pudding. She never had them before, maybe except for the pudding. If only Annelise were here, they would admire the cuisine and take turns tasting them. They would laugh and whisper and talk together, and the cruise wouldn't be boring anymore.
Eyes blank, she picked up her fork and pierced it through the potatoes, bringing it up to her lips. As Helena took a bite of it, a scream rang throughout the dining hall. "Ah!"
It wasn't just any ordinary scream. The people either flinched or jumped, but they were all equally startled; excluding Helena and her father. They both stood up from their seats, alert.
"What is it?" Fiona shakily questioned, looking left and right for the source of the commotion. Her husband held her hand to comfort her.
Helena frowned, spotting a group of noble just five tables away from them, rushing and scrambling in a state of panic and distress. They were more likely to be a family. An old lady collapsed to the floor, holding her chest in pain and face scrunched in discomfort. A man and a woman kneeled on the floor, trying to help her.
"Mama!" The woman shrieked out, while the man tried to ask the elder some questions. Then, the old lady fainted just a few seconds later, causing the crowd to go wild and noisy Helena let out a quiet gasp, analyzing the situation-she suffered from some sort of attack, possibly in the heart. Signs of a cardiac arrest was blatantly obvious: the clutching of chest, shortness of breath, fainting; and if it wasn't treated right away, the patient would die.
Her legs started to move before she could think it through, but an arm grabbed her own to stop her. She turned around and saw her father shaking his head. Pursing her lips in annoyance, she whispered, "Father, we need to do something."
"There might be a doctor somewhere other than us, Helena. Remember, we are not to interfere in something the nobles are involved in."
"This is something grave, her life is on the line!"
"And what will you do? Treat her? Will they even allow you to do it?" Her father interjected in a sad tone. "I don't want you to be in trouble, my dear."
"That doesn't matter-!"
"Please allow me to examine your mother, my Lady." A loud yet soothing voice stopped the chaos, prompting Helena to turn her attention once more to the nobles, and there she saw the blonde haired man standing in front of them; the same man she encountered back in the dock.
He was no longer wearing a hat, his face now more visible. His pale blonde strands were cleaned up nicely, his suit pristine and proper. A gentle expression was plastered on his face, meant to be friendly and to calm the nobles' hearts. But his smile-his smile didn't reach his strange, red eyes. "Are you a doctor, good sir?" The woman interrogated him. His smile widened.
"I'm afraid not. But I have studied enough about medicine since my younger years. Please do put your trust in me." He answered, getting on his knees to check on the unconscious old lady. He proceeded to lean in closer, checking the pulse and the breathing. "Does your mother have any medication prescribed for her?"
The woman nodded. "Yes, we do have it inside my purse."
"That's good. Now, excuse me, I might need some space for this."
That was enough for Helena. She couldn't take it any longer, so she shook her father's grasp on her arm and ran towards them, not caring if he shouted at her or reprimanded her right on the spot. She heard Fiona's gasp when she also got down, the skirts of her dress pooling around her. The blonde haired man was surprised by her sudden intervention, his hands freezing mid-air.
Without giving some sort of explanation, she bent down and tapped the old woman's shoulder gently. "Excuse me, Miss, can you hear me? Are you with us?"
Not receiving a reply, Helena's eyebrows scrunched in frustration, then put her hands above her chest and interlocked her fingers together. Gently, she started to perform simple resuscitation, pumping continuously until she gets a response. Beads of sweat started to roll down on the side of her head, and she knows she must have looked stupid to the crowd. A woman like her, dressed in a gown, acting like a professional doctor.
She felt her father's presence behind her. "My dear, you don't need to do that, I can continue for you."
Her jaw clenched, and she didn't reply, all her focus on the lady before her.
"You'll ruin your dress, my Lady." The blonde haired man added in, and she lifted up her head to glare at him.
"The dress is the least of my concerns!" As the sentence fell out from her lips, the old woman gasped, eyes opening wide and hands flying to her chest. Helena stopped the resuscitation and immediately put her head on her lap. Her father took the medication from the daughter, injecting it in her expertly.
"Do you feel anything strange, Miss? Any pains or difficulty in breathing?" Helena gently questioned. The old woman shook her head weakly. She sighed in relief, and looked at her father. "Father, I'll leave the rest to you."
There was an unreadable look on her father's face, but he nodded nonetheless. He then spoke to the old woman's relatives, "She needs lots of bed rest. Yes, my Lady, I am a doctor..."
Taking a deep breath, Helena pushed back the stray hair strands from her neat bun, wiping up her sweats in the process. It has been a while since she had done any medical procedure and she admits that it had tired her a bit. Gathering up her dress, she began to stand up, when a gloved hand outstretched in front of her appeared. She stared at it, and then peered up, only to see the blonde haired man, that obnoxious smile still on his lips.
She pressed her lips in a thin line, and slowly, she placed her own hand on top of his, accepting his gentlemanly offer; not wanting to be more rude. He pulled her back up on her feet, and she quickly let go of his hand.
"I admired the way you did the resuscitation, my Lady. Your capabilities were efficient and those of a professional doctor." He started, easily striking up a conversation as if she didn't shout at him a few minutes ago.
Helena kept her expression neutral. "I only did what I have to do, good sir. And that is to save the patient, and not dawdle and linger just to parade one's self."
He ignored her remarks. "May I ask where did you get your education?"
"I never went to any school my whole life, I'm afraid." She responded just as quickly, "You see, the majority of this society believes that women are the weaker sex and do not deserve any privileges men receives. But what's worse, is that they consider those who are lower than them inferior, seeing them as scum underneath the soles of their shoes instead of fellow human beings."
Something sparkled in his ruby red eyes, and Helena wasn't able to decipher what it was. Nevertheless, he didn't lash out at her nor threaten her with punishments for talking back. He simply put his hands behind his back and stared, not even blinking for a second.
"You never went to a school?" He finally said.
She raised a brow. "My exact words."
That was the moment her father decided to join them. He bowed at the blonde haired man. "I deeply apologize, sir, for me and my daughter's interruption at your attempt to save her Lady. It was unintentional and I shall see to it we never cross your path again, if that's what you wish."
"Do not fret, sir. There is no need for that." The blonde replied kindly, "Though I'll accept the apology if you could give me your name?"
"Matthias Hawthorne, good sir." Her father introduced himself, then put his hand on top of her shoulder. "And this is my daughter, Helena."
You sent
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mister Hawthorne...and Lady Helena," His smile seemed to widen even more. "My name is William James Moriarty."
Helena tensed at the name. She heard it before, and she was sure the Moriarty family is one of the most respected nobles in London. She imagined them to be cold-hearted and cruel, like any other aristocrats she met in her life; and here she was, exchanging words with him and even subtly insulted him.
Her father smiled back. "The pleasure's all mine, Sir William. Would you like to join us in our dinner table?"
"The offer is tempting, but I must decline this time. My brothers are waiting for me at the deck. Enjoy the rest of the evening, Mister Hawthorne." William replied. He averted his gaze to her, all smiles. "I'm looking forward to meeting you again, Lady Helena."
And with a strained smile of her own, she responded, "As do I, Mister Moriarty."