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2021-02-25 04:13:49Meg stared at Kelly as if she had just revealed she was actually a giant talking tomato with legs. “You’re what?” she asked, shock and a bit of outrage in her tone.
“I wanted to tell you…” Kelly stammered. “It just never seemed like a good time.”
Shaking her head, as if she were trying to clear away the obstacles, Meg said, “Well, have the baby in America. How far along are you? It’s not as if passage takes months anymore.”
“It’s not that,” Kelly sighed, shrugging her shoulders. “It’s just that I’ve promised my mother we’d stay here until the baby is born. She wants to see the child, and I owe that to her. Who knows when we might see my mother again.”
“Why can’t she come with us?” Meg asked, still trying to solve the problem.
“Oh, no. My mother would never come to America. My brother and his family are here. As
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Ghosts of Southampton Bank
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Last Updated : 2021-02-25Ghosts of Southampton Proof
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Charlie “Well, how was the ball?” Jonathan asked, handing Charlie a cup of coffee as they sat on his hotel room balcony overlooking the ocean.“It was actually quite fun,” Charlie admitted. “That Alise Townly is a character. And the English certainly know how to throw a party.”“That’s good to hear,” the liegeman replied. “So why the long face then? Was Miss Westmoreland not quite the beauty you had anticipated?”Setting his coffee cup on the table between them, Charlie replied, “I wouldn’t know.”“What’s that now?”“She didn’t attend.”Jonathan nearly choked on the liquid he was swallowing. “How’s that? Did you say she didn’t attend?”“That’s correct.”“At all?”“Unless she came and left
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CharlieCharlie had learned from business to always trust his gut. He knew when he was being treated fairly and when he was about to be made to look like a fool. Even though he was quite certain that this was not the day that he would meet Mary Margaret Westmoreland, her mother had asked him to return, so he intended to comply even if it turned out to be yet another waste of time.While he was off paying his visit, Jonathan was trying to find out if there was more to this story. He had a very hard time believing that Mary Margaret was actually sick the day before. If there was information to be found, Jonathan Lane would find it. Of that, Charlie was certain.Arriving at the Westmoreland residence, Charlie found the household in a bit of an uproar. Servants were scurrying about, and Mrs. Westmoreland was sitting in the parlor, red-faced and wiping her nose with a handkerchief, as if she had been crying. He was shown in and took the same seat he’d been in o
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She had not expected to find herself standing here aboard the largest cruise liner in the world, a Third Class passenger, staring back at the ever shrinking dock of her native Southampton, wondering where she was headed, how she would get there, and whom she would become upon the other side.Yet, here she was at midday on a cold, windy April 10, staring out at a myriad of faces she, thankfully, did not recognize, wearing someone else’s dress, her hair down and billowing in the breeze, leaving everything behind, starting anew.Well, perhaps not everything. The fresh wounds mingled with old scars, both figuratively and literally, and she couldn’t help but think about the baggage she carried with her, despite the one small carpetbag she had stowed below deck earlier before coming aboard to fake a smile and wave at strangers. It would take some time to let the lingering memories fade, let the wounds heal, let the scars dissipate. At least now, on this new journ
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Ghosts of Southampton Love
She’d been in Charlie’s bedroom a few times before, but this time was certainly different. Butterflies fluttered around her stomach, some of the nervous variety, but most of them fueled by excitement.They were sitting on the edge of his bed, the door closed and locked, the drapes pulled tightly. She knew that there were a few servants elsewhere in the house, but they would leave the couple undisturbed at least until mid-morning. Glancing up at him, she could see that he felt much the same way that she did.“It turned out quite well, don’t you think?” Charlie asked, clearly meaning the wedding.“Yes,” Meg nodded.“Even though a few guests certainly had too much to drink.”She giggled, thinking of one older gentleman who had made quite a spectacle of himself trying to climb atop one of the tables to dance. He had been escorted out, but Meg was thankful for the diversion. For once, everyone wasn&r
Ghosts of Southampton Married
Ruth looked adorable in her pink dress, which hung to the floor, nearly tripping her as she danced around her parents. Kelly had stood beside Meg, along with Grace, and Charlie had been proud to have both Walter—who turned out to be every bit as silly as Charlie had described—and Quincy on his side.Now, it was all over, except for the reception. Then, Meg would return to Charlie’s house—the house they would share together—and embark on a new adventure, that of being Mrs. Charles Ashton.“Meg Ashton,” she said aloud, once the last of the well-wishers had moved along. “What do you think?”Charlie was already grinning from ear to ear, but his face brightened even more. “I think it sounds remarkable.”“That’s my name now, you know? Meg Ashton.”“What about Mary Margaret Ashton?” he asked, leaning close to her ear.“Heaven’s no. That&rsquo
Ghosts of Southampton Progress
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Ghosts of Southampton Analysis
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The First Class dining experience aboard the passenger liner they’d booked the next day to take them home was nothing compared to Titanic, and the ship was much smaller, which made the rocking more obvious, but as Meg sat next to Charlie at dinner, she was just happy to have him with her. She had been right in thinking he’d be more at ease on the way home.They’d insisted on having Jonathan and Carrie accompany them, and no one had objected. Dr. Shaw belonged there with them as much as anyone else, but Meg enjoyed watching Carrie’s face as others served her for a change, and Meg thought she looked lovely in one of her gowns.They’d spoken at great length about all that had transpired, and yet, from time to time, someone would still muse aloud, bringing the most astounding topics back to the conversation. Meg hadn’t allowed herself to shed a single tear for either Bertram or her mother, and she was hopeful that Ezra would get
Ghosts of Southampton Over
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Ghosts of Southampton Considerations
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