“Thank you,” Bronnah replies and sips her tea.
“Were you terribly ill?” One of the twins asked.
“I...” she starts to reply only to have the second twin interrupt her.
“We found our sea legs very quickly. Captain, do you think that you could give us a tour of the steam room?” Her high-pitched voice grates on Bronnah’s nerves.
“If you wish,” he responds.
"Tell me, Ms. O'Dalaigh, why are you traveling to America?" The women next to her asked.
"We're meeting our Fiancé's in New York," Lizzie explains filling them in on the details.
“How exciting!” One twin answers, looking at her sister pointedly.
“Do you think he will mind?” The second twin asked.
“Mind what?” Bronnah asked.
“Well, that you’re Irish, of course?” she answers giggling.
“That’s a disgusting thing to say,” Elizabeth exclaims flushing red with anger.
"Why would he mind?" A French man asks, looking over at the two of them. "They appear to be two intelligent, beautiful, young women. Any man would be lucky to claim such a prize."
Elizabeth looks closely at him. His taste in clothing seems exquisite, and his lush, wavy dark hair and dancing blue eyes has her heart pounding with excitement.
“That’s very kind of you… Mr.?” Bronnah asked.
"Jules Verne, at your service," he smiles at them and glances with interest at Elizabeth.
“It’s simply that the America’s are infested with laborers. My husband said that if they aren’t Chinese, they are Irish. Work is terrible hard to find.” The twins Mother answers for her. A prudish looking woman with mousy blonde hair.
"Infested is a strong word to be sure," Bronnah says, and her brogue grows noticeably thicker by the second.
Elizabeth grasps her hand and glances around the table, shocked at such statements. "That surely is a backward way of thinking. Are we not all human beings? Who deserve the same show of dignity and respect? You should apologize," she demands, and her blue eyes glow with outrage.
Jules sits back with a surprised look of approval.
“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean. My sister was simply asking a question. If you find offense in it, perhaps you should learn tolerance,” the taller of the two twins’ states.
Bronnah stops Lizzy from speaking with a grip of her hand. "Let me see if I understand, ya know we Irish are so dimwitted. The likes of you have no problem with using us for the menial chores you're too lazy ta' handle, as long as we know our place? Is tha' right?"
“There now, let us agree to disagree shall we,” the Captain begins attempting to soothe tempers.
"No, tis true that my people have yet to recover from the devastating famine that ravaged our lands. A great many of us lost loved ones…" Bronnah glances at Lizzy surprised by the tears she's fighting back at the thought of her family and husband. "Lost loved ones in the cruelest of ways imaginable."
Elizabeth is visibly trembling with barely controlled rage for her friend. She leaps to her feet and tosses her cloth napkin on the table which has suddenly lost its glitter. In a trembling voice, “We’ve nursed the most elite and the poorest souls, and they all had one thing in common. They did not judge each other because, in the end when death comes knocking, we are all human beings.”
“That is surely something we can all agree on,” the Captain answers, nervously looking around the table.
"I should say not, Captain." The mousy haired woman stands up followed by her two daughters. Leaning forward with a sneer, "Educate it and wrap it any way you wish, but it will not matter my dears, and the sooner you learn it, the better. A biddy is a biddy."
“I’m sure we will all agree that we would take a biddy over your kind any day,” Jules replies furiously defending the two young women.
"I believe we shall take our remaining meals in our cabin, away from such abuse, Come girls!" They storm out of the dining room in a huff.
The Captain turns to the table and apologizes. "Please do not fear that everyone agrees with such vile thoughts, Ms. O'Dalaigh, but I'm afraid some of what she said is truth," Captain Tyler explains.
Elizabeth drops into her chair and sips her water, trying to calm her rage.
"I understand. Thank you, Captain, I shall think on it." Lizzy and Bronnah sit quietly while the remaining of the diners excuse themselves. "Thank you, Mr. Verne, for coming to our aid," Bronnah says softly.
"Yes, you're very open-minded for a Frenchmen," Elizabeth replies struggling to hide her grin.
“Lizzy!” Bronnah gasps in shock, and they all burst out laughing.
The rest of the evening passes in a blur. Mr. Verne escorts them about the upper deck for a stroll and some fresh air. The girls are surprised to see various groups gathered about, some eating rice and others talking and laughing. Bronnah is happy to have the company, and he offers to meet them for breakfast.
“That would be lovely,” Lizzy answers quickly.
Later, when the girls are lying in bed, Lizzy asks, "What if Jules is right? What if these men are vile, disgusting, human beings who hate women?"
Bronnah rolls towards her and smiles. “Then we shall find an open-minded Frenchman to rescue us?”
“I like him too, Bronnah. Let us promise to only marry men who will respect us for who we are,” Lizzy demands.
“Yes, and men who kiss us senseless and make our entire being yearn to be…”
“Bronnah!” Lizzy exclaims sitting up in her bed.
"You know you think about it, Lizzy," she teases her to help alleviate some of their fear.
“Unlike you, I’ve never been married. Do you miss him?” She asks softly.
“I
