The Singer's lover

'Your hair is beautiful ma'am.' said Emma, brushing through the lengths of black hair before pinning it up on her head in an intricate style. Leotine smiled still brimming with excitement, grabbing Emma's arm, and pulling it towards her. 'Do you think he'll find me the most attractive lady on here? Will you come with me Emma?'

Emma held Leotine too, they were more like friends being the same age. 'He will not look at another woman, even his wife, ever again!' Emma said equally as excited and enthusiastic. 'But, if it is all right with you, I might stay here and lie down, I'm not feeling too well.'

'Oh, is there anything I can do?' Leotine suddenly concerned stroked her maid's cheek.

'No ma'am, it's just the boat, you know.'

'If, you're sure.'

'Yes, go, you must see Benjamin and have fun.'

Leotine walked around the large corridors and was overawed by the opulence of the ship, she'd never seen anything else like it. Her trips from France had been a rather simpler affair in the past. In one of the lounges, she walked slowly past the plush furniture running her fingers across all of the soft fabrics when a familiar voice said, 'Ninette!' She turned to see the wonderful Ambrose standing behind her smiling down with his huge green eyes. 'I can't believe you're on here too! Will you be singing?' He said.

'No, no – I've come for the trip with Emma, you know my maid, don't you? And Benjamin'

'Ah! I've just seen him with the valet, he was out on the balcony. It's a shame we won't be hearing your amazing voice tonight Ninette, maybe we could persuade some people hmmm?'

Leotine laughed 'no, I'm not singing, and you should call me Leotine, Ninette is my stage name!'

'I know, but I prefer that name, it suits you.' Leotine turned laughing, ready to go to the balcony to find her lover when she felt a hand on her arm. It was warm and gentle. She looked up at Ambrose but he was no longer smiling; he looked, serious and intense. 'My offer still stands, Ninette. If you ever, ever get bored of life with a married man, I'll be here for you.' There was always a sort of funny feeling that went alongside being this close to Ambrose but Leotine could never decide what it actually was.

'I have to go now.' She gently pulled her arm away. The noise of the room and the crowd suddenly flooded her ears again. How strange, for a moment, they had been the only two in the room, on the whole ship, even.

It was easy for her to spot Benjamin, he was so tall. Even though it was breezy on deck his blonde curly hair still seemed so perfectly in place. He was always so neat and tidy.

'Leotine my love, how have you and Emma settled in?' Benjamin kissed Leotine on both cheeks.

'She is a little unwell, but we have had so much fun already. Everything is magnificent, even the smallest morsel of food. How are you finding it Victor?' She turned to Benjamin's valet.

'Speechless.' He smiled, his white teeth gleaming against his darker skin and his brown eyes sparkling with delight. Benjamin laughed. 'He's been like a small child, touching everything.' Victor looked down looking a little embarrassed, but he was still laughing. It seemed to Leotine that him and Benjamin had a similar working relationship as herself and Emma.

'Victor, why don't you have some time to yourself, explore the ship and go back to the cabin when you're finished, while I spend some time with Ms Aubart?'

'Of course.' Victor smiled and gave a little bow before disappearing into the throngs of bodies also keen to see the rest of the ship.

'Shall we find some entertainment; I'd like to dance with you.' Leotine took Benjamin's arm and the two ambled slowly through the ship to a grand ballroom where a band was already playing. The room was filled with laughter and chatter, pretty ladies with enormous dresses and well-groomed men with suits.

'I'm exhausted Benjamin, I must sit down for a moment.' they both flopped down in a plush sofa at the edge of the room giggling with infectious happiness.

'Benjamin, I wish it could always be like this, you and I.'

'You know that's impossible Leotine, my wife, my children. I do love them all – it's my family.'

Benjamin kissed her hand gently before excusing himself to go and get them both something to eat and drink.

'On your own? May I have the next dance?'

Leotine looked up to see Ambrose and felt herself unconsciously smiling at him. 'Are you following me Mr. Taylor?'

'Yes Ms. Aubart, does it offend you?' Ambrose smiled back.

Leotine held out her hand which Benjamin kissed before taking it in his own hand and pulling her up. He pulled her close to him, closer than she had danced with Benjamin and she felt the most amazing fluttery warmth radiate from deep inside her stomach. The dance was gentle and flowing and once again she felt like they were the only people in the room. They didn't speak. Leotine rested her head on his shoulder nuzzling her face into his neck while he rested his cheek gently on her forehead.

'I want to make you mine Ninette' he whispered into her ear. She looked up at him earnestly wishing he would stop putting her through this every time she saw him but then in turn suddenly wondering why she didn't just take his offer.

'You know I can't do that Ambrose.'

As the dance finished Ambrose led Leotine from the main dance floor back to the large sofa which surrounded an equally large and elaborate table.

'I've got you a cocktail to cool you down.' Benjamin handed Leotine a small glass and Ambrose bowed his goodbye.

'To a wonderful trip, and us.' Benjamin said clinking his glass to Leotine's. 'What cabin are you in?'

'B thirty-five, where are you?'

'B eighty-two. I think I must walk past yours to get to mine, so I'll walk back with you.'

'Yes but, shh, Emma is probably asleep.'

'You mean I can't come in..' Benjamin began kissing her neck. It tickled and Leotine laughed.

'No, you can't.' It didn't feel like the way it did with Ambrose she realised. But life with Ambrose would be unstable, he was an engineer while Benjamin was a businessman with all kinds of businesses earning lots of money in mining. She was thinking so hard she had drifted out of the conversation which resulted in great merriment for Benjamin.

'I think you've had too many cocktails, come on let's walk back.' Arm in arm the lovers walked back to the cabins taking a detour outside. The air was crisp and fresh.

'Thank you, Benjamin, this is the most wonderful trip. I'll never forget it.' She cuddled in closer.

'Thank you for coming with me. Maybe when we get back, we could change things and I could start to spend more time with you. You're fun and eat life, you have excitement. It's true I love my wife, but she's not as.... as, alive, as you.'

Leotine smiled at the complements. Maybe everything was going to work out after all. She went to bed with thoughts and cocktails crashing around her mind before falling into a deep sleep. The sleep wasn't to last. She was awakened by a couple of large jolts.

She looked over at Emma who had also sat up. 'What was that?' asked Emma.

'I've no idea, I'm sure it's nothing, let's go back to sleep.'

But, neither of them could get back to sleep so they decided to get up and go to Bejamin's cabin.

'I don't know my love, I didn't hear anything, did you Victor?'

Victor shook his head.

'I tell you what, if it will help you feel better, I'll go up to the main deck and have a look – I'm sure it's nothing.'

Benjamin had only been gone a few minutes when the lights began flickering. The ship had become eerily quiet and had begun to make some loud creaking noises from the deep within the bowels of the ship’s hull.

'I don't like the way this feels.' Emma said huddling into Leotine.

'No, me neither.' Leotine said looking at Victor who remained quiet. He was looking around with his big brown eyes wider than usual. The lights flickered again, this time staying off for several seconds. Emma gasped and held onto Leotine even harder.

Benjamin burst back into the cabin.

'You two ladies, you must go to to deck, quickly.' Then going to Victor he held the young man's arms and looked deeply into his eyes. 'You must be strong and brave. We have to make sure the ladies get to the deck, and we will put them on a lifeboat.'

'A lifeboat!' Both Emma and Leotine said at the same time. Benjamin looked back at the women.

'Yes, I'm not sure what's happening but that jolt you said you felt, might have been an iceberg.'

'But why do we need to get on a lifeboat? The Titanic is unsinkable?' said Leotine.

'I don't know, it's what the crew are saying, they are starting to go to all the cabins. They are asking for women and children to go in the lifeboats first.'

'Why can't you come too?'

'There are not enough lifeboats.'

'What? I'm not leaving you Benjamin, I must know you are safe!' Leotine's mind was racing, surely nothing would happen anyway, this must just be one of those excercises they do she thought.

'You have to, come now, before the boats fill up.'

Benjamin took Leotine's arm and Victor took Emma's. He'd lost the scared puppy look and was following Benjamin's lead.

Out in the corridor there was suddenly a lot of people and a cacophony of noise and panic. All of a sudden, the lights flickered, staying off on the third flicker for even longer than last time. The creaking became much louder, and the boat began to noticeably list. This only exacerbated the noise and panic.

On the deck they were hit with icy cold wind. 'My, it's got cold since we came out earlier.' Said Leotine. Benjamin took off his robe and put it onto her. 'Number nine, this one has space.' said Benjamin turning Leotine to face him. 'When you arrive in New York, you have to live your life like you've never lived before. Find love, find a man that will treat you like the beautiful and amazing woman you are.'

Leotine could feel her eyes stinging and her throat becoming large and painful. 'But you're coming with us? You'll be rescued too?' Her hands went from clasping his shirt to around his chest, her hands tightly holding his back and he did the same with her, kissing her neck and cheek.

'Please, I can't go without you.' Leotine said just before another huge creak and movement of the ship. They could hear screams and shouting coming from somewhere inside the ship.

Benjamin grabbed Leotine and led her to the lifeboat, pushing her in before grabbing Emma and doing the same.

'Go and have a wild life, live for you and me both Leotine.' Benjamin smiled, then turned to Victor. 'Come we must dress for the occasion.' Turning back to Leotine and Emma, he smiled and waved shouting, 'Until our next lives!'

Benjamin and Victor eventually made it back to the cabin having been stopped by a steward to put on lifejackets which they soon managed to donate to some of the lower-class passengers.

Once in the cabin the two dressed in the finest clothes they had available before returning to the deck which was now disappearing into the freezing cold sea.

'Victor – we are dressed up in our best and are prepared to go down like gentlemen!'

Leotine had managed to catch sight of Benjamin before the lifeboat was lowered to the water. This, it turned out, would be the last time she would see her brave, kind-hearted lover.

She spent a few weeks not really knowing what to do with herself. She knew she didn't want to go on a ship again for the rest of her life. She knew that she had to be as brave as Benjamin had been and fulfil his wish.

She began singing again with a new persona. Wild and carefree. Everyone loved her performances and very soon she was being booked on stages large and small and each gig was fully booked. Leotine enjoyed the attention and the glitz of the performances, but she couldn't help but feel quite lonely once she left the stage door each night.

Walking out once again into the night of a busy New York street she was startled by someone behind her.

'Ninette..' Leotine stopped. The voice was familiar, but it couldn't be. She turned and her heart almost stopped, her stomach did somersaults when she realised that it was indeed Ambrose.

'But, the ship, how did you..?'

'I swam, probably for a couple of hours. There was a couple of us that got picked up out of the water, a cook was picked up too. I can't remember much of it to be honest. I'm sorry about Benjamin.' Ambrose had come closer to Leotine.

'Ninette, my offer still stands. I've always loved you and I want to take your pain away and give you the life you deserve. The life that I know Benjamin would want you to have.'

Leotine smiled and put her arms around Ambrose's neck. He slipped his hands around her waist and pulled her close to him. It actually took her breath away.

It was meant to be, she thought. They looked at each other and Leotine felt all those feelings all over again and her legs felt like a jelly.

'Come Ninette, let's go home.'

'What about Emma?'

'I've seen her, she's having a night off, I think she's gone to see some racing. She will return in the morning to make our breakfast and brush your hair.'

Leotine smiled. She was floating, once more.

(Leotine Aubart, Benjamin Guggenheim, Victor Giglio and Emma Sagessar were all aboard the ship. My story is based on those real characters and some of the events that are known to have happened. Ambrose Taylor is a completely fictional character and the story of Ambrose and Leotine are fictional. If you liked this, please subscribe for more short stories and chapter excerpts from my books.)