Queen Mary Part 4 
The awakening

Elizabeth woke early the next morning. She looked around at her surroundings 
and was bewildered for a moment, before she suddenly recalled the events of 
the day before. Then she noticed David still sleeping in the chair. `My 
love. Thank you so much for taking care of me.'

She rose from his bed and kissed him lightly on his forehead. He woke 
immediately.

"Elizabeth, how are you feeling? I hope you slept well after your nasty 
experience."

She smiled. "Better than I could have hoped for. Thank you so much."

"Good. I'm pleased to hear it. I have some news for you. One of my friends 
back in England has been checking out Richard's story. I'm afraid Robert was 
totally right about him. He is a fraud. There is no Lord Goldsworth. No 
house owned under that name in Grantchester either."

Elizabeth gasped, "So, who is he then?"

"Oh, just some low-life commoner that believes he can swindle anyone he 
meets. He was very interested in you, though. He thought you were naïve and 
he would be able to impress you with his stories."

Elizabeth retorted, "I hope he's locked away and not able to do it again for 
a long time."

"Oh he will be, my love. The police will be waiting for him in Southampton 
on the return leg of this voyage. Until then, he's locked in the cells down 
below."

She sighed with relief.

"I took the liberty of entering your cabin last night and returned here with 
some of your clothes." David said. "I have laid them out for you in the 
bathroom."

"Thank you, David. I am most grateful."

Elizabeth entered his bathroom and washed herself before putting on one of 
her lightweight summer dresses.

* * *

"Let's take a stroll along the deck before breakfast," David suggested. 
"It's a nice, warm morning outside. We must be nearing America."

"That sounds good," replied Elizabeth, "then we'll have some breakfast in 
the dining room. We could look at the map on the wall and see how much 
longer we will be able to enjoy each others company."

She sighed to herself as she thought about their future together. `I hope 
that's not going to be the end of our liaison. Surely we will continue to 
remain good friends once the cruise is over. Could I even dare to dream of 
more than that?'

David took her arm and escorted her out of his cabin.

"What are your plans in New York?" he asked.

"I'm staying with some friends of my parents in Staten Island for a few days 
and will then be returning to England. What about yours?"

"I will be working in the city for the week," he replied, smiling at her.

Elizabeth was about to ask him if they could meet up for an evening when a 
steward called out to them.

"Sir David, Madam Elizabeth."

He rushed up to them.

"The Captain has heard about what happened, your unfortunate incident, 
Madam. He sends an invitation for both of you to dine at his table tonight."

Elizabeth looked at David and nodded her head.

"Tell the Captain that we are very pleased to accept his kind invitation," 
David replied.

"I will let him know of your acceptance." The steward nodded before 
departing.

They carried on with their stroll along the Promenade deck when Elizabeth 
noticed a poster outside the ballroom. They wandered over to read it. `Tea 
Dance. This afternoon at three o'clock.'

"David, I would like to take part in that." She exclaimed, "I have never 
been to one. Have you?"

"One or two in my past, but they are not something I frequent a lot." David 
smiled at her. "But here's your chance. Elizabeth, would you give me the 
pleasure of your company at the tea dance this afternoon?"

She smiled back at him. "Thank you, kind Sir; I accept your invitation with 
delight."

* * *

After their late breakfast, they went back to Elizabeth's cabin to choose 
her outfit for the dance that afternoon. She didn't really want to enter it, 
but she knew she must. `I'm not going to run away from everything in life 
that scares me,' she thought to herself. Her body slightly shook as she 
retrieved the key from her bag. David, sensing her nervousness, stepped in 
front of her and unlocked the door. He entered her cabin, checking that all 
was well, before encouraging her inside.

"Come on, Elizabeth. I thought you said you wanted to choose your clothes 
for the dance."

David settled back on her bed as she walked to her wardrobe. She sorted 
through the hangers before making up her mind. She picked out a shorter 
knee-length flared dress to wear.

"What do you think of this one, David?"

"Yes, I like it," he replied.

"That's the one that I will wear then."

Elizabeth went to kiss David, but as she did so, she suddenly froze and 
shivered as memories came flooding back into her mind. She stopped. David 
looked at her and sensed her fear.

"Do you want to remain here or shall we return to my cabin?" he asked her 
tenderly.

"I'm fine. I need to get over that irrational fear and I won't if I keep 
running away from it."

She kissed him slowly. David responded carefully, kissing her gently until 
he felt her body relax. His arms encircled her body as he pulled her closer.

"Oh Elizabeth, my love. Never in a million years would I hurt you. I hope 
you realise that by now."

She smiled. "I know that. You have behaved like a gentleman from the first 
time I met you."

He settled her down on her bed before sitting beside her.

"Any time I'm going too fast for you, just tell me and I'll stop."

"That won't be necessary, David. You are a totally different man from that 
animal."

David's fingers stroked her body tenderly as they lay together, relaxing in 
each others arms before the dance later that day.

* * *

They entered the ballroom, arm in arm for the tea dance. Stewards surrounded 
the tables all carrying teapots. As they sat down at one of the empty 
tables, a steward came over and asked "Which type of tea would you prefer, 
China, Indian or one of the more selective brews?"

"China tea sounds good enough for me," she answered.

"I would like some Indian please," David said.

Elizabeth and David studied the menu.

"David, would you like some sandwiches?"

He smiled at her. "Yes, beef ones, please."

"Oh and some cucumber sandwiches as well, please," Elizabeth said to the 
steward.

"Certainly, Sir, madam."

The steward bowed his head before departing to fetch their requests.


After finishing their sandwiches and one of the small cakes which the 
steward had bought on his return, Elizabeth watched as the dancers swirled 
on the raised, parquet floor. When the band started to play a rousing rumba 
tune, David asked her, "Shall we dance?"

Elizabeth smiled. "Yes, please."

David led her out onto the dance floor, and to Elizabeth's amazement, danced 
perfectly, matching her steps with his.

"How did you learn to dance like that? I have never danced with anyone that 
knows the moves like you do," she said in amazement.

"My mother always said a man should dance properly, so she made me have 
lessons for a few years."

After a few more dances, David led her off the floor.

"Did you enjoy that?" he asked her.

"Yes, of course I did. I'm still amazed at how well you dance; you nearly 
put me to shame." She smiled at him.

"Never, Elizabeth."

They went back to David's cabin, resting together before the captain's 
dinner.

* * *

She felt his body against hers as he pulled her closer to him. As his lips 
stroked against hers, before kissing her slowly, she felt her desire for him 
rise in her body. She reached out to him and started to unbutton his shirt.
"Elizabeth, are you sure this is want you want? I don't want to hurt you."

"I have never been surer of anything in my life, David."

She stroked his chest with her fingertips, caressing his nipples, before 
kissing them. She removed his shirt completely before struggling with the 
belt on his trousers. She groaned with frustration at her clumsiness. David 
chuckled before helping her undo it.

She removed his trousers, sliding them down his legs. Her fingertips tracing 
slowly back up along them. Caressing his inner thighs, she reached down and 
kissed him softly on his penis.

Her tongue tasted him. Her desire increased. Her breaths got faster. Her 
passion rose. She groaned with pleasure.

"Ohhh, David."

* * *

Afterwards, David looked at her and she knew then that he could sense how 
happy she felt.

"Elizabeth, my love, there is something I have to tell you about me. I'm not 
sure that you are going to like it, though."

She wondered for a minute what awful tale he was going to tell her. `Is he 
going to admit to being a criminal, as well? No, he couldn't be.' Then she 
remembered that look from Victoria when she had described him. `She had 
known who he was. Perhaps he was a celebrity of some sort.' She hadn't seen 
many stage shows or films, so she wouldn't know.

"Tell me, David, what can be so bad?"

"Well, I am not quite whom I seem."

"Come on, David. Tell me." She gave an impatient sigh.

"Err... My parents are quite wealthy, the Duke and Duchess actually. Luckily 
for me, they are still quite young so I am not going to inherit the title 
yet..."

He paused, waiting for her reaction.

Elizabeth stuttered. "But... but, you're a normal guy. You don't act like a 
Marquess."

David laughed. "And how is a Marquess expected to act?"

She giggled. "I'm not sure. I've not met that many."

He smiled back at her, "Don't let it change anything, Elizabeth. Please keep 
treating me the same as you have been."

"Of course, but you do realise that my mother is going to want to meet you, 
when she finds out about you."

"I think my mother will be having exactly the same thoughts." He chuckled 
before kissing her softly.