“We’re sinking!” Mrs. Jeffers cried out. As always, she gave Americans a bad name. “We’re all going to die.”
“Hush, Mrs. Jeffers,” Lucie said in a soothing tone. “We need to stay calm.”
Sweet Frau Abrams sat up in her bunk with a long white braid over her shoulder. She let out a strangled cry and said something in German or Yiddish, the only languages she spoke.
Lucie held on to the pole of her bunk. The ship listed at an unnerving angle, and she turned to Miss Shepard, a US correspondent who spoke German. “Can you speak to Frau Abrams?”
“Sure thing, toots.” Miss Shepard checked her life vest, and she spoke to Frau Abrams in a stern tone.
Lucie frowned, but Frau Abrams closed her eyes, nodded, and took a deep breath.
“Will this help?” Josie reached into her coat pocket and handed Lucie a bright pink satin ball.
“One of Monsieur Meow’s balls?” Lucie lifted a fragile smile.
“Uh-huh. You said you never know when it’ll come in handy.” Josie looked at Lucie with complete trust.
If Lucie had booked her on a doomed ship, she’d broken that trust.
But right now Josie needed Lucie to be strong, not to wallowin her failures. Lucie folded the ball back in Josie’s hand. “That’s right, sweetheart. Keep it in your pocket.”
Lucie grabbed both pairs of shoes from the top bunk. “Let’s put on your shoes.”
“In bed? Why?”
Lucie worked a shoe onto Josie’s foot. “Remember that lifeboat drill? We might need to do another one.”
“That was scary.” She poked out her lower lip, but she also poked out her other foot.
“It was, but we’ll be brave.” After Lucie buckled on the second shoe, she patted Josie’s belly and felt the packet of passport and photos. “Let’s sing our song.”
Josie sang in a shaky voice while Lucie tied her dark blue bonnet over her knit cap and checked her life vest.
Lucie sat on the lower bunk and tied on her oxfords.
In the passageway, footsteps thumped and a sailor shouted.
Dominique stepped into the compartment, her face stark. “Abandon ship. Make sure you have your coat and life vest. Don’t take any personal belongings.”
Mrs. Jeffers let out a howl, and women cried.
“Maman?” Josie’s voice broke, and she hugged Lucie’s arm.
“It’s all right, sweetie. We’re going up to the deck and into a lifeboat.” She grabbed Josie’s beloved little blanket and tied it around her neck like a shawl.
“I’ll be brave. I’ll be brave.” Josie’s voice sounded high and tight, but her eyes held strength.
Lucie kissed her nose. “Yes, you will, my brave girl.”
Josie burrowed under the blanket and pulled out the puppets.
Pain collapsed Lucie’s chest. “I’m sorry, sweetheart, but we can’t take any belongings.”
“No!” Terror ripped across the child’s face. “Monsieur Meow! Feenee! They’ll die!”
Lucie chewed on her lip. Keeping Josie calm was more important than following every letter of the law. She stuffed MonsieurMeow in her coat pocket and stuffed Feenee down inside Josie’s coat.
Ladies filed out of the compartment, and Dominique helped Frau Abrams with her life vest.
