More like a slight bump, that was all. Nothing alarming. At first, the hum of the ship’s engines continued. Then a sudden silence; they had stopped. Tess lifted herself up on one elbow, instantly drawn out of a deep sleep. Strange, when you knew something was wrong. Her skin tingled; her muscles tensed. Once before, the night her mother’s last baby died, she had awakened like this, already fully sick at heart. Then it had been a thin, tired wail that warned her; tonight, a bump. She jumped from bed, fully awake, and dressed quickly. Whatever was happening, she had better be ready for it. A few cabins away, Bruce Ismay stiffened at the sound. He knew the rhythms of most ships, and there was something not quite right about that bump. It was nothing, probably, but he didn’t like it. He checked the time on his pocket watch. They certainly didn’t need any delays, not at this point. He decided to go on deck and hunt up Captain Smith, just to make sure all was in order. Jean Darling shook her husband awake.
