I apologised to Father the next morning, but I didn't mean it.

He, however, could not offer me the same courtesy and instead appeared to have completely forgotten about my comment at supper regarding his behaviour at the memorial. All I wanted was for someone to admit fault in making something that should have been respectful into a shouting match. Father should have known better than to stoop to Grandmother's level, but he didn't and fell prey to her and, most likely, what she wanted.

Just looking at Aunt Matilda during the supper told me all I needed to know about the reason they had invited themselves. It certainly didn't appear like she was shocked when supper spiralled out of control and Grandmother appeared glad that it happened. Clearly, their plan for inviting themselves into our house was to continue the mind games they were so keen on twenty-four years ago. Father never should have fallen for it.

Before I left for school, I pulled the newspaper out from under my bed. I read through it, the lines feeling familiar and somewhat comforting against a backdrop of chaos and uncertainty. All of the newspapers had arrived at the house in the last week with each one holding a new detail or a new piece of information about the sinking. Perhaps the most important came on the nineteenth as it detailed the failings in the lifeboats on the ship which had been the cause of such a huge loss of life.

I tucked the newspapers under my bed and left my bedroom to join Marsh who stood outside by the car. Father appeared not long after and we both climbed into the car with him sitting in the front seat and me in the back. The drive into the seat was quiet with nothing but the thump of the engine and the birds in the trees to distract me. When we reached school, I climbed out of the car and dashed inside where I was soon met by Evelyn.

"I spoke to Mother and she said you could come to ours on Saturday. If your parents agree, you can even sleepover and come to church with us, if you wanted," she said.

"That sounds like a good idea. I could do with getting out of the house.

"Why? Did something happen?"

"The supper last night. I don't know why Father even agreed to it, it was a complete disaster and I barely ate a thing. I felt half-starved when I woke up."

Evelyn furrowed her eyebrows. "It couldn't have been that bad."

"It was. I asked Grandmother why I had never heard of her or my aunt and Father thought I had crossed a line. Mother ended up telling me but not before I had left the table having only eaten the occasional spoonful of cream of barley soup."

"Oh. Well, at least it's over."

Miss Reid walked into the room and instantly silenced the conversations that were unfolding across the room. Although I did appreciate the added optimism from Evelyn, something a fair few people dismissed, I just couldn't feel the same way. Mother had stated that Grandmother and Aunt Matilda wouldn't be leaving until after the will had been read and we didn't know how long that would take. The family dispute was far from over.

I welcomed the distraction from the previous evening's events when Miss Reid started the class. The lesson gave me something to focus on other than my family's current issues and the lack of any mention of Grandfather over the passing days. It had been just over a week and yet neither Mother nor Father had mentioned him recently, the only person who had been Grandmother. It felt like they had forgotten him already, as though he didn't exist anymore.

When my great aunt Molly died, Uncle Christopher had told me that everyone grieved differently. I thought that this could be the same thing, Mother and Father grieving in their own way and just not outwardly showing it, but even if that were true they would have mentioned him. Even in passing, at least once, but they hadn't. Mother didn't even mention what I had said at supper when we spoke. It was like it never happened.

"Miss Ealing? Can I have a word?" Miss Reid asked when she dismissed us for lunch. I looked at Evelyn and nodded for her to go on without me.

"Yes," I said. I approached her desk.

"Is everything alright? You didn't appear all that focused during today's lesson."

"I'm fine, just tired I think."

"Are you sure? This isn't like you. Is everything alright at home, given the passing of your Grandfather?"

The words felt like they stuck in my throat. I wanted to say something, to tell her how wrong everything felt at home without Grandfather there and with Mother and Father acting so different, but they wouldn't come. It felt like I was choking on the words like they had been made out of cold porridge that didn't want to go down.

"Isabel?" Miss Reid's voice flowed over me, it sounded soothing, welcoming. It was a complete contrast to the tones of Mother and Father during the supper the night before and after Grandmother had first arrived.

I felt her place a light, comforting hand on my shoulder and all of the emotion that I had tried to keep back and hold in just burst out of me. Before I could even register what had happened, tears started trickling down my cheeks and the rapid heartbeat from the night before returned. Miss Reid didn't say anything but just led me over to a small room off to the side of the classroom that acted as a slight office for her and all her lesson plans.

She sat down on a chair across from a desk and I watched her walk across the room to a pitcher full of water and a glass. Once she had filled the glass she handed it to me and sat down at the chair on the other side of the desk. I took a small sip of the water.

"You can take all the time you need, Isabel. I know the past week has been tough on you and I suppose I didn't help all that much the other day, pushing you to consider a profession when you're grieving," she said.

"It's not that," I muttered, wiping the back of my hand across my face. "I like having something else to think about. It's just ..." The words got stuck again.

"Just what?"

"I keep expecting him to walk through the door to join us for supper but I know he's not. Mother and Father are acting like everything is fine, they won't even mention his name and I feel like I can't talk about him unless they do."

"People grieve in different ways, perhaps they are just dealing with their grief in their own way."

"Maybe," I mumbled.

"Would you like me to write a note to your parents? Tell them how you're feeling?"

My head shot up from my lap. "Please don't. I don't want them to know, they're dealing with other family things as well and it won't be fair for me to dump it on them."

"And what about you?" I gave her a pleading look. I did not want Mother and Father to know I had broken down and cried during school. "Alright. I won't tell them, but you should know that keeping all of your feelings inside like this isn't going to help anyone, least of all you."

"I know, and I won't. I promise."

"Hm, if you're sure." Miss Reid didn't look like she believed me"

"I am. Can I go? I'm hungry."

"Alright, off you go." I drank the rest of the water and stood up, placing the empty glass on the desk. Before I could leave the room, Miss Reid spoke again. "I am always here if you need someone to talk to Isabel, you know that, don't you?"

"I do."

Miss Reid nodded and gestured to the door to signal that I was free to leave to eat my lunch in what remained of the lunch period. In the cloakroom, I wiped my eyes on my cardigan so no one would know I had been crying and pulled out the brown paper that encased my sandwiches and the few biscuits Mrs Smith always made for me. Finding a corner in the classroom on my own, I tore open the paper and started to eat the sandwiches but they too started to stick in my throat.

I felt better after talking to Miss Reid, a little more relaxed than I had been when the day started. Despite that, I still didn't accept the idea she had put forward about Mother and Father grieving in a different way to myself. They could grieve and still acknowledge his existence. They could grieve and not ruin the memorial to his memory.

My mind went back to the newspaper tucked under my bed. All the stories about people who had lost loved ones in the sinking, wives who had lost husbands, children who had lost parents, made it all the more real. Except they were open and willing to talk about their loved ones, some had even discussed why they had been on the ship in the first place. I knew Father would never tell anyone why Grandfather had climbed aboard that ship despite his reservations.

When the lunch break ended, I tried my best to stay focused in class. I completed the tasks as they were set, did everything that had been asked of me and tried to pretend like the chat had done something to ease my mind. Yet, at the very back and hidden far away was that anger towards Father for his behaviour and the anger towards Mother for not doing anything to stop him or even acknowledging that he had done something wrong.

Although Miss Reid might think that talking to them about how I felt might help to ease my burden, I had done just that during supper and they both ignored it. They ignored my feelings as though they meant nothing like I was the child Father accused me of being. How could they expect me to act like an adult if they refused to treat me like one or even acknowledge that I had concerns with their behaviour?

Marsh hadn't arrived yet when school finished. Since Father was supposed to be working late, he was due to pick me up outside the gates, but he wasn't there when I emerged. I stood leaning against the low wall that encased the school with my back pressing against the metal gate that sat atop it.

"Are you alright? Miss Reid rushed you into her office rather quickly," Evelyn said, sliding up beside me.

"Fine. I just felt a little overwhelmed given everything that has happened recently," I said.

"I forgot to say how sorry I was about your grandfather. I didn't even know he had been on board until Mother saw your family name in the newspaper under a list of suspected dead. I can't imagine how hard that must be for you."

I sighed, becoming a little fed up with everyone telling me how I am supposed to feel. "I'm trying to accept it and move on."

"Perhaps a sleepover at mine will help. Mother will write a note and I can give it to you tomorrow, you can hand it to your parents then. Do you think they'll say yes?" Evelyn beamed at me.

"Maybe."

"I hope so. Mother cannot wait to meet one of my friends." She smiled. "I should go, they'll be wondering where I am. I'll see you tomorrow."

I nodded. "See you tomorrow."

Evelyn smiled and walked away from the gate without a care in the world, swinging her bag around her as she went. I wished I could be like that, so innocent, carefree. I didn't understand why so many people in our class avoided her. I thought everyone could do with a ray of sunshine in their lives on occasion, although sometimes it did become a little grating.

I stood outside the school gates for what felt like a lifetime. People walked past, girls from school headed home with their families and I was left standing there with my satchel in hand. Maybe Marsh had forgotten he was supposed to be picking me up to take me home, I wouldn't put it past him since he never spoke to me and barely looked at me most of the time. Mrs Smith said he was like that with everyone.

Just before I considered walking down to Uncle James' shop, I saw the car appear around the corner, but Marsh wasn't alone. Beside him sat Mother who wore a small brimmed hat and wore gloves that were partially hidden by her blouse. The car pulled up beside me and I looked at Mother, furrowing my eyebrows in confusion.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Your father sent word that your grandfather's estate has been finalised. They have found the will."

Perhaps this was just what I needed for everything to return to a semblance of normalcy. I nodded my head and managed to manoeuvre my way into the back seat. Without a word from anyone, we pulled away from the curb and headed to the lawyer to find out just what Grandfather had written in his will.

~~~

A/N - We are back! Chapter Seven is here and I am on the final chapter offline! Once this story is done, I'll be moving onto the Prequel to The Factory Girl which will go up once this is completed online.

Question time! Predictions on the outcome of the will? Should Isabel talk to her parents about how she's feeling?

Let me know!

Dedication - This chapter is dedicated to AkwardMarthy for their predictions on the previous chapter! I really liked reading your thoughts!

First Published - June 22nd, 2021