The door opened with a clatter giving the couple such a start that they all but leapt from one another.
“Forgive me,” said the senior officer, with an apologetic smile, “but I must interrupt. I see that Miss Faileas has regained herself,” turning to Jessica, “I hope you are well Miss,” then turning back to David continued, “the captain would like a word with you Mr Jacobs, if at all possible.”  Seeing David’s anxious glance at her, hastened to add, “Miss Faileas is free to rejoin her friend and family for the time being.”  And with a nod from the two of them, accompanied them to some new empty rooms, which had been opened for the Faileas siblings to stay in for the remainder of the voyage.
With their arrival, Jessica gave David a squeeze of the hand, and went straight to both Anthony and Aurora where there were large comforting hugs all around.
David bowed to them each, giving Jessica a reassuring promise to call first thing the following morning.
He followed the officer up almost the full length of the ship, which was now brimming with happily contented people returning to their cabins.  Evidently, the ball had come to an end and, looking at his watch, David saw it as no surprise, it was well past two in the morning.  They came more than once into small crushes of people, where they had to wait a few minutes for them to clear, of else were sprung upon, asking the officer for assistance or simply trying to acquaint themselves with the rich, handsome young man.  Both men, however, simply politely turned away each attempt at interaction with gradually growing fatigue and irritation.
Eventually they arrived at the staff lounge, where the captain was sipping a cup of tea, of which he offered another cup to both gentlemen.
David declined and, whilst the officer was given a cup, took a moment to observe his surroundings.
The room was about half the size of the passenger lounge, yet oddly enough, the furniture and fittings were identical to those found in public and private rooms all over the ship.  It looked a lot cosier than any of those other lounges and a darn site more inhabitable due to the ruffled yet tidy positioning of everything in relation to the crews personal additions.
The captain motioned for him to sit down but the coffee table, as he slid into the chair the captain began to speak.
“Mr Jacobs, as you know the past several hours have been far from pleasant for all of us.”  He took up a chair opposite David, his face darkened with grimness.  “I’m afraid to tell you we’re at a loss for what to do.
“We’ve been attempting to recover the security footage from the Faileas family’s rooms, but there is something wrong and we have, so far, been unable to access any footage from around about an hour before you entered the scene.
“We have footage of the surrounding areas however, and through observing these we have been able to determine that nobody other than yourself and Miss Faileas, has been found to enter or leave those rooms, and trust me, nobody’s in there now.”
“My men have been talking to Miss Faileas since we left her,” spoke up the officer, “and even thought she is indeed now speaking, all she can tell us is that there was someone else there, and then he wasn’t.”  He gave David a searching look, “did she say anything to you?”
David shook his head, “Miss Faileas said nothing specific to me, only that she had felt lost.”
Both of the other men let out a simultaneous sigh and gave one another a look as if something unspoken had just come to pass.
“If you have something to say, gentlemen,” he said earnestly, “then is it not better to speak out.”
The officer glanced to his captain and at a nod turned to face David directly.
“Please forgive me for the information I am about to give to you, but there is nothing else to be done.”  David’s face assumed an odd frown as though he were trying to anticipate what was coming next.
“We have no leads, no clues, not even a tiny scratch of evidence that there was anybody in those rooms save Miss Faileas from the time that her brother and sister left to the moment you arrived.”
David’s frown, deepened and an element of shock added itself to his eyes, they couldn’t seriously be suggesting what it seemed like the officer was.
“Am I right,” he spoke with an affected even tone, “in supposing that you are accusing Miss Faileas of murdering her own mother?”
The officer responded, “No, of course not, we all know that she could never have done such a thing,” he paused, “however, she is the only suspect.”
The man before him let out an outraged gasp and rose swiftly to his feet.
Addressing the captain he all but cried, “You cannot be even contemplating arresting her!” his fists now clenched tightly by his side, his arms stiff as poles.
“No,” replied the captain, and was dismayed to see how much relief he let go in the breath David let out, so hurriedly continued, “However, this does not mean that she is innocent.  We also have very little evidence that Miss Faileas is guilty, but this is still more evidence than none.  As it is, we have no charge to arrest her, unfortunately though we do have charge to expel her from the ship.”
David was caught so inexplicably between shock and anger that he found himself barely able to speak, when he found his tongue he was still unable to voice his true feelings to the two men who now stood before him, “So what you’re trying to tell me is that you’re sending her home, but not before openly labelling her as a murderer?”
Again, a certain look passed between the officer and the captain, “Unfortunately it’s not quite as simple as that,” said the officer, “It seems that Mrs Faileas was not the best at keeping her or her families finances in line, in actual matter of fact, she left nothing for her children except a few rather substantial debts.  Miss Faileas and her brother and sister are, as of today, penniless.”
Another look of astonishment crossed David’s face, “What does this mean?  That the entire family are to not only be expelled but turned onto the streets?  You can’t in all earnest be serious about this!”
The captain cast him a look that was trying to be reassuring, “We are doing all we can for them, we have even contacted their only remaining relative, a Great Uncle I believe, who is more than willing to assume guardianship of the two young people upon our return to earth.”
The first question that popped into head, he forced it to remain silent for the time being, “What will happen with them until then?”
“Well this was another motive for this conversation,” said the captain, “we were hoping that, as you and Miss Cox are both close with the family, you might be kind enough to assume temporary joint guardianship until the close of the voyage at which point the charge of their wellbeing will be transferred to the Uncle.”
“Of course,” said David quietly, “but, prey tell, what will happen to Miss Faileas?”  His voice and face were becoming more and more anxious with each thought, “Will their Uncle provide for her at all?”
The officer shook his head, “Unfortunately the two children will be as poor relatives to this man but he had a tender spot for his niece, Mrs Faileas and so will take them in.  However he blankly refuses to even acknowledge Miss Faileas, as there is no evidence that she did not commit this atrocity.”
“But he should only meet her, talked to her” David stressed, “He’d know that she could never have done this!  Will he not even speak with her?”
Again, the officer shook his head, “As I said he has chosen to completely disown Miss Faileas.  He sees his guardianship as a means to protect her brother and sister from her.”
He lifted his cup and took a sip, “I’m sorry to tell you that Miss Faileas had been left to the mercy of the world.”
Something inside of him began swelling up but wouldn’t burst, he couldn’t even tell what it was, anger, grief, shock… All he knew was that at this news, at the thought of his Jessica turned out onto the streets of a world that had torn itself apart so recently, he found himself suddenly short of breath, almost struggling to breathe. 
He sank into his seat trying to comprehend what he had been told, what could be done?  How could he make it right?  A thought struck him and his head snapped up at the obviousness of it, “I’ll be her guardian, I’ll make her my wife, that way I can protect her, and help her regain her reputation.”
Both the captain and the officer looked rather shocked and completely uneasy, “Forgive me for saying so,” commented the officer, “but at what cost to your own reputation?”  David gave him a sharp look, “please, don’t get me wrong, it’s clear to see that you both care about one another, but I think the cost will be too high.  Would you really be prepared to loose all of your friends, your connections, the respect of the village you govern and probably even your staff?”
David began to rise from his seat with a terrifying look that caused the officer to quickly ass, “Moreover, do you think she’ll let herself be the cause of all that loss, especially to you?”
Davis turned to leave the room, but thinking better of it, turned to the two men, and bowing slightly said, “Thank you for your concern gentlemen, but I think I shall take to my rooms to consider my options.”  He paused, “I presume I do have tonight to think on this?  You’re not expelling Miss Faileas right this moment are you?”
“No, no, not at all,” the captain replied, “a transport vessel will arrive around mid-day tomorrow to escort Miss Faileas back to Earth, to a destination of her choosing
“Thank you gentlemen, I bid you good night.” and bowing again slightly left two rather anxious men staring after him.