by Tonie Chacon
“His conduct?” Alice asked.
“Well, I think he is jumping at this chance to rein me in and make sure I am at dinner every night and that I am meeting the proper gentlemen. Father is such a liar. I must marry money and now, to top it all off, I have to stay in the same room as them. Oh, Alice, you are so lucky to get to go down to Second Class and get away from all of this.” She whirled around.
Alice cut her off. “It is not proper to gossip, especially around someone we have just met, you do know that, don’t you Franny? We are here to pick up our packets from this lovely woman named Megan Mahoney.” Alice turned back to the counter. “Is that Honey with a long O or honey, like it drips from the hive?” Ever so slightly Alice’s tongue made its way to the front of her mouth. Her lips puckered. She hoped her eyes twinkled. She smiled.
“Here you go then,” Megan said. “Take these to Mr. Cheswick. Have him sign here and here, then here and here, initial here and here. Please make sure everyone has their boarding passes to get on board. Bon Voyage and all that.”
Megan seemed nervous, which made Alice smile.
Megan gathered the papers and stacked them in a pile. “And this is where Mrs. Cheswick signs, and then Miss Frances will sign here. Your signature, Miss Pearce, is not required as you will be listed on the registration of the Second Class log and will need to sign in on that log. But these are the Second Class vouchers for you and luggage tags, and further on in this packet it explains how one gets about the ship with a helpful diagram showing your location and the name of the rooms occupied, as well as your deck, cabin and berth compartment. It was a pleasure meeting both of you.” Megan wistfully sighed. “Have a wonderful time. Part of me wants to join you on this grand voyage.”
“That would be very lovely,” Alice replied. “It would be so nice to pass the voyage with someone of my own age, if I am guessing yours correctly. And Franny here could always use a new friend. She runs through them every season and then wonders why she has nothing to do. If they just got to know her the way I know her. But before she feels comfortable unveiling her true self, she feels she has to be right all the time. She never bends, nor takes suggestions. Oh, now listen to me. It was a pleasure to be helped by someone as gracious as yourself, Miss Megan Mahoney. I do wish you could join us. I’m sure we could become the best of friends. I just get this feeling about you. Goodbye.” She reached out to touch Megan’s hands but stopped herself and patted her own hair instead. She wiggled her fingers at Megan. “Goodbye.”
FRANCES WATCHED THE exchange between the women.
Well now, what do we have here? Frances thought. Alice seems to want to conquer another before setting sail. The young woman at the counter could be pretty, Frances supposed, if she took down the hair she had hiding under her cap and wore some different clothes. She might pass as someone who could delight Alice for a while.
Just look at them. Conversing back and forth, the ha ha, hee hee Frances had to listen to. Oh, she couldn’t take it anymore. She saw the women Alice went out with. They came and went off the property in the wee early mornings. Alice thought no one knew, but Frances knew. An array of women had come and gone in those wee hours, handsome, beautiful women of every stature and size.
Why didn’t Alice ever look in her own backyard? Why wouldn’t she take a look at someone like Frances? If only Frances could get the greeting Alice gave so many other women, this woman, the slight eyebrow rise and the signature smile. Frances loved to hear that mischievous laughter coming from deep within Alice after hearing a joke or two, even if it hadn’t been directed at her.
Alice always had it so easy. She didn’t have to dance with all the young men with wandering hands, or try so hard to find a match. A match. What did that mean anyway? In most of the marriages Frances knew, the gentleman had someone on the side and so did the wife. That’s what marriage meant to her. But how about a match that burned brightly only for her? Was it really too much to ask for the admiration from the one she also admired?
Maybe they could have a chance on this voyage. They could walk arm in arm on the promenade deck, strolling with their parasols. It was such a lovely picture. Frances shook her head and tried to refocus on the conversation at hand. What was this? Alice was asking the woman to join her on board? And what was that stuff about honey? It all but dripped from Alice’s mouth.
“Alice, come on now,” Frances said. “Just get the tickets and let’s leave. There was this darling hat in the window on the corner that I must have before the trip in the morning, so let’s go.” Frances nodded toward Megan. “It was nice to meet you and everything, but we must be leaving. There is so much to do in so little time.”
Even as Frances practically dragged her from the ticket office and Miss Mahoney, Alice turned around and gave a little wave goodbye.
”Lovely, lovely woman,” Alice sighed.
OH LORD, MEGAN thought. Did she really just lose her composure like that? That had never happened to her before. It was just two women. They seemed such normal people, for being so rich. Okay, not Alice, of course, but that Frances.
A spoiled little brat, but a real beauty all the same. It was Alice who got her attention, though, throwing out those cute flirty things at her last name. Oh Megan had caught it. She was just not quite sure what to do about it. Megan had always secretly wanted some good friends of her own, but the women in town were all off being married and all. The close friendship she had observed with those two that had just come in was, well, special to see. They acted like family to each other. If only she knew of a way to be part of such a friendship.
Wait a minute. She did have the power to create chance meetings. She could select a berth for herself near Alice. ’Tis only for a few days at sea.
She quickly made up her mind. The cabin in which Alice was located was a four-berth cabin. Megan wondered if any of the other berths were unoccupied. Frances’s cabin was Deck B, Suites 45 and 45A and Alice’s was Deck D, Cabin 22, berth 1. A quick check confirmed that Alice had no roommates yet. Megan would put herself in Deck D, Cabin 22, berth 4. That way they could trade if need be, in case Alice wanted the lower bunk. Megan could gain Alice’s confidence by trying to do things her way, for her. Megan would need a friend on this voyage. Someone other than her brother. Alice thought she was the same age as Megan, but Megan thought Alice seemed a little younger. Based on her airs and her dress, though, she was probably wiser and certainly worldlier than Megan could ever think of being. Megan just needed a friend to show her the ropes in a foreign country. Yes, that would be nice. She would need a friend.
Megan checked to make sure no one was about. All right, she pulled out all the proper paperwork that went with Ticket No. 242154. Now that she had a deck, cabin and berth location for this number, she was ready. She had her luggage tags properly identified, boarding pass already complete, and immigration papers in order.
It was really happening. Yes, yes, it was. Tomorrow was a big day.
Chapter Seven
10 April 1912 — Southampton
THE MORNING OF the maiden voyage was chaotic, just as Megan thought it would be. Trains arriving full, full of people and their luggage, filled to the gills, and unloading onto the pier.
Megan must have passed at least twenty piles of goods and two automobiles being loaded onto a crane before she came to the back door of the office. The day had an unusual feel to it. It was like the ship herself was excited to depart.
Inside the office, the day felt as usual. Megan started the day the same as always. Cecil wasn’t coming in until after lunch that day. She turned on the electric lights, opened the safe, got out her cash drawer, and locked it into place on the front counter. Then she grabbed the key hanging above the safe and unlocked the ornate cage doors hanging over the counter, but closed them shut so they appeared locked without actually being locked. Next she replenished the document case. If something went wrong and she had to return tomorrow, at least everything else would be ready for the day to begin.
And what a day this would be. Her life would definitely be different in twelve hours. The excitement rushed through Megan’s veins as if the blood was running in all different directions, swimming inside and radiating outwardly.
All right Megs, let’s open up as if it was a regular day. Which she supposed it was, one last time. Megan stood by the doorway, pausing to get onto her tiptoes to see. Bedlam had broken out on the pier. Titanic stood proud with her gangplanks in full use. First Class passengers went up one gangplank while the other planks led passengers onto different decks of the ship, from E to A decks. Aye, she looked more beautiful with all the people clamoring onboard, all the hustle and bustle.
Megan was astonished by the sights and sounds. Even dogs on their leads walking up the gangplanks with their masters, man servants, mistresses or maids in tow, their heads held high, flaunted the fact that they were the chosen ones, as if on parade. Porters followed with loaded baggage carts, some piled so high it took two porters for one family. A band was playing. Megan could hear the music, but she couldn’t figure out where the band was located. It was a nice blend of old and new music. She heard a new ragtime song. Catchy.
Could the time drag any slower? The pier was becoming more and more crowded. She wished the time would go faster. Eleven o’clock could not come soon enough.
When the eleven o’clock hour finally did come, Megan hung the “out to lunch” sign and removed her cash drawer for the very last time. Elation filled her down to her toes. She left a note in her drawer for Cecil to find when he had his shift after lunch, explaining that she was abandoning her post and could be found through her family. She also explained that the safe was locked and the keys to everything were left in the top middle drawer of the desk.
All right then. This was it. Megan turned around to gaze over the little office that had been a home to her for the last three years. With luck, she would never see it again.
Megan made sure that the lights were out and double-checked that the “out to lunch” sign hung on the door. “Very befitting,” Megan said zealously. She grabbed her bag and luggage cart and went out the back door. Megan stopped to adjust her new hat. It was the very same hat from down the pier that Frances had boasted about but hadn’t bought. There appeared to be hundreds of people, all trying to board at the same time. Megan was in awe. With a smile on her face, she took her first step toward freedom. Titanic.
A porter stopped her on the dock. “Here there, miss.” He gestured at her luggage cart. “Let me take care of this for you. I see it is all properly marked for storage so move along with you. Go on, up this ramp then.” He hustled her onto the Second Class ramp leading into the ship.
Megan stopped just before the gangway to look at her life now being loaded into the ship. Her trunk was distinguishable, at least to her. It used to be her ma’s. When she passed, God rest her soul, it was Megan’s. There wasn’t anything fancy to it, like a humpback steamer trunk, but it was pretty, with a flat top highly shellacked with wooded teak cross beams and carvings in the leather between the slats. It was pretty. Inside were compartments and layers in which she stacked her belongings. Megan wondered if she should have grabbed her gold bracelet out of that bag in her trunk. That and her watch were the only truly valuable items she possessed. Goodbye, trunk. She wouldn’t see it again until New York. Have a safe voyage. She watched as a hydraulic lift folded the large nets around the trunks and hauled them into the storage holds of the ships. How clever, having the doors open right up in the hull. She looked slightly down the hull and was amazed to see all the mail bags being loaded. Gracious, there must be ten to twenty bags full of mail and packages with each crane lift. She was glad she didn’t have to work it. She did feel sorry for those clerks on board. It must be a mess with all that mail and nowhere to sort it. With that, she turned to walk up the gangway and present the porter with her boarding pass. Megan’s stomach felt queasy, but on she walked.
All right then, hand the porter your ticket and boarding pass, she instructed herself. Keep your head slightly down under the brim of your fancy new hat so as not to be easily recognized. Politely murmur thank you, and move onto the ship. Okay.
“Excuse me, miss?” The porter stopped her. “You shouldn’t be at this gate. This is a Third Class ticket and your vouchers are for a Second Class berth. Oh, I have too much to do at the moment, so how about this, miss? I’ll let you in here and you go take this ticket down to the Third Class purser and give it to him. Is that clear, miss?”
“Yes sir, I can do that, sir. Yes sir, which way is that?” Megan stumbled over her words as she walked forward past the officer and onto the ship. Over her shoulder she glanced to where the man had pointed. That’s the way she went to get out of his sight and memory.
There now, turn left and through this doorway and turn right. Stop and catch breath. Whew. She had done it. No one was behind her and she did not recognize anyone around her. That was a good omen. Now she just had to remain unnoticed until the ship set sail, and then she would find her cabin and make do with the consequences.
She said goodbye to her homeland. She would never ever forget her or the people who were left behind. It was their choice to stay, as much as it was her choice to go.
“Goodbye, goodbye, Da. I love you,” she whispered.
It was like a huge party, but she only knew three people on board, if she counted Alice and Franny, and none of them were even aware that she was on board with them. She hoped it was a good surprise. Especially for her brother.
“Goodbye.” She felt that this would be the last time she would ever see all of them.
COLIN PAUSED AT the crew quarters’ deck hatch and peered out as the ship filled with passengers. “See here, my friends.” He looked back into the hull. “There’s much to be looked upon. Have a look and see. Lucas? Jacob?” Both men came to join him.
“Do you see what I see, me mates?” Jacob asked. “I never thought I’d see so many people from so many places congregating in one spot to board this ship. ’Tis bloody amazing. I’ve already counted four dogs. One woman even matched her coat with the dog, or vice versa you know. Very sparkly, the both of them were. There were a couple of automobiles brought on board too, and so much luggage.”
“Aye, I’ve seen it,” said Colin. “I have been hauling baggage for First Class passengers all morning. Why did you think I was wearing this white monkey suit if I didn’t have to?”
Jacob laughed loudly. “Well, we was wondering.”
“People travel with the strangest stuff. Boy, does this palace on water shine, though,” Colin said. He noticed, out of the corner of his eye, a young woman hurrying along the gangplank. She had dark red hair and wore a purple hat. She reminded him of Megan in the way she walked. He would miss the lass. The way she was always up for an adventure. Whether it was pirates playing in the water at the cove, or when they sang together at Donovan’s. They were a great match as far as trust was concerned. He would miss her. He started his descent toward the doorway. “Well, rightly so, I have to get back to work then, mates. Loading and toting my way to America. It is not very difficult to understand the configurations of the ship or even as difficult as learning the Irish Waltz in E Flat for that matter. Just hard backbreaking work for these hoity-toity folks, but ’tis a job and more is to come my way in seven days. It will all be all over in a little bit.”
It would be just a moment in time, actually. “Best get back at it. Those tips won’t fly into my pocket all on their own,” Colin said. He bade goodbye to his mates with a hearty, “See you in a couple of hours for dinner and a pint in the Third Class dining room then, say you?”
Colin walked along the corridor that ran the length of the ship. It was called Scotland Yard, he’d heard. It really helped with the delivery of the baggage. It was like the spine of the ship that had many stairways and halls that led off to different areas.
He whistled as he made his way to A Deck to obtain his next orders. It’s going to be a grand few days at se
a. He smiled to himself. It was almost noon.
ALICE HAD HER arms full, barely able to see around them. The family walked in a line and she brought up the rear. She heard Fletcher say, “Come along, my dears. We must make time. Frances, will you please go on with your walking toward the ship instead of peeking in all the pier shop windows and join us as we walk the gangway. Please.”
Fletcher Cheswick seemed to be at his wit’s end. He should have known this wasn’t going to get easier the older she got, Alice thought. Was she the only one who realized what a challenge Frances had become?
“Come along then, Helene, we mustn’t hold up traffic on the gangplank. Coming then, Alice?” Fletcher was almost the first on the gangplank until he thrust Helene in front of him, then moved her along with his body shadowing her every move.
Alice followed with her arms full of three hatboxes and a dress bag draped over her arm, trying to walk up the plank without spilling her contents into the sea. Frances grabbed the top hatbox. About time, Alice thought. It was hers anyway.
Frances smiled at Alice. “Isn’t this grand?” No, Alice thought, it wasn’t. A man in a blue suit and hat approached them. “Are you the Cheswicks?” the man asked. Fletcher nodded.
“This way then. My name is Hemsley, Porter Hemsley. I am to be your personal guide. Allow me to show you to your stateroom.” He led them to the elevator and took them up to B deck. He then guided them to their stateroom.
The room was large and decorated with brocade wallpaper and gleaming wood accents. One double bed sat in a corner and another smaller bed occupied the other side with a mirrored sitting table between them. The sitting room had a settee and table with four chairs and a beautiful bouquet of fresh flowers that filled the room with their fragrance.