Titanic: April 1912 (3 page)

Chapter Four

Gavin opened his eyes. “It's time to get up,” he said as he did every morning.

“Are you sure?” Wallace demanded from his upper berth.

“He hasn't been more than two minutes off yet,” Lionel said.

Gavin heard the tiny chiming of Lionel's pocket watch as it began to strike the hour.

“All we ever do is work,” Wallace complained.

“Did you expect to get paid for a pleasure cruise?” Harry teased, and Wallace cursed under his breath.

Gavin rolled out of bed. It was easiest to dress while the others were still in their berths. Once everyone was up, the small stateroom seemed impossibly cramped.

The ship was rolling gently, and Gavin could feel an irregular rising and falling of the bow as he buttoned his shirt. As always, he fought to keep himself from thinking about the dark water outside the hull. Lionel slid out of bed and reached to turn on the lamp.

Wallace jerked his blanket higher. “Criminy, Lionel, that's too bright!”

Lionel and Gavin exchanged a smile. Wallace was invariably grumpy in the mornings. Harry began to whistle softly as he sat up, then slid down from his upper berth. Gavin combed his hair quickly, without bothering to look in the mirror. A few seconds later he was opening the door.

“See you in the galley,” Harry sang out. “I'll be helping the pastry chefs again today.”

“You make it sound like a picnic,” Wallace ­grumbled.

“And you make it sound like a day in Hades,” Lionel quipped, and they all laughed.

The bow rose, then fell again as Gavin stepped into the corridor. His stomach churned. He started down the passageway. Without meaning to, he glanced back toward the bow. How much steel was between him and the icy black water? He shook his head, angry with himself.

It was five minutes past four when Gavin got to the galley. The bakers were finishing up as the butchers and pastry cooks got started. Gavin decided to work as fast as he could. If he finished early, maybe he would be able to go up to the second-class library and spend a few hours reading. It sounded like heaven. When he was reading, he couldn't think about the water.

Harry called out a greeting as he came in, and Gavin grinned back at him. Wallace was just behind, slouching along, his morning frown still in place. He would cheer up later, Gavin knew. He had won in the poker game the night before.

Gavin's first job was dicing carrots for the noon meal. He made quick work of washing and chopping them. He carried the diced carrots up to the vege­table cook's table, then rinsed the orange fiber out of the chopping machine.

“Lionel tell you about Wallace winning last night?”

Gavin looked up to see Harry's wry smile. “It was pretty bad, I guess.”

Harry nodded. “You're the smart one, I think, keeping your money in your pocket.”

“Hurry up with the vegetable marrow, Gavin!”

The sharp tone in the head cook's voice let Gavin know he had been seen talking instead of working. Harry smiled apologetically and bustled away. Gavin turned to one of the pantrymen. “Bring me the parsnips, please.”

Gavin crossed the galley, slowing to let men with laden trays and heavy mixing bowls pass ahead of him.

“I need the forcemeat now,” he told the assistant butcher.

The tall man nodded briskly. “Give me just a minute to finish up these filets mignons, Gavin.”

Walking back through the organized pandemonium, Gavin met the pantryman at his wash basin. Together, they dumped in fifty pounds of parsnips. Gavin picked up his wire brush. He tried hard not to think about anything as he worked. One by one the parsnips lost their coating of dirt and shone milky white under the electric lights.

When the butcher brought him the forcemeat, Gavin stirred it into the mashed parsnips, then delivered the mixture to the vegetable cook. Breakfast was served and cleaned up after, then lunch. The hours seemed to drag as Gavin tackled one chore after another.

Midday, Gavin heard shouting. The roast cook was furious. The dinner lamb had been cut thicker than he'd anticipated. For a while, it looked as though it would not be done in time to serve with the salmon, roast duckling, sirloin of beef, and other entrées for the first-class dining room.

Preparing the second-class dinner went much more smoothly, but then it was a simpler meal. There were only four entrées, counting the baked haddock with sharp sauce.

By the time Gavin had cleaned his equipment and scoured his washbasin that night, it was almost ten o'clock. Working fast hadn't made any difference at all. If anything, he was more tired than usual. But he still wanted to go up to the boat deck. He needed to get out, at least for a little while.

Gavin thought about taking the lift up to A-deck, but it was forbidden. He would be conspicuous standing next to the first-class passengers in their expensive, formal clothing. He started up the long staircase, hoping that by the time he had gone up and climbed back down, he would be tired enough to fall asleep.

• • •

“Do you know what Emily told me today?” Aunt Rose was saying as she got ready for bed.

Karolina tried to look interested. “What?”

“That couple two cabins down—the ones with five children—Emily says she's pregnant again. Can you imagine?”

Karolina shook her head. “I'm going to go for a little walk.”

Aunt Rose settled her nightgown across her shoulders and turned to face Karolina. “They turned off the lights twenty minutes ago. It's well after ten.”

Karolina shrugged. “I can't stand being cooped up down here. Besides, they don't turn off the lights in first- or second-class until later.”

“Maybe you should wait until tomorrow.” Aunt Rose reached up and began unpinning her hair. “We won't be cooped up much longer. In two days we'll be back in New York.”

Karolina nodded again, but she glanced toward the door.

“Oh, go on, then,” Aunt Rose said. “But don't stay on deck long. Emily said it's much colder this evening. I would go with you, but you know how hard the stairs are for me.”

Karolina barely heard the last sentence. She was reaching for her coat and backing out the door. Once she was out in the narrow corridor, she turned and started walking—fast. She could hear the muted sound of people singing a hymn as she negotiated the narrow hall. She recognized it: “Now the Day Is Ended.” It had been one of her father's favorites.

Karolina stopped to press her ear against the wall. Tears filled her eyes as she listened to the people on the other side. The hymn ended, and she could hear a man speaking. Even though she couldn't quite make out his words, it was apparent from the rise and fall of his voice that he was preaching. Transfixed by memories of her father, Karolina allowed herself to cry. No one came down the corridor until she had dried her eyes, and she was grateful. She pulled her coat tighter and headed for the boat deck.

The stairways seemed even longer than usual. There was a big crowd inside the second-class smoking room, and Karolina could hear the men talking and laughing as she hurried past. By the time she finally came out into the still cold air, she was breathing hard. She looked toward the bow, then stepped out onto the boat deck.

“Karolina?”

Startled, she turned toward the sound of Gavin's voice. He was sitting on one of the high-backed benches. She found herself smiling, glad to see him.

“If you came up here to be alone again, I'll find another bench,” Gavin said.

“I don't know why I came up here tonight,” Karolina said honestly. “I just started feeling like I was going to explode.”

Gavin nodded so gravely that she wondered if he really did understand. “Do you want to walk?” he asked her. “I mean, if you don't prefer being alone.”

Karolina hesitated, then nodded. “I would like to walk. I've been too afraid of the stewards to really look around up here.”

Gavin stood up and waited for her to start off. Then he fell in beside her. Karolina kept glancing at him as they went, sure that he would tell her they couldn't go very far. But he just kept walking past a row of arched windows.

Inside them, Karolina could see opulent leather couches and chairs. The woodwork was ornate. There were small tables around the perimeter, and a long table was set in the center of the room. There was a fireplace with a painting hung above it. Here and there men sat talking, smoking their pipes and cigars. A waiter carried a tray filled with heavy goblets of an amber liquor.

“Let's cross to port side,” Gavin said.

Karolina nodded, eager to keep going. They passed a glowing grid, and she stared at it.

“That's the first-class stairway. Have you seen it?” Karolina shook her head. “You should see the Grand Staircase. This one is beautiful, but that one. . . .” He shook his head.

“Reilly! I thought I might find you up here.”

Walking toward them was a tall, light-haired young man. He wore a steward's uniform. Karolina glanced at Gavin, sure they were about to get into trouble. Gavin stopped, and she stood beside him. “Karolina Truman, this is my friend Lionel.”

Karolina blushed with relief and embarrassment as the young man half-bowed and introduced himself.

Gavin told him that Karolina had never seen the Grand Staircase. “Do you think we could manage that, Lionel?”

“I think we can,” he said, looking at Gavin, then meeting Karolina's eyes. “I bet we can get a glimpse into the gymnasium, too. It's so cold that everyone is staying in tonight.”

“I would be most grateful,” Karolina said, feeling lighter and freer than she had in a long time.

“It must be close to eleven now. The concerts are over, aren't they?” Gavin said.

“Yes, both landings are clear. The musicians have packed up and gone to bed,” Lionel said.

“Let's get going, then,” Gavin said. “Port side is easier—we can walk straight through.”

Karolina followed him, noticing his nervous glances at the water. It was unnerving tonight, she thought. The sea was absolutely black, but the sky was so clear that the stars sparkled in a smooth curve all the way to the horizon.

“It's colder than last night,” Gavin said, pulling the collar of his jacket higher around his neck.

“It is,” Lionel agreed. “But we'll be back inside soon enough.”

Two women passed, dressed in white furs. One of them had piled her hair so high on her head it bobbed a little with every step she took. They turned and headed for the glowing grid that covered the first-class stairway. Karolina heard them laughing quietly as they pulled open the heavy door.

Gavin had dropped back a half step, letting Lionel go first. Karolina walked fast to keep up with them, acutely conscious of her worn coat and scuffed shoes. They passed through yellow pools of light that poured through the high, arched windows. The lamps seemed almost too bright against the ink-dark backdrop of the moonless night.

Karolina was shivering by the time Lionel opened the door and motioned for them to wait. After a few seconds he was back, gesturing at them to come in. Karolina stepped through the door quickly, then stopped and caught her breath.

“Isn't it something?” Gavin said from behind her.

Karolina could only nod. It was incredible. There were two sets of stairs. Each curved gracefully downward to a landing where they joined. From there, a gilt-brightened balustrade ran down the center of the widened staircase as it descended even farther. Above the landing was an intricate carving of two robed women, their faces and hair detailed, almost lifelike. Between them was an ornate clock. It was eleven-thirty.

Karolina tried to soak in the loveliness of the deep-grained wood, the elaborate carvings. She timidly touched the intricate ironwork and gilding that decorated the balustrades. “It's like a fairy tale.”

Gavin smiled and gestured, pointing straight up.

Karolina lifted her head and nearly gasped aloud. Above them was a glass dome, supported by arching ironwork.

“It's even prettier in the daylight with the sun shining through it,” Lionel said.

Karolina stared at the exquisite dome, tilting her head back so far that her neck began to ache. When she looked back down, both Gavin and Lionel were smiling at her. She blushed again. “I must seem an utter idiot to you both.”

“I stood here for half an hour the first time I saw it,” Gavin said, and she was grateful for his kindness.

“Let's see the gymnasium before someone sees us,” Lionel said. “Officers' quarters are just fore of where we are standing now.”

“I don't want to cause trouble or—”

“If anyone asks, we can just say you were lost and we're showing you the way back,” Lionel interrupted. Gavin nodded, agreeing with him.

Karolina followed them across the landing. Lionel opened a door, and they all went through. The gymnasium was a long, well-lit room with tall, arching windows that looked out onto the boat deck. It was empty, except for odd-looking machines installed in neat rows on the floor.

“That's the mechanical camel,” Lionel explained. “There was a woman riding it for at least an hour yesterday. That low one is a rowing machine—and on that side's a stationary bicycle.”

Karolina looked at the equipment, astonished. Her father would have thought all this an incredible extravagance. People who worked for a living got all the exercise anyone could want.

“I know what you are thinking,” Gavin said, smiling at her. “We all think the same thing. But many of these people have maids and butlers and cooks. They never lift a finger unless they want to.”

“I'd like to be that well off.” Lionel laughed. “Don't tell me you don't have the same ambition, Gavin. I won't believe you if you do.”

Karolina listened to them bantering. Her father had always insisted on a simple life. Had her mother ever dreamed of wearing furs and bright gems? Karolina felt the familiar sad heaviness seeping back into her heart. She bit at her lower lip. Aunt Rose would start to worry before too much longer.