Two

"Captain Englehorn, I am the answer to your prayers."

Evelyn had to admit it, now that she was here, she felt more than a little intimidated.

She was unsure as to what she had expected. Perhaps just a cosy little room, with a roaring fire and a Captain's wheel looking out over the stern of the boat, maps lining the walls, marking well travelled routes, along with trinkets and souvenirs from all corners of the globe, wooden tables carved by the bare hands of the crew sporting all manner of seafaring gadgets. To be fair, she had little experience of the world outside of her own and much of her knowledge of ships came from journals of the great explorers. She guessed her imagination needed readjusting, at the moment it was a little too romantic. What she met with instead was a group of grimy men, huddled around a bottle of gin, looking weary and forlorn. They looked at her like they had never seen a woman on board their ship and, to be honest, they probably hadn't.

For a brief moment, Evelyn considered turning round and running straight out of there, proclaiming she'd made a mistake and got on the wrong ship. She'd run right back home and resume her role as a meek and obedient daughter. But no, the thought of her life back with her family made her think twice about doing that. She had to hold her ground. Never had she so easily been scared by someone, but then again she did not usually associate with such people as these, she was used to more...refined company. But she could not stop now, she had come this far. It would look silly if she walked out now. She had an audience and everything, after all.

Captain Englehorn scoffed and rose from the table. "And how is that exactly, young lady?"

"You need work, do you not, Captain?" she replied. The Captain frowned as she did so, making her become aware of her words. She had to stop sounding so posh! There was silence for a moment, she pressed on. "Well?"

"Perhaps," the Captain said slowly, clearly trying to guess at her motives.

"Then I can get it for you," she said, proudly. "It will be worth your while, believe me."

"What makes you think we need the work?" The Captain inquired.

"I have a keen eye, Captain." He frowned at her words and she continued: "You have been moored here for a month, perhaps longer. But that is a long enough time for someone passing by to know that the barrel must be clean dry of work right now."

"Indeed," he answered sternly. He examined her with suspicion. "And why do you come to me with this? What do you want in return?"

"A job, a place aboard the ship. For one voyage only, if you like. I'll leave at the first place we dock, provided it is not this country."

"Nothing else?"

"Nothing at all, Captain."

"And what if I can't pay you?" Evelyn felt a pang of annoyance at this. She could have done with the money when she arrived at her destination. But then again, what did she expect?

"A place to sleep and a hot meal is all that I require."

The Captain glanced to a man seated at the table next to him at this point. They shared a look and the man, presumably his first mate, gave him a shrug in return. The young boy who stood behind them looked from one person to the other, clearly excited by the whole thing and eagerly anticipating his crew mate's next moves.

"Before I agree, I should like to know the details of this job, if you may," the Captain said, taking a seat at the table once more.

"I know a company in need of transportation." Drawing a hand into her pocket, Evelyn retrieved a slightly crumpled business card. She reached forward and set it on the table in front of the Captain. "Find Charles Downing and you'll find plenty of work."

"Charles Downing?" The Captain repeated, staring at the piece of paper before him.

"Yes, he works for Hartley and Denton, the manufacturing company. He organises the distribution of cargo." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the first mates eyebrows raise a little.

"Hartley and Denton, eh? And how does someone like you have such connections?" Asked the Captain, apparently still rather wary of Evelyn. She cursed herself for not dropping her accent and speaking more plainly.

"A friend of a friend, I suppose." She was not about to say the true origin of her knowledge, of course. She kept her answer vague and offhand and the Captain did not question it, even if he did not believe her.

"Very well..." He eyed the card before him.

"So...do we have a deal?" Evelyn asked, eagerly.

The Captain rose and stood before her. "If we get the work, you may stay. We will take you as far as you need to go."

"You will get the work, I can guarantee it." Evelyn could not hide her relief and happiness at his acceptance of her offer, for a moment she thought he might turn her away. She beamed. "When you speak to him, tell him John Hollis sent you. Do not mention that you got this from me."

Englehorn gave a swift nod and there was silence between them. "And your name?"

Evelyn paused for a moment. She had practiced this line a hundred times over, but here was the moment of truth.

"Katherine...Katherine Winters."

"Do you believe her, Captain?" Jimmy asked, ever one to be plain, once the girl had left and the three were once more alone to consider the exchange that had just taken place.

"I don't care who she is or what she says, as long as we get some work," he muttered gruffly. He fingered the business card in his hand, contemplating what to be done. In actuality, there was only one thing for it - he must find Charles Downing. The last ten minutes had been rather odd, he had to admit, and he was suspicious of this headstrong girl, but if it meant work, if it meant a wage and an escape from the city, then he had to take it. Or at least try. For the sake of the crew, if not for himself.

Whoever this girl was, she was not who she said she was, but he was not one to contemplate things for long. What did he care that she wished to leave the country? That she dressed like a vagrant but sounded like an aristocrat? That she had friends in high places but was barely out of childhood? That was not his business. Besides, it was not unusual to see a once wealthy person now out on the streets. So, he pushed it out of his mind. Work was his main priority.

"So we're gonna have a girl on board, are we, Captain?" asked Jimmy, interrupting his train of thought.

The Captain grunted into his glass and Hayes answered: "Guess so," with a shrug of his shoulders. "Crew's just gonna have to put up with it. 'S only for a month or so."

"Not had a lady on board in a long while..." said Jimmy, absentmindedly.

Englehorn stopped listening after a moment, becoming oblivious to their words as he played the previous scene over in his head again, just to be sure. Really, he did not have much of a choice.

"Hayes." The man's head looked up towards the Captain at the sound of his name. "Tomorrow, we find him."

The first mate gave a firm nod in reply. Englehorn rose swiftly then, tossing the business card down on the table with a flick of his wrist, and exited the room.

The girl's story checked out. First thing the next day, Englehorn and Hayes sought out Charles Downing. He was not a hard man to find, or to bargain with. Being in the employment of such a large company that produced so much cargo that needed to be sent to so many destinations meant that he was always on the lookout for large ships to hire. It seemed they had hit the jackpot. The man seemed reluctant to speak with them at first, but when Hayes piped up and mentioned John Hollis, whoever that was, he instantly became more receptive. It seemed the girl really knew her stuff.

Downing provided work for them alright and plenty of it. They were to transport some cargo from New York to London and then continue on to Hamburg to pick up some goods. Upon their return to New York, if they should want it, they would be assigned something more. Englehorn had always resisted working for big companies like this, they trampled over small businesses and local tradesmen and he always feared the same would happen to him if the SS Venture got involved. But desperate times called for desperate measures and sometimes prejudices and fears have to be set aside. Besides, they paid very generously. And the promise of constant work for the next few months could not be dismissed so easily, if at all.

So here they were, watching as Downing's men loaded crate after crate into the holding room. The crew could not be happier, they were all desperate to be on the sea once more, finding the city to be constricting after so much free time spent there. Within an hour the engines were running and the ship was ready to leave dock. This deal with the young girl seemed to be the best deal Englehorn had made in a long time. And the girl seemed pretty pleased with how things were panning out herself.

He had seen her briefly since their first meeting, only to confirm the deal and assign her to her post. If Englehorn was honest with himself, he had not the means, nor the inclination to let another person join the crew. Not only were their rations spread thinly enough already, but he could not think of any particular role that needed filling on the Venture at present. In the end, he had assigned her to Lumpy, to assist in the kitchens and with whatever jobs he and the other crew members needed doing. Englehorn supposed she would be much like Jimmy, flitting from one job to the next, depending on whatever needed doing at the time. Like him, she was young and agile; these traits alone gave the Captain reason enough to employ her. Still, he did not begrudge her presence. If anything, she should be their guest of honour, for it was thanks to her that they weren't still sitting in that dock. In any case, she was working for bed and board alone, it was not exactly much to spare, given the opportunity she had presented to him.

And besides, she had gained his respect. Even if she could do nothing else, then that would be enough for him to give her what she wanted.

Many people thought Grace Hartley had a heart of stone. And in many ways, she did.

Sitting at her dressing table, she let the rollers out of her hair and began to style it. As she did so, she let her mind wander. Given recent events, she'd been made to think over her life. She did not care much for reflection, but even she could not help where her mind travelled to.

She'd been married very young, to a man that she did not care much for, despite the fact that she had grown up with him. She supposed that just showed how truly detestable he was - that even as a child she had disliked him. But she knew the life that was set out ahead of her and if her Father had taught her one thing, it was to make the most of every situation. And she had. She'd seized the opportunity to marry Leonard Hartley in a heartbeat. Even at sixteen years old she knew the advantages it would bring her.

Though readily accepted into society, her family were not part of the aristocracy, neither were they one of the Old Families. They had not always been so wealthy or held in such high esteem. In fact, not so very long ago, they were rather ordinary folk. But the War had changed all that and the Depression after. Just like he had said, her Father had grabbed every opportunity he could and made a fortune in the previous decade. And, despite a dip, due to the Depression, he had truly made something of himself.

Hartley Senior had become her Father's business partner shortly after she was born. Leonard was already five years old by then and ever since, she had rarely seen the back of him. Well, that was until he took over the company by himself, since then he was never around. And frankly, she was glad of it. That was what she had planned for herself. She didn't want love and devotion, she didn't care for that sort of thing, and certainly not from Leonard.

Lamentably, she had made the mistake of having children. Though she had not wanted them, it was the unfortunate duty that came with being a wife. Grace did not want anyone to depend on her, but Leonard had wanted an heir. Just like his Father had passed the business onto him, he wanted a son to pass the business onto himself. Luckily, it only took two attempts. Anymore than Grace would have had to put a stop to it. Two children was more than enough for her liking. In fact, one was!

They stayed with the nanny mostly. Grace could not even summon the enthusiasm to nurse them herself. She could not be doing with it. She had hired a wet nurse, though they were not as popular anymore. She did not want to force herself on the babes if she was not willing to do it. It seemed the lesser evil to leave it to a doting wet nurse, hired purely for that purpose. But even as they grew older, as they developed their own personalities and little lives, Grace still wanted little to do with them.

George Hartley was the younger of the two, raised a straight-laced, uptight sort of boy, he was well on his way to becoming his Father and Grace did not like to be around him because of that. Leonard had made sure, from the moment he was born, that he was bought up to follow in his footsteps, as his Father had done for him. Heaven forbid if the boy should ever like to make his own destiny. But Grace was sure Leonard had stamped that out of him years ago, he was well past that now. In fact, now that he was nearly eighteen, he was practically itching to start working. In any case, George was Leonard's problem, she had nothing to do with him these days.

And as for Evelyn. Well, she was another matter entirely. If only mother and daughter had the same relationship as father and son. The reality was that Evelyn could not be anymore different to her Mother if she tried. Grace resented her for that. Why could she not be like other little girls? She saw her friends with their daughters, like miniature versions of themselves. Like little dolls, they could dress them up in the finest clothes and show them off to all of society. But Evelyn did not care for nice clothes or good company. In fact, Grace was not sure of what her interests were, but they certainly did not mirror her own. Other women were off choosing husbands for their daughters, inviting young men around for tea and throwing grand dinner parties, but not Grace. She had to sit by and watch as her daughter pursued other activities that were not fitting for a girl such as her, like reading and playing sports. Yes, Grace believed that a young lady should be well educated and in good health, but Evelyn always seemed to take things too far. She could not ever imagine that her daughter would find a man to put up with her long enough to hold a conversation, let alone long enough to marry her.

Saying that, Evelyn did get some attention. She was attractive enough for most young men to bypass her rather unusual personality and to at least consider her as being a potential wife. Grace supposed that was the only way that her daughter took after her, in her looks. She had her Father's dark hair, it was true, but her face mirrored Grace's almost exactly.

But now, Evelyn was gone. What a funny turn of events, Grace thought. She had not been expecting that to happen. But then Leonard had angered many people over the years, she supposed it was only a matter of time before someone exacted some form of revenge. Only, she didn't think it would ever be this...extreme. All the signs pointed to kidnap, that's what Leonard said - he'd told her of the open window, the smashed lamp and the stolen jewellery, no doubt taken for an added bonus. Plus, the fact that there were no clothes missing - she had clearly been taken right out of her bed. Plucked, like an apple from a tree. One of the servants said she heard raised voices. And another vouched that Evelyn had been nothing but herself that day and would never have left on her own accord. The girl would return anyway, Leonard had more than enough money to make sure of that.

Grace was not sure what to think of the whole thing. It was a mess, to say the least, one that her husband was failing to keep secret any longer. It had been front page news, for God's sake! She'd had countless visitors since then, people wishing to give their condolences, like the girl was already dead, and best wishes. Everybody kept asking how she was, if she was bearing up alright. And, though by the sounds of it she ought to have been distraught, she did not really feel much at all. It was not that she wished the girl was in danger, quite the contrary, she did not want the girl to come to any harm, for no one deserved that. But she hadn't exactly worried about her before, so why start now?

Scoffing at the thought of it all, she began to dress for the day. She briefly supposed that maybe that was why they called her heartless.

Evelyn watched as ship pulled away from the dock. Gone, she thought. I am gone now.

Though she had left her home more than two weeks ago, she did not quite feel so secure wandering the streets of New York. Of course, she'd stayed well away of any areas where she might be recognised but one could never be too sure about these things. No doubt her Father would be looking for her already - well, the police perhaps, her Father never left the comfort of his office. In fact, she had caught a glimpse of a newspaper one day, she had made the headline. Evelyn Hartley kidnapped. She had snatched the thing up, scanning the page and taking in every word that it said. So, they thought her kidnapped? This had been a surprise, indeed.

It had never crossed her mind that they might think that she'd done anything else but runaway. But she supposed it looked better on her Father if she was kidnapped, much easier to explain. It would be scandalous for a daughter to run away from home. It was associated with eloping and illegitimate children. If only things had been that interesting, Evelyn thought.

Though this new development had worried her a little when she had first found out about it - a kidnapped girl would be searched for with far more fervour than a runaway - it really did not make much of a difference. They would be looking for her in either case. The newspaper had worried her also, but luckily there had been no pictures printed of her, only one of her Father who had refused to comment on the matter - well, none in that article anyway, she could not be sure of any others.

But now...now, she was well and truly gone. She felt sure that no one would guess where she had gone, or if they did suspect, that they would never be able to identify which ship she was residing on. And never would they be able to stop them, now that they had set sail. Once she reached London, she would be anonymous. She would be able to find a job and a place to stay and live in peace, on her own, for the rest of her life. Perhaps she would travel to the North, so she might make sure she was the furthest away from her Father as possible. He did, after all, have many contacts in London. Or perhaps, she might ask the Captain to drop her in Hamburg. Now that really was a long way from home...

She stood at the railings of the ship, watching as they grew further and further away from the mainland. To her right, she heard a cackle of laughter and the sound of footsteps coming her way, breaking her out of her train of thought. As she turned, a young couple rounded the corner, lead by Englehorn. The Captain did not look at her as he passed through to the cabins, but the couple stopped beside her.

"Who's this then?" The man inquired, eyeing her up and down, a smirk playing on his lips. The woman rolled her eyes and pushed him to one side.

"Go find the Captain, Bobby." She said angrily, a strong Southern accent entwining her words. "And take this with you!"

She flung her suitcase at him, hitting him square in the stomach as he turned to her. Straightening up, he frowned at her, muttering under his breath something about women being a pain in the…

The woman turned back to Evelyn, who had been watching the whole thing, feeling rather dumbstruck. She had never met anyone like them. The man was dressed smartly enough, though it was clear they had little money. But even so, his suit was well cut and seemingly freshly pressed, and his shoes had been shined to perfection. His hair was cut short and styled neatly, combed to one side and with not a hair out of place, as was his perfectly trimmed moustache. He was clearly a man who took pride in his appearance. The woman was the same. She looked rather glamorous, though Evelyn was sure that her Mother would strongly disapprove of her. Her make-up was strong, bright red lips and dark eyes, she'd pencilled in a beauty spot on her left cheek. She was rather pretty, with blonde curls poking out from under her hat and bright blue eyes. Her dress sense could only be described as garish. She wore what looked to be an evening dress under her coat, of red silk that reached just below the knee and wore rather a lot of beads around her neck. Composing herself after her little moment, she fixed her gaze on Evelyn.

"Hey, doll," she said with a wink. "What's your name?"

"Katherine," Evelyn replied.

"I'm Nancy," she said, shaking her hand vigorously. "Got any smokes?"

"No, sorry."

"What you doin' all dressed like that?" Nancy screwed up her face and eyed her clothes. Evelyn pressed herself closer to the railings in a failed attempt at hiding herself.

She chuckled. "Long story."

At that moment, the man poked his head round the entrance to the cabins. "You comin', Nance?"

"Sure thing, hun," she said before picking up her bag and joining the man. "See you around, doll."

She left, leaving Evelyn on her own once more. But before she had a chance to recover from what had just happened, a young boy rounded the corner. He stopped all of a sudden as he saw her.

"Oh, hello…" he said. "…Katherine," he added, somewhat nervously.

"And you are…?" Evelyn asked, holding out a hand and smiling broadly at him.

"Jimmy," the boy replied, taking her hand sheepishly.

"Nice to meet you, Jimmy."

He took his hand away quickly and shoved it in his pocket, looking at the ground shyly.

"Don't s'pose you know who they are? That man and woman, do you?" Evelyn probed.

"Oh, yeah. Friends of the Captain, I think. Needed a ride to England, like you." He motion to Evelyn as he said it with a wave of his hand. A silence descended between them. Evelyn struggled for something to say, but what could she say to a boy like him? What could they possibly have in common? She watched as Jimmy shifted his feet before her, not meeting her gaze. She began to feel rather awkward and she cleared her throat in an attempt to break the silence. But after a moment, Jimmy saved them both by mumbling: "Gotta go now."

And with that he was gone. Probably off to do some errand or something for the Captain. What an odd boy, Evelyn thought. He was about the same age as her, most likely a year or two older by the looks of it.

She had met plenty of boys over the past year of her age. They were all the same: charming, sophisticated, rich, spoilt, arrogant…she could go on and on! It was rare to find one who could actually hold an interesting conversation. It was always business with them all. She mostly spent her time ignoring them and wondering if they'd ever even had a childhood, or whether they'd just popped out of their Mother's womb holding an accounts ledger and wearing nothing but a leering smile. But that was another story.

Evelyn chuckled at the thought of the boy she'd just met, Jimmy. How different he was from them all! It was almost laughable. She wondered what they would all think of him, shy and quiet like a mouse.

In fact, in the last two days she'd met rather a lot of different people. She was not used to people like them, it was true, but she was rather enjoying herself already, being in their company. They were so open, not caring what others thought of them and voicing their opinions whenever and wherever they saw fit. And they respected each other. The camaraderie between the crew members was wonderful to watch. Though she merely sat at the side and observed at the moment, Evelyn thought that hopefully, in time, she could become part of that. Already, she felt comfortable here. Already, she had begun to forget the restrictions of her past life. It was as if, upon entering the ship, she had shed her old skin, grown out of it. And now she had a new one, one that was part of the Venture, one that was bound for England.

Evelyn took a deep breath of the cold night air and gazed once more out onto the water. To her right, she could still make out the lights of New York, flickering in the distance, the tall figure of the Empire State Building rising like a beam of light amidst it all. Then, to her left, there was the wide open sea. There was freedom and there was the hope of a better life.

She'd done it, she'd got away.