It's been a week and I've been a very good girl, at least, as good a girl as I could be. Most days were really, really boring. In the week I've been onboard Titanic, I've seen every deck and every room. I played in the gym, I ran down the promenade deck, I even snuck into the wheelhouse and touched the steering wheel. The steering wheel! That you use to steer the Titanic! I think I'd make a rather good ship's captain one day, it's too bad I'm a girl. Daddy told me girls aren't accepted as sea captains.
Today is departure day, and there is a lot going on. The passengers haven't even boarded yet and already the ship itself is hectic, with crew members walking every which way doing who knows what. Daddy dressed me in a cute little sailor dress this morning, but I haven't seen him since he walked out the door this morning. I lean over the railing on the promenade deck and look out at the crowds of people arriving. There are so many people down there, you can hardly see the ground! Cars and carriages are surrounded by people, and I wonder how they'll ever get by.
There's all sorts of cargo being loaded onboard, huge crates and boxes carrying things going to America. I listen to people shouting as they direct luggage, there sure is a lot of stuff coming onboard here. It seems as though they're stocking a city rather than a ship. There's even a car being swung onboard and placed below decks! Whoever owns that must be really, really rich! In the big crowds of people down below, it's hard to pick out who's rich and who's not. They all blend together in one great sea of people, and are only separated by what gangplank they come aboard on. It's taking a long time for them to get everyone on though, they have to go through all kinds of inspections before boarding. I'm glad I didn't have to do that! I wish they'd hurry up though, I feel like we'll never get on!
The wind blows in my face and I can hardly contain my excitement. The atmosphere here is like nothing I've ever seen before! There's just so much to look at, the beautifully dressed women coming up the first class gangplank with their dogs, the crew scrambling around loading countless objects on board and making sure everything is ready to go, the hopeful faces of all the third class passengers as they practically run onto the ship. They look about as excited as I feel, I doubt they've ever seen something as big and grand as this ship, let alone been on one. The first class don't wear their enthusiasm on their sleeve quite like the lower classes, they truly act as though they are royalty. However, despite their status, they too seem impressed by Titanic and excited for the voyage.
As people come aboard, the deck begins to grow crowded. Suddenly I'm not alone on the promenade anymore. There are several well-dressed people with me, who pay me absolutely no mind. I'm startled suddenly as someone places a hand on my shoulder. I spin around to see Mr. Andrews standing behind me. "This is it. Are you ready?" he says, joining me at the rail and taking a look down below for himself.
My heart begins fluttering with anticipation as we watch them begin pulling the gangplanks away and untying the ship. The horn blows and I feel the engines start up below my feet. The people standing on shore all wave and cheer at us as we pull away and I wave back at them. The roar of the crowd is nearly deafening, this is so exciting! We're actually going! On our maiden voyage! With actual passengers and everything!
As we pull out, Titanic makes really big waves. Really REALLY big waves, so big they untie a smaller ship that was docked and cause it to float out into the channel. It gets closer and closer, almost running into us. I glance up at my father as the action unfolds to see what he thinks and his reactions are not disappointing. He looks on edge, and at one moment when it looks as though the smaller ship might hit us, he looks like he might have a heart attack or something. Some other ships come and manage to catch the other one before it hits us, and we all laugh and cheer at the close call, except Daddy. Once we're clear away, though he has visibly calmed down, he is writing a LOT in his little black notebook.
"What were you so worried about?"
"I was worried for the sake of that other ship," he replies, not even looking up from his notebook. After he's finished writing he looks down at me, "Well, we're off to France, care to come below with me to make sure everything's running smoothly?"
The trip to France is only a few hours long. When we get there some very important people come aboard, at least that's what Mr. Andrews tells me. He doesn't know them personally really, he only knows about them by word of mouth and from passenger lists. We don't actually dock in France, smaller ships have to bring the passengers to us. I can see the shoreline of the country though, and I'm slightly disappointed we can't actually disembark and explore a little. Someday I'll just have to go to France myself. We only stand to watch for a little while, Daddy wanted to make sure the two tender ships were running smoothly. Then it's back to checking everything, always checking!
Our final stop is Queenstown, but we won't get there until tomorrow. Daddy is running all over the place checking all sorts of things I don't understand, and I accompany him quietly. By the time we get to our stateroom, I'm actually feeling a little out of breath from following him.
When we enter the room he flips the lights on and I see a package sitting on the couch in the sitting room. I run up to it and look at it, the tag has my name on it! "What this?" I ask, turning to daddy.
He sits at his desk and smiles, though he looks incredibly exhausted, "Why don't you open it up and see?"
He doesn't have to tell me twice! I tear off the ribbon and open the box as quickly as my little fingers will allow. Inside I gasp, pulling out the most adorable plush sheep I've ever seen, but he has wheels attached to his hooves! Oh won't I love rolling this down the decks tomorrow! "Oh Daddy! Thank you thank you so much!" I say, running into his arms and hugging him tightly.
"I told you I'd get you something if you were a well behaved little girl. Try not to roll it off the edge of the ship all right?"
I nod, "Oh I won't! I think I'll name him Fluffy, that seems like a good name for him!" Yes, Fluffy, he looks like a Fluffy.
Daddy chuckles and nudges me gently, "I've called the maid to help you dress so you no longer have to deal with my terrible sense of ladies fashion. You'd best be getting to sleep now," he tells me. I thank him once again for the toy before running into my room and jumping onto the bed. I'm so excited! We're on our way to America soon! Just one last stop in Ireland and then we'll be officially on our way!
A few minutes later, there's a knock at my door and I open it, seeing a shy little maid looking at me. "I was sent to help you miss," she tells me. I open the door and let her in, she's quiet as a mouse. Maybe that will make things easier, if neither of us say a thing! She begins helping me out of my dress, and then unlacing my stays. I'm still a little wary, because she's a stranger, but she is gentler about untying the cords than Mr. Andrews was.
This is so bizarre, I really would like to meet the woman who decided corsets were an absolutely necessity if you were first class. One of the only pleasant memories I have of my old home is that I'd never even heard of a corset! And I certainly didn't need one when I was running around Titanic acting like a boy! Boys, they are so lucky!
When I'm in my nightgown I smile at the maid and politely thank her for helping me. She nods and slips out of the room quietly, closing the door behind her. The rest of this trip I'm not going to be able to get over that. I wish my mother or Bessie was here to help me and not some stranger. I'm sure I'll get along just fine with the maid though, she seems nice enough.
I pull my sheep over so he's standing next to my bed. I didn't really bring much in the way of toys on this trip, though it was a challenge. I have grown very attached to my toys, my dolls and stuffed animals in particular. I think of them as being real, especially after Mummy read me the story of the Velveteen Rabbit one night. I can hardly bear to think of any of my precious toys being abandoned or lost. After much deliberation, I brought my first real dolly and my teddy, and that's all. I didn't even bring Colleen, although I was very tempted to. I didn't want to risk losing her in America, since she's so very important.
Fluffy the sheep is very pretty, I lie on the very edge of my bed and look down at him, admiring his shiny wheels and the beautiful blue satin bow around his neck. He's a very sweet looking sheep, with the prettiest eyes I've ever seen, and his woolly coat is as clean and white as clouds on a sunny day. I look up when daddy knocks softly on my door before poking his head in. "I'm saying goodnight Alice, do you need anything more?"
"No thank you Daddy. What are we doing tomorrow?"
He comes into the room, standing in the doorway and thinking, "Well, I have to help some of the crew down below. Now that we've set sail, I'd prefer it if you stayed in the first class area of the ship. Perhaps you could get to know some of the other passengers, it'd be good for you! I know you'll be a very well behaved young lady, so I'm not worried about you."
"You really think so?" I ask.
He nods before coming over and kissing me on the top of the head, "I do. Just be careful, if anything happens just come back here or ask a crewmember for assistance. This ship is yours to command, princess."
We say goodnight and he leaves the room. I curl up and fall asleep, excited and nervous for the next day. I do want to meet some of the other passengers, but I'm worried that they won't like me. Not that I've ever encountered anyone who didn't like me, I'm still unsure though. I was with mummy or daddy when I met all the rich people I know, except my grumpy uncle Mr. Ismay of course. But that's different.
I don't remember when I fall asleep, but it feels like the maid at the door not a moment later. There's a knock at my door and I groan unhappily as I turn over in bed. "Miss! May I come in?" she calls. What is she doing here so late at night? She calls through the door again, "Miss Andrews! It's nearly noon!" she tells me.
Noon? That can't be right can it? I crack open an eye and look out the window. There is indeed sunlight attempting to stream through the window, but it's cut off by the curtains my father must have drawn last night after I fell asleep. I also notice we're not moving, we must have arrived in Queenstown!
"Come in!" I tell her, sitting up in bed and stretching. The maid comes in and curtsies to me, that's pretty funny. I've never had anyone do that for me before, usually I'm the one who has to curtsy.
I rather like it, but it doesn't seem fair somehow, "Please don't do that," I tell her as I hop out of bed.
She looks confused, "Do what miss?" she asks.
I have to stifle a laugh, "Curtsy like that. I'm not royalty. And don't call me Miss either. I'm Alice".
She smiles, "Well, Miss, I mean, Alice. I'm Angelica. You may call upon me whenever you need me. Now, what are you wearing?" she asks.
I look at the closet and begin shuffling through the dresses, there are so many pretty ones! I still can't pick. I still don't even know the difference between a day dress and an evening dress. I wish Bessie was here to choose for me. This maid will have to do, "Pick something pretty," I tell her, sitting down in front of the mirror and waiting for her to begin brushing my hair. I won't mind what she picks because they're all pretty!
She pulls out a pink dress, "Will this do Miss Alice?" she asks. I merely nod, trying not to roll my eyes as she calls me 'miss' again, if she thinks it'll do then it'll do! I think Miss Alice is about as close to just Alice I'm going to get with this maid. She's really nice though, so I guess I don't mind.
Before I can even worry about the dress though, I'm told to stand and hold onto the bedpost so she can lace my stays. As she tightens each lace I cringe, it's so tight! Bessie usually makes it pretty tight, but never too tight. I'm still 'in delicate condition' according to the doctor. If the corset gets pulled too tight I could reinjure my insides. Angelica yanks on the cords of the corset and I let out a cry, "STOP!" I yell at her. Her eyes widen in fear and I feel bad for yelling, "Not too tight," I tell her, lowering my voice.
She blushes, "I apologize Alice," she replies, at least she didn't call me miss!
Finally I'm dressed and ready to head out and explore the ship all by myself. Thanking Angelica, I head out into the hallway. Which way to the deck again? I walk down the hallway and come across another hallway that looks almost identical. What is this? A maze? When I see my father I'm going to demand maps be placed around the ship with little markers that say 'you are here', because I bet I'm not the only one getting lost. This shouldn't seem like a problem anymore, since I've had several weeks now to figure out my way around. But, I get equally lost every time I step out of the stateroom.
Ok, here's a sign. Are you kidding me? I was going the completely wrong way! The boat deck is the other way! I always do this! I turn on my heels and storm the other way, eventually finding my way up to the deck. All right, now that I've made it here, it's time to go have some tea. Afternoon tea, I think, if I'm guessing the time right. Tea is pretty good actually, I didn't think I'd like it when I first tried it but I could drink a gallon of it now! I notice a group of ladies with big hats walking down the deck. My best chances are probably to follow them! So I do!
They are walking so slowly though! At this rate by the time we get there we'll be in America! Suddenly they turn into the ship and I stop, waiting for them to go inside and sit down before I join them. I wouldn't want them to think I was stalking them or anything, even though I was. I approach them once they're sitting and they look up at me as though I'm some sort of creature from the abyss. Mummy told me to be polite and win them over by being a 'charming young lady'.
I smile softly, "Might I join you for tea?" I ask them.
One of them nods and I sit down, all eyes are on me for what seems forever before one of the ladies finally speaks up, "I don't believe I've ever seen you before. What's your name dear?"
Just stay calm! They won't bite! I keep the smile plastered to my face as I reply, "Alice Andrews."
The lady who asked me the question raises an eyebrow, "Are you related to Thomas Andrews?" she asks.
Related? Technically, I am not. But he calls me his daughter, and I call him daddy, so how exactly do I answer that? Is it appropriate to say yes when it's not true? Or to say I'm adopted? I'm not sure, I've never encountered any adopted first class people before. I suppose the best thing to do is tell the truth, "He adopted me," I answer at last. That wasn't so hard! Now they'll just sip their tea and talk about something other than me. Right?
Wrong! Everyone is still focused on me, and after more prying questions I finally just tell them my story so they'll shut up about me. But the more I tell them, the more they interrogate me! Like I've committed some sort of crime! We must have sat here for hours, just me telling them things! Finally one of them stands, "Well I best be going back to my stateroom to get ready for dinner."
The rest of us stand and part ways, but not before a few of them smile and say it was 'a pleasure meeting me'. They've made me almost dazed as I walk out onto the deck and sit on one of the chairs. What exactly just happened? Did I make a good impression or not? Those ladies would be expert poker players, you can't read them at all!
"Don't pay any mind to them sweetie. They were just curious," a little voice says. I look up and see a young face, looking down at me, "My name's Madeleine Astor," she informs me as she sits down on the deck chair next to mine. "Your story was quite curious, was it true? Did you really sleep under Titanic and watch it be built?" she asks me curiously. I nod and she smiles, "That sounds so interesting! I can't imagine what building this ship looked like! It's so grand! It compares to the pyramids my husband and I saw in Egypt!"
The pyramids of Egypt. I smile at the mention of them, I remember my father one day telling me about the greatest works of mankind throughout all history. Mummy hadn't been feeling well so he'd taken over my history lesson that afternoon. I had asked him why they were building Titanic, and he told me that 'in every age mankind attempts to make great things that are thought magnificent and impossible'. He'd told me of how they'd made pyramids out of mountains of stone in the Egyptian desert, and told me of flying buttresses that made walls of light. Oh the interesting things he listed off for me! Things that fascinated me, China's endless wall, Stonehenge, the Parthenon, the Duomo, the aqueducts of Rome. And this age's magnificent and impossible dream, was a floating city! And thus they decided to build Titanic! Honestly I sorta wish Mr. Andrews taught my history all the time, his enthusiasm made it easier to pay attention.
As we continue talking, I decide I rather like Madeleine. She's not snobby like the other first class women who were questioning me earlier. She's quiet and dainty, but curious just like I am! She wants to know what everything is made of and how the world works. She tells me that she was quite studious at school, and I can only reply that I've never had the pleasure of going. School, I wonder what happens in such a place?
Suddenly an older man approaches us, "Madeleine! I've been looking for you! Come along, we'll be late for dinner," he says. Wait a moment, I've seen his face in the papers before. Isn't that John Jacob Astor? Before I can make a comment Madeleine bids me goodbye and walks off with her husband. I was just in the presence of the richest man on the ship! Unbelievable!
I'm only left alone a little while to dwell over that before Mr. Andrews walks past. He appears rather preoccupied but somehow notices me and stops in his tracks, "Alice! I was just about to come looking for you! Aren't you going to change for dinner?" he asks. I blush, secretly the only reason I hadn't gotten up right when Madeleine left was that I'd completely forgotten that dinner was now going to be an event, rather than just daddy and me in our stateroom. I stand and take his offered hand, "So, when did you wake up this morning sleeping beauty?" he asks me.
I look down, slightly embarrassed, "The maid woke me at Noon." Wait a minute, this isn't my fault! "You didn't wake me up this morning!" I accuse.
He shrugs, "I thought you would want to sleep in since you've been having to get up so early this past week. I'll remember not to let you sleep for the rest of the trip." He's teasing! At least, I hope he is.
A smile assures me that he is joking, and I sigh in relief. He must have noticed the relief written all over my face because he laughs, "Alright, fine. You may stay up a little while tonight and we'll work on reading that horse book. But you're getting up at a decent hour tomorrow morning," he tells me.
He remembered his promise to help me read that book? Even after working all week? Nobody has ever remembered something like that for me before. I don't have time to dwell on it though, I have to get ready for dinner now. And I'll have to face all those people again. At least I won't be alone this time! I squeeze my father's hand and he squeezes it back affectionately. Yes, with him by my side I'll be able to conquer anything.
A/N: The Velveteen Rabbit wasn't actually written for another 10 years or so after the Titanic disaster, but I decided to include it anyhow. I used to love that story as a kid. The sheep toy Mr. Andrews gave her is a real thing, you should look up pictures of them, they're actually pretty cute. Alice is hobnobbing with the elite now! How fancy! And we've officially set sail for 'Merica! Exciting stuff! Things can only go up from here, can't they? Please review and THANKS FOR READING!