I walked down into F deck. This area wasn't as nice as the area
where Penny was staying. It was grungy and dirty. Not very kept up. I
had met up with Reverend Trout on my way down. I hadn't gotten any
information...but I had gotten a nice little prayer card. Maybe I could
give it to Georgia.
I found cabin F fifty-nine on the end. I knocked and waited. I heard rustling around and then Shayla call out. "Jack? Is that you? I'll be right out." The door began to open. "I don't want to wake the baby."
Shayla stepped out into the hall, leaving the door cracked open. Hey eyes widened. "I need to speak with you." I said hurriedly. "Please, tell me about the letter."
"But we were supposed to meet later...Please! I don't want no trouble! I didn't know the letter was so dear!" She paused and chewed on her lip nervously. "I just wanted to take something, anything that looked valuable. For the baby. It was Jack who read it. Said it was bad for Mr. Conkling." She sighed. "He said the bit about him selling bad steal would ruin him if it was to get out and into the papers."
"Bad steel?" I asked in surprise. Then remembered that she had spoken of a baby. "Tell me about your baby."
"My baby, Eddie. He's the only reason I stood the last month at the Conkling's. I knew Mr. Conkling weren't gonna leave his missus. I was only a parlor maid, but I didn't care. I was happy to have his baby. Him and Mrs. Conkling. I thought they was so kind." She paused. I shouldn't have been surprised, but I was. Andrew Conkling had truly had an affair with his maid and gotten her pregnant! She was only a girl...how could he? She continued, her soft demeanor changing. "Until I found out!"
"Found out what?" I asked slowly. There had been way too many surprises already.
"That Mrs. Conkling...Mrs. Conkling was gonna steal my baby! For her own, once I had him. She would fire me, and take Eddie for herself. She can't have her own babies, so she... so they... they used me to get one. To get Eddie." Her anger was evident. And mine was growing. I knew I hadn't liked the Conkling's from the start, but to use a poor maid to get a baby... Shayla continued. "When I found out that was her plan I left. I didn't know the letter was anything. I thought it might hold a pound of two. I just needed something...for Eddie." She said with a sigh. The fear was still evident in her eyes. The Conkling's had never thought of her as a child...they were just using her.
"Don't worry, Shayla...we'll fix this. Nothing will happen to you. Or Eddie. I need to go now. Good night." I said softly. Just then a baby began to cry.
"That's Eddie. Bye... don't forget about our meeting." She closed the door. I stood for a moment and listened to her coo to the baby, trying to calm him down. I hated that the Conkling's were trying to take the baby away from his mother.
I sighed and headed back upstairs. I went straight to the smoking room. I knew that Charles would be back there by now.
I walked in and spotted Charles sipping his whiskey once again. I put on a smile and walked over.
"Hello." He said simply.
"How are you doing Charles?" I asked as I sat down across from him. The smell of the whiskey was strong. There was no doubt in my mind that he was drunk.
"You may have heard I am in financial trouble. I borrowed money from Andrew Conkling. Money that he now demands I pay back. I haven't any to give." He paused only to sip his whiskey. "Poverty should remain the domain of the virtuous. I've no taste for it." He said before downing the last of the whiskey in his glass.
"Are you trying to tell me that you need money?" I asked. Of course, I knew that he needed money. Georgia had told me all about it. But maybe it wasn't a good idea to bring her up now. If he figured out where my loyalties were I might have lost my chance...not matter how drunk he was.
"Tell you!" He exclaimed with a laugh. "No I shall fix things first. And without Georgia." He added with a roll of his eyes. He lifted his arm and the bartender approached. "Another Drink? Ah, another whiskey. What will you have?" He asked me as the bartender poured his whiskey. "Thank you."
"No more for me..." I said slowly. "What about Georgia?"
"Ah, well, I hope you don't mind if I do." He paused and started on his glass. "Now, you want to know some secrets... I'll tell you one. Georgia's diamond necklace... It's a fake!" He grinned and shrugged. "The one on her neck anyways. I gave the real necklace to Sasha. It's in his cabin for safekeeping. When he gets to New York, he'll sell it, quickly, and quietly, for twenty percent commission. I'll pay off my debts to Conkling, and put Georgia away. Sail back to England, free and clear." He said, as if proud of himself. He took another swig and sat back in his chair.
"Put Georgia away?" I asked horrified. "What do you mean?"
"She's unstable. As you know. So I'm placing her in a sanitarium. Easy thing to do given her emotional history. The law favors the husband in these matters. She can do nothing about it." He said with a smile. I rubbed my temples. I had to get her out of there...but how? Suddenly it struck me. I had to get the necklace.
I stood abruptly. "I better get going. I have something I must do. Goodnight."
"Good night, you'll, uh, sleep well. The whiskey and the sea are both smooth for a change." He said, never minding that I hadn't had a drink. I nodded and hurried out.
I started to walk down the hall. What was Sasha's cabin number again? Oh yes, A-14. But...what if he was in there. I shook my head. I didn't need to worry about that. I rounded the corner to where Sasha's cabin was and stopped short. I wouldn't be able to fight Sasha for the necklace. A seaman was standing there. I approached him with a smile.
"What's the problem?" I asked, spotting the open fuse box.
"We're havin a problem with the lights. A-deck's been complainin all night. But I've forgot me screwdriver. Be right back, now." He said. The plump seaman hurried down the hall.
I turned to the fuse box with a grin. I pulled it open. The rooms were labeled. I pulled the switch for A-14 and heard a decrease in power. I kept my face towards the wall. If Sasha were in there, then he would surely leave to go complain. He wasn't the type to sit and wait.
Sure enough, I heard a door open. As soon as it had shut I turned around to see Sasha headed down the hall. I flipped the switch back on and hurried into his room. I instantly regretted not paying more attention when I had been in here. I didn't have much time before he returned.
I searched through drawers, and suitcases. I was running out of time. Suddenly a Russian Doll caught my eye. I walked over to it and examined it more closely. It had numbers on it. It was a code!
I grinned and picked it up. Holding it to my ear I twisted the dials on the front until they had all clicked into place. I pulled off the top to find...another Russian doll. After two more, I found the necklace. I breathed a sigh of relief.
I headed towards the door when I heard the seaman and Sasha talking. I froze, panicked. I noticed a pile of painting stacked against the wall. I shut the lights off, and hid behind them. After all, Sasha couldn't stay in his room forever. Then I could escape...
The door opened and Sasha flicked on the lights.
"I tolds you the lights here were all right. I just finished with checkin them over." The seaman said. "Musta just bumped the switch you did."
"I assure I did not." Sasha answered, but shut the door. He gasped and I cringed. He must have seen the doll, pulled apart because he rushed over to the desk. "No!" He exclaimed. He didn't say another word. He grabbed his coat and rushed out, slamming the door behind him.
I breathed a sigh of relief and clamored out from behind the paintings. I held up the necklace, which glimmered in the light. I smiled and rushed out of the room. I peaked around the corners. No one was around, and I knew that by now Sasha would be with Charles.
I hurried down the hall. This was going straight to the Purser's office. THEN...I would go see Willie.
I found cabin F fifty-nine on the end. I knocked and waited. I heard rustling around and then Shayla call out. "Jack? Is that you? I'll be right out." The door began to open. "I don't want to wake the baby."
Shayla stepped out into the hall, leaving the door cracked open. Hey eyes widened. "I need to speak with you." I said hurriedly. "Please, tell me about the letter."
"But we were supposed to meet later...Please! I don't want no trouble! I didn't know the letter was so dear!" She paused and chewed on her lip nervously. "I just wanted to take something, anything that looked valuable. For the baby. It was Jack who read it. Said it was bad for Mr. Conkling." She sighed. "He said the bit about him selling bad steal would ruin him if it was to get out and into the papers."
"Bad steel?" I asked in surprise. Then remembered that she had spoken of a baby. "Tell me about your baby."
"My baby, Eddie. He's the only reason I stood the last month at the Conkling's. I knew Mr. Conkling weren't gonna leave his missus. I was only a parlor maid, but I didn't care. I was happy to have his baby. Him and Mrs. Conkling. I thought they was so kind." She paused. I shouldn't have been surprised, but I was. Andrew Conkling had truly had an affair with his maid and gotten her pregnant! She was only a girl...how could he? She continued, her soft demeanor changing. "Until I found out!"
"Found out what?" I asked slowly. There had been way too many surprises already.
"That Mrs. Conkling...Mrs. Conkling was gonna steal my baby! For her own, once I had him. She would fire me, and take Eddie for herself. She can't have her own babies, so she... so they... they used me to get one. To get Eddie." Her anger was evident. And mine was growing. I knew I hadn't liked the Conkling's from the start, but to use a poor maid to get a baby... Shayla continued. "When I found out that was her plan I left. I didn't know the letter was anything. I thought it might hold a pound of two. I just needed something...for Eddie." She said with a sigh. The fear was still evident in her eyes. The Conkling's had never thought of her as a child...they were just using her.
"Don't worry, Shayla...we'll fix this. Nothing will happen to you. Or Eddie. I need to go now. Good night." I said softly. Just then a baby began to cry.
"That's Eddie. Bye... don't forget about our meeting." She closed the door. I stood for a moment and listened to her coo to the baby, trying to calm him down. I hated that the Conkling's were trying to take the baby away from his mother.
I sighed and headed back upstairs. I went straight to the smoking room. I knew that Charles would be back there by now.
I walked in and spotted Charles sipping his whiskey once again. I put on a smile and walked over.
"Hello." He said simply.
"How are you doing Charles?" I asked as I sat down across from him. The smell of the whiskey was strong. There was no doubt in my mind that he was drunk.
"You may have heard I am in financial trouble. I borrowed money from Andrew Conkling. Money that he now demands I pay back. I haven't any to give." He paused only to sip his whiskey. "Poverty should remain the domain of the virtuous. I've no taste for it." He said before downing the last of the whiskey in his glass.
"Are you trying to tell me that you need money?" I asked. Of course, I knew that he needed money. Georgia had told me all about it. But maybe it wasn't a good idea to bring her up now. If he figured out where my loyalties were I might have lost my chance...not matter how drunk he was.
"Tell you!" He exclaimed with a laugh. "No I shall fix things first. And without Georgia." He added with a roll of his eyes. He lifted his arm and the bartender approached. "Another Drink? Ah, another whiskey. What will you have?" He asked me as the bartender poured his whiskey. "Thank you."
"No more for me..." I said slowly. "What about Georgia?"
"Ah, well, I hope you don't mind if I do." He paused and started on his glass. "Now, you want to know some secrets... I'll tell you one. Georgia's diamond necklace... It's a fake!" He grinned and shrugged. "The one on her neck anyways. I gave the real necklace to Sasha. It's in his cabin for safekeeping. When he gets to New York, he'll sell it, quickly, and quietly, for twenty percent commission. I'll pay off my debts to Conkling, and put Georgia away. Sail back to England, free and clear." He said, as if proud of himself. He took another swig and sat back in his chair.
"Put Georgia away?" I asked horrified. "What do you mean?"
"She's unstable. As you know. So I'm placing her in a sanitarium. Easy thing to do given her emotional history. The law favors the husband in these matters. She can do nothing about it." He said with a smile. I rubbed my temples. I had to get her out of there...but how? Suddenly it struck me. I had to get the necklace.
I stood abruptly. "I better get going. I have something I must do. Goodnight."
"Good night, you'll, uh, sleep well. The whiskey and the sea are both smooth for a change." He said, never minding that I hadn't had a drink. I nodded and hurried out.
I started to walk down the hall. What was Sasha's cabin number again? Oh yes, A-14. But...what if he was in there. I shook my head. I didn't need to worry about that. I rounded the corner to where Sasha's cabin was and stopped short. I wouldn't be able to fight Sasha for the necklace. A seaman was standing there. I approached him with a smile.
"What's the problem?" I asked, spotting the open fuse box.
"We're havin a problem with the lights. A-deck's been complainin all night. But I've forgot me screwdriver. Be right back, now." He said. The plump seaman hurried down the hall.
I turned to the fuse box with a grin. I pulled it open. The rooms were labeled. I pulled the switch for A-14 and heard a decrease in power. I kept my face towards the wall. If Sasha were in there, then he would surely leave to go complain. He wasn't the type to sit and wait.
Sure enough, I heard a door open. As soon as it had shut I turned around to see Sasha headed down the hall. I flipped the switch back on and hurried into his room. I instantly regretted not paying more attention when I had been in here. I didn't have much time before he returned.
I searched through drawers, and suitcases. I was running out of time. Suddenly a Russian Doll caught my eye. I walked over to it and examined it more closely. It had numbers on it. It was a code!
I grinned and picked it up. Holding it to my ear I twisted the dials on the front until they had all clicked into place. I pulled off the top to find...another Russian doll. After two more, I found the necklace. I breathed a sigh of relief.
I headed towards the door when I heard the seaman and Sasha talking. I froze, panicked. I noticed a pile of painting stacked against the wall. I shut the lights off, and hid behind them. After all, Sasha couldn't stay in his room forever. Then I could escape...
The door opened and Sasha flicked on the lights.
"I tolds you the lights here were all right. I just finished with checkin them over." The seaman said. "Musta just bumped the switch you did."
"I assure I did not." Sasha answered, but shut the door. He gasped and I cringed. He must have seen the doll, pulled apart because he rushed over to the desk. "No!" He exclaimed. He didn't say another word. He grabbed his coat and rushed out, slamming the door behind him.
I breathed a sigh of relief and clamored out from behind the paintings. I held up the necklace, which glimmered in the light. I smiled and rushed out of the room. I peaked around the corners. No one was around, and I knew that by now Sasha would be with Charles.
I hurried down the hall. This was going straight to the Purser's office. THEN...I would go see Willie.