Chapter 17
Tommy
Somewhere in the Atlantic
April 13, 1912
Tommy had spent most of the following morning nursing a headache from his heavy drinking the night before. But unlike his bunkmate, who had come back to the room only to wretch the night away from the alcohol and swaying of the ship, Tommy at least had a strong stomach. By mid-morning he had been up and about, wandering the poop deck for any sign of Jack and Fabrizio. He had expected to find them in the steerage seating area, with Jack picking out muses to sketch, but there was no sign of them. He descended down to A-Deck to try and see if perhaps they were milling down below.
"Tommy! Tommy!"
He held up a hand to block the sun from his eyes, trying to make out who was calling his name. Up on the boat deck was a boy with his hat in his hands, waving frantically at him. As Tommy neared, he chuckled to himself upon seeing it was young Callen holding a pram. As he ascended the stairs, there was a white gate at the top that read: FIRST CLASS PASSENGERS ONLY BEYOND THIS POINT.
"Should you be behind this gate, boy-o?" Tommy asked, playfully poking him in the shoulder.
"No," Callen said, his voice trembling slightly. "But I had no choice but to try and find you! Mr. Hockley took Stepma into the first class dining room."
"Mr. Hockley?" Tommy asked. It was clear there was something amiss from the way the boy's voice sounded so much more like a child's than a teenager.
Callen nodded. "We met him a couple days ago and were invited to dine with him and his family in first class last night with Uncle Jock. He found us on the second class decks and persuaded my stepma to join him alone in the first class dining room." His voice cracked and he swallowed hard. "She left my half-sister with me, but I want to go check on her. Tommy, something doesn't feel right. I can't explain it. Me da had the same feelings about people when something was wrong."
"I wouldn't do that," Tommy said, reaching across the gate to steady him. "Your stepma left your sister in your care so you could protect her. You can't leave her here."
"Can I leave her with you?" Callen asked, puffing out his chest.
Tommy glanced at the baby in the pram. She was a tiny little thing with blue eyes and wisps of dark brown hair peeking out from underneath her bonnet. Callen couldn't leave her with him. What would people think seeing him with this baby that obviously did not belong in steerage?
"I don't think that's a good idea either," Tommy said. Callens' eyes widened, hiding tears as he glanced over his shoulder. It was clear the boy was panicked and needed help. Tommy sighed before saying, "Where did they go again?"
"Mr. Hockley said something about the piano in the first class dining room," Callen said, relief washing over him.
Tommy deliberated for a moment, both hands grasping the gate that was the barrier between first class and the rest of the ship.
"My Uncle Jock doesn't like Mr. Hockley," Callen said. "He came back to our room more drunk than I'd ever seen him last night, going on about how Mr. Hockley was preying on my stepma. And my Uncle Jock gets along with everyone."
Tommy remembered the cheerful man who had fetched Callen from their game of cards yesterday. Tommy liked Callen, and his stepmother had helped him in Queenstown. Tommy remembered seeing her with this first class man yesterday, his memories fuzzy from all the drinking. He could still see her cheeks flushing red and her giggles from his sweet words. But Tommy's head was clearer now than it had been last night, and he owed it to this boy and this young woman to at least check if she was alright, even if it meant he might get caught trespassing.
"Where should I go?" Tommy asked, opening the gate. He winced slightly as he heard it clank shut behind him, officially sealing his fate if anyone saw him up here.
"Just inside that door," Callen said, pointing nearby. "Follow the stairs down to D-Deck. You can't miss it."
Tommy glanced around before slipping inside. His simple clothing and shabby bowler hat made him stick out like a sore thumb. He reached for the pocket watch hidden in his breast pocket and hung it on the outside of his vest in a desperate attempt to fit in more. Thankfully, there was no one around which gave him a moment to marvel at the sight before him. With being so drunk last night and milling about in the evening, he hadn't noticed that there was a beautiful glass dome at the top of The Grand Staircase. A clock was perched on the wall of the first landing and as he peered over the edge, able to see all the way down to E-Deck, he could see where first and second class ended and steerage began. He crept down the stairs one by one, his heart pounding every time he heard someone move. Miraculously, he made it down to D-Deck without being seen.
In the far corner of the first class dining room, there was a large piano that was nearly hidden from an array of potted plants surrounding it. Nellie was sitting at the piano bench with the first class man looming over her. Their voices were hushed, but he suspected something was wrong when she placed something on the piano keys and stood up, only for this Mr. Hockley to grab her arm. From the way they were looking at each other, it was clear that this man's intentions were to not let Nellie leave.
"Nellie!"
Before he knew what he was doing, Tommy was striding across the room, doing his best to look confident. Nellie and Mr. Hockley turned to look at him, Nellie surprised while the man gave him a look of disgust.
"What do you think you're doing?" the man sneered. "This area of the ship isn't for steerage." He glanced at Tommy's pocket watch and laughed. "No matter how much you pretend otherwise."
American, Tommy thought, recognizing the brash accent. Weren't they supposed to have left the class system behind them in this new country they lived in across the Atlantic?
"I also know this part o' the ship ain't meant for second class passengers, either," Tommy said cooly. "Nellie, Callen was lookin' for ya, but he didn't want to risk trespassing with the baby."
"So you invited yourself up, instead?" the man said, stepping so close to him that they were almost nose to nose. The man was taller, but Tommy certainly had the advantage as he was more well built from all his years working at the cabinetry. He could easily flatten this man if he dared laid a finger on him.
"Let's go before either of us gets in trouble," Nellie said to Tommy. She quickly came to his side and put her arm in the crook of his elbow, which surprised both men.
"You'd go with him instead of staying here with me?" the man said, completely aghast. Tommy placed his other hand over hers and gently brushed past him and opened the nearby door that led back outside. Tommy knew if they didn't leave quickly, this man had the power to get them both in trouble for being in the wrong part of the ship.
"Now, just a minute!" The man grabbed Nellie's arm, pulling her away from Tommy. Rage built up inside of Tommy seeing this woman manhandled. He grabbed the first class man's collar, pinning him against the nearby window and breaking his grasp from Nellie.
"I was looking for an excuse to beat ya into pulp," Tommy said, thrusting him against the window once more. "Now you gave me an excuse to." The man's hat was knocked off and Tommy felt a couple of buttons from the man's shirt pop from Tommy's strong grip as he dangled him a couple of inches in the air.
Despite this, the man smirked, taking Tommy's hands off of him and straightening his shirt and jacket. He picked up his hat, dusting off the brim before placing it back on his head. "Don't think I won't summon the master-at-arms at this moment for trespassing and threatening me."
To Tommy's surprise, Nellie stepped between them. "I pity you," she said to this man. "That you use your power to put others down only to make yourself feel stronger. If you call the master-at-arms on this man, your fiancee will surely find out about this trouble, and don't think I won't take advantage of explaining to her why we were trespassing in the first place."
The man's sneer disappeared. Tommy could only guess what she was alluding to after witnessing their interaction the previous evening. Tommy opened the nearby door once more, allowing them both to finally escape.
"I hope you know how to get back up to the boat deck," Tommy said as they made their way down the long promenade hallway. "I'm not going to risk trespassing again after pissing that bloke off."
She was silent, but motioned for him to follow her. He had to nearly jog to keep up as they passed through narrow hallways and ran up several flights of stairs.
"Are you sure we're supposed to be here?" he asked as they passed another series of doors. "This place looks like it's off limits for passengers." He was remembering the Welsh officer from last night and knew there would be trouble if they ran into each other again.
"Just some shortcuts I learned about thanks to my brother," she said over her shoulder. They forced themselves outside and back into the steerage section of the ship. Tommy breathed a sigh of relief.
"Mr. Ryan—" Nellie said, catching herself. "Tommy. Thank you. I don't think I can express how grateful I am to you for intervening back there."
Her dark eyes locked with his and she had him entranced. It was no wonder that man from first class had decided to pursue her. Not only were her eyes striking, but the bits of dark hair that were sticking out from her lopsided hat accentuated her fair complexion. The cold wind had turned her cheeks red and her lips turned up in a slight smile. She was a classic beauty, even in her simple day dress.
He suddenly remembered his pocket watch which he quickly tucked back into his breast pocket. She watched him curiously but said nothing.
"You should thank Callen," he said as they backtracked towards the stairs. "He was ready to go and find you himself."
Nellie looked surprised when he said this. "My brother must have said something to him about Mr. Hockley."
Tommy shrugged. "He just said he didn't have a good feeling about that man."
Nellie stopped, leaning on one of the nearby railings. "I'm not sure what to think anymore. I never expected to have Callen solely in my care." She straightened up and turned towards Tommy, her expression serious. "I'm sure Callen must have told you, but my husband passed away a few months ago. It's been very hard on all of us, but especially Callen."
"Didn't your husband have any family in…?"
"Dumfries," she answered. "Yes, and no. My husband wasn't very close with his relatives. He was an only child and was orphaned when he was little. He has some distant cousins, but it didn't feel right to leave Callen with people he barely knew. I was only married to his father for a couple of years myself, so we haven't exactly known each other for long either."
"You've got a good heart," Tommy said. "I don't know very many young women who would willingly take on a teenage boy alone."
She smiled at this. "His mother died when he was a wee lad, so I've been the only maternal figure in his life. But I'm closer in age to him than I was to my late husband!"
"You do look mighty young to be Callen's stepma," Tommy admitted. He was twenty-nine and she looked many years younger than himself.
She nodded. "I'm twenty-four. I was twenty-two and Callen's father was thirty-five when we married."
So he had been right. She was young.
"He owned the best hotel in Dumfries where I got the job as their receptionist. We married two years ago and it was the happiest time of my life." She turned to look at the ocean, as if unable to say anymore.
Tommy couldn't help but envy her. He'd had no family to support him since his brother's death, no close friends after moving to Belfast a year ago. There had been Cara, who he certainly missed, but he had never loved her. Nellie caught his eye and smiled once more.
"Well, thank you… again," she said, extending her hand towards him. He shook it lightly, still mesmerized by her dark eyes. "That'll be the last time I venture into first class on this voyage."
Tommy was about to reply when the sound of squeaking wheels and the thud of someone running made them both turn. Callen was pushing the pram at full speed, a relieved smile on his face seeing them together.
"Be careful with the pram!" Nellie cried as he approached, taking it from him as soon as he was close enough. As she peered inside, somehow the baby was still fast asleep despite all the ruckus her brother had made.
"Did Tommy get you away from Mr. Hockley?" Callen asked. The boy went to his stepmother's side, inspecting her to see if she was alright.
"Yes, he did," Nellie said, ruffling his hair. "All is well now, so we better head back to the room before your sister spends her whole nap in the pram."
Nellie turned to leave, but not before Callen blurted out, "Are you coming to the concert in steerage?"
Tommy raised an eyebrow. "Concert? In steerage?"
"Yes," Callen said excitedly. "Uncle Jock and the band are giving a concert in the dining saloon before supper. You should join us!"
"Ah, so The White Star Line hadn't forgotten about us after all," Tommy said. "I'm not sure… I don't know much about music."
"Something tells me that's not true," Nellie said. "Aren't you Irish always going on about your music and dancing?"
Tommy stood a little straighter, crossing his arms across his chest and smiling. "Well, of course I love Irish music. We have the best music in the world!"
"Well then," she said, smiling as well. "You should come and judge the band's playing. I'm afraid there's no Irishmen in the band, mostly English, but they're going to play some folk music from home."
"You should join us!" Callen added, tugging on his arm. It was clear the boy had taken a liking to Tommy and he didn't deny he wanted another chance to see Nellie on this voyage.
"Alright," he said, playfully throwing the boy's hand off his arm. "I'll see ya both before dinner." He smiled at Nellie again. "If what you say is true, we all know Irish music will be more entertaining than the Scots."
Nellie gave a crooked smile before taking the pram once again and ushering Callen away. Tommy watched them until they went back inside and finally released the huge grin he'd been trying to suppress.
Things were finally looking up for him since he had left Dublin.
—
Tommy finally found Jack and Fabrizio that afternoon in the covered seating area. Fabrizio had found a young Swedish girl to flirt with while Jock showed a little girl how to use his sketching pencils. Jack had been kind enough to give Tommy some of his finished drawings which he was currently flipping through, marveling at the attention to detail on each page.
Tommy flipped to a drawing of a bearded man wearing a hat. Turning around in his chair, he spotted the very man sitting just a few feet away. Tommy shook his head, amazed. "You're very good," he said to Jack. "Very, very good."
As he was saying this, a couple came up to them saying, "Cora, it's time to say goodbye to Uncle Jack." The girl hopped down from the bench, waving goodbye as they retreated below decks. Tommy continued to flip through Jack's drawings when there was an odd silence that interrupted the buzz and chatter of the passengers around them. Fabrizio was able to tear his eyes away from his Swedish girl long enough to tap Jack on the shoulder.
Tommy was shocked to see a finely dressed woman before them, one that obviously did not belong in this area of the ship. Upon seeing her red hair, Tommy recognized her as the girl in first class Jack had been staring at the day they all met. He couldn't help but let his jaw drop. Had this woman really come down to steerage to find Jack? Had Jack proved them all wrong and somehow managed to find a way to meet this girl?
Jack leapt to his feet, almost as if breaking free from a trance. The two smiled at each other for a moment before the woman said, "Mr. Dawson, may I talk to you?"
Everyone was staring at her, unmoving. Her accent gave her away as an American, but were social barriers so relaxed in their country that nothing about this interaction seemed unusual?
The woman looked from side to side, finally taking notice of everyone staring. She turned back to Jack saying, "In private?"
The two left, Jack lightly punching Tommy before disappearing up the stairs after her. Tommy turned to Fabrizio before they both burst into laughter.
"How the bloody hell did he manage that?" Tommy said, leaning back in his chair.
"They met last night," Fabrizio said, resting his elbow on the bench he was sitting on to better see Tommy. "He didn't tell me much, other than he saved her from falling overboard."
"Crikey," Tommy said, looking back towards the stairs. "How's that for luck? Being in the right place at the right time. That must have happened when he went up to the deck last night after dinner."
Fabrizio nodded, before looking around. "Say, where's that ragazzo we played cards with yesterday? I want to get revenge in another round."
Tommy laughed. "I'm sure he'll turn up sooner than later. He said he was going to be in the dining saloon tonight. Apparently, the band is going to give a concert for steerage."
"A concert?" Fabrizio turned to the Swedish girl. "What do you think, Helga? Should we go?"
The girl responded in Swedish and smiled, apparently accepting his invitation. Fabrizio turned back to Tommy, a mischievous grin on his face. "If that boy is there, won't his matrigna be there too?"
Tommy felt his ears begin to burn, making Fabrizio laugh. "If Jack got his girl, you can too!"
"I'm not after a girl," Tommy said, throwing Jack's drawings at him. "I'm just trying to get to America without your troublemaking getting in the way." He stood up, taking a last drag from his cigarette before crushing it under his boot. "I'll see you tonight, eh? Be sure to give these back to Jack."
Fabrizio nodded before turning back to the girl, instantly forgetting him. Tommy went up the same stairs as Jack and shielded his eyes as he stepped into the bright afternoon sunlight. Up on the boat deck he could see Jack strolling with that girl in the first class area of the ship.
Lucky bastard, Tommy thought. He had been lucky to not get caught up there earlier with Nellie; Jack got to walk around without a care in the world being escorted by that girl!
He felt his heart begin to race at the thought of seeing Nellie again. Tonight at the concert he would try to impress her, maybe see if he could even get her a little drunk. If nothing else, Callen would be inseparable from him, forcing his stepmother to stay close.
He touched the pocket watch against his chest and let out a long sigh.
Would he ever stop feeling so lonely?
A longer chapter with some action! :) Please leave a review, I'd love to get more feedback on this story!
