ROMANOV AUTUMN
Chapter Eighteen

Over the next month and a half, Jack was kept extremely busy. He helped construct the interior of the movie set, which left him aching, filthy, and exhausted by the end of each ten hour day.

Harry and Bridget were soon out of rehearsal mode and placed in front of the camera. This, of course, meant that Harry had to perform in front of a nude Bridget, and the fact that they were engaged made it more awkward.

Jack was personally glad things were coming to a close on the project. He was over-weary of being in California, and had difficulty sleeping at night. The winds seemed to be beckoning him in another direction, though he couldn’t quite figure out where. He decided that, as soon as the movie premiered, he’d talk to Mr. Gleeson and explain his plans.

Harry and Bridget continued to pressure Jack on coming to their wedding, especially Bridget.

"Oh, you must come, dear," she begged. "It wouldn’t be the same without you!"

Jack frowned; it was still over a year before the wedding, and he had absolutely no idea where life would take him in the next couple of days. "I would really like to, but I’m planning on moving out of California as soon as the movie is over," he explained. "You and Harry are really good friends of mine, and I’m really happy for you. But I—I can’t stay in one place for very long." He shrugged, and Bridget gave a chuckle, kissing him on the cheek.

He blushed, hating it when she did that, and looked at her intently.

"Still, think of us if you don’t come," she said, before Mr. Gleeson called her for another shoot.

The day of the nickelodeon premier was perfect—rainy and miserable. People gathered in a great crowd in the designated cigar shop, a mixture of teenagers and adults. Jack stood with Mr. Gleeson, watching as the audience members laughed and held their breaths with anxiety. It really was a job well done; the scenery of the Mortons’ mansion was a great compliment to the interior Jack and his managers had come up with to build.

Lady and Lord Morton even attended the premier, much to their excitement, and when the film ended, the couple congratulated them.

"Thanks," Jack said, and when he got a chance, he pulled Mr. Gleeson aside to tell him of his plans.

"Not bad, eh?" Mr. Gleeson chuckled as the crowds began to file out in groups, talking excitedly amongst themselves about what they’d just seen. Bridget and Harry were signing autographs out front, and Jack was pleased that they received such recognition. Harry caught his eye from the window and winked, making Jack smile.

"I don’t know if I’m cut out for Hollywood, sir," he said after a few moments, and Mr. Gleeson raised an eyebrow. "I’m an artist, and I really want to go to Europe and study in Paris."

Mr. Gleeson was quiet for a moment or two, and Jack held his breath, unsure of how his manager would take the news. He prepared to be yelled at, to be told he was worthless, or whatever nonsense employers shot at their workers when they decided to change jobs.

Instead, he merely grinned and clasped Jack on the shoulder. "Ah…Jack—you remind me of myself at your age. You are a good man, and it will be a shame to lose you so soon. But I can’t keep someone who isn’t happy with their job…it doesn’t make for a good air in general."

Jack sighed with relief. "Thank you," he replied. "I wasn’t sure how you’d react. You will keep Harry on as an actor for a while, won’t you?" he asked hopefully. "I’m sure it’s hard for them to find work otherwise."

Mr. Gleeson promised he’d look after Harry, and after talking to Mr. Atwood, Jack decided to head home for the day. He told Mrs. Logger his plans, and she said, "I’m not surprised." She chuckled. "Honestly, Jack. You’ve looked as though you were ready to run out of here as fast as you could."

Jack smirked. "Well, I appreciate all the help you’ve given me while I stayed here," he said. "Not just with the room, but with…other things."

She understood where he was coming from. "It was no trouble, Jack," she promised.

"Let me pay you for the next month," Jack added, and she looked shocked.

"That would be robbery, Jack Dawson, you will not pay me!" she snapped. "Especially if you’re not going to live here."

Jack thanked her again and went upstairs to pack, glancing around his room. It had truly been a good home, and he had absolutely no idea where he was going next.

Before leaving the apartment, though, he stopped at Harry’s bedroom door, and found his friend sound asleep. He was sure Harry had been out drinking all night in celebration, and didn’t want to wake him. "Good-bye," he whispered before hurrying out into the warm morning.

I suppose I’ll just travel and see where I end up, he thought, making his way towards the train station.

As he passed the shipyards, he noticed a large sign in the distance--STEWARDS NEEDED FOR THE OAYSIS LINER.

Jack stared, shielding his eyes from the sun to get a better look. Sure enough, he’d read the sign correctly, and discovered the OAYSIS to the left. It was a large luxury liner—the biggest ship he’d seen yet, and gleaming new.

He turned towards the direction of the train station, biting his lip, and then back at the sign. Okay, change of plans, he told himself, and immediately rushed towards the main office of the shipyard.

Inside, he met a man named Mr. Evitt, who was tall and thin with large spectacles on his face. He was busy writing something on a piece of paper and didn’t look up until Jack cleared his throat.

"Can I help you?" he asked in a nasal voice; his dark eyes looked like an insect’s, the way they blinked behind the glasses.

"Um…" Jack swallowed. "I…I saw your ad for a ship steward," he explained. "I’d be interested in taking the position if it’s still available."

Mr. Evitt looked him up and down, and Jack knew he didn’t appear like much.

"Worked on a ship before, son?" Mr. Evitt asked, and Jack blushed.

"Not exactly," he admitted. "But I’m sure I’d be able to learn how things went pretty quickly."

"You’d be working around the clock, you realize this," Mr. Evitt continued. "Stewards are needed twenty-four hours a day."

"Er…" Jack cleared his throat again, feeling very uncomfortable. "I’m…I’m sure I would be able to handle whatever tasks you gave me," he added. "Sir, I assure you…I am a very responsible worker."

Mr. Evitt shoved an application at him at last, and after he filled it out, Jack was told to go onto the ship at once. "Thank you," he said softly, and Mr. Evitt merely gave an aggravated grunt in response.

Jack approached the OAYSIS ramp and made his way up, feeling a little dizzy when he saw how far from the ground he was by the time he reached the entrance. The ship was beautiful inside--constructed of oak furniture and Oriental carpet. There were many rooms, along with a grand staircase and a lounge.

He wandered through the main portion of the ship, unsure of where new employees were to go exactly. He passed a maid on her way down from first class, and she smiled at him shyly.

"Hi," Jack greeted. "Where do I go to find the manager?"

"Are you new?" she asked, her dark eyes looking at him very closely.

"Yeah," Jack answered. "I was just told to come here, but not where to go once I got on."

"Follow me," the young woman encouraged, and Jack trailed behind her, feeling his heart pounding. She eventually led him to a small office where a friendlier-looking man sat typing a telegraph, and she knocked on his door.

"Ah…hello, Eliza," he greeted, revealing a rosy face, dark hair, and green eyes.

"This is our new steward," she explained, pointing at Jack. "He said he was looking for you."

The man stood and told Jack to come in, shaking hands with him as soon as he sat down.

"Thank goodness," he breathed. "We’ve been looking for someone for weeks. Do you have your application? Excellent." He peered at the form closely, and nodded. "Jack Dawson…you’re from Wisconsin?"

Jack nodded.

"I have a cousin who lives there. My name is Mr. Heillerman…you’ll be a steward in the second class section of the ship. We recently lost our steward to heart failure…it was a shame—everyone really liked him. But you’re young and look fit enough…"

Jack fought back a laugh. He was far from fit, but he didn’t point that out. What is it with me and dead people? he thought with a shudder, remembering the ghost in his old apartment that he’d befriended.

"Thank you, sir," Jack replied.

"Did Mr. Evitt explain any of the details to you of your duties?" he asked, and Jack smirked.

"Not really," he admitted. "He just said I wouldn’t be getting any sleep."

Mr. Heillerman laughed. "Well, that’s not really true. You are on call twenty-four hours a day, but my workers get a few hours of sleep in shifts. Besides you, there are two brothers who are also stewards…they’ve been signed on at least two years now."

Jack looked surprised. "I thought this was a new ship," he said, and Mr. Heillerman nodded.

"Relatively…the maiden voyage was in October, two years back. We sail from California to New York."

Jack sucked in a breath of air; this was perfect! A pretty much free journey to a place Harry suggested he go. He couldn’t stop smiling, and thanked Mr. Heillerman for allowing him to come on board.

"Well, you had to go through Mr. Evitt first." Mr. Heillerman laughed. "And that’s a chore in itself. Here is your uniform…go and change, and then head into the dining area. You’ll meet Billy and Allan Scantey there."

Jack nodded in understanding, and, after accepting the uniform, accepted the key to his cabin. He hurried belowdecks to the crew quarters, which weren’t nearly as bad as he thought. The cabin he’d been assigned was very small, but contained a porthole window so he could see daylight when it peeped through. The room contained a hammock for sleeping in, due to the fact that a bed would take up too much space, a dresser, a washbin, and there was a general WC down the hall. A pile of blankets sat neatly folded in the corner, and for a few minutes, Jack stood surveying his new surroundings.

He eventually changed into his blood red uniform; the cap had a golden tassel hanging off to the side, and he felt for a moment as though he were a train conductor. He eventually headed towards the dining area, where he saw two identical red-headed boys placing clean silverware onto several large tables. They looked up when he entered, and for a moment an awkward silence passed between them.

"I see Mr. Heillerman’s hired new blood." The one to the left laughed, standing.

"Twins?" Jack gasped. "I’ve never seen a pair of identical twins before!"

The brothers looked at each other, amused. "Makes for an interesting voyage." The other chuckled. "I’m Billy." He held out his hand and Jack shook it, and then assumed the other was Allan. Sure enough, Billy introduced Allan, and the three boys sat down, continuing the task.

"So, where are you from, Dawson?" Allan asked, showing Jack how to fold the white cloth napkins just so.

"Well, I just came from Los Angeles," Jack replied. "But I was born in Wisconsin."

The twins looked at each other. "Done a bit of traveling, eh?" they asked in unison, and rolled their eyes.

"You could say that." Jack chuckled. "Where are you from?"

The twins were from New Hampshire, and graduated from Yale University recently. Jack was rather startled they were working as ship stewards after completing such a high level of education, but they shook their heads.

"This was one of the best opportunities," Billy explained, stretching his aching fingers. "We wanted to travel, and our father was a fisherman, so we’ve grown up with the sea in our blood."

Jack nodded, wishing he could say the same thing. "I hope I don’t get seasick," he admitted, remembering how terribly ill he used to get while he was out fishing on the lake with his father in the spring and summer months. When they were ice fishing, no boat was required, though he had fallen through a soft ice patch while walking across the frozen lake. He told the Scantey brothers this story, and they gaped at him.

"You’re lucky to be alive!" Allan exclaimed. "What do your parents do? They must have been pretty generous to let you travel this young."

Jack blushed at being called young…Billy and Allan were twenty-two, and did make him feel like a child at just sixteen. He’d celebrated his birthday a month before, on October fifth.

"Actually…um…both of my parents are dead," he said, and the brothers frowned. "Our barn caught on fire when I was fifteen, and they were unfortunately inside. They couldn’t get out."

Billy lowered his head, and Allan sighed.

"That’s too bad," he replied. "What did you do? Any siblings?"

Jack nodded. "I have a sister named Olivia. We ran away from the house to try to see if our closest neighbors would take us in, and I passed out in the middle of the road. A woman named Esther found us and adopted us. I was living with her for a year and I decided to split."

Allan laughed. "Restless, eh?" he asked, and Jack smirked.

"So, what’s it like?" he asked. "Working on the ship, I mean. Mr. Heillerman said you two have been signed on at least a year?"

Billy nodded. "Oh, yes," he replied. "It’s nice, really. You meet all kinds of people…we’re confined to second class, so we can’t see who is residing in the first class suites. But supposedly…now rumor has it…Mr. John D. Rockefeller of Standard Oil is coming on board for this trip. He’s been in California for a month because of a new well, and he’s rented a cabin in second class."

Jack stared. "Why?" he asked. "Isn’t he a millionaire?"

Allan grinned. "Wants to lay low, I guess," he replied. "Supposedly he’s not real showy with his money. He donates to a lot of charities and such…he’s just retired, you see, so he was doing some last minute work to keep his company in check."

Jack remembered reading about Mr. Rockefeller in the newspaper, but didn’t really know all that much about him. Just that he was one of the richest men in the United States at the moment. Or close to it, anyway.

"Could you imagine what we’d do with all of that money?" Billy asked. "We’d travel the world, and not work our way through it!" He finally finished his pile of silverware and stood up, stretching. "Have you seen the ship, Jack? Or just parts of it? We can take you on the grand tour..."

"You start to know it like the back of your hand," Allan finished, and Jack stood after finishing his own pile.

"I haven’t seen all of it," he admitted. "Mr. Heillerman just gave me my uniform and had me meet you here."

The twins led Jack out of the dining room, and took him on a tour of the ship. It was very nice indeed, containing a library, a small barber shop, a smoking room, a writing room, and, of course, the grand staircase leading up to the staterooms in first class.

"Comfortable," Jack replied, and he looked at the twins. "I think I’m going to take a walk on deck for a while," he added, and they waved, saying how nice it was to meet him, and he disappeared through a set of French doors.

He walked along the rail of the ship, closing his eyes when the ocean breeze brushed over his skin. It was a chilly evening, definitely showing the arrival of autumn, but nothing like the fall weather in Wisconsin. Jack leaned on the rail for a while, peering over the shipyard and directing his gaze towards the open ocean.

He had no idea how long he stood staring, but eventually a deep male voice broke into his thoughts.

"Seamen, eh?"

Jack jumped and whirled around, finding a tall, broad-shouldered man with a navy blue uniform standing behind him.

"I’m sorry, sir," he apologized, and the stranger smiled.

"Nonsense. I heard we had a new arrival, and I’ve not seen your face around here before. I’m Captain Archer," he introduced himself, and Jack immediately stood at direct attention, shaking the captain’s hand.

"A pleasure to meet you, sir," he replied, and Captain Archer laughed.

"No need to be so nervous," he promised. "We’re very relaxed on this ship."

Jack smiled. "Well, I’m not really a seaman, Captain Archer…in fact, I tend to get sick on them." He blushed, and Captain Archer grinned.

"Well, you won’t have that problem on the Oaysis. When we’re sailing, you barely can tell we’re moving at all. It’s quite enjoyable."

Jack sighed with relief; he had a feeling a ship this big wouldn’t bother him, though he didn’t want to get his hopes up. Captain Archer eventually left him alone, and Jack decided to go back in after a while. The passengers wouldn’t be arriving until ten o’clock the following morning, but he knew a good night’s sleep was in order.

He had a small dinner with the twins in the crew’s dining room--no way were the stewards going to be eating with the passengers—the idea was ghastly--and then decided to take to his bed fairly early.

"It was nice to meet you, Dawson," Billy—or Allan—it was becoming rather difficult to tell the twins apart. Jack tried to watch for a difference in personality, but they were as identical as could be. "We’ll see you bright and early tomorrow." They saluted him, and Jack smirked, heading downstairs to his cabin.

Chapter Nineteen
Stories