ROMANOV AUTUMN
Chapter Eight

Jack awoke early the next morning, squinting in the bright sunlight. He cringed as he struggled to sit, and massaged the back of his neck. Must have slept on it wrong, he thought with a sigh as he sat blinking sleepily at the wall. His plan was to go to the Santa Monica beach that afternoon, to see what the crowds were like. They were probably fairly large at this time of the year, considering it was a few weeks until the end of summer, and most families tried to squeeze in last minute vacations before school started.

With a soft grunt, Jack slid over the side of the bed, resting his bare feet on the cold wooden floor. "Yikes!" he cried, quickly dashing to the closest carpet, and sighed with relief. He peered out the window, his eyes focusing on the street below, and smiled as he saw people already awake and walking about. He gathered his clothes and put them on, taking his portfolio in one arm and his letter to Esther in his free hand. He could hear chatting and laughter down the hall, and peeped out through his door. Despite the beautiful weather, the corridor was dark and dank, smelling horribly of dust.

When he finally descended the stairs, he nearly tripped over a small figure on the bottom one. "Oh!" He grasped the railing, having just caught himself, and the figure stood. After Jack managed to get a closer look, he realized it was the young daughter of the woman he’d met the previous day. She was dressed in her best clothes and wore a pink bow in her nut brown hair. She grinned at him, revealing where she’d lost her two front teeth. "Hello, Mollie," he greeted, and she beamed, pleased that he’d remembered her name. "What are you doing down here all by yourself?"

She shrugged. "Mama is getting Peter ready for church, and I was bored, so I decided to come and ‘splore a little. Mama said I could, if I asked Mrs. Donnelly, and she did say yes. Oh, it’s a splendid little place, Mr. Jack! Have you been around it?"

Jack laughed and shook his head. "You don’t have to call me Mr. Jack," he insisted. "Just Jack. And no, I pretty much went right to bed last night. But I’m glad you enjoyed yourself."

Mollie grinned again. "I lost my other tooth last night!" She stuck her tongue in the empty space, and Jack bent down, pretending to peer closely at it.

"Very interesting. Did the tooth fairy come and give you a gift?" he asked, remembering his parent’s leaving pennies underneath his pillow whenever he lost a tooth.

"What’s a tooth fairy?" she asked, and Jack blinked, startled that she hadn’t been told of this fairy tale.

"It’s a little fairy who appears after you’ve lost a tooth, and she leaves a penny or another little present under your pillow while you’re sleeping."

Mollie pondered this for a moment and shrugged. "No, didn’t get a present for it."

Jack smiled at her and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a dime and placed it in her hand. "Well, congratulations on loosing the tooth, Miss Mollie," he complimented, and she gasped.

"Wow! Thank you!" she exclaimed, just as little Peter, her brother, came dashing down the steps. "Look what Jack gave me, Peter! A dime for my tooth!" Mollie cried, showing him the dime, and Mrs. Goodworth laughed.

"That was unnecessary, Jack, but thank you for doing that," she told him, and Jack shrugged.

"It’s no trouble," he replied.

"So, what are your plans today? I take it you’re new to the area," she added, and the group walked into the lobby of the hotel. He nodded.

"Well, sort of. My father and mother came to Santa Monica for their honeymoon, so I heard all about it. But I’ve never been here myself, no."

Sarah glanced through the front door into the clear morning and then back at him. "Well, my children and I are here on vacation…we’re from Perris, California, actually. That’s a couple of hours away, and my husband is on a business trip in Los Angeles."

A bell went off in Jack’s brain, and he looked up. "Los Angeles…he doesn’t by any chance work in the film business, does he?" he asked as they said good-bye to Mrs. Donnelly, who was just sitting down at her desk.

"Oh, no, no," she replied. "He’s a lawyer, actually. Why? Were you seeking to enter the film business, Jack?" she added as they walked outside. The sun was so bright that it nearly blinded him, and without warning, he doubled over sneezing. Both Peter and Mollie stared at him in surprise, and then they began giggling, receiving warning looks from their mother.

"Are you all right?" Sarah asked, once Jack managed to calm down, and he groaned.

"Yeah, I’m fine, thanks." He squinted and hurried to stand in the shade of a palm tree. "Wow, that sun is really bright," he commented, shielding his eyes with his hand. Sarah chuckled and offered him a handkerchief, which he declined.

"Don’t be silly," she replied. "I definitely have others." She pressed it into his hand, and then pointed down the street. "Our car is parked on the corner there," she explained. "If you would like, I could take you for a drive around to show you the area. We’ve been here for a couple of days already, so we’re fairly familiar with it by this point. Where were you thinking of going originally?" she asked as Jack followed them. He watched as little Peter walked beside his perky sister, and was quite surprised at how quiet the mouse-brown-haired boy was.

"I’m not really sure," Jack admitted. "I just kind of came out here with an open mind. I’m hoping to find a spot where there would be crowds, because I’m hoping to try and sell a bit of my artwork." He fiddled with the edge of his portfolio, taking in the scenery as he made his way towards Sarah’s car. When they reached it, she allowed him to get into the front passenger seat, while Peter and Mollie got into the back.

"Pardon me for one moment," Sarah spoke, preparing to get out and crank the vehicle. Jack saw immediately what she was doing and hopped out with her.

"I’ll do that," he offered, and she shook her head.

"Oh, no, no! I’m quite all right, Jack. Thank you. Believe me, I’ve done this quite often without my husband’s help. The more practice a woman gets with this type of thing, the better. Wouldn’t you say?" She winked and encouraged Jack to sit back down. He did, knowing it was better than to argue anymore.

"Why did you leave home, Jack?" Mollie asked, and Jack shrugged.

"I wanted a change, and that’s pretty much it. I lived in the same town for fifteen years, so I was of course getting awfully bored of it."

"That’s neat," Mollie chirped. "We travel lots and lots. I’ve already been to England and Paris," she explained as Sarah took her place in the driver’s seat.

"Yes." She chuckled. "We do travel quite often. But it is a wonderful experience, and certainly helps where education is concerned." She pulled away from the curb and began to drive down the fairly empty street. "So, you are looking for an area with large crowds, hmm?"

He nodded. "Yes, but I’m not really familiar with California at all. I was talking to a man who was an agent in the film business, and he gave me his card for a studio in Los Angeles, but I think I really want to focus on my art for right now."

Sarah nodded in understanding. "Well, Santa Monica is a very crowded area this time of the year. No doubt you’ll get plenty of willing victims on the beaches, if you want to sketch there, or, though it doesn’t look it now, the streets are bustling by lunchtime."

Mollie gasped. "Can you draw my portrait, Jack?" she begged. "Please?"

Jack grinned, glancing over his shoulder. "Of course! You’ll be my first customer."

Sarah glanced at her daughter and shook her head. "You are quite a dear, Jack. My daughter can truly chat up a storm." She turned a corner, and Jack found his eyes focusing on the palm trees. The weather was quite warm, but a cool breeze was present to make it more comfortable. He settled back into his seat, watching as people strolled along the sidewalk.

When they eventually reached the beach, Sarah pulled into a parking spot along the side of the road and the children let out yippees.

"What a beautiful day!" Sarah exclaimed, lifting her face to the bright sunshine, enjoying the light breeze.

Much too bright, Jack thought, wriggling his tickling nose. He watched as Mollie and Peter scrambled out of the car and began running for the boardwalk. "Race you there, Mama!" Mollie called, getting ahead of her brother.

"Don’t go too far, dear!" Sarah chuckled, leading Jack after them. The children stood staring at the ocean, watching as seagulls flew over their heads. The salt air was already extraordinarily comforting, and Jack took a deep breath of it, feeling his nose clear almost instantly.

"Would you like me to draw you on the beach or on the boardwalk, Mollie?" Jack asked, once he got the little girl’s attention again. She thought for a moment, and then her face lit up.

"The beach! Can Peter be in the drawing, too? Can he? Can he?" she asked, and Peter looked a little annoyed with the prospect of sitting still for so long.

"Let your brother decide, love," Sarah warned, and Peter shrugged.

"Don’t mind," he admitted, and Jack chuckled.

"Well, just for being my first customers, you will get your portraits for free," he added, and Sarah gasped.

"Oh, Jack, what were you planning on charging per portrait? We couldn’t deprive you of making your living!"

Jack shook his head. "I refuse to charge you," he said. "I’m just repaying you for being so kind to me."

Sarah smiled at him. "Thank you, dear, but allow me to give you two nickels at least…a nickel per child."

Jack frowned deeply, not wanting to accept the money from the woman. "Absolutely not," he added. "Keep it."

"Come on! I want my picture drawn!" Mollie cried with impatience, and danced around her mother in peppy circles. Sarah brought the children onto the beach and Jack watched as the waves rolled gently onto the white sand. The scene before him looked almost exactly like a picture post card…completely breathtaking. I wish you were with me, Olivia, he thought, his eyes catching the hair ribbon still tied to his wrist. He missed his sister terribly, watching Mollie and Peter position themselves for the sketch. They sat down facing each other, their knees drawn up and their heads tilted towards the ocean.

"How is this?" Mollie asked, and Jack grinned.

"Perfect," he agreed, and Sarah sat down.

"Would you mind if I asked you to join them?" Jack asked.

Sarah, baffled, opened her mouth and closed it for a moment. "Of course, Jack," she replied. "Where would you like me to position myself?"

"If it wouldn’t be too much, could you stand like that and pretend to be watching your children? I want this to look as natural as possible." He watched as Sarah stood behind Mollie and Peter, her lips forming a loving smile as she tilted her head towards them in that special motherly fashion. Jack eventually sat down himself, balancing the sketchpad on his knees while he fumbled through his drawing supplies pouch. After selecting the desired piece of charcoal, he wet his lips, took a deep breath, and sketched the first line.

Chapter Nine
Stories