WE’LL MEET TOMORROW
Chapter Two

The next morning, Mac awoke a half hour before Michael was due to come in and fetch her. She found Anastasia completely buried under the covers, and decided to wake her friend. The sooner we wake up and start the work, the sooner we can come in and go back to sleep, Mac thought, shaking Anastasia's shoulder.

"No," Anastasia growled, reaching a hand through a space in the covers to shoo Mac away.

"We have to go and take care of the horses, remember?" Mac asked, pulling the covers down. Anastasia's eyes snapped open, and she sat up, staring.

"It's still dark outside!" she gasped, and Mac nodded.

"Michael always gets up before the sun rises," she explained. "The horses need to be fed and groomed early, or they get really cranky."

Anastasia groaned, wishing she hadn't told Jack to punish her, too. She didn't mind helping her friends, but it was inhumane, in her opinion, to be up so dreadfully early. Mac immediately dashed out of the room once she slid out of bed and pushed the door open to Michael's bedroom.

"Mac!" Anastasia hissed, storming into the hall. "We're not to be up for another half an hour, I hope you realize!"

Mac put her finger to her lips and pointed at Michael. He was still sleeping as she'd expected, half of his face covered with the quilt. She nearly began giggling--Mac hadn't seen Michael asleep before, because he was normally dressed and ready by the time she came down to breakfast. Mac hurried around to the side of the bed, and immediately clambered onto it, and began bouncing. Michael grimaced at the feeling, and, his eyes still closed, struggled to turn so he was lying on his back.

"What?" he croaked, and was a bit startled to see Mac's eyes staring into his. "'S it time to get up already?" He pulled his body upright and checked his watch. "A bit eager, are you?" he asked, and Mac grinned.

"Well, I figured...the sooner we get started, the sooner we'll be done. Anastasia's up..."

"Unfortunately," Anastasia muttered, and Mac rolled her eyes.

"So, come on. Let's get dressed and go out to the barn!" She dashed back out again, leaving Michael and Anastasia alone together. They gave each other looks that were filled with half-amusement, half-irritation, and Michael pulled the rest of the covers off of him. Anastasia turned on her heel and followed in Mac's wake to find her friend already pulling on her shirt.

"Borrow these," Mac said, tossing Anastasia a pair of pants and a cotton shirt.

"What?" Anastasia held them up to her front and raised an eyebrow. "These are boys’ clothes, aren't they?"

"And what I like to wear," Mac replied. "Remember? Until you forced me into those dresses at the palace, I always wore this type of thing. Trust me, they're comfortable, and you won’t have to worry about getting your dress dirty."

Anastasia finally complied, and, after slipping into the clothes, went to look at her reflection in the mirror.

"Here," Mac added, handing her a ribbon, and Anastasia stared...she technically wasn't supposed to pull up her hair until she reached sixteen; it was tradition. However, Mac and her father were far from traditional with anything, and she was not in Russia anymore...she was free to do what she pleased. Anastasia reached behind and began to pull back her long, thick auburn hair, tying the ribbon into a bow to clasp it.

"Oh, that is much better," she breathed, and Mac grinned.

"The horse might nibble on your hair if you leave it down," she explained.

"Girls...are you ready, then?" Michael asked through the crack in the door, and Mac and Anastasia eventually joined him. They could hear Jack snoring from the master bedroom, and Anastasia giggled as quietly as she could, tiptoeing after Michael and Mac down the steps. It was strange to be awake before the rest of the household, and wondered how on earth Michael stood it day in and day out.

"It's going to be a bit nippy this early," Michael told them. "So we'll fetch our coats before we go out."

"Yes," Mac agreed, and they grabbed the coats from the hooks in the hall. After putting them on, they stepped outside and trooped towards the back of the house to the barn. It was painted bright red with a black roof, which was a typical color for this type of building. Mac could see Ebony poking his nose through one of the stalls, bobbing his head and snorting impatiently as they approached the animals. Apple Cider, clearly anxious for his meal, was actually nibbling on the stall's door handle.

"Oh, look!" Anastasia laughed, pointing, and Michael went forward first, calming the horse by clucking his tongue and reaching out his hand cautiously.

Apple Cider stared at him through bright black eyes, and stretched out his head to accept a sugar cube from a bag Mac found by the corner with the other supplies.

"Let me," Anastasia gasped, and Mac handed her one as well. Anastasia went to Snowbell, who was standing and waiting calmly, occasionally swishing her tail back and forth.

"Make sure you hold it flat on your palm like this," Michael explained. "Or she'll accidentally nip your fingers."

Anastasia nodded, holding her hand as flat as she could. Snowbell practically sucked the sugar from her palm, and Anastasia beamed. "Oh, this is easy!" she exclaimed. Once Ebony was fed a sugar cube, Michael filled three buckets with oats and handed two to the girls.

He also went to fill three buckets with fresh water from the pump, and checked on Mac and Anastasia every couple of seconds. "Just hold it up so they can reach it," he told them, and they did as instructed.

"This is a bit heavy," Anastasia grunted, and Michael overturned an empty barrel, allowing her to sit on it.

"Oh, thank you," Anastasia told him with a smile, and when Michael went to get one for Mac, she shook her head.

"No. I'm all right," she insisted, and he smiled at her.

"This is not difficult work," Anastasia told Michael after Ebony had eaten at least half of the oats. "Just to sit here and hold the bucket? The horse knows what to do, of course!"

Michael smirked. "Well, it gets rather tiresome doing this day in and day out," he admitted. "But Jack's too weak to get up this early every day. And we're far from finished, you know. After we feed the horses, we have to water them..."

Mac giggled. "You make it sound as though they're plants!" she said, once Snowbell had finished her meal. "Good girl," Mac complimented, stroking the horse's nose.

"What else do we have to do, Michael?" Anastasia asked after she finished the first task, setting the bucket down. She hopped down from the barrel and went to fetch the water pail.

"Well, we have to groom them...scrub them down, and brush them," he explained. "And bring them out into the pasture so they can get some exercise. They're usually outside most of the day, and I bring them back in before dinner."

"Oh," Anastasia replied, frowning. She glanced up at the sky through the barn door, and the sun hadn't even begun to make it's appearance yet. She could see a tiny glow on the horizon, though. "Dear, oh, dear...the last time we were awake this time of the morning was..." She paused, and everyone lowered their heads. The last time they'd been awake at this hour was when they'd been sitting in the lifeboats waiting to be rescued after the Titanic sank. "Funny," she added sadly, "it...feels like it was all a dream, you know? The sinking, that is...I've woken up twice in the middle of the night after having dreadful nightmares."

"Me, too," Mac added. "Not as much anymore, but it is hard to imagine we went through it."

"We haven't heard anything from or about Callista and Sam," Anastasia told Michael, who was holding the water pail for Apple Cider to drink from. "Surely, if they were alive, they would have written to tell us so."

"Or perhaps they don't know where to write," Mac suggested. "But how would we not have seen them when we docked in New York?"

"There has to be some explanation," Anastasia told her.

"Yes," Michael said rather coolly. "They're dead."

Mac and Anastasia glanced at each other. "I'm sorry," Anastasia apologized softly. "I didn't mean to bring it up."

Michael shrugged. "No. That's all right."

"Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we saw them again?" Mac asked. "I do miss Fabrizio and Tommy, though." She frowned, seeing the image of Fabrizio grasping her hand as she was put into the lifeboat.

"Oh, let's stop talking about it," Anastasia begged. "We'll start having nightmares again."

Ebony let out a loud whinny, as though agreeing with her, and they went back to their chores.

*****

It was almost 7:30 by the time they finished, and, faint with exhaustion, Mac and Anastasia stumbled through the front door.

"Good morning," Jack greeted them as they passed him on the stairs.

"M-morning," Mac replied through a yawn.

"Did they do all right?" Jack asked Michael, who nodded.

"For a first time, yes, I think so."

"Can't we go back to sleep, please?" Mac begged.

"I don't think I'll ever get rid of this smell," Anastasia complained, and Michael let out a small laugh.

Jack hesitated, but seeing their weary expressions helped make his decision. "I suppose," he replied. "Rose isn't awake yet...she doesn't have to be at work until nine o'clock."

Rose, about a week after arriving in Wisconsin, had taken a position as a seamstress at Lucy Evenport's dress shop. Jack remembered when Esther had brought him and Olivia to the shop for the first time to have them fitted for new clothing. Lucy had taken a liking to Rose immediately and hired her on the spot. Rose worked nine to five Monday through Thursday, and had Friday through Sunday off. "I'm not about to lay around the house and be a housewife, Jack," she told him when he started to protest. "A seamstress isn't the best choice, but it is something."

"Thanks," Mac said, giving her father a hug.

"Just this once, however," Jack told her. "I'm letting you go, since it was your first time, but..."

"All right," Mac replied.

"I'll wake you around nine, then."

Mac gave a half-hearted wave, and turned to tell Anastasia that it was all right. However, her friend had fallen sound asleep leaning against the rail, her head leaning against the wall. "Wake up," Mac ordered, giving her friend a nudge on the arm. Anastasia blinked, and, after yawning herself, followed Mac the rest of the way up the stairs. Coddie Anna was coming out of her room when they were going into theirs, and she gave them a hard stare as they passed.

"What are you looking at?" Mac snapped, and Coddie Anna rolled her eyes.

"I have a right to look at anything or anyone I please," Coddie Anna hissed, and Anastasia stuck out her tongue.

"Come on," Mac begged. "I'm too tired to fight her."

"We'll save it for later, then," Anastasia growled, and the two girls disappeared into their room, shutting the door roughly behind them.

Coddie Anna gave a huff and drew her robe more tightly around her. She could hear talking downstairs, and descended to the front hall. "Mother?" she called, and found Jack and Michael talking quietly in the kitchen. Both men looked at her, and Coddie Anna blushed furiously, setting her jaw.

"Good morning," Jack replied kindly. "Your mother is still sleeping. Are you hungry?"

Coddie Anna refused to reply, and Jack sighed. "Very well...you know where everything is by now, I trust."

She narrowed her eyes and went to make some orange juice.

Jack pulled his handkerchief out of his pocket as he began to prepare breakfast, feeling his allergies start to work up rather badly. "I’ll get that, dear," he told Coddie Anna, who took the coffee pot out of the cabinet. Both she and Michael recognized the expression on Jack’s face at once, and stepped back as he sneezed loudly.

"Bless you," Michael told him, but Coddie Anna merely set her lips, refusing to say a word.

"Thank you," Jack croaked, beginning the process of making Rose’s favorite morning cup of coffee. He could hear shuffling from upstairs, and eventually, Rose descended around eight o’clock. She was still in her nightgown, and her cheeks were pale.

"Good morning, honey," Jack greeted her, kissing her when she came up to him. "Are you all right?"

She planted a kiss on Coddie Anna’s head and sent her daughter upstairs to dress before wrapping her arms around Jack’s waist. "Oh, Jack," Rose muttered. "I feel terrible."

He felt her forehead with the back of his hand and smoothed her long, red curls. "You’re not running a fever," he said with relief. "What is bothering you?"

Michael excused himself to go and work on the rest of his chores; he took care of the yard, the little vegetable and herb garden, and was helping repaint the shutters on the house and the door.

"I’m feeling so rundown," Rose told him as she let go and went to stand by the window. "And a bit queasy at that."

"Do you think you’re coming down with the flu?" Jack asked. "Are you feeling achy anywhere?"

She looked at him wearily. "No," she replied. "Just…exhausted. I don’t think I’ll be able to survive a full day at the shop."

Jack poured her a cup of coffee once it was finished, and handed it to her. "Thank you, sweetheart," she said with a small smile, and he sat down, dabbing at his nose with the handkerchief.

"Then take the day off," he suggested. "You do look horrible, honey…" He paused, turning to the side. A second sneeze…and a third…erupted, followed by a great blow.

"Bless you, dear," Rose told him. "Are your allergies working up again?"

Jack nodded. "My hay fever seems to be worse this summer," he admitted. "Probably because I’m still recovering from pneumonia, so I’m more susceptible." He sniffed. "You should go on back to bed, though," he said, "and spend the day resting. If you’re still not feeling well by tomorrow, then we’ll go to the doctor to be on the safe side." He kissed her. "I’m going to go and wake the girls," he said, and Rose smiled at him, watching as he disappeared from the room.

*****

Mac and Anastasia weren’t at all pleased about having to wake up and greet the day once again, but they got up anyhow.

"Is Rose up?" Mac asked as she struggled to sit, rubbing her eyes wearily. Jack kissed the top of her head and nodded.

"Mmm-hmm. But she’s not feeling well this morning, so I think she’s going to take the day off."

Anastasia frowned. "Oh, dear! She’ll be all right, won’t she?"

Jack smiled. "I’m sure she’ll be just fine, honey."

Mac got her clothes out of the closet. "What are you doing today, Papa?" she asked, hearing footsteps as Rose came upstairs. Jack started to answer Anastasia when his breath caught, and he paused to sneeze.

"Bless you!" both girls told him at once.

"Are your allergies bothering you again?" Mac asked, offering him one of her clean handkerchiefs.

"Thanks, honey," he said, blowing his nose. "Yes, a bit." He sat down on her bed. "And to answer your question, I’m going into town to talk to Mrs. Hemmit about the position at the art school," he added. "I do think it is time I started going back to work…Rose shouldn’t be the only one in charge of the household finances, as much as she’s willing to do it."

"Oh, that’s wonderful, Jack!" Anastasia exclaimed, leaping off of her bed to throw her arms around him. "I know you’ll get the job. I just do!"

He hugged her back, laughing. "Thank you," he replied. "Though I am a bit worried. I have no teaching experience at all, and I have not completed an education past secondary school. Which is why, sweetheart, that I am determined for you to go to college," he told Mac, who scowled.

"But isn’t the purpose of girls going to college to find a husband?" she asked, and Jack smirked.

"Absolutely not. An education is important, Mac, however tedious it may be." He gave her another kiss.

"Fine," Mac muttered, sitting on her father’s lap and putting her arms around him.

"You’re getting so big," he grunted, rubbing her back. "And you’re looking more and more like your mother every day."

Mac glanced at Anastasia sadly over his shoulder and decided to change the subject. "Daddy," she said, "I know you’ll get the job. You love children and are good with them."

"You got my brother to behave, and he can be a terror at times." Anastasia giggled.

Jack nodded. "I appreciate your encouragement, girls, but we’ll see what happens when I talk to Mrs. Hemmit." He let Mac down to the floor and stood up, stretching.

"How are you getting to town, Papa?" Mac asked, brushing her hair. "You’re not walking!"

He smirked. "No," he replied. "I definitely am not strong enough for that. But I think I am going to take Ebony for a ride there…he definitely needs to be broken in." Mac nodded--Jack was an experienced rider, and taught her how to ride like a cowboy. He didn’t believe in girls only learning to ride sidesaddle, and disapproved of Mac’s lessons at the palace. Still, he didn’t have much say in the matter, for the Empress insisted she learn in order to ride in public with the Grand Duchesses.

After a moment or two of silence, he cleared his throat. "Well, I’ll let you two get dressed. I would prefer that you spent most of the day outdoors, to give Rose peace and quiet. And I would ask that you not go near the horses today," he added sternly, and Mac gulped.

"Yes, sir," she replied. "Good luck," she added after he gave them each one more kiss before heading out of the room. Jack waved, and the girls watched as he disappeared down the steps.

"He still looks so tired to me," Anastasia whispered after Mac shut the door and they began dressing.

"It’s probably because he’s been sneezing so much since we came here," Mac replied. "And he’s so bitter about Michael taking over most of the farm chores. You heard what my father said about not wanting Rose to be the one in charge of the finances…he’s afraid his pride will be wounded if he doesn’t take some part. He’s such a man." She giggled, and Anastasia shook her head.

"I do believe your father would have let Michael wander the streets had Rose not begged him to let him stay with us," Anastasia added. "Poor Michael is only trying to be helpful."

Mac giggled, tugging on her boots. When they were both ready, they hurried down the steps, passing the living room, where Coddie Anna sat doing her needlepoint. She ignored them completely as they opened the front door and stepped outside into the delicious sunshine. It was shaping up to be a beautiful day, indeed; it was not too warm, and the smell of the fresh grass and flowers stimulated them to giggling and running about in circles.

"Whatever shall we do today?" Anastasia asked, stooping to pick a daisy. She stuck it behind her ear, and put one in Mac’s hair as well.

"Oh," Mac breathed. "Let’s explore the woods a bit further! We haven’t gone all the way in yet…I do wonder how far back it goes!"

"I’m sure very far," Anastasia replied. "Do you think we’ll get lost if we go too deep?"

Mac rolled her eyes. "Anastasia Romanov, I am surprised at you! You’re usually begging me to do dangerous stuff with you all the time!"

"But I didn’t ask you to go deep into a strange wood where there might be wolves!" Anastasia breathed, and Mac snorted.

"There aren’t any wolves around these parts," she said. "If you’re not going to come, fine…I’ll go on by myself. I’m not afraid of the woods," she retorted, and Anastasia clenched her fists at her sides.

"Mac Dawson, you do make me mad!" she cried, and Mac stuck out her tongue.

"So, are you coming or not?" she asked, and Anastasia sighed heavily.

"Oh, all right," she replied. "But if something happens to us, then I’m not going to forgive you for it!" She followed close behind Mac as they began walking down one of the narrow trails.

Chapter Three
Stories