Will pulls both his traveling bag from above his seat and Anna’s and allowed Anna to walk ahead of him down the aisle of the train. She stepped down from the train, with the porter offering assistance and Will still following behind. Together, they walked across the strong, but well used, elevated, wide, wooden platform to the waiting steamship. It had the world ‘Pilgrim’ painted across the side, clearly labeling it as the ship they wanted.
“I didn’t realize the ship was so close,” Will whispered. He knew she could hear him, but didn’t want anyone else to know that this was his first time. She laughed.
“Wait until you see the inside! It’s grand!” she exclaimed out loud.
Will winced on the inside, wishing she’d keep her voice down.
“Let’s walk in through these doors, this is the main door.” Anna escorted him through two large wooden doors with glass accents, directly in front of them. After crossing the threshold, they found themselves in front of a very wide, decorative, and elaborate staircase, with thick ornate carpet, carved wooden hand rails, and a massive rug laid at the base of the stairs. The rug also had ‘Pilgrim’ written on it, in large golden capital letters.
Will felt compelled to approach the rug and run his hands through it, to touch the gold letters, but he held back. “That is the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen. That rug alone must be worth hundreds of dollars.”
“Try one thousand dollars. I saw it in a magazine that had a story about this ship being built.” Anna laughed. “I can show you to your room, then I can go to mine and we can meet for a late dinner, if you’d like.”
Rubbing his stomach, Will nodded. “That sounds like a great idea. I didn’t realize how hungry I am until you mentioned food.”
“Great! Let’s go!”
*************
An hour later, Will heard a knock at his cabin door. “Come in, Anna. It’s open,” he called.
The door opened and she walks in. Will noticed immediately that she’d changed into a different dress. This one was a dark red tone with black lace, a tight waist, long sleeves, and a matching hat and purse. After stepping through the cabin door, she made a full about turn to the left, showing him the entire dress. She raised the dress slightly so her polished black buttoned-up boots showed just under her floor-length hem. Her long dark hair was brushed out from the bun it was in earlier.
Will gasped. “That’s beautiful! Did you make that one too?”
“Yes, I did. It’s one of my favorites.”
“I can see why. Are you ready for dinner?” Will asked. He glanced in the mirror at his own attire – dark pants, a crisp white shirt, and a coat that went to mid-thigh. They were fancier than his usual clothes, but his aunt had thought that he needed better clothes for New York City. Looking at how Anna was dressed, he was glad she’d thought of it.
“Yes. Let’s go!”
Will took her arm and they move down the hallway and stairs into a large sitting room, one floor below them. Around them, a hundred conversations all droned on at once, combined with laughing faces, jovial men with cigars, and people reading newspapers.
“Maybe we can stop by here later,” Anna said, looking around at the crowd.
“Maybe,” Will responded. They continued on their way to the dining room, anxious for a meal rather than additional company.
As they approached, the smell of cooking food made them walk a little faster. They entered the door and saw lines of tables, some full and some empty. A clean-shaven man in a tailored coat approached them and asked, “Would you like a table for two?”
“Yes, sir,” Will responded for the two of them.
“Follow me, please.” The three of them walked to a table in a quiet corner, and Will looked around gratefully. At least they’d be able to hear each other talk here. “I hope this will be to your satisfaction.”
“This is perfect. We appreciate the privacy,” he said, handing the man a small tip. The man smiled.
“Pierre will be your waiter tonight, and he’ll be here in a few moments. Enjoy your meal.”
“Thank you, sir,” Anna murmured.
Will pulled out her chair and let her get comfortable, then sat down in his own chair. After a few minutes, the waiter arrived and asked, “Would either of you care for anything from the saloon before ordering dinner?”
“Nothing for me. I don’t drink alcohol. Just water,” Anna answered.
The waiter turned to Will, nodding. “Anything for you, sir?”
Will thought to himself that he would like a glass of wine, but he didn’t want to drink in front of Anna if she didn’t drink. It might leave a bad impression.
Noticing Will’s discomfort, Anna told him, “Will if you want to order something, please don’t let my tastes affect your choice.”
“Are you sure? It won’t make you feel uncomfortable?”
“Absolutely not! It’s my choice not to drink, but I don’t expect that of others.”
“OK then, Pierre, I would like a glass of red wine, please.”
“Great choice, sir. Are you ready to order?” Pierre asked.
Both Anna and Will gave their dinner orders to the waiter, and he turned and walked away. Then they turned back to each other.
“So Will, we’ve been talking a lot about me, so far. Can you tell me why you’re going to New York and why you’re in Boston? Does it have anything to do with your right arm and why you’re not using it? If I’m being too forward, please let me know. I couldn’t help noticing, though.”
Trying to avoid the subject of why he was going to New York, and hoping to remain polite, Will started off with Boston and tried to summarize his visit without going into details. “I was born and raised in Boston, but I went to Texas in my early twenties to work, and I’m back here for a short time to help my family run the general store. It’s been in the family for over forty years. In the last few years, three elderly family members passed away, leaving the store to fall into disarray, but now just my Uncle Benjamin and his wife and kids, are running it. I’m helping.” Will secretly hoped that was sufficient for her curiosity. Although he felt like she could be a friend, he didn’t want to go into detail about his family or his personal ailments. His sense of privacy was too strong.
“I’m sorry to hear about your family members passing away. Were you close to them?”
“Yes, my Aunt Hannah passed away just after I arrived back in Boston. She was sick for a while, but I didn’t know about it until I returned. Her husband, Uncle Frank, is very ill now, and I’m caring for him like I promised Aunt Hannah on her deathbed.” Will also explained about the loss of his grandparents before he returned to Boston.
Anna sighed. “That’s a lot to bear all at one time. Have you enjoyed being back in Boston, aside from that?”
Will chuckled. “A lot more than I thought I would. Boston is a wonderful town, but I think it takes being away for a while and coming back as an adult to really appreciate it. I did not appreciate it as a child. All I remember thinking is, “When can I leave?’ That’s why I understood what you meant about not wanting to be in Memphis, even though you understand that it’s a great city.”
“That make sense now, when you say it that way. Even though I’ve been in school in Boston for a couple years, I haven’t had much of a chance to get to know the city. I’m either in classes or in New York on the weekends. I’d love if you would show me around your beautiful city sometime. Maybe I could stay in Boston one weekend instead of going to New York,” Anna offered coyly.
Will paused. Was it just him, or was there more to her question than there seemed? In the end, he gave himself a mental shove and answered as a friend. “It would be my pleasure.” He gave her the address of the store. “Stop by there any time. I’m there either in the morning or afternoon.”
“I’ll do that. Thank you!”
***********
Two hours later, Will realized that his eyelids were drooping with the wine and long day of travel. He was having a wonderful time talking with Anna, but if he wasn’t careful, he’d fall asleep right in his dessert soon. “Pardon me, Anna. I think I’m starting to feel the very long day, the delicious meal, the pleasant company, and the wine. Would it be possible to skip the Grand Room for this trip and call it a night?”
“That’s a great idea. I brought some books to read – things I’ve been meaning to catch up on. Can we meet in the morning as the ship is coming into New York?”
“That sounds great,” he responded, relieved. “I would love that.”
He paid for the meal and thanked Pierre for his outstanding service. Then they both stood and walked arm in arm back down the hallway to Will’s room.
“Anna, it was a pleasure meeting you, and I’ll see you again in the morning,” he said by way of farewell.
She nodded graciously. “It was a pleasure meeting you also, Will Austin. Thank you for dinner and the wonderful company and conversation. I’ll knock on your door before arrival in New York. Good night.”
“Good night, Anna.” Will turned to close the door behind him, blocking out the world for the night.
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