Chapter Text
The screech & call of gulls filled the air as carts laden with luggage trundled along the harbourside in the great port of Sydney. A moderate breeze was blowing, making small white crests on the water and sending the flags on the nearby buildings snapping to attention. A group of passengers, mostly women, made their way through the terminal and onto the boarding ramp snugged up against a small but sleek steamer, the name “Runic” painted on her bow in the White Star Line lettering.
Holding onto her hat with one hand, and hitching up her skirt hem with the other, Ada Banks followed her cousins up the slope, turning her head to take in the sights. The harbour was a bustle of activity, with the familiar yellow ferries plying their way back and forth across the expanse between the Circular Quay docks and the North Shore as trams stopped to meet the influx of passengers commuting into the city. Ada, at 29 years old, didn’t draw the unabashed attention of the dock workers as the younger women also boarding did, but she wasn’t unattractive. She was of a medium to tall height, with a straight, no-nonsense bearing, brown hair tending to a glossy auburn in the sun and green-hazel eyes. Her mouth was always turned upward in a slight smile, as though something amused her, with an easy laugh ready, and she was waiting for an opportunity to bestow it on those around her. For this reason, many would describe her as lively, although she suspected some might say she was ‘too much’.
The Banks’ were off to England to visit extended family. Ada had made the trip to Liverpool once before, as a girl of ten, but she was looking forward to this journey as this time they would also be taking a little side trip on the Continent to see the sights. Her cousin Gerald and his wife were accompanying her, along with several friends who had yet to board and would meet up with them later. Gerald was one of those people who had a serious exterior which belied a jovial demeanour – he didn’t take anything too seriously and found it easy to make friends wherever he went - definitely an asset on a long sea voyage like the one they were about to embark on.
The day was bright and warm but had cooled considerably since earlier in the week when the coastal city had sweltered through record high temperatures. Ada was glad for it; she hadn’t slept well during the heatwave and hadn’t been looking forward to yet more hot weather onboard, even if they were to be out on open sea within a few days. As her group stepped through the vestibule, she was momentarily without sight as the glare of the outside gave way to the darker interior of the ship. It smelled of floor varnish and polished wood, coal dust and sea salt. She could hear a crewman ask for tickets and took hers from her pocket in readiness.
A few spots ahead of her, a couple handed their tickets to a bearded senior-looking officer – presumably the Purser - who verified the numbers, read off their names and welcomed them on board with the practised air of years in the job. Next to him, a younger man bearing the single stripe of a Fourth officer checked off a list on a clipboard and advised the cabin numbers with a smile. The queue shuffled forward, and a woman holding a small, fussing toddler was next. She fumbled for her ticket, apologising to the crew for not having it ready. Hitching the baby up on her hip, she fished for the paper slip in her purse, at the same time trying to shift the travelling bag slung over her other arm to an easier position. The baby, picking up on the mother’s unease, began to wail loudly, beating his little fists on his mother’s shoulder.
Behind her, Ada could hear a woman mumble disapproval at the delay. Just as she was about to step forward and offer help, she felt someone pass from behind her and a man in an officer’s uniform & cap swiftly held out his arms to the child, directing a “May I?” to the mother, who gladly passed him over and continued her search for the errant ticket. The officer was tall and lean, but with the wiry figure of someone who used his muscles and often. Ada caught a slight whiff of aftershave and something else woody – tobacco, perhaps, as he passed by.
“Now there, little laddie, what’s got you so upset, hmm?” Ada heard him say, his voice warm as he held the little boy up and smiled at him, settling the child comfortably against his side and jiggling him in an attempt to elicit a laugh. The baby, intrigued by this new face, stopped wailing and stared at the man, reaching out a chubby hand to grab at the shiny brass buttons on his frock coat.
“Ah, see now, it’s not as bad as all that is it?” continued the officer, and Ada couldn’t help but smile at the sight, the officer still murmuring to the boy, who was charmingly dressed in a little sailor suit. At that moment, the officer had turned around to see if the boy’s mother was ready to receive him back, and as he did so his gaze met Ada’s; his eyes a startling shade of clear blue, a kind yet strong face and the hint of a smile on his lips almost hidden by a well-kept moustache. It could have been easy to miss, except for the fact that his mirth was reflected in the twinkle of his eyes. Clearly, he was charmed and amused by the little one, and wasn’t at all bothered by playing momentary nurse-maid.
He turned back to the boy as the toddler’s hands found the ends of his black silk cravat, curiosity winning out over worrying what mama was doing. A little embarrassed to be caught staring, Ada gave a quick smile and turned back to her purse, pretending to be busy with finding the ticket she already held folded in her gloved hand. Suddenly, it was her turn to hand over her ticket, and she waited for the young officer to check off her name, while beside them she was aware of the child being handed back to his mother. She heard the kind officer explain that a steward would be fetched to show them to their cabin and that he was sorry he was unable to escort them himself.
Ada turned her attention back to the crew as her cabin number was read out, and then she was moving forward to join Gerald and his wife.
“Well, Ada,” said her cousin cheerfully, “Isn’t this going to be fun? We’re all nearby each other – you have your own room just across and down the hall from ours, according to the chap there.” Ada smiled as she smoothed her skirt and looked at the cabin number written on her ticket.
“Ah, lovely, an outside cabin. I do enjoy being able to open the porthole to let in the night air. I hope your cabin won’t be too stuffy without it.”
Julia waved her hand dismissively. “This one burns like a furnace no matter the time of year. No doubt he’ll be on the settee tonight if this weather doesn’t cool down some.”
Gerald’s wife was a few years younger than Ada, but they got along well and had similar interests. Julia had also been a teacher until she was married, but now she was happy to stay at home with her husband and get her fill of the school-house news through Ada, who was the headmistress of the local school in Lyttleton, New Zealand.
Now the preceding crowd had all dispersed to their rooms, the Banks party began to move off from the vessel’s boarding entrance. Ada found herself glancing around for the nice officer, but he was no longer there, gone to fulfil some other pressing duty no doubt. In his place stood a haughty looking man who was presently haranguing the purser over cabin allocations, and on his arm was a sour-faced woman whom Ada realised was the same one who had earlier voiced her disdain for the crying child. Turning away from them, Ada gave it no further thought. Unpleasant people were always about, and on such a long voyage as this, it was best to pretend they didn’t exist.
Soon they reached the main accommodation area amidships, and she farewelled her cousins for the time being to settle into her cabin. Time passed, and eventually the sun was high above, and the ship’s whistles let out a bellow, signaling that it was almost time for the Runic to depart. She was a sleek little ship, black hull with a white superstructure and a single funnel towering above all in the signature buff colour of the the White Star Line. She was not overly large, but what she lacked in size she made up for in comfort.
Runic and her four sisters had been specially designed for the London-Cape Town-Sydney route, built in Belfast by the great Harland & Wolf shipyard and carrying up to 400 passengers in a single-class configuration, along with cattle and a special hold for transporting wool bales. Despite the lack of a saloon deck, the accommodations were comfortable and akin to second or even first class on similar ships.
Passengers of lesser means could travel in shared berths or multiple bunk cabins, and those with a little more to spend could avail of double or single cabins. Ada occupied one such cabin, and it was a cosy little affair with the White Star bedspread, a marble washstand, and neat little curtains over the porthole above the brass bed. Ada smiled at a small vase of sweet pea flowers on the vanity, no doubt left there by her cabin’s assigned stewardess. She loved flowers herself, so she immediately knew that she would like whichever young lady had been allocated to look after her room for the trip and left the flower of departure on the marble countertop.
She made a mental note to stop by the Purser’s office later for some change, so she could leave tips for those of the staff who were charged with her care. After splashing some water on her face and tidying her hair, Ada exited her cabin to meet Gerald and Julia to wave farewell to Sydney.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Out on the boat deck, William Murdoch trailed the First Officer as they prepared for the ship’s departure. He felt the familiar rumble of the engines under his feet as they thrummed to life, accompanied by a short, sharp blast of the ship’s whistle to signal to any of the harbour workers and port officials still aboard that they had better get ashore. Passengers were crowded around the railings, enjoying the sun and jostling for a good view of the dockside as the ship readied to leave. Women resembled exotic birds as they milled around, their heads covered in a variety of hats of all colours and shapes, feathers bobbing about in the wind. There was a thrill of anticipation in the air, and despite the fact that he had made this trip numerous times before, William couldn’t help but feel it too. The weather was bright and breezy, the ship was ready to sail, and they had 45 days stretching ahead of them out at sea on the way to England. It was going to be a good voyage.