There it was. The train station. Megan’s footsteps quickened and she panted a little as she realized that she had to hurry even faster and broke into a run. The train would be leaving in a matter of minutes, and she was still far from the platform where she was supposed to get on!
She made it, but just barely. The conductor gave her a filthy look as he took her portmanteau and swung it up, then held out a hand for her to grab onto. She took it and her feet had barely cleared the platform before the train gave a mighty jerk and a huge jet of black smoke shot upward into the air, leaving a heavy reek behind.
“Ticket.”
She dug in her purse and handed it over, her hands shaking a bit as he took it and read it carefully. He nodded and said, “Next car, take any open seat.”
He handed her back her luggage and ticket, now with a hole punched in one corner, and she took a deep breath, the first deep breath she’d taken in weeks.
The train swayed and bucked. Her feet threatened to go out from under her but she held on to the seats and made her way through the car.
The next one was not nearly as packed, to her relief. She took a seat by a window and settled her portmanteau under her feet. Besides that and the purse she had little. She turned her head to look out the windows as they lurched and heaved their way out of the city and headed westward.
Well, she’d done it. She’d escaped. The train took a turn and the city began to fade from view. So fast! She’d never been on the train before and she was shocked by how fast it went. She could barely breathe she was so excited as she watched the city vanish behind her.
She settled back into her seat. The passengers in the car all seemed to be content with talking quietly to each other or reading, or simply looking out the windows. She fumbled in her purse for the books she’d brought. She opened the one she’d been reading earlier and found the page she had left off on, holding the cover down so that nobody would see that she was reading a romance novel.
Oh she knew it was awful. They were hardly improving for a young woman’s mind but she loved them. She turned the pages slowly as she savored each line. The light fading away was what finally snapped her out of her reverie.
The conductor came into the car, his stentorian tones announcing that the dining car was now open for supper.
Megan stood and made her way to the wash room she’d spotted a sign for earlier. Once in there she took care of her needs and washed her face and hands carefully. She looked into the small square of mirror and her blue eyes skimmed her chestnut-colored hair. It was in order below her powder-blue hat and she adjusted a single hair pin, took a long breath for courage, and left the washroom.
In the dining car she was seated next to several couples made up of mostly older men and women. None spoke beyond the usual polite chatter, for which she was grateful. The waiter stopped at their table, gave them all a little bow and announced that dinner came in several options. One could order from two fixed price menus, both of which came with a beverage of choice. There was also an ala carte menu. Then he asked was there one check or...”
“No,” one older man said hastily. “My wife and I are together.”
The other couples spoke up and she said, “I am alone,” in a quiet voice.
She was not terribly used to restaurants but she had eaten at one at least twice a month as a sort of a treat for all her hard work so she relaxed. They all ordered the specials. Hers came with a hunk of boiled beef, potatoes and carrots, gravy and bread, a small salad and a thin slice of pie. She asked for a cup of tea and was gratified to find out she could have as many cups as she liked with her meal.
When dinner was over and they were all leaving Megan paid her bill and tipped the waiter a nickel and he gave her a warm smile. She made her way back to her seat only to find that they were about to make a stop.
Several passengers alighted and the train puffed and steamed in place for nearly an hour. The conductor said if she wanted to she could stand outside, so she went, eager to stretch her legs. After fifteen minutes the conductor stuck his head out of the car and said “Miss please can you board the train as we are about to depart.” Megan hurriedly boarded the train and took her seat.
It had grown both dark and late. She was tired and the conductor showed her how to draw the curtain around her seat and recline it so she could sleep. She had a small blanket and pillow with her but took another blanket gratefully when he offered one.
Once the curtain was drawn she took her shoes off and her hat, rummaged around in her portmanteau and then paused.
She peeked around the curtain. All the seats were now surrounded by curtains and she could hear people preparing for bed. Megan hurried down the aisle with her small case in one hand and used the washroom again, this time to brush her teeth and take care of her other needs before dashing quietly and quickly back up the aisle. She ducked behind her own curtain and gave the window a skeptical glance. There was nothing outside it but darkness but she pulled the shade anyway before quickly skinning out of her dress and petticoats and into a nightgown.
The seat was not the most comfortable thing even as a seat. It was less comfortable as a bed but she was happy to have it. She’d considered buying a coach ticket but when she’d discovered that there was no way to change clothes or sleep properly unless she bought a seat that came with the semi-private curtain option she’d bitten her lip and paid the ten extra dollars.
She had a long journey ahead of her. Five days. She had no idea of what waited for her at the end of the journey. She needed rest and she needed time to think, and to grieve now that she was no longer in danger.
Her purse lay next to her and she tucked it tightly between the covers, making sure she kept it close. She made sure, when she opened it, to only open it just a crack, just enough for her to grab the small change purse she kept her coins in.
There was almost five dollars in coins still in there. If she budgeted properly she should be able to use just that to pay for her meals. She’d had to pay nearly thirty dollars for the train ticket, a veritable fortune, but as she lay there in the quiet she was glad for the room to stretch out and think.
Her eyes closed but snapped back open again quickly when she heard a cough. Snores came from the other seats, some light and easy, others heavy.
Megan snuggled into the makeshift bed, closed her eyes, and slept easily for the first time in a very long time.