Hot Chocolate for Two
- Matt and Kate's conversation is interrupted by Miss Simpkins, looking like a Gorgon wearing high heels. She's appalled that the tour only consisted of Kate and him (the cabin boy who shall remain nameless because his place in society does not justify any further identification).
- Kate points out that as disappointed as her parents may be by her behavior, they'll be even more upset to realize that Kate has free reign to do whatever she'd like because her chaperone has a bad case of the sleepies. Burn…
- Matt ducks out when he gets the chance and heads to his cabin for some shut-eye.
- At 7:00PM his alarm goes off, and he wakes to find Baz already up and ironing his shirt for their shift on lounge duty.
- Matt looks around his bunk, admiring the few photos of his father and family on the wall and the quilt his mother made him. It reminds him how lucky he was for the Aurora to offer him a job as a cabin boy after his father died three years ago—they needed the money badly, and if it weren't for Captain Walken he's not sure what they would have done.
- His mother hadn't wanted him to take the position, especially after his father's tragic death, but Matt knew he was meant to fly. He had to fly in order to feel more connected with his father.
- Matt only has a few books in his bunk, but all eight of them are ones his father carried with him when he flew.
- Baz offers to iron Matt's shirt for him. What a pal.
- Baz reveals that when they get to Sydney, he's going to propose to his girlfriend, Teresa. He's got a month of shore-leave built up, and he figures it's about time he marries his long-time love.
- Matt tells Baz that the reason he looked so glum was because of the Lunardi kid getting his position as junior sailmaker.
- Baz agrees there's nothing worse than nepotism, but tries to cheer him up by making fun of the Academy and betting that the Lunardi kid will probably fall off the ship before they land anyway.
- Matt secretly wishes he could afford to go to the Academy (can you blame him?), but almost all of his wages go toward supporting his mother and sisters back home.
- Matt and Baz go off to eat dinner before their shift. The crew eats the same delectable meals as the passengers to save the chef from having to plan two separate menus. Just try not to drool as you read the descriptions of the food—and please excuse us for a moment while we go whip up some sandwiches.
- Alright, we're back (:::brushing crumbs from the keyboard:::). Thanks for waiting.
- When Matt grabs his meal he sees Chef Vlad, whom Baz warned him about on his first day due to his volatility.
- Vlad is pretty scary—a bit like an angry vampire, with a thick Transylvanian accent. He also provides some pretty decent comic relief, though: "I make good acquaintance with duck. Little water bird, splash splash, yes? No, that is not my problem. Problem, Mr. Lisbon, is this. Problem is duck is not on menu tonight!" (4.47).
- As Matt is finishing up his second helping of creamy mashed potatoes, the Lunardi kid enters the mess and sits down right at his table. He's older than Matt, about seventeen or eighteen, and looks like a movie star. Just great. He's rich and handsome. However, the first thing he does is knock over a pitcher of milk with his elbow. Sweet revenge.
- He introduces himself to everyone in the mess as Bruce Lunardi, the trainee sailmaker. Some crewman makes a joke about wanting his father to give him a raise, and when Bruce diffuses the situation by calling his dad a "stingy old goat," the tension relaxes a bit.
- Matt isn't relieved though—it'd be easier to hate him if he'd been all cocky and obnoxious.
- Matt goes up to work in the lounge, and sees Kate looking beautiful in a silk gown, especially next to the terrifying Miss Simpkins; she has already made a reputation for herself as being particularly loathsome to the crew.
- Baz comes upstairs to play the piano for everyone and, although wonderful, the music is too raucous for Miss Simpkins.
- Before leaving the lounge with her chaperone, Kate makes a point to greet Matt and ask how long his shift is. Matt tells her he's on duty until midnight, and then she is forced to retire to her room.
- Matt's frustrated because he wants to hear more about Kate's grandfather, but how is he supposed to do that when she's always being watched?
- Just as Matt is cleaning up the lounge at the end of his shift he gets a message from the Topkapi stateroom, ordering two hot chocolates.
- When he gets there just Kate answers the door.
- Matt asks where Miss Simpkins is, and apparently she's been asleep for hours. The second hot chocolate is for him. (Aw...)
- Matt has to protest sitting down to drink hot chocolate with Kate, because it's highly inappropriate for crew to fraternize with the first-class guests.
- Kate reassures him that Miss Simpkins sleeps like the dead—and quite frequently too.
- Matt notices that Kate has set up an elaborate camera by the windows, and asks what she's planning on photographing.
- Preparing to explain everything, she gets her grandfather's journal and hands it to Matt.
- Miss Simpkins uncharacteristically chooses this moment to wake up though, so Matt has to rush out with just the journal and all of the questions running through his head.