AFTER TITANIC
BOOK TWO
Chapter Fifteen
It was a beautiful morning the
day Lindsey returned home. Rose looks over the room they had set
up for her. After a long discussion the night before, her and
Jack had decided it would be best to give Lindsey her own room
and make the room the twins were in into a nursery. It was a
perfect location because the room was right across from theirs.
Everything was set up. A beautiful canopy bed with pink sheets,
pink carpeting and wallpaper covered in roses. Toys fit for a
princess filled the room.
"She's going to love this," Jack grinned, coming up
behind Rose, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"You really think so Jack?"
"I know so. come on. She'll be here in five minutes and
we'll want to be down there when she comes," Jack takes her
hand and pulls her downstairs.
Indeed, it is five minutes when the car pulls up in front of the
mansion. Rose clings tightly to Jack's hand as the driver goes
around and opens the door for the little girl to come out.
They're half way to the porch when Rose couldn't contain herself
anymore. Letting go of Jack's hand she rushes over and throws her
arms around the little girl.
"Oh Lindsey you're home! You're finally home," Rose
cried.
"Mommy," LIndsey cried tears of joy, clinging to Rose.
"Mr. Linningston told me to remind you and Mr. Dawson that
this arrangement is only temporary. That this would be the last
nine months you'll have Lindsey," the nanny coldly replied.
Rose looks up at the tall middle-aged woman. She seemed so cold
and rigid with her steely gray eyes and peppered hair pulled back
in a tight bun. Who knew how she treated Lindsey. The woman
shouldn't even be allowed near children.
"Tell Mr. Linningston that that's for the judge to decide,
not him," Jack comes up behind the woman. "Now if you
don't mind, we'd like to get Lindsey settled in."
The woman just nods and heads back to the car, but not before
turning around. "Lindsey, remember , just because you're no
longer under my tutorledge for the time being, that does not give
you permission to behave like a vagabond." Then she turns on
her heel and leaves.
"Daddy!" Lindsey races to Jack, who scoops her up into
his arms.
"Hey Lindsey!" Jack hugs her. "We've missed you so
much."
"Mommy's fat!" Lindsey suddenly announced, causing both
Jack and Rose to both burst into laughter.
"She's ot fat Lindsey. She's pregnant. We're going to have
another baby," Jack stifles his laughter.
"Let's go inside and show Lindsey her room," Rose takes
Jack's free hand and leads him into the house.
"I have my own room?" Lindsey asked, her eyes lighting
up in excitement
"You sure do," Jack
grinned. "We decided since you're a big girl now, there's no
need for you to sleep in the nursery anymore. We gave you the
room right across from ours."
"Oh mommy, daddy! Thank-you," Lindsey hugged Jack's
neck.
Meeting Rose's eyes, he knew that their family was now complete
and he was going to make sure it stayed that way.
That night, after the children have all gone to bed, Rose lays in
Jack's arms, thinking about Lindsey and the dream she had not too
long ago. SHe was going to make sure that Lindsey knew the
meaning of true love and how to follow her heart, despite all
obstacles. That way, if the little girl did end up with her
grandfather...she'd know how to choose between true love and love
of money.
Rose turns to Jack and remembers her first sight of him. He'd be
amazed if he knew she had first seen him in Paris and he didn't
realize it. He of course thought he was the first to lay eyes on
her. It was during that horried European tour that Cal had
insisted they take before their wedding.
Rose had wondered off by herself and had found herself at the
Eiffel tower. She was even considering leaping from it just to to
get out of the marriage. Sighing forlornly she looks out at the
gathering people, picnicking in front of the tower and noticed
the group of artists drawing portraits.
That's when she spied him. The unbelievably handsome blond man
drawing a portrait of a little boy and his mother. Rose sighed
and wondered what it'd be like to be married to such a man, with
such piercing eyes. For a second she had thought it'd be no
different from marrying Cal. But somehow she didn't think so. She
was about to approach him when she spotted Lovejoy standing in
the distance watching her. So sighing sadly she left without
speaking a word to the handsome artist. She had never expected to
see him again and she had almost fallen over the railing when she
saw the exact same artist staring up at her on the Titanic. She
would have stared longer if Cal hadn't come up and yelled at her.
Sighing she strokes Jack's cheek lovingly, thanking God that she
knew what it felt like to be Jack's wife. To be the only woman he
loved. For now on, no more running. she was going to be the best
wife and mother she could be.