AFER TITANIC
BOOK ONE
Chapter Twelve
The freezing water
laps against the board. Her whole body is numb. The only thing
she could concentrate on was his cold hand gripping hers. It was
strange, they weren't even trembling anymore. All they now can do
was wait to die. Suddenly a light passes her face. She turns to
see the returning lifeboat moving among the lifeless bodies. They
were saved.
"Jack," She shakes his hand. "there's a
boat." She does this repeatedly, but gets no response from
Jack. A heart-wrenching sob escapes her as she realizes that he's
dead. She was never going to look into his beautiful blue eyes
again. As she disconnects her frozen hands from his, she sobs as
he disappears into the dark sea. "I'll never let go Jack.
I'll never let go."
"I'll never let go," Rose says as she bolts upright in
her bed, now wide awake. Relief runs through her as she realized
it was just a dream. The North Atlantic didn't claim Jack. He was
alive and well in New York, and she was here in Chippewa Falls
with out him.
"Rose? Are you alright?" Eliza asked, sitting at the
edge of the bed. "mother sent me to fetch you since you're
late to work, and I find you in bed mummbling something about not
letting go. Are you ok?"
"Oh no," Rose groaned. It's been a week since she began
working at the Hathaway's and she's still having trouble
adjusting. "I can't believe I'm late. Don't worry. I'll be
ready in a second."
"Rose..."
"I'm so sorry
Eliza. I know your mother must be furious with me right now. But
I'll make it up to you. I promise."
"Rose..."
Suddenly Rose is struck with a case of dizziness and an urge to
vomit. What was wrong with her? This has been happening more and
more lately in the past three days. "I'll be right
there," She manages to mumble.
"Rose!" Eliza screams as Rose fails to the floor in a
dead faint.
Rose awakens to Eliza and a strange man dressed in a white coat
hovering above her.
"What's going on?" Rose asked, trying to set up, but
lays back down when another wave of nausea comes over her.
"You fainted," Eliza explained, sympathy clear in her
blue eyes.
"Don't worry. You'll be fine."
"I'm sorry about that today miss," the man smiles
encouragingly. "It's best that you take today off. In your
condition, it's best that you get plenty of rest."
"My condition? What do you mean my condition?" Rose is
immediately worried. The doctor's on the Carpathia said she was
in perfect health. What could have changed in such a short period
of time?
"Why Mrs, you're with child. In about nine months you're
going to be a mother. I'm sure the father will be thrilled,"
the doctor grins, proud to be the one to give this happy news.
Rose is in shock. Pregnant? How could she be pregnant and without
Jack here to take care of her. This couldn't be happening.
"You must be mistaken. I can't be pregnant." Rose
stammers, her face is now a deathly pale.
"No mistake about it. You're pregnant. I suggest you tell
your husband right away so you two can start making
arrangements," the doctor said. "Now if you don't mind
I have some more house calls to make. Rose, I check up on you
again next week to see how you're coming along. Good-bye
ladies." the doctor tips his hat before leaving.
"Well....congratulations Rose. A baby is a wonderful
thing," Eliza smiles, waiting to see happiness finally light
up Rose's eyes.
"I'm going to have a baby," Rose silently replies, her
face is now blank of emotion, but her mind was reeling. What was
she going to do? Should she go back to New York and tell Jack?
Write him and tell him about the baby? Go back home to mother? Or
stay here in Chippewa Falls and hope that Jack will show up here
some day? What was she going to do?
"Rose...are you ok?" Eliza asked, taking a close look
at her friend.
"What am I going to do? I can't believe this is
happening," Rose bites her lip.
"Is the man that you left behind the father?"
Rose just nods, still staring off into space. "What am I
going to do?"
"Tell him of course. I mean, this is his child too. He
deserves to know that he's going to be a father."
"But if I go back to New York...that woman may go through
with her threat and something may happen to both him and the
baby. I can't let that happen."
"Well then stay here and we'll think of something. But for
now, I'll tell my mother that you're not feeling well and will
report tomorrow. You need your rest right now," Eliza heads
for the door. "Don't worry about a thing Rose. You and this
baby will be fine. Maybe we'll find a way to let the father know
without putting anyone in any kind of danger."
"Thank-you Eliza. I can't tell you how much all you've done
means to me," Rose smiles shyly.
"Don't mention it. Hey wait a minute. Have you ever thought
of writing him a letter? Tell him about the baby that way?"
"I have thought about it, but that old woman may read it and
never give it to him. Then all would have been for nothing,"
Rose sighed mournfully. "Eliza...I don't know what I'm going
to do."
"Give it time Rose. We'll think of something. I
promise."
Five months later...
Eliza's mother is throwing her an extravagant engagement
party. Everyone of high society are invited, including Molly
Brown, a distant cousin of the Conways who lives in the next town
over.
"Molly," Eliza's mother greets her with open arms.
"I'm so glad you could come. A party just isn't the same
without you."
"Thank-you for inviting me. It's been a while since I've
been to a party...haven't had a reason to since the sinking of
that ship."
"Oh yes, the Titanic. What a tragedy that was. All those
people...the poor Astors. How's Madeline?"
"As well as a young mother could be doing without her
husband. Poor dear. At least J.J's sons are taking care of
her."
"At least," Mrs. Hathaway nods in agreement. "And
the Dewitt Bukaters...how's Ruth? After the tragic loss of her
daughter..I bet she was devastated."
"Not as devastated as being kicked out on the streets by
that nasty Nathan Hockley. The poor thing. I offered to my house
to her, but she refused. She said maybe she deserved to work as a
seamstress after the horrible way she treated Rose."
"Oh dear," Mrs. Hathaway shakes her head. "How
about a cocktail? Reno's the best at making martini's."
"Wouldn't mind if I do," Molly smiles, looking over
Mrs. Hathaway's shoulder to gasp in surprise. There, in a maid's
uniform, her pregnancy now in plain view was Rose Dewitt Bukater
Dawson. She was obviously the Hathaway's maid.
"I know. What a disgrace. If it wasn't for Eliza's pleading,
I would have fired her when I found out."
"I know that girl," Molly ignores the haughty tone of
Mrs. Hathaway's voice. "You don't mind if I have a word with
her do you?"
"Suit yourself. It's not like she's much help. If I didn't
know any better, I'd say she was a debutante that had never
cleaned a dirty dish in her life."
"You don't know how close to the truth you are," Molly
chuckled to herself, heading up to Rose. "Rose Dawson, what
are you doing here and in your condition?"
Rose whirls around in surprise at hearing the name Dawson and
smiles in relief to see Molly. "Molly, I'm so glad to see
you," Rose hugs the older woman tightly.
"I'm glad to see you too darlin," Molly hugs Rose back
even tighter. "But I'm surprised. Especially seeing what
condition you're in. Please tell me that you went back to Jack
and he's somewhere around this town with you. The last time I saw
that boy was five months ago, and he was devastated. By the look
on your face I can tell you two are still apart."
"Oh Molly...I couldn't tell him. I just couldn't."
"So writing him a letter with a flimsy excuse was better?
Rose, Jack loves you. He would have understood. He would have
taken care of that old woman once and for all."
"Molly..."
"And now that there's a baby on the way...I have to insist
that you go back to Jack and tell him what happened. That baby
deserves both of it's parents in it's life. Not just one."
"Molly, I can't. I can't go back to Jack. She'll get mad and
tell Cal where we are and he'll do something bad to Jack and the
baby. I know he would," Rose now has hot tears in her eyes.
Molly just doesn't understand. Rose wanted to be back with Jack
more than anything in the world. But fear of Hagatha Hitcherman's
actions if she did return frightened her. She even has nightmares
about it.
"Rose...I don't believe in ultimatums. I think they make
things even worse. But I have no choice here. I'm heading back to
New York on business next week. Now I'm going to check in on Jack
and see how he's coming along. If it turns out that he hasn't
heard anything from you...then I'll have no choice but to tell
him myself about not only the baby, but about that woman
blackmailing you as well."
"Molly no. Please, I'm begging you not to tell Jack. He's
probably gone on with his life. It's better that I'm out of
it."
"Rose honey, he's not better off. He loves you. He'll
understand everything. Now I'm counting on you to tell him. But
if you don't I will. One way or another, Jack will find out about
everything. Now I'll let you get back to work. You take care of
that baby."
Rose just nods, sniffing back the tears that were threatening to
spill out of her eyes as she watched Molly return to the party.
There was nothing she could do. She knew that Jack will know what
happened soon, and then it'll be time for reckoning. Then she'll
know what she was afraid to find out for the past five months,
rather Jack still loved her or not.
"Rose? Are you ok?" Eliza comes up behind her, her brow
etched in concern. She saw Molly Brown talking to Rose and became
concerned when she spotted the tears in Rose's eyes. "What
did she say to you?'
"I'm fine. I had asked her about the Titanic and I was
crying because of all those people dying," Rose lied. She
didn't want Eliza to get in the middle of her problems. She was
already deep enough. "Don't worry. I'll be fine."
"Ok. But if you need anything, just tell me. I'll be right
over there with Amanda, talking about the bridesmaid gowns. I'm
going to see if I can get a maternity gown made for you."
"What?"
"I want you to be a bridesmaid Rose. I mean, you're one of
my best friends. It's only right that you're in the wedding
too."
"Oh Eliza...I don't know what to say...I'll be honored to be
a bridesmaid in your wedding." Rose smiled, hugging Eliza.
"I knew that would make you happy. And I have another
surprise for you. I talked to Lee and he said that you could be
my own personal maid, meaning since I'll be a lot richer them I
am now, I can pay your more. Which means, you're going to get a
raise."
"Oh Eliza...you don't have to do that."
"I want to. Besides, you're going to need the extra money to
support that baby."
"Thank you Eliza," Rose hsut her friend. "I don't
know what I'd do without you."
"Now no more crying. For now on I want to see a smile on
your face," Eliza replies.
Rose just smiles and hugs her friend tightly. She feels thankful
to have found such a good friend as Eliza. She hopes nothing
could come between them.