A DEEP OCEAN OF SECRETS
Chapter Twenty-Five
Elisabeth was still clutching the
deck chair. She had seen the lifeboat, heard the men calling out, and seen the
beam of warm light. It had floated right over her body, but they didn’t seem to
notice that there was life still in her, though barely. She had no strength to
move. Half of her was in the water, but she didn’t feel the cold. She, too, was
in a peaceful state. The cold felt like happiness, like an awakening. The worst
part was over. And for the first time since the dreadful sight of the iceberg on
deck, which was only hours ago but seemed like days, she felt peaceful.
Thoughts and memories filled her
mind. She saw herself at different ages, she and Rose and their family, back in
Philadelphia, and other countries--she and Rose dressed in beautiful dresses
standing underneath the Eiffel Tower, splashing each other with water. Or in
Philadelphia, shopping on the streets. In London, she and Rose dancing in the
rain without their mother or Cal knowing…
*****
Fourteen-year-old Elisabeth
and sixteen-year-old Rose walked down the cobblestone path, laughing and
enjoying their time. The Paris sun shone down on their beautiful faces, and
they were grinning like little children. Rose was dressed in a beautiful, pale green
suit, while Elisabeth wore a light purple day gown. They carried parasols,
shielding their faces from the sun. A couple of feet behind them, Cal and Ruth
walked arm-in-arm, chatting in a formal manner.
"Can you believe we’re
actually in Paris?" Elisabeth smiled, her eyes gleaming. They were now
standing right by the base of the Eiffel Tower. Rose looked up at it with
wondering eyes. "Cal sure is a bank!"
Rose laughed. "Yes, we
are, aren’t we? And you should be enjoying yourself, because knowing the state
we’re in, we probably won’t be back for a while."
"I’m having second
thoughts about my school," Elisabeth mumbled, twirling the parasol around
in her fingers. "Maybe I don’t want to go anymore."
"Cal is paying for it,
and you know he’ll be unhappy." Rose noticed Elisabeth’s darkened
expression and smiled. "Beat you to the water fountain!" She laughed
and ran down the street to the beautiful water fountain. Elisabeth stared after
her with a goofy grin.
"That’s cheating!"
she cried after her sister, but joined in the laughter and sped down the street
as well. Ruth called out after them, but they weren’t listening. Rose reached
the fountain first and waited for her sister.
"Beat you!" She
smiled at Elisabeth as she landed next to her. Elisabeth smiled, then reached
into the water and splashed water onto Rose. She shrieked happily and backed
away. People around them looked at them oddly, but stuck their noses up and
continued on.
Rose, not letting her sister
get off that easily, splashed her back. Elisabeth shouted and splashed her
back. They moved around the water fountain, acting like little five-year-olds.
They had their fun, but it ended when Ruth and Cal looked at them
disapprovingly. Rose’s hair had been soaked near the front, and Elisabeth’s bun
had fallen onto her shoulders.
"Honestly, girls, can’t
you behave for two minutes?" Ruth asked, fixing her glove. "It is as
if I’m walking around with animals."
"Sorry," Rose and
Elisabeth mumbled. As Ruth beckoned Elisabeth along, Cal took Rose aside. As
she saw Cal’s serious look, her hidden grin faded.
"Do not behave like that
again, Rose," he said sternly. "You are embarrassing your mother and
I, and I will not marry anybody who embarrasses me. Are we clear?"
Rose looked up at him.
"Yes, Cal," she said testily. Cal nodded and let go of her arm. He
offered her his arm, she took it, and they walked down the street in silence,
Rose still grinning to herself.
This made Elisabeth only cry
harder, so loud in the dead silent night. She was the only soul breathing around
her, but lost in her own world…
*****
Seventeen-year-old Rose and
fifteen-year-old Elisabeth walked down the streets of London. It had once been
sunny, but now the clouds were rolling in and it looked like it was going to
rain—hard. Rose walked arm-in-arm with Cal, while Ruth and Elisabeth walked
ahead of them. The streets were crowded, the air filled with sweet laughter and
talk.
Trudy and Kathy Bolt followed
Rose and Cal, maidservants carrying their purchases. They scuffled along, their
long skirts rimmed with dirt from the walkway. The chatted amongst themselves,
whispering girlishly and gossiping about the latest news. Cal turned around.
"Hurry up, ladies. It looks like it’s about to rain. We need to get back
to the hotel."
Trudy and Kathy nodded and hurried
their pace. Ahead, thunder boomed, and all sunlight was gone. The wind had
started to pick up softly, blowing Elisabeth’s blood red curls around her face.
They passed by a café, and Elisabeth smiled as she saw the warm pastries and
other food advertised in the window. Their hotel was just across the beautiful
park, the grass green and the flowers in bloom.
"Mother, look at those
pastries!" Elisabeth exclaimed, grinning. "Oh, we must stop for
one!"
Ruth looked at her daughter
disapprovingly. "Elisabeth, it is not ladylike to beg," she
commanded. "And just look at the sky. It is about to rain!"
Rose shook her head, enjoying
the thought of a nice, warm pastry. "Mother…" She touched her
mother’s arm gently. "I think a pastry sounds wonderful. Elisabeth and I
could get one while you and Cal head back to the hotel." Ruth looked at
her, then at Cal, for some reason. "Mother, we are not children, and the
hotel is just right across the park. Cal?"
"I suppose, but come back
immediately, and don’t get caught by the rain," Cal instructed. Rose
nodded, and Elisabeth smiled. Cal gave Rose a couple of coins and took Ruth’s
arm as they headed down the street, Trudy and Kathy following, still chatting
amongst themselves.
"You are very
persuasive," Elisabeth commented. Rose smiled proudly.
She replied with a proud,
"I know I am." They giggled to themselves and walked into the café.
They headed up to the counter and both had chocolate éclairs. They wiped the
chocolate off their mouths, sitting by the window. They gazed outside, into the
park, and saw that a light fall of rain had begun.
Rose sighed as she watched all
the people outside duck for cover. "Oh, now look! We have to wait until
the rain subsides." She looked at Elisabeth, who had a childish grin on
her face. This made her suspicious. "Elisabeth?" she asked slowly.
"Come on, Rose!"
Elisabeth got up from her seat and walked quickly to the door. Rose called out
after her, then got up and followed her. Elisabeth opened the glass door, the
café’s name written in gold letters across the glass, the bell ringing as she
opened and closed it. It had begun to rain harder, the wind blowing at a steady
pace.
"Elisabeth!" Rose
started, but was stopped when Elisabeth walked out into the rain. Her curls
immediately stuck to the sides of her face, soaking up the rainwater. Her
beautiful, creamy yellow day dress was starting to soak. "Elisabeth!"
Rose said again.
Elisabeth widened her arms and
spun around slowly. Nobody was in sight. "Come on, Rose! You know you want
to!" Elisabeth stopped and smiled, soaked by the second, and with a wave
of her hand, Rose cried out and ran to her sister. Rose’s red day dress started
to soak as well, her bun of curls sticking to her neck.
Elisabeth held out her arms
and spun around, her head tilted toward the sky. The rain washed over her face,
her hair spinning around. Thunder boomed overhead, and Rose spun around as
well. They grabbed one another’s hands and pranced around in the deserted
cobblestone street. People were watching them in awe, but neither cared.
The rain continued on, and the
girls continued to dance and spin, leaving Cal and Ruth awaiting their arrival
back at the hotel.
*****
To her, those were fond memories
that she would never forget. They brought tears to her eyes, knowing she was
once that happy. Elisabeth played them over and over in her mind. How did she
get herself into such a mess of being in the icy Atlantic, floating on a deck
chair? Simple--trying to get back to Philadelphia.
She cried. Tears silently poured
down her face. She cried for Rose. She cried for Jack. She cried for Thomas
Andrews. Her mother. Cal. Mr. Ismay. Molly Brown. William Thackery. Oh,
William…she thought. She hoped that he was all right, and that he wasn’t
floating in the water like she was.
Elisabeth looked up into the dark
galaxy of stars and sighed, the tears never stopping. The lights from the stars
seemed to reflect off her ghostly white skin. She had given up hope. Well, she
wasn’t looking for any hope now. She saw another shooting star and smiled
faintly. She turned her head and looked around, and saw dead bodies floating
around her. All she heard was the lapping of the water.
Elisabeth stopped shivering. Her
hair was matted to the sides of her face, still parted down the middle in its
usual way. Her eyes looked like all life had gone out of her, and she continued
to shed tears from her once fiery emerald eyes. The burning flame that shone in
her gleaming eyes had long dimmed out, the ashes blowing away in the wind.
She was brave. She had made it
through the ship. She was going ahead after being behind Rose for so long. She
wasn’t afraid. She wasn’t alone. Nearer my God to thee, she sang softly
in her head. She closed her eyes, then looked up at the stars again. Another
shooting star. "See you there," she breathed, speaking words for the
last time, directing the words to everybody she loved and cared for. She looked
at the stars, her final vision. She took her final breath, and softly fluttered
her eyes closed, knowing that she would never open them again.
She was finally at peace.