A DEEP OCEAN OF SECRETS
Chapter Five

The night air was crisp and cold, and Elisabeth was rather chilly in the suite. Kathy finished putting her hair in a bun for dinner that night and excused herself. She looked in the mirror, eyeing herself. She wore a dark blue dinner gown. The neck was square cut, the sleeves ending at her forearms. The dress fit tightly at Elisabeth’s hips, a sash tying around her middle, the two connecting skirts flowing to her ankles. She wore another pair of white heels.

Rose, on the other side of the room, wore a red dress with black-beaded netting near the top and black heels. Her hair was in a loose bun near her neck, and she looked gorgeous in the creamy makeup she wore. She looked really depressed, and Elisabeth was beginning to wonder why.

Elisabeth approached her. "Rose, what is the matter?" she asked.

"Nothing." Rose brushed by, out of the suite, followed by Ruth, Cal, and Elisabeth. Cal took Rose’s hand, almost forcefully, while Ruth and Elisabeth strolled in front. Ruth said hello to people Rose didn’t even recognize, and Cal smiled at them good-naturedly.

The DeWitt Bukaters and Mr. Hockley reached the Grand Staircase and glided down the stairs all the way to the dining saloon, located a couple of stories down. They joined a dinner party, including Mr. Ismay and Mr. Andrews, and seated themselves around the dressed up table.

*****

"I saw my whole life as if I'd already lived it...an endless parade of parties and cotillions, yachts and polo matches...always the same narrow people, the same mindless chatter. I felt like I was standing at a great precipice, with no one to pull me back, no one who cared...or even noticed."

*****

Rose looked up from her plate after sitting at the table for an hour. Elisabeth noticed how serious and pale her sister was, and was beginning to worry. "Mother, I’m not feeling well. I think I’m going to retire," Rose said to her mother, tugging at her sleeve like when she was younger.

"Feeling sick? Make sure you rest up," Ruth replied shortly, and turned back to the conversation she was having with the Countess of Rothes. Rose pushed back her chair, stood up hurriedly, and stumbled through the dining saloon until she was out next to the bottom of the Grand Staircase.

Elisabeth watched her sister closely, then stood up as well. "Mother, nor do I feel very well. I think it is something in the food. Excuse me." She pushed back her chair and left, leaving all of the dinner guests to stare at their plates in confusion.

Rose stayed perfectly composed, nodding and smiling softly to other passengers as she walked up the Grand Staircase to B-Deck. Elisabeth followed her, trying not to stay too close. She wasn’t stalking, just curious about what was wrong with Rose. As soon as Rose walked onto the deck, she immediately took off to the right, heading for the stern. Her curls were whipping behind her, and the sound of her heels against the wooden deck made a loud clunking sound as she ran. She pushed passed people, even knocking one over, and though they gave shocked cries and gasps, Rose didn’t even look back.

Elisabeth mumbled apologies to the people Rose knocked into as she walked quickly behind her sister. She was beginning to fear for her sister’s life because she was headed for some place that Elisabeth didn’t know. Rose flew past the poop deck benches and slammed into the stern flagpole of the ship.

Rose didn’t know that she wasn’t the only one at the stern. Besides her sister, who she didn’t know was following her, there was a man in his early twenties with icy blue eyes and blonde hair that flipped onto his forehead lying on a bench right near where she was.

It was the same man who had watched Rose the other day on the B-Deck promenade.

The man sat up after hearing Rose run past, sobbing heavily, full of anger and hurt, bursting for freedom. He looked in the direction she had run to warily and heard more footsteps. Since he was hidden in the shadows, Elisabeth didn’t see him as she also ran past. He slowly got up and began to follow them.

Not wanting to live anymore, Rose had climbed over the stern railing and was standing on the outside of the stern, holding onto the white metal railing from behind, with nothing in front of her but the cold air and a steep drop into the cold Atlantic. She had tears running down her face, but Rose’s heavy crying had subsided. She gazed down into the cold water, unsure of whether to jump or not.

Elisabeth saw her sister and stopped dead in her tracks. "Rose!" she screamed in horror, and brought her hand to cover her mouth in shock. "Rose—"

"Stay back, Elisabeth!" Rose replied, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Stay back!" Elisabeth didn’t listen, and walked closer to her sister, standing to her left, sobbing openly now.

"Don’t do it, Rose, please!" she sobbed, trying not to break down right in front of Rose, and nearly deciding to jump for her herself.

The man crept up from behind, like walking up on a spooked horse. Elisabeth saw him first and turned her head to watch him in confusion. Her mouth opened in shock at what he was going to do.

"Don’t do it," the man said. Rose turned her head, trying to see him. The cold stung her skin, but she didn’t notice.

"Stay back!" Rose cried. "Don’t come any closer! I mean it! I’ll let go!"

The man held out his cigarette, scooted closer to Rose, and tossed it overboard. He put his hands in his pockets and rocked back and forth on his heels. Elisabeth looked up at him questioningly, her eyes darting back and forth between Rose and the man next to her. "No, you won’t," he said.

Rose’s head whipped back to him. "What do you mean, no, I won’t? Do not presume to tell me what I will and will not do. You do not know me!"

"Well, you would have done it already!"

Elisabeth sucked in a breath. "Excuse me, sir, but my sister is hanging off the back of a ship! I don’t want to even talk about whether she is going to jump!" she cried.

"Come on. Take my hand," the man said, and held out his tanned artist’s hand. Rose was confused now, and it was hard to see through her tears.

"You’re distracting me. Go away!" Rose demanded angrily, staring into the death pit below her.

The man shrugged. "I can’t. I’m involved now. If you let go, I have to jump in there after you." Elisabeth gave the man a you’re stupid look, and Rose gave a sigh in disbelief.

"Don’t be absurd. You’ll be killed," she said.

The man took off his worn, faded plaid jacket. "I’m a good swimmer."

Rose looked down at the water. "The fall alone would kill you."

"It would hurt. I’m not saying it wouldn’t. To be honest, I’m a lot more concerned about that water being so cold."

Rose had a faraway look on her face, the reality of what she was about to do sinking in. "How cold?" she stammered nervously.

The man took off his left shoe, which took some effort. "Freezing. Maybe a couple degrees over." He began to unlace his right shoe. "You…uh…ever been to Wisconsin?"

Rose asked, perplexed, "What?" She had no idea why this man she didn’t even know was asking her if she had been somewhere, when she was hanging off the back of a ship.

"Well, they have some of the coldest winters around, and I grew up there, near Chippewa Falls. Once, when I was a kid, me and my father were ice-fishing out on Lake Wissota...ice-fishing's where you chop a hole in the--"

"I know what ice-fishing is!" Rose cried, interrupting.

The man sucked in like he wasn’t surprised she had yelled. "Sorry. You just look sort of like, you know, an indoor girl." He rolled his eyes discreetly. "Well, I fell through some thin ice, and I’m telling you, water that cold, like right down there," he said, pointing to the dark waters of the Atlantic, "it hits you like a thousand knives all over your body. You can’t breath, you can’t think—at least not about anything but the pain." The man took off his other shoe. "Which is why I’m not looking forward to jumping in there after you. But like I said, I don’t have a choice. I’m hoping maybe you’ll come back over the rail and get me off the hook here."

Elisabeth almost gave a small smile at how convincing this man was. But she almost wanted to push Rose overboard when she heard her reply. "You’re crazy!" Rose said.

"That’s what they all say, but with all due respect, ma’am, I’m not the one hanging off the back of a ship here." The artist held out his hand and inched closer. "Come on. You don’t want to do this. Take my hand."

Rose stared at the madman for a long time, searching his eyes for truth. And when all she saw was truth, she gave in, deciding to live. She lifted her hand from the tight hold on the railing and the man took it. He helped Rose turn around and smiled at her. "Whew," he breathed. Rose exhaled slowly. "I’m Jack Dawson."

"Rose DeWitt Bukater," Rose replied.

"Gonna have to get you to write that down for me," Jack joked, smiling. Rose let out a chuckle, which sounded more like a gasp for air.

Since she had decided to live, the height was terrifying. She was numb with cold and her breath came out in short pants. She was overcome by the vertigo. As Rose tried to climb over the railing, putting her foot on the top railing, her dress got in the way, and she slipped, falling down the side of the ship. Jack, who was holding onto her hand tightly, was pulled forward, but never let go. Rose let out a piercing shriek.

"Rose!" Elisabeth screamed, and ran over next to Jack and peered down, trying to reach for her sister’s other hand.

"Help! Help!" Rose screamed, crying openly.

Jack peered down at her, and said, "I’ve got you. I won’t let go!" Rose was lifted up, but as she tried to find a foothold on the smooth hull and as Jack tried to grab her body, she slipped again and let out another scream. "Listen. I’ve got you. Now, pull yourself up!" Jack grabbed for Rose as she lifted herself up again, pulled her over the railing, and both of them fell onto the deck. Jack landed slightly on top of her. Elisabeth bent down next to Rose just as Quartermaster Rowe and another crewman ran up to the threesome.

Rowe observed the scene. The man was laying slightly on top of the woman, her stockings torn, shivering and breathing heavily. He immediately got the wrong idea. "What’s all this?" he cried. "You stand back, and don’t move an inch!" He turned to his crewmate. "Fetch the Master-at-Arms!"

Jack backed away, hands up, and Elisabeth stood up. "No, officer, it’s not what it seems!" she cried. They didn’t listen, and the crewman rushed away in search of the Master-at-Arms.

*****

A few minutes later, Cal, the crewmen, the Master-at-Arms, Lovejoy, and Colonel Gracie were all standing on the poop deck with Rose, Jack, and Elisabeth. Jack was being handcuffed by the Master-at-Arms, Rose was sitting on a bench, wrapped in a blanket, and Elisabeth stood next to her, also with a blanket, fuming.

Cal grabbed Jack by the lapels. "What were you thinking, putting your hands on my fiancé?"

"Cal, stop it!" Elisabeth said from where she was standing. She was extremely mad at Rose for scaring her like she did, and Cal was only making it worse.

"Look at me, you filth!" Cal cried again, and shook Jack. "What did you think you were doing?"

"Cal, it was an accident!" Rose cried, standing up.

"An accident?" Cal asked, confused.

"It was…stupid, really. I was leaning over, and I slipped. I was leaning far over to see the…uh…uh…uh…" She twirled her finger around, thinking of an excuse.

"Propellers?" Cal offered, exasperated.

"The propellers, and I slipped," Rose concluded. "And I would have gone overboard, but Mr. Dawson here saved me, and almost went over himself."

"You wanted to see the propellers—she wanted to see the propellers!" Cal cried in disbelief, looking around.

"As I said, women and machinery don’t mix," Colonel Gracie said.

"Was that the way of it?" the Master-at-Arms asked Jack. Elisabeth was looking out into the water, trying to hide her smile and the stupid excuse, thinking they could have thought of something better than propellers, while Rose shot Jack a pleading look.

"Yeah. That was pretty much it," Jack said. Jack looked at Rose a moment longer.

"Well, the boy’s a hero, then!" Gracie smiled, and Jack was uncuffed. "So, it’s all’s well and back to our brandy, eh?"

Cal wrapped his arm around Rose and rubbed her shoulders. "Let’s get you in. You’re freezing!" he said, and guided Rose away, but was stopped by Gracie.

"Uh…perhaps a little something for the boy?" he asked quietly.

Cal stopped and turned. "Ah…yes. Lovejoy, a twenty should do it." Spicer Lovejoy was Cal’s personal valet.

Rose stared at Cal. "Is that the going rate for saving the woman you love?"

"Rose is displeased. What to do?" Cal mocked. "I know." He turned to Jack. "Perhaps you could join us for dinner tomorrow evening, to regale our group with your heroic tale?"

Jack looked at Rose. "Sure. Count me in," he replied to Cal.

"Good. It’s settled, then," Cal replied, wrapped his arm around Rose again, and they both walked back inside, followed by the Master-at-Arms, Gracie, and the two crewmen. As Lovejoy turned to leave, Jack stopped him.

"Can I bum a smoke?" he asked. Lovejoy slowly took out his box of cigarettes and held them out to Jack. He took two, putting one behind his ear for later.

"You’ll want to tie those," Lovejoy said, looking at Jack’s shoes. The artist looked down, as well, then to Elisabeth, who was still standing there, starting to look nervous. She looked at Lovejoy, teeth together in a nervous way. "Funny how the lady slipped so quickly all of a sudden, but you still had time to remove your jacket and your boots." Jack stared at Lovejoy and watched him walk back inside, out of the cold air, silently. He and Elisabeth were the only ones out on the deck now.

"So…uh…what’s your name?" he asked, staring at the girl who looked so much like Rose, with the same dark red curls and piercing eyes. He was trying to play it cool.

"Elisabeth. Rose is my sister," Elisabeth replied. Jack nodded. "How did you get her to come back over the railing? She looked so…determined." Elisabeth looked out into the ocean in thought. "Determined to die."

"I don’t know," Jack replied. "Did I sound convincing?" he joked.

"You got her back over, didn’t you?"

"Yes."

"Then I guess you were pretty convincing. I’ll see you tomorrow night, Mr. Dawson," Elisabeth said, and slowly walked across the deck and back inside. Jack stood there for a moment longer, absorbing what had just happened that night.

Chapter Six
Stories