AFTER TITANIC
Chapter Twelve

The freezing water lapped against the board. Her whole body was 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 could do was wait to die. Suddenly, a light passed her face. She turned to see the returning lifeboat moving among the lifeless bodies. They were saved.

"Jack." She shook his hand. "There's a boat." She did this repeatedly, but got no response from Jack. A heart-wrenching sob escaped her as she realized that he was dead. She was never going to look into his beautiful blue eyes again. As she disconnected her frozen hands from his, she sobbed as he disappeared into the dark sea. "I'll never let go, Jack. I'll never let go."

*****

"I'll never let go," Rose said, as she bolted upright in her bed, now wide awake. Relief ran 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 without him.

"Rose? Are you all right?" Eliza asked, sitting at the edge of the bed. "Mother sent me to fetch you, since you're late for work, and I find you in bed mumbling something about not letting go. Are you okay?"

"Oh, no." Rose groaned. It had been a week since she began working at the Hathaway's, and she was 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 was struck with a case of dizziness and an urge to vomit. What was wrong with her? This had been happening more and more lately in the past three days. "I'll be right there," she managed to mumble.

"Rose!" Eliza screamed, as Rose fell to the floor in a dead faint.

*****

Rose awoke to Eliza and a strange man dressed in a white coat hovering above her.

"What's going on?" Rose asked, trying to sit up, but lay back down when another wave of nausea came 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, Ma'am." The man smiled 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 was immediately worried. The doctor on the Carpathia said she was in perfect health. What could have changed in such a short period of time?

"Why, Ma'am, 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 grinned, proud to be the one to give this happy news.

Rose was 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 stammered. Her face was now 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'll check up on you again next week to see how you're coming along. Good-bye, ladies." The doctor tipped his hat before leaving.

"Well...congratulations, Rose. A baby is a wonderful thing." Eliza smiled, waiting to see happiness finally light up Rose's eyes.

"I'm going to have a baby," Rose silently replied. Her face was 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 would show up here someday? What was she going to do?

"Rose...are you okay?" Eliza asked, taking a close look at her friend.

"What am I going to do? I can't believe this is happening." Rose bit her lip.

"Is the man that you left behind the father?"

Rose just nodded, 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 headed 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 smiled 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 it 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 was throwing her an extravagant engagement party. Everyone of high society was invited, including Molly Brown, a distant cousin of the Conways who lived in the next town over.

"Molly." Eliza's mother greeted 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 JJ's sons are taking care of her."

"At least." Mrs. Hathaway nodded 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 shook her head. "How about a cocktail? Reno's the best at making martinis."

"Wouldn't mind if I do." Molly smiled, 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 ignored 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 whirled around in surprise at hearing the name Dawson, and smiled in relief to see Molly. "Molly, I'm so glad to see you." Rose hugged the older woman tightly.

"I'm glad to see you, too, darling." Molly hugged 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 its parents in its 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 had hot tears in her eyes. Molly just didn'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 had 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 nodded, 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 would know what happened soon, and then it would be time for reckoning. Then she'd know what she was afraid to find out for the past five months--whether Jack still loved her or not.

"Rose? Are you okay?" Eliza came 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."

"Okay. 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'd 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 than I am now, I can pay you 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 hugged her friend. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Now, no more crying. From now on, I want to see a smile on your face," Eliza replied.

Rose just smiled and hugged her friend tightly. She felt thankful to have found such a good friend as Eliza. She hoped nothing could come between them.

Chapter Thirteen
Stories