CAUGHT BETWEEN TWO WORLDS
Chapter One
April 10, 1912
Rose DeWitt Bukater stared up at
the towering ship that was going to carry herself, her mother, and her Aunt
Molly all the way back to America. It was magnificent. The most magnificent
vessel she had ever seen in her life, and she…Rose DeWitt Bukater, seventeen-year-old
debutante, was going to be among the first to sail on her.
"Rose! Don’t just stand
there and gawk at the ship. Get moving!" Ruth scolded her daughter.
"Now, Ruth, let the girl
take it all in. This is the Titanic, the grandest ship in the world."
Molly Brown chuckled, laying a supportive hand on her niece’s shoulder. She
didn’t understand Ruth at all. The woman had a lovely daughter like Rose, and
all she could do was belittle her and treat her like she was dirt. Molly had to
wonder--what effect did Ruth’s carelessness have on Rose? Especially during
this European vacation. Molly had caught her favorite niece staring out into
space, the saddest expression in her clear, green eyes. "Come, Rose,
darlin’. We’ll be late." Molly urged the girl forward.
Rose nodded and took a last look
at her surroundings, secretly knowing that this would be the last time she’d
see land…if things went as planned, that was. Then she wouldn’t have to worry
about her future as an old maid and having to deal with her mother’s hatred.
Sighing one last time, she followed her aunt onto the ship, unaware that she
was about to embark on the journey of a lifetime.
*****
Caroline Simmons sighed irritably
as she sat in a Southampton pub, watching her fiancé, Jack Dawson, and his friend,
Fabrizio di Rossi, play poker with a couple of Swedish men. She didn’t want to
be in this stuffy old bar watching a game of poker. She wanted to be outside
waving to the Titanic as it set off on its maiden voyage. Or rather, she wanted
to be on the Titanic as it set off on its maiden voyage. She wanted to be
aboard the grandest ship in history. Waving good-bye, and perhaps joining the
famous names of society for tea. Women such as Ida Straus and Madeleine Astor.
Make some impressions on the big names of society.
But instead, she was in this
filthy pub, watching her fiancé play poker with a couple of sweaty men.
"Sven, I can’t believe you
bet our tickets," a blond woman slapped one of the Swedes on the back of
the head.
"Yeah, Jack." Caroline
glared at her handsome fiancé. "I can’t believe you bet everything we
have."
"Well, when you have
nothing, you have nothing to lose." Jack smiled up at her, his blue eyes
shining with excitement. Caroline just rolled her eyes and continued staring
out at the Titanic, imagining herself boarding the great ship.
"What do you mean, you’re
sorry?" Fabrizio’s voice interrupted her daydream. "My mama’s
expecting me in…"
"I’m sorry. You’re not gonna
see your ma again for a very long time. Because we’re going to America! Full
house, boys!" Jack laughed, slamming his cards down on the table.
"What do you mean?"
Caroline came to attention. "What did we win?"
"Three third class tickets
aboard Titanic!" Jack laughed, scooping Caroline up in his arms and
swinging her around. "We’re going home!"
"Look at me! I’m going to
L’America!" Fabrizio laughed excitedly.
"No, mate!" the
bartender yelled. "Titanic’s going to America--in five minutes!"
"Oh, shit!" Jack
yelled, scooping up their meager belongings, plus the three tickets. "Come
on! We gotta get out of here!"
All three of them dashed out the
door and ran as fast as the could towards the ship, pushing their way through
the crowd. Two minutes later, they were running up the gangplank with Jack
shouting for the officer, who was about to close the door.
"We’re passengers!"
Jack yelled, out of breath, as they made their way to the confused official.
"Have you been through the
inspection queue?" the officer asked, looking Jack squarely in the eye.
Caroline’s face fell in bitter
disappointment. No, they had not been through any inspection queue. There was
no way they were going to get on that ship. Her dreams, so in reach, had
slipped away from her once again.
"Of course we have,"
Jack lied. "Besides, we don’t have any lice. We’re Americans. All of
us!"
"Okay. Come on in." The
officer stepped aside.
"Jack, you’re a
genius." Fabrizio slapped his friend on the back as they darted into the
interior of the Titanic.
*****
Caroline sighed irritably as she
watched Jack and Fabrizio at the bow of the ship, watching some dolphins trying
to outrace the ship.
"Hey, Carly!" Jack
called her by her nickname, something he’d called her since they were children
back in Chippewa Falls. "You oughta come see this!"
"I’ll pass!" Caroline
called back. Third class. That’s all they were and all they ever would be. She
could still remember earlier when she had tried to go up to first class and had
been blocked by a snotty steward.
"You can’t go up there.
First class only, and that’s not you." The steward had nastily denied her
entrance.
"But…" She had tried to
protest.
"Captain’s orders! Now, I
suggest you go back down there where you belong!" The steward had pointed
back down to the third class area of the ship.
Caroline sniffed again. She had
been so excited, so looking forward to a conversation with Madeleine Astor…now,
that was never going to happen. All because the stupid Swedes were not smart
enough to get first class tickets. Her thoughts were interrupted all of a
sudden by Jack.
"I’m the king of the
world!" Jack yelled happily, a big smile on his face.
"No, you’re not,"
Caroline mumbled grumpily. "If you were, we’d be in first class instead of
down here." How could Jack be so happy being down here in third class?
Then again, he was happy anywhere. He was even happy to be under that bridge
they had slept under the other night. That was one of the things she hated
about him. He didn’t have any worthwhile aspirations. All he cared about was
his art and making each day count. She was hoping that the millionaires on
board this ship would be a good influence on her young fiancé. That they’d give
him some goals…maybe even help him get into the stock market.
Now, that wasn’t going to happen,
either. Oh, well. Very well, then. Caroline was patient. Maybe her rise to
greatness wasn’t meant to happen here on the Titanic, but it was going to
happen, and in the very near future. She was sure of it.