The Titanic arrived at Roches Point at 11:30 AM on Thursday, April eleventh. Meanwhile, the waiting passengers went to the White Star Line pier to board the tenders PS Ireland and PS America, which would ferry them to the waiting liner.
Rose and Jack, along with Tommy and his sister, Sharon, boarded the Titanic around noon. With everything which they owned with them, they boarded the great ship bound for New York in search of a new beginning. The Dawsons would be sharing a berth with the Ryans, which consisted of two bunk beds on each side of the room, with just a small washbasin to the right of the room and very little wardrobe space. There were two bathtubs for the whole of third class—one for the men and one for the women.
The room was tiny, although cozy, but size didn’t matter. All four of them were embarking on the biggest adventure of their lives. At 1:30 PM, whistles were exchanged, indicating that all were aboard and the Titanic was ready to continue its journey across the North Atlantic. By late afternoon, they were steaming west from the coast of Ireland, with nothing ahead but ocean.
The great ship absolutely stunned both Jack and Rose. As they had waited in the harbor to board the tender which took them to the Titanic, Jack had made several sketches of the great liner. They spent their first night on board in their cabin. After such a long day, sleep came easily to them that evening. The fact that they were traveling home to America, on the grandest ship ever built, was exciting to Jack and Rose.
The whole journey was an adventure. There wasn’t much entertainment in third class compared to what Rose had read about first class. Apparently they had Turkish baths, swimming pools, libraries, and ballrooms—not that either of them cared. As long as they were together, they didn’t need luxuries or anything in first class. Rose had traveled first class to Paris on the Mauretania with Cal, and it had been beautiful, but compared to life with Jack, that meant nothing.
April 12, 1912
Screwing up her eyes, Rose stretched out her body before diving back beneath the blankets after feeling the coldness of the room. Opening her eyes, she saw Jack’s sleeping face beside her. Gently, she touched his face, feeling the slight stubble, and she smiled. He appeared so peaceful.
They had fallen asleep early the evening before. She didn’t know what time it was, but it felt early. Life could be heard outside in the corridor as feet shuffled about and voices sounded.
Craning her neck, she saw through the porthole how light it was.
Turning over, she saw that Sharon was still fast asleep in the bottom bunk, but Tommy wasn’t anywhere to be seen. She guessed he had gone to find something to eat. Sleeping in the bottom bunk with Jack didn’t leave either of them much room, but neither cared. They didn’t wish to sleep apart. Besides, it grew chilly through the night, so they huddled together.
“Hmm…you like to fidget.” Jack smiled groggily. He had felt Rose moving beside him and it had awakened him. Rose put her head on his shoulder and laughed to herself.
“Did I wake you?” she asked quietly, not wanting to wake Sharon. She was heavily pregnant and after boarding the ship yesterday she had simply slept.
“You did, but I’ll be all right.” He opened his eyes and put his arm under Rose’s neck, pulling her close to him. The faint noise of the engines could be heard a few decks below. Rose had never heard it before, as she had always traveled first class on a ship, which was at least two decks above. She knew she would grow used to it.
“I can’t believe that we’re on the Titanic.” Rose pulled the blankets over her and Jack’s heads, trying not to wake Sharon with their voices. “I can’t believe any of this is real.”
“Well, it is, Rosie. We’re married, we’re on the Titanic, and we’re going home. We’re going to make it count,” Jack told her softly. He wrapped his arm around her and felt the lace on her nightgown. Rummaging around, he pulled it up slightly, touching her bare leg. She quietly squealed, feeling how cold his hand was. He hushed her immediately, his lips pressed against hers. She giggled, feeling his stubble against her soft skin.
“It’s a pity we’re not alone,” she whispered gently to him. He understood her meaning. She pressed her lips against his once again and he ran his hands up and down her leg, wishing they were alone.
“We’ll just have to find somewhere else, won’t we, my dear?” He grinned.
“You’re crazy.” Rose laughed. “We’re on a ship. Where can we do anything like that?”
“Oh, believe me, I’ll find a place.” Kissing her again, he could feel himself becoming a little aroused, though he knew he shouldn’t. Suddenly, the door burst open and Rose pulled the covers from over their faces to see Tommy.
“Good morning, all!” he boomed. Sharon rubbed her eyes tiredly, not even remembering Tommy awakening.
“Where have you been?” Jack asked him, sitting upright in bed. His hair was disheveled everywhere and Rose had to stifle a giggle.
“I found breakfast, boyo! Tell you what—they serve some good shit down there. I had smoked heron with jacket potatoes. It’s the fanciest thing I’ve heard of in my life.” He laughed. He walked to the small basin and splashed some water over his face.
“Maybe we should go find some breakfast,” Jack told Rose as they climbed out of bed.
Rose glanced at her appearance in the small mirror. She didn’t look too bad. The problem of sharing a room with Sharon and Tommy was not having any privacy. Of course, Rose didn’t mind undressing in front of Jack—he was her husband—but Sharon and Tommy had to either duck beneath the covers or wait in the corridor while they dressed.
Sharon pulled herself out of bed, touching her swollen stomach. Tommy pulled her up and touched her face, causing her to smile. He was a dear brother to her. Sharon was a quiet young girl. She was just eighteen and was strikingly lovely. She had her brother’s sandy-colored hair, long and straight down her back, with slightly tanned skin and dark green eyes. She stood at around five feet three inches, was rather curvaceous and, of course, she was pregnant, but her stomach rounded perfectly.
Tommy held out a coat to Sharon and she put her arms through before buttoning it up at the front all of the way. It was full length and no one would have guessed she was wearing a nightgown beneath it.
“We’ll meet you down there, Jackie. I’m going to get Sharon settled with something delicious.” With that, they left.
“I feel for Sharon.” Rose shook her head. “She’s so timid and would bring harm to no one, but yet she will have to raise a child alone.” Rose shook her head, thinking of the spineless bastard who had left Sharon to fend for herself and her unborn child.
“I know. I could never run away from a child that I had helped conceive.” Jack pulled on his trousers as Rose pinned up her hair. Buttoning up his pants, Jack looked towards Rose, hesitating. “But…we won’t have that problem, Rose.”
Looking at Jack in the mirror, Rose narrowed her eyes. “We won’t?”
“No. I would never leave you with our children.”
Coming up behind her, he put his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. They both looked at their reflections in the mirror. Jack was shirtless, and Rose felt the smoothness of his skin as she stroked his arms gently. He was beautiful in every way, and she couldn’t imagine anyone else to father her children.
“I’d cherish them all.”
“All?” Rose laughed. “How many do you think I can bear?”
“As many as you wish. I’d like a big family, like I never had. At Christmas and Thanksgiving, it was just Pa, Ma, and me sitting around a small table.”
Rose diverted her eyes from Jack, remembering her own time at home in Philadelphia. She didn’t have brothers or sisters, and while the house was never empty, her childhood had been lonely—with the exception of her father, but when he had died, she felt nothing.
“At my house, it was myself with my mother and father, except we sat at a very large table.”
She smiled to herself, remembering the opulence of her house compared to the homes she and Jack had shared. They were like huts in comparison, but happiness had come with living life simpler and without a lot of money.
Letting go of her waist, Jack pulled on a shirt. Rose pinched her cheeks a little, attempting to put a little color into them.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes.” Rose followed Jack out of the room, and hand-in-hand they found their way to the dining hall. The corridors were narrow, long, and white. Other couples made their way to breakfast, some with children and some with friends. People of different nationalities, backgrounds, and cultures all came together in one room for breakfast.
*****
Loud Irish music could be heard coming from the third class common room. The people were alive and moving to the music. An ad hoc band was gathered near the upright piano, honking out lively stomping music on fiddle, accordion, and tambourine. People of all ages were dancing, drinking beer and wine, smoking, laughing, even brawling.
Sitting at a small table, Rose accepted a beer from Tommy and hoisted it. She felt alive here, just like at the bar in Paris. She clapped her hands wildly, watching her husband dance with five-year-old Cora Cartmell, an English girl he had befriend that afternoon. The child had melted their hearts, and as she danced on Jack’s feet, she laughed happily.
Tommy elbowed Rose lightly and leaned in towards her. “So, how do you like the Irish music?”
“I love it. It just makes you want to dance.” Rose glanced at Sharon, who sat silently, just watching the band. Rose felt for her. She didn’t know how to cheer her up at all. She couldn’t drink, and barely danced even when Tommy offered to dance with her.
Standing up, Rose held out her hand to Sharon, who simply looked at her, confused. “Come and dance.” She grinned at her. A small smile appeared on Sharon’s face as she took her hand.
“I can’t dance.” Sharon looked around a little, worried.
“Don’t worry. Neither can I,” Rose lied, not wishing to make her feel intimidated at all. “We’ll just do our best.”
Pulling Sharon into the crowd near Jack, they joined hands and began to move a little. Slowly, Sharon gained confidence. Rose remembered the first time she had danced in Paris and how nervous she had been. She knew Sharon was unable to do a lot because of her advancing pregnancy, but the voyage had to be a good one for her.
The two girls moved faster before spinning in a circle, just as Jack had taught Rose to do in Paris. Sharon squealed a little before growing dizzy and stopping.
“We’ll get you some water.” Rose smiled at her, taking her to the bar.
Jack sat beside Tommy, breathless. Cora had followed him out of the crowd, obviously taken by him. She had dark brown curls and dark eyes, the most perfect little girl. “Why are you stopping, Uncle Jack?” She grabbed his hand and pulled him slightly.
Jack laughed at the child. She never tired. “I’m tired.” He grinned at her.
Rose came back to the table to see Tommy engaged in an arm wrestling match with another Irishman. Rose reached for her beer and gulped down half of it. The atmosphere there was amazing.
Sharon held out her hand to Jack, and he stood to dance with her. Cora frowned and appeared as though she was going to burst into tears, so Jack took her hand and led her to the dance floor with Sharon.
A loud bang sounded from the table. Tommy had defeated the Irishman three times. “That’s another beer you owe me. Get to the bar.” He laughed. Sitting beside Tommy, Rose found her husband in the crowd, dancing with Cora and Sharon.
“I haven’t seen her smile as much as she is now.” Tommy watched her in the crowd. “She’s the best sister in the world.” Rose touched Tommy’s arm. He turned to her. “I can’t wait until she has the baby, though. It might bring her more happiness.”
The Irishman came back to the table with a pint for both Tommy and Rose. Tommy stood and went to Sharon, deciding to dance with his sister.
Rose found her husband in the crowd and walked over to him. He was dressed in black pants and a white shirt. Sweat shone on his face. As soon as she came to him, he picked her up in his arms and whirled her around. He took her hands and began to lead her around the floor. Together they had been dancing several times and discovered that neither of them had two left feet.
Stopping for a second, Rose removed her shoes, throwing them to a lady nearby before joining Jack in the fray and dancing faster as the music sped up. The scene was rowdy and rollicking. A table was knocked over as a drunk crashed into it. And in the middle of it... Rose danced with Jack in her stocking feet. The steps were fast and she shone with sweat. A space opened around them and people watched them, clapping as the band played faster and faster. The tune ended in a mad rush. Jack stepped away from Rose with a flourish, allowing her to take a bow.
Exhilarated and slightly tipsy, she did a graceful ballet plié, feet turned out perfectly. Everyone laughed and applauded. They walked to their table, flushed and sweaty. She grabbed her pint and almost downed it all in one go, watching the stunned faces of the men around her.
“You think a girl can’t drink?” She grinned.
Everybody else began dancing again, and Bjorn Gunderson crashed into Tommy, who sloshed his beer over Rose’s lilac dress. She laughed, not caring. But Tommy lunged, grabbing Bjorn and wheeling him around. “You stupid bastard!” he called to him. Bjorn came around, his fists coming up before Jack leaped into the middle, not wanting to see a fight.
“Boys, boys. Did I ever tell you the one about the Swede and the Irishman going to the whorehouse?” He grinned at them both. Tommy puffed his chest out, but then grinned and clapped Bjorn on the shoulder.
“So, you think you’re big, tough men? Let’s see you do this.” Rose took the cigarette from Bjorn’s mouth, taking a long drag. In her stocking feet, she did a ballet stance. Her arms raised and she went up en pointe, taking her entire weight on the tips of her toes. The guys gaped at her incredible muscle control. She came back down, her face screwed up in pain. She grabbed one foot, hopping around.
“Shit. I haven’t done that in years.”
Jack caught her as she lost her balance, and everyone in the room cracked up. They shared a kiss quickly, lost in each other’s faces, feeling their hearts race, having never felt so alive.