FAMILY
Chapter One
Outside the DeWitt-Bukater
House
"So…did you understand the
plan?" a man asked.
"Yeah, I did. But...but I
didn’t understand why we are doing this."
"I already told you a
thousand times. And besides, it doesn’t matter why. The important thing is that
we do it. Remember, you can’t be recognized, not even by Rose. Is that
clear?"
"Yes, it is. And you are
lying. You never told me the exact reason. All you did was mention a girl who
is getting married and I don’t know what else. But why are you doing all this?
That’s what I want to know."
"I’ll tell you one of these
days, but for now you need to focus on what I told you. Remember, be sure that
when they leave to Philadelphia, they take you with them. And also that an
invitation is sent to me…John Doyle. Don’t forget--John Doyle."
"Do I look like an idiot?
Seriously. You’ve told me a thousand times that your new name is that, but I
still don’t understand the reason. Didn’t you like your other name?"
"Kelly, it’s not that!
Please, you have to help me. I’ll pay you back, I swear. Anything you want,
you’ll have it, but just help me with this. I can’t get into the house, and you
are the only one I know who is such a great actress to pretend to be a maid
without being recognized."
The girl looked at her brother.
He really looked desperate, which was very strange in him. She decided to help
him.
"Okay. I will help you. But
you’d better have a great excuse for this. I’ll write you a letter telling you
when the ceremony is and all that. Anything else?"
"Oh, Kelly, that’s great.
Thank you very much."
"You’re welcome. That’s what
big sisters are for." She smiled, and added, "Well, I should be going
now. They told me to be there by noon. I don’t want to be late for my first
day. Take care while I’m not there."
"I always do. Good luck,
Kelly!"
Kelly watched him leave. He had
changed so much since the last time she had seen him, almost seven years ago.
Why was he doing all that for a girl? She tried to understand, but she
couldn’t. She looked at her watch and entered the house.
Inside the DeWitt-Bukater
House
"Can you believe this? Three
times! We had to send the invitations back three times! I won’t recommend him
to one of my friends." Ruth quieted, waiting for her daughter to say
something.
But Rose was beyond that
conversation. In her mind, she was still on the Titanic with Jack. Jack. How
long had it been? Six months, already? It seemed like more. Although they had
known each other for only three days, she had loved him with all her heart, and
now he was dead…it still killed her to think that he had had to stay in that
freezing water while she was safe on a boat.
But now she was paying him back.
She had reached the Carpathia, but Cal had found her. So now she was being
forced to marry someone she hated. Sometimes she thought that it would have
been better to stay with Jack. But it was too late.
Something in her mind sensed a
silence, so she nodded her head. Her mother apparently bought it, because she
kept talking about the wedding dress. Rose couldn’t help to smile when she realized
how desperate her mother was to forget about those few days when returning from
Europe.
Suddenly, there was a knock at
the door, and a young girl entered the room.
"Excuse me…Mrs.
DeWitt-Bukater? Hi, I’m Kelly, your new maid. The butler told me you were here,
so I came to introduce myself."
"Right. The new maid. But
why did you come here? Go to the kitchen. Mary will show you what to do."
Kelly smiled at Rose and left the
room while Ruth muttered something about girls who believed they were more
important than they really were. But Rose wasn’t listening, and this time she
wasn’t on the ship of her dreams.
When she had seen the girl
smiling, she had seen beyond her smile. She couldn’t tell what it was, but
something in her eyes seemed to say, Don’t worry. Plus, she looked very
similar to someone Rose had known, but she couldn’t quite place her anywhere.
I’m just deluding myself, Rose thought. There’s no one out there
wanting to save me. The only one who did care is at the bottom of the sea.
How wrong she was…