A FATHER'S RESCUE
Chapter Twenty-One
Rose sighed. "What do you think?"
"Ah." Michael lowered himself into
the chair and faced his daughter. "She loves you," he said softly.
"And I'm convinced she loves me, too. There's no need for worry. She'll be
overjoyed just to know you're alive and well."
"She was so cruel on the ship, Daddy.
You couldn't imagine some of the things she said to me when she found out about
Jack. If she knew how I've chosen to live my life..."
"She'll just have to accept it,"
Michael finished the sentence for her. That said, he stood with finality and
took Rose's hands in his own. "We must be going. It's getting late."
Rose nervously glanced around the room at her
meager belongings. "D-don't we need any luggage?"
"Were you planning on staying?"
"I don't know." All of a sudden,
she was torn. Ruth would probably have her and her father banned from the
property. But if her mother was willing to forgive...and then she remembered
Jack's warning. You'll die if you don't break free.
"Oh, no," she said. "I just
thought it might be easier to head straight for California from there rather
than return here first for our things."
Michael grinned. "Well, we can take our
belongings with us, but I thought there might be a few people you'd like to say
good-bye to." He looked at Rose pointedly, but she only blushed and turned
away.
"We can come back for them," was
all she said.
Though she seemed more content now, Rose
still asked for time alone. Michael granted it, and Rose stayed alone in her
room until David knocked and asked her to come down to the parlor so they could
talk. Rose was certain she knew what this was about, but she couldn't avoid it
forever, and so decided to get it over with. By the time she went down, David was
already waiting there.
"Rose, I know you might be a little
angry, but your father came and told me you're planning on leaving. He
hesitated to tell me, but he said he isn't sure when you will be back and he
thought I should know. I'm going to miss you, Rose."
"Oh." Flustered, she struggled to
think of something imaginative to say, and could not. She finally settled for,
"I'll miss you, too, David. It has been a great pleasure knowing
you." Aware of how formal she sounded, she awkwardly stuck out a hand.
David accepted it and gently kissed it, eliciting a gasp of alarm from Rose.
"I-I'm sorry," David said, puzzled.
Rose didn't respond initially; her thoughts were on the last man to kiss her
hand in such a manner.
"Rose?"
With a sudden rustle of skirts, she rushed at
him, grabbed his face and planted her lips fiercely on his. David's eyes flew
open for a second before he succumbed and returned the kiss. They separated
after only a few seconds, but to Rose it seemed like an eternity. Afterwards,
they stood staring at each other, neither one able to speak.
"Rose?" came her father's voice
from the stairwell. "Rose, we must depart."
She smiled sweetly at David and put her
finger to her lips. Before leaving the parlor, she silently mouthed the words,
"Thank you."
"I'm ready, Daddy," she called to
her father.
David moved to the window to watch them go.
Somehow he knew he'd see her again soon.
*****
On the way to the train station, and even
after the train had departed, Rose was lost in thought. Her father tried engaging
her in conversation, but failed. Michael then decided that it was entirely
natural that Rose should have a lot on her mind, considering where they were
going.
Rose, for her part, was glad her father
relented and left her to her thoughts. She suddenly felt so jumbled, and
wondered if taking this trip was the right thing to do.
"Philadelphia!"
Rose jolted awake. How long had it been since
she dozed off? She stared out of the window at the familiar landscape; modern
office buildings contrasting with the historic Liberty Bell, and excitement and
a rising panic mingled in the depths of her stomach.
"We're here?" her father mumbled
sleepily.
So she wasn't the only one who'd grabbed a
catnap during the journey. "Yes, Daddy," Rose responded. "We're
home."
They stood and began gathering their meager
belongings. Rose was still drowsy and nearly stumbled as she stepped onto the
crowded platform.
"Easy does it," Michael cautioned.
A porter approached them almost immediately.
"Carry your bag, ma'am?" She handed it over without a word. How easy
it was to revert to old habits!
It took some time to get everything in order,
and as soon as they were, Rose declared that she was hungry and asked where
they could go get something to eat. Michael knew things had probably changed
somewhat since he had been here last, so they just went in search of the most
promising restaurant that was also close to the station. They soon located a
nice looking place, went in and sat down.
Rose still didn't seem in the mood for conversation,
and so Michael called a waitress over so they could order. Only while they were
waiting for the food did Michael begin to get fidgety, wanting to fill the time
with talk. He decided to venture a question and hope for a response from Rose.
"Rose, what do you hope to accomplish
here?"
She looked startled, as if she hadn't given
it much thought at all.
"I want to see Mother, and--" She
faltered.
"And?" Michael probed gently.
"I--I don't know." Her wide eyes
pleaded with him. "Help me, Daddy. I don't know what I'll say to her. I
think this whole trip may be a mistake."
Suddenly there was a scream from a nearby
table, and all conversation in the restaurant came to an abrupt halt. Rose and
Michael turned in that direction, and both groaned, Rose inwardly and Michael
aloud.
A middle-aged woman of ample girth was
staring directly at them with a look of pure horror on her face. "Dear
Lord," she gasped, and slumped over in her chair. Her luncheon companion,
a gentleman whom Rose did not recognize, rushed to her aid.
Rose and her father exchanged looks.
"Caroline Davis," they said in unison.
"Let's go before she comes to,"
Rose whispered, but before they could make a move, the woman was revived and
ogling them again.