FLORA
Chapter Three

It seemed an eternity before she was officially in Cleveland, but when the moment finally arrived and she was getting off the train, fear took her over. How would she react to seeing a family member that she had always thought to be dead? It was as if, in her mind, her Aunt Arlene had risen from the dead, and it was confusing for her young mind. Flora had tried to work it out during the long trip, but she hadn't gotten any closer to a conclusion.

Flora glanced around the busy station, looking for someone she had never seen before, even in photographs since her father had never really spoken about his past. She tried to look for a woman that might resemble her very gentleman-like father and uncle, searching for a member of society, dressed in all the latest fashions, and finally spotted a woman like that across the crowd, and began to head in her direction. Suddenly, a woman of about 40 wearing a plain brown dress and no jewelry stopped her, grabbing her arm gently as she walked by. Flora turned to face her, a bit frustrated that she had grabbed her so rudely, but when she saw the woman's blue eyes she went silent.

"Flora? Flora Cartwright?" Flora stood there stunned at the sight of the woman before her. How could this be her relative, the sister of two very wealthy men like her father and uncle? The stunned silence lasted a few moments before Flora nodded, the eyes of her father staring at her from this woman.

"You must be my Aunt Arlene." The woman nodded, a broad smile crossing her face. She embraced Flora then, who hugged her back hesitantly at first, but then felt comfortable in the embrace of this stranger that was her aunt. Arlene released her, standing back so she could look her in the eyes, a smile now on both of their faces.

"My, you are certainly a Cartwright! You must get that dark hair from your Mama though. Us Cartwrights are all blondes, but you definitely got the eyes of a Cartwright! Beautiful blues!" Flora smiled with her, seeing that this blond haired, blue eyes woman looked so like her father and uncle in some ways. Even her comforting smile was theirs, and she felt as if they had almost been given back to her in the form of Arlene.

"I…I was so amazed to hear that you are alive! My dad never spoke of it! Is Carol alive?" The hope that lingered in Flora's eyes that she had yet another relative alive faded away when she saw Arlene's smile faded, her eyes growing sad.

"Come. Let's talk about that at my home. There is a lot to discuss." With this, Flora ordered one of the workers on the train to load her things into Arlene's wagon, and followed as her aunt led her away.

*****

The home that Flora was brought to was rather small, and definitely nothing that she was used to. It had two bedrooms, enough for Arlene and her husband, who she figured out had never had children. It was odd to her, but Flora never asked any questions about that topic, afraid she wouldn't like the answer.

Arlene brought her to the kitchen, a very neat and small room with only the most needed utensils. The table was even small, but it was big enough for them both to sit while they drank the coffee Arlene made. They made small talk at first, but Flora was rather anxious to hear about the family history that had been kept from her for so long, and Arlene sensed this. With a last sip of coffee and a small sigh, her aunt began.

"First of all, I'll tell you about your grandparents. Lawrence and Francis Cartwright had four children: Carol, Christopher, Robert, and Arlene. We lived in Wisconsin for our whole childhood, on a farm, and were as happy as a family with little money could be. Our parents gave us as much as they could, and we were grateful for that. They started a small savings account so one of the boys could get an education, and since Christopher was the oldest, he went." Flora sat in silence while her aunt paused to take another sip of coffee, then resume.

"While there he met and married a sickly woman, named Martha Braxwell. She was going to die, and when she did she didn't want her fortune to go to her money hungry brothers, so instead gave it all to Christopher. She died not a month after the wedding, and then Christopher quit college and returned to the farm. Sadly, my mom died not long after from pneumonia, and Daddy soon after. The family was crushed, but luckily with Christopher's newfound wealth, we did all right. Christopher sent Robert to school, more to meet a wife than get an education, and pushed for me to marry this farmer boy I had been seeing for years, which I did. I knew that he wanted me to marry so someone could take care of the farm, and we did for quite sometime."

"Meanwhile, Robert met your mother, Marie, a very wealthy young woman. They had you, and stayed in New York for quite some time, until they died. He never returned to the farm, nor kept in contact with any of us but Christopher. Carol had got married the year before your birth, already had a baby of her own, a little boy. Her husband, Dan, wanted to take care of the farm, and my husband and I moved here then. I corresponded with Carol through letters, until she died a couple years back; her son disappeared after that. The next I heard from any one was from Christopher just a week or so ago, finding about you and your whereabouts! I was so excited, so full of joy! Your all the family I know of now, besides my husband." Flora had some tears in her eyes, thinking about all the family that she had but had lost. She was a bit mad at her father for keeping them away from her while they were there, but the anger quickly faded when she remembered his kind face and big blue eyes!

"So, we're the last of the Cartwrights?" Flora smiled weakly, reaching out to hold her hand. Arlene was crying now, and Flora began to comfort her, going to her side and embracing her tightly. She didn't want to let go, after all, she was all the family Flora had.

*****

Flora busied herself with writing letters the week after her arrival, to Rose, Molly, and two to the White Star Line, one asking the whereabouts of Matthew, the other a lengthy complaint letter discussing Titanic and the aftermath of it. She cried over the latter one, finally letting the tears of stress fall, and afterward feeling incredibly better than before.

When a letter from Rose arrived on a warm Sunday morning, Flora rushed to her room to read it, excited to hear from her friend once again. Inside with the letter was a playbill from the play she had gone to see, Miss Innocence, and a letter, which Flora read hastily:

Dearest Flora,

I received your letter today with much happiness and rushed up here to read it and respond to it! I enclosed a playbill from Miss Innocence, which Molly and I went to see the night after you left. How extremely fun it was! Seeing the comic lines tossed in with musical numbers and those elaborate costumes were stunning! I was so taken with it all, that I asked Molly to get us backstage, which she did with no trouble. You wouldn't believe the special treatment she gets, but it was a plus for us!

While backstage I met the lead actress, Anna Held, who I talked to for quite awhile, but then I met the girl that played the character of Claire, a young woman named Edith St. Claire. She told me about what it was like to be a stage actress, how much fun she had playing other people, and I instantly knew what I want to do. Flora, I know it is shunned by society, but I wish to be an actress! When I act, it will keep me busy and also becoming someone else holds a certain appeal to me. If I play someone else, I won't have to worry about my problems until it's done. I know that even if every other person in my life disowns me because of this, that you will be there for me, you were when I needed you most, and I ask for your support again!

Anyway, I was put as an understudy for Edith, and start on the road just tomorrow! Yes, isn't it amazing! Tomorrow! Edith said she liked me very much, and we have become fast friends, and you will NEVER guess who I met up with! Mr. Alexander Calvert, from the tavern! He does construction on the sets, and he immediately remembered me. We have become friends also. He is such a free spirit, he reminds me of Jack in that way, and sometimes watching him makes me want to cry from the memories.

Anyhow, you are caught up on me! Please, even though I will be gone send your letters to Molly's and she will get them to me when I stay somewhere. Remember what you promised me, Flora, and remember I am forever

Your devoted friend,

Rose Dawson

Flora was excited at this new bit of news! Rose had finally found something that would keep her busy while she mourned, something that would keep her happy, and best of all she had made a couple friends. It comforted Flora to know that, since when she left she had felt guilty about leaving Rose alone. But now, she had nothing to make her fearful on that account, and now she knew it was time to throw herself into finding Matthew!

That evening she packed and readied herself to leave on the next train for New York the next morning. She had gotten no word from the White Star Line, but she was determined now to demand the information in person. After she was done she went downstairs to where Arlene was, sitting in the living room knitting in front of the fireplace. She had never really paid much attention to the pictures on the mantle, and just now noticed an array of framed photographs. Curiously she began to survey them, seeing ones of Arlene, her Uncle Christopher, a couple she presumed to be Carol and her husband, and then a picture of her father at a very young age.

"This is my father isn't it?" The photo showed him at about 15 or so, standing next to a horse while he held the reins, a large smile on his face. At further look Flora realized it couldn't be her father, he was wearing more modern clothing then her father would have worn at that age, and as she looked at those eyes and that smile, her breath caught.

"No, no dear. That's your cousin! Quite a resemblance, aye?" Flora could hardly speak; she was in such shock. She had seen this man before, seen that sly smile and kind eyes, on Titanic. But that was completely impossible, wasn't it?

"What was his name?" Flora spoke softly, trying not to sound too anxious. "Oh, Jack. His name is Jack, don't know where he is now, he is quite a free spirit you know! He was writing to me for quite awhile, but stopped after he went to France. The last letter I sent him there told him where you and Christopher were, in England, he was going to try and find you. He is always so curious about you, since Christopher never had any children, or I, and he was an only child, he used to always want to know about you, you are about the same age as he is. He is quite an artist, I have some of his drawings if you want to see them." Flora remained speechless for quite sometime, her mind whirling at this new revelation. Arlene looked concerned, seeing the shock plainly showing on Flora's face.

"His last name was Dawson wasn't it?" Arlene looked shocked that Flora knew, but nodded just the same. Flora sat down, grabbing her aunt's hand in her own, and starting to tell the story as Rose had told it to her, telling every detail that she could remember, even about the slight moment that she had come in contact with him, when he winked at her and smiled. Afterward, Arlene wiped tears from her eyes, setting her knitting project to one side and standing up.

"Come with me, Flora." Flora followed her to the back room, where there was a desk in the corner, in front of a window. They both approached the desk, and Arlene pulled a stack of papers from a drawer handing them to Flora with a small smile.

"When Jack used to visit he would come her at night to draw. Usually he drew from life, but in here he said he drew what he wanted to see in life. There are some landscape scenes he did, but most of all there are some sketches of himself, his close friends, his parents, his friends, and these two, which are of you." She handed them to Flora, who looked into the face of herself. They were perfect, and she felt a teardrop fall down her nose. "Christopher sent me one picture of you at fourteen or so, and that is what he drew from. You see, even though he never knew you, he always felt close to you, like an unbreakable bond. He talked of you so highly though he never knew you, and I know that he would want you to have these, and this desk which meant so much to him. When you get a home of your own, will you take this desk with you?" Flora felt a few more tears escape, and she embraced Arlene wholeheartedly, not letting go for quite some time.

"Yes, I will keep it with me always, I promise." And with this they left the room, still holding one another.

*****

That night Flora had a dream that was more vivid then any she had had in the past. She was on Titanic again, this time on the bow of the ship while it calmly cut through the water on it's way to it's destination. There was no sound at first, but then from behind she heard a voice call her name, and she turned to see Jack standing before her, a small smile on his face.

"Jack?" Flora was too shocked to say anything else, and he must have sensed that. He came closer, and to her surprise hugged her affectionately, in that cousinly way. Flora embraced him back, hardly believing how real it felt. Then, she pulled away and Jack walked to the railing, leaning out over it and staring into oblivion. Flora followed, but instead looked at Jack's face.

"I came to thank you, Flora, for caring for Rose. She is very important to me, and I knew you would help her." Flora nodded, then gave him a questioning glance.

"Yes, I brought you to her afterward, or more accurately her to you. So you can take care of each other, of course, but also because I was tired of looking after her, then checking up on you, and just getting very tired out by all of it! I thought it would be easier to just have you both in the same place." Jack laughed heartily, and Flora did the same, their similar eyes looking at one another kindly. "Anyway, I have a favor to ask of you, also. Just take care of her when she needs it, be there for her whenever she needs you." Flora nodded, smiling again.

"I promise Jack. She's going to be an actress, you know?" Jack smiled and nodded, looking sheepishly at his feet while he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"I know. She's going to be a very good one, too. Have you seen those costumes those Zeigfeld girls wear though? Wow! Quite showy sometimes!" They laughed together, Flora smiling happily.

"I know I could never wear them!" Flora got modest just thinking about it.

"Neither could I!" Jack laughed when he realized what he had said, walking a little ways, Flora following as she laughed also.

"Even you know what she's going to do before she does it, what about me?" Jack smiled again, reaching out to touch her face gently.

"You will get married, have a few children, and write." Flora was speechless, touching his hand softly as he began to walk away, retreating into the fog that had mysteriously formed on the deck of the ship.

"Jack, Jack! Goodbye, Jack!" And with this Flora awoke from her slumber, sweat covering her entire body and a bit breathless. She sat up a moment, letting herself calm down, then laid back down, a small smile on her lips as she floated back to sleep, this time a dreamless rest.

*****

It seemed all Flora was doing lately was boarding and unboarding trains, but in a way it made her content. She never knew what was going to happen when she got somewhere, never knew what to expect, and always something amazing would happen to her.

Again she found herself in the familiar setting of a train station, her Aunt Arlene telling her to be careful and take care of herself. Flora couldn't help but cry a little when she had to say goodbye, but she knew this wasn't the last time she would visit Arlene, she wouldn't let it be.

*****

Flora arrived in New York again on a warm afternoon. Everything looked exactly as it had when she had left, but the way she saw things had changed dramatically. The last time she had been here she was a scared young child with a lot of fears she thought she could never overcome, and now she returned having overcome most of them.

In some ways she was grateful for having been on Titanic, having had that experience. If she wouldn't have been, then she would never have met Rose, or found out about Aunt Arlene, or learn about her cousin. It was saddening to know that Jack had died before she got to know him, but for some reason she felt she did know him in a lot of ways, and felt him near her sometimes when she was sitting alone without anyone around. It was like he was checking up on her, making sure she was all right, taking care of her. But she knew that he spent more time with Rose, and was happy he did.

Flora had thought long and hard on the train about how she would tell Rose about the new found information she had learned. She had not come to a conclusion as of yet, though. How would she be able to come out and say that she was the cousin of the man Rose had lost on the Titanic, the one she mourned for still? There was no easy answer to that, but she knew sooner or later it would have to be dealt with, and now Flora hoped for it to be later.

Flora didn't want to stay in another hotel, but had no choice in the matter so checked into the Waldorf-Astoria, Molly having already made the arrangement by wire while Flora was in Ohio. The man at the desk had a pleasant demeanor, and Flora was happy to see someone smile again. He handed her the key and told her the room number; a bellboy immediately starting up to it with the few pieces of luggage she had brought with her.

She started to follow, but a soft female voice calling her name made her turn, thinking it probably just a hotel employee asking a question, but when she found where the voice had come from she smiled.

"Flora!" Madeleine Astor, still with child, walked toward her smiling. Flora met her halfway, embracing her gently, then motioning for Maddy to sit next to her on a couch in the lobby.

"Maddy, my God, I wasn't expecting to see you." Maddy was about six months pregnant now, and her kind face and lovely eyes showed through to her disturbed soul. Flora had heard about JJ Astor, and what had happened to him, and felt compassion for this young widow woman, that was to bear a child alone.

"Molly wrote and told me that you were going to be coming here. I haven't seen a familiar face in such a long while, I had to come see you." Flora smiled, a bit surprised when Maddy squeezed her hand gently. It had been quite some time since they had really had a real conversation.

"I'm flattered! You didn't have to though, really! I'm not that important!" Maddy frowned and looked away, her tragic eyes looking at the other side of the hotel.

"I'm not important anymore either. Since JJ is, well, is gone, no one seems to want to associate with me, the child mistress of a man more than twice my age. It's been so hard, Flora! His sons came to greet me the day the Carpathia came in to New York, but since then they haven't shown their faces around me! And all of good society will not associate themselves with me, and when they do it is just cordial greeting and gossip, nothing more!" Flora felt for Maddy, who obviously was hurt by the rejection society was giving her.

"Now, Maddy, it will get better! You'll have your child, and JJ must have left you some money!" Maddy nodded, looking at her hands as she wrung them in her lap.

"Yes, five million! But…" She paused, turning her exasperated eyes to Flora.

"What, Maddy, but what?" Flora's kind voice seemed to entice Maddy to tell her what was on her mind, and Flora's natural concern for people was showing through.

"There…well…are some stipulations involved there. And I'm not sure I can keep them." Flora's brow was furrowed in curiosity, her eyes begging for her to tell what she meant.

"What do you mean stipulations? He left the money to you, it's yours!" Maddy nodded, showing a bit discomfort with this subject but still continuing.

"I can only keep the money under the limitation that I never marry again, ever! That is the stipulation that I spoke of." Flora was a bit taken aback by that thought, obviously trying to comprehend why any man would force that sort of choice upon his wife; plentiful money for life, or loneliness forevermore.

"Why would JJ do that? I can't imagine him having ever done something like that." Maddy shrugged, her hands resting on her protruding stomach. She looked off into space a bit, not really at anything, just looking. Flora touched her arm gently, feeling more and more sorry for this woman by the moment. After all, she was just nineteen years old, only three years older than herself, and already she was put with this heavy burden on her shoulders.

"I don't know, I guess he felt he had to. There is no use arguing with it. But, this is not what I came here for! I came here to ask you something!" Flora smiled, assuring her to go one.

"Yes, what is it Maddy?" Maddy was actually smiling herself now, her face brightening with joy, something she hadn't felt much since that fateful night.

"I want you to come stay with me while you are in New York!" Flora was surprised at the statement, and Maddy sensed this. "I know we haven't been the best of friends, Flora. I know that I really never was more than cordial to you, but you were always one of the only people that didn't seem to listen to the gossip about me, and now about the only person left that seems to care at all. And my house has been so lonely, having only my maid there and no one even coming to visit, I need some company for awhile! Please, Flora, it will be a favor towards me, one that I promise to pay back in any way you want." Flora looked at this girl's pleading eyes, and realized how desperately alone she must feel to plead for her companionship. It made Flora want to cry, and right away she agreed, not wanting to add any more pain to this woman's life.

"All right, I will come stay with you. I have to get the bellboy to bring back my luggage, and then we can go!" And with this Flora again found herself helping someone else, and forgetting about herself.

Chapter Four
Stories