FLORA
Chapter Six

Flora and Maddy arrived in Cedar Rapids not a few days later. Flora went on to the theater ahead of Maddy, having Rose and Alex give her a tour which she enjoyed thoroughly. The theater was beautiful, and it did look majestic! Alex seemed to be especially excited about it, and it seemed Rose showed her excitement in a much quieter way than her partner, but their personalities fit well together.

Since it was Maddy that was coming, Rose had decided to disappear backstage while Alex answered questions and gave a tour. When Flora spotted the car pulling up out the window, Rose ran to the back, leaving just the two of them alone to make the sale.

When Maddy walked in it was obvious she had put on the best clothes she had for the occasion, and the best jewelry she owned. Her hair was piled under a large, elaborate hat, and even though her stomach was very much showing it's condition now, she was still beautiful.

"Mrs. Astor, thank you for coming!" Alex was the first to greet her, Flora simply smiling in her direction from the seat she had sat in. She was going to let Alex do all the work now, and from the way he could charm the ladies, Flora knew that even if she hadn't owed Flora a favor, she would probably do whatever he asked her to, from the way she seemed to like the attention!

After he had finished telling her his plan and showing her the some of the theater, Maddy took out a wad of money from her purse and set it in Alex's hand, his face looking incredibly stunned.

"You've sold me on the idea, Mr. Calvert. Here is quite a bit of money, and if you need more, feel free to contact me through Flora here, she knows where to find me. I really am impressed with it, and especially with you!"

Alex was still stunned, but he gave her a boyish smile, holding out his hand for her to shake.

"Oh, thank you so much, Mrs. Astor! Do you want it to be named after you, I think that is a tradition in theater, isn't it?" Maddy smiled, nodding thoughtfully as she stared at the stage.

"Yes, actually, I think I would!"

"The Astor Theater then?" Maddy shook her head, her smile faded.

"The Talmadge Force Theater. That was my maiden name and my mother's maiden name. I like the sound of that better, do you?" Alex nodded, but Flora suspected that after being given that much money he would have agreed to anything she said!

"Yes, ma'am! And, you can have the best seats in the house for free whenever you come!" Maddy smiled, shaking his hand again and saying her farewell to both of them, winking at Flora with a smile on her way past her.

"We did it! We did it! Flora, we did it!" Flora was almost picked up off the ground when he hugged her, and then he ran to get Rose, whom had hidden very well the whole time!

"Rose, we did it! We got the money, we got it!" Rose was just as excited, and without even realizing it found herself hugging him tightly. It was only for a moment, then she let go, a bit afraid of what she had just done. She turned around when Flora was about to speak, but she could only get out a few words before she let out a cry of pain.

"Oh my God! Flora, what is it?" When they got to Flora's side, she was holding her stomach, definitely in discomfort. Alex ran to get some water at Rose's request, and Rose stayed to hold Flora's hand tightly.

"I know what is wrong, I've known for a week now." Flora began to stand up, but Rose insisted she sit in a seat for awhile, which she did.

"Then what is it, Flora? Tell me, please!" Flora looked up at her friend, trying to figure out how to say what she had discovered not a week before.

"I haven't had my monthly on time, and I've been getting sick every morning, and getting terrible cramps in my stomach. Rose, I'm pregnant." Rose looked almost as if she would fall over, but Flora helped her sit in the seat next to her, smiling amusedly at her friend.

"Matthew's?" Flora nodded smiling, chuckling a little at her friend's face.

"Yes, of course! He'll be back soon and we'll get married, and we'll start our family soon after, it is nothing to worry over! I'm happy, Rose, that's all that matters." Rose nodded, reaching to embrace her tightly, both smiling when they parted. Alex came in with a glass of water, which he gave to Flora, worry on his face.

"Oh, it's fine Alex. I'm all right now." Alex smiled, relief now on his face. Quickly, he ran to the stage and took off a bottle of champagne and some glasses, which he held out to them.

"Well, let's celebrate, huh?" Rose and Flora took the glasses thankfully, and all three sat together chatting as Rose and Alex's dream was made reality.

*****

Nine months later Ruby Marie Cambridge came into the world, the sun shining in on the young mother and daughter as she held her daughter close. The wedding ring caught of the sun's light and glistened brightly, Matthew's doing the same as he sat on the side of the bed, stroking his daughter's bald head gently.

"She is too beautiful, Flora. She's just like you." Flora nodded, kissing her forehead with a smile.

"She's just as much yours, you know. She has your eyes." Matthew smiled at his little girl, then kissed his wife's forehead first, then lips gently, love illuminating from him.

"Yes, I know. I'm glad you had her on the one day the play isn't being performed. I don't trust my understudy. And the director would have been likely to bloody kill me!" Flora laughed, holding her daughter tightly to her, yet gently.

"Well, I do my best to please you, darling. Ruby, your daddy is a great British actor you know! The best theater troupes in England are all begging for him to join!" Matthew laughed, reaching out to touch his daughter's tiny hand.

"That's it, tell her lies now so in the future she'll think I'm a saint! Only one of the best troupes wants me."

"Yes, but it is the best troupe that wants you. That says something, you know." Matthew stood up, walking the other end of the room where the desk Arlene had had sent to Flora stood, opening a drawer and taking out a little necklace he had had made for Flora. It was simple, yet elegant, and as he handed it to her, he took Ruby in his arms and starting to bounce her slightly.

"That is for you. I figured you could use a present after all you went through." Flora looked at it, seeing it was a plain heart shaped locket on a chain. When she opened it, their was a small picture of Matthew and her on their wedding day, the one they had in Cedar Rapids on the stage of Rose and Alex's theater. Maddy, Molly, Rose, Alex, Edith, Anna, Arlene, her husband, they had all been there. They were both so happy that day, so ecstatic!

"My God, it is beautiful Matthew!" Matthew nodded, smiling at his daughter.

"The other side is to put a picture of Ruby, after we get one done." Flora nodded, reaching out to hold her husband as he sat next to her on their bed, their daughter in his arms.

"I never thought I could be this happy!"

"Well, you can, and I'm going to make sure you always will be." Flora kissed his face, gently doing the same to her daughter.

"I wish I could tell the whole world what has happened in my life, especially my grandchildren, or even great grandchildren, but I don't know how I could ever do that." Matthew thought a moment, looking toward the desk in the corner, the one that was so important to his wife, and then took Ruby and walked to the door.

"Write it down." And with this he left the room, cooing over Ruby as he shut the door behind him. Smiling, Flora got out of the bed and went to sit at the desk, taking a pen and paper out from the drawer and then beginning to write furiously as she told her story as she had lived it, passionately.

*****

And that is what I have done, that is what this is, my story, for every future generation so they can know who I was and what I survived and accomplished after Titanic. This is my legacy to you.

With much love,

Flora Cartwright Cambridge

*****

Lizzy set the notebook on her lap, Jenny coming back into the room with two cups of coffee for both of them.

"You finish?" Lizzy began to say something, but stopped when a tear escaped her eyes. Jenny went on, sitting next to her. "My grandmother found out about your Nana's death the day before she died. That next morning I found her dead in her bed. You see, she kept her promise to Jack, she was always there for Rose. Then, while I was looking through her things I found this notebook, along with quite a few others, about her life. I have those too, if you ever want to read them." Lizzy nodded, handing the notebook in her lap to Jenny with a smile.

"Nana never really talked about Flora, but I did see her letters to her when I sent them out. Never knew just how deep the friendship was! The necklace, if it wasn't lost in the sinking, where is it?" Jenny smiled, holding out a letter that was from Rose to Flora, dated just days before they went to speak to Brock.

"My grandmother thought it was lost when she moved from America to England, it was nowhere to be found. Then, this letter arrived from your grandmother, saying it was time for her to have the necklace back. Grandma was quite upset since she thought she had lost it so long ago! But, that night, she went to write a letter back at her desk, and when she opened the drawer, it was sitting there, like it had never moved, on top of Jack's drawings! She believed that it was because she had asked Jack to take care of it until Rose needed it, that he did." Lizzy smiled, enjoying this woman's story more and more as she heard it.

"Can I see the desk?" Jenny nodded, Lizzy following as she led her upstairs and into the bedroom where it was. When Lizzy saw it, she felt tears fill her eyes. It was very old, but definitely had been redone a few times so it would be kept looking good. Lizzy sat at the desk, opening the drawers at the insistence of Jenny, who showed her some of Jack's drawings and Flora's notebooks.

Lizzy glanced over at the photos on the table next to the door, noticing a photo that looked familiar to her. She rose then went to the table, picking up a photo of her Nana smiling, her arm around another smiling, beautiful girl she now realized was Flora.

"My Nana had this picture too!" Jenny came behind her, nodding with a smile.

"Really? That is my grandmother there, and I take it that is your Nana there. She was beautiful. How many children did Rose have?" Lizzy set the photo back on the table and turned to face Jenny.

"Two. Katharine and Jason. And Flora?"

"Five! Ruby, Daniella, Justin, David, and Brittany. Quite a handful, aye?" Lizzy smiled, a bit surprised when the door opened and a man came in, Jenny going to hug him when he did.

"Oh, I'm glad to see you again! Lizzy, this is my cousin Daniel. Danny, this is Elizabeth Calvert." Danny smiled widely, greeting her with a handshake. He had kind brown eyes and deep red hair, and was quit handsome in her opinion. Danny looked quite taken with her also, and didn't let go of her hand until a minute or so later.

"Hello, nice to meet you! Good of you to come all the way to England to see Jen here, she was hoping you would." Lizzy nodded, Jenny noticing how taken with each other the two were.

"Well, I better start making lunch for my husband. He and the children should be back soon. Would you like to escort her back to the hotel, Danny? Maybe you can show her some of London on the way!" Daniel nodded, Lizzy hugging Jenny tightly before she descended the stairs and they went out the door, going to his car.

"I really love this time of day here. I've been here two days, and this time of day seems to be so quiet." Danny nodded, opening the door for her, then getting in himself on the other side.

"Well, everyone is eating tea and crumpets you know!" Lizzy laughed, looking at Danny as he smiled at her.

"Would you like to?" Danny looked confused, shifting so he could see her better.

"Like to do what?"

"Go out for some tea, of course!" Danny laughed, nodding enthusiastically.

"Hey, why not! I know the perfect little cafe down the street!" And with this they started off, Jenny watching from the upstairs window with a content smile.

"Well, Grandma, you always said you wished one of Rose's children would marry one of yours. Hope grandchildren are all right!" With this, Jenny laughed, setting down the photo of her Grandma's wedding, then going downstairs to continue on with her life, a life made possible only because her grandmother had had enough courage to survive.

And Jenny couldn't help but feel the strange presence of someone, and smell the familiar scent of Flora's vanilla perfume.

The End.

Stories