JACK'S ROSE
Chapter Two
Rose leaned on the cold railing, staring out
over the water as the Carpathia raced over the icy sea, taking the few
survivors of the Titanic's sinking to New York where they would disembark and—and
what? Live? Die? Wait? Wait for what? A tear slid down her cheek.
“Come Josephine in my flying machine, and
it's up she goes, up she goes!” Jack whispered in her ear, his hands caressing
hers as they stood on the railing of the "unsinkable" ship's bow. The
air flew over them.
They were flying.
Rose turned her head, and their lips
touched, sealing their love in a sacred kiss.
She moaned quietly and wiped her tears away.
"Rose?"
Rose spun around, her heart pounding wildly.
"Rose, we thought you were dead!"
Molly exclaimed loudly.
Rose looked about frantically, knowing that a
first class passenger talking to a third class passenger would certainly
attract attention, and attention was the one thing Rose did not need right now.
She pressed her fingers to her lips and
signaled Molly to follow her. Rose led her into the interior of the ship and to
the third class deck, then backed into a corner.
"Rose, what on earth are you
doing?" Molly asked.
"I know, Molly. You must think that I've
gone mad, and perhaps I have...but I cannot go back. You cannot tell them that
I am here! They were strangling me, killing me, Molly. I...I...I have to stay
here. I'm not one of them anymore. This is where Jack was. And this is where I
have to be. Please don't tell them," Rose pleaded frantically.
"I won't, Rose. Don't worry. Your secret
is safe with me. If you don't want them to find you, then they ain't
gonna!" she stated, smiling.
Rose smiled thankfully at Molly, tears
filling her eyes.
"It'll be all right, darling,"
Molly said, taking Rose into her arms. She stroked the young woman's hair as if
she were a small child. She could not begin to imagine what Rose had gone
through. Molly knew that she'd been one of the lucky ones...she'd gotten into a
boat, had a thick coat.
But most of all, she had lived.
"But I'm glad you found me, Molly. I...I
don't know what I'm going to do. I don't have money, any clothes. I...I don't
know how I'm going to find work. I don't know—" She paused and broke the
embrace. Rose looked at Molly with the eyes of a wounded animal in dire need of
help. Molly smiled at her.
"Hush, dear. We'll think of something.
But as for right now, we need to get you back inside. C'mon, darling," Molly
said, putting her arm over Rose's shoulders. "Where are they putting you
up?"
Rose led Molly to a large room where cots had
been set up and blankets handed out for the survivors. The two women wove in
and out of the maze of cots and bodies to a corner where Cora sat on a cot,
eating some soup. She smiled as Rose approached.
"Cora, this is Molly. Molly, this is
Cora," Rose said quietly.
Molly couldn't begin to imagine why Rose had
taken this child in. Why, when she had no way of feeding and clothing even
herself, she had taken in a child, she had no idea. But of course, that was not
something to question now. "Well, hello, Cora! You're cute as a
button!" Molly said happily.
The young girl blushed. "Thank you,"
she answered shyly.
"You are welcome!" Molly exclaimed
happily.
Cora smiled shyly once more.
Rose smiled and sat down on the cot beside
Cora. She picked up the makeshift doll she had made for Cora from scraps of
clothes and blankets and set it on her lap. Molly studied Rose for a moment
more, then said, "Well, I should be heading back. I don't wanna be
arousing any suspicions. I'll look for you when we dock, all right, Rose?"
"All right, Molly. Thank you," Rose
whispered as Molly bent and hugged her once more. "Thank you for
everything."
Molly smiled at her, tapped Cora on the nose,
then said good-bye and left.
Cora looked up at Rose with adoring eyes.
"Are we gonna see Molly when we get off?" she asked, setting the bowl
aside.
"Yes, Cora. We might spend a bit of time
with her."
"I hope we do," she said, picking
the doll up from Rose's lap.
"Me, too, Cora. Me, too."