JACK'S ROSE
Chapter Twenty-One

Rose looked at Cora fondly as the young girl entered her room.

"Hi, Rosie!" she beamed. Rose smiled.

"You look lovely, Cora. You're sure to steal the hearts of all the young boys." Rose glanced over at her to see her blush and giggle. Nathan began cooing and reached up toward Cora as she walked across the room to them. Rose handed Nathan to Cora and the young baby began twirling his hands through Cora's tight, dark curls. Rose looked at them fondly. My two children, she thought.

"Rose! Rose, are you ready yet?" Rose heard Julia's voice ask from downstairs. Rose sighed and made a face at Cora. Cora giggled.

"No, Julia."

"There's only an hour left until William will be here, Rose. Don't you think it'd be a rather good idea to get ready?" Rose rolled her eyes. Cora put Nathan in his crib and winked at Rose.

"I'll let you be, now." Rose smiled after Cora as she shut the door behind her. Rose stood from her seat on the edge of her bed and walked over to her closet. She knelt and shuffled through the dress boxes until she came to the one she wanted. She picked it up and walked back to her bed. Rose took the dress out and let the skirt fall to its full length. It looked almost exactly like the one she'd been wearing the day they'd arrived at Southampton, except the black was replaced with dark violet.

She remembered looking anxiously out the window at that great ship sitting there, seemingly as anxious as she was herself.

The ship looked as if she were ready to, at any second, spring free from the massive ropes tying her down and strike out across the freezing water. But Rose couldn't let anyone see how she felt. Society girls didn't show emotions. The door opened and she took the driver's hand to step down. She looked up at the ship now, through crisp, clean air, in all its grandeur. Show no sign of your feelings, Rose, she told herself.

"It doesn't look any bigger than the Mauritania," she said matter-of-factly. Cal was in such a good mood that day. He didn't heed her cross words.

"You can be blasé about some things Rose, but not about Titanic. She's over a hundred feet longer the Mauritania, and far more luxurious." He turned to Ruth. "Your daughter is far too hard to impress, Ruth." She chuckled.

"So this is the ship they say is unsinkable," Ruth said pleasantly.

"God himself could not sink this ship—what?" He turned to the man at his side. Then Rose had turned her attention away from the people she hated so and to the "ship of dreams."

"Rose!" She heard her name called from downstairs again. "Are you ready, yet? You've got ten minutes!" Ten minutes? she though frantically. Rose quickly stripped out of her homespun dress and into the silk purple and white pinstripe dress. She quickly threw her hair up into a tight bun, letting a few curls hang at the side of her face. She pinched her cheeks and licked her lips, trying to make herself look as attractive as possible. Rose stepped back and looked at her reflection in the mirror. The dress still fit perfectly, but she had changed. Her skin was no longer the pale ivory color it had been, and her hands were no longer smooth and untouched.

She looked exactly as she wanted.

"Rose! He's here!" Rose glanced out the window and saw William pulling up in Mr. Jones' wagon. She gently picked up Nathan and then made her way downstairs to meet her escort. He was squatting down to eye level with the girls.

"You know, girls, if I hadn't already been blessed by having a date to this dance, I would certainly claim both of you myself," he said, tapping each of them lightly on the nose. They certainly did look like two little angels. Cora, in an emerald green dress and Lilly in a pale blue dress Cora had given her for her birthday. William looked up and his eyes met with Rose's. He stood and walked over to her. He knelt and kissed her hand. "Behold! For an angel is truly in our presence," he whispered. "And look here at Nathan. He certainly looks happy today," William said, gently brushing the child's forehead with his hand.

"Well, there's no reason for him not be. All the people he loves are here with him," Cora said matter-of-factly. The four adults laughed. Both Cora and Lilly looked confused by the laughter, but neither said anything. They just shrugged and hurried out onto the porch.

"Well, are we all ready to go, then?" Julia asked, gently taking Nathan from Rose's arms.

"Yep," William piped happily. Julia carried Nathan out into the cool night air. Rose and William climbed into the front of the wagon while Henry, Julia, Lilly, and Cora clambered into the back. William slapped the dun horse with the reins and the young mare started forward with a fast walk. Rose found herself being bounced closer and closer to William's side by the bumps and holes in the rough road. Finally, she gave up and slid to his side. She felt strangely comfortable this close to him. William smiled to himself and kept the horse going on at a steady pace. Julia nudged her husband in the ribs and signaled with her eyes toward the couple in the front seat.

"Perhaps tonight will finally be the night, Henry," Julia whispered.

"Perhaps," Henry answered. "Perhaps."

*****

Rose hadn't heard such happy and joyful voices and music since that night she had gone to the steerage party with Jack. Couples swung around the dance floor, laughing and smiling. The fiddles poured out lively tunes that carried on the wind so far that Rose had heard the music well before she had seen the light of the lanterns hanging on the trees and on the poles set up around the tent where all the townspeople danced. The cool night air was perfect for the dance. Rose sat on one of the many benches set up around the edge of the tent set up as the dance floor and watched with amusement as William danced with both Cora and Lilly at once. Memories of that night with Jack danced in and out of her head, each time bringing her more and more energy, contrary to normally draining her of all her energy. And so, when William approached her after the musicians had paused to decide what to play next, Rose jumped off the bench eagerly. William smiled at her. Somewhat to her dismay, the musicians began to play a rather slow song.

William's smiled lessened somewhat, but not the happiness in his eyes. He laced his fingers through hers and placed his other hand on her waist. Rose's eyes never left William's face as he took his position. They were so close Rose was sure he could feel her heart beating through her chest. Rose had to tilt her head to look in his eyes. They began to move with the slow beat of the music. Rose lay her head on William's shoulders, her eyes filling with tears. She wasn't sure why she suddenly, after having had that energy rush, wanted to cry.

Cora sat on a bench, watching them. She was still breathing hard from her dance, but her breath was quickly returning to its normal pace. Rose looked so happy, even though she seemed to be at the verge of tears. They were dancing slower than the rest of the couples—too slow. She smiled.

As the song ended, William reluctantly let Rose's hand go and slipped it into his pocket. He withdrew the ring and let it slide into his palm.

"Rose—" He was cut off.

"Rose." Rose turned, sliding away from his hand which had still been resting lightly on her waist. Ugh, Rose thought as she saw Mrs. Cicly standing behind her.

"Julia wanted me to come get you. Your boy is crying." Rose turned back to William with regret spread across her face.

"Don't worry, Rose," he said, shoving his hand back into his pocket and letting the ring fall away from his sweaty palm. "Go to Nathan." Rose slowly made her way through the crowd with Mrs. Cicly at her side.

"May I ask you something, Rose?" she asked.

"Yes, but I reserve my right not to answer," Rose said harshly. The older woman cleared her throat.

"Whose child is it? I mean, you've been here a year this month. You must've gotten right down to the point with whoever it was, being as the child is already three months old." Rose stopped short, digging her nails into her palm and trying to calm herself and to not punch this woman.

"My child's name is Nathan, Mrs. Cicly. That is all you need to know."

"You know, Rose, he resembles Henry in almost every way," the woman continued, unperturbed. Rose's mouth dropped.

"How dare you! Henry is my...my cousin! I could never—ugh!" The thought disgusted her. Rose pushed past Mrs. Cicly, wanting to slap the satisfied smirk on the woman's face off her lips. She finally got through the mob of dancing people to Julia, who was sitting on the porch stairs of the church, holding the crying Nathan.

"Here, Rose. I think he's just hungry. He's been quite good all night long."

"I appreciate you taking care of him for me, Julia. I just feel guilty, though. I mean, none of us get out—"

"Ah…hush, Rose. He's my nephew. I love him." Julia looked up at Rose for the first time. "What's wrong? You look rather upset." Rose glanced down at Julia as she rocked her child gently.

"Nothing."

"You can go behind the church to feed him. You'll have some privacy there." Rose nodded and walked around behind the church. She began to feed Nathan.

"I think that cow of a woman said something to Rose," Julia whispered to Henry as they began to dance to the lively music.

"Such as?" Henry asked, smiling at the Ciclys as they swung past them.

"About Nathan, I suppose. I can't imagine what else would turn her face as red as a tomato."

"Tomato?" Henry chuckled. Julia hit her husband on the back.

"Hush, Henry. So it was a bad comparison. Don't mock me."

"Sorry, dear. Don't worry. Rose can handle it." Julia groaned in agreement. The song ended, and she saw Rose stepping from behind the church. She started off toward Rose, while Henry began dancing with Lilly.

"You were right, Julia. He was hungry." Julia nodded and smiled.

"I'll take him again."

"Oh, Julia. I feel so terrible. I mean—" Rose stopped. Julia laughed.

"I enjoy taking care of Nathan. It's been seven years since Lilly was small enough to hold, and I suspect that soon he'll not be so common in our house." Rose smiled.

"Julia, Nathan will always be common in your household." If only she'd known how right she would be—

"Ah…don't promise things you can't possibly ensure." Rose sighed. "Here, I'll take Nathan now." Julia gently took Nathan from Rose's arms, turned, and began talking to him. Rose heard Nathan begin his cooing and smiled.

"Will you dance with me again, angel?" she heard William ask from over her shoulder. Rose turned and smiled.

"Yes." He took her hand and led her back to the tent where another lively tune was being played. And they began swinging, swinging, swinging—oh, Jack. It's time, isn't it?

Chapter Twenty-Two
Stories