JACK'S ROSE
Chapter Forty-Two
"Well, I'd better be heading back,"
Molly said as the train disappeared from sight, leaving behind only a faint
black smog and the smell of coal.
"We should, too," Susan said,
sighing. She turned to Molly. "Come by the cafe anytime. Anything you want
is on the house."
"Thank you, dear!" Molly exclaimed,
smiling.
"Of course. I hope you'll be here when
Rose gets back. If you decide to switch hotels or anything, just drop by the
cafe and tell someone to relay it to me."
"All right. Bye, you two!" Molly
called as the couple began to walk away.
"I like her," Andrew said as he and
Susan strolled down the street. "She's normal."
"Normal?"
"She hasn't got that 'holier-than-thou'
attitude most society people do."
"You can't judge a person—what's
this?" Susan asked as they passed a boy selling newspapers on a street
corner. She quickly handed the boy his dime and grabbed one of the papers.
"Andrew, look! It's Rose and William!" Susan exclaimed, almost
shouting as she pointed at the picture of the right column on the front page.
Andrew laughed, amazed. "You're
right!"
There, on the front page, was the picture of William
slipping the ring on Rose's finger. Below, was written:
Friday night, at the last showing of Romeo
and Juliet in the Randolph Theater, the audience got more than they had
bargained for. While Rose Dawson is a wonderful actress and has taken the audience's
breath away with her amazing performances of Juliet and quite a few others, I
think that she will be remembered not as the ideal portrayer of any character,
but as the real life Juliet of the Randolph Theater. At the end of Friday
night's performance of Shakespeare's tragic love story, the audience's tears of
sorrow were overtaken by those of happiness as a young man stood and ran
through the orchestra pit to the foot of the stage. He reached up, proposing,
"Rose Dawson, will you marry me?" And with a huge smile on her face,
Miss Dawson helped him onstage and said, "Yes, William Calvert, I will
marry you." Happy engagement, Rose Dawson and William Calvert. Everyone at
this newspaper and the city of Los Angeles wishes you a long and happy life
together.
"How nice," Susan said, tucking the
newspaper under her arm as she and Andrew stepped into the cafe. "I'm glad
that members of the press are coming to the theater, though, too."
"We'll have to save that paper for them.
They'll get a kick out of it."
"Yeah." They slipped into a booth.
"Janie, can I get a bowl of potato soup and an iced tea?" Susan said
to the young waitress as she started by the booth.
"Sure. Anything for you, Andy?"
"The same."
"All right. Coming up."
*****
William looked out the window at the stars,
smiling as Rose's hair tickled his cheek. Her head was resting on his shoulder,
and she was snoring softly—a habit most men would find unappealing in their
wife-to-be, but one he loved. He smiled.
William shut his eyes, trying to truly take
in all that had happened to him in the last week. His life had suddenly gone
from dull and miserable to wonderful. She was back in his life, and back in his
life she would stay. He was looking forward to getting back to California. They
had decided to share the room Rose had above the theater until he could find a
job and they could find a larger apartment. Small living quarters did not
bother either of them, and especially not sharing it with each other.
He gently kissed Rose's head and closed his
eyes, slipping into a peaceful sleep.
*****
Rose awoke with a jolt as the train lurched
to the side. Her head hit William's as she snapped it up.
"Ow!" they exclaimed at the same
time. They smiled at each other.
"I'm sorry," Rose said, gently
touching the spot where their heads had collided.
William laughed. "It's okay. I'm fine.
Are you all right?"
"Yes. I'm fine. I'm hungry, though. What
time is it?"
"I don't know." William glanced out
the window. "Eight or nine, I guess. What time is breakfast?"
"Eight. Let's go. The worst they can do
is tell us to go back." Rose stood up, urging William out. As they passed
the seats where Cora, Lilly, and Nathan sat, they noticed they were empty.
"I guess they're having breakfast already."
The couple pushed down the aisles until they
finally reached the dining car. Cora and Nathan sat beside Lilly, who was
deeply engaged in conversation with the young man she'd been beside the day
before. Rose and William joined them.
"You two looked so peaceful, I couldn't
bear to wake you," Cora said as they sat down.
Both Rose and William blushed.
"Here. Breakfast seems to be biscuits
and milk and water. This jam is excellent," Cora said, pushing the basket
toward them. "Though I don't think Mr. Thomas or Miss Lilly have noticed
that they're even consuming food." She smiled slyly.
Neither Lilly nor Thomas took notice of her
comment.
Cora, Rose, and William laughed, while Nathan
gazed up at them with sleepy eyes.
"I don't think our little man is quite
awake yet. Did you sleep well?"
"Yes." Rose smiled. "Quite
well."
"Hmm...I loved the city, but I'm looking
forward to getting back to open spaces, quiet nights, and fresh air," Cora
said dreamily.
"I'm looking forward to my visit,"
Rose said, buttering her biscuit. "But I like city life. And I have a
sneaking suspicion I will like it even more when I get back." She smiled
slyly at William.
He laughed back and kissed her cheek.
Cora smiled, hoping that she and Jacob would
someday be even half as happy as Rose and William were.