LOVE FOR LIFE AND BEYOND
Chapter Fourteen
Rose revived after having smelling salts
waved under her nose by Mr. Barnes. She sat up weakly. "I’m sorry, but
that was such a shock," she said. "I’m all right now."
Despite her words, Jack could tell she was
not all right. Jack was thinking the letter had to do with Cal, and he supposed
Rose thought the same. He took a deep breath. "Mr. Barnes, what’s the
letter about?" he asked.
"I’m not quite sure," said Mr.
Barnes. "All it says is to please come to the Boston branch of the firm. I
advise you to go immediately."
Jack nodded, feeling somewhat dazed. What
could these lawyers want?
Rose turned towards him. "We’ll catch
the next train," she said. "Is there anything more, Mr. Barnes?"
"No. No, that’s all," he said, and
went back to his paperwork.
Jack and Rose left the building and went
home. "What should we do?" asked Jack.
"What can we do?" asked Rose.
"If Cal really is after us, wouldn’t he have already come to Chippewa
Falls? Besides, what can he do? We’re legally married."
Jack nodded in agreement. "You’re
right," he said, and gave Rose a kiss. "When does the next train
leave?"
*****
Click-clack, click-clack went the train wheels. Rose listened to their rhythm
absentmindedly as she puzzled over the letter for the umpteenth time. What's
happened? she wondered. She looked over at Jack, who was fast asleep. If
only she could forget the matter at hand! It was frightening, not knowing what
was going to happen. Rose sighed and took a look at the clock. 12:15. Was it
really that late? She got up and poured herself a glass of water from the
pitcher on the table. The water seemed to clear her thoughts as well as refresh
her dry throat. Rose went back to bed and fell asleep as soon as her head
touched the pillow. The next thing she knew, Rose was being gently shaken and
she could hear Jack’s voice telling her to wake up. She opened her eyes and saw
that it was almost nine. The train would arrive in Boston in half an hour.
Jack grinned at her mischievously. "Now
who’s the sleepyhead?" he teased. Rose sat up and threw her pillow at him.
They both laughed.
"I used to have pillow fights with
Robert when I was a child," said Rose. "We would wait until all the
adults were in bed and then start throwing our pillows and all the cushions
around. Thank God Mother never found out—she would have had a fit, but I think
Father knew."
Jack smiled. "I used to do that as well
at Thanksgiving, and one year even the grown-ups joined in. It was so much fun,
seeing all the adults with red faces and feathers in their hair."
Rose absorbed Jack’s words and felt a twinge
of envy. Her mother would rather have died before deigning to behave in such an
undignified manner, and her father, although he always had time for small games
and such, could never join in amusements like that. She took another look at
the clock and sighed. "Enough fun. I’d better get dressed." Rose
stood up and reached for her dress. She suddenly felt dizzy, and then
everything went black.
*****
"Rose? Rose?" Rose opened her eyes
and sat up groggily at the sound of her name.
"Jack? What happened?"
"I don’t know, Rose. You fainted,"
said Jack in a concerned tone of voice. "You’d better see a doctor
soon."
Rose nodded and got up shakily. "I think
I’ll be all right."
Jack steadied her and gave her a kiss.
"You’d better get dressed soon; what would people say if you hopped off a
train in Boston half-dressed?"
Rose laughed, her worries momentarily
forgotten. She didn’t care what happened now, just as long as Jack was there to
make light of her troubles and quell her fears.