LOVE FOR LIFE AND BEYOND
Chapter Two
Rose awoke to find herself wrapped in
blankets on the steerage deck of the rescue ship, the Carpathia. Jack lay
asleep beside her. A steward stopped by and offered her a mug of hot tea. She
accepted and started sipping it absentmindedly. What would she be doing after
they docked? No, she corrected herself, what would she and Jack be doing? It
would be the beginning of a new life for her.
She started to smile at that thought, but her
expression changed abruptly when she saw who was coming down the stairs. Only
one person would venture down into steerage in a tuxedo. Cal. Rose saw him stop
and question an officer, who glanced at the clipboard tucked under his arm and
shook his head. Cal must be looking for her. Cal turned away dejectedly, his
shoulders slumped and a worried expression on his face. He's probably
worrying about what Mother will say—no, probably worrying about finding a
replacement for me, thought Rose.
She heard a groan and turned around to see
Jack sitting up sleepily.
"What time is it?" he asked.
"Well, you certainly didn’t wake up
early, sleepyhead," Rose teased gently. "Look how high up the sun is
in the sky. Anyway, I don’t think it matters. You’re not late for breakfast—it
hasn’t been served."
Just then, a familiar figure strode out on
deck. It was Molly Brown!
"Jack, Rose, I thought I’d find you
here. Cal was actin’ like a bear with a sore head, not to mention a bad
toothache and a sore neck. He complained about not being able to find you—or
rather, not being able to find his coat, though why he wants his coat on a day
like this beats me. Have you had anything to eat yet?"
Jack and Rose exchanged smiles. Molly seemed
to be well over the sinking already.
"No, I’m afraid we haven’t. I was just
mentioning it to Jack," said Rose.
"Tsk, tsk," clucked Molly.
"You’d better come to my stateroom right away and get something to eat. A
bath and a doctor wouldn’t do you any harm, either."
They followed Molly to a small but
comfortable stateroom with two beds and simple furnishings. "The
bathroom’s in there. I’m off to hunt up some nourishment for you two."