TITANIC ROSE
Chapter Ten
How wonderful it was to be back in a home
again. A home with someone you loved and wanted to be with forever. Rose's
heart still ached for Jack, but it was healing slowly, and she was beginning to
feel better about life.
"Rose, darling." Thomas nervously
knocked on her door. "Are you decent?"
"As decent as I'll ever be," Rose
replied, brushing her silky hair. "I'm just finishing up."
"All right. Well, come down to breakfast
soon, dear."
"I will. I'm starving." Rose left
her seat by the mirror and walked to the door, looking up at her fiancé.
"I love you."
"I love you, too." Thomas kissed
her forehead. "May I escort you to breakfast?" He jokingly put his
arm out, and Rose jokingly accepted.
"Such fine gentlemen in this household.
It's a shame I’m already engaged, or else I would leave to be with one of
them."
"Your fiancé is lucky to have you, isn't
he?"
"Very. I don't know what he'd do without
me." Thomas bent down to kiss Rose, when a knock on the door brought them
out of their play. "I guess you should get that, Thomas."
Rose went to the kitchen to see what there
was to eat. She began to make coffee, when she heard the din out in the living
room. She listened quietly.
"Where is she?" the familiar voice
demanded. "Her mother said that she was spotted around this area, and we
demand to know where she is!"
"I want my daughter home," the
woman added.
"Mother..." Rose whispered to
herself as she spilled coffee over the counter. She was startled. How were they
able to find her?
"I'm sorry, but I do not know of a Miss
DeWitt Bukater," Thomas told the guests. "I'm sorry I can't help
you."
Once they were gone, Rose breathed a sigh of
relief. "Thomas," she began when he entered the kitchen. "I
think we should move to Cedar Rapids as soon as possible. Those lunatics at the
door frightened me, and I don't want to have to put up with them again."
"I'll try to move us as soon as I can,
darling. I promise."
"Thank you."
*****
Lora stood outside of the bustling household.
In and out, in and out. Everyone was busy removing the packages and placing
them in Thomas' car. "Tomorrow's the wedding, Rose, dear," she said
to Rose aside. "Shouldn't you be preparing for it?"
"Lora, I must tell you something."
Rose pulled Lora over to a tall oak tree. "Last week, Cal and Mother came
to the house, looking for me. I was frightened, but thank God they didn't have
a picture of me to show to Thomas, or he'd have surely said something. I want
to leave this place as soon as possible."
Lora stood agape at the statement and placed
a finger to her lips. "Then you must leave right after the wedding! I see
your urgency."
"I was hoping you would, and as soon as
the afternoon is over, we shall be leaving to our destination. Thank you for
understanding."
"Rose, Lora." Thomas emerged from
the doorway carrying quite a large box, filled with Rose's clothes. "I see
you're comfortable with your easy task of chatting, as it were. Care to
help?"
"We are being called to war." Lora
smiled at Rose as they walked inside. "And I wish you all the best with
Thomas...and your secret."
"I hope things will sort out," Rose
told her, placing a few knickknacks in a package. "I believe my mother
caught a glimpse of me after Carpathia arrived at the dock. She called my name
and ran after my cab. That is why she probably thinks I am here."
"They're a little too close for comfort,
I see."
"Much too close. I can't believe they
remained in New York for almost eight months just because my mother thinks I'm
alive."
"Aren't you?"
"Rose Dawson is alive," Rose
answered sadly. "I killed off Miss DeWitt Bukater. She died on Titanic.
Along with--everything."
*****
Flowers, music, and a beautiful smile on
Rose's face as she marched down the aisle in a cascade of white veil. Simple
elegance, and it was then Thomas realized just how lucky he actually was to
have worked on the street where he met Rose. Otherwise, they would never have
known one another.
"Do you take this man..."
Rose stared into the eyes of her beloved and
smiled even more. How handsome he was! How wonderful he was! How kind and
generous he was! She loved him, and knew she would be with him longer than
Jack, and finally be happy again.
"Do you take this woman..."
Thomas stared right back at his beautiful
bride. He was happy as well, and couldn't believe they would be together
forever. At long last, he had found what he had been searching for his entire
life.
"I now pronounce you man and wife. You
may kiss the bride."
All sounds within the church were unobserved
by Rose as Thomas kissed her. It was a kiss of love, a sign that they would be
together forever. They turned to face Thomas' family in the pews, who applauded
them. They descended the stairs of the altar down a red carpet and arrived
outside to a greeting of thrown rice and bright sunshine mixed with cheers.
Lora leaned in through the car window and
spoke to Rose with a smiling face. "Be good to him, now." She dabbed
a tear from her eyes. "He's my only brother. And I'll watch for your
mother. I promise."
"Thank you, Lora. I'll miss you. I'll
miss everything here."
"And I'll miss you, too." Lora
hugged Rose through the car window. "I wish you both luck. Good-bye!"
Thomas and Rose waved as they headed off
toward their new home. He had found a wonderful house for them to live in,
where they would live as everyone else did, not Rose's previous uppity status.
"I love you, Thomas."
"I love you, too, Rose."
*****
"Oh, it's wonderful!" Rose cried as
they entered the grand home. "It's everything I wanted and more!"
The house itself overlooked a vast, glassy
lake, surrounded by woods. Few houses dotted the scene, and some boats could be
seen on the lake. White siding and green shutters made the house, and it had a
large porch in front overlooking the water below the hill.
"Imagine how wonderful it will be to
raise children here," Thomas said. "We'll have a terrific life, Rose.
In this house is where all your dreams will come true."
"Oh, Thomas." Rose gasped as she
swung about the rails on the porch. "I'll spend all my evenings out here,
watching the sun set over that gorgeous lake! Let's go boating out there
sometime."
"I promise we will," Thomas
replied. "But it's getting late, and I'd like to spend more time with my
wife in our beautiful new home."
He wrapped his arms around her waist and
leaned in close, kissing her neck and cheeks. "Thomas!" She giggled
as he moved his hands up her back. "This must be quite a sight to the
people on the lake below us."
"They can't see anything," Thomas
replied, continuing his show of affection and love, kissing the back of her
neck and taking down her hair.
Rose was enjoying the way Thomas touched her.
It made her feel loved again, and she wanted him to touch her. And it was so
lovely outside that the mood was just perfect.
"I'm sure they can see something,"
Rose answered, leaning herself against the post, Thomas close at her side. A
slight breeze moved past them, and Rose savored it.
"Would you rather go inside, Mrs.
Calvert?" he asked as he undid her sash.
"Please." Rose smiled as he opened
the door, and they walked into the future of their lives.