TITANIC ROSE
Chapter Nine
Rose awoke in the shelter's hard bed with a
feeling of dread. Unless Miss Campen could get through to Thomas, he would not
visit her today. And even if she did talk to him, he might still not come. What
would she say to him if he did?
Light streamed in through the windows.
Through the rain of the past week, nobody had ever thought the sun would shine
again. The earth was wet all over, and the pending winter season became more
apparent than ever.
November was beautiful, though, Rose had to
admit. The crisp autumn leaves lay on the ground now, making the green grass a
lovely ocean of reds, yellows, browns, and oranges. The world was happy. Rose
was not.
She had turned down Thomas' proposal, and
then realized she did love him. After seven months, she should have started
healing, but she wouldn't let herself. Now, all she wanted was joy, and Thomas
could provide that. He made her happy.
Miss Campen entered the room and rushed to
Rose's side. "I sent someone for Thomas. However, I felt like having some
fun with this."
"What did you do, Miss Campen?"
Rose asked inquisitively, winking at the nurse. She knew that she was out to
prove that Thomas was extremely in love with Rose.
"I told him--well--that you were on the
verge of death, and--"
"You what?" Rose cried with a laugh
on the side, adjusting her blankets, "Should I act like I'm almost dead?
Maybe we can frighten him a bit. What goes through your mind when you think of
these things?"
"You said you wanted to speak with him
urgently, and if you wanted him to come visit again we had to up the stakes a
bit. I guess it sounded better in thought than in action."
"I guess so," Rose replied as she
looked out the window to see Thomas run into the main level of the shelter.
"I expect him any minute."
Rose pulled the curtain back, letting the
sunlight bathe her auburn hair, casting golden highlights across her curls. She
looked as beautiful as she had that evening on Titanic...
"Lora!" Thomas entered the room,
calling his sister's name. He looked at her, then a quite healthy Rose, then
his sister again, then Rose. He turned back to Miss Campen and said, "I
demand to know what the hell is the meaning of this? She looked perfectly fine
to me!"
"Thomas, I am fine." Rose smiled,
trying to calm him. "She got overly excited when I asked for you...I did
want to see you as soon as humanly possible, but this was just--"
"I'll just be leaving now." Miss
Campen interrupted Rose's apology for Thomas' hurriedness. "I have
to…um…sort numerous papers in the office--upstairs. Bye, now."
Thomas watched her leave, holding further
conversation with her in abeyance. He then sat on the bed with Rose and looked
at how beautiful she was. "What did you want to see me about?"
"You sound hopeful."
"I am. I have every right to be."
"Yes, you should. I have reconsidered.
Thomas, I wasn't letting myself be happy. And even now, it seems so soon after
Jack--my--experience on Titanic, for me to be able to love you. But I know I
do, and I want to be your wife."
She searched his eyes for any emotion
whatsoever, and just saw black for a moment. But then he looked at her so
lovingly she thought she would cry again. Rose smiled.
"I love you, Rose," Thomas stated,
allaying any fear of rejection.
"Thomas, I have always felt empty inside
during the past seven months. There was nothing there. I'll have to get used to
it, you know, that feeling of being loved again."
Thomas leaned forward, placing a hand in her
curls and moving it down to her chin. He kissed her sweetly, and Rose gave in.
She let herself love again, and be loved. Since April, she had thought there
was nothing that could keep her happy and safe again. Thomas' benevolence is
what she had loved at first, then he himself as a lover.
Thomas leaned back and look deeply at Rose,
as if trying to delve into her thoughts. "Have I helped?" he asked,
muttering the usual phrase he did when he had helped her in the slums.
"You have no idea just how much."
Rose kissed him again.
*****
"It's high time that boy got
married," Miss Campen told Rose as they packed her things, "However,
I do not believe that lovers such as yourself should be living together until you
are married. It is a sin under God."
"But we love each other, Lora."
Rosa had opted to use the les formal name of her soon-to-be sister-in-law.
"That's all that matters."
Lora eyed her suspiciously, with her hands on
her hips and a smirk on her face.
"If it will make you feel better, I
promise not to do anything dishonest."
"Define dishonest."
"Nothing I would lie about to save
myself, anyway," Rose told her. Lora still stared. "We won't do
anything. I know exactly what you are thinking, and we won't."
"All right, as long as you've given me
your word. I believe you. Actually, I'm happy Thomas found you. You are so much
alike, in thought and manner. I'll be proud to have you as my sister."
Lora reached for Rose's coat, and feeling
something heavy inside, reached in the pocket. There was the Heart of the
Ocean, in plain sight of Rose. "Rose, do you know what this is?"
"A useless trinket," Rose replied,
tearing it from Lora's hands. "A mere bauble. I found a replica of the
Heart of the Ocean, and I loved it. Mother always said it fit me well. But I
assure you, it has no value since it is only a copy."
"A copy, Miss DeWitt Bukater?" Lora
asked.
Rose looked up slowly, placing the necklace
in her dress's pocket. "Where did you hear that?"
"The paper," Lora replied.
"Some man named John Wilkes called a man named Caledon Hockley to this
area to search for a missing woman and a priceless jewel. Everyone knows about
it. Why, Rose? Why are you running?"
"I disliked Cal."
"Dislike? I'd say you did more than
dislike the man if you ran away even after he gave you that trinket."
"You don't know the whole story."
"I promise not to tell anyone, since
you've obviously suffered. But if I am questioned and threatened with jail, I
can assure you I won't lie then."
"Do whatever you wish," Rose
replied. "Just promise not to tell my Thomas. I love him, and I don't want
to hurt him with the false thought that I loved Cal."
"Thomas will never have to know."
Lora looked around the room for anyone and leaned closer to Rose. Whispering,
she said, "But, Miss DeWitt Bukater, I advise you to leave New York. Mr.
Hockley will surely be searching places like this."
"Thank you for you discretion,"
Rose answered, placing the last dress in the bag. "I am in debt to you,
I'm afraid."
"Eh…you're marrying my brother. That's
payment enough, to put up with a man like that."
They shared a laugh, and then Rose waited for
Thomas to remove her from the shelter...and possibly New York.
*****
"Cedar Rapids?" Thomas asked,
looking at Rose in bewilderment, which Rose thought was a look of cuteness on
her fiancé.
"I hear it's wonderful. And quiet and
beautiful. Why not, Thomas? I'm tired of city life and now I want to
explore!" She grinned and looked happily at him for an answer.
"If you are so set on this, I don't see
why not. But I'll have no job..."
"You can get a new job," Rose
stated clearly. "I was reading about Cedar Rapids in a paper the other
day. Quite a lovely place, I'd say."
"All right, but I still can't understand
why you want to leave New York so abruptly. From what little I've heard of the
place, it sounds a tad bit banal and boring."
"That's me," Rose joked. "I've
always grown up around the cities and I want to enjoy the country for a change.
Don't you?"
"Yes, but really, Rose. Cedar Rapids?"
"All you had to say was that you didn't
care."
"I do care. I would go anywhere for you,
as long as I'm with you. I just want to make sure you know that that's what you
want."
"It is, Thomas. I know it is."
"As long as you're fine with
this--"
"I am fine!" Rose laughed, lightly
slapping his arm in a joking manner. She turned to look out the car window. The
trees and houses were passing by so quickly. Rose couldn't see where they were
going. "So, where is your home, Mr. Calvert?"
"Just around the corner. Anxious, aren't
we?"
"Very."