AN UNFORGETTABLE JOURNEY
Chapter One
Rose stared at her reflection in the mirror.
Sad and empty blue eyes stared back at her. From looking at her fancy clothes
and hairstyle, no one could tell how unhappy she was, but if they looked
closely enough, if they looked into her eyes, they would be able to tell that
she wasn’t happy at all.
"Sweetpea, you must hurry. We cannot be
late for our dinner with the Templetons," Caledon Hockley said with an
authoritative voice.
Rose turned to see that he was standing in
the doorway, watching her with his dark eyes. She faked a smile, silently
wishing that she never had to see the Templetons again. The Templetons were
close friends of the Hockleys. The dinner tonight was one of many that Rose has
endured since they had come to Europe. But soon she would be home in
Philadelphia, returning just in time for her wedding.
The Templetons were the people that had
helped Cal secure three suites on board the Titanic. They were to board the
Titanic tomorrow, and she would be one step closer to marrying Cal. She cleared
her mind of these unsettling thoughts and looked at Cal. He was looking at her,
a look of approval in his eyes. "You look beautiful, darling. I’m glad you
realized how inappropriate it would have been for you to wear that dreadful
dress to dinner. This one is much more appropriate, and stunning, might I
add?"
She smiled through gritted teeth. Turning
back to her reflection, she looked at the dress that Cal had told her to wear.
It was royal blue, with a ton of fancy beadwork. She hated being constantly
told what to wear. If Cal didn’t tell her what to wear, then her mother did.
Just then, Ruth DeWitt Bukater walked into the room, eyeing Rose closely.
"I’m pleased, Rose, that you came to
your senses and changed. Now, we must be on our way. We must not be late for
the Templetons."
Cal nodded in agreement. "No, we
mustn’t." He turned to Rose. "Shall we?" The three of them left
the hotel suite together.
Later that night, Rose couldn’t sleep. All
through dinner she had remained quiet, while Cal and her mother had talked with
the Templetons about the wedding. Everything was being planned for her. She had
no say in what she wanted. The only thing that she had been adamant about was
the color of the bridesmaids’ dresses. She wanted them to be lavender, and she
had chosen that color simply to anger her mother. Ruth hated the color. A
single tear ran down her cheek and landed on her pillow. Please, God. Please
save me. I don’t know what to do, she silently prayed. She dreaded boarding
the Titanic tomorrow.
She heard a quiet knock at her door.
"Rose?" Cal whispered. "Are
you awake?"
She held her breath, praying that he would
leave. She let her breath out in relief as she heard his footsteps getting
fainter. She knew what he wanted, and she did not want to give to him what he
asked.
You treat me like a child but expect me to
act like a woman when it comes to sharing your bed, she thought angrily. He was always scolding her on her
behavior. "Rose, you are not acting like a lady, and I will not tolerate
it. Your mother won't, either," He’d say in a warning voice. Ha! she
thought. But is not sharing your bed before we are to be married
inappropriate behavior? she asked herself. She soon fell into a troubled
sleep, with dreams of a blue-eyed knight coming to her rescue.