Runaway Rose's Adventures
A/N: This short story is actually the first Titanic fan fiction I had ever written, about four years ago. I didn't realize that I had this story, until I came across it hidden in some files on my computer and then found it uploaded to my old Angelfire site. So here it is.. Ladies and gentlemen.. I appreciate reviews and even constructive criticism, but please.. No flames. I get hurt very easily :)
As Rose and her mother came back into the hotel after a day of shopping, they both set their many bags down on the bed and Rose sat down wearily. What a way to travel Rose thought to herself. If only she could be free to travel where she wanted, when she wanted and only half as lightly. Tomorrow would be the beginning of her nightmarish trip to America and her marriage to the dull and impossibly boring Caledon Hockley. If only so many invitations hadn't of already been sent out, and if only all of Philadelphia society weren't to be there. And there was no small matter about her lavish wedding dress, which Rose was due for a final fitting once they arrived back to the States. Although he certainly had the money, Rose still couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of sadness at this arranged marriage. She certainly wasn't marrying for love. Rose felt sure somehow that there was more to life than the amount of money one had in one's bank account.
Cal had given Rose and Ruth several hundred dollars that morning and sent them on their way to buy more clothes all for the pretense of Rose's wedding trouseau but Rose knew better. He only cared about her outward appearances and that she be presented in the fashion to which he and his group of hob nob society patrons were alone privy to.
Ruth Dewitt-Bukater knew of but could not understand her daughter's reluctance to marry such a fine gentleman. Caledon Hockley would be able to ensure that they survived the debacle which her late husband Joseph had left. A mountain of debts hidden only by their good name.
Ruth sighed as she thought about her daughter and her tirades against a fine match. She just couldn't understand how Rose could have changed so. Rose had been such a sweet and darling little girl and so eager to please. But since Joseph's death, Rose had changed overnight and Ruth was none too pleased about it either.
Returning her thoughts back to the present, she had Trudy start to add the new clothing to the already packed steamer trunks. It had been a difficult day of shopping what with Rose questioning and challenging every dress, skirt or shirtwaist that Ruth had picked out, demanding that she be the one to choose the outfits that she alone would have to wear. Ruth was tired out by the long demanding day and had Trudy lay out her evening wear and then went to lie down for a bit.
April 9, 1912 6:00 P.M. Rose's Hotel Suite
Rose stared out the window at the fading sunlight and from her window, she could see the towering hull of the Titanic from which they would sail tomorrow. Oh she had sailed before but somehow there was just something about this ship that set her heart aflutter with fear perhaps? She didn't know. All she knew was that she did not want to return to America with the insufferable Caledon Hockley.
Her mind was frantically trying to find some way out of this marriage. Being so young and idealistic, she had of course hoped to marry for love. To have a life mate that she had chosen, that she was in love with and wanted to share her life with. But it had not turned out that way.
She turned and paced the room, having been informed by Trudy that her mother and Caledon Hockley would be by her room at 6:30 sharp to pick her up for dinner in the impressive hotel restaurant. Her stomach was churning and thick with fear and anger and she doubted sincerely that she would be able to eat.
April 9, 1912 7:00 P.M. SouthWestern Hotel Dining Room
The dining area was elegantly appointed and it was nothing new to Rose so therefore she had not been impressed. Caledon had noticed his fiancee's lack of impressiveness and turned to his future mother-in-law and said, " Your daughter is unimpressed Ruth. Whatever shall I do that could impress the lovely Rose? I say.. Titanic should impress her. I've heard that the ship is unsinkable. We shall have a wonderful voyage and not have a care while on board."
He slapped his hand against the table and continued on with his boring conversation about the grand Titanic and other boring topics to Rose. She had tuned him out and had learned to do so early in this farce of a courtship. And she anticipated on doing so even after they were married.
As predicted, Rose could not stomach the food that was eventually set before her and she picked at the lobster a la' mousse and the caviar was less than appealing. Ruth gave her daughter a hard glare at her lack of proper etiquette as Rose sat there, absentmindedly twirling a strand of her auburn curls. In a whisper Ruth said, " Stop that Rose. Didn't I bring you up better than that? Turn your attention to your food and to YOUR fiance'." Rose gave her mother a look of utter boredom and resentfully turned back to her food, still continuing to barely pick at it and glanced over at the handsome face of the man that she would soon find herself chained to for life.
April 9, 1912 10:00 P.M.
Back at the hotel, Rose sat at her mirrored table with all of its elegant appointments and stared hard at the miserable image of herself in the mirror. Twirling a satin ribbon on the lovely lace nightgown set that her mother had bought for her in Paris, she thought once more about how her life had become totally unmanageable and out of control.
When she heard footsteps coming down the hallway, she quickly extinguished the light and climbed into the bed. She did NOT want the insufferable Caledon in her bedroom. He had tried on several occasions to compromise her before their marriage. Hah, she snorted silently. Some first class gentleman! Trying to bed his fiancee before they were legally wed.
With another quiet snort she wondered what her proper and virtuous mother would think if she knew that. Knowing Ruth, Rose thought silently, she would say that it was Rose's duty to keep her fiance's attention even if it meant letting him put his filthy paws all over her body before they were married.
She held her breath as the footsteps stopped and the door opened slightly. Rose had closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep. As expected, she could hear Caledon's sigh and the door closing once more quietly and then the receding footsteps. Or checking up on her, Rose thought with more than just a tad of resentment flooding through her soul. How dare he check up on her as if she were a prisoner? Ah that's a good one Rose m'girl. You are a prisoner at that, she thought. Oh if only she could run away. Run away? Quietly Rose got up out of the bed and moved over to the dresser drawer. She still had some of Cal's money from the shopping expedition.
With trembling hands, Rose counted out the money. With a gasp she realized that Cal had given them several thousand dollars that morning.. not hundreds but thousands. For in her hands was three thousand dollars. Enough to get away from here.
She sat down on the velvet dresser chair before her legs collapsed from the sheer excitement. Why she could escape and run away and with that kind of money, why she would have more than enough to get away and not have to worry for some time. She would not board the Titanic tomorrow for she had a dreadful feeling about that ship anyhow. Instead she would head for the train station and purchase a one way ticket to Ireland.
She would hide out on the coast for awhile and when the heat had died down, then she would make her way back to the United States. Of course she knew that she could never return to Philadelphia, not that that mattered any. And Ruth? Why Rose hardly felt any sympathy for her mother at all. After all her mother had been willing to sacrifice Rose on the altar of greed and vanity.
Her heart was racing in her chest as she thought about how to do this. She would have to leave early in the morning, and of course she would not take any of the new Paris fashions with her. Her first stop however would be to a beauty salon to get her hair taken care of.
Despite the fact that Rose had beautiful hair and she knew it, she had to change in order to get away from Cal. So she would have her hair cut short. It would grow back in time she thought ruefully. Better to have short hair and be away from Cal than to keep the long locks and suffer in this dreadful imprisonment. After all Cal thought nothing of hitting her or pushing her around if he saw fit. He was the king of the house, she thought bitterly. Well he was getting what he deserved. And with that final thought she went to bed so that she could be up early.
April 10, 1912 - 6:00 A.M.
The first rays of sunshine broke through the heavy drapery and filtered softly across Rose's face. The warmth caused her to stir and stretch sleepily and then sit upright. She hurriedly got out of bed took off the lace nightgown set and laid it across the bed then moved over to the closet where she picked one of the plainest gowns she had and a pair of plain undergarments and shoes and then dressed.
Even for a plain gown, it still stood out as an expensive dress and she knew that she would have to ditch it as soon as possible in order to not attract any more attention to herself than was necessary. Then after hastily dressing, she took a few small bills out of the three thousand and put it in her handbag and the rest she folded neatly and carefully placed inside her bodice. Then she took one quick glance around as she left the room and out towards her freedom.
Rose walked slowly as if she weren't just dying to run down the stairs and out the lobby into the great wide outdoors. She knew, however, that if she ran she would only attract attention. So she walked slow and ladylike until she had reached the great wide doors to the hotel.
Once she was on the outside, she felt such a sense of freedom. She gulped in the air, taking in the scenes around her. It was sailing day and so therefore it was very busy around the hotel and spilling on down towards the dock. This would be an easy getaway.
She rounded the corner and once out of sight of the hotel, she took off running. It was a good thing that she was in shape, Rose thought to herself. There were several small dress shops nearby and even a hairdresser as well. She felt as if God were smiling down on her for her plucky courage and moved into the dress shop.
When she emerged thirty minutes later, she was dressed as a common street woman. Gone was the expensive dress and shoes and replaced with a sensible cotton shirtwaist and plain skirt with plain lace up boots. Now if she could only detract attention from her flaming red curls. So she clutched her handbag tighter and moved on to the hairdresser.
Rose stepped inside and could hear the faint chiming of a clock and a middle aged man with white hair stepped forward and upon seeing the beautiful young woman he said, " Ah what can I do for you Miss?" Rose wasn't sure what to do with her hair. So she said with a trembling voice, " I want to have my hair cut short." The man's face turned into a frown and he said, " Now why would ya want ta do somethin' like that? You're hair bein' so pretty as it is Miss."
She came forward and said, " I want my hair cut. Will you do it or must I find someone else?" The man grunted and pointed to a chair. Rose sat down reluctantly and soon felt the cool blades of the scissors and then the slicing noise as it cut through the thick curly locks.
Within moments her head felt lighter and Rose was both happy and sad. Once the hair had been shorn, she looked into a mirror and was rather surprised and pleased with how he had styled her newly shorn hair. It was actually quite chic looking and she knew that now no one from her previous life would recognize her. She quickly paid the hairdresser who was mumbling about the world going mad and left.