Jerry Dandridge's What If Scenario

Chapter One

Day Two

On a Train to Somewhere

The following day Rose woke up and dressed, pinned up her hair covering it with the bonnet, then prepared to have her breakfast in the dining car. There was so much boredom sharing that dining car with only Oscar who always ate so quietly. There was no charming gentleman and his strange companion or the flamboyant woman. She read and read, sipped tea, ate lunch, and repeated everything with breaks in between to use the very cramped water closet. The train made a few stops here and there along the tracks.

Dusk arrived and she retreated to her cabin to freshen up before supper was served. She removed her bonnet, tired of wearing the thing, and brushed out her hair. She knew it was inappropriate but since it seemed it was just she and Oscar she saw nothing wrong letting her hair down. She left the cabin and returned to the dining car and to her surprise the gentleman and his companion were again sharing the car with her and Oscar.

She grimaced the moment Oscar again gave her that disapproving scowl upon seeing her defiantly without her bonnet and her hair down. She sat down ignoring Oscar's disapproval and picked up her book to continue to drown out her boredom with a continuance of tales of death. The server came bringing her a bowl of soup and fresh tea; starting to dislike tea. She properly sipped her soup again focusing on the two men again seated diagonally across the dining car.

Yes, the gentleman's voice was still just as lovely to hear; never thought any man could have such a smooth vocal. She held the book with one hand while lifting the silver spoon to her lips; not reading but listening. She couldn't truly hear what was being said but enjoyed the sound of the man's voice. She had picked up that the companion's name was Billy and oddly the gentleman's name was Jerry; such an odd name, she thought, for such a distinguished man. She assumed he would have a more European name but perhaps it was short for a more substantial name like Jeremiah or something like it. Well, at least now she had a name to go with the remarkable appearance.

Her soup was finished and the setting cleared. She sat back lifting her book again to block out her face but peered her eyes over to again spy gentleman Jerry's quite impressive profile. Her lips softly smirked while studying his appearance; again fashionably dressed but it was the features of his impeccable face that she admired the most. Yes, a mature man, perhaps in his early forties with just quite lovely defining lines about the corners of his slanted full mouth. His eyes were large and a lovely dark shade of brown. At one point she caught glimpse of very distinctive lines between his nicely shaped brows. Oh, she hoped her intended looked that darn impression. She would happily marry the man if he looked even close to what her eyes were seeing. Her grinning lips pressed together. Her eyes flinched then darted down having been caught spying on the gentleman by the gentleman. She quickly blocked her entire face with the book. Her cheeks blushed from embarrassment.

Her eyes shifted to her right seeing Oscar again glaring at her with disapproval. "Oh, don't look at me that way." she softly grumbled at Oscar who narrowed his glare, "You expect me to stare at your unpleasant face this entire trip, hmm?" She watched him tightly cross his arms over his broad chest. Her eyes rolled and refocused on the book. "Stupid gorilla," she grumbled under her breath.

After nearly a half hour of staring at black and white, she was interrupted by Oscar who cleared his throat to get her attention. Her eyes lifted and looked up at his towering structure, "Yes?"

"I will return shortly," Oscar stated.

"Oh, you need to relieve yourself?" she asked with a smirk and watched him again glare down at her, "Please do." She choked on a little giggle as he quietly growled then moved to the door leading to their shared car. "Finally," she sighed with relief having his glaring eyes not watching her for the time being. She turned the page.

"An odd choice of reading material for such a young woman." That gentleman Jerry's voice commented.

Rose lowered the book and eyes peered up to discover the very, very attractive gentleman standing before her now that Oscar was off doing his business. "Why is that?" she asked with a slight frown.

"May I sit with you?" Jerry asked.

"I don't know you." She quickly commented, "And I doubt my travel companion would find it appropriate if you were to sit with me."

"Is he your husband?" he asked with a curious lift of his brows.

She quickly laughed, "Good lord, no he is not." That was the most humorous thing she had heard, "What gave you such a horrible assumption? The man is simply my escort for it would be unwise for a young woman to travel alone."

"Then what would be the problem if I join you?" he asked finding her bluntness quite charming.

"Because he's employed by my fiancé, that's why." She quickly confessed.

"Oh, you're engaged." He commented glancing at her left hand seeing no ring, "Yet, you wear no engagement ring."

She glanced at her left hand and frowned, "No, I don't but soon there will be a wedding band." She continued to frown then again looked up at him; yes, quite lovely to look upon.

"You're traveling to your fiancé, I presume." He said keeping his voice as charming as possible. Yet, he noticed that she lacked the typical responses most women immediately shown in his presence.

"Yes," she simply stated with a nod, "All the way from America."

"Ah, what a coincidence," he charmingly smiled studying her eyes seeing no sign of those typical effects, "That's where I have traveled from."

"How nice," she felt odd sitting there looking up at him though he was more than pleasant to behold, "Yes, well, I must warn you not to be caught speaking to me by Oscar. I don't care to have him glaring at me with disapproval on a steady basis."

"How could he possibly look at you with disapproval?" he cunningly asked then elaborated with his impeccable charming vocals, "You're quite beautiful and disapproval is far inappropriate."

"Are you trying to flatter me?" she blatantly asked him.

"Trying?" he oddly asked with a questioning frown defining those lines between his brows, "I had hoped I succeeded in flattering you." Yes, he hoped but obviously wasn't successful with his typically well received flattery.

She choked on a giggle.

"Oh, please, don't tell me that you aren't accustomed to flattery." He commented; decided to continue with the flattery, "I refuse to believe that such a lovely young woman such as you isn't bombarded by words of pure admiration."

"Please," she fought back the desire to laugh, "I implore you, if Oscar should see you and hear what you're saying he will undoubtedly lock me in my cabin the rest of this long trip."

He slightly leaned forward focusing his eyes with hers. "That would just be cruel." He stated and enjoyed the manner her eyes frowned, "Cruel to me to lock you from my line of sight. In such a short time I have grown accustomed to seeing your beauty."

"Well, then you best return to your companion before my guard dog returns." She suggested then sarcastically stated, "Please, don't subject yourself to unnecessary cruelty."

He had to laugh; she was delightfully sarcastic. He decided to bargain, "Well, I'll return to my friend if you tell me your name."

"Rose," she simply gave her first name.

He reached and snatched up her hand; loved the surprise in her eyes. He lifted her hand and pressed a kiss against the back of her fingers. "Charmed," he sang then she pulled her hand free, "And allow me to appropriately introduce myself; Jerry Dandridge."

"Okay, Mr. Dandridge," she nodded, "You can now return to your friend and save yourself from cruelty." She flashed him a smile then looked to the pages of her book but listened to him give an amused laugh then his expensive leather hand stitched boots moved away from her table. She lifted the book again hiding her grin.

Rose continued to sit and attempt to read, even after Oscar returned, but kept peering over at the gentleman Jerry. She thought it strange how the gentleman wasn't again joined by the flamboyant woman but guessed the woman had left the train during one of the many stops. Yet, another woman entered the dining car; perhaps less boisterous as the previous and more drably dressed in quite worn dress seemingly made from mismatched pieces. Her eyes frowned studying the woman who was younger than the previous and seemed less enthusiastic but eventually the woman seemingly became overwhelmed by the charming Mr. Dandridge. She felt somewhat disappointed that another woman surely was going to know the gentleman's likely perfect affections which strayed any attention from her. Yes, he was a charmer; cruelty without her in his line of sight. She huffed with annoyance then closed her book and stood up; again as usual, Oscar stood up. "Oh, Oscar, spare me," she grumbled at him with a roll of her eyes, "You will be glad to know I'm retiring early." She shook her head and marched towards the door.

She entered her cabin and tossed the book on her bed then lit the lantern. She undressed in typical fashion and redressed in her plain nightgown; grumbled the entire time. She didn't understand why she had come to loathe the new woman being given attention she darn hoped her future husband will give to her. She sat down on the edge of the bed with her shoulders slumped staring vacantly at the door in front of her. She turned out the lantern and flopped back against the bed but grimaced feeling the book poke her backside. The book was pulled out from beneath her and tossed across the small room striking the wall.

Her head turned and eyes focused on the dim light coming through the drawn shade over the cabin door's small window. She heard the sound of voices then saw the silhouettes move passed her door but caught sight of one silhouette pause just outside her door. Her eyes frowned focusing on that silhouette; it oddly seemed to be the gentleman's silhouette then it continued passed obviously returning to his private car with the woman.

Her head turned and she again looked out the window into darkness. She could make out the passing stars in the dark horizon; seemed so darkly beautiful and so vast and seemingly unending. Her eyes drifted closed against the passing night though the stars seemed stationary against the motion of the traveling train.

It was later and there came a soft knocking sound. Rose wasn't certain the hour, but her eyes drifted open peering at the window and it was still night. Her eyes frowned as her head shifted in direction of the cabin door. Again she heard a soft knock which caused her eyes to roll, believed it was that bothersome towering beast of an escort. She grumbled, tossed back the covers and sat up prepared to tell the brute to go away. She rose up taking only a couple steps to reach the door. She eyed an obvious silhouette through the drawn shade then unlocked the door. Leaned back to keep her body hidden by the door, she cracked the door open with her mouth open and ready to spew an insult.

To her surprise and confusion it wasn't Oscar who had quietly knocked on her door but the gentleman Mr. Dandridge. Her eyes frowned; one peered through the slight opening suspicious about such an inappropriate and late in the hour visit. "What do you want?" she asked with a whisper not wanting to disturb the ogre across the hall.

Jerry grinned leaned against wall beside the door with his arms crossed over his white shirt, the collar undone and void of the traditional tie or suit jacket and vest. "I wished to end the cruelty of not seeing your beautiful face." He stated with that cunning melody but kept his voice low knowing her escort was asleep directly across the corridor.

"From what I gather you had another beautiful face to relinquish that cruelty." She firmly commented in whisper, "And this is quite inappropriate for you know that I'm engaged and my escort is directly across the way and the hour is late." She gestured with a nod at Oscar's cabin door, "Now, leave me to my sleep." She moved to close the door but his hand slapped against it, "Excuse you, sir." She narrowed her eyes.

"I can't sleep unless I have a proper and close look of your lovely face." He chimed with a little sly lift of his brows. She was fiery and he found it such an enduring quality.

"Well, then a restless night you'll have." She snipped struggling to keep her voice a whisper, steadily glanced to Oscar's door, "Please, go away."

It was strange to him that she was definitely unaffected by his typical wiles; his charms typically well received. "You are quite the puzzle, Rose." He confessed, "Do you find me attractive?"

"What manner of question is that, sir?" she asked in return; her voice slightly raised, "You are obviously accustomed to your attractiveness and don't need someone as simple as I to inform you of a fact that you so boldly know. You're quite egotistical." She pressed both hands against the door and attempted to push it closed but his one handed hold on the door seemed greater in strength, "Would you go away before I'm forced to awaken the titan."

"There is nothing wrong with knowing one's attractiveness." He smirked finding her amusing by her determination to make him leave, "You surely must know your own attractiveness, your undoubted beauty."

"Flattery noted," she grumbled with an annoyed whisper, "Now, go away this once."

"Fine," he didn't truly relent, "I'll go away, for now. You have one more night on this train as do I."

"My, that didn't sound the least bit unsettling." She sarcastically commented. She rolled her eyes and gave the door a good shove; his hand finally drew back. Quickly she did the lock and turned around leaning back against the door. Why all of a sudden had a man come along in pursuit of her now that she was engaged? Her life seemed such a trivial piece of work. He was obviously arrogant and assumed she would be attracted to him. Well, she was but it was inappropriate to cave to such an attraction for she would soon be a married woman.

Her face grimaced then eyes rolled. Two steps forward, she crawled back onto the small bed but that gentleman seemingly had embedded himself in her thoughts. "Stupid gentleman Mr. Dandridge," she mumbled closing her eyes then they snapped open with a smile gleamed across, "But dear Lord, what a face." She softly giggled.

Jerry grinned finding that little spitfire just as expected; spiteful, defiant, and a definite challenge. Challenges he loved and willingly accepted. His turned and left that car and entered his private and lavish car. He stepped along the Persian rug lining the floor passing his companion Billy who was crouched down beside the half dressed woman. He ignored the distinct sound of flesh, muscle, and bone being sawed into as Billy worked to remove the woman's head. "Just throw it off the back of the train as the others." He said and stepped to a small Venetian table snatching up an apple then hardily bit into it. His hand pulled back, nearly half the apple devoured down to the core with that single bite. He steadily chewed with his grin filled with amusement in response to his little interlude with the fiery little Rose.

"She's a puzzle to me that one." Jerry spoke up after swallowing the chewed apple, cleansing his palate of the lingering taste of blood.

Billy Cole rose up after the removal of the woman's head was finished. "Why's that?" he asked with the woman's head in his grasp held by the mess of brown hair.

"She's strangely unaffected by me." Jerry stated looking to his day keeper, "Yes, she finds me attractive but it seems that's all. I have never once in all my years stumbled across a single individual who's resistant as she is."

Billy shrugged then reached down snatching the decapitated body by the arm and started to drag it down the length of the car passing his master. "There's always a first for everything, I'm guessing." He simply commented making his way to the back of the private car.

"Yes, I agree." Jerry smirked with a gleam of delight for such a challenge.