For those who are still reading this, here's chapter four. As you should have realized from the title, the year is 1920. The Titanic has sank and Rose and Ruth are living in Philadelphia. I'm running out of pre-written chapters, so it might take me longer to update. Reviews may help me write faster, though.

Hope you enjoy!


Persuasion

Based on situations originated by J. Cameron and J. Austen

CHAPTER FOUR: Eight Years Later

1920

Rose -wrapped in a coat that wasn't half as thick as it ought to be- rushed along the streets of Philadelphia, completely aware of the fact that she was late. Her employer had made her stay longer than usual because –apparently- she had made a mistake when taking Mrs. Lovett's measures so the dress she was supposed to make for her had come out wrong.

She finally got to her house and rang the bell. She hoped her mother would let her near the fire for a minute before she decided they had to leave, but the moment Ruth appeared at the door, her daughter knew that that was not going to happen.

"You're late," the woman told her when she saw her.

"Yes, sorry about that. I had to redo a dress."

"Next time you should be more careful. Now let's go. I told Elizabeth that we would meet her at her house five minutes ago."

Ruth stepped outside and closed the door behind her. She started to walk and motioned her daughter to follow her. Rose pushed her hands deeper into her pockets and followed her mother.

"Is Elizabeth going to take us to the party?" she asked.

"Yes. She had room in her car and was kind enough to offer to take us. It's good, but for now. We can't allow her to think that we are broken. I told her our driver was sick."

"Mother, why do we have to pretend we are full of money when the truth is that we are broken? I'm sick of traveling across town to work so none of our neighbors see me; I'm sick of attending to all this parties and talk about jewelry and trips and dresses we can't afford! Wouldn't it be easier to accept the fact that the money is gone and it won't come back? We better deal with it rather than deny it."

Ruth stopped suddenly and turned around.

"There's still some hope for us, Rose. We can't give up yet. I know it's a very big sacrifice, but it will pay off eventually. I'm sure that sooner or later we'll find you a suitable husband and we will soon be back on our feet. Don't you miss having a maid to make you breakfast and help you get dressed?"

One part of her wanted to scream that she didn't need the money; that all she wanted was to live her life and not a lie. But she knew there was no way out. She hadn't been brought up to starve in the streets. This life was the only life she knew, and she would have to try to get it back.

"As long as it's not another Cal…" Rose murmured.

"What?"

"Nothing."

They got to Elizabeth's house, but the buckler told them that his lady had already left, assuming they would go on their own. Ruth had thanked the man, but the moment the door closed, she exclaimed:

"I knew we couldn't trust her! She suspects something, I know."

"Should we go home and invent some kind of excuse?" Rose asked.

"No! We are going to that party. Come on, it's only twenty blocks away."

"Twenty…?" she started, but there was no point in arguing; she knew her mother would have it her way.

It took them almost half an hour to arrive at Molly Brown's house. Ruth rang the bell and told her daughter to agree to whatever she said. A minute later they were in the living room offering their apologize to their host.

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you what happened, Molly," Ruth said. "I think one of our maids is stealing from us. That's why we're late; we had to do some research."

Rose noticed that a group of women sitting in a corner were pointing at them and laughing. In that moment she understood that their financial situation wasn't so secret anymore. Coming to think about it, it was only reasonable that Cal had spread the rumor once their engagement was cancelled. After what she had done to him, it would have been stupid to think that he'd try to protect them. In fact, he had even told her she'd be sorry.

After so many years, Rose had convinced herself that it was her fault they were like this. They had found Cal on the Carpathia the morning after the sinking, but he had pushed them away. They had been forced to spend the rest of the voyage downstairs, hidden, too ashamed to talk to anyone. When they docked, Ruth had tried to talk some sense into Cal again. She had even convinced Rose to apologize, but nothing worked. Cal told all his friends that Rose had cancelled the engagement off and that she shouldn't be trusted.

But Rose had never imagined that he would reveal their financial situation to anyone. Now, however, seeing the women laugh so shamelessly at them, she saw the whole truth.

"No problem, sister. As long as you're here!" Molly exclaimed, paying no attention to the women's giggles. "Now… should we go to the dinning room? I'm starving."

It took Rose several seconds to react. Everything was finally clear to her: despite Ruth's efforts, they knew.

"Mother, I don't think this is a very good idea," the girl whispered as she followed her mother into the dinning room.

"Relax, Rose, they don't know."

They sat at the table and plates filled with delicious food were placed in front of them. The DeWitt Bukaters tried hard not to devour theirs; it had been too long since they had last enjoy such a fancy meal; it was only rice and bread for them this days.

"So, Ruth… what did you say your maids were stealing from you?" one of the guests wanted to know.

"Mostly jewelry," Ruth replied.

"I thought so. You should check the pawnshop. The other day I was walking by and I swear I saw a necklace just like the one Robert gave Rose for her 13 birthday," the same woman said with half a smile in her face. The rest of the guests also smiled; only Molly looked at them with sad eyes. Molly, who they had met on the Titanic, was nothing like the other women. She was the only one who paid no attention to financial status when she met new friends.

Rose almost chocked with the water she was drinking. She herself had taken her necklace to the pawnshop a week ago. Although she had sworn she would never sell that particular piece of jewelry, she had had no chance. She had used the money to buy food.

"I'll be sure to check," Ruth muttered.

Ruth and Rose spent the rest of the night in silence, fearing to be the object of their poison darts again. Finally, the guests started to leave, so the DeWitt Bukaters jumped to their feet.

"I had the best time, Molly. Thank you for inviting us," the eldest told her host meaning only half of it.

Molly let them go without saying a word, but she showed up at their place the following morning.

"What are you doing here?" Ruth asked when she opened the door.

"I'm just checking something. May I come in?" but expecting no answer, she made her way inside. "Just what I thought!" she commented once in the living room.

Rose, who since was a Saturday didn't have to go to work but was working on a dress nonetheless, looked up and sighed in resignation. Molly's gaze wandered around the nearly empty room and the commented:

"Well, at least I know why you don't invite people over."

"This is not what you think, Molly…" Ruth tried to explain, but her friend waved her hand asking for silence and she obeyed.

"It is no secret to anyone that you have financial problems. Cal has been insinuating it ever since he got off that damn ship! At the beginning no one trusted him; we all thought that he was just mad at Rose for canceling the wedding. But you have to understand that it's been eight years and you have done nothing to prove him wrong. People are starting to think that maybe Robert didn't have as much money as you say he had."

"Cal has been spreading the rumor?" Rose repeated. "See, mother, I told you he wasn't trustworthy."

"What happened? And I mean the whole story. Why did you have to sell most of your furniture, why did the engagement ended so abruptly… Everything."

"It's a very long story and I doubt you'll find it interesting…" Ruth assured her.

"Listen, sister, I want to help. But I need to know why I will help you. I have plenty of time, so… shoot!"

The women sat on an old couch that hadn't been sold yet and the host briefly explained her husband's financial situation and what had come after his death.

"Gambling, I suppose?" Molly asked. "Don't worry, you'd be surprise to know how many of our respectable gentlemen throw their money away in bets. Well, that explains why you were so desperate to marry Rose to rich man. What I don't understand is why you let him go –I mean, I was never Cal's fan, but seeing that you needed money so desperately, I'd have thought that you would hold on to him for as long as possible."

"It was my fault," Rose suddenly said. She had listened to her mother's tale in silence while contemplating their front garden. But now she had turned to face Molly. "Cal dumped us because of me."

"You, dear? What makes you say that?"

"Lets just say I didn't behave like a lady should."

"What could you possibly have done to make Cal call of the engagement like that?" Molly asked.

Rose sighed and half a smile appeared on her lips. She rarely thought of the events that had lead to their current situation, but whenever she did, she couldn't help to smile. Despite everything that had come after that, she still felt that Titanic was the best thing that had happened to her in a long time.

"I told him I wouldn't marry him. He threatened me, but I did not care. I won't marry unless it's for love and that's it."

"You'd be lucky if you married at all!" Ruth commented. "If everyone knows about us…"

But Molly was not listening to her. She was looking curiously at Rose.

"When you say you're going to marry for love, do you have someone in mind or not yet?"

It took her almost a minute to reply, but then she didn't hesitate.

"No. I haven't met Mr. Right yet."

"Oh. I thought… Never mind."

Rose turned to her and saw she was smiling. Was there something Molly knew and wasn't telling her? But before she could ask, their friend spoke again.

"Okay, I will help you."

"How?" Ruth asked in disbelief. "Unless you have a couple thousand dollars to borrow, I don't see…"

"Better. I'm going to New York for a couple of weeks and I'd love it if you joined me. Who knows, maybe Rose's true love is there. What do you say?"

Again, Rose got the feeling that there was something Molly was not telling her. She'd find out soon enough.