April 14th 1912 – 11:00pm
Rose and Thomas lay in his bed, holding each other closely, their sweating, naked bodies pressed together under the silk sheets. She rested her head upon his strong, hairy chest and listened to his heartbeat, stroking his stomach as he breathed heavily. He ran his fingers through her hair and planted a kiss on her head, adoringly.
"Rose…"
"Yes, Thomas?"
He was silent for a moment, catching his breath. "Who the hell taught you to perform like that in bed?" He laughed.
She giggled, "Naturally gifted I guess… I do remember Cal saying something along the lines of, 'women needn't work, for their shift begins when the lights are off.'"
"Well, as sexist and crude as that is… I'd definitely be promoting you after that shift."
They both laughed, and Thomas sat up, bringing his arms over her, and began tickling her, making her shriek with hysterical giggles. She jumped up, grabbed a cloud-like pillow and began defending herself, watching his muscular, tanned, hairy body rising from the bed, moving like a God across those sheets. Rose had just felt, tasted, heard, seen, smelt perfection. She was in heaven, and she didn't want to leave. Imprisonment with Cal was a life sentence she couldn't bear… but to be in heaven with Thomas was an eternal pleasure she would love.
Ruth was sitting in her cabin, which was just across the hall from Rose and Cal's. Her daughter hadn't turned up at dinner, and this terrified Ruth. Not only because she didn't know where she was, but she knew that Cal was furious. When she was an hour late, she tried convincing him that she would show up eventually, saying that "She's simply trying to find a suitable outfit to match that divine rock around her neck." This made him calm for a while… but when she had missed all 7 courses that was the final straw. He had sat with clenched fists and gritted teeth all night, playing with his food, not listening to the conversation around him or taking part… When Cal was like this, it scared Ruth.
Cal sat in the Smoking Lounge with John Jacob Astor, Benjamin Guggenheim, Sir Cosmo Duff Gordon, the usual pack… but the only person on his mind was the wretched little whore that had turned her back on him. He didn't even have to guess who she with… but on a ship of such grandeur and size, he had no idea where she was.
"Another brandy, Caledon?" A loud voice bellowed through the grey smoke.
Snapped out of his trance by this question, he geld out his glass, allowing the amber liquid to spill inside. The more he drank, the more he could feel the rage inside him building up, and as he took this next drink, it was simply adding fuel to the fire.
Just then, a familiar face appeared in the crowd. He jumped up and raced over to him. "Lovejoy!"
"I can't find her anywhere, Sir."
"Has anyone else seen her?"
"None of the stewards have seen her either."
Cal nearly punched the marble fireplace next to him in fury, and as he spoke he had to force himself to speak in a hushed tone, or else he's be screaming. "This is absurd! It's a ship; there are only so many places she could be… Lovejoy, find her!"
Lovejoy nodded obediently and turned round, heading for the door, until he stopped and said, "Cal?"
"What is it?"
"Do you think she's with… you know?"
"Well of course she's with him! The problem here is I don't know where she is with him?"
"Perhaps she's…"
"Spit it out man!"
"His bedroom." He looked away, hoping to avoid Cal's mad gaze.
"She wouldn't…"
"She might."
Cal couldn't speak. His mind was whirling with questions, each one pushing past the other to be the first answered. The only question he cared about was this, "Where the fuck is his bedroom, Lovejoy?"
"I'll get right on it." And he was off to find out. Lovejoy was a retired cop, but he still knew how to use a firearm and pursue a man hunt… or in this case, a woman hunt. Cal's father hired him to keep his little boy out of trouble, and to make sure he got back to the hotel with his wallet after his crawl through the less reputable parts of town. Cal didn't get to where he was today by being a Saint. No one gets everything they want and more by being, sometimes, you had to take risks.
Watching Mr Andrews pull his underwear back up around his waist, hiding his perfectly proportioned package, then sit down on the end of the bed and pull his socks back on, Rose felt that tonight had been worth the risk. She crawled across the bad, placed her head on his shoulder and started kissing and biting his neck.
"Won't Cal be wondering where you are?"
"Of course he will, but I don't want to think about him right now."
"He's going to be furious." Thomas laughed.
"When is he not?" she laughed with him and wrapped her arms around his waist.
Thomas held her arms, looking down and spotting her engagement ring. "That's one hell of a diamond there, Rose."
"It's nothing compared to the necklace he bought me." She should have sounded ecstatic about such gifts… however, she didn't. It wasn't that she was ungrateful. She just hated receiving gifts from. Cal hoped that when he bought that diamond, he'd be buying her respect.
"What are we going to do, Rose?" his voice was serious now, but still gentle. Thomas was the kind of man who could be stern or forceful without raising a hand or bursting a blood vessel in his eye.
"What do you mean?" She moved across the sheets to sit beside him, still in a state of complete undress.
"Us… this… we can't keep this going. The ship docks in a few days and after that I'll be heading back to Southampton on her return voyage. You'll be travelling to Philadelphia."
"So I'll… never see you again?"
"Not likely." He lowered his head, looking saddened by this thought. Rose couldn't let go of this man. He made her feel so special, and safe and wanted, and he was just as wealthy as Cal was, not that it mattered, but it helped.
"When the ship docks, I won't get off. I'll stay here with you."
"What?" he was caught off guard by this statement. "Rose, that's ridiculous! You can't do that!"
"And why not? Because it's frowned upon? So is adultery, and yet here we are, and God has not said a word." She grinned and stroked his ear. She loved his ears. They listened.
"And what of your mother and Cal? They'd know you were still on the ship… they'd know you were with me."
"Then let them come find us! I'm tired of living by their rules, I want to live my own life."
Thomas stood up, retrieving his trousers from the floor and putting them on. "I understand… but we would be landing ourselves into a whole lot of trouble. It's not like Romeo and Juliet, it's not all happy endings."
"They both died… there are no such things as happy endings. Only happy beginnings and the thrill of the ride in-between."
"But you'd have to leave your mother behind… you could never go back."
"That bitch is the reason I'm where I am. Being taken back to America in chains."
"And Cal would most likely send a warrant out for my arrest."
"For what?"
"Kidnap most likely."
"It's not kidnapping if I willingly ran away with you." She protested, trying to reassure him.
"I know… I know… If it's what you want, then-"
Suddenly, there was a sharp knock at the door, which made the lovers jump. Thomas looked at the door and then at Rose. "Quick, hide!"
Rose jumped off of the bed and towards the large wardrobe, which she fit into easily.
Thomas threw on his over coat, and buttoned it up, "Just a minute." He called out, struggling to button up in a hurry.
"It's Lovejoy, Mr Andrews." The shady voice on the other side said emotionlessly.
"That bastard!" Rose whispered.
Thomas shoved Roses' dress under the sheets and kicked her heels under the bed. Then, so not to waste any more time, he answered the door, looking flustered. "Hello, Mr Lovejoy!"
"Sorry to have disturbed you, Sir… I was wondering if you had seen Miss DeWitt BuKkater?"
He had to swallow the lump in his throat, "I'm afraid I haven't, no. Perhaps she has made a new friend on this ship."
"Indeed… perhaps she has…" Mr Lovejoy, as casually as he had appeared, strolled past Thomas and into the bedroom. Thomas was too nervous to stop him, and allowed him to inspect the room.
"Mr Hockley has been worried about her all night…"
"Worried or jealous?" Rose thought to herself, knowing that Cal had sent Lovejoy directly to this cabin.
"Well I can assure you Mr Lovejoy, she's not here. But if I see her I'll be sure to give her a good talking to and send her back to Caledon."
"Yes… I think a good talking to is exactly what she's in need of." Something within the old man made him turn towards the large armoire. Instantly, Thomas felt the lump in his throat reappear.
"Well, Mr Lovejoy, I'd love for you to stay, but I've got some very important paperwork to be getting on with."
As he spoke, Lovejoy slowly began to advance towards the wardrobe. Rose looked out of the slit between the two doors and saw Cal's henchman crossing the room, eyeing up the large wooden object. She nearly gasped, but put a hand over her mouth to stop herself from breathing.
"I shan't keep you long… It's a fine piece of furniture Mr Andrews."
"Why yes, it is."
"Very large."
"Indeed." Thomas wanted to grab the creepy man by the back of his shirt and throw him out into the hall. He prayed that he didn't open the door.
He was closer to the wardrobe now. "Mr Hockley bought Miss DeWitt BuKkater an armoire nearly identical to this one."
"Did he now?"
"Yes… he's a very generous man… Rose just doesn't see it." He stopped now, right outside the door where Rose stood. She stopped breathing, watching his withered face and empty eyes analyse the wardrobe, and her heart began to pound like a mallet inside her ribcage, trying to break out. He put a hand on the hand carved door panel and stroked it. "She never did use the thing. She just left it up in the attic to collect dust."
"Perhaps she's not a fan of mahogany." Thomas laughed nervously as he spoke.
"Mahogany… Marriage… We're unsure what she's a fan of these days."
"Perhaps Cal should sit down and ask her what she wants instead of guessing or trying to win her over with grand gestures." He hoped the blunt yet honest statement would distract Lovejoy from adoring this armoire. "He's a great fan of money… Rose is not."
"Well, Mr Andrews, I'm afraid that if you're born into wealth then you must live with wealth and get used to it." He put a hand on the handle of the wardrobe door. Rose, standing totally naked on the other end froze with fright. "I've told her many times to just come out and embrace the high class socialite society she was born into, not to hide and collect dust like an old armoire or hide amidst the dresses and gifts she receives." He began to turn the handle, which made Thomas feel sick. "Because as soon as Caledon starts to take each and every gift and dress out of her life, she won't be able to hide any longer, and she'll be exposed for what she really is."
And with that, he had swung the armoire door open. Thomas shut his eyes, as if awaiting a punch to the face… but nothing. He heard silence. He opened one eye and looked into the dark void that Lovejoy stared into, filled with coats, shirts, trousers and other such things… but no Rose.
He shut the door again. "I always was a fan of hand-made furniture… that's a fine specimen right there, Mr Andrews… take care of it… it's easy for something hand-made to fall apart if it's mistreated." He headed for the cabin door.
"I'll be sure to take great care of it, Mr Lovejoy, thank you." He walked him out the room, his heart rate steadying itself.
"And if you do see Rose, tell her we're looking for her… her mother's worried." And then he was gone, walking back to Cal's cabin to give him an update on the situation.
Thomas shut the door behind him and leaned against it, resting his forehead against the door. He listened to Lovejoy's footsteps quietly disappear down the hall… he was gone.
Rose emerged from the wardrobe, almost laughing, "That was a close shave."
"A very close shave." Thomas turned around to see Rose finding her dress under the sheets, pulling it on over her head. "How did you hide?" he smiled now, knowing they were safe.
"You're overcoats are very long… I simply hid inside one of them."
Thomas chuckled and held out his arms. Rose came over and feel into his embrace.
"Well you're safe now, young Rose… I'll never let any harm come to you."
Just then, as they stood holding one another, something made Thomas pull away and look around the room. Rose was confused at first, but then a second later she too knew what he was doing. They both stood separated and each of them felt, without a doubt, the ground beneath their feet shaking ever so slightly, but becoming stronger with each passing millisecond. The chandelier above their heads began to jingle as the glass beads vibrated. Thomas whipped his head round to look at Rose, knowing she could feel it too. She looked back at him, seeing abject fear in his eyes. The ship was shaking… but then, it stopped, just as suddenly as it had started. Rose knew instantly that this wasn't normal. If it was, Thomas wouldn't look so pale.
