"I don't know 'ow ta choose. But choose. If not I'll choose for you. And my choice is neither of us." Rose stared at the sailor as hard as she could. He looked up with puppy-dog eyes. She caught her self staring at his lips. Only to catch him staring at hers. Neither of them breathed a word. It was brown eyes staring into brown eyes.
Rose blinked. She stood up and started for the kitchen. Anthony grabbed her wrist. "Let me go." She whispered. The boy wrapped his arm around her waist. And used two fingers to turn her head to face him. "I can't, Rose Lovett." He placed his lips ontop of Rose's. She kissed back for a moment, then pulled away. "Is that your final answer?" She whispered.
"I'll know in a moment." He kissed her again, she wrapped her arms around his neck, closing her eyes. His lips curled into a smile as he twirled her brown strands with one hand, tickling the small of her back with the other.
"Anthony!" Rose broke away from the older boy. Johanna stood in the doorway. Confused, angry tears forming in her brown eyes.
"Johanna I can explain," Anthony started.
"How could you? I trusted you. I trusted both of you." Her voice was dignified, but her eyes shot icicles at the teenagers. Nellie and Sweeney stood behind her, confused as well.
"Johanna, we're in love." Rose defended him. She hated hurting her sister, but she was in love! She smiled up at Anthony, her expression changed at Anthony's startled eyes.
"N-no. Johanna, I love you. I only kissed Rose to see if there was anything there! Buts it's different with you!" He pulled a small heart-shaped box from his jacket pocket he got down on one knee. "I want you to be my wife Johanna Lovett." Johanna stared at the young man, shocked. Rose held her shaking hand over her mouth, hurt.
"Get. Out." Johanna muttered under her breath.
"What? Johanna we can get past this-"
"Just get out Anthony." She said in her cool, dignified voice. He obeyed, Sweeney and Nellie stared the teen angrily.
"I'm sorry Johanna. I'm so sorry. I'm so stupid, I don't know what I was thinkin'." Rose tried to apologies.
"How could you? My own sister?"
"I'm sorry." Rose couldn't think of anything else to say. No explanation. No beg for forgiveness. Just two words she managed to choke out.
"I really thought you had more class then that Rose." Johanna stomped off into her room.
"Johanna!" Nellie called to the blonde. She turned to her daughter, "Rose? Love? Are ya okay?"
'I-I have to g-go" Rose stuttered. She ran past Nellie, and Sweeney and out the door. And she just kept running. She payed no attention to the heavy rain drenching her clothes. Even though her heart threatened to explode, she ran. After a few minutes, she slowed down to a walk, hot tears clouding her vision. She had no destination in mind, she just had to get out of that house. How could she make such a fool of herself? Practically throwing herself onto her sisters boyfriend. She was no better than the prostitutes exchanging favors in the dark corners of the filthy alleyways.
"Rose?" The brunette turned around to face the familiar voice. It was Daniel, with a concerned expression on his face.
"Daniel." She sniffled and fixed her hair. "Seems ya find me in the worst of times."
"Rose are you alright?"
"Yes I 'am fine."
"You've been crying, and you're soaked to the bone. You must come with me. You need a hot bath and meal."
"Daniel you don't have t-" She actually didn't mind being put in a warm tub and get a change of clothes.
"I won't let you refuse me Rose Lovett." Daniel flinched inside at his own words. Rose shrugged and followed-she drew the line at him carring her-the man to his carrige. He had given her his coat which she pulled close to her body for warmth. Daniel's carriage had two windows with forest green curtains and deep blue fabric covering the seats. The entire thing was made of a light brown wood. There was a small wood chest under the seat. Daniel pulled out the box and and pulled out a long, crystal bottle golden liquid. He poured it out into a glass.
"Here," he said. "Drink this. it will warm you up."
Rose starred at the welcoming beverage. "I don't d-drink. I c-can't drink." She said. Daniel shrugged and drank it himself."
It was a short and silent ride to Daniel's mansion, he helped her out and spoke a few words to his servants. A plump looking woman with blonde hair and hazel eyes lead Rose up to a large room with pink wall paper and large, dark, polished furniture. There was a king-sized bed with pink sheets that matched the wallpaper. The room had it's own bathroom with a tall ceiling and brown tiles. The large tub was porcelain with yellow flowers painted on the side. Rose protested so strongly against the servant undressing her, that she left the room quietly and left her change of clothes on the bed.
Rose stepped into the tub, soft steam rising up from the inviting water. Sighing, she layed her head back and closed her eyes. "What if I drowned right here?" She thought. "I certainly would be a fancy grave. Too fancy for a filthy bakers daughter." She sunk under the water, her hair floating to the top. She simply curled up in the warmth of the water for a second before coming up for air. There was a milky white bar of soap sitting on a stained glass dish, she thoroughly washed her body, and hair. Enjoying how relaxed her muscles felt until the water began to cool. She dried herself with a wool towel and slipped the lacey, pink dress over her head. It was a very flattering gown. The fabric was soft against her newly-washed skin. It was probably French. She pulled her hair into her usual bun, and tightened the laces. She carried her plain, black work dress out of the room. The servant that had helped her was standing outside and took it from her.
"The honorable Judge Turpin wishes you to see him in the dinning room Miss." She said.
"Thank you." The servant smiled at her half-heartedly and lead her down several hallways. The dinning room had large, black doors and golden knockers. The servant didn't bother knocking, she merely pushed the the doors open. As everything else in Judge Turpin's house, it was very large. Everything was black with gold trimmings, right down to the spoons. Daniel looked up from a book he was reading. He found his breath caught in his throat. The girl in front of him couldn't be anything but an angel. She sat down in a chair next to him. Her pale, clean skin glowing. She smiled at him, not just with her mouth but with her eyes. Though they sparkled, it was as if someone had painted diamonds in them, not as if they danced on their own to a secret rhythm that only her brown orbs could dance too. He merely stared at them, wondering how many secrets and raw emotion was behind them. And who had dared to make tears spill from them.
"Daniel?" Her voice broke his concentration, like a soft music note. "Yes?" He said. How he wanted to hold he young girl in front of him, to whispers sonnets in her ear and grant her every wish.
"How'd you find me?" She asked. "N-not that I'm ungrateful I'm just wondering."
"I saw you run by." He said. He had had a long, bothersome day in court, and was walking outside to discover that it had rained. He was walking to his coach when a flash of white and brown ran past him. He was sure that was her skin tone, and almost sure he saw a glimpse of her eyes and ran after her. He wasn' as fast as her and it had taken a bit of searching to find her. Rose smiled.
"Daniel, ya know how I said ya find me in the worst a' times?"
"Yes?"
"Maybe ya find me in the best of times."
Hello readers! I thought you all deserved a long, soap-opera like chapter! Thanks to, MinnesotaRose and Piper Lestrange for reviewing! Now go vote on my poll!
