Chapter Two
The following morning, Rose woke to a knock on her door.
Slowly sitting up, she asked.
"Yes?"
"Mrs. Mayfield?" It was Heather's voice.
Glancing over at the nightstand clock, Rose narrowed her eyes before she reached out. Once the clock was in her hands, she blinked when she realized it was early; six to be precise. Remembering the events from last night, Rose practically leaned back as she asked.
"Whatever is it, Heather?"
"It's the master, Mr. Dawson, Mrs. Mayfield. He wishes you downstairs as soon as possible. It's about Mrs. Dawson."
Lying against the pillows, Rose opened her eyes and blinked towards the ceiling. The last person she wished to encounter was Mrs. Dawson. From last night's events, Rose had been given little information as to how the party progressed along and the only image which stayed was that of John, asking his father if his mama would kiss him goodnight. That sentence touched her heart but in this moment? As she drew herself on her hands, Rose asked.
"Why would Mr. Dawson wish me to be downstairs, Heather? Mrs. Dawson and I aren't patricianly fond of each other, as any soul would suppose."
"Please, Mrs. Mayfield," Heather pleaded and Rose could tell the woman was a little impatient.
"Just follow through and appear downstairs! You may ask Mr. Dawson about it later!"
Sighing, Rose shook her head as she answered, pushing the sheets aside.
"Alright, I'm on my way. Inform him I shall be there."
"Thank you, Mrs. Mayfield."
Then Heather's retreating footsteps were heard down the hall. As Rose Rose, she glanced over towards the window and the morning sun was shining through. Feeling a little better after last night's adventure, she did as she was bided. Once she had some shoes on, she reached out and wrapping the shawl around her shoulders, Rose stood and slowly making her way over to the bedroom doors, opened them, before she soon found herself standing in the hallway. The candles were lit and as Rose rubbed her shoulders, she narrowed her eyes as she thought,
"Normally, the servants' are up and busying themselves with house duties. They never bother the residents when they're sleeping. And 8 is the hour when breakfast would be served. But waking one at this hour?" Rose glanced over her shoulder and the candles on the walls were glowing as she finished with a question.
"Why would a servant wake me up at this hour?"
Then she returned her attention back and soon, placed her hand on the railing, and gently walked down the stairs. But the strange feeling of tension seemed to rise as she made her way down.
Jack tried not to stare at the woman who appeared by the staircase.
He swallowed when he ignored her when the men around him spoke. The guests, some who remained from the party before, couldn't believe it and even some of his lady friends' were shocked when news arrived. He felt his Adam's apple bounce when the sheriff asked.
"She was found dead beside you, sir?"
Jack nodded as he ignored Rose as he replied, feeling as if the whole world were watching him.
"Yes, sheriff; when I reached out and touched her, her hand was completely cold."
Jack only imagined how the rest of his guests were staring at him as he ignored one woman's presence most. He kept his focus away from her after he answered the sheriff. Knowing she was there only made the passing of his wife harder when he heard the front doors open and the man who would take care of her body arrived. It was too hard to believe that last evening, Rachel was laughing happily, despite how much wine she'd consumed, and promised she would kiss little John goodnight. She'd done so and Jack was thankful she'd not been too drunk but now? The doctor examined her earlier when Jack called for him and he could only explain that Rachel passed away due to leukemia. He felt it unbearable to watch as the man arrived and narrowing his eyes, stared at Rachel's corpse and he turned away. It was here when he met Rose's eyes and they widened when the two made eye contact. Swallowing, he finally addressed.
"Mrs. Mayfield, I see that you've found why I asked you to join our group."
"Oh, Jack," a voice too familiar to him spoke. "Do yourself a favor and let her presence here! She's only a reminder of the loss of the Unsinkable and the least person in the world needed is here for-"
Jack cleared his throat when his heart jumped when John, his youngest son, appeared at the top of the staircase as he asked.
"Papa? Why is mama lying like that? And why is she so white?"
This broke the ice and all eyes turned to stare at the little boy. Jack only knew John would start crying shortly. He only felt his throat twist when he answered.
"Your mama's gone, John."
Our Lady of the Rosary, Catholic Church, New York City.
As Rose seated herself in the pew, she kept her eyes focused forward. She knew that Jack as well as the rest of the family were at the back of the church. She made sure that she didn't bother them as she raised her eyes and stared at the Tabernacle where Our Lord was. The organ could be heard as the organist recited the solemn melody for the start of the funeral for Rachel Dawson. Rose kept her eyes focused on the Tabernacle to keep from crying herself when one of the maids walked forward and out of the corner of her eye, brought little John over to Rose.
"Mrs. Mayfield? Care to take care of John?" she asked in the softest whisper she could muster. When Rose met her eyes, she narrowed them as the maid continued.
"Mr. Dawson informed me that he was too noisy at the back."
John was dressed in his Sunday best and when Rose met his eyes, the stared back at her and the appearance of Rachel met her. Instead of complaining, the little boy pressed his lips together and folded his arms. When Rose nodded, the maid left before she thanked Rose. Before long, she was with John who only stood where he was. The church was beginning to assemble for the procession but Rose was asked to sit in the pew and this was understandable. She'd gone through the loss of her own husband a while ago and she felt more alone than she did ever before when she realized that Jack was now in the same boat as she was. Both lost their spouses and Rose could relate to Jack on this level but throughout the preparations for Rachel's funeral, Rose remained silent and kept to herself during that time. Now, as she gestured for John to take a seat beside her, she thought.
"First it's my husband and now Rachel. I wonder what will result out of this."
John shook his head as he exclaimed.
"I don't want to sit down!"
This was so loud that a few of the parishioners turned in their direction and Rose did her best to make sure that John's outburst was calmed down. She reached out and lightly touched the little boy's shoulder but he waved it back with a slight swat.
"John!" Rose exclaimed much to her amazement.
"What a motion to do!"
He shook his head and crossed his arms and scowled at her as he exclaimed.
"Willie does that when one of the maids scolds him."
"His older brother?" Rose thought and with this thought, she Rose and before she realized it, Rose took John by his hand and escorted him out of the church. Down the aisle they progressed and even though John's voice seemed to cry louder than the organ, Rose realized why Jack wished him to be away from everyone and why he was noisy. It was in this moment when Rose entered the main entrance of the church and bumped into someone.
"Gracious! Whoever was that?" a voice exclaimed and Rose shook her head.
When she met the eyes of Mr. Dawson, she felt her face heat when John cried.
"Papa! I don't want to sit down!"
When Rose met Jack's eyes, the widower directed his attention away from her and instead, stared down at his son as he spoke.
"Rather you like it or not, you're sitting and I will have none of this!"
He drew himself up when another lad, one who possessed the qualities of his father, stepped from the line of waiting guests as he spoke.
"Do as papa tells you, John."
"Well spoken, young sir," another voice spoke and when Rose turned she met the eyes of Kingston. John, upon noticing the towering man, suddenly jumped and ran to stand behind Rose and she felt the little boy clutch her dress in a firm hold as Kingston stared down at William. The youth surely was the striking image of his father as Kingston continued.
"Your brother has a point, young sir. Do as you're told and don't bother the rest of us."
Feeling John's hands tighten, Rose turned and spoke to Mr. Dawson.
"I was in the process of taking him outside."
"That's the best idea I've heard since his outburst earlier. Thank you, Mrs. Mayfield," Mr. Dawson replied and he turned and raised a brow towards his son. Rose noticed that William seemed to smirk and when John's hands tightened more, Rose took this as her cue. Reaching behind her, she managed to take hold of the boy's wrists before she was free. For a young boy such as himself, he sure was strong. Before long, she had John in a grip which surprised her.
Then an idea entered.
"John? Would you like to see the car your father purchased?"
Upon hearing this, John actually turned and met her eyes and in his they sparkled. He nodded excitedly when he replied.
"I would love that!"
"And does someone speak a thank you?" a voice from behind her. Rose could tell that Mr. Dawson didn't wish to have his youngest son present at his mother's funeral. A part of her wished why Mr. Dawson didn't wish John to be there but remembering that a funeral was hard for a small boy to understand, she understood why Mr. Dawson wouldn't want him there. Instead, as she walked forward, she felt John jump and down as he exclaimed.
"I get to see papa's new car!"
If she'd been watching, Mr. Dawson was following the two with his eyes. Inwardly, he was thankful Rose took over momentarily for John. Then the funeral for Mrs. Dawson began and Rose's sacrifice was she missed the ceremony. Deep down she was thankful she was also excluded.
John was more enamored with the vehicle throughout the majority of the funeral Mass. Rose watched, as she folded her arms, a smile on her lips, as the little boy seated himself in the chair and while she stood outside, watched as Rachel's son placed his hands around the wheel before he exclaimed.
"Whoo! Speed along as fast as you can go! I want to be a racer when I grow up!"
Hearing this, Rose only shook her head at the boy's enthusiasm. John was nearing his sixth birthday and Rose kept in mind that her Uncle Christian was yet to reply to her letter which she'd sent off a week before Rachel's funeral. The Church of Our Lady of the Rosary was a humble building and Rose didn't pay much attention to the Mass which was occurring inside though she yearned to receive Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. It was her favorite part of Mass and when Rose heard John's comment about being a race driver, she turned to him as she asked.
"And may I inquire how you wish to proceed with that, young sir?"
John was already too much engrossed in his own world as he continued to exclaim.
"I want to be a race driver and show off to mama how I can drive papa's car around the yard!"
Rose blinked when she heard this but she didn't voice this aloud. John knew that his mother had passed on but the events of the funeral mattered little to a little boy who continued a short attention span. Rose knew this well as she kept her eyes on the young boy as he played with the wheel. The butler already turned the ignition off and not a soul was in sight and Rose was thankful that most of the Congregation were inside and she could hear the organ music even from where she was standing. John's cries could be heard clear across the horizon but she only remained silent when at one point, the Mass was heralded at the crescendo and Rose knew that soon the procession would take place and the coffin taken to New York's Cemetery. She shuddered when memories of the Titanic surfaced and the memory of her husband appeared to her eyes. John's cries continued to roar in her ears but it was the shouts of the passengers and the breaking of the liner which echoed through her soul. She swallowed when she held herself a little tighter as she thought.
"Bless his soul, O Lord. Please inform him that I love and miss him dearly! I only wish the mystery to how the Unsinkable occurred after such a long time of creating it!"
John's cries startled her when he exclaimed when he honked the horn.
"Boom! Take that! Boom!"
It was here Rose took the motherly instinct to step intervene. Hurriedly, she rushed over to the side of the car, which was the driver's side, and reaching down, gently took hold of John's hands as she asked.
"Young man? Honking the horn?"
"I want to honk the horn!" John exclaimed as he attempted to push back but Rose was strong. She then opened the door and before she realized it, reached out and took John in her arms. He let out a squeal which caused her ears to ring and it was here when Rose peered up and noticed a few members of Our Lady of the Rosary staring at her with wide eyes. A few had their mouths dropped open but Rose ignored this. What made the sight wasn't that John was fighting her with his feet and arms, no! Rose was holding him in a potato sack hold and this wasn't something which was not attracting. Especially a little boy who only squirmed hard when he cried out.
"Let me go!"
When Rose felt a slight hit against the chest, she turned and feeling her temper heat, she gave John a slap to his backside and this caused the little boy to instantly close his mouth when she spoke.
"John Dawson? Honking the horn is disturbing the peace of the Mass inside! I would suggest that playing around will be put aside until later and in the meantime, I shall take you around the grounds to keep you occupied."
As Rose turned, ignoring the stares of the few folk of the Mass, she took the young boy around the grounds and soon, even though he did squirm for a few minutes, settled down and then asked if he could hold her hand so he could enjoy the walk. When Rose placed him down, she turned and felt the little hand enter hers as the two walked about. The two made quite a show when John started to skip a bit. Rose wondered if the little boy wished to use the bathroom but she pushed this aside when he suddenly released her hand and rushed over to a small part of the grounds. Speeding up to follow him, Rose watched and in awe, observed how John knelt down and reaching out, took hold of a small flower which was growing. When he turned to her, he plucked it out as he held it out to her before he spoke.
"Here; I wish to give this to you."
Touched, Rose smiled before she reached out and taking the flower, thanked John before she brought it to her nose and inhaled. The fragrance was gorgeous and the aroma it sent made Rose's nerves settle down when she glanced over and noticed that the Mass was ending. She knew too that Rachel's burial would take place and she needed to return John back to Jack's vehicle but she didn't wish to have John send out a cry like he'd done before. When the doors to the church opened and the solemn expressions of all stepped out, Rose took this as her cue to take John back but she made sure she stayed at the back. She wished to avoid one person's eyes in particular when Father turned and addressed.
"Now we shall bless the coffin before we shall bury Mrs. Rachael Dawson to her rightful place with Christ."