New York, April 19, 1912.
Cal stood on the platform of the train station, waiting. He'd booked two tickets to Philadelphia and was keen to get home in a hurry. The Titanic hearings were beginning that very day at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, with Mr. Ismay as the main witness to be examined that day, and he wanted to be away from them as soon as possible. He was waiting for the member of the government to show up with the orphan girl, and he was hoping that they would be on time. If he missed this train he would have to wait another few days, and there was no way he wanted to be in New York that long; the atmosphere was stifling. Suddenly he noticed someone staring at him, and then she came over. Her face was pale, and she was dressed in black.
"You know I have to tell you Cal that I, that we all, admire what you are doing in taking this young unfortunate girl into your home..Rose would have been proud." Mrs. Hays, a family friend who had also lost her husband on board the Titanic, said, her eyes filling with tears. "It's almost like something which is rising from the ashes of the tragedy, don't you think?"
Cal bit back a sharp comment about the fact that he was being blackmailed into this, that it was not something he was doing of his own choosing. Indeed the telegram sent to New York from his father hinted that he would have some choice words to say when they met. Instead he nodded. "Yes, I honestly believe that this is something Rose would have done..She was so good hearted.." In his mind he saw Rose as he had seen her last; running into that no-good scoundrel's arms, and then the two fleeing from him. Why had she done it? Why?
"I know..I saw Mrs. Dewitt-Buckater yesterday. I think she is having great trouble getting over the whole thing. She's all alone now too..so many of us are all alone.." The tears which had been threatening earlier now clouded over, and she reached for her handkerchief to wipe them away.
"It certainly is a great tragedy..and that fool senator having to have his little committee to relieve it all...I hope the damn English get what's coming to them though.." Cal replied.
"Can we really blame the English?" Mrs. Hays asked. "If you ask me it was all that dreadful Ismay man. There are rumors that he wanted to make the papers and pushed the Captain into going faster.."
Cal sighed impatiently. "There are always rumors about something." He said. "Personally I would not believe half of what I hear.."
"Ah there are Mr and Mrs Harder..I must go.." Mrs. Hays said, and she hurried over to the couple.
'What a shame!' Cal thought sarcastically. Whilst he generally tolerated the people of society well enough he was not exactly in the most gracious of moods at the moment. He was unsure about taking in the orphaned girl, and he was also unsure about the promise made by the officials. What if someone else knew something? What if he got blamed for Rose's death? After all it was his fault wasn't it? He shook his head to get rid of the thoughts. No, Rose had been too headstrong, it was not his fault.
"Mr. Hockley, you appear to be in a world of your own." A woman's voice interrupted his thoughts for the second time in as many minutes.
'I wish!' Cal thought.
And he turned to look at the young girl whom he had saved only a few nights before. She had been given a bath, and cleaned up, and her outfit, whilst new, was hardly stylish. She was looking around the train station, clearly in awe of her surroundings.
"Eliza..this is Mr. Hockley, you remember we talked about him? He's going to be your new guardian.." The woman said gently.
Eliza looked up at him, her eyes big and scared. "Thank-you." She said simply.
Cal looked surprised. "She speaks English?" He said.
"Passably. I am sure a bit of schooling will help with that though..I get the feeling she is actually very bright. With a few lessons, and a Nanny or something and probably some kind of therapy-"
"Sorry, Miss?" Cal interrupted her.
"Miss Charlton." The woman replied.
"Right, well Miss Charlton, with all due respect I am not sure whether or not we will be educating her. I was under the impression that she was simply under my guardianship.." Cal explained, gritting his teeth in frustration. Surely now society was not going to expect him to treat her like his own daughter for gods sake? Surely he was not to be expected to fork out a fortune educating a third-class child, who was clearly that!
The woman's eyes turned colder. "Sorry, I just assumed..."
"Well you assumed wrong." Cal muttered. "At the moment I have no definite plans other than to get back home..."
Technically speaking this was not true; Cal had thought about simply leaving the girl in the care of the servants, instructing them to teach her to become a maid or something and getting away from it all. But he knew in the back of his mind, that this was not really feasible. There were other things he had to deal with.
"Indeed. Have a nice trip Eliza..be a good girl for Mr. Hockley.." The woman said.
Seated on the train Cal sighed and closed his eyes. Beside him the young orphan was staring out the window. Other than the thank you she had given him earlier she had not spoken. He supposed she was in shock or something? After all she had been abandoned on the ship, and left to die. He opened his eyes and glanced at her. What on earth had he gotten himself into?
Cal stood on the platform of the train station, waiting. He'd booked two tickets to Philadelphia and was keen to get home in a hurry. The Titanic hearings were beginning that very day at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, with Mr. Ismay as the main witness to be examined that day, and he wanted to be away from them as soon as possible. He was waiting for the member of the government to show up with the orphan girl, and he was hoping that they would be on time. If he missed this train he would have to wait another few days, and there was no way he wanted to be in New York that long; the atmosphere was stifling. Suddenly he noticed someone staring at him, and then she came over. Her face was pale, and she was dressed in black.
"You know I have to tell you Cal that I, that we all, admire what you are doing in taking this young unfortunate girl into your home..Rose would have been proud." Mrs. Hays, a family friend who had also lost her husband on board the Titanic, said, her eyes filling with tears. "It's almost like something which is rising from the ashes of the tragedy, don't you think?"
Cal bit back a sharp comment about the fact that he was being blackmailed into this, that it was not something he was doing of his own choosing. Indeed the telegram sent to New York from his father hinted that he would have some choice words to say when they met. Instead he nodded. "Yes, I honestly believe that this is something Rose would have done..She was so good hearted.." In his mind he saw Rose as he had seen her last; running into that no-good scoundrel's arms, and then the two fleeing from him. Why had she done it? Why?
"I know..I saw Mrs. Dewitt-Buckater yesterday. I think she is having great trouble getting over the whole thing. She's all alone now too..so many of us are all alone.." The tears which had been threatening earlier now clouded over, and she reached for her handkerchief to wipe them away.
"It certainly is a great tragedy..and that fool senator having to have his little committee to relieve it all...I hope the damn English get what's coming to them though.." Cal replied.
"Can we really blame the English?" Mrs. Hays asked. "If you ask me it was all that dreadful Ismay man. There are rumors that he wanted to make the papers and pushed the Captain into going faster.."
Cal sighed impatiently. "There are always rumors about something." He said. "Personally I would not believe half of what I hear.."
"Ah there are Mr and Mrs Harder..I must go.." Mrs. Hays said, and she hurried over to the couple.
'What a shame!' Cal thought sarcastically. Whilst he generally tolerated the people of society well enough he was not exactly in the most gracious of moods at the moment. He was unsure about taking in the orphaned girl, and he was also unsure about the promise made by the officials. What if someone else knew something? What if he got blamed for Rose's death? After all it was his fault wasn't it? He shook his head to get rid of the thoughts. No, Rose had been too headstrong, it was not his fault.
"Mr. Hockley, you appear to be in a world of your own." A woman's voice interrupted his thoughts for the second time in as many minutes.
'I wish!' Cal thought.
And he turned to look at the young girl whom he had saved only a few nights before. She had been given a bath, and cleaned up, and her outfit, whilst new, was hardly stylish. She was looking around the train station, clearly in awe of her surroundings.
"Eliza..this is Mr. Hockley, you remember we talked about him? He's going to be your new guardian.." The woman said gently.
Eliza looked up at him, her eyes big and scared. "Thank-you." She said simply.
Cal looked surprised. "She speaks English?" He said.
"Passably. I am sure a bit of schooling will help with that though..I get the feeling she is actually very bright. With a few lessons, and a Nanny or something and probably some kind of therapy-"
"Sorry, Miss?" Cal interrupted her.
"Miss Charlton." The woman replied.
"Right, well Miss Charlton, with all due respect I am not sure whether or not we will be educating her. I was under the impression that she was simply under my guardianship.." Cal explained, gritting his teeth in frustration. Surely now society was not going to expect him to treat her like his own daughter for gods sake? Surely he was not to be expected to fork out a fortune educating a third-class child, who was clearly that!
The woman's eyes turned colder. "Sorry, I just assumed..."
"Well you assumed wrong." Cal muttered. "At the moment I have no definite plans other than to get back home..."
Technically speaking this was not true; Cal had thought about simply leaving the girl in the care of the servants, instructing them to teach her to become a maid or something and getting away from it all. But he knew in the back of his mind, that this was not really feasible. There were other things he had to deal with.
"Indeed. Have a nice trip Eliza..be a good girl for Mr. Hockley.." The woman said.
Seated on the train Cal sighed and closed his eyes. Beside him the young orphan was staring out the window. Other than the thank you she had given him earlier she had not spoken. He supposed she was in shock or something? After all she had been abandoned on the ship, and left to die. He opened his eyes and glanced at her. What on earth had he gotten himself into?