Philadelphia, March 11, 1915.
"You sent for me?" Eliza asked, softly, hesitating at the door of her guardian's study. In the three years she'd been in this house the only other time she'd been called down there had been to learn that Nathan Hockley had suffered a heart attack and died, only six months before. Of course she'd received this information calmly. The old man hadn't liked her, and when she'd come across him in the large house he'd wrinkle his nose, and not speak to her. The only time he spoke to her was when he asked her whether or not she realised how lucky she was? She'd nodded, and he seemed satisfied. Once she'd overheard him and her guardian fighting over what to do with her. "You've spent a small fortune on that governess for her when all along I've been telling you that someone of her class shouldn't expect an education. Had you not taken her in she would be a maid somewhere by now!" Nathan had said, his voice colder than ice. Cal had hesitated before replying. "I've told you that this is my duty, and I'm not changing my mind Father. I'm not saying that she's going to be a debutante who society will accept as one of them- they'd never do that, even though they congratulate me on my charity act! But I'm not going to put her to work. It's not fair. Rose-" "Damn you with that Rose stuff. Caledon you don't fool me-you didn't love her!" Nathan had snapped. Cal hadn't replied, and Eliza, scared she would be caught eavesdropping had hurried away.
She was a pretty girl of nine, with brown-blonde hair which curled over her forehead, and often over her wide green eyes, which still managed to look innocent after all that she'd been through. Her governess reported that she was indeed very bright, and that she was almost running out of things to teach her, only to be told curtly to find things to teach her! However the last time she had broached the subject had been after the elder Hockley's death, and she'd been told to persevere for just a little while longer. "I've just got to get things in order before I work out how much money I have." Cal had told her, and she'd marveled at that. Even she knew he was a multi-millionaire.
"I did indeed Eliza..come in child." Cal said. Over the past three years he'd not grown to love the child-he couldn't bring himself to love someone of her class he told himself firmly- but he'd grown used to her. Sometimes he even caught himself watching her playing with housekeeper's granddaughter, and smiling fondly at her! If Rose was watching from above she'd approve of the way he treated her, he was sure. She'd know that what he was doing had been hard for him-despite the comments people in society gave him about how he was acting so unselfishly and that Rose would be so proud he was sure that privately they felt that paying for a governess for a third-class girl was a bit extravagant-and that it was certainly better than what would have happened had he not taken her in. (He conveniently overlooked the fact that he had been blackmailed into it!) Had she been left as a ward of the state she'd have been brought up in an orphanage in New York, and put to work as a maid as soon as it was humanely possible in order to earn her keep! Whilst he knew that society would never accept her as one of them he wanted her to have a proper education so that she could have a career. A proper career, not one as a servant, surely was more than her parents could ever have hoped for her?
Eliza entered the study slowly.
"Sit down please.." Cal said. The child made him slightly nervous sometimes, especially when she looked at him in that scared way, like he was a monster.
Eliza sat, making sure that her skirts were rearranged properly. One of the first things her governess had done was teach her the "proper way" to behave. "You've had six years of not being brought up properly, so I've got a lot of work to do to make you into a lady!" She'd lectured, as Eliza'd walked around with books on her head to make her walk straight and properly. "Not that you're going to be a lady per se, but it would be a credit to me if you acted like one!"
Cal nodded approvingly. Then he reached for his pipe. "Eliza, do you know who Amanda Bunton is?" He asked.
Eliza thought for a moment. "She is the pretty lady who sometimes comes here." She said, her voice still showing traces of her native Sweden, despite the good English she spoke.
Cal laughed. "The pretty lady! Yes, she is very pretty isn't she? Her parents own a pharmaceutical company, and they are very wealthy indeed- perhaps not as wealthy as me, but wealthy nonetheless. Before my Father died he approved a match between us, not that I'd be forced into something I didn't want mind you. The thing is Eliza, Amanda- Miss Bunton- and I are getting married."
He waited for her to say something, but she was looking thoughtful. "Eliza?"
"Sorry, it is good news that you are getting married. Congratulations." She said gravely. Sometimes she sounded more like a nineteen-year-old than a nine-year-old, he thought with a wry smile.
"It is good news." Cal agreed. "The wedding is planned for this summer, and we then plan on a long honeymoon in Europe."
"Europe?" Eliza almost whispered, and a strange look crossed her face.
"Is there something wrong with Europe?" Cal asked, a little impatiently.
"No Sir." Eliza replied, but Cal knew there was something on her mind, and he had a good idea what it was.
"What happened on the Titanic Eliza was a very, very unfortunate incident. People cross the seas every day and they are fine..." Cal said.
Eliza didn't reply.
"Anyway there is another reason I asked to speak to you. This summer, whilst I am in Europe I've decided to send you to school. I've been looking into the matter very carefully to find a school suited for you, and I've found one in
Boston which comes to me highly recommended. In fact one of the Morgan's is completing her last year there I believe! You'll learn the things you will need for later life. I'm making a sizeable donation to the school so you should be treated well." Privately he was a little in doubt about that. The headmistress was a stern woman, and when he had approached her about Eliza's enrollment she'd been hesitant to say the least. "Surely there is somewhere more suited to a child like her?" She'd asked. Cal had fixed her with one of his coolest stares. "Of course there are plenty of other schools in this state who would be willing to make her feel welcome and comfortable for the very large sum I would pay." As he knew well money talked-even to those who claimed to be deaf to it.
"A school.." Eliza said slowly. "With other girls.."
"Yes, girls your age.." Cal replied.
"It might be alright!" Eliza said.
Cal smiled. "I think you'll be happy there. And of course you'll be back here on your holidays!"
Eliza nodded, and suddenly she realised she was actually excited about this! For his part, Cal noted the smile on the girls' face with relief. Whilst he had already made the plans and the payment it was a lot easier on him if she went happily. It certainly made things easier with Amanda, who was keen to have the young girl out of the house as much as possible. "Don't get me wrong Cal, what you've done by taking her in is wonderful, very admirable. But she's really not one of us, is she?" Cal was glad that things had worked out with both parties!
"You sent for me?" Eliza asked, softly, hesitating at the door of her guardian's study. In the three years she'd been in this house the only other time she'd been called down there had been to learn that Nathan Hockley had suffered a heart attack and died, only six months before. Of course she'd received this information calmly. The old man hadn't liked her, and when she'd come across him in the large house he'd wrinkle his nose, and not speak to her. The only time he spoke to her was when he asked her whether or not she realised how lucky she was? She'd nodded, and he seemed satisfied. Once she'd overheard him and her guardian fighting over what to do with her. "You've spent a small fortune on that governess for her when all along I've been telling you that someone of her class shouldn't expect an education. Had you not taken her in she would be a maid somewhere by now!" Nathan had said, his voice colder than ice. Cal had hesitated before replying. "I've told you that this is my duty, and I'm not changing my mind Father. I'm not saying that she's going to be a debutante who society will accept as one of them- they'd never do that, even though they congratulate me on my charity act! But I'm not going to put her to work. It's not fair. Rose-" "Damn you with that Rose stuff. Caledon you don't fool me-you didn't love her!" Nathan had snapped. Cal hadn't replied, and Eliza, scared she would be caught eavesdropping had hurried away.
She was a pretty girl of nine, with brown-blonde hair which curled over her forehead, and often over her wide green eyes, which still managed to look innocent after all that she'd been through. Her governess reported that she was indeed very bright, and that she was almost running out of things to teach her, only to be told curtly to find things to teach her! However the last time she had broached the subject had been after the elder Hockley's death, and she'd been told to persevere for just a little while longer. "I've just got to get things in order before I work out how much money I have." Cal had told her, and she'd marveled at that. Even she knew he was a multi-millionaire.
"I did indeed Eliza..come in child." Cal said. Over the past three years he'd not grown to love the child-he couldn't bring himself to love someone of her class he told himself firmly- but he'd grown used to her. Sometimes he even caught himself watching her playing with housekeeper's granddaughter, and smiling fondly at her! If Rose was watching from above she'd approve of the way he treated her, he was sure. She'd know that what he was doing had been hard for him-despite the comments people in society gave him about how he was acting so unselfishly and that Rose would be so proud he was sure that privately they felt that paying for a governess for a third-class girl was a bit extravagant-and that it was certainly better than what would have happened had he not taken her in. (He conveniently overlooked the fact that he had been blackmailed into it!) Had she been left as a ward of the state she'd have been brought up in an orphanage in New York, and put to work as a maid as soon as it was humanely possible in order to earn her keep! Whilst he knew that society would never accept her as one of them he wanted her to have a proper education so that she could have a career. A proper career, not one as a servant, surely was more than her parents could ever have hoped for her?
Eliza entered the study slowly.
"Sit down please.." Cal said. The child made him slightly nervous sometimes, especially when she looked at him in that scared way, like he was a monster.
Eliza sat, making sure that her skirts were rearranged properly. One of the first things her governess had done was teach her the "proper way" to behave. "You've had six years of not being brought up properly, so I've got a lot of work to do to make you into a lady!" She'd lectured, as Eliza'd walked around with books on her head to make her walk straight and properly. "Not that you're going to be a lady per se, but it would be a credit to me if you acted like one!"
Cal nodded approvingly. Then he reached for his pipe. "Eliza, do you know who Amanda Bunton is?" He asked.
Eliza thought for a moment. "She is the pretty lady who sometimes comes here." She said, her voice still showing traces of her native Sweden, despite the good English she spoke.
Cal laughed. "The pretty lady! Yes, she is very pretty isn't she? Her parents own a pharmaceutical company, and they are very wealthy indeed- perhaps not as wealthy as me, but wealthy nonetheless. Before my Father died he approved a match between us, not that I'd be forced into something I didn't want mind you. The thing is Eliza, Amanda- Miss Bunton- and I are getting married."
He waited for her to say something, but she was looking thoughtful. "Eliza?"
"Sorry, it is good news that you are getting married. Congratulations." She said gravely. Sometimes she sounded more like a nineteen-year-old than a nine-year-old, he thought with a wry smile.
"It is good news." Cal agreed. "The wedding is planned for this summer, and we then plan on a long honeymoon in Europe."
"Europe?" Eliza almost whispered, and a strange look crossed her face.
"Is there something wrong with Europe?" Cal asked, a little impatiently.
"No Sir." Eliza replied, but Cal knew there was something on her mind, and he had a good idea what it was.
"What happened on the Titanic Eliza was a very, very unfortunate incident. People cross the seas every day and they are fine..." Cal said.
Eliza didn't reply.
"Anyway there is another reason I asked to speak to you. This summer, whilst I am in Europe I've decided to send you to school. I've been looking into the matter very carefully to find a school suited for you, and I've found one in
Boston which comes to me highly recommended. In fact one of the Morgan's is completing her last year there I believe! You'll learn the things you will need for later life. I'm making a sizeable donation to the school so you should be treated well." Privately he was a little in doubt about that. The headmistress was a stern woman, and when he had approached her about Eliza's enrollment she'd been hesitant to say the least. "Surely there is somewhere more suited to a child like her?" She'd asked. Cal had fixed her with one of his coolest stares. "Of course there are plenty of other schools in this state who would be willing to make her feel welcome and comfortable for the very large sum I would pay." As he knew well money talked-even to those who claimed to be deaf to it.
"A school.." Eliza said slowly. "With other girls.."
"Yes, girls your age.." Cal replied.
"It might be alright!" Eliza said.
Cal smiled. "I think you'll be happy there. And of course you'll be back here on your holidays!"
Eliza nodded, and suddenly she realised she was actually excited about this! For his part, Cal noted the smile on the girls' face with relief. Whilst he had already made the plans and the payment it was a lot easier on him if she went happily. It certainly made things easier with Amanda, who was keen to have the young girl out of the house as much as possible. "Don't get me wrong Cal, what you've done by taking her in is wonderful, very admirable. But she's really not one of us, is she?" Cal was glad that things had worked out with both parties!