New Hampshire, February 1922.
Eliza hugged Melissa tightly. "Make sure you write to me. I'm going to miss you dreadfully." She said in a low voice so nobody would overhear.
"I will, I promise." Melissa replied. The two young women had become very good friends since Eliza had began to work there. Now that Melissa was leaving Eliza was to be the only governess, but it meant a pay raise and it also meant she was now qualified so Eliza knew it wasn't all bad.
"Come on Mel, we'll miss the train." Tom said gently.
Melissa sighed, and let go of Eliza. "I'll write as soon as we reach California I promise!"
"See that you do." Eliza said, blinking back her tears. She didn't want Melissa to know how sad she was to be losing her. Apart from Annabelle in school Melissa had been the only friend she had really made, and losing a friend hurt her deeply. But she knew that Melissa was really in love with Tom and that marrying him and moving to California were things she wanted to do so badly. And the mistress had been very good considering she was losing two of her staff. She gave the two of them her blessing and agreed happily to having Eliza stay on as her governess. Especially considering that Jane and Jack had taken to her so well.
*****
Eliza quickly adjusted to being the sole governess of the two children, who were both easy enough to handle. Melissa wrote a few weeks after she had left, saying they had arrived in California and were now looking for somewhere to live. They'd married on the way. Eliza sighed when she read the letter, wondering whether one day she would be married and have children and be as happy as Melissa seemed to be! She tucked the letter into her draw along with the one Cal had sent a few weeks back telling her that he and his new bride, Melanie, were soon coming back to America and that he would make sure that they got over to where she was to say hello as soon as they got the chance. Remembering how much Amanda had disliked her Eliza had thought this was highly unlikely! Then she went to check the children were sleeping peacefully. She lingered in the doorway watching them for a moment, before heading back to her own room to go to bed when voices from the sitting room stopped her:
"Caledon Hockley married again, and is bringing his new wife back over here soon." The mistress was telling her husband.
Her husband chuckled slightly. "Married again? Well let's hope this one doesn't drown on a ship or die in childbirth."
"Don't be cruel." His wife admonished him. "I feel for the poor man with all he's had to go through. I saw Rose once-she was beautiful and sweet. It was a tragedy that she died on that ship-"
"Did you ever think much of the rumors about her falling in love with some steerage passenger there, so much so that she chose to take her chances with him rather than get in the lifeboat and marry Cal?"
"I heard them, but rumors are rumors because they're untrue. Otherwise they'd be facts." His wife said.
"Maybe so, maybe so." He sighed. "But it wouldn't surprise me. I mean Caledon is hardly a romantic is he? And I saw Rose's mother in New York last year-poor woman has aged a great deal since her daughter's death-and she seemed quite evasive when I asked her the question."
"My gosh! You didn't actually ask her did you Richard?"
"I did!" Richard replied. "Unlike you my dear I have no problems with asking the questions straight out rather than beating around the bush!"
"Hmm." His wife said. "And then after that tragedy he takes in Eliza to do his little act of charity, and ends up sending her to schools to be educated and then helping her get a job in the governess profession. It does seem a little strange to me!"
"What's so strange about it?" Richard demanded. "He's got enough money to take in and educate ten orphans if he wanted."
"I meant that he would do that much for an orphan. At first society were all talking about how good it was and all, but they had to wonder why he would do so much?"
"Its not like he sent her to finishing school and made her a debutante!" Richard argued. "He may have done more than some people would have, but the bottom line is that is all charity."
"Maybe.." His wife said.
"And I like the girl! She's great with the children." Richard continued.
"Oh, don't get me wrong. I think she's a godsend!" His wife agreed. "I just wonder why Caledon helped her so much."
"It doesn't matter. As long as she is here we don't need to question Caledon's motives do we?" Richard asked.
"No." His wife sighed.
Eliza sighed softly and lent against the doorframe. She knew the truth, she knew that the two were right-Cal had done more than anyone had expected when he had first offered to take her in. It suddenly occurred to her then that possibly he had done what he had for her out of guilt? After all he had taken her from her parents to help get off the sinking ship himself! Despite the fact that if he had left her on the ship she would have more than likely died he had still done the wrong thing in taking a young girl. And maybe that's why he had done so much for her? He knew what he had done was wrong? She sighed again and then went to her bedroom to go to bed. One day, she decided as she fell asleep, one day she would have to confront Cal with all this. She needed to know the truth. But not yet. She wasn't ready for it yet! Not when she was only nearly 16, and it was only ten years after the Titanic sank to the bottom of the ocean!
[A/N I haven't decided yet, but I might skip a few years soon, so that Eliza is more grown up and has made her way in the world a bit more? Simply because there is only so much you can write about her learning to/and working as, a governess. Just a thought for now?]
Eliza hugged Melissa tightly. "Make sure you write to me. I'm going to miss you dreadfully." She said in a low voice so nobody would overhear.
"I will, I promise." Melissa replied. The two young women had become very good friends since Eliza had began to work there. Now that Melissa was leaving Eliza was to be the only governess, but it meant a pay raise and it also meant she was now qualified so Eliza knew it wasn't all bad.
"Come on Mel, we'll miss the train." Tom said gently.
Melissa sighed, and let go of Eliza. "I'll write as soon as we reach California I promise!"
"See that you do." Eliza said, blinking back her tears. She didn't want Melissa to know how sad she was to be losing her. Apart from Annabelle in school Melissa had been the only friend she had really made, and losing a friend hurt her deeply. But she knew that Melissa was really in love with Tom and that marrying him and moving to California were things she wanted to do so badly. And the mistress had been very good considering she was losing two of her staff. She gave the two of them her blessing and agreed happily to having Eliza stay on as her governess. Especially considering that Jane and Jack had taken to her so well.
*****
Eliza quickly adjusted to being the sole governess of the two children, who were both easy enough to handle. Melissa wrote a few weeks after she had left, saying they had arrived in California and were now looking for somewhere to live. They'd married on the way. Eliza sighed when she read the letter, wondering whether one day she would be married and have children and be as happy as Melissa seemed to be! She tucked the letter into her draw along with the one Cal had sent a few weeks back telling her that he and his new bride, Melanie, were soon coming back to America and that he would make sure that they got over to where she was to say hello as soon as they got the chance. Remembering how much Amanda had disliked her Eliza had thought this was highly unlikely! Then she went to check the children were sleeping peacefully. She lingered in the doorway watching them for a moment, before heading back to her own room to go to bed when voices from the sitting room stopped her:
"Caledon Hockley married again, and is bringing his new wife back over here soon." The mistress was telling her husband.
Her husband chuckled slightly. "Married again? Well let's hope this one doesn't drown on a ship or die in childbirth."
"Don't be cruel." His wife admonished him. "I feel for the poor man with all he's had to go through. I saw Rose once-she was beautiful and sweet. It was a tragedy that she died on that ship-"
"Did you ever think much of the rumors about her falling in love with some steerage passenger there, so much so that she chose to take her chances with him rather than get in the lifeboat and marry Cal?"
"I heard them, but rumors are rumors because they're untrue. Otherwise they'd be facts." His wife said.
"Maybe so, maybe so." He sighed. "But it wouldn't surprise me. I mean Caledon is hardly a romantic is he? And I saw Rose's mother in New York last year-poor woman has aged a great deal since her daughter's death-and she seemed quite evasive when I asked her the question."
"My gosh! You didn't actually ask her did you Richard?"
"I did!" Richard replied. "Unlike you my dear I have no problems with asking the questions straight out rather than beating around the bush!"
"Hmm." His wife said. "And then after that tragedy he takes in Eliza to do his little act of charity, and ends up sending her to schools to be educated and then helping her get a job in the governess profession. It does seem a little strange to me!"
"What's so strange about it?" Richard demanded. "He's got enough money to take in and educate ten orphans if he wanted."
"I meant that he would do that much for an orphan. At first society were all talking about how good it was and all, but they had to wonder why he would do so much?"
"Its not like he sent her to finishing school and made her a debutante!" Richard argued. "He may have done more than some people would have, but the bottom line is that is all charity."
"Maybe.." His wife said.
"And I like the girl! She's great with the children." Richard continued.
"Oh, don't get me wrong. I think she's a godsend!" His wife agreed. "I just wonder why Caledon helped her so much."
"It doesn't matter. As long as she is here we don't need to question Caledon's motives do we?" Richard asked.
"No." His wife sighed.
Eliza sighed softly and lent against the doorframe. She knew the truth, she knew that the two were right-Cal had done more than anyone had expected when he had first offered to take her in. It suddenly occurred to her then that possibly he had done what he had for her out of guilt? After all he had taken her from her parents to help get off the sinking ship himself! Despite the fact that if he had left her on the ship she would have more than likely died he had still done the wrong thing in taking a young girl. And maybe that's why he had done so much for her? He knew what he had done was wrong? She sighed again and then went to her bedroom to go to bed. One day, she decided as she fell asleep, one day she would have to confront Cal with all this. She needed to know the truth. But not yet. She wasn't ready for it yet! Not when she was only nearly 16, and it was only ten years after the Titanic sank to the bottom of the ocean!
[A/N I haven't decided yet, but I might skip a few years soon, so that Eliza is more grown up and has made her way in the world a bit more? Simply because there is only so much you can write about her learning to/and working as, a governess. Just a thought for now?]