Philadelphia, December, 1930.
"Cal!" Eliza said jumping. "I didn't even notice you there!" She'd been sitting in front of the window in the living room staring out into the white winter outside. She had been bundled into her clothes, trying to ignore the bitter cold which had penetrated the big house. Cal didn't light the fire very often because the price of wood, kindling or coal had practically tripled in the last few months. But then, so had the prices of pretty much everything. Instead of the lavish meals they'd always been used to they made do with two courses. Instead of the life of luxury they had always lived, they made do without many luxuries. Eliza remembered only too well being even poorer than this, and she coped with it well enough. Each day in the papers there were more and more tragic stories, and more and more unemployed searching desperately for work to keep their families alive. And Eliza thought that they should be grateful that they still lived in the large house, and still lived in relative comfort. But to Melanie and Cal, who had been raised with extreme wealth, and knew no different it was bound to be harder!
"Sorry. You looked like you were in another world." Cal said, with a slight smile.
"I was." Eliza admitted. "Cal, do you think there would be anywhere I could find work as a governess? I know I haven't done it for a few years, but I've been looking after the children here, so I haven't lost my touch."
Cal sighed, and leant against the doorframe, his hand in his pocket. "I don't know Eliza. I know most of my friends couldn't afford a governess at the moment, and we're still wealthier than most.although I suppose people like JP, and the Guggenheim family still have a lot of money." Cal shrugged. "Why?"
"I just thought that if I could get a position it might be a help on you. I know I'm only a burden here and I thought-"
Cal interrupted her. "I know where you got the impression you're only a burden, but she's wrong." He assured his ward. "In all honesty Eliza I feel like you're part of the family now."
Eliza smiled, her eyes teary. "Thanks." She said simply. "Cal?"
"Yes?"
"How bad off are we?" Eliza asked.
Cal sighed again. "We're pretty badly off Eliza. I've lost my entire business. I've lost millions. I'm not saying we're the worst hit-a lot of people have nothing at all. I've seen the tent cities starting to spring up in places like New York, and I swore to myself that we would never, ever, be in that position."
Eliza didn't know what to say in the face of this naked honesty. Instead she got up, and muttered about getting the mending done that Melanie had asked her to do.
"I'm sorry about Melanie getting you to help her out." Cal said, sounding sad. "But she was brought up having to do absolutely nothing for herself. She didn't learn to sew or anything at school like you did."
Feeling sorry for him Eliza assured him she didn't mind, that she wanted to help out as much as she possibly could!
*****
"DARN!" Eliza said out loud, about forty minutes later. She'd run out of white cotton, halfway through sewing Nathan's socks. He went through socks like nobody's business. 'I'll have to go ask Melanie if I can use another color!' Eliza thought, standing up and stretching her aching back. It seemed like her back had been hurting forever, but she knew it was only the last year or so, ever since the Depression had begun.
She went to find Melanie, noting that the house was unusually quiet for that time of afternoon. The children had adjusted to not getting everything they wanted, and although they still sometimes complained, they generally made their own fun. Before the winter had began Eliza saw they spent most of their time outside where they could run around and enjoy themselves on the large estate.
Before she could find Melanie she heard her. And something in her tone stopped her. 'You've been making a habit of eavesdropping lately Eliza!' Her conscience told her. 'Shut up and let me listen! The only way I ever hear anything is this way since nobody wants to talk to me like I'm their equal!' Her mind argued.
"Caledon, Father said he will wire the money over for me and the children to sail over there. England have been hit by the depression of course, but not like it is here yet. He's still able to afford this easily. I'm sure he'd send the money for you too, but we both know that you're too proud to accept charity. But the children and I are going." Melanie said.
Cal's voice was soft. "Eliza won't go on a ship." He said.
"Because of the Titanic. I know." Melanie said. "But I wasn't planning on taking her. Father couldn't afford her ticket as well. And besides didn't you always say she was your responsibility not mine?"
Cal was silent for a long time. "She is my responsibility yes, but over the years I've grown to feel like she is my daughter."
"Ridiculous." Melanie said. "She's a third class orphan you took in because if you didn't everyone was going to know your little secret. Caledon Hockley being bribed. Who would have ever thought?"
Eliza felt her mouth dry up. What secret?
Cal's voice was angry. "I thought we agreed not to talk about that. I thought we both agreed to act like I had done it on my own free will."
"Charity." Melanie said. "Listen Cal, this isn't important now. What's important is I plan to take the children back over to England until things get better here. We can't live in these conditions. I gave Mr. Johnson his notice today, and the look on his face broke my heart. He's like part of this family, and now he's going to be lining up in those huge lines every day trying to find work? Things here are so bad I can't bear it!"
"Melanie I know things here are bad." Cal replied. "But you can't leave. I need you. I need my children."
"Then come with us darling!" Melanie said. "Father will be more than prepared to let you work with him if that's what you want."
"I can't run away!" Cal said, his voice breaking.
"It's not running away, it's being smart." Melanie said.
"I can't!" Cal replied.
"Suit yourself. But we're leaving at the end of the month. You can come, or you can stay here and join us later. Or you can wait till things get better and we'll be back here." Melanie said.
"I can't believe you'd leave me. I thought our vows said for better or for worse!" Cal said.
"I'm not doing this for me. If it were just me I'd stay here, with my husband, where I belonged. But it's not just me. We've got children we have to think about Cal!" Melanie said. "They'll be better off over in England until things get better here."
Cal said nothing, and Eliza heard Melanie sigh, and then she heard the sound of Melanie's feet as she walked towards the doorway and where Eliza was standing listening. Taking a deep breath Eliza turned and raced away. Back in her room she threw herself on her bed. What was going to happen? Would Cal leave with Melanie and the children and would Eliza be thrown out onto the street? And then her mind went to what Melanie had said about her- she said Cal had been bribed into taking her in so that nobody would know his secret? He'd been bribed? She thought he'd taken her in out of the goodness of his heart, or at the very least because he was feeling guilty over using her to get off the sinking ship, but it seemed she was wrong. That night, she cried herself to sleep. What was going to happen?
"Cal!" Eliza said jumping. "I didn't even notice you there!" She'd been sitting in front of the window in the living room staring out into the white winter outside. She had been bundled into her clothes, trying to ignore the bitter cold which had penetrated the big house. Cal didn't light the fire very often because the price of wood, kindling or coal had practically tripled in the last few months. But then, so had the prices of pretty much everything. Instead of the lavish meals they'd always been used to they made do with two courses. Instead of the life of luxury they had always lived, they made do without many luxuries. Eliza remembered only too well being even poorer than this, and she coped with it well enough. Each day in the papers there were more and more tragic stories, and more and more unemployed searching desperately for work to keep their families alive. And Eliza thought that they should be grateful that they still lived in the large house, and still lived in relative comfort. But to Melanie and Cal, who had been raised with extreme wealth, and knew no different it was bound to be harder!
"Sorry. You looked like you were in another world." Cal said, with a slight smile.
"I was." Eliza admitted. "Cal, do you think there would be anywhere I could find work as a governess? I know I haven't done it for a few years, but I've been looking after the children here, so I haven't lost my touch."
Cal sighed, and leant against the doorframe, his hand in his pocket. "I don't know Eliza. I know most of my friends couldn't afford a governess at the moment, and we're still wealthier than most.although I suppose people like JP, and the Guggenheim family still have a lot of money." Cal shrugged. "Why?"
"I just thought that if I could get a position it might be a help on you. I know I'm only a burden here and I thought-"
Cal interrupted her. "I know where you got the impression you're only a burden, but she's wrong." He assured his ward. "In all honesty Eliza I feel like you're part of the family now."
Eliza smiled, her eyes teary. "Thanks." She said simply. "Cal?"
"Yes?"
"How bad off are we?" Eliza asked.
Cal sighed again. "We're pretty badly off Eliza. I've lost my entire business. I've lost millions. I'm not saying we're the worst hit-a lot of people have nothing at all. I've seen the tent cities starting to spring up in places like New York, and I swore to myself that we would never, ever, be in that position."
Eliza didn't know what to say in the face of this naked honesty. Instead she got up, and muttered about getting the mending done that Melanie had asked her to do.
"I'm sorry about Melanie getting you to help her out." Cal said, sounding sad. "But she was brought up having to do absolutely nothing for herself. She didn't learn to sew or anything at school like you did."
Feeling sorry for him Eliza assured him she didn't mind, that she wanted to help out as much as she possibly could!
*****
"DARN!" Eliza said out loud, about forty minutes later. She'd run out of white cotton, halfway through sewing Nathan's socks. He went through socks like nobody's business. 'I'll have to go ask Melanie if I can use another color!' Eliza thought, standing up and stretching her aching back. It seemed like her back had been hurting forever, but she knew it was only the last year or so, ever since the Depression had begun.
She went to find Melanie, noting that the house was unusually quiet for that time of afternoon. The children had adjusted to not getting everything they wanted, and although they still sometimes complained, they generally made their own fun. Before the winter had began Eliza saw they spent most of their time outside where they could run around and enjoy themselves on the large estate.
Before she could find Melanie she heard her. And something in her tone stopped her. 'You've been making a habit of eavesdropping lately Eliza!' Her conscience told her. 'Shut up and let me listen! The only way I ever hear anything is this way since nobody wants to talk to me like I'm their equal!' Her mind argued.
"Caledon, Father said he will wire the money over for me and the children to sail over there. England have been hit by the depression of course, but not like it is here yet. He's still able to afford this easily. I'm sure he'd send the money for you too, but we both know that you're too proud to accept charity. But the children and I are going." Melanie said.
Cal's voice was soft. "Eliza won't go on a ship." He said.
"Because of the Titanic. I know." Melanie said. "But I wasn't planning on taking her. Father couldn't afford her ticket as well. And besides didn't you always say she was your responsibility not mine?"
Cal was silent for a long time. "She is my responsibility yes, but over the years I've grown to feel like she is my daughter."
"Ridiculous." Melanie said. "She's a third class orphan you took in because if you didn't everyone was going to know your little secret. Caledon Hockley being bribed. Who would have ever thought?"
Eliza felt her mouth dry up. What secret?
Cal's voice was angry. "I thought we agreed not to talk about that. I thought we both agreed to act like I had done it on my own free will."
"Charity." Melanie said. "Listen Cal, this isn't important now. What's important is I plan to take the children back over to England until things get better here. We can't live in these conditions. I gave Mr. Johnson his notice today, and the look on his face broke my heart. He's like part of this family, and now he's going to be lining up in those huge lines every day trying to find work? Things here are so bad I can't bear it!"
"Melanie I know things here are bad." Cal replied. "But you can't leave. I need you. I need my children."
"Then come with us darling!" Melanie said. "Father will be more than prepared to let you work with him if that's what you want."
"I can't run away!" Cal said, his voice breaking.
"It's not running away, it's being smart." Melanie said.
"I can't!" Cal replied.
"Suit yourself. But we're leaving at the end of the month. You can come, or you can stay here and join us later. Or you can wait till things get better and we'll be back here." Melanie said.
"I can't believe you'd leave me. I thought our vows said for better or for worse!" Cal said.
"I'm not doing this for me. If it were just me I'd stay here, with my husband, where I belonged. But it's not just me. We've got children we have to think about Cal!" Melanie said. "They'll be better off over in England until things get better here."
Cal said nothing, and Eliza heard Melanie sigh, and then she heard the sound of Melanie's feet as she walked towards the doorway and where Eliza was standing listening. Taking a deep breath Eliza turned and raced away. Back in her room she threw herself on her bed. What was going to happen? Would Cal leave with Melanie and the children and would Eliza be thrown out onto the street? And then her mind went to what Melanie had said about her- she said Cal had been bribed into taking her in so that nobody would know his secret? He'd been bribed? She thought he'd taken her in out of the goodness of his heart, or at the very least because he was feeling guilty over using her to get off the sinking ship, but it seemed she was wrong. That night, she cried herself to sleep. What was going to happen?