[A/N. I forgot to mention in my A/N in the last chapter that I have let
Rose be in my story occasionally- for example when Eliza was living with in
New Hampshire working the young boy was talking about his friends the
Calverts? I just wasn't sure how to reintroduce her into the story. Now,
however, I am. Although it needs to be noted she is not going to become an
integral part of the story. At least not at this stage in my writing.]
London, February 1, 1942.
"Mama this city is so big." Ben whispered to Eliza tugging on her hand. "Why couldn't we go on a boat from Liverpool?"
"Because your father has to wrap up some last business here and then we're going to go somewhere else to catch the boat." Eliza replied absently. She was also gazing out of the windows of the taxi they'd hired to take them from the train station to their hotel. Of course having lived in New York for a few years it wasn't so much the size of the place which she was marveling at, but more the spirit of the English people. London had taken the most enormous battering from the German's of anywhere, and from the attitudes of the people there you'd hardly know it. It reminded Eliza of a saying she'd heard somewhere once- something about through adversity comes strength or something. And that was so true!
"And because Mama and Daddy are going to a play tonight." Margaret chimed in.
"Well sweetie the tickets were free, and we were just lucky to be here at a time we could use them. And don't worry- you'll be fine where you'll be." Eliza replied.
The taxi stopped out the front of the hotel, and Edward helped Eliza out. The children jumped out excitedly. They were excited about staying in the hotel, and they were excited about going on a ship, and they were also excited about going to America.
As Eliza was walking into the hotel she stopped dead, and Edward stopped too and looked at her in confusion. "What sweetie?" He asked.
"That soldier, is he in an American uniform?" Eliza asked.
Edward glanced over and then nodded. "He is. I heard rumors that the first American troops arrived here the other day- I guess they must be true." He'd also heard about how the German's had began a U-boat offensive along the east coast of the USA a couple of weeks ago, but there was no way he was going to tell Eliza this- she was worried enough when on a ship as it were.
Eliza nodded but said nothing; instead she followed the children into the hotel. The hotel itself was a four star one and quite nice. The children of course were amazed at the fact that it had a pool and gym as well as the dining room. "Can't we stay here instead of going back to America?" Ben asked, making Eliza and Edward both laugh.
*****
"I feel underdressed." Eliza whispered to Edward later that night as they were being shown to their seats in the nice theatre.
"You look beautiful." Edward assured her, but even so Eliza self- consciously tugged at her coat, and wished the dress she was wearing was a little newer. Because of the war many thing were harder to obtain, including clothes.
"Relax. Have fun!" Edward told her and she sighed and settled into the comfortable chair and glanced through the program. Then she almost dropped the book in shock. Playing the part of Emma was none other than Rose Calvert! Cal's Rose!
"Edward," Eliza nudged him. "The woman playing the lead here is Cal's ex fiancée Rose."
"What?" Edward looked surprised. "Eliza, Rose died on the Titanic!"
"She didn't die." Eliza insisted. "Cal found a photo of her in the paper although at the time she was going by the name of Rose Dawson. Dawson after Jack, the man she met on the Titanic and fell in love with. Cal had an entire draw full of clippings about her."
Edward looked a little disbelieving. "Well if she was how come Cal didn't confront her? And for that matter how come nobody else has?"
"I can only answer the first part- I think Cal was too scared. She'd chosen someone, a third class man no less, over him. It hurt him. Besides, he'd got a new wife, had a new life..." Eliza explained.
Edward wasn't really sure what to say. Luckily the lights went down and he was saved from having to comment. It all seemed a little unbelievable to him! The play was wonderful and at the end he was glad they'd gotten the tickets. Just when they were getting up to go the stage lights went on, and Rose Calvert stepped onto the stage, waving at the crowd for their attention.
"I just wanted to thank you all for having been such a great audience whilst we've been over here. The last two months have been marvelous- there's no way you'd get a reception like I have here over in America. Unfortunately I must tell you this is my last performance here. My husband received a telegram and there has been a death in the family, and as such we've managed to get ourselves a spot on a ship sailing in a few days time from Southampton." Rose explained. "I hate to cut this short, but it really is important we get back to America. Once again, thank you all for your hospitality. I'd forgotten what England was really like." And there was a wistful tone in her voice when she said that.
"I'm telling you that woman was engaged to Cal!" I told Edward. "I wonder if anyone else knows. Surely her mother would know, if she saw her?"
"Who knows?" Edward replied. "Come one, there's going to be a queue for the taxis!"
*****
Edward hurried off to see a porter about making sure that their luggage was loaded onto the train. They had very little since most of it had been sent ahead to Southampton before they had stopped for the two days in London. Eliza listened in as Ben explained to Margaret about the English rail system which went under the city. "In America we'd call it a subway." He told her. "Here it's the underground or the tube. In France it's the Metro. In one of the cities in Australia it's called the loop."
Eliza couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, as she wondered where her son had learnt this information. And then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed none other than Rose Calvert and her husband and three children waiting on the platform. Rose was trying to calm the children whilst her husband was attending to some problem or something. She must have noticed Eliza staring at her since she glanced up and gave Eliza a weak smile. Eliza smiled back in sympathy- her children seemed a rather boisterous lot!
Edward came back then to tell them the luggage was all sorted out, and if they wanted to go to the toilet they better go now since it would be awhile before they got the chance to go again.
London, February 1, 1942.
"Mama this city is so big." Ben whispered to Eliza tugging on her hand. "Why couldn't we go on a boat from Liverpool?"
"Because your father has to wrap up some last business here and then we're going to go somewhere else to catch the boat." Eliza replied absently. She was also gazing out of the windows of the taxi they'd hired to take them from the train station to their hotel. Of course having lived in New York for a few years it wasn't so much the size of the place which she was marveling at, but more the spirit of the English people. London had taken the most enormous battering from the German's of anywhere, and from the attitudes of the people there you'd hardly know it. It reminded Eliza of a saying she'd heard somewhere once- something about through adversity comes strength or something. And that was so true!
"And because Mama and Daddy are going to a play tonight." Margaret chimed in.
"Well sweetie the tickets were free, and we were just lucky to be here at a time we could use them. And don't worry- you'll be fine where you'll be." Eliza replied.
The taxi stopped out the front of the hotel, and Edward helped Eliza out. The children jumped out excitedly. They were excited about staying in the hotel, and they were excited about going on a ship, and they were also excited about going to America.
As Eliza was walking into the hotel she stopped dead, and Edward stopped too and looked at her in confusion. "What sweetie?" He asked.
"That soldier, is he in an American uniform?" Eliza asked.
Edward glanced over and then nodded. "He is. I heard rumors that the first American troops arrived here the other day- I guess they must be true." He'd also heard about how the German's had began a U-boat offensive along the east coast of the USA a couple of weeks ago, but there was no way he was going to tell Eliza this- she was worried enough when on a ship as it were.
Eliza nodded but said nothing; instead she followed the children into the hotel. The hotel itself was a four star one and quite nice. The children of course were amazed at the fact that it had a pool and gym as well as the dining room. "Can't we stay here instead of going back to America?" Ben asked, making Eliza and Edward both laugh.
*****
"I feel underdressed." Eliza whispered to Edward later that night as they were being shown to their seats in the nice theatre.
"You look beautiful." Edward assured her, but even so Eliza self- consciously tugged at her coat, and wished the dress she was wearing was a little newer. Because of the war many thing were harder to obtain, including clothes.
"Relax. Have fun!" Edward told her and she sighed and settled into the comfortable chair and glanced through the program. Then she almost dropped the book in shock. Playing the part of Emma was none other than Rose Calvert! Cal's Rose!
"Edward," Eliza nudged him. "The woman playing the lead here is Cal's ex fiancée Rose."
"What?" Edward looked surprised. "Eliza, Rose died on the Titanic!"
"She didn't die." Eliza insisted. "Cal found a photo of her in the paper although at the time she was going by the name of Rose Dawson. Dawson after Jack, the man she met on the Titanic and fell in love with. Cal had an entire draw full of clippings about her."
Edward looked a little disbelieving. "Well if she was how come Cal didn't confront her? And for that matter how come nobody else has?"
"I can only answer the first part- I think Cal was too scared. She'd chosen someone, a third class man no less, over him. It hurt him. Besides, he'd got a new wife, had a new life..." Eliza explained.
Edward wasn't really sure what to say. Luckily the lights went down and he was saved from having to comment. It all seemed a little unbelievable to him! The play was wonderful and at the end he was glad they'd gotten the tickets. Just when they were getting up to go the stage lights went on, and Rose Calvert stepped onto the stage, waving at the crowd for their attention.
"I just wanted to thank you all for having been such a great audience whilst we've been over here. The last two months have been marvelous- there's no way you'd get a reception like I have here over in America. Unfortunately I must tell you this is my last performance here. My husband received a telegram and there has been a death in the family, and as such we've managed to get ourselves a spot on a ship sailing in a few days time from Southampton." Rose explained. "I hate to cut this short, but it really is important we get back to America. Once again, thank you all for your hospitality. I'd forgotten what England was really like." And there was a wistful tone in her voice when she said that.
"I'm telling you that woman was engaged to Cal!" I told Edward. "I wonder if anyone else knows. Surely her mother would know, if she saw her?"
"Who knows?" Edward replied. "Come one, there's going to be a queue for the taxis!"
*****
Edward hurried off to see a porter about making sure that their luggage was loaded onto the train. They had very little since most of it had been sent ahead to Southampton before they had stopped for the two days in London. Eliza listened in as Ben explained to Margaret about the English rail system which went under the city. "In America we'd call it a subway." He told her. "Here it's the underground or the tube. In France it's the Metro. In one of the cities in Australia it's called the loop."
Eliza couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, as she wondered where her son had learnt this information. And then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed none other than Rose Calvert and her husband and three children waiting on the platform. Rose was trying to calm the children whilst her husband was attending to some problem or something. She must have noticed Eliza staring at her since she glanced up and gave Eliza a weak smile. Eliza smiled back in sympathy- her children seemed a rather boisterous lot!
Edward came back then to tell them the luggage was all sorted out, and if they wanted to go to the toilet they better go now since it would be awhile before they got the chance to go again.