Somewhere in the middle of the ocean, February 4, 1941.
"Ben come here for a moment and let Mama fix your shirt." Eliza said later that night as they were dressing for dinner.
"Nothin' wrong with my shirt." Ben muttered sulkily, but he came forward and let his mother fix it regardless.
"Now I want both of you to be on your best behavior tonight." Eliza said fixing both her children with a stern look. "Mama really likes this woman and it would be nice to have friends for the rest of the voyage don't you think?"
"Does the lady have children Mama?" Margaret asked interested.
"Her name is Rose thank you Margaret, but you will call her Mrs. Calvert." Eliza reminded her. "And yes, she has children. Three of them. You may or may not remember that we saw them at the station before we were leaving to get on the ship, and I would say that they'd be a similar age to you two."
"Goody." Margaret said. "I wonder if they'll play dolls."
"Stupid." Ben muttered and his sister glared at him.
"Dolls are NOT stupid!" She said. "Trains are stupid. Trucks are stupid. Planes are stupid. Car-"
Edward interrupted his daughter. She was at the age where she liked nothing better than to hear her own voice and could happily go on for hours. "All right, let's get going. I'm starving." He said, taking his children by their hands. Eliza smiled, checked her reflection in the mirror, and followed them slowly. She had been wondering that afternoon why she was so anxious to make friends with Rose and her family? Surely it couldn't simply be because she knew who Rose really was and therefore how hard life could have been for her? She told herself it was nothing more than the fact that the crossing would be a lot easier if there were people to share it all with.
Rose, her husband and the children were waiting out the front of the dining room. "Hello Eliza, and you must be Edward. Eliza told me all about you." Rose said, stepping forward and holding out her hand.
"Nothing bad I hope?" Edward said with a grin.
"Not at all." Rose assured him. "This is my husband, and my three children. Carmel is the oldest, she's nearly fifteen. Then comes Harrison who is ten, and Eleanor who is eight."
"I'm eight and Margaret is six." Ben told Rose.
"Yes, your mother told me. Shall we go inside and sit down? I'm sure the children are getting rather hungry by now." Rose suggested, and they trooped inside to the rather large table which was able to accommodate them all. As a general rule in first class dining rooms children didn't always eat with their parents, however in wartime rules were somewhat relaxed and parents often wanted their children near them where they could see them.
As they waited for the meal to be served the two husbands got into a conversation about politics and war, and the children into a discussion of their favorite games and toys. Rose smiled at Eliza. "I'm glad they're getting along so well. The only thing I was really worried about on this voyage was the fact that we were going to be alone. It'll be nice to have someone to chat to!"
Eliza laughed. "You're telling me. But then I've never really had any close friends..."
Rose looked thoughtful. "I guess I haven't either. I mean when I was a young girl I did, but after that I never really did. I was too busy trying to make a career out of acting I suppose. How come you never had any close friends?" She asked.
"Well I told you my parents died on the Titanic right?" Eliza asked, and Rose nodded. "I was taken in by a wealthy man who basically put me through school and then helped me to get work, but it was hard for me since no self respecting member of society would willingly be a good friend of an orphan. And a third class orphan at that."
Rose frowned. "That just burns me up. It always has. And let me tell you that I've found some of the nicer people are also the poorer ones. I was always brought up to think like that, to be the perfect lady. I ended up rebelling. If Mother knew I was an actress..." She trailed off with a sigh. Her eyes gazed off into the distance and Eliza wondered whether she was thinking about what had happened to her on the Titanic. After all her comment about poor people being nicer than rich people, surely that was referring to the young man she'd met on board the Titanic? A "gutter rat" Cal had called him.
Eliza decided to take pity on her and change the subject. After all, as she'd decided back in her suite that afternoon she wasn't going to let Rose know she knew her little secret. "As glad as I'll be to be away from the bombing and terrible things in Liverpool I have to confess I'm a little nervous that things might end up like that in America with America joining the war and all. Edward has been assuring me this won't happen and that at forty-six he's too old to be called to the war." She said. Eliza also had a feeling that if Edward were a little younger he'd have been more than willing to go and fight for America. After all his father was a Colonel and he'd grown up hearing about the army and war.
Rose sighed, and leant closer to Eliza. "I have another son, he's twenty nine and he's fighting at this very moment." She said with a sigh. "Every night I pray to god to bring Jackson home safely to his family. He's got a wife and baby too."
Eliza looked shocked. "You must have been very young when you had him." She said.
Rose looked away a moment, and then looked back with a slight smile. "I was. Very young. But I'm very glad I had him. He's the only reminder I have of someone who was very, very dear to me. And I'm very lucky that my husband was more than willing to take him on, and even let him take his name." She said.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude." Eliza apologized hastily. "I was just surprised to hear it."
"Nonsense it wasn't rude at all!" Rose assured her. "I'd have said exactly the same thing if it were me in your place."
The meals arrived then and Rose and Eliza busied themselves making sure the children were all right. Eliza watched as Carmel showed Eleanor how to make sure her napkin was spread correctly on her knee. Rose caught Eliza's eye and smiled apologetically. "I was brought up very correctly, and I guess old habits die hard."
Eliza smiled politely. It didn't bother her whether or not Rose had her children behave properly or not. She was thinking about what Rose had just said. Could it be that her first son was actually the child of the man Cal had told her about, Jack? The fact that his name was Jackson seemed to point to that.
After the meal was over Rose smiled at Eliza. "It was nice to have some company dining. We'll have to do it again." She said. "And the children all seemed to get along well, no doubt they'll be wanting to play together."
"Definitely." Eliza agreed.
*****
Later that night as they were getting ready for bed Eliza related all she had learnt about Rose to her husband. "I told you that she was Cal's Rose. Cal wouldn't have mistaken something like that. It's probably lucky he never knew she had a child with that Jack fellow."
Edward yawned tiredly. "And you didn't tell her that you knew it was her?" He asked getting into bed.
"Why would I?" Eliza replied. "I have the feeling she's had a hard enough life without me telling her I know who she really is. It must have been hard to turn her back on everything she knew and had to make a life for herself and her young child. She went from being a rich, pampered young woman, to nothing. Somehow I think we're kindred spirits in a way since life was not exactly easy for me."
"I have to admit, it'll be nice to have someone to talk to on the crossing." Edward said. "And the children all seemed to get along well."
"Yes, they did, didn't they?" Eliza said getting into bed too. "Maybe this trip wont be as long and boring as I was worried it would."
"Mmm." Edward replied.
[A/N. I don't suppose anyone can remember the name of Rose's husband, Mr. Calvert? I had this inkling it was Nathan, but I think this simply came from the fact that it was Nathan Hockley. Anyway, if anyone knows I'd be glad to know also so I can call him by his name in this story. BTW just because Rose is in the story at the moment don't think it's going to start becoming a "Rose story". I don't think she is going to be a permanent, or main character in this story.]
"Ben come here for a moment and let Mama fix your shirt." Eliza said later that night as they were dressing for dinner.
"Nothin' wrong with my shirt." Ben muttered sulkily, but he came forward and let his mother fix it regardless.
"Now I want both of you to be on your best behavior tonight." Eliza said fixing both her children with a stern look. "Mama really likes this woman and it would be nice to have friends for the rest of the voyage don't you think?"
"Does the lady have children Mama?" Margaret asked interested.
"Her name is Rose thank you Margaret, but you will call her Mrs. Calvert." Eliza reminded her. "And yes, she has children. Three of them. You may or may not remember that we saw them at the station before we were leaving to get on the ship, and I would say that they'd be a similar age to you two."
"Goody." Margaret said. "I wonder if they'll play dolls."
"Stupid." Ben muttered and his sister glared at him.
"Dolls are NOT stupid!" She said. "Trains are stupid. Trucks are stupid. Planes are stupid. Car-"
Edward interrupted his daughter. She was at the age where she liked nothing better than to hear her own voice and could happily go on for hours. "All right, let's get going. I'm starving." He said, taking his children by their hands. Eliza smiled, checked her reflection in the mirror, and followed them slowly. She had been wondering that afternoon why she was so anxious to make friends with Rose and her family? Surely it couldn't simply be because she knew who Rose really was and therefore how hard life could have been for her? She told herself it was nothing more than the fact that the crossing would be a lot easier if there were people to share it all with.
Rose, her husband and the children were waiting out the front of the dining room. "Hello Eliza, and you must be Edward. Eliza told me all about you." Rose said, stepping forward and holding out her hand.
"Nothing bad I hope?" Edward said with a grin.
"Not at all." Rose assured him. "This is my husband, and my three children. Carmel is the oldest, she's nearly fifteen. Then comes Harrison who is ten, and Eleanor who is eight."
"I'm eight and Margaret is six." Ben told Rose.
"Yes, your mother told me. Shall we go inside and sit down? I'm sure the children are getting rather hungry by now." Rose suggested, and they trooped inside to the rather large table which was able to accommodate them all. As a general rule in first class dining rooms children didn't always eat with their parents, however in wartime rules were somewhat relaxed and parents often wanted their children near them where they could see them.
As they waited for the meal to be served the two husbands got into a conversation about politics and war, and the children into a discussion of their favorite games and toys. Rose smiled at Eliza. "I'm glad they're getting along so well. The only thing I was really worried about on this voyage was the fact that we were going to be alone. It'll be nice to have someone to chat to!"
Eliza laughed. "You're telling me. But then I've never really had any close friends..."
Rose looked thoughtful. "I guess I haven't either. I mean when I was a young girl I did, but after that I never really did. I was too busy trying to make a career out of acting I suppose. How come you never had any close friends?" She asked.
"Well I told you my parents died on the Titanic right?" Eliza asked, and Rose nodded. "I was taken in by a wealthy man who basically put me through school and then helped me to get work, but it was hard for me since no self respecting member of society would willingly be a good friend of an orphan. And a third class orphan at that."
Rose frowned. "That just burns me up. It always has. And let me tell you that I've found some of the nicer people are also the poorer ones. I was always brought up to think like that, to be the perfect lady. I ended up rebelling. If Mother knew I was an actress..." She trailed off with a sigh. Her eyes gazed off into the distance and Eliza wondered whether she was thinking about what had happened to her on the Titanic. After all her comment about poor people being nicer than rich people, surely that was referring to the young man she'd met on board the Titanic? A "gutter rat" Cal had called him.
Eliza decided to take pity on her and change the subject. After all, as she'd decided back in her suite that afternoon she wasn't going to let Rose know she knew her little secret. "As glad as I'll be to be away from the bombing and terrible things in Liverpool I have to confess I'm a little nervous that things might end up like that in America with America joining the war and all. Edward has been assuring me this won't happen and that at forty-six he's too old to be called to the war." She said. Eliza also had a feeling that if Edward were a little younger he'd have been more than willing to go and fight for America. After all his father was a Colonel and he'd grown up hearing about the army and war.
Rose sighed, and leant closer to Eliza. "I have another son, he's twenty nine and he's fighting at this very moment." She said with a sigh. "Every night I pray to god to bring Jackson home safely to his family. He's got a wife and baby too."
Eliza looked shocked. "You must have been very young when you had him." She said.
Rose looked away a moment, and then looked back with a slight smile. "I was. Very young. But I'm very glad I had him. He's the only reminder I have of someone who was very, very dear to me. And I'm very lucky that my husband was more than willing to take him on, and even let him take his name." She said.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude." Eliza apologized hastily. "I was just surprised to hear it."
"Nonsense it wasn't rude at all!" Rose assured her. "I'd have said exactly the same thing if it were me in your place."
The meals arrived then and Rose and Eliza busied themselves making sure the children were all right. Eliza watched as Carmel showed Eleanor how to make sure her napkin was spread correctly on her knee. Rose caught Eliza's eye and smiled apologetically. "I was brought up very correctly, and I guess old habits die hard."
Eliza smiled politely. It didn't bother her whether or not Rose had her children behave properly or not. She was thinking about what Rose had just said. Could it be that her first son was actually the child of the man Cal had told her about, Jack? The fact that his name was Jackson seemed to point to that.
After the meal was over Rose smiled at Eliza. "It was nice to have some company dining. We'll have to do it again." She said. "And the children all seemed to get along well, no doubt they'll be wanting to play together."
"Definitely." Eliza agreed.
*****
Later that night as they were getting ready for bed Eliza related all she had learnt about Rose to her husband. "I told you that she was Cal's Rose. Cal wouldn't have mistaken something like that. It's probably lucky he never knew she had a child with that Jack fellow."
Edward yawned tiredly. "And you didn't tell her that you knew it was her?" He asked getting into bed.
"Why would I?" Eliza replied. "I have the feeling she's had a hard enough life without me telling her I know who she really is. It must have been hard to turn her back on everything she knew and had to make a life for herself and her young child. She went from being a rich, pampered young woman, to nothing. Somehow I think we're kindred spirits in a way since life was not exactly easy for me."
"I have to admit, it'll be nice to have someone to talk to on the crossing." Edward said. "And the children all seemed to get along well."
"Yes, they did, didn't they?" Eliza said getting into bed too. "Maybe this trip wont be as long and boring as I was worried it would."
"Mmm." Edward replied.
[A/N. I don't suppose anyone can remember the name of Rose's husband, Mr. Calvert? I had this inkling it was Nathan, but I think this simply came from the fact that it was Nathan Hockley. Anyway, if anyone knows I'd be glad to know also so I can call him by his name in this story. BTW just because Rose is in the story at the moment don't think it's going to start becoming a "Rose story". I don't think she is going to be a permanent, or main character in this story.]