A/N Hi everyone. Yep, it's me and I'm back for a new chapter! I know I
haven't updated for like eve, but here's the update as I've been busy with
my other fic(s).
Reviewers, thank you! I love you all!
Within A Dream ~ Hehehehe, yep, John Connolly was kind of unexpected. Thanks. Talk to you later.
Chapter 4 ~ Helping Me To Breathe
She flopped down on the feather bed and lay back on the duvet gazing up at the ceiling. That kind man she had met on the train, John Connolly, was staying in a room down the hall. He had paid for her room and was very much a gentleman. She liked him. He came from a poor family and had had many jobs. He had travelled with Jack a few times too. Rose was amazed at the similarities between him and Jack. How kind they both were. They both seemed to have come from loving families. Rose only wished she had had the happiness they had had.
Her childhood was much like any other first class girl's. spoilt rotten, every need catered for except the need for love. Her father was always away and had no time for her, he had been a bit of a gambler but it was only after he died that her and her mother discovered this. Rose had been 15 years old then and all ready set to marry Caladon Hockley. In her eyes he was the most repulsive man to ever walk the earth. How could she have ever let herself be pushed into marrying such a man? She smiled to herself coldly. Those where the days she was not permitted to have a choice. But now she could, now Jack had set her free she could so whatever she wanted. It was this thought that carried her off to a deep comfortable sleep.
~*~
She awoke to the sun trying to peep in through her curtains to light the room with its light. She lay on her back facing the ceiling and rubbed her eyes to get the sleep out of them. She found she still had the clothes she had arrived in on. The room was warm, she was warm. She had to think for a moment. She wasn't in Santa Monica anymore.
She could not remember the last time she had slept so well, it seemed a lifetime ago when she was a very small child with no worries weighing down on her shoulders. She stood up and took a big stretch before throwing back the curtains to gaze out into the bright day as the sun warmed glass radiated onto her. her room was over looking a small court yard surrounded by roses, this would look simply magical at night time.
She heard a knock at her door and a soft voice called. "Mrs Dawson, are you up? It's John, John Connolly. When you are ready come down and join me at breakfast?" he offered.
She could not decline and she was feeling rather hungry. "Yes, of course I will, I will be down in a moment." She replied.
"Very well. See you in a moment," she heard his faint footsteps going down the stairs before turning back to gaze down at the court yard. Small birds perched in the old trees scattered about the court yard. Rose smiled to herself and unlatched the window, opening it and letting a warm breeze flood into the room. She listened with her eyes closed to the birds chirping their sweet song before retreating to the bathroom to get washed and dressed.
~*~
She found the best dress she had in her small suitcase. It was a lilac colour. Simple yet beautiful. She slipped it on. It was light and flowed when she walked. She made her way down the creaking wooded stairs down to the breakfast room. She spotted John across the room and made her way over to him. When he spotted her he looked up from his newspaper and placing it aside, stood up to pull out a chair for her.
"Thank you," she said.
"You're welcome Mrs Dawson," John tucked her in before sitting down in his own chair across from her.
"Please Mr Connolly call me Rose." She said softly picked up her coffee to carefully sip.
"Very well Rose, please call me John. I trust we are no longer on formal terms?" He smirked.
Rose put down her coffee. "After the kindness you have shown me I should think not." John looked at her, as if searching her for something. She noticed this and said. "What's the matter?"
"Nothing. Its just, it seems to me that a girl like you don't seem fit for this type of life," he replied awkwardly.
"What do you mean?" Rose said frowning slightly.
"I mean. You are all alone on the train with hardly any money, yet you do not seem like a third class women."
"Well, I can assure you, I am." Rose snapped.
"I don't mean no offence or nothing, but you don't seem like the kind of woman our Jack would, how to put it, be able to go for. He was a poor man of working class, Rose, you seen like a first class women, in your manner."
"Well, I can assure that I never have or ever will be above what I am. And if you mean to refer to the way in which I am dressed if you really must know this dress is a hand me down from a distant cousin who married into a small amount of money," Rose faltered a little. Lying was not her strong point. She could not tell this man the truth. "Now, if you please, can we drop this subject. I am who I am." Another big lie. She wasn't what she was. Her life had been a lie for the past three years.
John held up his hands and leaned back in his chair. "I am terribly sorry Rose, I meant no offence. I was just curious you might say. Please forgive me." John said apologetically.
"It. It's ok. And if you really must know and to put any doubts in your mind at rest, me and Jack married for love. That is all. Status has nothing to do with anything." She spoke sharply. John asked no further questions for which Rose was very thankful.
They ate breakfast in silence. Rose let the happy optimistic voices of those dinning around her wash over her. she dearly wished that she could count herself as one of those happy people. After a while John asked her what she intended to do from here. "I intend to go to where Jack used to live. Pick up the pieces of his past if I can and learn more of him. We were not married for very long. All he told me was that his family was dead. I just wish to go see where he grew up."
"Ah, I see. Well, I can help you out a little, ask around. I myself plan to stay here for a while. Find work and if it proves to be a good place to settle I hope to perhaps raise a family here. Its so different to where I hail from."
"And where's that?" asked Rose.
"Philadelphia," John replied.
Rose's heart flared for a moment. Philadelphia. That was certainly not one of her favourite places in the world. That was where she had grown up. She swallowed and then replied with a simple. "Oh."
"Yeah. I grew up in the bad end. I used to always envy those up the nice end. All them first class. Snotty bunch them were. Treated us like dirt. Trampled on us in all their fancy cars and things." John said with a look of the utmost dislike plastered on his otherwise placid face.
Rose's heart gave another stab. She used to be one of those people. How could she have ever been like that after the kindness people from lower classes had shown her. she did not reply. They finished breakfast and stood to leave. John left a small tip for the waitress. A pretty young girl named Ann. Rose made her way back up to her room while John stayed talking to the waitress.
A few minutes later Rose heard a knock at the door. It was John. "Rose, I asked that waitress at breakfast whether she knew of the Dawson residence. She said she did and told me where it is. I can take you there if you like?" he offered.
Rose nodded. "Yes, let me just get my suitcase."
~*~
The Dawson residence was at the end of a small lane surrounded by fields. The two stood at the gate. "Do you want to go alone?" John asked.
Rose nodded. "Yes. Thank you so much John. For everything you have done. You are so much like Jack in your kindness. I am truly very fortunate to have you as a friend."
"You are most welcome me dear. Now if you need anything I'll be at the Inn. If I'm not ask for Ann the waitress. I'll be out looking for work most probably. Good luck. I think that Ann said that Jack's sister lives there now."
"But Jack said he had no living relatives." Said Rose.
John shrugged. "See you later." With that he walked away back down the path.
Rose took a deep breath and opened he gate. She walked down the small gavel path that led to the front door of an old farmhouse. So this is where Jack grew up? He was so lucky. She took another deep breath and reached to knock the door. A soft tap. The a little more forceful knock. She heard foot steps approach the door and braced herself. How was she going to tell Jack's sister that her brother was dead?
The door opened. Rose dropped her suitcase.
A/N Hehehehe. Cliffie! Please don't hate me! I'll try to get the next chapter up A.S.A.P!!!
Luv Lolly pop
Reviewers, thank you! I love you all!
Within A Dream ~ Hehehehe, yep, John Connolly was kind of unexpected. Thanks. Talk to you later.
Chapter 4 ~ Helping Me To Breathe
She flopped down on the feather bed and lay back on the duvet gazing up at the ceiling. That kind man she had met on the train, John Connolly, was staying in a room down the hall. He had paid for her room and was very much a gentleman. She liked him. He came from a poor family and had had many jobs. He had travelled with Jack a few times too. Rose was amazed at the similarities between him and Jack. How kind they both were. They both seemed to have come from loving families. Rose only wished she had had the happiness they had had.
Her childhood was much like any other first class girl's. spoilt rotten, every need catered for except the need for love. Her father was always away and had no time for her, he had been a bit of a gambler but it was only after he died that her and her mother discovered this. Rose had been 15 years old then and all ready set to marry Caladon Hockley. In her eyes he was the most repulsive man to ever walk the earth. How could she have ever let herself be pushed into marrying such a man? She smiled to herself coldly. Those where the days she was not permitted to have a choice. But now she could, now Jack had set her free she could so whatever she wanted. It was this thought that carried her off to a deep comfortable sleep.
~*~
She awoke to the sun trying to peep in through her curtains to light the room with its light. She lay on her back facing the ceiling and rubbed her eyes to get the sleep out of them. She found she still had the clothes she had arrived in on. The room was warm, she was warm. She had to think for a moment. She wasn't in Santa Monica anymore.
She could not remember the last time she had slept so well, it seemed a lifetime ago when she was a very small child with no worries weighing down on her shoulders. She stood up and took a big stretch before throwing back the curtains to gaze out into the bright day as the sun warmed glass radiated onto her. her room was over looking a small court yard surrounded by roses, this would look simply magical at night time.
She heard a knock at her door and a soft voice called. "Mrs Dawson, are you up? It's John, John Connolly. When you are ready come down and join me at breakfast?" he offered.
She could not decline and she was feeling rather hungry. "Yes, of course I will, I will be down in a moment." She replied.
"Very well. See you in a moment," she heard his faint footsteps going down the stairs before turning back to gaze down at the court yard. Small birds perched in the old trees scattered about the court yard. Rose smiled to herself and unlatched the window, opening it and letting a warm breeze flood into the room. She listened with her eyes closed to the birds chirping their sweet song before retreating to the bathroom to get washed and dressed.
~*~
She found the best dress she had in her small suitcase. It was a lilac colour. Simple yet beautiful. She slipped it on. It was light and flowed when she walked. She made her way down the creaking wooded stairs down to the breakfast room. She spotted John across the room and made her way over to him. When he spotted her he looked up from his newspaper and placing it aside, stood up to pull out a chair for her.
"Thank you," she said.
"You're welcome Mrs Dawson," John tucked her in before sitting down in his own chair across from her.
"Please Mr Connolly call me Rose." She said softly picked up her coffee to carefully sip.
"Very well Rose, please call me John. I trust we are no longer on formal terms?" He smirked.
Rose put down her coffee. "After the kindness you have shown me I should think not." John looked at her, as if searching her for something. She noticed this and said. "What's the matter?"
"Nothing. Its just, it seems to me that a girl like you don't seem fit for this type of life," he replied awkwardly.
"What do you mean?" Rose said frowning slightly.
"I mean. You are all alone on the train with hardly any money, yet you do not seem like a third class women."
"Well, I can assure you, I am." Rose snapped.
"I don't mean no offence or nothing, but you don't seem like the kind of woman our Jack would, how to put it, be able to go for. He was a poor man of working class, Rose, you seen like a first class women, in your manner."
"Well, I can assure that I never have or ever will be above what I am. And if you mean to refer to the way in which I am dressed if you really must know this dress is a hand me down from a distant cousin who married into a small amount of money," Rose faltered a little. Lying was not her strong point. She could not tell this man the truth. "Now, if you please, can we drop this subject. I am who I am." Another big lie. She wasn't what she was. Her life had been a lie for the past three years.
John held up his hands and leaned back in his chair. "I am terribly sorry Rose, I meant no offence. I was just curious you might say. Please forgive me." John said apologetically.
"It. It's ok. And if you really must know and to put any doubts in your mind at rest, me and Jack married for love. That is all. Status has nothing to do with anything." She spoke sharply. John asked no further questions for which Rose was very thankful.
They ate breakfast in silence. Rose let the happy optimistic voices of those dinning around her wash over her. she dearly wished that she could count herself as one of those happy people. After a while John asked her what she intended to do from here. "I intend to go to where Jack used to live. Pick up the pieces of his past if I can and learn more of him. We were not married for very long. All he told me was that his family was dead. I just wish to go see where he grew up."
"Ah, I see. Well, I can help you out a little, ask around. I myself plan to stay here for a while. Find work and if it proves to be a good place to settle I hope to perhaps raise a family here. Its so different to where I hail from."
"And where's that?" asked Rose.
"Philadelphia," John replied.
Rose's heart flared for a moment. Philadelphia. That was certainly not one of her favourite places in the world. That was where she had grown up. She swallowed and then replied with a simple. "Oh."
"Yeah. I grew up in the bad end. I used to always envy those up the nice end. All them first class. Snotty bunch them were. Treated us like dirt. Trampled on us in all their fancy cars and things." John said with a look of the utmost dislike plastered on his otherwise placid face.
Rose's heart gave another stab. She used to be one of those people. How could she have ever been like that after the kindness people from lower classes had shown her. she did not reply. They finished breakfast and stood to leave. John left a small tip for the waitress. A pretty young girl named Ann. Rose made her way back up to her room while John stayed talking to the waitress.
A few minutes later Rose heard a knock at the door. It was John. "Rose, I asked that waitress at breakfast whether she knew of the Dawson residence. She said she did and told me where it is. I can take you there if you like?" he offered.
Rose nodded. "Yes, let me just get my suitcase."
~*~
The Dawson residence was at the end of a small lane surrounded by fields. The two stood at the gate. "Do you want to go alone?" John asked.
Rose nodded. "Yes. Thank you so much John. For everything you have done. You are so much like Jack in your kindness. I am truly very fortunate to have you as a friend."
"You are most welcome me dear. Now if you need anything I'll be at the Inn. If I'm not ask for Ann the waitress. I'll be out looking for work most probably. Good luck. I think that Ann said that Jack's sister lives there now."
"But Jack said he had no living relatives." Said Rose.
John shrugged. "See you later." With that he walked away back down the path.
Rose took a deep breath and opened he gate. She walked down the small gavel path that led to the front door of an old farmhouse. So this is where Jack grew up? He was so lucky. She took another deep breath and reached to knock the door. A soft tap. The a little more forceful knock. She heard foot steps approach the door and braced herself. How was she going to tell Jack's sister that her brother was dead?
The door opened. Rose dropped her suitcase.
A/N Hehehehe. Cliffie! Please don't hate me! I'll try to get the next chapter up A.S.A.P!!!
Luv Lolly pop