A/N I wrote this chapter several times before I was happy with it. Thanks
to my reviewers so far!!
Chapter Three ~ "I don't 'member."
Titanic. It was the word on everyone's lips. The grand, the beautiful, the ship of dreams. Amelia talked about it none stop, but one look from lady Gwendolyn was enough to silence her.
Lady Gwendolyn hated the talk of the ship, mainly because she was not to travel on it. She had no need to go to America, and her husband put his foot down on spending his fortune on a useless passage across the world. He was no sailor, the motion of the sea sent him sick.
"But darling, it is the grandest ship in the World, there will never be another like it."
Sir Dudley shook his head. "The answer is still no."
"I'd love to go on the ship." The seven year old told Rosa.
Rosa shook her head. "You can get that dream right out of your head, young missy. Only a miracle would get Sir Dudley to change his mind."
"I bet you could," she said, mischievously.
"What on earth do you mean by that?" Rosa exclaimed, blushing slightly.
"He likes you." She continued.
"That is quite enough, Mia, now turn round." Rosa pushed her charge round so she sat facing the mirror. She began to brush her curls back, and twisted them up on to her head. After her hair was done, Mia jumped up.
She had been at Dudley Manor a total of two years, and in those twenty four months she had heard neither hide nor hair of her mother. It depressed her greatly, and there were some days when all she spoke about was her home back in the country. Rosa felt extremely sorry for her.
"Time for lessons." Rosa muttered.
Mia nodded and left her quarters for the schoolroom. Poor child, Rosa thought. Rosa used her free time to wonder around the town. It was there she met Imogen Farmer, the local blacksmith's daughter.
"Lookie 'ere Rosa." She cooed, as her friend walked past.
"Imogen, how are you?"
Imogen smiled. "Never better, lookie what Lance bought me. I is going to America, I is going to America in style." She cried, excitedly. She held up to steerage tickets to the Titanic.
Rosa wasn't sure how she was expected to act, after all what could she say? She wasn't jealous, who wanted to go to America anyway? She was happy for Imogen and Lance, wished them all the best. But she could tell from the twenty five year's old eager face she wanted more then good wishes.
"Congratulations Imogen. I take it you Lance will be marrying soon."
"My father would have it no other way." She said, happily, showing Rosa a ring on her finger.
"It's beautiful." She said coldly.
"Jealously be one o' the seven sins." Giggled Imogen.
"I am not jealous." Rosa said, firmly, as she set off down the road. "Are to!"
Rosa spun round. "And what about you, think you'll fit in on the Titanic? With all those rich peoples walking round, staring at you 'cause you ain't got a penny, thinking they're better then you!" Rosa demanded.
"You're just jealous." It was clear the giggly girl just wasn't listening.
Rosa shook her head and walked away. Rosa had never had any family, that was why she despised people who abused their own. Mr Farmer disapproved greatly of his daughters choice, why could she not respect his wishes? Rosa hated people who disrespected their family.
When she got back to Dudley Manor, Mia was still talking about America. It had been her home for several years, and although she remembered little about the actual country, there was one thing she recall. The one thing America meant was mother. She talked non stop about the mother she had been forced to leave.
"She was really beautiful, bit like you Rosa."
"Like me?" Rosa exclaimed.
The seven year old nodded. "Yeah, like you, only she had brown hair, kinda like Aunty Gwendolyn's." She described, thinking hard. "I think she had. . ." but she broke off miserably. The little defenceless child, sitting in front of Rosa broke down into tears. "I don't 'member Rosa, I don't 'member."
"Shush, it's okay Mia, it's okay. You're here now, in England. Shush."
"But I don't want to be in England, I want mamma."
"Don't we all." Rosa muttered. "Please Mia. . ."
The child shook her head. "Aunty Gwendolyn stole me, mamma would never give me away."
"I'm sure your aunt did not steal you, Mia. I am equally sure that your mother loves you very much, what she did, well, she must have had your best interests at heart."
"Mamma would never give me away." Mia insisted.
"It's not giving you away as such, just giving you a better life." It was hard for Rosa to get the words out, mainly because she did not believe in a word she was saying. There was no better place for a child then with it's mother. No better place for Mia then in America.
"I want to go home." The child cooed.
"I know you do." Mia shook her head, and ran from the room. Rosa found her later, sleeping in the stables with the horses. She got the groom to carry her up to her room.
"If I could get you to America, Mia, I would. I promise I would." She said, silently kissing the girl's temple.
A/N so what do you think?? ^_^ be nice!!
Chapter Three ~ "I don't 'member."
Titanic. It was the word on everyone's lips. The grand, the beautiful, the ship of dreams. Amelia talked about it none stop, but one look from lady Gwendolyn was enough to silence her.
Lady Gwendolyn hated the talk of the ship, mainly because she was not to travel on it. She had no need to go to America, and her husband put his foot down on spending his fortune on a useless passage across the world. He was no sailor, the motion of the sea sent him sick.
"But darling, it is the grandest ship in the World, there will never be another like it."
Sir Dudley shook his head. "The answer is still no."
"I'd love to go on the ship." The seven year old told Rosa.
Rosa shook her head. "You can get that dream right out of your head, young missy. Only a miracle would get Sir Dudley to change his mind."
"I bet you could," she said, mischievously.
"What on earth do you mean by that?" Rosa exclaimed, blushing slightly.
"He likes you." She continued.
"That is quite enough, Mia, now turn round." Rosa pushed her charge round so she sat facing the mirror. She began to brush her curls back, and twisted them up on to her head. After her hair was done, Mia jumped up.
She had been at Dudley Manor a total of two years, and in those twenty four months she had heard neither hide nor hair of her mother. It depressed her greatly, and there were some days when all she spoke about was her home back in the country. Rosa felt extremely sorry for her.
"Time for lessons." Rosa muttered.
Mia nodded and left her quarters for the schoolroom. Poor child, Rosa thought. Rosa used her free time to wonder around the town. It was there she met Imogen Farmer, the local blacksmith's daughter.
"Lookie 'ere Rosa." She cooed, as her friend walked past.
"Imogen, how are you?"
Imogen smiled. "Never better, lookie what Lance bought me. I is going to America, I is going to America in style." She cried, excitedly. She held up to steerage tickets to the Titanic.
Rosa wasn't sure how she was expected to act, after all what could she say? She wasn't jealous, who wanted to go to America anyway? She was happy for Imogen and Lance, wished them all the best. But she could tell from the twenty five year's old eager face she wanted more then good wishes.
"Congratulations Imogen. I take it you Lance will be marrying soon."
"My father would have it no other way." She said, happily, showing Rosa a ring on her finger.
"It's beautiful." She said coldly.
"Jealously be one o' the seven sins." Giggled Imogen.
"I am not jealous." Rosa said, firmly, as she set off down the road. "Are to!"
Rosa spun round. "And what about you, think you'll fit in on the Titanic? With all those rich peoples walking round, staring at you 'cause you ain't got a penny, thinking they're better then you!" Rosa demanded.
"You're just jealous." It was clear the giggly girl just wasn't listening.
Rosa shook her head and walked away. Rosa had never had any family, that was why she despised people who abused their own. Mr Farmer disapproved greatly of his daughters choice, why could she not respect his wishes? Rosa hated people who disrespected their family.
When she got back to Dudley Manor, Mia was still talking about America. It had been her home for several years, and although she remembered little about the actual country, there was one thing she recall. The one thing America meant was mother. She talked non stop about the mother she had been forced to leave.
"She was really beautiful, bit like you Rosa."
"Like me?" Rosa exclaimed.
The seven year old nodded. "Yeah, like you, only she had brown hair, kinda like Aunty Gwendolyn's." She described, thinking hard. "I think she had. . ." but she broke off miserably. The little defenceless child, sitting in front of Rosa broke down into tears. "I don't 'member Rosa, I don't 'member."
"Shush, it's okay Mia, it's okay. You're here now, in England. Shush."
"But I don't want to be in England, I want mamma."
"Don't we all." Rosa muttered. "Please Mia. . ."
The child shook her head. "Aunty Gwendolyn stole me, mamma would never give me away."
"I'm sure your aunt did not steal you, Mia. I am equally sure that your mother loves you very much, what she did, well, she must have had your best interests at heart."
"Mamma would never give me away." Mia insisted.
"It's not giving you away as such, just giving you a better life." It was hard for Rosa to get the words out, mainly because she did not believe in a word she was saying. There was no better place for a child then with it's mother. No better place for Mia then in America.
"I want to go home." The child cooed.
"I know you do." Mia shook her head, and ran from the room. Rosa found her later, sleeping in the stables with the horses. She got the groom to carry her up to her room.
"If I could get you to America, Mia, I would. I promise I would." She said, silently kissing the girl's temple.
A/N so what do you think?? ^_^ be nice!!
