I want to apologize for not updating, I was so sick this week, it was awful! I feel so drained, but had just enough energy to post for ya'll : ) I proofed as best as I could but I'm still recovering so sorry if there are any errors.

Oh yes and just for Sara…Sarah's grandparents are not married. Her Grandmother is her mother's mom and her grandfather is her father's dad…sorry for the confusion.

Harry will be back next chapter

Happy reading : ) : )

And once again thanks for the wonderful reviews!

Chapter 30

After I regained my composure George walked me back to my room where I napped for a few hours before getting up and got ready to go see my Grandmother at the Waldorf. Nora help me fix my hair that had come loose in my sleep, and helped me change into yet another black dress. I then found a coat, hat and gloves and went downstairs where George was waiting for me beside a car that my Grandfather had waiting for us.

When we arrived around 20 minutes later there was an enormous crowd spilling out of the hotel. In the subpoena I had received it had stated the hearings into the sinking of Titanic would be here, but I didn't realize that it was starting today. Reporters, other Titanic survivors, family members and just people who were plain curious, were everywhere. I clung to George as he pushed his way through the swarm of people in the lobby.

"This is ridicules, don't these people have anything better to do?" he muttered.

I shook my head, not quite understanding why this was such a fascination to everyone. I saw reporters rudely push themselves in front of others and with pens and pads in hand and question them, even when the person told them 'No' and tried to leave.

We made our way past the front desk and reached the stairs where I was finally able to take a deep breath of air. George let me take my break and soon we were climbing the stairs up to the second floor where we got on the elevator that took us to the 5th floor where my Grandmother's suite was.

One of the hotel maids opened the door for us and led us into the suite and to the sitting room where a table had been set up, with a beautiful table cloth, donned with silverware and china. Grandmother sat at the head of the table with Aunt Ruth to her left and…

I groaned to myself as I saw that Cal was seated next to Aunt Ruth. He looked at me with those eyes that made me positively nauseous and I turned from him quickly and sat down next to Grandmother.

What was he doing here?

Grandmother answered my question soon after we finished lunch.

She waited until the maids had removed the last of the dishes before folding her hands delicately and laying them on the table. "As much as it pains me, I'm afraid we need to discuss the situation that has occurred. I know George and I are more than thankful that you three are here with us, but the unfortunate fact is, is that one isn't."

I sighed deeply, knowing where she was going with this. I looked over at Aunt Ruth, who hadn't spoken or touched her food at all during the meal. Her head was down and she was as pale as ever.

"Rose, was a wonderful girl, growing into a beautiful woman, and her life was tragically cut short. We have to be responsible and with the knowledge that our family is on display to most of this county, we have to act accordingly." she cleared her throat. "Cal and I have discussed it…" she said, throwing a look towards Aunt Ruth. "…and have decided we will set a date for a memorial service on the 10th of May. If by then Rose has been found we will have a funeral, but if not we will just have to make do. There are plenty of ships out in the Atlantic looking for those that have been lost, and I pray that Rose will be one of them. We already know that she did not survive, but I know I would feel better knowing that she was safe within our family's mausoleum. Is this agreed?"

George and I both stated that we did.

"Good. Now of this hearing business…Sarah, Cal has told me that he has been asked to speak, have you?"

I nodded. "Yes, Grandmother I have."

"What day?"

"The 3rd of next month."

"That is the same day as Cal…we shall stay in New York until then. I'm sure your Grandfather will not mind," she said looking at George and I. "… but if you wish to stay here with me, you are more than welcome. After that is all over with we will depart for Philadelphia where the services for Rose will be held."

After the most somber discussion in history was over with, I went into my Grandmother's bedroom and tried to regain my composure. Seeing Cal in there had made my blood boil. He was so arrogant, so…God, I was so angry I couldn't even insult that scoundrel properly in my mind.

"Here you are." The door opened and my Grandmother came in, her dark skirt creating that gently ruffling noise as she walked towards me. "You disappeared quite suddenly." she said as she sat down next to me on the bed. Her hand rested on top of mind in a comforting manner.

"I'm sorry, Nan."

"Oh don't be, I'm not angry, just worried. You were very quiet all through lunch; did you sleep at all last night?"

I nodded. "Better than I have in the past few days."

"It's a terrible thing that's happened, but you can't let it over take you."

I shook my head. "I'm trying not to…if Rose had…well, that would have made a difference."

"That maybe true, but what about the others who are gone? I'm sure their families are thinking the same." she put her arm around my shoulders. "The fact of the matter is that you can't bring her back. She's gone, my dear, and there isn't anything you can say or do that will bring her back."

I knew she was right. I had been too despondent to think of that on my own, but it left me with both a comfortable and distressed feeling; It felt good to know that there was nothing more I could do than what I was doing, and that was to mourn her, but still apart me still felt I could have done more.

I decided to change the subject and asked of Aunt Ruth. She shook her head in annoyance at the mention of her daughter.

"Oh she will be fine. It would be nice to say that she's acting like a mute because of her daughter, but sadly that would be a lie. A very small part of her mourns Rose but an even bigger part is more concerned with money."

"Money?"

Her eyes were stern as she spoke, like they always were when Aunt Ruth was concerned. "She mourns more for the marriage that would have been with the Hockley's. One that would insure her financial future."

I was a bit confused, since when did Aunt Ruth have a problem with money? "Nan, I'm not sure I understand what you are saying."

"Darling, didn't you know…Your Uncle John left you Aunt and cousin in quite a predicament. Seems he did a lot of gambling and bad investing, so when he died there was nothing left for them."

"How horrible."

"Yes, indeed. Ruth assumed I would be there for her but after the years of heartache that girl gave me, I felt in no way that I should help her. She was always trouble, even as a child. Your mother and she were as different as any two sisters could be, and she was always jealous of Corynn, even tried to lure your father away from her at one point."

The look on my face surely showed how shocked I was to hear that. Why would Aunt Ruth do such a thing? Questions began to form in my mind after I heard that, and then began to remember all of the things she had been saying to me over the years, especially in the past couple of weeks. I kept them to myself though.

"The only joy she ever gave me was Rose, and yet she kept her away from me as much as she could. She refused to come to your mother's funeral and even fought to have you children sent off to some distant relatives in Europe of your paternal grandmothers. She wanted every trace of Corynn wiped clean from the earth."

"I can see why you are reluctant to help her."

"Reluctant? Ah my darling I have no intention of helping her. I will of course take care of Rose's funeral, but after that she is on her own. She has made her bed and now she must lye in It." she stopped and looked at me and her face went soft. "Don't you worry, my Sarah. You have never once disappointed me and I promise this is the last you will ever see of your Nan is such a frazzled state." she smiled and patted me softly on the shoulder.

I smiled back, not quite sure if I agreed with what she had just said. But Grandmother was seldom wrong about anything, so I trusted her judgment. I always had, it was like the sunset; there was never any doubt that it would happen everyday and it never failed.

"Nan, I must speak with you about something."

"Of course darling."

I decided this was as good as time as any to bring up Harry. "When I was on the Titanic, I met a boy."

Her face formed an satisfied expression. We both knew she had seem something last night that was different, and now I was confirming it to her.

"A boy?"

"Well a man. His name is Harold."

She sighed heavily. "I don't have to ask if you remained a lady and he a gentleman…do I?"

I shook my head. "Oh no ma'm."

Satisfied she smiled at me. "Alright then, tell me more about Harold."

Any guilt I felt about lying to her was suddenly washed away when I saw that she was disappointed in me, so I told her about Harry.

"He was the ships 5th Officer, he's 29 and is from Wales."

The moment I said his age I could tell that triggered something in her. She looked at me as if I was a naïve child then she shifted her gaze and then looked back at me as if I had suddenly gone from 7 years old to 17 in just a matter of seconds.

"I was going to say that 29 and 17 are too far apart in years…but I married your Grandfather when I was 16 and he was 32, not that you have any plans to marry…do you?"

Oh no…

"No, of course not. We just met."

"That's my girl." she gave me an approving smile. "Well, where is this Harold? Is he in New York?"

"I believe so. I'm assuming that they are keeping him here for the hearings, although I haven't spoken to him since I left the Carpathia."

"Well if he is in New York you will have to invite him for tea one afternoon."

"Really?"

"Darling don't look so surprised. You act as if I should loathe him before I even meet him." she touched my cheek in a grandmotherly way. " You only have a year in school left, after that your search for a husband will begin and I want you to make the right choice. Who knows, maybe it is this young man, maybe it isn't, but I am proud of you none the less, for being responsible and thinking ahead."

She made it sound as if I was preparing to purchase a piece of real estate. Yet, I figured it was no worse than what men do when planning to marry. I smiled at her and nodded in agreement.

We sat there and talked some more; about Rose, about Titanic, and even a bit more about Harry. She wanted to know everything about him that I did, but the more questions she asked the more I realized how little I actually knew about him. I was to preoccupied with the fact that she was taking it so well to even care.

Everything was going to be alright, I just knew it!