Chapter Eight

I left his stateroom shortly before dinner, hurrying into my own room and dressing. I wore an emerald-colored gown with black lace and a black sash, and I pinned my hair up with a butterfly comb identical to one Rose had. They had been given to us by our father for Christmas one year, and I had treasured mine all the more since he had died.

I met my family in the dining room, and was quick to notice Rose's absence, as well as Cal's preoccupation. I watched him as he whispered in the corner with Mr. Lovejoy, and wondered what Rose had done now. I hoped it wasn't anything too serious, because I was sure Mother wouldn't be able to handle too much more.

In the end, we had to be seated without her, and though Cal made his excuses for her, saying she didn't feel well and was in her room resting, I knew he was lying. Mother's expression of worry told me everything.

"Where's Rose?" James whispered in my ear when Cal had been drawn away from the table by Mr. Lovejoy, and the others were talking about grain prices in Europe.

"I don't know," I whispered back. "I think she must have run off or something."

"But where could she have run off to? It's a ship, there are only so many places she could hide," James whispered.

Apparently Cal felt the same way, because when he returned to the table, he looked both frustrated and worried. Dinner was a lot more polite than usual that night, and all the topics were extremely superficial, no one daring to talk about weddings or anything relating to them while Cal was in such a mood. He even snapped at the waiter when he didn't come back with a cigar quick enough.

I retired early, leading James into an alcove and kissing him passionately before promising to see him again in the morning.

"I don't think I can see you tonight, what with everything that's going on with Rose," I explained. I was grateful that he understood.

I got into my nightshift and wrapped myself in my favorite wrapper, a sapphire-colored silk confection, with wide sleeves and a stand-up collar. I sat at my vanity and brushed my hair for what seemed like hours, trying to stall and stay up as late as I could, hoping Rose would come back to her room before I fell asleep.

I could hear doors opening in the suite next to mine, could hear Mr. Lovejoy talking to Cal, could hear Cal yelling back at him. Cal had chosen to stay in Rose's suite, hoping he would see her come in, if she did. At one point I heard Mr. Lovejoy saying that he had seen Rose with Jack, and that they had run away from him, and gotten lost somewhere below deck. Cal yelled at him that he should double his efforts to find her, before something happened between them.

Then the yelling stopped. Things got quiet. I put down my brush, clutched my wrapper about me, and slowly opened the door that connected our suites. Cal stood amidst a crowd of men, talking rapidly, apparently very agitated. He was probably telling them that Rose had been kidnapped.

"Yes, that's right, a diamond necklace. It's very valuable, and I want it returned as soon as possible," Cal said.

I stared at him. What diamond necklace? Surely no one would rob us of our jewelry. Mother was opposed to flashy jewels; she said they made us look trashy. So what was there to steal?

"Excuse me, but what is going on here?" I asked, flinging the door wide, uncaring who saw me in my current state of dishabille.

"Margaret, darling. Someone has broken into our suite and stolen my necklace, the one I gave Rose as an engagement present. The Heart of the Ocean," he said, smiling falsely.

"Rose never told me of such a diamond," I said frankly, holding my head high. Cal glared at me.

"It was locked in that safe, and she hasn't worn it yet. She probably intended to wear it on our wedding day, and keep it a surprise until then," Cal explained to me, though the explanation was directed at the other men.

"Where is Rose? I should like to ask her about this myself," I said imperiously.

"Rose isn't here at the moment," Cal said through gritted teeth. I held in my triumphant smile.

"Where is she? We should also like to ask her about the matter," one of the gentlemen said.

"I'm not sure, I haven't seen her all evening," Cal admitted. "She said she was feeling ill, so she stayed in her room during dinner. I haven't seen her since, I don't know where she's gone."

I was surprised by this confession, but not by the lie. At least he had almost told the truth. That was definitely a step in the right direction for Cal.

Just as one of the men opened his mouth to speak, there was a horrible shudder, and the hum of the engines seemed to stop. I looked around, my blood running cold. I rushed to the window and looked out, but all I could see was night. I turned, and saw that Cal had already stuck his head out into the hallway.

"What just happened?" I asked of the gentlemen present.

"I'm not sure, they must have turned off the engine," one of them said.

"Yes, I know that, but why would they turn off the engines?" I demanded.

Mother opened the door to Rose's room, looking just as confused as the rest of us.

"What just happened? What is going on?" she asked. No one had an answer for her.

"Something is definitely wrong. I'm getting dressed," I announced. I intended to go up on deck and find someone who might know what was wrong, like the captain, or even Mr. Andrews.

I dressed quickly, putting on my favorite dress, a red one with embroidery. I pulled on my warmest stockings, and pulled on a coat. Lastly, I grabbed my butterfly pin and ran out into the hallway, pinning up my hair as I ran.

"Excuse me, can you tell me what happened?" I asked of an attendant who was walking through the hallway.

"We've likely thrown a propeller, miss," he said. "Nothing to worry about, they'll have it fixed in a minute, and then we'll be on our way. Nonetheless, you should return to your room to await further instructions."

I turned around and headed towards James' stateroom. He would know something, I was sure.

"James! James!" I called, pounding on his door. He opened, his face serious.

"Maggie!"

He hugged me tightly, kissing my forehead, then pulled me into his room.

"What's going on, James? No one will tell me anything, and I still don't know where Rose is," I told him.

"I don't know, but at least you're ready. The worst that could happen is that they'll send us out in the lifeboats," he said.

"But why would they do that, James?" I asked, laughing a little, though I hardly felt like laughing. "Surely you don't think we're sinking!"

"I don't know yet, Maggie. All we can do is wait. Stay here with me. I have extra life vests if we need them," he said, hugging me again.

"No! I have to get back to Mother. I have to know if Rose came back yet. You can come with me, James, but I can't leave them alone," I told him, pulling away and heading for the door.

"I should probably see to my parents, too. I'll meet you in your rooms in a half hour," he said, following me out the door but heading in the opposite direction.

When I arrived back in Rose's suite, Jack was being handcuffed by the Master-at-Arms. Rose stood to one side, staring at him, and Mother seemed just as shocked by the whole thing as Rose. But she quickly composed herself and returned to her own room, probably to compose herself.

"What did he do?" I asked Cal, who looked very smug about the whole situation.

"He stole my possessions," he said, glancing at Rose, who seemed to be in shock.

He stood around for a minute, clenching his fists, then walked up to Rose and slapped her, hard, causing her to look away and flinch.

"Stop it!" I yelled, but he ignored me.

"Well, it is a little slut, isn't it? You look at me when I'm talking to you!" he yelled, grabbing her by the arms, but before he could continue, there was a knock at the door and the steward opened the door, walking in on us. Cal quickly dropped Rose.

"Mr. Hockley," he said politely.

"Not now; we're busy," Cal told him through gritted teeth, glaring at Rose.

"Sir, I've been told to ask you to please put on your life belts and come up to the—"

"I said, not now!"

"I'm sorry to inconvenience you, Mr. Hockley, but it's Captain's orders. Now, please, dress warmly; it's quite cold out tonight. Now, may I suggest top coats and hats?" the steward said, bustling about and handing Rose a life preserver.

Cal glanced back at Rose letting out an impatient laugh.

"This is ridiculous," Cal muttered under his breath.

"Not to worry, Miss. I'm sure it's just a precaution," the steward said to Rose, presuming that she looked so shocked simply because of the news that we had to go up on deck and put on our life preservers. He left, leaving us alone.

Cal had been distracted, and I was glad. Before he could remember what he had been doing before the interruption, I hurriedly grabbed all the life preservers available to us, thrusting them at Mother, who had reappeared when she heard the knock, Cal, and Rose.

"Margaret, you take it," Rose said, holding out her life vest. "I'll get another one somewhere else," she said.

I smiled at her and gingerly put the vest on, tying it tightly with my sister's help.

Cal discarded his own vest, and refused to take a coat.

"It will only be for a minute, I'm sure," he insisted, despite even Rose's pleas.

We went upstairs to the Grand Staircase, waiting with the other first-class passengers. Mother put on her gloves, and was instructing Trudy to make a pot of tea, when Rose noticed Mr. Andrews and rushed up to him. I wanted to join her, but decided against it, not wanting to intrude in case it had anything to do with Jack's arrest.

Rose's face was ashen when she returned to me.

"You have to get to the lifeboats," she said simply.

We followed her up the stairs, to the deck. We met up with Molly Brown, who was already in line to get in a boat.

"Any room for a gentleman, uh, gentlemen?" Cal asked as politely as he could when he heard that the boats were being filled with women and children first.

"Only women and children at this time, sir," an officer told him, and he stood back, looking stung.

I watched as the boats were loaded, wives and children hugging their husbands and fathers, telling them they'd see them in a moment. But some were crying, knowing the situation was much worse than they were being told. I scanned the crowd for James, but couldn't find him. I hoped he was alright, and that he might possibly be able to get a seat on a boat.

"Will the lifeboats be seated according to class? I hope they're not too crowded," Mother complained, stepping gingerly into the lifeboat.

"Oh Mother, shut up! Don't you understand? The water is freezing and there aren't enough boats, not enough by half. Half the people on this ship are going to die!" Rose said, raising her voice for the first time in weeks. Mother stared at her, not daring to reprimand her, the reality sinking in at last.

"Not the better half," said Cal, who smirked at Rose. "You know, it's a pity I didn't keep that drawing; it'll be worth a lot more by morning," he added, still smirking. I had no idea what he was talking about, and stared at him, ignoring Mother's and Molly's calls for me to join them in the boat.

"You unimaginable bastard," Rose said, staring at him in sudden realization of something. She stepped backward, staring at Mother, the odd look still on her face.

"Goodbye Mother," she said, glaring at Cal and then running away, back inside the ship.

"Rose, what are you doing? Rose!"

I watched her go, my feet rooted to the spot, my mind grasping to understand the situation. Cal ran after her, and grabbed her, and I suddenly regained control of my body, running after them, trying to stop him from hitting her again.

"I'd rather be his whore than your wife!" Rose yelled at him, just as I caught up with them. She spit in his face, and just as he let go to wipe it off, she ran away.

Ignoring Cal, I ran after Rose, calling her name, trying to get her attention.

"Margaret! Get back there! You have to get on a boat!" Rose said, turning around at last.

"No, Rose, I have to come with you. I don't even know where James is," I said.

"Margaret, go back to Cal. Please, I don't even know if I'll be able to get off this ship. But I won't go without Jack, and I can't go looking for him if I don't know you're safe," she said, putting a hand on my shoulder and talking to me as if I was a child again. But if there was one thing Titanic had taught me, it was that I wasn't a child anymore.

"Rose, I won't leave you!" I said, shrugging her hand away.

"Margaret, stop it! You're wasting my time! I can't take you with me! Please, you have to understand that!"

I didn't say anything, losing my voice when faced with the blazing love in her eyes.

"Promise you'll get to a lifeboat as soon as you find him?" I asked.

"I promise," Rose said, and hugged me quickly. Then she hurried back inside, back to Jack.

Cal was still standing where Rose had left him. He looked furious, and didn't say anything when I joined him.

"Margaret!"

I looked around, trying to see who had called me, and I noticed a hand, waving above the heads of the rest, and soon James surfaced.

"James!"

I ran into his arms, kissing him desperately, not caring who saw.

"Margaret, why aren't you on a boat? The ship is sinking, you have to get off! I've already put Mother on one, and Father is helping some of the officers load another one," he said.

"I had to find you first, James," I explained.

"You've found me now," he said. "Now it's time to find a lifeboat."

He took my hand and started dragging me towards a line of people queuing up in front of a boat. I roughly pulled away.

"No, James, I won't leave you. I can't. Please don't make me," I told him.

"Well, you're going to have to. I have to help load the boats, and you can't stand around all night," James said seriously.

"I will!" I protested.

He shook his head and looked at Cal, who was still standing there, though he had composed his face slightly.

"Cal, can I trust you to look after Margaret? Please, I have to go help my father," James said. Cal nodded.

"Of course," he said, taking my hand and holding it tightly, too tightly for me to slip out of his grasp and run back to join James.

"I love you, Margaret," James said, and kissed me, then ran off to join his father and the other officers.