Chapter 3- Where will I go?
The next morning Rose was awakened by the smell of bacon sizzling on the stove. She didn't realize how long it had been since she'd last eaten. The dinner with her mother and Cal. That was it. She involuntarily shivered. Had that really only been two days ago? Had she only been with Jack in the freezing water of the Atlantic a few hours before? She shuddered at the memory, making her way to the table where Michael sat eating bacon and eggs.
"Mornin', Miss Rose," Michael said with a smile as she sat down. "I was worried you'd be sleepin' all day. Got lots to get done. Colleen told me to let you sleep though; you looked plum washed out when you got here."
"Mornin' Rose," Colleen said turning from the stove.
Rose smiled and turned to Michael. "I'm sorry I wasn't very social last night. It was a long day. And you don't have to call me Miss Rose. Just Rose will do. Miss Rose makes me feel like a school teacher."
"All right," he replied with a smile. "Rose, it is then. Well, then Rose, where are you from?"
Rose wanting to make friends answered, "England, a small town outside of London."
"Do you have any family?" Colleen smiled at her husband's questions. He always wanted to know everything about everyone right away.
Rose took her time on this answer finally saying, "No, my father died a few years ago, and my mother and my husband died last night." She was surprised at how easily the lie rolled off her tongue. Though there was some truth to it. She was never going back to her old life so essentially her mother was dead to her, and she would have married Jack if he hadn't died.
"Oh," a tiny gasp escaped Colleen's lips.
"You see," Rose continued while she still could; before she was overcome by sobs. "I was a passenger on the Titanic." She figured news of the disaster was probably already starting to spread. Not able to say anymore through her tears, Rose was finished with her story for the day.
Colleen abandoned the bacon and wrapped her arms around her newfound friend. "There, there. It'll be all right. Just you wait and see." Rose ran the sleeve of the jacket across her eyes wiping away the tears.
"I'm sorry Colleen. I didn't mean to break down like that."
"That's all right, darlin'. You had every right to. You've just been through a horrific experience. Do you want some breakfast?"
Rose nodded. "That would be wonderful. Then could we see about that job, if it's not too much trouble."
"Don't be silly, Rose," Colleen laughed. "It's not too much trouble. I'll just take ya to work with me when you're ready. Mind you I leave in little less than an hour. We might want to leave a bit sooner than that to go down to the shelter and find you somethin' a bit more suitable to wear seein' as that's the only dress you've got."
"We can leave right now if you like." Rose said not wanting to make Colleen late for her job.
"Nonsense. You just finish your breakfast, while I go through my clothes and see if I can't find you somethin' else to wear other than that soggy dress and overgrown coat. Then we'll go down to the shelter and get you some more."
"You have no idea how much I appreciate your kindness," Rose said taking another sip of your coffee. She smiled thinking about her sudden change in status. What would her mother say if she knew Rose was getting clothes from a shelter as well as borrowing them from a woman she met on the street only hours ago. Though the more Rose thought about it the more she warmed up to and enjoyed the idea. Colleen and Michael were so much friendlier, charming, and welcoming than any of the people she'd met at her mother's parties.
"'Tis nothin'" said Colleen. "Someone did something very similar for us when we first came to America, and when you're all settled just remember to pass along the favor."
After finishing her breakfast Rose quickly changed into the light green dress Colleen had pulled from her closet. It was pure luck that Rose and Colleen were the same size. "That dress looks swell on ya Rose," Colleen smiled as she and Rose once again headed out on the streets of Manhattan. Rose's eyes couldn't stop scanning the intensity of New York. It was similar to London with all of buildings and people everywhere, but the skyscrapers were an entirely new concept to Rose. The idea that a building could reach almost to the clouds was amazing. "Watch yourself Rose," Colleen pulling back Rose who was starting to wander dangerously close to the street and in danger of being taken down by the cars racing down the cobbled streets.
"Oh," Rose jumped back startled to hide behind Colleen out of the way of the speeding vehicle. How she wished Jack was here to experience this wonderful and terrifying new world with her. He would be able to show her the fun of it all while calming her fears at the same time.
"Rose, the shelter is just there, we could stop now and get you some clothes, or we could stop on the way back so you'll have more time to find something that suits you."
Rose glanced down at Colleen's green dress. "I could pretty much wear anything right now, and this dress is wonderful. Why don't we stop back later when we have some more time so that you can help me pick out some dresses?" Rose had to admit she was used to someone picking out her clothes and shopping at expensive stores. She needed someone with knowledge of the real world help her to pick out some sensible things to wear to start her new life as well as show her how to do some things on her own without necessarily realizing they were doing and not leave her to flounder in this new reality. "That way you won't be late for work."
"All Right, come on then the house is this way." Rose's head was spinning by the time they reached the house of Colleen's employer. She hoped that one day she would be able to navigate this maze of streets on her own. "This is it," Colleen said pointing to a large two story mansion that looked like something out of a fairy tale. There was a wrought iron fence surrounding the house. Large oak doors with brass handles signaled the entrance to the house. "Our entrance is this way." Rose took one last look at the front of the beautiful house and heaved a sigh as if to say goodbye to her old life before following Colleen around the back. Rounding the back of the house Rose spotted the servant's entrance which was only slightly less ordinate than the front entrance. Rose wasn't surprised when Colleen was instantly surrounded by the twittering ladies of the kitchen staff. After allowing Colleen's friends to inform of the goings on of the house and getting the news of the town from Colleen Rose quietly cleared her throat to restate her presence. "Girls this is Rose. Rose these are the girls, Mary, Anna, Elizabeth, Susan. Oh, and this is Vivienne," Colleen finished gesturing toward the door and the girl that came from the main part of the house. "Vivienne, is Miss Penbrook around in the house?"
"Yes she's in the library. Why do you ask?"
"I have an applicant for the other laundry position I would like her to meet." After saying goodbye to the girls in the kitchen Rose followed Colleen up a grand gold leaf covered staircase and to the library. "Just let me do all the talking, just giver her basic information. After knocking gently on the door and hearing an even softer come in Colleen opened the door. "Miss Penbrook, its Colleen, one of your laundry girls. I heard from the other girls that you were looking for another girl to do the laundry. This is Rose Dawson ma'am. She's looking for a job. She's staying with me so I can make sure she gets to work on time and teach her all the skills she'll need to know to do this job."
"Well, Colleen why don't you let this girl speak for herself. Are you a fast learner and will you make sure to let me know at least two weeks in advance if you need days off?"
"Yes ma'am I pick up on things very quickly." Rose's mind flashed to the party in third class. "I won't be needing time off anytime soon, but if I do I will tell you as soon as I know and I will make sure that it is at least two weeks in advance."
"All right then, how soon can you start?"
"As soon as possible ma'am," Rose replied with a small smile.
"All right then you're hired. Have Colleen show you where to put your things and then Colleen, start showing her the duties she needs so she can start working on her own as soon as possible."
"Yes, ma'am. Thank you. ma'am." Colleen exited the library and took Rose to the large laundry room that adjoining the kitchen. "This is where the laundry is done. It comes through that chute there from the upper rooms." Rose recognized the chutes from her house in England. "We collect the laundry from the first floor. It all goes in this washing machine. You turn it on here and put the clothes in here. The machine runs for 20 minutes then you take the clothes out. If it is a nice day outside you hang the clothes on the line right outside the kitchen door. You saw it when we walked in. If it's a nasty day then you hang the clothes in here. This is a dryer. Most of the clothes that we wash also need to be ironed. There is a specific way Mrs. Penbrook likes her clothes pressed. I'll show you the rest of it tomorrow. For today let's just start with the washing, and it's a nice day outside so you can hang the clothes outside."
"All right. That sounds easy enough."
"I'll work with you for a few days just to make sure that you're doing the job the way Mrs. Penbrook expects it done, then you'll be able to work on your own. Shall we get started?"
Rose nodded and followed Colleen to begin picking up the laundry on the first floor as well as sort the laundry that had come from the upper floors. The day moved swiftly with Rose getting to know the other girls that worked in the house, as well as learning her new duties. By the end of the day Rose was exhausted but slightly happier. She had worked for the first time in her life. She had a job, new friends, and a whole new life. If only Jack were here to share it with her. At that moment Rose realized that she would always wish this and that in a way Jack was sharing it with her. As she walked home with Colleen Rose thought of Jack and that he must be watching over her for her to be blessed with such a wonderful new friend and a job that was easy to learn. He would always be the one who saved her life in more ways than one. Her Angel.
