CHAP - 6 - BETRAYED
The fact that Captain Smith had changed Titanic´s route at night did not go unnoticed. And in the early hours of the morning, he was called to Mr. Ismay´s office to explain why he had done exactly that. However, to Ismay and Andrews´ surprise, Smith said that he would report his decision only in the presence of Rose´s mother.
Confused, the Titanic´s s owner and shipbuilder called Ruth and asked her to go up to the office indicated, where the captain was waiting for her.
Once Ruth was in his presence, old Captain Smith began to tell the following story. The same night that there had been the accident, he, at bedtime, had a dream about Rose, which was very odd because he did not know her. In the dream in question, the dead girl advised the captain to change the route of the ship on the night of April 14, twenty miles to northwest, on the starboard side.
"Why should I do this?" the captain had asked.
"Trust me, Captain, you'll be saving thousands of lives, if you do what I'm asking," said Rose.
Hearing that, however, Ruth got furious and insulted the captain, accusing him of being a slanderer. After all, who believe that the luxury vessel had its own guardian angel?
Fortunately for Smith, however, Mr. Brown was passing by the office and listening to the conversation. So, he decided to stop and interrupt what was being said.
"With your permission, gentlemen," he said, a little shy.
"We are busy right now, Mr. Brown. Can you wait a little?" said Mr. Ismay.
"I will not take much of your time, Mr. Ismay. I just wanted to report that last night, I walked outside and spotted a few meters away a huge iceberg."
"Then the story of the iceberg is not a lie?" said Ruth, dissatisfied.
"I do not know what you did, Captain, but you saved a lot of people. Thank you and until next time," said Molly´s husband, leaving.
"Well then. With that settled question, since we are all saved, that's what matters. We can now return to breakfast," said the architect, leaving the office.
The days passed and little more than three days before the end of the trip, the rain began to fall, stirring the waters of the sea, and making the big ship jolt like crazy.
However, this was not the worst part, since some of the second-class passengers were beginning to complain of an unpleasant smell coming from one of the cabins.
The smell in question came from the cabin D-19, where Rose had been placed. The fact was, that after a week of traveling, without the least appropriate conservation, the body began to rot, exhaling a horrible smell through the ship.
"We can't just throw her in the sea! That would not be fair!" exclaimed Mr. Andrews.
"What do you suggest we do then?" grumbled Mr. Astor.
"Let's put her in the basement," Mr. Murdoch suggested.
"The rats would tear her," snapped Mr. Andrews.
"Then let's do a funeral and bury her in an appropriate manner," Mr. Strauss piped up.
"What do you have in mind, Mr. Strauss?" said Mr. Ismay.
"She died on the sea, so it would be more than fair that the sea should be her last dwelling place," recommended the good man.
"And how to bury a person at sea with a moving ship?"
"Well, to start, I think Titanic would not mind being shut down for two or three hours," he said.
At 13:30 PM that afternoon, Titanic was anchored near an unknown island and its engines were shut down completely. Following the instructions of Mr. Strauss, Ida, Ruth, Molly, and some maids bathed, dressed, and adorned Rose for her to be the most beautiful possible. Meanwhile, some sailors, with the help of a few third-class passengers, improvised a mini-raft with planks of wood and metal beams.
Meanwhile, Jack, frustrated at not being able to help, nor knowing what was happening, he began to pace the ship, in search of a good soul, who help him discover what was happening when, unwittingly, he stumbled someone
'' I'm sorry, I did not see where I was going'' he said wryly
''Jack, what are you doing, son?'' was Molly
'' who... Molly? Nothing, I was just seeking to know what is going on, I think that the engines were shut down'' he said
''The ship has been turned off for a few hours, Jack, we are planning an impromptu funeral for your Rose.'' said Molly '' Ok'' said Jack sorrowfully
'' I think that you should go, even if you stand from a distance, just listening.'' Molly suggested, wistfully
The funeral was done quickly at the bow of the ship; several first-class passengers, as well as some of the second and third, said good-bye to Rose, while Father Hector made a prayer for her young soul to go in peace to heaven.
Leaning on one of the columns of the ship slightly away from the crowd, Jack listened intently to the priest doing his prayer. The last time he saw Rose, she was happy, beautiful, and smiling, while everyone else was having just as much fun dancing in steerage. This was the memory that he wanted of his lost love. Of course, before the accident, he thought about going to see her body, but he changed his mind because he wanted to remember her alive.
In the middle of the ceremony, however, as Cal made an emotional speech, something strange caught Mr. Astor´s attention.
"The blind boy is really innocent," he whispered
"Honey, now is not the time to mention it," said Madeleine Astor.
"No, no, honey, look! Look at Mr. Dawson. He's quiet, but as shocked as we are…and they were friends," said Mr. Astor, looking towards Jack. "Now, note Mr. Hockley. Rose was engaged to him and he acted as if nothing had happened for the whole voyage, and now he cries like a child," he concluded rather strongly.
"You're right, dear. My God, we were judging the wrong man!" exclaimed Madeleine.
"When the ceremony has finished, I'll tell Mr. Andrews about my suspicions. And let's get it over with quickly," he finished.
The ceremony was completed when the raft with Rose's body was placed in the sea and placed fire, like a true Viking funeral. The Titanic reconnected its engines and moved on.
"Agree with me, Mr. Hockley. If you had not acted like you did, we would not be seeing, that raft burning, hmm?" commented Mr. Astor by surprise as he and Cal watched from afar the smoke rise from the raft.
"What?" yelled Cal, confused.
"Better reflect consciously, Mr. Hockey! What prompted you to get your hands dirty?" said the old man.
"I do not know what you are talking about, Mr. Astor. Excuse me," he replied to the other, visibly upset.
Meanwhile, not far away, Jack had got lost, from his friend Tommy. Nervous and not knowing what to do, he tapped the shoulder of the nearest person and asked to lead him down to the third class.
"I'm sorry Mr. Dawson, I'm not going to help you." It was Lovejoy´s voice, but Jack failed to recognize it.
"Frankly, what's bad in helping a man back to his cabin? Please, I believe that it will not cost you anything," insisted Jack.
"OK, but I hope it does not cost anything at all," Lovejoy mumbled in a bad mood while guiding Jack until they reached the gate of class division.
Unfortunately for Lovejoy, on his way back to the first class, he came face to face with Cal, who seemed very nervous.
"What was that?" Cal spat furiously.
"The boy. He asked me to lead him to steerage," replied the manservant.
"Are you crazy, helping that rat?!" shouted Cal.
"Did it cost something in particular, Mr. Hockley?" said Spicer Lovejoy.
"Cost? Cost your job! You're fired, Lovejoy! Starting today, you travel in third class," growled the boss.
Once he realized that he had lost his job, Lovejoy thought about going down to the third class and killing Jack. However, he thought better and after taking a bottle of brandy, he went up to Mr. Andrews' office.
"Can I help you with anything?" asked the architect, confused.
"Mr. Andrews, my name is Spicer Lovejoy. I used to work for Mr. Caledon Hockley," the man replied.
"Oh, yes, of course. How can I help you?" Mr. Andrews asked again.
"I came to make a confession," said the former valet.
"But what confession, may I ask?"
"Mr. Andrews, I would like to inform you that Mr. Hockley was the murderer of Miss Rose DeWitt Bukater," Lovejoy confirmed, leaving