Chapter 65: Duchess in the Bar
"And what is her name again?" Mr. Calvert asks, taking notes on a pad of paper.
"Wendy, unfortunately, I don't know her last name," Rose says. She sits in the office of Mr. Calvert in the police station to explain what she wants him to do for her. She did get a glimpse of the board that he had used when he was tracking down her, which he intended to throw away. It made her slightly uncomfortable of all the detail that this private investigator had collected about her, Jack, Emma, Peter and even Sybil. "You might want to ask my mother about that."
"I will and don't worry, I'll have this woman found before your wedding."
"Thank you," Rose says with a small smile. She doesn't really want to look at Mr. Calvert that much, considering that he is courting her mother, but when she does, his gentle blue eyes look at her sympathetically. It's as if he knew she was uncomfortable because he asks…
"Are you all right?"
"I'm fine," Rose says, not really looking up.
"You shouldn't have to lie to me, Rose… Is it about me courting your mother?"
Rose bites her lip and doesn't really respond, which sort of answers his question for him.
"I understand that you must feel very upset about this whole situation, but I assure you my intentions are completely honourable."
"I know that," Rose says. If they were still rich, she would be concerned that the man was a fortune hunter and after their wealth, but since neither of them lived in a fancy mansion anymore or had expensive things, she could relax.
"Is it because you think I might be replacing your father?"
Rose gazes into Mr. Calvert's eyes. This man was remarkable perceptive to basically put into words how she felt. Then again, that was his job to observe and note important things. The young woman simply nods as a response.
"Ah, I see. Well, I think the only thing I can do for you is not trying to act as your father and give you some time to get used to me. I never want to replace Mr. DeWitt Bukater. He was a fine man from what your mother has told me about him and it is clear that you loved him very much."
"I did," Rose says, trying to fight tears.
"Change and adjustment is very hard my dear, I can understand that completely. I recently lost my father as well and nothing can ever numb that pain of losing someone who you are close to."
The young woman nods and wipes her tears away with the back of her hand. Mr. Calvert leans forward and offers the handkerchief from his breast pocket to her. She accepts it with gratitude and wipes her eyes gently.
"Thank you," she whispers quietly.
"I think the best thing for both of us is to merely see one another as friends. If we get to know each other better that is. I will always call you Rose, or Mrs. Dawson, whichever you prefer and you can always call me Mr. Calvert. Does that sound fair?"
Rose rolls the piece of cloth in her hands and straightens herself up a bit. She thinks that this is a good idea and that they could make this work as friends. It's not likely that they will ever be family. But perhaps, one day she could see him as a guardian; someone who would look out for her and take care of her mother. Besides, Rose was going to be getting married soon and with a baby on the way, she had to forge a path for herself, something that high society and her mother had denied her for quite a long time.
"Yes, I think that could work," Rose says, giving a small smile.
"Well, I'm mighty glad," Mr. Calvert grins from ear to ear, with a genuine smile that made Rose feel all warm inside. It was clear that her mother had picked a respectful man, one with cordiality and kindness. He wasn't like her father, but the way he smiled reminded her of him… just a little bit.
Rose tries to stand up and Mr. Calvert offers his hand as the baby was beginning to gain weight and becoming quite the load. Rose thanks him and the private investigator kisses her hand and then guides her to the door.
"Thank very much," Rose says.
"My pleasure Miss soon to be Dawson, I'll contact you the minute I find your friend, Wendy."
Rose is about to lead when she realizes that she still has his handkerchief. She turns to give it back. "I should probably…"
"Please keep it," he says, holding his hand up. "Think of it as a gift from a friend."
Rose smiles again, a lot wider this time. "Thank you, Mr. Calvert."
"Please, hopefully, you may call me Henry soon."
…
"Wendy, are you all right, Love?"
Wendy sighs heavily and tears another paper out of the cheap typewriter that Tommy found in the local junkyard and both were trying to put back together. Several of the keys were missing and the former maid had to dig scrap paper out of a rubbish bin behind the apartment she shared with Tommy and his two roommates, Eric, and Saul.
Both men welcomed her into the home, gave her the warmest room in the apartment and even gave them some of their old clothes to wear considering the maid left everything back in Philadelphia. Wendy had never felt so welcomed and couldn't believe that she took this leap of faith, leaving service behind to pursue her dreams of being a writer.
Despite the freedom, she thought she was gaining, there were still several drawbacks to this new life. She didn't have any money and had to apply to work as a waitress at several places, including the local pub where all the local "yahoos" as Tommy called them hung out. She was now working at the pub, but that also meant that she had to put up with many drunken men, grabbing her, wolf whistling at her, amongst other things. Her boss didn't pay her very much and the only upside was that Tommy worked there part-time as the bartender, so being able to talk to him and seeing his smile, made her day a little better. At home, the neighbours were very loud a lot of the time, making it hard for her to concentrate and Tommy, Saul, and Eric did not live very well. When she first arrived, the place was filthy; their clothes were everywhere, everything had a layer of grime, the beds were unmade, the bathroom was indescribable and there was no food at all, they usually spend the daily wages to eat out. Wendy was forced to become the "maid" and teacher again, training the men how to do laundry, make beds, sweep and dust as well as cook. Since she had a job, she could not stay home and be the "housewife" so all three men had to learn these skills for themselves. It was a rough start, Eric washed colours and whites together once and Tommy almost set the house on fire, but for several months now, the place was cleaner and the entire household ran like clockwork.
Even though life certainly wasn't perfect, what really made Wendy especially sad was her writing. She tried to write a little bit each day, mostly at night before bed, but she always seemed to hit a brick wall. Tommy was there as support and he'd even courted her on a few dates, but other than that, nothing really romantic or exciting had happened to her. She did write about Tommy saving her from Mr. Hockley, comparing him to a knight in shining armor saving a princess, but everything else seemed dull and uninteresting. She set the typewriter up by the window to see if she could get inspired, but the view of a grungy alleyway and an abandoned apartment building still did nothing.
"Wendy, are you alright?" Tommy asks again, sticking his head into her room.
Wendy looks up from the typewriter and turns to face him. She gives him a tired smile.
"Write anything good, Shakespeare?"
Wendy forces herself to smile. Even on the darkest of days, Tommy could always make her smile. She felt lucky that she had met him and that they were living together.
Tommy comes over and kisses her on the top of the head.
"I wish the words would just come to me," Wendy sighs.
"Give it time," he says, sitting at the foot of her bed, and grabbing her hand. "You can't give up your dream."
"I know," the young woman sighed and she looks down at Tommy's banged up knee. His dream stopped before it even started so she had to achieve her dream for both of them.
"Maybe something will come up soon, maybe a rich Duchess will walk into the pub?"
Wendy laughs and writes the funny idea down. "Is it time for work already?"
"I'm afraid so love," Tommy says. "Shall I escort her to work?"
"Yes, you shall," Wendy says, getting up and following Tommy out the door.
…
"You're quite the lovely one!" a voice bellows across the restaurant as the young waitress bussing a table. Wendy sighs and continues with her work, the line becoming very old very fast. She moves a tray of dirty glasses and dishes across to the kitchen and then brings out more greasy pub food, passing the bar on her way, where Tommy is mixing drinks expertly. He gives her a small smile which she returns before giving the man who was shouting with her his food.
As she tries to leave, the man grabs her waist and tries to force her into his lap.
"Stay awhile doll," he says and a few of his friends continue to stare and whistle at her. "Tell us about yerself."
"No thank you," Wendy says politely, trying to get out of the man's sweaty grasp. "I have work to do."
Several of the men awe and a few laugh at the brush off. The man grips her tighter and seems hell bent on keeping her there.
"Come on sweetheart, surely being with us is better than workin'?"
Wendy wants to shoot back that it wasn't but keeps her lip buttoned. The man's hairy arm is now trying to go under her apron and the skirt of her uniform. Wendy cries out uncomfortably, partly wishing to go back into service, at least there she wasn't groped and being forced to sit with unpleasant people.
"If I don't get back to work I'll be fired, you if you excuse me," Wendy tries harder to get out of his grasp.
The man glares and now holds her even tighter. His demeanor changes completely and the poor waitress can see into his dark eyes. "You're not goin' anywhere sweetheart," he hisses right into her face.
Wendy tries to remain strong but lets out a whimper. This man is too strong for her and he's roughly trying to force himself on her.
"OY!" a voice says and thankfully, it's Tommy coming to help her. "Leave her be!"
The men laugh and drink so more beer, seeing Tommy's statement as a joke. Fortunately, the laughter weakens the man's grasp on her and she manages to slip out. However, the man will not give up as easily and grabs the skirt of her uniform. Wendy cries out, and Tommy is ready to pound the man into the ground.
"Leave her alone! She's my girl!"
The men laugh again. "Why are you with this toothpick darlin'?" one of the men asks.
Tommy is becoming red in the face and his hands clench up into fists.
"Because he's more honourable than all of you put together," Wendy blurts out. She immediately regrets her words as the men stop laughing and several stand up in anger. The one who was groping her gets up and cracks his knuckles, prepared for the fight. Wendy knew that she had basically sentenced her love to death, despite how much of a fighter Tommy could be, he couldn't take them all. They would murder him and she'd be forced to watch.
Suddenly, the police barge in just as the leader punches Tommy across the face. The officers immediately rush over and apprehend the men, using their billy clubs when needed. Wendy helps Tommy off the floor and back to the bar while the police throw out the gang of men. Wendy leans against the bar while Tommy grabs some ice for his face. Once the men are gone, the waitress lets her tears fall freely.
"I'm so sorry," she says quietly, grabbing a cloth to help clean up the little bit of blood leaking from her love's nose.
"It's fine," he shrugs.
"No, it's not, you shouldn't have to defend me every time a thug whistles at me or tries to grab my behind." Wendy weeps quietly. She wants more than anything to have a different job, maybe as a typist or a secretary, someone who had at least respected her. She wanted to start taking typing lessons to practice her writing, but that costs money and she did not have enough to even consider it.
"It's fine, I'll do anything for my girl," he says, reaching out and grabbing her hand. Wendy feels a little comfort, but not a lot considering their circumstances.
"Who called the police anyways?" the bartender wonders.
"I did,"
The couple looks to see a woman in a large hat and a nice spring coat staring at them from over a book. She puts it down and removes her gloves before reaching her hand out to make their acquaintance.
"Margret Brown," she says, beaming at them with her big brown eyes.
Wendy's jaw drops at the name.
"A-As in the Margret Brown?" Tommy says, his eyes wide in equal surprise.
"The one and only," Molly says. "I knew those thugs were going to stir up trouble for you so I decided to ring the fuzz before it got any worse."
Both of the people still stare at this million heiress in utter shock, unable to believe that she was in a lowly pub on the wrong side of town.
"W-What are you doing here?" Wendy finally manages to say.
"Well, I was coming back from a Women's Meeting and felt a little parched so I came in for a drink and some food, only to find you working here."
"M-Me?"
"Yes, I remember you from the DeWitt Bukater home, you're the one who replaces Trudy."
"I'm Wendy," the girl says.
"That's right and you were also the maid who went missing along with Rose."
"How did you…?"
"It's all Ruth would talk about, that her lady's maid and her daughter had both gone missing. At one point, she tried to accuse you of kidnapping Rose, but convinced her that was bogus."
Wendy shakes her head and turns slightly red, she never thought about what Mrs. DeWitt Bukater would think of her after she left; the former maid just assumed that she didn't notice or care, but instead accused her of kidnapping Rose, her good friend. She was equally stunned that Mrs. Molly Brown defended her.
"No thanks required," Molly says, holding up her hand to stop the waitress from speaking. "And you must be the man who saved her from the monster Mr. Hockley."
"I-I am," the man stutters. "I'm Tommy O'Malley."
"Well, I must say that your fight was the talk of the tea table for quite some time."
The couple still looks at each other in utter disbelief, unable to grasp that this rich woman was talking to them and actually caring about their lives. People like them were never given a second glance by the rich.
"Which gave me a great idea," Molly says, eyeing both of them. "My husband needs a tough man like you to help with his mining company. I'd like for you to come and work for him."
Tommy is speechless, he cannot believe what this woman is saying. She's offering him a new job! One that will take him away from the crappy bartending gig.
"I won't take no for an answer Sonny and as for you Wendy, I'd like you to come and work for our Women's Rights movement. Hopefully as our typist."
Wendy's heart stops in amazement and she nearly faints off the bar stool.
"The pay isn't great, but it's definitely better than working here where you get no respect. What do you say, darling?"
Neither of them can talk, they've just been given dream jobs and new opportunities to leave this terrible life behind. Wendy almost starts crying again in joy and she wants to run over and hug Mrs. Brown, saying yes a million times. She looks over at Tommy and he matches her look of disbelief and hope. They would never have to look back again.
"Yes!" they say at the same time.
Molly smiles and reaches over to give Wendy a hug. The waitress is surprised at first and gladly accepts it. The heiress then shakes the bartender's hand. She writes down her phone number.
"This is where you can reach me. After your shifts quit these terrible jobs and call me in my New York apartment. I'll get you all setup."
"Are you an angel?" Wendy sputters suddenly.
"No angel, just someone lending a helping hand," Mrs. Brown says before paying for her drink and sandwich.
She then picks up her book and sighs. "Another boring story about the rich lifestyle. I'd rather hear the tales of everyday people. Those are the ones with the real plights and hardships," The woman smiles once more before walking out of the pub.
Tommy wants to shout in joy and he practically goes over the bar to kiss Wendy. He has tears in his eyes and he can hardly contain his excitement. It's as if a miracle occurred and both of them were being given the chance to start new lives. He could finally get the chance to support Wendy properly and maybe consider marrying her someday. They could afford it now.
Wendy is very much excited, giving into her love's passionate kiss, but something is still on her mind. Her head is spinning from the wonderful news, but the last thing that Mrs. Brown said was giving her inspiration and lots of it. She fumbles around until she finds a pen and a piece of paper, which at this point is just a napkin. She writes down her ideas and then shoves it into her apron pocket. She smiles from ear to ear and gives Tommy yet another kiss.
"I guess we really did meet a Duchess in the bar after all," Wendy laughs to herself.