Chapter 87: In My Own Hands
Hey readers, I'm back for another chapter, this time we're back with Emma and Peter as we've spent the last few chapters with Jack, Rose, Riptide, and Cal. Thank you so much to Magic Maryse for the wonderful review, it means so much to me that you like the story so much.
"I swear darlin'," Molly says, holding up one of the draperies, staring out the window at the crowd of reporters standing at the street level. "I haven't seen anything like this since Queen Victoria toured the streets of New York…"
"It certainly seems to be getting out of hand," Ruth agrees as she shuts the drapes in the front room and checks to make sure the back door is locked properly. While Mrs. De Witt Bukater would have once loved having her name in papers, making her recognizable and the talk of the elite men and women of the local country clubs, she had long since given up that life and now, she wanted the privacy most commoners get. She was sick of reporters asking her questions about her daughter and their former relationship with Caledon Hockley. While it was good to spread the news, Ruth claimed often that she was going blind from all the flashbulbs and having unknown faces peer inside the Carson/Whitman household.
While she'd always yearn for the money and position she'd once had, she did enjoy the nice quiet life because she was much happier. She no longer had the stress of keeping up an image for high society, she had the courtship of a respected and well-meaning man, who one day hoped to marry her, she had a real true friend in Molly Brown, she lived much more simply with more adventurous endeavours, but most of all, she had her daughter back. Ruth had long since realized that Rose was her greatest achievement in life and nothing else mattered if she could be near her beloved child. While they had lost much time in Rose's youth, she had the respect and love a mother feels towards her daughter. What was even more exciting was that she would soon have a new grandson or granddaughter, which she would spoil to bits, while being much more attentive and affectionate to this child than she was with her own daughter.
However, this might never happen if the police did not do their job and rescue her daughter from the madman Mr. Hockley. The former heiress now felt enormous guilt for ever matching her daughter with this man… then again, money and power had blinded her judgement; something Ruth wished she could now take back.
"They say publicity is good, but I think there exists the concept of too much of a good thing," Molly agrees. The million heiress goes to help Holly in the kitchen while young Thomas and Sybil play on the floor together. A beautiful ringing sound filled the room as the one-year-old shook a small silver rattle… a birthday gift from her deceased father. Emma and Peter had taken the time the day after the interrogations to open presents with the birthday girl. The gift presented by the girls' father was a silver rattle, engraved with small delicate flowers around the edges and vaguely resembled a tiny silver bell on the end. It made a beautiful, harmonious, noise as it came with a note dated not long before the man had passed to join his wife in the afterlife.
My dearest daughter,
It saddens me to think that I will not be there to give you this special gift in person, but unfortunately, the Lord has called me back sooner to join your mother. I feel deep regret that I will not be able to watch you grow into the beautiful, young, confident, woman I know you will become. You resemble your mother in every way and even though we lost her first, every time I would gaze upon your sleeping face, I think of her. Please know that I will love you, forever and always… a vow that your mother and I made on our wedding day and the vow I now bestow upon you on your first birthday. As a symbol of that love, I now give you this rattle that once belonged to your grandmother, the great women whose name you were christened with. I want each year that you grow to be filled with happiness, never sorrow and I know you will always have your sister there and your mother and I will always be watching over you. You are my precious Sybbie Carson, and I will always love you.
Until we meet again,
Your loving Father
Emma had cried after reading the note aloud to the group, the pain of losing her parents still as fresh as the day it happened. Peter had wrapped his arms around her and cuddled the two sisters, Emma clinging to Sybbie as she shook the rattle to listen to the pretty sound it made.
The only other gift that was opened that day was from the deceased mother; the elder sister insisting that the real presents from their family and friends to wait until Jack got back with Rose and the police business was sorted out. There was a note attached to this gift as well, though much harder to read due to the mother not knowing that she was going to die not long after giving birth.
To my darling daughter,
This is a small message to be read on the day you turn a year old. I write this as you kick inside my womb, eager to get out and see the wonderful world in which you will be born. I am your mother and I await your arrival with the greatest amount of joy in my heart. I want to see your eyes open for the first time and hear your first cry. It will be as special and as amazing as the day your sister was born. You are a miracle in every sense of the word and every moment I spend with you will be treasured forever and always. The last words of this statement will become very familiar to you as you grow because it is the vow of our family to love and celebrate one another forever and always. I will give this gift to you on your first birthday and I hope you will treasure it as much as I have. This doll belonged to your great-grandmother, made of lovely china, it was the most valuable thing she had as she and her family travelled all over the country, including Africa. Even when the family fell on hard times, this doll was kept, a symbol of hope just as you have become. It was then passed down to my mother when she was young, and then to me and I now pass it down to you. Your sister enjoyed many happy years with this lovely little doll and now I know you will too. Please keep her in your heart and one day hand it down to your own children, like those before you. I cannot wait to see your eyes light up when you receive this gift and see you push it in a doll carriage around as you start walking.
I love you forever and always my darling,
Your Mother
The doll mentioned in the note was then unwrapped and presented to the curious toddler. The doll had a white china face with painted rosy cheeks and thin lips pulled into a lovely smile. She had blue eyes and that looked around, and soft blonde curls that fell about her hair. She wore a pink lace dress which Emma remembered was something her mother had made. There were also several other dresses and hats the dolls could be dressed up in. It was almost uncanny how much the doll resembled the child receiving it. Emma wiped away many tears and let Sybil hold it before placing it in the nursery on a high shelf until her sister was old enough to play with it properly. It was a bittersweet moment that left the entire room quiet in contemplation.
Molly stands at the entrance to the kitchen, ready to help Holly with the breakfast dishes when she hears some odd noises coming from the end of the hall. She changes her course to investigate, she enters the office to find Emma sorting through several objects in her father's desk.
"What are you doing child?"
The heiress' eyes go wide in shock when the girl pulls out a small handgun.
"Jack hasn't called yet, he would've confronted Cal by now and brought Rose back or the police would've told us that they were all in custody now… Something is wrong and I'm going to find out what it is."
"Absolutely not," Molly says, going over and grabbing the gun from the desk.
"Molly I need that!" Emma says angrily.
"You do not, this is a job for the police and the police only."
"The police have done nothing but cause more problems and waste time," the young girl says firmly. She wants to reach and grab the gun back, but Molly holds it out of the girl's reach. Fortunately for both of them, it was not loaded "They won't listen to me or Peter or anyone else and they've done nothing but put Rose in more jeopardy."
"And you think shooting the bastard is going to help matters?"
"I'm not going to murder him," the young lawyer says. "I'm only bringing that to defend myself in case he doesn't do what we ask."
"Emma, this man is not going to listen to you. He clearly is playing by his own rules and can no longer see reason or logic to his actions."
"So, you think we should just let him go then?" Emma snaps.
"Of course not, he's a no-good son of a bitch and deserves to spend the rest of his life rotting behind bars, but this needs to be done the right way, with the police. They do these kinds of things all the time and they know how to get Rose out of there safely."
"Clearly you haven't seen the kind of idiots we've been dealing with," the girl mutters angrily.
"Regardless of your personal feelings towards them, this is not the right way to do this. I'm surprised at you Emma, before Jack's escape you were the one who wanted to do things by the book and legally."
"Well things have changed," Emma grumbles, pulling ammunition out of her father's desk drawer. "If Cal doesn't play by the rules then neither should we."
"Are you hearing yourself?" Molly asks in disbelief. "You sound like some rogue outlaw from a western novel. Where's Peter he should be talking some sense into you?"
"Why would he do that?" the young girl inquires. "He's the one who's going to be driving."
"How can he be driving, you two don't even have a car."
"And whose fault is that?" Emma mutters, finally getting the gun from Molly. She then loads it expertly like her father had taught her.
Just then, the telephone rings.
"Maybe that's the police saying they have Cal in custody," Molly prays, thankful that this girl's outlandish plan is being derailed.
Emma ignores it and answers.
"Hello?"
"Is this Emma Carson?"
"Yes, it is,"
"This is the New York City Police department. Before I go any further, I must ask, is your husband Peter Whitman with you?"
"Not at the moment, he's out renting a new car for us."
"Well, you may want to bring the car to this specific address. Do you have a pad of paper and a pen available?" The voice on the other end then recites a specific address, which Emma writes down.
"Why do we need to come to this address?"
"It will be much easier to show you rather than explain it over the telephone," the voice says cryptically. "We hope to see you soon Miss Carson."
The person then hangs up.
Emma puts down the earpiece in confusion.
"Who was that?" Molly asks.
"The police, they want Peter and I to come to this specific address, but they won't say why."
"That is unusual," the heiress agrees, frowning at the thought.
"It must be about Jack and Rose though," Emma says, staring at the address very hard, trying to decipher its meaning.
Molly reads the address on the paper. "That's on the far side of New York, where the rich morons live."
"Rich morons like Cal?" Emma asks.
"I believe his father owns a mansion out that way, down by some apple orchards."
Emma's heart beats in anticipation at the thought.
"That must mean they found them!" she says in a joyous voice. She nearly starts jumping up and down. Ruth comes in to see what the fuss is all about, but Emma is beside herself with joyous tears.
"What is happening?" Ruth asks.
"That was the police, I think they want us to go pick up Rose and Jack!" Emma screeches. Ruth's eyes fill with happy tears, she goes over and hugs Emma and then Molly. All three women smile, celebrating, and Holly soon comes to join them. A confused Thomas watches from the door, unable to understand what the grown-ups were doing. Emma rings up Mr. Jamieson to tell him the good news and then she prepares to leave. Peter drives up in a rented car that closely resembled their old one, Emma runs out to tell him the wonderful news. His blue eyes light up happily and the two spend very little time preparing to leave.
After kissing their loved ones' goodbye, the couple speed off towards the older and richer district of New York City. As they drive off, Molly feels great relief that Emma had left the gun behind and the thought of taking matters into her own hands had faded with the excitement.
…
Emma and Peter weave through city streets, eager and practically at the edge of their seats with anticipation and hope. As they enter the rich district of town, the couple sees a crowd of cars, including police wagons gathered next to an orchard. There are people standing around the bars of a tall gated-in mansion, police officers included. Emma and Peter leave the car on the side of the road and hurry towards the scene.
However, when they get closer, the happy feeling begins to fade, and a new sensation of dread enters them. There are some reporters there, but they are not gathered around the newly rescued Rose and heroically inclined Jack. The cameras are pointed at the mansion and Peter recognizes several people dressed in maids and butler uniforms being interviewed by police. Once they come to the front gate of the mansion, Emma goes up to the first officer, who is guarding the gate to keep the curious public at bay.
"We're Emma Carson and Peter Whitman," she says. "We were sent for by the police."
"Ah yes," the officer nods. He signals to one of his mates and two more policemen come towards the couple.
The feeling of dread is soon joined by a feeling of anxiety as the officers approaching the two lawyers have solemn looks on their faces.
"Miss Carson and Mr. Whitman?" the new officer asks.
"Yes," Peter nods.
"Did you find Rose and Jack?" Emma asks.
"You mean Miss DeWitt Bukater and Mr. Dawson… I'm afraid not."
"WHAT?!" Emma gasps in horror. "HOW…WHAT WHEN…?!"
"Please calm your wife down Mr. Whitman," the officer orders. "I'm sorry Ma'me but the house has been searched thoroughly and the only people inside were the staff in the kitchen. One of the maids noted that several of Mr. Hockley's things have been taken, the car is gone, the manservant is missing, there's a stain of blood on the library carpet and the cellar is open with what looks like a torture chamber."
Emma's eyes go wide in horror, and she nearly vomits on the pavement, Peter clings to her in an attempt to give her support. Neither can imagine Cal ruthlessly torturing a pregnant woman like Rose for his own gratifications. Both immediately figure out that Jack must also be in Cal's clutches now…
"WHY DID YOU NOT CALL US EARLIER?!" Emma shrieks in anger.
"Because we had to secure the perimeter. It should also be noted that your car was found parked in the back part of the orchard, which Mr. Dawson likely left there and..."
"Has also been kidnapped by Cal," Emma finishes angrily.
The officer looks at her for a moment and frowns. "We're not sure of anything just yet Miss Carson, but this letter was found in the front hall, addressed to the both of you, that is why we called you when we did.
The second officer who has been quiet this whole time hands the paper over to the couple and then both policemen turn away to get back to work.
Peter holds the paper in his hands. It was a single sheet folded with both their names written on the front. Afraid of what might be inside, the young man's shaky hands slowly undo the folds and both begin to read.
There wasn't much of a letter on the paper, just some words scrawled out in messy handwriting, no doubt that it was done at the very last minute, but it was the words at the bottom that made Emma's face go white and Peter's heart to drop to his stomach. At the bottom of the paper were the words…
I ALWAYS win
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