AFTER STARTING ANEW
Chapter Fourteen

February 14, 1915

Jack started up the stairs, two at a time, trying to be mindful of his shiny shoes and the tails of his tuxedo flapping behind him. He had just gone down to the kitchen to check on six month old Frank who was being cared for by Maria Lopez’s fourteen year old daughter Anita. Today was Ruth and Arthur’s wedding and everyone wanted it to go perfectly. Having Frank in the same room as the ceremony was only asking for trouble. Anita’s request to play with him this afternoon had solved that problem. After making sure that Frank was satisfied, Jack had then wandered through the first floor of Arthur’s home admiring the decorations for the wedding.

He had been on his own most of the afternoon. The ladies were busy fussing with their hair and clothes, and Arthur and Pete Thompson were reminiscing over a cigar. They had asked Jack to join them, but he knew enough not to intrude. With Frank in the competent care of the Lopez family, there was nothing else for him to do. So he had gone from room to room enjoying the art work, the scent of the flowers and the smell of the food.

The dining room table was already laden with dishes of deviled egg, asparagus and hearts of palm in a tangy sauce, and puff pastry shells for the chicken a la king. Enough food for about 100 people had been laid out on the table. Only half that many people had been invited, but Maria always wanted to be sure. Jack had eaten here a few times since Ruth and Arthur had become engaged, so he knew from experience how plentiful the food would be.

Jack glanced quickly towards the kitchen door to be sure that no one was watching as he popped a deviled egg into his mouth. Maria Lopez was quicker that he was, however, and saw him. “Senor Jack, you are going to eat up my whole table before the wedding is over.”

Jack feeling properly chastised gave Maria his best smile. “These will all be gone later. I didn’t want to miss your great cooking.” He brushed the crumbs off of his dress clothes and grinned at Maria. His mother had always been after him too for sampling goodies from off of her table.

She flashed a pleased look back at him. Maria knew a flatterer when she saw one and held out the plate, offering him one more. “That is the last, otherwise my perfect arrangement will be ruined.”

Jack sighed and nodded understandingly. He gazed at the rest of the table, admiring the cook’s handiwork. There was a tray full of fancy cut radishes, olives and celery. There were homemade tea rolls on a china platter. A cut glass bowl filled with ice held dozens of shrimp. The sideboard was covered with bottles of wine and champagne and more crystal pitchers and glasses. However modest the flowers and other decorations were, it appeared that Arthur had spared no expense on the food. Maria had truly outdone herself on this occasion.

All over the house were vases of tall carnations mixed with fern leaves. Chairs had been set up for the fifty guests in the huge parlor. The tall white tapers in the candelabras flickered as Maria and Luis moved through the room, checking and rechecking the arrangements. Jack was happy to see that everything was simple and elegant, not at all garish. He knew that both Ruth and Arthur were striving to continue to stay out of the social limelight. Very few, if any, of the higher ranking people of Denver’s social strata would be here today.

Jack stopped on the second landing taking in one last glance at the beautiful room below. The next time he came down these stairs would be in about a half hour with Ruth on his arm. The guests would be arriving momentarily. Upstairs in the back bedroom Arthur was sequestered with Pete Thompson. Rose, Ruth and the girls were in the room that was to be Ruth’s sitting room. That is where he was headed now, to see how they were doing and to wait with the bride.

He stuck his finger between his neck and the collar of his dress shirt, hoping it would get a little looser. He was wearing formal dress for only the second time in his life. The first time, on Titanic, Molly had helped him get himself together. Today, he was on his own. Arthur had handed him the paraphernalia and had then gone to get dressed himself. Jack tugged at the sleeves and felt for the buttons. Since everything fit together and there were no pieces left over, Jack assumed he had done this correctly.

Jack started up the stairs again at his usual breakneck pace, when suddenly a voice from his past came into his head. “Jack Dawson, there are ways to behave when you have weekday clothes on, and ways to behave when you have your church clothes on. And now you have your church clothes on. You get yourself back to the top of the stairs and come down here like a gentleman.”

Jack cast his eyes upward and grinned. His mom had worked so hard, trying to get him to behave. In some ways, she had succeeded. He was gentle with women, respectful of the elderly, sweet with young children and kind to animals. When it came to always acting like the perfect gentleman, he fell somewhat below her expectations. He still had many of the rough edges that she had worked so hard to erase in his dad.

Jack turned his head and looked back down to the bottom of the stairs and then back up to the large foyer at the top. “I am not going to start over down there, but I can at least go the rest of the way, properly.” He put his head back and stuck his chin out, as he slowly started up the stairs. Jack made up his mind then that for the rest of the day at least, Edy Dawson would be more than proud of her son.

“Mother, one more pin, I think,” said Rose, her words muffled as she held a hairpin in her teeth. She stuck the last pin in her mother’s hair and smoothed the strands down. Taking a few steps back, she admired her handy work. Her mother stood before her as nervous as any bride. Ruth’s sapphire blue velvet suit showed off her still trim figure. The jacket was nipped in at the waist and had a rounded neckline, under which there was a touch of lace peeking through. The straight skirt stopped just above the ankles. It was simple and understated, allowing the elegance and grace of her personality to show through.

“What do you think, Rose?” Ruth stood looking in the mirror scrutinizing her appearance. “You did a wonderful job, dear. My hair looks better than it ever. Thank you. Girls what do you think?” Ruth turned her head and looked at her two granddaughters sitting on the couch. Edy and Molly were swinging their feet and playing with the ribbons on their dresses. They raised their heads and smiled.

“Where’s your ribbons?” asked Molly, wondering why anyone wouldn’t have a dress with ribbons.

“Yeah, where are they? echoed Edy, not to be outdone by her sister.

Ruth smoothed her hands down the front of her dress. She laughed softly at Edy’s question. “Maybe the dressmaker forgot them.”

Edy nodded her head seriously and her little forehead creased in a furrow. These girls missed nothing. Satisfied with an answer she and her sister squirmed and watched Ruth and Rose finish the ritual of dressing the bride.

Rose gazed at her mother with pride. Once Ruth would never have had the patience to have small children watching her so intently. Rose remembered her mother’s often brusque behavior with her as a child. Something she had forgiven now, since she understood her completely. This was a woman who just a few years ago had never been able to get ready for even a luncheon with nothing less than two maids. Today, on her wedding day, only Rose was helping her. And she knew that Ruth wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. “Arthur will pass out when he sees you, Mother. I would have to say you look absolutely gorgeous.”

There was a sigh from the couch. Both women turned in the direction of the noise. Rose had a feeling that the twins were getting anxious to go downstairs. They had been cooped up in here for almost an hour. A very long time for two energetic two year olds.

“I’m tired,” said Molly. “Me too,” echoed Edy. Rose and Ruth both raised their eyes to the sky. On every other day of the week, the two girls were roaring with energy. Today, on this special occasion, they would be tired. How typical.

Ruth went and sat down between them. She put her arms around each of them and told them how lovely they looked. “In just a few minutes, you are going to help me get married and you can throw the rose petals you have in your basket. Can you be patient just a tiny bit longer?”

Molly and Edy looked at each other, and then their mother. “Girls in just a couple of minutes Daddy will be here for Gran and you and I will go downstairs and see Molly and Arthur. Soon we can eat the pretty cake. Can you be good just a few minutes longer?” Rose asked, hoping that this would placate them until the ceremony began. They nodded and shrugged their shoulders sensing that their mother would tolerate no nonsense today.

Ruth went back to the dressing table to put the finishing touches on her ensemble. “Now for the necklace, Rose. My hands are shaking so badly that I don’t even know if Arthur will be able to get the ring on my finger.” She picked up a pearl necklace, a gift from her bridegroom and handed it to Rose. “Can you do this for me.” As she gave it to Rose, she noticed how cold her hands were. “Surely you aren’t nervous too? Are you?” asked Ruth.

“Oh Mother, I just want EVERYONE to behave,” she said, inclining her head towards the twins. “I hope we don’t hear Frank screaming in the kitchen. It’s your special day. I just want it to be nice.” Rose inserted the clasp into the tiny opening and clicked it shut. “That’s it, Mother. The guests should be arriving soon. Jack said he would come up when they start coming.”

Rose picked up Ruth’s bouquet that was laying on the marble dresser top and handed it to her mother. “These are beautiful. I think that Arthur had the right idea in just having the carnations downstairs and leaving these special roses for you.” She gently touched the sterling silver roses, that made up her mother’s bouquet. “You know Mother, I just never ever thought about a day like this. I, I want you to know how happy I am for you. You are very lucky. I’m just glad that things worked out between us.”

Ruth’s eyes started to well up with tears and she took the handkerchief she had hiding in her sleeve and raised it to her face. She must be the luckiest woman in the world today. Here in this room were three of her most precious jewels, her daughter and two granddaughters. Today they looked like a set of matched rubies. Rose was wearing a dark maroon velvet dress with tight skirt and a square neckline. Her bright hair was held back with two tortoise shell combs and hung in a curly cascade down her back. Molly and Edy wore dresses in the same material. Theirs had puffed sleeves, full skirts and ribbon sashes. Black velvet slippers were visible under their dresses. Rose had curled their hair in rags and now tight corkscrews shook and bobbed whenever they moved. On top of their heads were wreaths of daisies. Ruth bit her lip trying not to laugh.

Molly’s wreath had slipped down over her forehead and she looked a bit like a fallen angel.

“I knew I would cry today,” she sniffed. “I better get over this now, otherwise Arthur will think I am unhappy. That will never do. This is the third handkerchief I have soaked this morning,” Ruth said, laughing through her tears.

Rose moved closer to her mother. She could smell the scent of the delicate lavender cologne she had used. To the best of her recollection, she had never seen her mother look prettier. She had a soft and gentle look about her that took years off her age. She reached out to her, careful not to crush the bouquet and gave Ruth a hug.

“I know you will be happy, Mother. As happy as Jack and I are.”

Rose felt her mother start to sniffle again and she rubbed Ruth’s back to comfort here. She felt the velvet of her dress and the softness of her mother’s body. Something was different. There were no corset stays. Rose pulled away from Ruth with a smile on her face.

“Mother? You’re not wearing your corset.”

Ruth wiped her eyes again with the hanky and looked at Rose shyly. “You’re right. I have one of those new undergarments on.” She whispered in Rose’s ear, “a brassiere.”

Rose giggled. Good for her mother. She had discarded her own the night Titanic sank and had never been sorry. It was something that she knew Jack would not tolerate. Besides, young girls and women just didn’t wear things like that anymore.

“Today, I am a new woman, Rose. That was the last vestige of the old Ruth Dewitt-Bukater. I feel totally reborn.” Ruth’s eyes were shining with pride as she stood taller and looked more confident than she had in her entire life.

There was a knock and the girls tumbled off the window seat, rushing past Ruth and Rose. From the other side of the door, they heard the voice they had been waiting for. It was Jack.

“May I come in? It’s almost time to begin.”

“Oh, Jack, come in,” called Rose, as she walked to the door and pulled it open. Jack stood before her, dashingly handsome in his tails. For a moment she felt like a gawking schoolgirl as she gazed at him. Never had she seen him look so good. He had outshone every man on Titanic that night of the dinner. Now however, he was more mature, more attractive. He carried himself with even greater assurance and his eyes were filled with confidence. She was left speechless.

“Rose, are you going to stop staring and invite me in? Is there something wrong with the way I look?” he chuckled, passing his hand lightly over his hair.

“Ah, no Jack. No.” Rose stepped aside to let him in. Ruth stood in the background smiling at this scene between them. She too had to admit that Jack looked wonderful. His body was fit and his skin had a healthy tanned look to it, from his walks to and from school and work.

“Whew,” he said looking from Rose to Ruth, then to his daughters. “I don’t know if I can handle being in a room with four such lovely ladies. I don’t know if I look good enough.”

“Jack you look good and you know it,” Rose told him with pride in her voice. As she stood admiring Jack, she felt someone hit her leg and was almost knocked over. Something landed on her foot. Rose looked down and it was one of the twins’ flowered wreaths. She winced as Molly’s foot almost crushed the fragile object. “Is it possible for them to get through this day without a disaster?” she asked herself.

“Daddy, Daddy. It’s time. We can throw our flowers.” Edy and Molly ran straight at Jack’s legs and he bent down to catch them to prevent them from dashing out the door, but not before Edy’s headpiece too went flying to the floor.

He held the girls in a big hug and the three adults exchanged a look of amusement. Rose raised her eyebrows as if to say, “I told you so.” They were so cute that she was afraid that they would steal the spotlight from Ruth. Somehow though, Rose sensed that her mother didn’t care. She loved the girls and spoiled them outrageously.

Jack stood up and took one twin in each hand. Then he looked down at them and spoke to them in a serious tone of voice. He cleared his throat and looked into their eyes. “Now today you are ladies just like your mom and Granny. They are all dressed up and so are you. We have to act as nice as our clothes. Okay?” He smiled as if to himself. “How was that Mom?” he thought

Rose rolled her eyes, wondering where this little pearl of wisdom had come from. Jack could come up with some really outlandish things to say sometimes. He always did get the girls to settle down though. She picked up Edy’s wreath and placed it gently back on her head. “Will you remember what Daddy said?” she asked, praying that maybe they would listen to Jack’s words. Jack looked at her hopefully as he crowned Molly with her headpiece.

They nodded their heads solemnly. Ruth handed each girl a small basket filled with rose petals. The handles were wrapped with sprigs of baby’s breath and pink ribbons. “Don’t throw anything yet,” she cautioned. “Your mother will tell you when.” The girls seemed satisfied hold the baskets close to their noses, sniffing the petals.

“Here is yours, Rose.” Ruth put a nosegay of pink carnations in Rose’s hands. There was also baby’s breath, leather leaf ferns and several white tea roses in her arrangement.

“Mother, it’s lovely.” Her eyes moved to where the twins were still playing with their baskets. It was time to get them going while things were still in one piece. “I guess we better start downstairs. Come on girls.” She turned to the door and glanced back at her mother. “I, well…..’’ The words Rose wanted wouldn’t come. Instead she went back and hugged Ruth once more. This time tightly. “Mother, good luck. I mean that. I want this to be special to you. I..I love you Mother.”

Rose backed away slowly and saw her mother’s smile through her tear blurred eyes. “Come on girls,” she said again. This time she took each one firmly in hand and headed through the open doorway. “We have to go get ready to help Granny get married.” She paused to give Jack a kiss. Rose saw the oceans of his eyes boring into her as she backed away, felt the palm of his hand on her back. She swallowed hard, anticipating what that look of his meant. Instead of calming her down, she was shaking with anticipation, not only for the wedding, but for the night to come. With one more smiling glance at her mother, she took a deep breath and she and the girls were gone.

Jack closed the door and stood looking admiringly at Ruth. She really was a beautiful woman. Since the first time he had seen her, he thought she had been stunning, as lovely as Rose. Just an older version. He knew too what she had thought of him on Titanic, but that was all in the past. Certainly something he would never bring up again. Jack was a person who let bygones be bygones. It was not until she and Rose had finally put their differences aside that her beauty had begun to shine. Since her engagement to Arthur she had really begun to look radiant. In the back of his mind, he could see what Rose would look like in another twenty or so years.

Ruth sighed as she watched Jack. She wondered what he was thinking of her. Hopefully, he would never confront her with her awful behavior of April 1912. There were still nights when she tossed and turned, never forgiving herself for letting Jack fall into Cal’s desperate hands that night of the sinking. If only she had known. If only she’d had the courage to speak up. She had been too wrapped up in her little materialistic world to know any better.

“Do I pass the inspection?” She raised her hand and tucked a strand of hair in that had come loose during Rose’s hug.

Jack winked at her. “More than pass Ruth. You have even surpassed your daughter today. And you know I think she is the most beautiful woman in the world."

“Jack,” she murmured, blushing deeply. “You look very handsome yourself.” She stepped closer to him and straightened his tie that had been moved askew when he hugged his daughters. “I am proud that you will be walking me downstairs.”

“Nervous?” he wanted to know. He could feel her cold, shaking hands. And he could see that she just didn’t know where to put herself.

“Jack.” She took a breath before continuing, “I am so nervous, I don’t know how I will get through this.” She could feel his steady gaze upon and she started to settle down a bit. Did Jack have this calming affect on everyone?

“We’ll get through this Ruth. We’ll get you through this,” he assured her.

Chapter Fifteen
Stories