A LIFE’S TRAGEDY
Chapter Two
Rose stood shaking from the cold
with a crewman whom I didn’t know. I walked up to her, rubbing her arms with
the palms of my hands.
"Are you all right?" I
asked.
She nodded wearily.
The crewman explained what had
happened. Rose had been screaming, and when the men had arrived, the third
class passenger was hovering over her, her dress ripped.
Well, they didn’t need to tell me
any more. I stormed over to the man in handcuffs.
"What made you think you
could put your hands on my fiancée?" I demanded.
He looked past me to Rose, who
was saying my name. "Cal!"
"Look at me, you
filth!" I said angrily. "What did you think you were doing?"
"Cal, stop!" Rose said
from behind me. "It was an accident."
I turned to her. "An
accident?" I laughed, knowing that his intentions could not have been
accidental.
I walked back to her. She looked
at the man, then back at me.
"Stupid, really. I was
leaning over, and I slipped," she said.
I rolled my eyes, but continued
to listen.
"I was leaning far over to
see the…uh…um…um…the…uh…" She waved her hand in a circle, trying to find
the words.
"Propellers?" I asked,
not really looking at her.
"Yes! Propellers. And I
slipped, and Mr. Dawson here saved me," she said, looking at the man
again. Mr. Dawson. She had said his name.
"You wanted to see
the--" I nodded my head towards Mr. Dawson. "She wanted to see the
propellers," I said with a nervous laugh.
The Master-at-Arms turned Mr.
Dawson to face himself. "Was that the way of it?"
He looked from me to Rose.
"Yeah. That was pretty much it."
"Well, the boy’s a hero,
then. Good for you, son. Well done!" The colonel laughed. "Well, it’s
alls well and back to our brandy, eh?" he asked, looking at me.
I nodded.
Mr. Dawson was released from his
handcuffs. I hugged Rose, trying to warm her up against the cold. "Come
on. Let’s get you inside."
We started to walk away, leaving
Mr. Dawson there at the stern.
"Perhaps a little something
for the boy." The colonel motioned back to Mr. Dawson.
"Right. Of course," I
said with a smile. I turned to my man. "Mr. Lovejoy, I think a twenty
should do it."
Mr. Lovejoy nodded. I turned to
leave, my arm around Rose. She stopped in her tracks.
She scoffed. "Is that the
going rate for saving the woman you love?"
I looked into her eyes.
"Rose is displeased. What to do?" I looked back at Mr. Dawson.
"I know."
I walked over to him, standing
right before him, knowing I was better and trying to make him feel inadequate
next to me.
"Perhaps you could join us
for dinner tomorrow, to regale our group with your heroic tale," I
offered.
He looked past me again, looking
at Rose. Then he turned his attention back to me.
"Sure. Count me in," he
replied.
I almost laughed, but I
remembered my manners. "Good. It’s settled, then."
I wrapped my arm around Rose
again, and we walked towards the staterooms.
"This should be
interesting," I whispered to the colonel.
"Mmm-hmm." He laughed
in reply.
As we walked together, I noticed
another member of steerage, a woman holding the hand of a child. She stared
into my eyes. I felt a bit uncomfortable at her staring, but I only stared
back--not out of anger, really. I thought she was very beautiful.
Long, flowing blonde hair, which,
though dim with dirt, was still beautiful, fair skin, and amazing blue eyes. I
fell into those eyes. They captured me.
Her clothes were ragged and
dirty, but in my mind, I saw her wearing fine clothes. How beautiful she would
be, though being more beautiful than she was there on the deck was most likely
impossible.
"Mr. Hockley!" Lovejoy
called from behind me, bringing me back to the real world. I turned my
attention from the girl and back to my valet.
"Yes?" I asked.
"Do you know what you’re getting
yourself into by bringing that ruffian to your dinner gathering?" he
asked.
I nodded. "Of course. It’ll
be amusing. Don’t worry so much." I laughed.
Rose looked up at me, disgust in
her features. I only smiled back at her.
"He’s a wonderful man, Cal. He
saved me," she was saying.
"I know." I laughed.
I felt the third class woman
following me with her gaze, though I didn’t once turn back to her.