RUNAWAY ROSE
Chapter Fifteen
Alice was right. Few people noticed the
change in Rose’s appearance, except those who already knew her. Gabe looked disappointed
when he saw her. "You used to look like a glamorous lady," he said,
scowling. "Now you look ordinary." Alice just laughed and told her
brother to find someone his own age to admire.
Robert had looked her over slowly, having
already realized what she was doing, and told her that her new look added to
her mystery, and assured her that he would discover what would make the
mysterious rosebud bloom. Rose gave him a look that would have sent most men
slinking off, but he just grinned at her and tipped his hat.
Frances had done a double take when she first
saw Rose’s now dark hair, but quickly ignored it. She had been in the business
for so long that she considered it just another eccentricity. Theater people
were known for being odd.
Norman had raised an eyebrow when he saw her,
but he had more important things to worry about than Rose’s sudden change in
appearance. No one else really noticed.
It took a while, but after a few weeks, as
Rose grew accustomed to her new life, she began to relax and socialize more
with the people around her. She still felt a lingering fear that Cal would find
her, but as the summer progressed it seemed less and less likely. Except for
the newspaper article, there had been no sign that he was looking for her, and
the longer she went without being found, the less likely it was that anyone
would be able to find her. Her new name and new appearance hid her effectively,
and amongst the throngs of people in New York, Rose was barely noticeable.
Rose began to spend more time with Alice and
Robert. Alice, despite her world-wise facade, was a loyal friend, defending
Rose when she found herself in over her head and teaching her how to survive in
a world without servants, bodyguards, or large amounts of money. More than
once, Rose found herself grateful for Alice’s patient tutelage when she found
herself having to learn new skills or watch out for herself on the streets. Her
new life was more difficult than the one she had left behind, but once she
learned to take care of herself, she thrived.
Robert was intrigued by Rose, still
determined to ferret out her mystery. Rose regarded him suspiciously at first,
but soon found that she liked him. His endlessly cheerful, energetic mien was a
good antidote to her dark moods when she would start dwelling upon the past and
wonder why she even bothered with trying to go on. Robert invariably teased her
out of these dark moods, telling her amusing anecdotes about the theater or
repeating the latest dirty joke he had heard. He persisted in trying to talk
her into going onstage, and Rose didn’t have the heart to explain to him that
she had to stay out of the spotlight.
Rose sometimes walked home from work with one
or both of them, although Alice often stayed with Norman, and Robert seemed to
find a new chorus girl to charm every week. She soon learned to take care of
herself on the streets at night, and, after Rose was nearly accosted by a drunk
one night, Alice gave her a few lessons in self-defense. Rose was grateful; had
the drunk not fallen off the curb and hit his head, he undoubtedly would have
dragged her into a nearby alley. Cal had been bad enough; a stranger would have
been worse.
Despite the rigors and occasional dangers of
the life she had chosen, Rose was usually content. She felt more alive than she
ever had before, except for those brief days she had spent with Jack. She had a
lot to learn about taking care of herself, but she soon found herself at home
in her new environment.