RUNAWAY ROSE
Chapter Two
Rose banged frantically on the door, shouting
for someone to let her in. One of the maids, a young Irish woman who had also survived
the Titanic, let her in. Rose raced past her, heading for the stairs.
Rose ran up the stairs, leaving one of her
high-heeled shoes on the landing. Running into her room, she grabbed a bag
containing a few items that she had been planning to take on her honeymoon with
Cal.
Dumping out the contents of the bag, she
grabbed a few necessities—a change of clothes, a hairbrush, the money left from
purchasing her trousseau, a box of candy that Cal had left for her that
morning. Rose didn't like bringing anything that Cal had given her, but she
only had about one hundred dollars, and she realized that she might need the
food.
Stripping off her wedding dress, Rose grabbed
the plainest day dress she owned and struggled into it. Yanking the rest of the
pins from her hair, she stuffed them into her bag. Slipping her feet into her
one pair of flat shoes, Rose hurried to the door.
Rose threw open her door and came face-to-face
with Kathleen Brennan, the Irish maid. Startled, Rose tried to run around her,
but Kathleen stopped her, thrusting something into her hand. Rose almost
dropped it before she realized what it was—neatly wrapped leftovers from the
previous evening's meal, along with a sandwich. Kathleen had guessed her
intent, and was helping her along.
Voices sounded from the front door. Cal had
sent his new valet to find her, and Ruth had accompanied him. Racing down the
hall, Rose ran down the back staircase, slipping out the servant's entrance.
She ran through the garden, ducking behind
the ancient trees. Reaching the back gate, she threw it open and ran into the
alley.