RUNAWAY ROSE
Chapter Five
Rose got off the train in one of the most
rundown areas of New York, realizing that Cal would be hard-pressed to find her
there.
As she stepped down from the train, Rose
realized how tired she was. It had been a long, emotionally trying day. Her
frantic flight through the streets of Philadelphia had left her exhausted. She
wanted a hot meal and a place to sleep, preferably for as little as possible.
Rose sat down on a bench to take stock of her
situation. She had ninety-seven dollars left—and the Heart of the Ocean, she
realized, as the gem dug into her flesh under her corset. Briefly, she
considered selling it. It would provide enough money for her to live on for the
rest of her life.
Rose shook her head. No, she couldn't sell
it. Not only it would point Cal in her direction, but it was all that she had
left to remember Jack by.
Tears threatened as she remembered the night
that Jack had drawn her. That drawing was at the bottom of the sea, along with
Jack. Rose blinked back tears, hoping that Jack had the drawing in heaven to
remember her by.
At last, she rose from the bench and headed
down the street. Locating a small restaurant, she paid thirty-five cents for a
small dinner, then headed back into the streets.
Rose was growing more tired by the minute,
and was considering finding a bench somewhere to lie down on, when she came
upon a small, rundown hotel.