A TWIST OF FATE
Chapter Sixty-One
Rose rang the bell and waited for the maid to
appear. It was 10:45 AM and Thomas should be back now with the car. She was
dressed, calm, and seated at her table.
There was a knock at the door, and Hannah
entered when Rose called to her. She seemed very surprised to see Rose dressed
and sitting up.
"Has Thomas returned yet?"
"I don’t think so, Miss Rose. Would you
like me to check?"
"Yes, please. I wish to go out in the
car."
Hannah bobbed and hurried away. Rose did not
care much for the under maid. She was young and probably gossiped amongst the
other servants. Time was passing by.
Hannah returned.
"I’m sorry, Miss Rose. Thomas has still
not returned."
"Then please inform me the moment he
does."
Rose was starting to feel nervous. Hannah
would have told everyone that she was dressed and wanting to go out. Of course,
there was no reason why she could not just walk out the door. This was the next
step, if Thomas did not come soon.
It was now almost eleven o’clock.
Rose was on the verge of getting up and
walking, when she heard noises outside. There was a knock and Hannah entered.
"Miss Rose, Mr. Williams wishes to see
you." She stood aside so that the butler could enter.
"What is the meaning of this?"
demanded Rose.
"I understand you wish to go out, Miss
Rose, now that Thomas has returned. Under the instructions of my master, I have
contacted Mr. Hockley at the office, and he requests that you wait here for his
return." The butler stared at her, stiff and slightly uncomfortable
looking. Rose drew her breath and thought quickly.
"Mr. Williams, did your master’s orders
include spying on me? Have you forgotten your position? You cannot tell me what
I can and cannot do. I wish to go to church and say some prayers for my family.
Would you deny a woman and your mistress her religion?" She held her head
high.
"Miss Rose, I…I…this is difficult for
me. I have my master’s orders."
"Well, I will tell you. You will not
stop me from going to church. Thomas will take me and wait for me, and I will
deal with Mr. Hockley on my return." She made a step forward. "Is
this unclear?" she demanded again, remembering one of Cal’s favorite
phrases.
Without waiting for an answer, she picked up
her purse and walked past the butler and maid and down the stairs for the last
time. Cal was on his way. She had to be quick.
She waited by the door for the butler to
follow her. He opened it. Thomas was waiting outside.
"I will return shortly," she
announced, and stepped into the car.
"St. Agnes Church, please, Thomas,"
she requested and sat back in the seat. It was almost 11:10.
It was a short drive. Rose’s heart was
banging wildly in her chest, her head cloudy with thoughts and fears. She
gripped her purse and tried to stay calm. The ordeal was almost over.
The car pulled over and Thomas opened the
door.
"I will return shortly," she
repeated to Thomas. The path to the church lay before her. She walked slowly
and entered the church.
There was no one to be seen. The cavernous
building was filled with light, and her footsteps echoed on the stone floor.
She approached the altar, stopping near the front at the Hockley family pew.
There, she sat, head bowed, and said a short prayer.
"Lord, please watch over Jack, Trudy,
and myself. Help this to turn out right."
She was distracted by a noise to her right.
Looking up, she saw a man in a robe tidying some books. She did not know who he
was, and did not want to attract any attention. He carried on, oblivious to
her.
She crept out of the pew, and, watching the
man, she slipped over to the door that led to the vestry, trying hard to
silence her steps. Once there, she ran to the outside door and opened it. She
was about to break free.