AN UNFORGETTABLE JOURNEY
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Rose clutched her stomach as she raced to the
bathroom for the third time that day. She had started to get sick about a week
ago. What am I going to do? she thought as she vomited. All the signs
were there. She was two weeks late by her clock, and she had been getting sick
for the last week. Oh, gosh, what am I going to do? I don’t even know who
the father is. She prayed to God that Jack was the father.
She left the bathroom, then flung herself
down on the bed. "Why?" she cried out. She was sobbing when Carol
came into the room. They had become real friends since Rose had been held
captive.
"Rose! What’s wrong?" she cried.
Rose looked up at Carol through her tears.
She had been able to hide her sickness for the past week. But now she felt that
she needed to tell someone.
"Carol, I think I’m–I’m pregnant."
Carol’s eyes widened in shock. She had not expected this. She knew that Cal had
been with Rose. Against her will, she was guessing. She felt sorry for Rose.
Her sobs were growing louder. "I–I don’t–even know–who the fath–father
is," she said between her sobs.
This shocked Carol. She had assumed it was
Cal. "Oh, my. I’m sorry, Rose. Are you planning on telling Mr.
Hockley?"
Rose looked at her, a panicked expression on
her face. "Please don’t tell Cal. He can’t know."
At that moment, Cal walked in. From the
expression on his face, it was obvious that he had overheard their
conversation. "Please excuse us, Carol." Carol nodded curtly before
leaving the room.
"So, you’re pregnant?" he asked as
he shut the door. He stepped into the room.
She stared at him from the bed. Her face was
wet with tears. "I think so."
Cal balled his hands into fists. Her
confession of the father being unknown had not escaped his attention. And
that can only mean one thing. That gutter rat had his way with her. He
couldn’t believe that she had chosen to be with Jack instead of himself.
"And I’m not the only one who could be the father?" He wanted to hear
her to say it.
She avoided his dark, cold eyes. "You’re
smart, Cal. I’m sure that you can figure it out."
He could feel the anger building inside of
him. "You slut! You were with that gutter rat, weren’t you?" he
yelled as he pulled her up from the bed.
She cried out in pain as he grabbed her arm
tightly. Her arms were already bruised; his abuse had only gotten worse in the
last three weeks. "Cal, you’re hurting me!" she pleaded with him.
He released his grip on her. "Well, this
child will be mine. It will be raised as mine. Do you understand me,
Rose? I don’t ever want to hear you utter his name."
She smirked at him. "And what will your
explanation be if the baby turns out to have blond hair and blue eyes?"
She could see the anger in his eyes.
He raised his hand and struck her. "We
won’t discuss this any more, Rose. The baby will be mine."
He left the room, making sure that the door
was locked behind him. She sat down on the bed, deep in thought. I can’t let
Cal raise this baby. It doesn’t matter if it’s his or not. I have to get out of
here. She knew that for the sake of her unborn child she needed to be free
again. Jack, wherever you are, please help me.
Carol came in later that night with dinner.
After closing the door, she spoke to Rose, keeping her voice low. "Mr.
Hockley is leaving on a business trip tomorrow. I will try to free you while he
is away. But we will have to be careful. I'm sure that Mr. Buff will be
watching us closely."
Rose’s heart filled with hope. "Thank
you, Carol. Now that I know I'm going to have a baby, I have to get out of
here. I can’t let Cal raise this child."
Carol nodded in understanding. "I will
do what I can." They continued to talk in low voices, making plans on how
Rose would escape. "I’m just worried about you, Carol. Cal will know that
you let me go."
Carol sat down on the bed next to Rose.
"I’ve already decided what I'm going to do. I can’t continue to work for a
man like Mr. Hockley. I plan on disappearing when you do."
Rose hugged Carol gratefully. "Thank you
for all that you’ve done. I wish you all the luck."
Carol hugged her back. "I wish you all
the luck, too. Do you have any idea where you might go?"
Rose shook her head. "Well, I know that
I can’t stay in New York, but I do have some business to take care of before
leaving. I don’t know. I’ll have to think about it." Rose looked down at
her dinner. She wasn’t hungry at all. Just the thought of food made her queasy.
"What about you? Do you know where you are going?" Rose asked.
Carol nodded. "Yes. I’m going to go back
home, to Cedar Rapids, in Iowa. My mother and younger brother will be glad to
have me back."
Rose smiled, her first genuine smile since
she had been kidnapped. "Can I get your last name? That way if I'm ever in
Iowa I can go and visit you," Rose said.
"You had better visit me if you’re ever
in Iowa. I’m going to hold you to that, Rose. It’s Calvert. Carol
Calvert." They talked a few minutes more before Carol left the room.
Rose easily fell asleep that night. She knew
that soon she would have her freedom again. She had long wonderful dreams of
Jack. In his arms, he held a blond-haired, blue-eyed little girl.