Chapter 20 It had been quite early this morning when Ruth was first made aware of her daughter's disappearance. It was Rose's maid Trudy who had been the first to know. She had been given orders to awake Rose early that morning; that Mr. Hockley would be joining them for an early breakfast. But after knocking on her door several times and getting no response, Trudy had taken it upon herself to open the door and peer inside. There was no Rose. The sheets hadn't even been slept in, for they were just as she had made them the previous morning. But the rest of the room was in somewhat of disarray. There were drawers thrown open and things spilled out over tables and things gently hanging over opened drawers. It seemed almost as if someone had left in a hurry, not caring what work would be left for the maids afterwards. But it had been the carelessly opened journal on Rose's vanity that had made Trudy say a silent prayer. Although she had always been against getting into the personal belongings of her employers, she held an almost sisterly like concern for Miss Rose and felt that by reading it just this once, answers might turn up and it just might explain things. It wasn't long after that when all of the servants had watched Trudy running frantically down the halls in search of Mrs. Bukater, that the house had turned upside-down. But now, as Rose's younger sister Clara watched the scene play before her from her doorway, both concern and anger were rising in her mother like a hot air balloon. Clara stepped back slightly as Trudy came past the doorway, briefly glancing at Clara. But Trudy stopped short as she looked back down at the little girl who still had her nightclothes on and her hair in a tangled mess. "Why Miss Clara! Haven't you had someone come to dress you yet?" Clara simply shook her head solemnly. Trudy noticed this and put her hand on Clara's back as she lead her back into her room, shutting the door. "Well, we'll just have do something about that won't we?" "Miss Trudy? Where's Rosie?" Clara asked as she looked up at the maid for some comfort. All morning, Clara had heard nothing but talk from passing servants that Rose had run away and might not ever be coming back. Tears started to well up at the corners of her eyes as she felt for the little golden locket around her neck. In it held a picture of her father on one side and her and her sister on the other. "Is…is she gone Trudy? Is it true?" "Oh, Clara. You poor little darlin'. Where did you hear this nonsense from?" Trudy said, stopping what she was doing to bend down eye level with the girl. "Don't you worry. They'll find Miss Rose. No more tears." Trudy gently brushed Clara's cheek dry and tucked a loose ringlet behind the little girl's ear. Clara simply nodded as she let Trudy pull the nightgown over her head and replace it with a clean, starched dress. Inside, her mind was working a million miles per minute. "Trudy?" "Yes Miss Clara?" "Where do you suppose Rose is?" "I'm not quite sure to be honest with you. I know they'll find her though. She's bound to show up somewhere." "Yes, I suppose." Clara's forehead creased in thought as the room fell silent. She rubbed her tiny little finger across the wooden drawer of her vanity as Trudy began to gently brush her hair. Clara bit her lip slightly as she felt a tear form at the corner of her eye. "Trudy?" "Yes dear?" She answered just as she had finished tying the young girl's hair back with a matching ribbon. Clara looked at the maid through the reflection in her mirror. Her eyes were almost pleading and to Trudy, no words were needed to understand what Clara was trying to convey to her. Gently and with love, Trudy placed her hands on the girl's shoulders and gave her a comforting kiss on the cheek. "It's alright Clara. I understand. We'll find her…don't you worry. Now go run along now." Trudy scooted Clara out the door, stopping to watch her descend the stairs. Saying a silent prayer, Trudy muttered under her breath silently. "If only I believed those words myself." "Jack, do you know what just occurred to me?" Rose asked, her head in Jack's lap. After breakfast they had somehow made their way outside to the back porch and had found enjoyment in sitting on the little porch swing Jack's uncle had put up last summer. Jack had been silently sketching while Rose had found solitude in enjoying the quiet and beautiful morning scenery. No words had been needed, the presence of the other one had been enough to keep them both completely content. Rose could hear Jack pick up another charcoal crayon as he responded. "What's that Rose?" "Well, I was just thinking…I mean, we seem to know so much about the other one but yet at the same time, we still know very little. Do you know what I mean? There's just so many questions- little questions- that I want to ask you." Jack smiled. "Well, what exactly do you want to know? To you Rose, I'm an open book. Just tell me the page and I'll read you everything on It." Rose grinned as she gently rubbed her hand against Jack's arm, desperate to just be able to reach out and touch him, make sure he was really there. "Oh, I don't know. Like…when's your birthday…who was your best friend as a little boy…or like what your favorite thing to do was as a kid. Just little things that surprisingly enough, I don't know." Jack chuckled slightly as he set his sketchbook aside so he could focus all his attention on Rose. "Why are you so curious all of a sudden?" Jack smiled playfully as he watched Rose shrug her shoulders, a broad smile spread across her face. Jack smiled and went along with it. "Well…first of all, my birthday happens to be the 23rd of March when I'll be turning twenty years old- quite the old man, I assure you. " Jack smiled as he received a giggle from Rose. "My best friend would definitely have to be good old Sammy Robertson. We got into everything together. Boy, put us together and you had a mother's worst nightmare. All the neighbors knew that if one of us was apart from the other, there was serious trouble." Jack smiled at the remembrance of his good friend Sam. Last time he had heard from him, his father had struck it big in a gold mine out in California and had brought the whole family soon afterwards to rejoice in his wealth. "Yep, good old Sammy…" Jack's smile turned thoughtful. "But I guess my favorite thing to do as a kid would be to get into some sort of trouble with Sammy, well…as much trouble as you can get into in a little farm town like Chippewa Falls. We'd always walk to school together, throwing stones into Lake Wissota if we were a little bit early that day. During school, we'd always find a way to make the girls squeal- whether it be some wild bug or a slimy frog tucked in our pocket. Then after that, it'd be off to my house to eat some of my mother's famous chocolate chip cookies with the guys and then off to the make-shift baseball diamond for a couple of innings of baseball. We'd be out there all day…until there was just barely light out and we all knew that it was time for dinner. Yeah, those sure were the good times. I wonder what ever happened to everyone- Sammy, Ben, John, Andrew, the twins Thomas and Tyler, Scott and his little brother Jason. We were quite a gang Rose. I think you would have found much amusement in seeing us all together- just a bunch of little kids just hanging out and having fun." Rose smiled and touched Jack's cheek. "We really ought to go back there sometime- go see all your old friends. What do you think?" "I think that's a great idea. Maybe after we get married we can take some time to go around and really see the world. Go to Chippewa Falls, New Orleans…. even Santa Monica. We'll see and do it all Rose- just you and me…forever." Rose smiled and sighed contently. "It sounds absolutely wonderful Jack. I just can't wait until we get married, can't you? I still can't believe my mother wanted me to marry-" Rose stopped short and suddenly sat up, startling Jack. "Oh my gosh Jack! My Mother! She has absolutely no clue where I am. My room's a complete mess, all my stuff is gone and my journal…oh God Jack…" Rose brought her hand up to her cheek. "Jack, they must think…oh god, they must think I've run off or…or worse yet…" Jack put a reassuring arm around Rose. "Well, what do you want to do Rose? It's up to you." Rose felt and looked distressed. As much as she wanted to just forget about her mother and the Hockleys and the life that she had always known, Rose felt that it would never be possible for her to just get up and walk away from it all. "I don't know Jack. I mean, I feel that I at least owe them an apology or at least the knowledge of where I am. I can't just disappear like that." Jack looked into Rose's eyes and smiled lovingly. His voice was warm and gentle as he spoke. "There's a telephone in the parlor…or, if you like, I can arrange for someone to drive you back home if that's what you'd like." Smiling, Rose touched Jack's cheek gently. Leaning in slowly, she planted her lips gently on his, automatically transferring Jack's comfort and strength to her. "Thank you Jack," she whispered. "I think I'll go back home and straighten things out a bit… put an end to this once and for all." Rose looked down at her clasped hands. "I'd…I'd like very much if you'd come with me though. I think it best if my mother were properly introduced to her future son-in-law." She smiled and quietly got up, followed by Jack. Together, they made their way inside to change and freshen up…and to prepare them for seeing the infamous Mrs. Dewitt-Bukator. If all went well, there would be no arguing or shouting or tears. Rose could only hope so. Chapter 21 | Story Index | Post Your Review | Email Author | Home |
