“I forbid you to spend any more time with this man.”
Jacob stood up and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, which, with my father in the room, wasn’t the wisest thing to do. “Don’t worry, Rose. I’m going to leave now, but please don’t worry,” he whispered into my ear. “I’ll go now.” He turned to me. “Remember, I love you, Rose.” He then walked out of the house and I ran upstairs to my room, crying.
Although I knew what my father was like, I’d hoped he would accept Jacob and all would be well. I was stupid to hope.
With my tears dried, I made sure my door was locked and then retrieved another travel bag before I packed my few remaining belongings. I came across the Our Gang comic, April 1st edition that I’d bought for JT. Father had refused to let him have it so I had bought it for him to bribe him to keep quiet.
Taking out the photograph of myself and Jacob, I wrote on the back a small message to JT. I told him I loved him and wished I could take him to Boston with me. I also wrote the address of Jacob’s sister, in case he ever needed anything, and I begged him not to tell Mother and Father.
I placed the photograph in the middle of the comic, and then put it to one side, ready to leave on his bed.
Dressed in slacks and a warm sweater for traveling, I climbed onto my bed to rest before it was time for me to leave. I had started to become nervous about the whole thing. I had no doubt whatsoever that I loved Jacob and wanted this baby, his baby, our baby, but it was going to be stressful, doing what I was about to do.
I wondered what to do about my diary. Part of me wanted to take it with me, but another part wanted to leave this part of my life behind. I would have to leave it somewhere safe, where hopefully one day, someone would find it. Part of me hoped it was JT, but the other part hoped it was someone else. I just wanted someone to know just how much I was in love. Maybe they would be inclined to return the diary to me, if I was alive when it was found.
It was ten thirty. I climbed from my bed and collected my purse, bag, and JT’s comic, and then slipped quietly out of my room. I went into my brother’s room and watched him sleep for a minute before I had to leave. I placed the comic on his bed beside him, as my tears started to flow.
As I walked down the stairs to the kitchen, I’d decided to leave my diary on top of the kitchen cupboards. They never were cleaned so it could be a long time before it was discovered.
And this is where I write my final passage. Standing at the counter, gazing out at the dark garden beyond the window. Know that I loved you, sweet diary . . . you were the only confidant I have had during all this time. I will miss you dearly but not as dearly as I will miss my JT.
Goodbye, diary.
This is the end of a Rose!
Chapter 23
Dean had no idea what to say, which was a first. Hearing about the love ‘Rose’ had for his grandfather, and the love his grandfather had and lost for another woman, totally blew his mind.
Mack started to shake. He realized she was sobbing her heart out, her face buried into his side. He pulled her further into his arms and started to gently stroke her back. “It’s okay, Mack, just let go.” And let go she did, while he just held her tight as sobs wracked her body.
She pulled slightly away from Dean to search for a tissue, managing to control the waterworks while he also felt like bursting into tears. “God, their story is so sad.” Mack started to cry again. “She loved him so much, and he obviously loved her. It breaks my heart, knowing that she died that night and Jacob never knew. He always thought she’d left him.”
Dean pulled her close again. “Mack, why did Jacob only make one phone call to find out about her? Why did he wait a month after he left? Why not come to see if she’d been held up that night? Why wait a month to try to contact her? It doesn’t make sense.”
Still cuddled into his chest, she looked up at him and gave him a watery smile. “Then let’s try and get Thomas to talk.”
He leaned in and kissed her forehead. “What does the J in JT stand for?”
“James.”
“Now I really am sure, but it doesn’t make sense, why, if he’s with another woman, would my grandfather name his firstborn after his first lover’s brother.”
Mack had a quizzical look on her face.
“My father is James Thomas Evans, and remember, James is my middle name.”
She sat up suddenly. “Oh my God, and then you said your Aunt Rosalind . . .”
“When do you want to see my grandfather?”
She looked out to sea and found it hard to get her head around everything. Jacob obviously had loved Rose to name his firstborn after Rose’s brother, and then his daughter after Rose herself.
If he loved his wife as much as Dean said, then he couldn’t have told her about Rose and the names of his children, unless his love for Eliza only grew after the children were born, and he was still missing his Rose all the time. None of this made any sense. She was going to have to ask Jacob, and just hope he could clear everything up.
“I don’t know. I can’t really take Lucas, and I don’t feel comfortable leaving him all day with Thomas. He can be a real handful.”
“Who? Thomas or Lucas?”