Titanic: A New Life pt. 10
Trigger Warning: Domestic Abuse
There it was a ticket for the Titanic was in her hand. She was holding her way out. Then, as fast as the hope came, reality set in.
“Lara, I can’t possibly take this.” Claire insisted.
“Of course, you can Claire.” Lara replied.
“But this is too much. You obviously bought this for yourselves. Use it.” Claire was trying to hand the ticket back.
“Claire, it’s not going to be used by us. We were going to use it to move to New York so Jacque could set up his own practice. However, my grandmother has fallen on her death bed and I can’t leave her now. You know how close she and I are. So, Jacque has graciously agreed to postpone moving and setting up his practice. At least for the time being.” Lara explained.
“I thought Jaque had to take over the family business. How can he do that in New York?” Claire inquired. Hoping she could change the subject matter.
“Well, eventually he will. His parents are reluctant to have him leave England. He had to make a deal with them.” She explained as she rolled her eyes and shook her head. “He can go to New York,” she stated, “But he must do so with his own money. Then, when the day comes, he must return to England to take care of the family business. That is why the “second-class” ticket.” Lara explained.
“So, you were just going to up and move? Without telling me?” Claire knew this trick would work. She hated manipulating her friend, but the subject matter had to change.
“Claire. No, I wasn’t going to leave without telling you. How could you even think that?” Lara questioned. “These plans have been in motion for a while. I wasn’t going to tell you until things were finalized. When my grandmother fell deathly ill, we had to change plans. So, I didn’t tell you. Don’t think I have forgotten the whole point. The ticket is yours. Please say you’ll use it.” Lara pointed out.
Claire couldn’t contain all the emotions nor the questions she had no answer to anymore. “But how can I possibly do this?” She said as she quickly rose to her feet. “I have nothing packed, no money and nowhere to go when I get there.” She hadn’t noticed that she was shouting and pacing across the floor.
“Well, Claire, if you would sit back down and breathe, I would be happy to go over all of that.” Lara gestured to the seat beside her. Claire was too nervous to sit but she did stop pacing. “Now, Bradley is at work, yes?” Claire nodded. “Good. We can go over there pack a trunk and you can stay here for the night. Then, we wake up early and take you to the docks tomorrow morning.”
“But what happens when Bradley gets home and sees that I’m not there. This is the first place he’ll go to look for me.” Claire said through the tears and short painful breaths.
“Well, he simply won’t be able to find you darling.” Lara said with a slight grin. “Follow me.” Lara said, reaching out her hand and grabbing the hurricane lamp off the table with the other.
Claire grabbed her friend's hand and followed her up the stairs to where the guest bedrooms were. They passed all the black and white to sepia photographs leading to the paintings of the St. Du Bois line. Each hanging in a golden frame that set against the emerald walls. As they climbed the stairs Claire’s eyes dried and her breath grew calmer.
“Ah, this is it.” Lara said, stopping abruptly in front of a bookshelf. “Now where is it?” she asked waving her fingers across the many book titles while holding the light with her other hand. “Ah, here it is!” She proclaimed as she stopped her finger over Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein.” “Let’s see pull twice and.” As Lara pulled the book a second time a loud clicking sound sprang from behind the shelf making it ajar from the wall.
Claire couldn’t believe her eyes. She had heard of older homes having secret rooms and stairways but had never seen them in person before.
“Oh my god! A secret room?” Claire asked flabbergasted.
“Yes!” Lara replied. “These stairs lead up to the attic where there is a secret space. So secret, in fact, that you cannot tell that it’s there even from standing in the attic itself. I have always wanted to use it and now seems like the right time and purpose.” Lara pulled the shelf away from the wall to reveal the staircase behind it. “Shall we?” Lara asked.
Claire was in too much shock and wonder to even think about hesitating. They climbed the narrow stairwell up to the secret room. Lara took out the two different keys and unlocked both a lock above and below the doorknob.
Claire couldn’t believe her eyes. This room was spacious, well-lit with golden sconces and decorated to the nines. There was a bed big enough for the king himself, a sitting area and three bookshelves that were built into the walls. Just like the walls below, this room too, had the emerald green and gold aesthetic.
“Lara this is. I can’t. Wow.” Claire knew more words but couldn’t seem to express them at that moment.
“Claire, I know things right now seem scary and uncertain. But” Lara sat the lamp down to grab her friend’s hands, “my dear friend don’t think about the right now and start thinking about the future. What will happen if you stay?” She asked. But before Claire could answer, Lara answered, “Yes, there is a possibility that he could change. It is very small and most likely will not ever happen. What happens if he takes it too far next time? What if you don’t wake up?” she asked, trying not to let her friend know how upset she truly was. “I would be so lost if you left me here.” They were both starting to cry, again. “Claire, you are my best friend. Don’t be afraid to leave. Be afraid to stay.” Lara said looking into Claire’s watery eyes.
“Lara. I still don’t...” Claire started.
“Claire, please do this for me!” Lara broke as she lost all the sense of dignity that she had had up till this moment. “I can’t bear to watch you die! Not when there was something I could do to stop it!” Lara embraced Claire in a hug. “Please Claire! He’ll kill you and I can’t!”
“Lara, I’ll be okay.” Claire said softly as she wrapped her arms around her distraught friend as she started to cry harder than before.
“No!” Lara Screamed. “No, Claire you won’t!” Lara’s voice was booming, her words broken by sobs and erratic breaths. “Claire, please, please do this for me. Okay? This weekend was too close! You say you’ll be okay, but you won’t be! You’re too special to die! So, please? Please? You’re my best friend and I won’t be able to live with myself!”
Claire could not deny her friends anymore. “Okay, Okay,” she whispered her agreement. “But we still have things to iron out.”
“That’s fair.” Laura said through her sobs as she and Claire released each other. “What else is there to iron out?” She asked as they made their way to the small sitting area.
As they sat on the couch Claire began to think about everything all at once.
“Well, I have the ticket, the room and we can get my clothes. But what about the after? I will still have no money and no place to go once the ship gets to New York.” Claire stated.
“Claire, we have thought of that too.” Lara proclaimed proudly. “Jacque and I have already purchased the new manor in New York City. Until my grandmother passes, we will need someone to help keep the house organized.” She pointed out. “There will be a small handful of butlers and maids, so you won’t have to do much. And we would be glad to have you live with us for a time. We have also set you up with a bank account that has two-thousand American dollars in it.” Lara explained.
“Wow you two have seriously thought this through.” Claire exclaimed. “This is still a lot to take in. In just one single afternoon, I am just to change everything.”
“Yes, but what you are leaving behind is better left in the past.” Lara said.
“Well then. Do you have the time?” Claire asked.
Lara pulled on the golden chain that her watch was attached to. The time was a little past ten in the morning. Claire knew that if this was going to happen, they needed to go now.
They rode to Claire’s house in a nice horse-drawn carriage. Lily was brought along to help speed up the process of packing. As they rode Claire could not ignore the knots in her stomach and the thought racing through her head. What am I doing? This can’t be happening. What if I fail in New York? What if he’s right and I can’t make it without him? Who will love me now? Is it, really, as bad as it seems? Claire knew the answer to that one but was still afraid of the truth.
Suddenly, Claire felt Lara’s hand grab her own. As if her friend knew that she was a nervous wreck. Claire could breathe and relax a little with this simple gesture from her friend.
They reached Claire’s house and chills hit their bodies. Bradley was standing at the door.
