Serenity

Elizabeth

Summer 1912.

Elizabeth DeWitt Bukater was beside herself as she returned from a trip to the hat maker. After purchasing several new ribbons, she left the haberdashery to return home.

Tomorrow, she was due to make her grand entrance into society, and just two weeks after, her elder sister, Rose, would marry Caledon Hockley. The wedding would be quite the affair; mama had said, with over seven hundred invites returning from the printers to be sent out over the coming days. The wedding had been postponed due to the tragic sinking of the Titanic, of which her mother, sister and soon-to-be brother-in-law had survived. The sinking had created a drama for the family, with many well-wishers visiting to get a first-hand tale of it, and their sitting room had not been empty for weeks. It had been a little diversion of attention, but soon, it died down as all gossip did, and in exchange, mama made many new acquaintances and seemed utterly beside herself in widening her social circles.

Since her return, Rose had not quite become herself again, and now, as they walked side-by-side across the acre of gardens, Elizabeth did all that she could to ensure her sister smiled just once. The summer sun created a lovely heat to the day, and as she beamed about the new materials she had purchased in town, she saw a small smile across her sister's tight lips.

''You know, dear Elizabeth, you are built for this life.''

''I am truly excited to have my cotillion finally.''

''It will be a spectacular day,'' Rose replied rather flatly, and Elizabeth's smile faded as she attempted to glance beneath Rose's mundane brown hat, which seemed to match her lowly mood.

''Oh, Rose, I know how difficult these weeks have been for you, and I know how terrible it has been for you that your dear maid, Trudy, perished in the sinking; I could only wish that she had returned. I know how much you relied on her.''

''As do I; she was a friend, too. Always a friend to me, first.''

''But, you were one of the lucky ones; you and Mama managed to get to a lifeboat and come home to me, isn't that the important part?'' Hope lingered within Elizabeth's shaking voice, and Rose could only put herself back together momentarily to clasp her sister's gloved hands and touch them to her waist.

''Of course, Liz, you were all I thought of until we came home. I am thrilled to have returned to you, even though I may not display affection so much.''

The latter, of course, was true. After several hours upon a lifeboat and days upon the rescue ship, Carpathia, there had been nothing to do but wait; wait to die, or wait to live, wait for the absolution that would never come, and so, she had time to think...of everything. It had been overwhelming, to say the very least.

''And I am more than happy, too, for once you are married, then you are to return to the seas and see Egypt, of which I am very jealous and then you should know what they say happens after the honeymoon...''

Rose glanced at her blankly, squinting in the sun.

''You should soon be with child.''

''What?''

''Is the purpose of marriage not to have children, to watch them grow? Mama insists she was expecting you the moment she was married, and I came along not two years later.''

The innocence within her eyes was beautiful to see, but Rose was nursing a sickness beneath the layers of anxiety that had possessed her every moment since returning home.

''And I am different and feel that there is more to life than having children.''

''Indeed, then I shall relish lots more walks and discussions after I am out in society; I shall be only too happy to follow in your footsteps.''