me.”
She nodded, resolve now building. She would board the Titanic . Not so that her brother could have a better life…but so that she could.
Jacquie folded the note to her grandmother and slipped it into an envelope. She pressed it into her coat pocket then looked around her bedroom, overwhelmed with childhood memories. Today she would walk away from those memories, away from the safety and comfort of home. She would trade all of that for love. And though it pained her to think of leaving her parents behind, the life ahead of her would be worth every loss.
She prayed.
Or, rather, she didn’t pray. In fact, she hadn’t truly asked the Lord’s opinion on any of this, for fear He might actually give it. No, in cases such as these, one simply followed after one’s heart and hoped for the best possible outcome. Surely Father would forgive her in time. And Mother too, once she realized that Jacquie had betrayed her by not staying onboard the Titanic .
Betrayed her. Those words hung heavy in her heart.
“Jacquie, are you ready?” Mama’s voice sounded behind her.
Jacquie glanced her way and forced a smile. “Yes, Mother. I’m ready.”
“Your father is waiting downstairs in the foyer with Iris. Her bags are already loaded into the automobile.” Mother reached for her gloves. “Your father wanted to come with us to the train station. I had a doozy of a time convincing him to let us go alone. Made up a story about how it would be easier to say our good-byes privately rather than publicly.” She shook her head. “But I couldn’t very well let him tag along, especially since we’re not really going anywhere near the train station. At least, not this morning.”
“I’m so glad you managed to talk him out of it.”
“It took some doing.” Mother sat on the edge of the bed. “I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling a bit queasy.”
“Deception will do that to you, I suppose.” Jacquie shrugged, feeling a bit nauseous as well. “But in the end, all will be well.”
“I do hope so.” Mother pulled on her gloves and adjusted the fingers. “To be honest, I do feel a little bad about the fact that your father actually purchased train tickets for us, but what else could we do?”
“Well, look on the bright side, Mother. You and Cousin Minerva will have a fine time in Paris.”
“True. She will make a wonderful shopping partner.”
“True. Minerva has always been one for shopping. And the four days you spend in Paris will buy us both the necessary time we need to make this work. You’re going to need time to work up the courage to tell Father where I’ve really gone.” Or, rather, where you think I’ve gone.
“I’ve always loved April in Paris.” Her mother’s expression brightened. “And Minerva always brings me such comfort.”
“That’s what you need right now, Mother. Someone to bring you comfort.”
“Indeed, I do.” Mama’s eyes brimmed with tears. “You’re so right.”
From downstairs, Father’s voice rang out. “Ladies, are you coming? I need to leave for the office soon.”
Jacquie looked at her mother and sighed as she realized the moment had come at last. “I do hope my acting skills are up to par.”
“Mine as well.”
Jacquie walked down the stairs on Mama’s heels. The moment she laid eyes on her father, a lump rose in her throat, one she could scarcely speak above. In that moment she doubted everything— her plan to run away with Peter, her scheme to betray Mama’s confidence—all of it. And as her father wrapped her in his arms and whispered words of love over her, she wondered if she would ever experience his fatherly embrace again. Not likely, after he discovered that she had betrayed him.
“I—I love you, Father.”
“Well, I love you too, sweet girl.” Father touched the end of her nose with his index finger and grinned. “I’ve always got your best interests at heart. So go on to Paris and buy whatever you need.But come back to see me
She nodded, resolve now building. She would board the Titanic . Not so that her brother could have a better life…but so that she could.
Jacquie folded the note to her grandmother and slipped it into an envelope. She pressed it into her coat pocket then looked around her bedroom, overwhelmed with childhood memories. Today she would walk away from those memories, away from the safety and comfort of home. She would trade all of that for love. And though it pained her to think of leaving her parents behind, the life ahead of her would be worth every loss.
She prayed.
Or, rather, she didn’t pray. In fact, she hadn’t truly asked the Lord’s opinion on any of this, for fear He might actually give it. No, in cases such as these, one simply followed after one’s heart and hoped for the best possible outcome. Surely Father would forgive her in time. And Mother too, once she realized that Jacquie had betrayed her by not staying onboard the Titanic .
Betrayed her. Those words hung heavy in her heart.
“Jacquie, are you ready?” Mama’s voice sounded behind her.
Jacquie glanced her way and forced a smile. “Yes, Mother. I’m ready.”
“Your father is waiting downstairs in the foyer with Iris. Her bags are already loaded into the automobile.” Mother reached for her gloves. “Your father wanted to come with us to the train station. I had a doozy of a time convincing him to let us go alone. Made up a story about how it would be easier to say our good-byes privately rather than publicly.” She shook her head. “But I couldn’t very well let him tag along, especially since we’re not really going anywhere near the train station. At least, not this morning.”
“I’m so glad you managed to talk him out of it.”
“It took some doing.” Mother sat on the edge of the bed. “I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling a bit queasy.”
“Deception will do that to you, I suppose.” Jacquie shrugged, feeling a bit nauseous as well. “But in the end, all will be well.”
“I do hope so.” Mother pulled on her gloves and adjusted the fingers. “To be honest, I do feel a little bad about the fact that your father actually purchased train tickets for us, but what else could we do?”
“Well, look on the bright side, Mother. You and Cousin Minerva will have a fine time in Paris.”
“True. She will make a wonderful shopping partner.”
“True. Minerva has always been one for shopping. And the four days you spend in Paris will buy us both the necessary time we need to make this work. You’re going to need time to work up the courage to tell Father where I’ve really gone.” Or, rather, where you think I’ve gone.
“I’ve always loved April in Paris.” Her mother’s expression brightened. “And Minerva always brings me such comfort.”
“That’s what you need right now, Mother. Someone to bring you comfort.”
“Indeed, I do.” Mama’s eyes brimmed with tears. “You’re so right.”
From downstairs, Father’s voice rang out. “Ladies, are you coming? I need to leave for the office soon.”
Jacquie looked at her mother and sighed as she realized the moment had come at last. “I do hope my acting skills are up to par.”
“Mine as well.”
Jacquie walked down the stairs on Mama’s heels. The moment she laid eyes on her father, a lump rose in her throat, one she could scarcely speak above. In that moment she doubted everything— her plan to run away with Peter, her scheme to betray Mama’s confidence—all of it. And as her father wrapped her in his arms and whispered words of love over her, she wondered if she would ever experience his fatherly embrace again. Not likely, after he discovered that she had betrayed him.
“I—I love you, Father.”
“Well, I love you too, sweet girl.” Father touched the end of her nose with his index finger and grinned. “I’ve always got your best interests at heart. So go on to Paris and buy whatever you need.But come back to see me
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