CHAPTER TWO

I couldn’t shake the feeling of that… thing, until we came back home. It was when I saw candles lit and chatter coming through the thin walls that I was able to focus on something else. I just didn’t know if it was a good thing.

I could hear them from outside. My mother, as usual, was talking very loudly. I didn’t think she ever noticed. My father didn’t say anything about it, or did and she ignored his request. Accompanying them, I could see through the window, was a man barely reaching thirty. I knew at that moment who he was, and suddenly I felt sick.

“Who’d you think that is?” Nate exclaimed as we came closer to our deteriorating home.

“Beats me,” Tom replied.

Tom was the one who opened the door, and the moment he opened it was the moment my mother was in front of us.

“Dear Heavens, where were you Rosalie? You know the dark all alone is no place for a lady!”

“Mother, I was with Tom and Nate.”

“Of course you were. Boys, I want you to run out. Rosalie, you’ll never guess who’s here!”

Without even giving me a chance to respond, she answered her own question. “Why, Royce King’s son! The second one, you know, and he’s not married! I think with his age he’ll take anything he can get and with a pretty thing like you he’ll want to marry you! You’re a looker, now you boys skip out right now!”

“Looks like Ma is tightening the screws on you,” Nate laughed as him and Tom went to their rooms.

I stared after them as my Mother brought me to the kitchen, my father and Royce’s voice drifting in and out of the room.

“Pipe that? He hasn’t found the right skirt just yet! Oh, I’m so excited!” My mother was giggling and hugging me and jumping in anticipation.

“But Mother, what if I don’t want to marry—”

“Break it up! You will marry him, just think of how much you’ll help the family! Tommy and Nathaniel won’t be finding jobs pretty soon. Do you want our family to suffer? After how much your father and I worked just to let you have a home to live in and a place to eat?”

There she went again, trying to make me feel guilty. I wanted to help them, I wanted this Depression to be over. But no one knew when it would be and I was probably the only one who could save my family Tom and Nate were practically lost causes, they looked for jobs even when they knew there wouldn’t be anything. Marrying someone with lots of money was the only thing left. I’d be a worker; a gold-digger. I was such a weak sister.

And sure, I’d marry, but not someone like Royce King II. I could hear him from the kitchen, completely proud and full of haughty air. He was the type of man that only got with roundheels and pro skirts. He probably looked down on everyone without his status and I was disgusted.

My mother turned to me holding a dress—the prettiest dress I owned.

“It’ll have to do for now. Just think of all the lovely dresses you’ll get to wear when you marry him! Now get dressed and I’ll give you some food to give them!”

Even though she told me to dress, she was the one dressing me—fixing the sleeves and the hem and making sure my blond hair was perfect.

“I wish your hair wasn’t so flat, but that’ll have to do for now!”

She turned to the table and gave me two plates filled with food. It was too much food for one person and what was left of our food supply. She was giving it away, really thinking that that bird was going to marry me!

Before I could protest she was already pushing me out of the kitchen and into the room where my father and Royce was. Already, I wanted to bump off someone and tried to hide it with a smile on my face. I knew there was weariness in my eyes.

“Ah, Rosalie!” My father exclaimed. Everyone seemed to be doing a lot of exclaiming lately. “I want you to meet Royce King II. Royce King, this is my daughter, Rosalie.”

And I didn’t want him to notice me. But he did.

He was staring at me, his eyes traveling, and I wanted to dust off. He came close and took both plates and put them on the table. He reached over and held my hand and kissed it, then his eyes met mine and he said, “It is a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Hale.”

I stared at him, dumbfounded, before my father cleared his throat. I tore myself from Royce’s eyes and cleared my throat as well, facing no one, and said, “I brought you supper… from Mother.” My voice didn’t sound like my own, like something was in my throat. I cleared it again and I heard chuckling from Royce. I glared at him and it seemed to only make him laugh further.

“It’s alright, I ate before I had come here—”

“Nonsense!” A voice from the kitchen nearly yelled. My mother came rushing it, practically pushing Royce onto a chair and forcing the plate in front of him. My father had already retrieved his plate and took small bites out of it. I could tell neither of them were hungry, and my mother didn’t seem to notice or didn’t seem to care.

When my mother was satisfied that Royce was eating, he looked up from his plate to me, just awkwardly standing there in a dress I shouldn’t be wearing.

“Rosalie, why don’t you join me?”

Before I could respond, and politely decline, my mother was already pushing me to him. It was like she was the one that was going to answer for me. I bet she liked Royce more than I did—or just his money.

He offered me some of his food but I shook my head. But then he kept pestering me and his eyes glanced to my left and I could see my mother watching us. I laughed under my breath and took a bite. I could see that she was happy and went back to the kitchen, and I sighed in relief.

When my mother was finally gone Royce started to talk again, facing me. “Your father and I were talking about your situation. With the bank a complete dust I can tell it’s going to be hard for you and your family, especially with two brothers as well. I got no kick however, because I’m living moderately well. But I know your family and would be willing to spare some cash. I wouldn’t want a pretty thing like you to do the wrong thing to try and get some cash too.”

Royce was completely facing me now, as if my father wasn’t there with us. His hand had come out and brushed a piece of hair behind my ear. His hand felt warm and tender, and when he was pulling back it brushed my cheek. I could feel the heat of him against my cold cheek. I looked down at his hand, my breath hitching, before bringing my eyes back to his. He was staring right through me.

We were somewhere else, and I opened my mouth to say something, but something else came out. Except, I didn’t even think it came from me. I could hear my mother giggling in the kitchen. My skin felt hot and I put my head down and shut my eyes.

Royce laughed. Except I didn’t hate him for it.

“I can see that your mother is suddenly interested in our conversations. How about somewhere more… private? But not today, maybe tomorrow morning?”

I could hear my mother and practically see her jumping, holding onto the doorframe in anticipation.

He could see my hesitation and looked over my head, at my father. “Unless you father has something against it?”

“No!” My mother answered for him. He laughed again. It was a deep laugh, coming from his throat and causing his chest to shake.

I wanted to say no. Sure, he was something to look at, with who he was and how much money he made, but he wasn’t meat, nor was he my subject of interest. I wanted what Vera had, a husband and family. Maybe it could be with Royce, but did I want it now? No.

I couldn’t think of anything to say, I was opening and closing my mouth and not looking at him.

His hand brushed mine.

“I’ll come back tomorrow, just in case you change your mind. I still have things to discuss with your father, about the cash. It’s getting late too. This was a lovely dinner.”

He stood up and I took his plate. He gave a wave and walked away, and when he was almost out of sight he turned to me and bowed. “Miss.”

I heard the door open and close and the room was silent.

Then my mother came rushing it. I expected her to yell at me, saying why I hadn’t accepted his accompaniment, but instead she seemed to flourish with more excitement than I had ever seen her in.

“Oh Rosalie!” She started, clapping her hands together, “leaving that man hanging was brilliant! Now I can tell he wants you even more! Wouldn’t you agree?” she asked, turning to my father.

“If you say so my dear.”

“Oh! It doesn’t even matter that he hadn’t finished his food. Rosalie, I need you to pick another dress to wear when he stops by tomorrow!”

I stood up, still holding the plate. “Who says I am going out with him tomorrow?” My brows were furrowed as I stared at my mother. “What if I didn’t like him and don’t want to spend time with him?”

“It’s not about whether or not you like the man or not, it’s the amount of money he has!”

I sighed and stared at the ceiling before handing the plate to my mother.

“Maybe I don’t care about the money and just never want to see him again!”

My mother looked completely stunned, as if she couldn’t believe I didn’t care about a man’s wealth. “My dear lord! Do you hear what your daughter is saying?” She turned to my father.

My father, who had been silent for the most part, turned from his paper and stared at me.

“Now Rose… the situation we’re in is a hard one. Royce King has offered us money, and I think he expects you to accompany him tomorrow. If you don’t, he might just decide not to give us any out of spite. Now, you don’t have to like him at all, but for now, until this Depression is over, we’ll need everyone in the family to try and help. Your brothers are looking for jobs, and you haven’t been doing anything as of yet.”

“Do you hear that Rosalie? You can’t just become selfish! He is a high pillow, with lots of scratch which will help this family!”

I stared at the ground, suddenly lost. Royce was a nice guy, but that could’ve been just an act. His kind didn’t help anyone below them, and I certainly didn’t believe he actually wanted to help us. He was kind, but everyone was kind. There was nothing special about him, just that he had a lot of dough. Both Nate and Tom knew of his investments as much as my parents did.

I sighed and looked up at both my parents again. Taking a breath, I told them both, “Fine.”

My mother’s countenance changed suddenly, the excitement once again evident on her face. “Oh, I knew you’d say yes! Now, you have to wear a pretty dress. Oh, but what if he takes you to eat—it might get ruined! Oh well, I’m sure he’ll buy you another. Oh in that case, I want you to get your dress ruined so he’ll buy you another and maybe ask for you again, and that time tell him yes right away!”

“Mother…”

“Heaven dear, we have to do something with your hair. Maybe we can put it up… no, that’s too proper. Just wait until everyone hears about this, they will be jealous my daughter has found a hombre like Royce King. Just think, Rosalie King. It fits perfectly, wouldn’t you agree? Oh, we have to get ready!”

It was late but I didn’t go to sleep a lot that night. Most of it was my mother telling me how I should act and what to wear and what to say and answering her own questions. My father was there, reading the paper, and both my brother’s were in their rooms.

I smiled and pretended to listen, nodding every once in a while. I thought about Tom and Nate. I thought about how we would survive if I said I didn’t want to see Royce ever again. I would be selfish if I refused to meet with him. It wasn’t about me, it was my family. I needed to help them.

I thought about Vera and her son and her husband. Could that exist between me and Royce? I just met him, so I didn’t know. But I’d like to think so.

I thought about what I would do tomorrow. I wouldn’t stay at home and wait for Royce to come. I would go out with Tom and Nate. Then I’d come back. If Royce wasn’t there than tough. I wouldn’t wait around for him.

My mother might get angry and my father would probably be passive as always, but I didn’t care. I’d help them, but I would think about myself too. I wouldn’t lose myself to anyone.

Not even Royce King II.