Rose and Jacob

I took his face in my hands and pulled him down to me. “Yes. I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you.” I kissed him.

“Transport is arranged for our lift to Boston. Eleanor is really looking forward to having us both living with her.”

“I’m so excited, Jacob, but . . . I need you to come to dinner tonight.” He paused with his hand caressing my face. “Richard told my parents about us and what he’d seen. I told my father at breakfast that I love you and plan to marry you. So my father told me to bring you to dinner tonight.”

“Then I’ll be there. What time?”

“Seven sharp.”

“Rose, everything will be fine and, if it isn’t, we can still slip away tonight, all right?”

“Yes.”

We heard voices approach so he placed a quick peck to my lips and headed out of the library.

How I managed to endure the rest of the day, I would never know. It was such a relief to be on my way home.

I’d just left town when I heard someone shouting my name. I looked behind me . . . Richard. “What do you want now?”

“I’m walking you home, and I plan on staying outside your house all evening to make sure you don’t go sneaking off with him.”

I just glared at him, shocked. “Have you lost your mind?” He really was crazy.

“No, but you have, for dallying with him.”

“I’ll have you know that Father has invited Jacob to dinner. So, you see, I don’t need to sneak out because he will be eating with me and my family tonight.” I stomped off and left him as I reached my house.

I ran upstairs and looked out of the window on the landing only to see Richard still sitting at the end of the drive.

I really couldn’t believe he was doing this, to what gain, I had no idea. In my room, I quickly changed into a clean dress, rather than one that was rumpled from a day’s work. I brushed my hair and applied my lipstick.

As I ran down the stairs, I was just in time to watch Jacob walk up the porch steps. I spotted Mother and Father approaching from the parlor so I ran and opened the door for him. It took all my strength to keep from throwing my arms around his neck.

“Rose.” He winked and grinned at me. I felt like melting into a puddle.

“Rose, are you going to invite the young man inside?” my father asked.

“Yes, of course,” I replied, grinning at Jacob. I took his hand and pulled him inside, then refused to release him.

“Mother, Father, I would like you to meet Jacob Evans.” Please let us just get through this meal. Please accept him.

My parents were polite and shook his hand. Mother stared as we held hands. I loosened my hold slightly, but Jacob tightened his fingers and entwined them with mine.

We took our seats in the dining room and all was quiet. Too quiet.

“So Jacob, Rose was telling us you have been offered an apprenticeship in New York.”

With a quick glance at me, he looked back at my father. “Yes, sir, I have. It’s with an engineering company; they pay very well.”

“Hmm, so what do you intend toward my daughter if you’re planning on leaving Cape Elizabeth?”

Jacob placed a hand on my leg underneath the table, knowing I was seconds away from saying something. “Rose has agreed to become my wife so I’ll be taking her with me.”

Yes!

“That is enough. You are not going to be marrying my daughter because she is already spoken for.” My father’s face was red with anger.

I stood up and faced my father. “No, I am not, and if you mean Richard, we have already had this discussion.”