Just so everyone knows, this story takes place when the immigrants started moving to America, that's why you'll find the dialect to be different! Enjoy and please review!

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The Mary Rose

Back in England Emily was quite the popular girl. People would flock her wanting a piece of her attention. Things were great for Emily. She could have anything she wanted and all she had to do was ask because she was beautiful. Emily had hair that looked gold in the daylight and fair skin.

She had a couple of freckles that dotted across her face, a light brown color that matched her eyes. Emily was considerably tall for her age of thirteen and could be very diplomatic at times. Even so, Emily always knew her place, which was to speak when spoken to and to never act out.

“Oh Papa! I’ve had the most wonderful day!”

“Why don’t you come over here and tell me all about it?”

“Yes sir,” Emily skipped over to the big arm chair that’s color was fading due to the sun in the room and sat down across from her father.

“Today I went with Martha to the swimming hole. It was absolutely wonderful! The water was so warm on our skin. Oh and Papa, Martha even jumped from the high rock today. She’s quite the daring.”

“She sure is. I’m happy that you’ve had a lovely day.”

“Yes, Papa.”

“I have some exciting news myself,” her father said while taking off his glasses and placing them ever so gently on the stand beside him.

“Do tell.”

“We are to be going to the new lands, the America’s.”

“Yes sir,” Emily remained calm taking the news as a true lady would.

“I know you like it here, love, but you’ll make new friends in America.”

“Yes sir. May I inquire as to when we are to leave?”

“Tomorrow we go by ship.”

“I shall go pack, sir.”

“Very well, I’ll leave you to your business.” Once her father finished talking Emily got up and strode to her room repressing tears. There she packed until her room was barely empty, leaving only a wall mirror, a dresser and her bed behind.

The next day sad good-byes were said. From atop the ship Emily could see Martha and all her other friends waving good-bye, shedding a tear hear and there. Once the ship left sight of the harbor Emily’s father took her by the hand to their new living quarters for the next two weeks.

“I think that you will find this room to your likings. If you have any questions or need anything I shall be at your service,” announced the butler who seemed only too tired to even be standing. Then with a nod from Emily’s father the butler was off only to show another hopeful family their room while awaiting the glory of the new lands.

“How do you like it my princess?”

“It’s splendid father, really. Mother would have loved it so.”

“I suppose she would, wouldn’t she?”

“Of course,” Emily walked to the window and watched the ocean water ripple under the weight and speed of the boat. Then her father walked over to her and joined in the gazing until Emily turned back to her father.

“Oh, you’re awfully cold. Why don’t you go to the top deck and take a nap? The sun is very warm today.”

“What a novel idea, but what of you to do?”

“Oh, I plan to tour the ship of course,” Emily beamed, “I won’t want to be lost walking to and fro. It just won’t do.”

“You always do think ahead don’t you?”

“One tries,” her father chuckled at the remark.

“Emily, you’re turning into a lovely lady. Soon you’ll be so proper that I’ll have no one to talk to about the silly things with anymore.”

“Don’t talk in such tongues, father. I am merely thirteen and a half.” With that her father sighed and walked out of the room but not before saying, “I shall be on the top deck resting. Do not get into any trouble; I won’t have people thinking I have brought up a disrespectful child.”

“Yes sir.”

The ship was marvelous. It had its very own chapel, a ballroom, a tea room for the ladies and a smoke room for the men. In between the two rooms was the most exquisite dining room one could imagine. Every table had a beige table cloth that draped elegantly over the tables. No napkin was without a napkin holder and by each set plate was a beautiful wine glass that never failed to catch the light around it.

But the most wonderful thing of all was the grand chandelier that hung from the very center of the room, made with crystals that reflected every detail in the room. It was half past eleven and the room would be opening soon for lunch and Emily didn’t want anyone to start gossiping about her on the first day. So she walked back to her room unwillingly. Once back safely in her room, Emily, decided to unpack her things. After all she was to spend fourteen days on the ship and her trunk would eventually get cluttered.

When she was half way through putting her belongings away she heard two people bickering down the hall. Temptation becoming the best of her, she quietly went to the door and opened it a crack. There in the hall was the butler who had showed Emily and her father their room. Standing across from the butler was a very husky man who was considerably short. The man was starting to go red in the face and looked as if he would pop a blood vessel at any moment.

The man, who was apparently Mr. Bartlet, looked the picture of a ring master in the circus. With a half bald head, a long black mustache curled at the ends, and a pipe in his hand he looked the part a little too well.

“This simply cannot be right!” said Mr. Bartlet trying to calm himself, “I personally requested a room that had a full view of the water. This just won’t do. Well, don’t just stand there! Send for the captain!” With one final holler the butler ran quickly down the hall with a look of panic engraved on his face. Emily on the other hand was feeling rather calm and brave and decided to see if she could calm the man herself. So she stood up erect, smoothed her dress, and opened the door.

“Hello, there, sir,” said Emily with a warm smile after closing the door gingerly.

“H-Hello,” said Mr. Bartlet with a look of surprise on his face.

“My name is Emily Crayson. How do you do?” she said while curtsying politely.

“Very well, thank you. I am Mr. Barry Bartlet. It is very nice to meet you,” he said although he didn’t look like he meant it. He seemed to busy with the end of the hallway, waiting for the captain no doubt.

“No, sir, the pleasure is all mine. Are you staying in this room?” Emily asked indicating the door they were standing next to.

“No,” Mr. Bartlet said chancing a glance at the girl, “I was simply placed in the wrong room. I am to be moving to a room with a full view of the ocean.”

“A full view you say? How lovely.”

“Yes, I presume that it shall be quite dashing, and speaking of such I must go speak to the captain. It was wonderful to have met you. Maybe we shall see each other again. Have a good day.”

“Of course, sir, you too.”

With that the burly man walked away in haste, leaving Emily to the confines of her room. Once she was done packing Emily decided to go find her father, for she thought that they might enjoy a nice lunch together on the sunny day. She soon found him sleeping on a long, wooden, beach chair. Not wanting to wake him she strolled along the deck gazing at the magnificent ocean. The water looked green and blue and once in a while she would see a fish frenzy going on in the distance.

Emily loved the summer time and especially the warm weather. The hot sun rays on her head burned but Emily didn’t mind, not when there was a nice breeze to cool her off. She had found a chair of her own and decided to rest, too, and soon enough she had dozed off herself.

“Emily, darling, wake up,” her father was by her side, rubbing her shoulder, trying to wake her up.

“Hmm?”

“It looks like we both took a little nap. We’ve been asleep a long while. It’s already dusk.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry Papa! I was going to wake you but you looked like you could use the rest and,” her father held up his hand shushing her.

“It’s alright. What do you say we go get something to eat? I’m starving how ‘bout you?” With a nod, Emily got up and walked into the dining room with her father. There they ate and conversed for a while talking pleasantly of their adventures back in England. This luxurious life continued until the day of their arrival in America.

Emily woke with a start, smelling the cool, fresh, ocean air coming from the window that had been left ajar the night before. Emily got out of bed, dressed in one of her gowns that her mother made for her and was off to breakfast. She left her father to rest, for the night before there had been a dancing contest and Emily knew that her father would be grateful for the sleep. When she got to the dining room she greeted the host with a smile and walked in. There she had her favorite breakfast treat; pancakes. They were steaming and smelled absolutely delicious.

Once she was finished her breakfast she walked back to her room to wake up her father. She got back, closed the door with a click, and moved over to him. When she looked at her father he looked ever so peaceful in his sleep that Emily almost didn’t want to wake him but she knew that he must get ready to tidy his things before they left the ship. Then she carefully placed her hand on her father’s shoulder and rubbed it softly to wake him up. When he did not respond she said, “Papa, it’s time to get up, we’ve a great deal to pack,” still her father did not respond and Emily thought it strange, for he was usually a light sleeper.

Then with a little more force Emily rocked her father a little bit in the bed but he made no movement whatsoever. Unsatisfied by her efforts, she went to the bathroom and quickly damped a wash cloth. When she reached her father’s bedside once again she realized that something was wrong. Something was not right but she could not place it. Everything seemed a little to still.

Becoming scared and nervous Emily started to shake violently and her hands were turning clammy. Slowly, with a trembling hand, Emily reached down and touched her father’s heart. There was no movement at all. There was no shallow breathing, no thumping pulse, no more will to live. Emily couldn’t take the pressure of loosing her father and mother so close together.

She broke out in a loud sob, slowly sitting down on the bed, leaning over her father, as if trying to protect him. She had no clue what to do. Should she go for help? Should she leave her father in the bed, on the ship, and just leave him there? Should she somehow, secretly, take her father with her and not tell anyone?

‘No, I could never get away with that. People would see me and be curious. I have to tell someone. I have to find help,’ with that thought she reluctantly got up still shaking and sobbing. Tears were streaming down her making her face a puddle of saltiness and leaving her beautiful gown soiled with tears that would leave memories forever.

She reached the door, tugged on it, but it wouldn’t budge. She pulled hard and fast on it again with a sharp turn at the handle and the door went flying open. She flew back in the room and fell hard on her face but pushed herself up with as much strength as she could muster. She walked in the hallway slowly and not sure of her step but continued none-the-less. When she finally reached the hostess stand for the dining room all eyes were on her.

“M-Miss, can I help you,” replied the man who was working there.

“Y-Y-Yes,” her voice cracked and a fresh wave of tears came.

“Miss! What’s the matter?” the man rushed from behind his podium next to Emily.

“My-my fa-fa-father-r,” she sobbed again,” in the r-room. Help him,” her voice cracked again.

“What room? Take me to him.”

“Room one fourteen help him-m.” The man raced to the room while trying to help Emily walk but it was hopeless, she couldn’t go more than two feet. The man was in such a hurry to get there to help Emily’s father that he picked her up in his arms and ran all the way to room one fourteen. When he got there he put her down gingerly and opened the door in a rush.

“Where miss?” Emily couldn’t speak through her tears so she just pointed to the bed. The man rushed to the bed seeing Emily’s father motionless. He reached down and took her father’s wrist in his. After a few seconds the man went back to Emily and escorted her to the captain’s office. Once away from the crowd of people swarming them the man whose name was apparently John rushed for help.

Later that evening when everyone was off the ship Emily stayed behind to have one last glance at her father before she had to say good-bye. A doctor had informed her that her father had simply died in his sleep that he may have had a heart attack, but they couldn’t be sure. The captain had been kind enough to take her father and give him a burial at sea. Since there was no coffin they used some old suitcases that some people left behind. Underneath the suitcases they tied some lifejackets so the body wouldn’t go straight to the bottom.

On top of his body they placed a wreath and then they lowered him down. Afterwards Emily couldn’t contain herself from crying so she said her thank yous and good-byes and was off to be “examined”. Before she left the ship the doctor caught up with her.

“I realize this has been very hard on you.” All Emily did was nod.

“Since you are healthy I can take you right through the examination and I shall write your name in the book, not to worry. Are you meeting anyone here? Do you have any family?” Emily didn’t want to have to go to an orphanage or have to be pestered anymore by the man so she made something up.

“Y-Yes,” she lied, “I am going to my Aunt’s she lives not far from here. I can manage a ride.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, sir,” she said remembering the reply she use to give to her father.

“All right then, right this way.” The doctor led her through a large building filled with the people that had traveled aboard the Mary Rose with her. She saw the man that had complained that his room didn’t have a full view of the ocean and wished that she had that controversy to deal with instead of the plague that followed her.

“Well, here we are then,” they were back outside again and there were horse drawn carriages everywhere.

“Thank you.”

“Be careful and I am very sorry for your loss.” Then the man doubled back inside and was gone from Emily’s life too. Not sure where to go Emily wandered around the city until she could find a food market. She thought that maybe some people would trade her food for a nice gown that she had in her suitcase. Although she had no luck in finding a place to get food she found an alleyway that she knew no one would bother her in. So she put her suit case down, took out a dress, made a pillow with it on top of the suitcase, and went to sleep.

When Emily woke up the next morning she recalled no dreams. She knew that today she would have to find some food or get a job or she would be spending many more nights on the streets. So she got up, put her dresses in her case, and was off again. This time she took a route that many people seemed to be taking. She figured that it might lead to a department store of some kind.

And she was right. There was a large market filled with fruits of all colors. So she went around looking for someone to trade with. Her first stop would be the fruits that were in a large wagon. When she walked over a girl around her own age greeted her.

“How do you do?”

“Um, I was looking to trade a dress for some fruit.”

“You look familiar, where have I seen you before?”

“I’m sorry but I’ve never seen you before.”

“Curious.”

“Need help with something?” asked a man who might have been the girl’s father.

“This girl just wanted to trade one of her dresses for a couple of pieces of fruit.”

“Haven’t I seen you?” asked the man

“I’m sorry, sir, but I don’t remember ever meeting you.”

“Weren’t you in the newspaper?”

“Excuse me?”

“You know the newspaper. It’s a paper that gives you news about things happening today.”

“Yes, yes, I know what it is but what did it say about me?”

“Oh, well, it said something about how you’re an immigrant and your father died or something.”

“How strange,” she mumbled to herself.

“What was that?”

“Nothing,” she said fast.

“Would you like to come work with us? We sure could use the help. You see we run a farm. We grow plants and raise cattle. If you would come help us we will give you free housing and a share of the food.”

“Yes, of course.”

“Good, my name is Jo and this is my daughter Beth.”

“My name is Emily. It’s a pleasure to meet you both.”

“It’s nice to meet you too.”

Emily grew up with the Henders family and was accepted as one as their own. She learned everything about farming and took over the family farm when Jo and his wife Helen passed away. Rodney, Sara, and Mark all brothers and sister to Beth went to the city in hope for a better life. Beth, on the other hand, stayed with Emily and helped her with all the farming. Emily married a neighborhood friend and Beth married someone she met in the city.

Beth lived in the old house while Emily and her husband built another house right next door. Everyone lived happily ever after and Emily never forgot the kindness that the Henders family gave to her.

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I wrote this as an assignment for school, but decided to post it here. Please review and tell me what you think!