"Jack, are you all right?" asked Josephine curiously. She'd noticed how quickly Jack's flushed, peach-colored cheeks had gone to a ghostly white, and it concerned her deeply.
"Huh? Oh…um…" Jack shook himself free from shock, a little bit of color returning to his cheeks. He nodded, hopefully reassuring his aunt. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just…I'm gonna go and…lie down…"
"Are you feeling ill?" asked Josephine, standing.
Jack stood and held his hand out to stop her. "No…no, I'm fine…I'm just tired, that's all…" Jack slowly pushed his chair in. "I'll see you both tomorrow…good night." With those final words spoken, Jack left a suspicious and concerned Josephine at the table. He went to his bedroom, where he closed and locked the door and collapsed onto his bed, thinking.
Cal? Marrying Elizabeth? Sweet, innocent little Elizabeth? How dare he? Surely, he knew that Elizabeth came from the lower class! And was it a coincidence to him that her last name was Dawson?
God, he's so damned stupid! I can't stand him!
What hurt him even more about this horrible news that he had received was that whenever he thought of how much he hated Cal, he thought of the reason. Rose. He'd hurt her, abused her, shown her around like a trophy…Jack couldn't stand the man. Not one bit. Especially after Cal almost had himself and Rose killed.
Rose was the only thing that he could think about after his outrage about his cousin marrying Cal, and suddenly, he could care less if Elizabeth married him. All that mattered to him was Rose, his Rose, and the fact that she never wanted to see him again.
She was his whole life. She was the reason that Jack was still breathing. He wanted her in his arms more than anything. He wanted to hold her for all of eternity and kiss her until she drowned in his kisses. But she didn't want him. Instead, she'd fallen for a wealthy man of her former-now-current high society life.
The pain was unbearable to Jack, and sleep came within the heartbroken tears that he shed for hours.
*****
Little did Jack know that, back in Manhattan, Rose had done the same thing that night. She had cried and cried until she no longer could, and that was when sleep overcame her. Her beloved Jack was gone, but in her mind, she didn't love him. She only loved James. That she was sure of. Then why did she cry for Jack, who was not here, while James was soon to leave for Europe for a month? Why did she not cry for the man she truly loved and instead cry for a man whom she had thought she loved and was soon to be the father of her child?
Rose awoke suddenly to slight shaking, and the first thing she saw were sweet, gentle, kind, bluish eyes. Without thinking, Rose muttered the first thing that came to her mind. "Jack…" Then she realized whose eyes she was looking into, and the gentle green came back into James' eyes. Rose begged silently that he hadn't heard her. "Oh, good morning, James." Rose managed a small, sweet smile, which James happily returned.
"I was hoping to say good-bye before departing for Chicago," he told her.
Rose sat up, shocked. "W-what?" she asked. "James…I didn't know you were leaving!"
"Well, I didn't know either—until this morning. My brother doesn't have to go, if you'd like to come instead," James replied. Rose smiled a very enthusiastic smile, even though inside she was feeling as if a war were going on.
"Oh, James! I'd love to go to Chicago with you!" Rose jumped up and threw her arms around his neck, causing James to laugh and hug her back slightly.
"Well, my dear, the train leaves at noon, so you have until then to get ready."
"Oh, of course, darling!" Rose stood and kissed his cheek. "I'll be ready in an hour." James nodded before leaving her bedroom. He lost his fake smile as he left her bedroom and carefully closed the door behind him. It hurt him to hear Rose awaken muttering another man's name…but somehow, he knew that this beautiful young woman who was his fiancée and claimed to love him just was not destined for him. He wasn't one to snoop, and so he was not going to ask her who the man named Jack was.
A maid, the young French girl named Francesca, had mentioned something about Rose's former fiancé being a terrible bastard and caring for nothing more than the large wad of cash in his pocket. Mr. Caledon Hockley sounded as if he were a terrible man, but James had met Mr. Hockley, and he seemed so kind and caring for his current fiancée, Miss Elizabeth Dawson. He hadn't met her, but Mr. Hockley spoke of Miss Dawson as if she were his most prized possession.
How could it be that the maids spoke of Mr. Hockley as if he were a terrible bastard? It confused James, and so he left the Bukater household in a confused state as his fiancée prepared for departure.
*****
Caledon Hockley awaited his wedding day, which was to come in December of that year. He had truly fallen in love with the beautiful Elizabeth Dawson, soon to be Mrs. Elizabeth Hockley. So she came from a lower class world and she was Jack Dawson's cousin or sister or whatever she was. Cal didn't care. He truly loved her, and due to Miss Dawson, his whole personality had changed.
No longer was he cruel, no longer did he care so much for money or himself…Elizabeth Dawson was now his entire world. Yes, Cal was indeed twice her age, but it really didn't matter. She was two years younger than Rose was when he was engaged to her, but she acted and appeared to be much more mature than Rose was.
It still pained Cal when he thought of Rose, and it pained him even more to remember the cruel bastard that he had been when he was engaged to her. If only he'd been kinder…no. If he'd been kinder, he'd have never met Elizabeth. Elizabeth was the only woman that Cal could really love and treasure more than his millions or his own life. He'd give his life for this beautiful young woman. It reminded him of Jack's relationship with Rose…and finally, he understood.
Jack loved Rose, and Rose loved him. They were from two different classes, but it didn't matter. They were alike, destined to be together. Jack would do anything to keep his beloved Rose alive, and Cal was willing to do the same for Elizabeth. Cal thought for a moment, wondering if Jack and Rose were married, when suddenly a knock at his front door ripped him from his thoughts. He looked up as his butler answered the door and then his eyes met the light eyes of Charles Sherman. He stood, holding out his hand.
"Charles Sherman! How do you do, sir?" Cal asked, shaking Charles' hand.
"Quite well, Mr. Hockley! Quite well! And yourself?" Charles asked.
"Even better, young sir, now that I have finally found love!" Cal replied happily. Charles was confused. He'd known Mr. Hockley for a few years, since the Hockley Steel company started combining business with his and Miss Bukater's fathers, and never before had Mr. Hockley been this kind and ecstatic. "Please, take a seat in the parlor." Charles obeyed and sat in a red armchair.
"I heard of your engagement and just had to congratulate you, Mr. Hockley! I heard you're marrying a fine young woman!" he exclaimed, taking a cigar that Cal offered him.
"Indeed I am. I am engaged to the beautiful Elizabeth Dawson. She'll be joining me in Atlanta soon after our marriage," Cal replied.
"Yes. My brother is engaged to a beautiful young woman himself…a young woman that I've been eyeing for as long as I've known her…"
"Oh? And who might Mr. Sherman be engaged to?"
"The very beautiful Rose Bukater!"
Cal's eyes went wide. He wondered why Rose was marrying James Sherman. Cal was sure that Rose loved Jack Dawson. In fact, she'd defied him to fall in love with Jack! Why was she suddenly marrying another man of high society?
"Oh…" Cal was speechless, unsure of what to say. "I must say, I was engaged to her once…back in April. She'd defied me for a third class man who happens to be cousin to my fiancée. And as I've heard from Elizabeth, the man, Jack Dawson, is still alive."
It was Charles' turn to be wide-eyed and speechless. "She fell in love with a man named Jack Dawson?" Cal nodded. "Oh…well…she seems to be in love with my brother…James has told me that she's mentioned it to him that she loved him, and right now, they are probably on their way to Chicago for the week.”
Cal nodded, checking the time. "Oh! My, my, I'm late for a business meeting!" Cal stood, almost spilling his brandy. "Mr. Sherman, I apologize. Do join me for dinner tonight?"
Charles stood. "Indeed I will, Mr. Hockley. Do enjoy your meeting." With those words spoken, Charles departed, leaving Cal both late for his business meeting and in a state of confusion. When he finally thought that he understood Rose, he still did not quite get her.