ANOTHER CHANCE
Chapter Nine
Rose felt as if she
had finally managed to take off a blindfold that had been firmly attached for
weeks. Cal was only trying to manipulate her back into the living hell called
first class, and she had fell for it! She had been a fool for the last week,
but no more.
"No, Mr.
Hockley, I will not go," she said with an iciness in her voice that would
have intimidated her mother.
"But,
Rose--"
She put up her hand
to stop him. "I do not want to discuss this. In fact, I never want to see
or hear you again, Caledon Hockley!"
"You won't, I
can guarantee you that."
"Good, because
I don't want to be jumping off any ships trying to get away from you!"
"You were
trying to jump that night?" he said, sounding strangely distant, as if
Rose wasn't there at all. "I should have known. I should have given you
something that mattered, not a stupid necklace."
"What could
YOU possibly give me?"
Cal apparently
didn't hear. "Why didn't I bring those sketches like I was going to? Why
in God's name did I have to buy a two million dollar necklace instead?"
"Wait a
minute! What drawings?"
"The Calvert
drawings I left at home. I was going to give them to you."
"There is
something you're not telling me. Tell me what it is, now!"
Cal sighed. "I
didn't want to do it this way, but you leave me no choice." He pulled a
leather portfolio out. "This is Michael Calvert's latest work." He
opened the sketchbook. Inside was a charcoal of Jack and Rose embracing, after
Rose had jumped back on to the ship.
"But the only
person who knew about that was--" She stopped, unable to face the obvious
conclusion.
"Yes, Rose, I
am Michael Calvert."