IN THE ARMS OF A STRANGER
Chapter Fifteen

The Next Morning

Susan was sitting at the kitchen table, a plate of bacon and eggs in front of her while she read the local newspaper when Caledon Hockley came stumbling into the room, as cross as always.

"Where's the room service around here? I don't even have a bell to ring!" Cal demanded.

"We don't have room service here in the boarding house." Susan shrugged. "If you want breakfast, you're going to have to do like everyone else and fix your own plate. It's right there on the stove."

Cal grumpily snorted and went to the cabinet to get a plate. "This is so absurd. Whoever heard of no room service?"

"Everyone except you, obviously." Susan looked up from her paper. "My goodness, and I thought Rose was bad when she first came here. At least she didn't expect room service."

"Rose never did appreciate the highlights of luxury. She even said that Titanic wasn't any larger than the Mauritania." Cal chuckled. "Then she took off to shack up with that street rat."

Susan's anger flared up at that comment. No one, especially an arrogant, snobby swell like Caledon Hockley, talked that way about her best friend. "How dare you call Jack that? He's anything but a street rat! He's the sweetest, most sincere person I know, and obviously he was doing something right to make Rose fall in love with him, unlike you. In fact, Rose told me you were suffocating her. That's why she took off."

"How dare you talk that way to me? Do you even know who I am?"

"Caledon Hockley, son of a Pittsburgh steel tycoon and a pain in the ass." Susan crossed her arms. "Your title doesn't impress anyone here, Mr. Hockley. We're not going to bow down whenever you come into a room. You might as well get used to it."

"In all my years, I have never been spoken to in such a manner!" Caledon exclaimed angrily. "I demand an apology right now!"

"Dream on!" Susan stood from her chair, facing Caledon down.

"Susan Eugenia Swallens! How dare you treat one of my tenants in such a disgusting manner? Apologize right now!" Mrs. Emma barged into the room, her cheeks flaming with embarrassment.

"But, Mother..."

"Now, Susan."

Susan didn't look at Cal. She glanced down at the floor, and her voice was flat. "I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted." Cal held his chin high.

Then Susan held her head up and looked Cal straight in the eye. "I'm sorry that Rose had to suffer your presence in what might have been a great trip to Europe!" With that said, Susan marched out of the house.

"I do apologize." Mrs. Emma shook her head. "I don't know what gets into her."

"I suggest, Madame, that you get some control over your daughter. Where I come from, women don’t allow such things to come out of their daughter's mouths, nor for them to storm out of the house unescorted." Cal waltzed out of the room in search of a phone to make another business call.

Mrs. Emma just stood in the middle of her kitchen, shaking her head in amusement. Her daughter sure could hold her own. Caledon Hockley might have just met his match in her.

*****

Rose was at the country store buying groceries for that night when she heard the ring of the bell as someone entered the store and Brianna's flirtatious voice greeting the visitor. Rose turned to see Cal, looking right at her.

"Why, isn't it my wayward fiancée again?" Cal grinned, interrupting Brianna's rendition of how good her blueberry muffins tasted. She glared at Rose, knowing that once again one of her suitors was distracted. "Where's your husband?"

"That's none of your concern, Mr. Hockley. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to pay for these." Rose tried to move past Cal, but he roughly grabbed her by the arm before she could get away.

"Not so fast, Rose. That was very rude, running off like that in Southampton, and very immature," Cal growled. "Do you know how much I've spent for our now aborted wedding? Do you?"

"Is that all you care about, Cal? That I cost you thousands of dollars? For a second there, I thought it was because you actually cared about me. How foolish that was." Rose jerked her arm out of his grasp.

"You're pushing my limit, Rose. I want an explanation right now!"

"And I gave you one yesterday! I don't love you, and I have never loved you. Oh, sure, at one time I found you charming. What girl wouldn't? But then you made the mistake of letting your true colors show. You talked down to me, Cal. You never listened to me or to my ideas. You treated me like I was a prize you won at one of your shooting competitions, holding me up for the world to see! But I'm not a prize, Cal. I'm a person, and I have found someone who treats me like I'm a person! Now, if you'd be so kind as to move out of my way, I'll be going." Rose pushed past Cal and out the door after depositing a heap of money on the counter.

"Rose!" Cal called after her. "Rose! You come back here this minute! Don't you dare walk away from me!"

But she was long gone. She wasn't even in sight anymore. "Women," Cal hissed.

"I'm sorry about Rose," Brianna apologized.

"At least someone in this one horse town understands." Cal snorted. "She was always wild like that. Never wanted to sit still and do what she was told. I was foolish to think I could tame her. I should have chosen someone more domesticated."

Susan stepped out from behind some shelves. "You sound like you're talking about a horse."

"Shut up, Susan," Brianna hissed.

"No, really, Brianna. Don't you see that he's describing the woman he was supposed to marry like she's a horse? No matter what, Rose ran away from you. I know I'd never want to be married to someone like that."

"You have no right to talk to him that way, Susan," Brianna growled.

"Well, someone needs to put him in his place. He has to learn he can't treat us women like we're cattle!"

"Susan..." Brianna began, but was interrupted by Cal's dejected sigh.

"What?" both girls asked in unison.

"You're right. I didn't realize it until Susan said something and I went back over my words. I did treat Rose like she was my possession. I just wanted a trophy to hang on my wall of accomplishments. You see, Rose was one of the hardest girls to get...one of the best girls. And to even court her was considered a great accomplishment. Once I got her where I wanted her and I thought she was mine for sure, I began to claim possession of her. I growled at any other man who even looked at her. Then I refused to listen to her...I mean, to really listen to her. I mean, what could my prized trophy possibly have to say that was so important that it warranted my undivided attention? Then I spoke down to her and even mentally abused her by calling her stupid. I noticed the hurt in her eyes, but at the time...I didn't care. She had no right trying to assert her independence."

"What are you trying to say here, Mr. Hockley?" Susan asked, trying her best to get where Cal was going with his story.

"That I'm sorry. That I'm sorry I treated the one person that I did love like she was no better than a horse."

Susan laughed. "I almost believe you loved her, Mr. Hockley, but your actions say otherwise."

"I did love her. I did. But I was never raised to show my affection. That only weaklings showed their feelings. And I didn't want to be weak. I wanted to be strong and assert my dominance over my fiancée. And in the end she left me...left me for a man far better than I, by the look of it."

"You got that right." Susan crossed her arms.

"If you two ladies will excuse me now, I'm going back to the boarding house to pack." Cal slumped his shoulders in defeat.

"Wait! Don't go!" Brianna cried after him.

But it was too late. Caledon Hockley had left the building.

*****

Susan returned home to find Cal in his room, packing his things. "Leaving us so soon?"

"I got what I came here for. To see Rose...see how she was doing. I've done that, and now it's time for me to head back to Philadelphia."

"Did you apologize to her yet?"

"What?" Cal turned to her, confusion in his eyes.

"Did you apologize to Rose yet? It's the least you can do, you know." Susan stared him straight in the eyes.

"No. I haven't apologized to her. She won't accept it, anyway."

"How do you know if you don't try?" Susan asked. "Come on. We'll head to the Dawsons right now, and you can talk to her."

"What? Are you mad? She won't even stay in the same room with me, much less talk to me." Cal pulled back.

"Rose is a Dawson now, and one thing the Dawsons are big on is forgiveness. Believe me, I can't tell you how bad the fights I got into with Jack got, most of them my fault, of course, but he always forgave me." Susan laughed.

"But Rose is also a Bukater, and they are not as big on forgiveness as your Dawsons might be." Cal sighed.

"Well, you won't know until you try. Come on. I'll go over there with you." Susan took his hand and pulled him out the door, despite his protests.

Fifteen Minutes Later

Jack and Rose were in the kitchen, making dinner. Rose was putting the beef in the stew when Susan and Cal arrived.

"Looks like we've got company." Jack smiled, spotting Susan and Cal at the screen door. "Come on in." Jack opened the door. "Both of you."

"No." Rose stepped up beside Jack, her expression cold. "Mr. Hockley can remain outside."

"Oh, Rose, don't be like that." Susan sighed. "He came over to apologize..."

"For the store? No need. I've been treated that way by him before. It's no big shock." Rose shrugged.

"He...I'll let him explain himself." Susan stepped aside, signaling for Cal to speak.

Cal looked at Susan. Then he looked at Rose. "Rose...please hear me out before cutting me off. This is really something I have to say."

"All right, then. Say what you have to, then leave." Rose crossed her arms.

"I realized how I've been treating you ever since the day we got engaged, and I'm ashamed of myself. I treated you like you were a prize to be shown off, not like a real person. I never listened to your feelings or your ideas. I treated you like you were a horse, and I'm sorry. I'm sorry I treated you so horribly, and believe it or not, I did love you...I just didn't know how to show it." Cal sighed, bowing his head.

"Is that all you have to say, Mr. Hockley?" Rose was still cold towards him. Part of her was touched by his speech, but a larger part didn't trust him. He had to be up to something.

"Yes. I never deserved your love, and I'm glad you found someone who does." Cal nodded. "Mr. Dawson. Take good care of her. She's a remarkable woman for putting up with me as long as she did."

"I know." Jack smiled, placing an arm around Rose's shoulders.

"So, Rose...will you forgive me?" Cal asked tentatively, not wanting to push her.

Rose was silent for a couple of seconds before answering. "To be honest, Mr. Hockley...I don't know. I don't know if I can ever forgive all you've done." Rose stepped closer to Jack. "I need time to think this through."

"I understand. I'll be going now." Cal turned to the door when Jack spoke up.

"Feel free to come again." Jack's eyes were sincere as Cal stared at him with a mixture of surprise and respect.

"Thank you, Mr. Dawson. Good night to you both." With that, both Cal and Susan were out the door and heading back to the boarding house.

"Now, you see, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Susan asked.

"No, it wasn't. But she still hasn't forgiven me, and probably never will. Not that I can blame her. I can't really forgive myself."

"Give it time, Mr. Hockley. She'll come around." Susan took his hand and stopped. "She can't stay mad forever. Especially with someone like Jack around. He's a good soul with a forgiving nature, and some of that's bound to wear off on Rose."

"You certainly have faith in your friend there. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were in love with him." Cal laughed and stopped when he noticed that Susan wasn’t laughing along with him, but staring down at the ground. "Susan...did I say something wrong?"

"No. It's not you. It's life in general. It's funny how it works out." Susan sighed. "Don't tell anyone this, especially Rose, but I've always kind of imagined me and Jack getting married, not him leaving town and returning five years later with a wife in tow."

"If it's any consolation, I know how you feel. Right now, I was expecting to be married to the best of all society women, but now she's married to someone else and I'm here standing in the middle of the street of some strange town speaking to a very attractive woman."

Susan blushed. "Well...we’d better get back to the boarding house."

"Yes. I have to pack the rest of my things and be on my way back to Philadelphia." Cal sighed. "This really is a quaint little town. It's too bad I'm returning to the city so soon."

"Well, don't if you don't have to. Stay. We'll be glad to have ya." Susan grinned.

"You mean you'll be glad to have my money, don't you?" Cal laughed. "But seriously, I think I might. At least until Rose says…I think I might. At least until Rose says those three little words."

"You'll never hear those from her, Mr. Hockley. Those are only reserved for Jack." Susan smiled wistfully.

"I meant I want to hear her say I forgive you." Cal rolled his eyes. "Is everything a joke with you people?"

"No. But a joke sure does come in handy once in a while." Susan laughed. "Come on. Ma has dinner on the table right about now, and she doesn't appreciate stragglers."

Cal sighed as they headed back to the boarding house. He didn't know how long he was going to stay in Chippewa Falls, but he knew one thing. He was going to get Rose to forgive him...one way or another.

Chapter Sixteen
Stories