IN THE ARMS OF A STRANGER
Chapter Seven

"What do you think of this, Rose?" Jack came out of the dressing room in a suit and tie. "Do you think your mother would approve?"

They were in a nice department store, buying clothes before they left for Philadelphia.

"You look rather handsome, Jack." Rose smiled. "I approve very much." She didn't want to tell him that nothing he did would ever be good enough for her mother unless he came from a family that was even richer than Caledon Hockley’s. "You could be dressed in rags and you'd still be the handsomest man in the world."

Jack just smiled. "I think I'll buy it."

Fifteen minutes later, they were done shopping and were at the train station waiting to board.

"Nervous, Rose?" Jack asked.

"Very. But as long as you're by my side, I know I'll be all right." Rose squeezed his hand.

"Well, then, I'll always be by your side." Jack smiled.

One hour later, they were on their way. Rose cuddled close to Jack and enjoyed his warmth. She hoped she was doing the right thing, going to see her mother and taking Jack with her.

Jack held Rose close. He couldn't help being nervous. He was going to meet Rose's mother, and according to her, she was a cold witch. But Jack was determined to find the good in the woman. Someone as warm and sweet as his Rose couldn't have come from a woman as cold and hateful as Rose had described her mother.

Eighteen Hours Later

Rose stepped off the train with quivering legs. This was it, the day of reckoning. In another hour or so, Rose would be face to face with her mother and maybe even Cal. She wanted so much to hop back on the train with Jack and head to Chippewa Falls, but she had to do this first. She had to get her mother and Cal out of the way, or she'd be living her life in fear.

"I'm here for you, Rose." Jack took her hand. "I won't let them hurt you."

Rose smiled up at him, her gratitude for his love and support shining in her eyes. "Thank you, Jack. Having you here with me means a lot."

Jack pulled her away from the train. "Come on. Let's get this over with. Lead the way. "

*****

After an hour of walking and fifteen minutes of riding in a carriage to her neighborhood, they stood in front of the mansion that Rose used to call home, up until her father died. He had made the house full of sunshine and laughter, despite how hard her mother had tried to make it into a museum. But after he had died, the mansion had turned as cold as her mother. Cold and forbidding. Rose dreaded coming back home from finishing school, and she dreaded returning to the mansion now, especially since she knew what was waiting for her.

"That's a big house." Jack stared up at the mansion. "You must have gotten lost in there."

"Only when my father died," Rose quietly replied. "That's when everything changed."

"Come on, Rose. Let's do this." Jack put an arm around her, and they began up the pathway that led to her front door.

Rose rang the bell and was greeted with the sight of Alice, one of her mother's many maids.

"Miss Rose! Come in, come in. Bring the young gentleman here with you!" Alice ushered them into the house. "Your mother is right upstairs. I'll go get her."

"Nice lady." Jack smiled.

"She was the one who practically raised me. She's more of a mother to me than Mother ever was." Rose sighed. "Jack, I don't know if I can do this. She's so...so..."

"Mean?"

Rose couldn't help but giggle at how Jack had innocently said the word. "Yes. Mean."

"Don't worry, Rose. Just remember, I'm here with you. Whenever you feel like you need strength and support, just squeeze my hand."

"You're so good to me, Jack."

"Well, you're even better to me." Jack took her in his arms, and they kissed. They broke apart just in time, because there came Ruth DeWitt Bukater down the stairs.

"There you are, Rose! Where have you been?" Ruth angrily exclaimed. "We looked all over for you after the ship left! And now poor Caledon is on another ship to Southampton to look for you! What a mess you have caused, wandering away like that!"

"Well, under the circumstances, Mother, I'm glad I did. I would rather have been in Southampton than on a sinking ship," Rose smartly replied, squeezing Jack's hand for support. Thank goodness he was there.

"And what's your excuse for wandering away like that?"

"I needed to get away from you, Mother. You and Cal were smothering me," Rose replied. "I needed some space. I was on my way back, but I got lost in the crowd."

"And who's this?" Ruth finally noticed Jack. She looked him over and already decided she didn't like him. His hair was too long, and he looked as if he never had an ounce of proper upbringing.

"This is Jack Dawson, Mother...my husband," Rose coldly replied. "Jack, this is my mother."

"Your what?" Ruth exclaimed, her eyes growing as wide as saucers.

"My husband. You see, Jack saved my life on my first night in Southampton, and he took me in. After a month, I decided I couldn't live without him, so on the way back here, onboard the Olympic, we got married."

"Have you completely lost your mind? You're engaged to Caledon. You couldn't have married another man," Ruth puffed. "Especially not a man you've only known for a month!"

"I'm not engaged to Cal anymore, Mother. And I did marry a man I've only known for a month, and it's the smartest move I've made in a long time. It was a mistake letting you talk me into getting engaged to Caledon Hockley. The man's an arrogant idiot."

"I can't believe you did this, Rose. And how are we going to live? To survive? You know I was depending on that money, Rose." Ruth crossed her arms.

"Mother, we'll survive like everyone else survives. The world does not revolve around money. That was what Daddy was trying to tell you when I was a little girl, but you refused to listen."

"Your father was a fool, and so are you for doing this! God, Rose, you're so selfish!"

"I'm selfish? You're the one who tried to have me married off without my consent! I never wanted to marry Cal! Never! That was all your idea!" Rose yelled. "In fact, you never cared about me. I don't even think you loved me! All I was to you was a meal ticket!"

"Rose..." Jack tried to intervene, but she was on a roll and couldn't be stopped.

"That's why Daddy died! Because you were such a cold witch! Always wanting him to drive you to cotillions and galas. Even when he was on his deathbed you wanted him to escort you to a wedding! What kind of wife is that?"

"Your father understood that, Rose. He understood that we had to keep up appearances." Ruth's voice was cold. "Appearances are everything."

"Not when it comes to the health of the one you love, Mother. See, that's the difference between you and me. You cared about what society thinks, and I care about love." Rose's voice turned from a shout into a sob. She moved closer to Jack, who put a comforting arm around her.

"Mr. Dawson, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to talk to my daughter alone," Ruth coldly replied.

Rose panicked and grabbed his hand. "No! He stays. I don't want to be alone with you so you can lay one of your world famous guilt trips on me again, Mother."

"Fine then, Rose. Then I'll just tell you what I think of this little mess you've made. You are a selfish, spoiled brat, thanks to your father. He spoiled you. Always letting you have your way and letting you play with the servants’ children when I had forbidden it. What he should have done was be more firm, but he refused. So now here you are, the product of the mess your father made, and I'm going to leave you to live in it. Don't expect a cent from me. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, you do, Mother," Rose just as coldly replied. "Oh, and by the way, you have no money, or anything else I want. I'm glad Daddy raised me the way he did. I would kill myself if I saw that I was becoming like you."

"Get out, Rose. I never want to see you again." Ruth turned her back on her daughter.

"That's fine with me, Mother. But let me just say that I feel sorry for you. You're going to die an old, lonely, bitter woman, and it'll be all your own fault. You know, you could've been a part of my family, but since you refused...there's nothing else to say but good-bye."

Ruth didn't even turn to say good-bye. She kept her back to her daughter until they both had left.

*****

"Rose? Are you okay?" Jack asked as they entered the hotel room they had rented for the night. First thing tomorrow, thanks to Rose's insistence, they were heading for Wisconsin. She hadn't said a word since leaving the mansion.

"I'm fine, Jack." Rose sighed, plopping down onto the bed, tired from the argument with her mother. "She didn't even care that I was unhappy. All she cared about was her money."

Jack sat next to Rose and began to massage the space between her shoulders, trying to relieve her tension. "I care, Rose. If that's any consolation."

Rose smiled. "It's a big consolation, Jack."

"Listen...I don't know how deep this goes with you and your mother, but someday you two will work it out. You're her daughter, for goodness sake. She can't hold a grudge against you forever."

"You don't know my mother, Jack. And besides, I couldn’t care less whether she forgives me or not. For one thing, I've done nothing to be forgiven for. And for another thing, I really don't want her in my life anymore. She was a nightmare that I gladly awoke from." Rose turned to face Jack. "But you, Jack...you still seem like a dream come true. Where have you been all my life?"

Jack just smiled and squeezed her shoulder. "Everywhere."

"Everywhere. You think we can go to everywhere together someday, Jack?" Rose asked, leaning into his arms.

"Of course. Just say when, and we're on our way." Jack smiled.

"When." Rose laughed. "But someday, Jack, I want to see everything you've seen in your travels, and more."

"You will, Rose. I promise." Jack kissed her forehead. "But now it's late, and we have an early train to catch in the morning. Let's get some sleep."

"I love you, Jack Dawson." Rose happily sighed, slipping under the covers.

"I love you, too, Rose Dawson." Jack joined her.

"I know one place we can go to, and we can go tonight," Rose seductively whispered into his ear.

"Where?"

"To the stars, Jack. Take me to the stars." Rose tenderly kissed his ear.

"Gladly, my lady." Jack smiled, claiming her lips.

Chapter Eight
Stories