TITANIC CONTINUED
Chapter Twenty

"Where would he be right now?"

Rose looked up at Jack, her expression questioning. "Who?"

"You know who. Cal."

Rose thought for a moment. "I'd imagine he's in the smoking room or the dining room. Why?"

"Because," Jack replied, "I think I owe him a little visit."

Rose sat upright. "No, Jack. I don't want you to lay a finger on Cal."

Jack was shocked. "What? Why the hell shouldn't I give him a beating? Look what he's done to you!"

Rose smiled at his protectiveness. "This is something I should handle. Don't you remember me telling you that I was getting off this ship with you? No matter what I have to do? Well, Cal is something I have to take care of myself. And my mother, too." She sighed. "I just don't know what I'm going to do."

Jack put his arm lovingly around her. "Just remember that I'm here for you. I can back you up at any time."

Rose smiled.

"So, what are you going to tell them?" Jack asked.

Rose sighed. "I really don't know yet. Part of me just wants to say to hell with them, and just run off with you never to be heard from again. But another part of me, the proper part, I guess, says I owe them both an explanation."

Jack nodded understandingly.

"Let me worry about all this. Let's take advantage of our time alone..." Rose's hand traveled up Jack's chest. She began kissing his neck.

"Whoa, slow down! You're supposed to be recuperating, remember?"

Rose laughed, but continued kissing his neck. Her hands began unbuttoning his shirt and her lips moved to his shoulders.

"Are you sure you're okay for this?" Jack asked, looking at her in concern.

"Trust me."

*****

As Jack and Rose lay holding each other, each was thinking about the same thing. What would Rose do to break her engagement to Cal? And what would she do about her mother?

Jack knew it would be hard for Rose to stand up to them both. But he also knew she would let nothing stand in the way of their happiness, and neither would he.

Suddenly, Rose sat up. She looked at Jack. "I'm going to tell them now."

Jack jumped up. "What? Just like that, huh?"

"Yes! I mean, think about it. What can Cal do? Force me to marry him? I will simply break off the engagement. I will tell him to his face as soon as I leave here."

"And your mother?" Jack inquired.

"I'll tell her, too." There was hesitation in her voice. "The thing is, Jack, is that...well, the only reason Mother is forcing me into this marriage is because Cal is so...well, he's rich. My father died, and..." Her face was becoming clouded with sadness, but she continued. "He left us with nothing. All we have is our good name. My mother is depending on this marriage. She knows that I don't love Cal, but to her, it's the money that matters. She's using guilt on me...asking me if I want her to wind up working as a seamstress...she makes me feel terrible about it constantly. I know it isn't completely my responsibility...but if I don't marry Cal, and I run off with you..."

"Your mother will be left helpless," Jack finished for her.

Rose nodded. "Right."

Jack thought for a moment. "Unless..."

"What?" Rose asked. "Unless what?"

"Unless we can support her," Jack finished.

Rose narrowed her eyes. "But what will we do to support ourselves?"

Jack acted offended. "Have you no faith in me?"

Rose playfully shoved him. "Of course I do. But on an artist’s pay..."

What Rose said was true. Jack had always been able to scrape by with his drawings. If he was going to support a wife, as well, he would need to start knocking out some masterpieces, and soon. But the idea of supporting Rose's mother was out of the question.

Unless a miracle happens, Jack thought.

"Wait! There is something," he said suddenly.

"What?"

"I can get a real job. I mean, I can go to work at a factory or a plant--"

"You mean give up drawing?" Rose interrupted.

"Well," Jack said thoughtfully, "I guess we have no other choice."

"No. Forget it," Rose said strongly, "I won't let you give up drawing. It's what you love. Even if we're poor, at least you'll be doing what you love."

"But--" Jack argued.

"No. Absolutely not. You don't understand, Jack. You can't give up drawing. I won't let you. You are amazingly talented, Jack. Someday, your drawings are going to make us rich! I just know you're going to be famous. But until then, you're not giving it up to go to work in some slum factory. The pay would barely be better. It wouldn't be worth it. We'll think of something else. It doesn't matter, as long as we're together," Rose said sincerely, standing up.

Jack stood up also, and as he did, he put his arms around her and whispered a thank you in her ear. They exchanged I-love-yous.

"So, you're going now? To tell them?"

Rose nodded. "I'm going to tell Cal. But I think I'm going to wait to talk to Mother. I need to think about what I'm going to say to her. It will take a lot of thinking, and I'll have to wait for the right time to tell her."

Jack kissed her head, breathing in her slightly strawberry-scented hair. Then he took her hand and kissed it. "For luck," he said.

*****

Before looking for Cal, Rose stopped by her suite to check her appearance. Since she'd left Jack's room, the pain had returned to her eye. He has his ways of taking my mind off the pain, she thought, smiling. Besides, she didn't want to go walking around the Titanic looking like she'd just been in a fight. She was anticipating a terribly noticeable black eye, at least. Surprisingly, when she looked in the mirror, she saw that beneath her eye was only slightly red, pink even. A little powder will take care of that, she said to herself.

The powder worked well in covering the pinkishness. It was still a little swollen, but not noticeably. She straightened her hair and headed out to look for Cal.

Rose entered the smoking room. She scanned the tables of men with their cigars and brandies in hand until she spotted Cal's dark hair amongst a half a dozen gray-headed gentlemen. They looked very engaged in conversation.

Rose approached the table. She let her breath out in a whoosh--she had been holding it without even realizing it.

Cal spotted her and a look of shock came over his face. Obviously, he hadn't expected her to be up on her feet so soon. Rose almost wanted to smile smugly, but she held herself back.

Cal excused himself and pulled Rose out into the corridor.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked incredulously.

"Am I not allowed to walk around as I please?" she asked, as if she didn't know what he was talking about.

"Surely you didn't come looking for an apology--"

Rose wasn't surprised. She shook her head and started to speak.

"Because," Cal interrupted, "you and I both know that you deserved to be punished after flat-out disobeying me. Maybe next time you will heed my first warning--"

This time Rose interrupted.

"There won't be a next time, Cal."

Cal smiled and looked relieved. "Good. That's good. I can see you've thought things through and you're finally going to start behaving like you should. Well, I'm very happy."

"That's not what I mean, Cal."

Cal looked bewildered.

"The engagement is off. I will not marry you."

She turned to go, but Cal grabbed her arm.

"Rose, let's go to my room and talk about this."

"No." Rose knew better. She would keep it here, out in public, so he couldn't lash out at her again. She refused to let him hurt her again.

"I insist," Cal said sternly.

"Let go of me," Rose commanded. "No. I will not go to your room with you. We have nothing to talk about. It's over."

With that, she ripped her arm free of Cal's grip and walked swiftly away without the slightest glance back.

Chapter Twenty-One
Stories