Rose
The train slowed to a stop as it pulled into Shawmont Station, and as I looked through the windows, searching for Jack or Harry, I could only see a blur of people milling about, waiting to board the train after we got off. I had sent Jack a wire when he and Harry were in England to catch a train to Philadelphia and meet us there so we could confront Cal. I never did get a return wire back and hoped that they got our information.
Torie got up and stretched before she picked up Anna and held her close. It was still chilly outside, and even though Anna was dressed in a cute winter coat, she got fussy when it got too cold out.
"There he is." I raised the window shade a bit more, picked up James' arm, and waved at Jack, who was leaning against one of the brick columns near the ticket window at the station. "But I don't see Harry."
"Odd." Torie looked through the crowd, but the only one we saw was Jack. "He never responded to my wire, either."
When we finally got off the train, Jack met me at the steps and kissed me before taking a very happy James from me. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine. A little tired, but I'm fine." I took one of Jack's hands in mine and put it across my stomach. "The baby has been active all day long. She misses you."
"She?"
"She. We've already got one boy. Now we just need a girl."
Torie was still looking around for Harry. "And where is my husband?"
"At the hotel. He said he wasn't feeling well, and since we got here a lot earlier than your train did, I told Harry I'd meet the two of you here and bring you back to the hotel. He said Jason would meet us tomorrow."
Jack herded Torie and me towards a waiting taxi. Not wasting any time, the taxi driver quickly got us to the hotel, and after Jack tipped the driver, he helped us inside with our baggage.
I left Torie alone and went into my room with Jack. By that time, James had fallen asleep for his mid-afternoon nap, but rather than putting him down, Jack was rocking him gently in his arms. "You do know you can put him down, right?"
"I know." He ran a soft hand over our sleeping son's head. "I just don't want to right now. What if this doesn't work? What if something goes wrong tomorrow?"
"It won't." I stood in front of Jack. "Nothing will go wrong, I promise you. Did you get a chance to talk to Officer Lightoller?"
"Yeah. It's not easy tracking that man down, since he's now a first officer. Harry and I finally found him at the office in Liverpool. He met us before we came back a few days ago and gave us the passenger manifest plus the official White Star Line listing of the deceased from the crash." He finally put James down and handed me an envelope out of his work bag. "This is what we found out."
I scanned the documents and felt my breath catch when I saw my name on the deceased list. "I guess Cal never thought to tell the White Star Line that I am alive and that I didn't die on board the Titanic."
Jack scoffed. "And ruin his reputation?"
"Very true." I flipped to the back part of the list, knowing that the third class passengers would be listed alphabetically on the last page of the form. "Here they are. Jim and Theresa O'Malley and their daughter, Sarah O'Malley."
"Now, keep that page up and move on to the decedent list."
It didn't take me long to find what I was looking for. "Jim and Theresa O'Malley, both deceased. Their bodies were pulled out of the water after the Titanic casualty by the CS Mackay-Bennett out of Halifax, Nova Scotia." I looked up at Jack. "Date of death April 15, 1912, but there's nothing here about their daughter being dead."
Jack cracked a smile. "Let's just hope that the girl that Cal has is this Sarah O'Malley."
I let the papers glide to the floor as I stood in the middle of the hotel room, taking in the information we had just received. "It has to be. Jason said the girl's parents' names were Jim and Theresa Hockley. Cal doesn't have anyone by the name of Jim or James in his family and certainly doesn't have a child that age. It just seems odd to me that Cal inherited this mystery child at the same time that I disappeared. He's passing her off as his own. He has to be." I shivered at the thought of any child being raised with Cal as a father. "At least I had sense enough to break away from him when I did. I just feel pity for this poor little girl."
Harry and Torie came over about four hours later and we went to dinner at the restaurant inside the hotel. Jason sent word through the hotel that he'd meet us a little bit later than he planned tomorrow, as he had a last minute errand to run, but assured us he'd meet us here and we'd all go to the Hockley Steel offices in downtown Philadelphia.
*****
The next morning dawned and, rather than the bright, cheerful sun we had had for the past week, we were met with overcast skies and a chilly northern breeze. True to his word, Jason met us at the hotel and, after assuring all of us that this would work, we caught two taxis to the Hockley Steel offices. I stood outside the perimeter fencing and stared at the ominous gray doors. I had been here several times during my engagement to Cal and was now reliving all of those times again. I hated coming here. I hated being shown off like a prized race horse, and that was how Cal had treated me. I was back here once again, only this time, I had to keep reminding myself that my name was Rose Dawson and not Rose Hockley.
Sensing that I needed a moment, Torie, Harry, and Jason stepped aside to give Jack and me some privacy. "Can we do this?"
Jack's eyes met mine. "This is the moment we've been waiting for. This is the only way we're going to be able to move on and put this behind us. If we don't do this, we're trapped. We're both trapped. We'll have to live our lives constantly looking over our shoulders. The next guy Cal hires may not be as nice as Jason is. What if he finishes the job?"
I looked behind Jack and saw Jason speaking with Harry about something. Torie was absentmindedly staring off at the cloudy skies and really wasn't paying much attention to anyone. "I'm afraid of him."
"Don't be." Jack kissed me on the forehead before he hugged me. "We're all behind you. All of us."
I put my hand across my stomach and motioned for Torie, Harry, and Jason to follow me as I put one foot in front of the other and stepped up the cobblestone steps and into the reception area of Hockley Steel. "I'm here to see Caledon Hockley."
The receptionist looked up at me. She was new and didn't recognize who I was. "Name?"
This was the moment I had been waiting for. "Rose Dawson is here, but he'll know me by my maiden name, Rose DeWitt Bukater."
Still oblivious to who I was and how had I faked my death on board the Titanic to get away from Caledon Hockley and his evil family, she called up to Cal's office and told him I was here to see him in the reception area. Even through the phone, I could hear Cal raising his voice, demanding to know why I was here. In hushed tones, the receptionist told him I was here with one other lady and three men. When she hung up, she told me Cal would be right down.
I felt my baby move inside of me and knew that it was giving me the strength to go on. I put my hand gently across my middle and braced myself for the storm I knew was coming.
Cal opened the door to the reception area so hard that it bounced against the wall and one of the panes of glass in the door shattered. "Rose, what in the hell are you doing here?" He saw Jack, Torie, Harry, and Jason behind me. "And you've brought the gutter rat crew, too. How thoughtful."
"I think the business we have to discuss is better done in a private atmosphere. Let's use your father's office. I think he deserves to know what his son has done." Without saying another word, I brushed by Cal and let myself into the back part of the office where Nathan's office was. I was relieved to see that his office hadn't moved since the last time I was here and even more so that he was still here. "Nathan Hockley. My, how it's been a long time."
"Rose." Nathan looked up at me in horror. "But we thought you were dead."
"Don't patronize me, Mr. Hockley. You and I both know that you knew I was alive and we also both know that you and your horrid son were behind getting my husband arrested for the theft of that necklace."
"We have no idea what you're talking about. The Heart of the Ocean sank with the Titanic."
"Well, then, let me bring you up to date on what your son did. Cal gave me that necklace as a gift. I have two people behind me who can vouch for that." I looked at Torie and Harry behind me, who I knew would back me up if given the opportunity. "Plus, Victoria's father and sister will affirm my story as well. I'm sure not many people would want to go against James Metcalfe, especially where his daughters are concerned. Your hired hand, Jason…well…let's just say he's been a little busy."
Nathan was intrigued. "Doing what?"
Now it was my turn to gloat. "Jason? Can you come in?"
The door opened and he came in with a brown envelope in his hand. "Mr. Hockley. Caledon." He held out the envelope. "I believe these photographs would be of interest to you."
Cal took the envelope and glanced at the photos before turning a shade of red I had seen when he was angry with someone. "Sarah? My daughter?"
"You mean your pseudo-daughter."
"Where did you get these? How did you find her?" He angrily threw the photos to the ground. "We had a deal, damn you!"
"You're right. We did have a deal. We had a deal that I was to kidnap Rose and the baby because this Dawson kid you spoke of was holding Rose hostage. You told me that Jack Dawson was the criminal here, holding Rose against her will. When I arrived at their house and began investigating as I planned how I was going to get Rose and the baby away from Jack, I started to notice things. I started to notice that Rose was happy. She was genuinely happy."
I gathered my strength, lifted my hand, and pointed at Cal. "And I am happy. I'm happier with Jack than I ever would have been with you. You…you just can't stand to lose, and you don't give up."
Cal tried to lunge at me, but Nathan stopped him. "Fine. What's with the dog and pony show here? Why are you here? To gloat? To tell us what?"
"Easy." Jason picked up one of the photos. "Everyone in this room knows she's not your biological daughter. There's no way she could be. Our plan is simple. Drop the charges against Jack or we go public with what we know."
Cal scoffed. "You don't know anything."
"Is that so?" Jason was smirking by this point. "We have it on good authority that the only way you got on a lifeboat on the Titanic when it was sinking out from under you was because of this little girl." The look on Cal's face changed dramatically and Jason noticed. "I see I'm on to something. I've done a little investigating, seeing as how that's my job and all, and I've found that the little girl's parents were named Jim and Theresa O'Malley. Passenger lists show them to be traveling with a young girl by the name of Sarah O'Malley. Now, imagine my surprise when we suddenly found out that you had a daughter named Sarah."
"You still haven't proved anything."
Jason was enjoying this. "In due time, Cal. In due time. Now, I investigated further and found this." He pulled a piece of paper out of another envelope. "This is a copy of the list of the deceased on board the Titanic. If you'll skip by first class, where, by the way, we see Rose DeWitt Bukater, and go all the way down to third class, we'll see Jim and Theresa O'Malley, but it's most surprising that their daughter, Sarah, is not on that list."
Cal must have known it was bad and I could tell his stomach was starting to roil at the sight of Jason betraying him. "Fine. I'll admit it."
"Caledon, stop. You'll admit nothing. Do you understand me? Nothing."
"But, Father…"
"Nothing! Silence is what's called for now." Nathan stepped forward. "What do you want?"
"These pictures I have are enough to ruin you. We also have proof that your son bribed an officer to get on board a lifeboat when the Titanic sank and used this little girl. He knew that there was no way that he'd survive without her and used this little girl to save his own life." Jason was flipping through the envelope and produced another document. "Witness statements from the sinking show that Cal got on board the Carpathia with a young girl, but on the Titanic, he only came in with Ruth and Rose, plus their attendants and his valet."
Nathan didn't budge. "So what? My boy is a hero. He saved this little girl from drowning in frigid waters and in return, he guaranteed a spot on a lifeboat."
I was beginning to get nervous. Nathan had a point. Jason had a valid argument, but I knew how much the Hockley family could spin public relations media to their advantage. They'd been doing it for years, and even after my funeral, it was all about Cal and advancing the Hockley name. "Maybe so. Maybe you can put the blame on someone else to where you come out the good guy. Maybe you can't. We do have one thing you don't." Jason had a folded piece of paper in his hands. "A crew report from the Carpathia involving your son with a certain young woman in this room. Medical records from the Carpathia doctors as well as officer statements about what happened to Mrs. Lowe on board the Carpathia at the hands of your son."
Jason finally cracked Nathan's outer shell. "Caledon! What have you done?"
"Father, I…"
"I don't want to hear it. Just be quiet." Nathan let out an exasperated sigh. "What is it you want?"
"My husband." My voice was soft, but I spoke up. "I want the charges against my husband dropped. I want your whole family to leave me the hell alone. I want a guarantee that no member of your family will ever come near mine again."
Cal glared at all of us. I couldn't be sure what he was thinking, but if I had to go out on a limb, he was extremely angry over how he was betrayed by Jason. If there was one thing the Hockley family hated, it was betrayal. I just hoped Jason knew what he was doing. Nathan excused himself and left the office, leaving Cal to brood over what he had done.
"Rose."
I turned, faced Cal, and gasped. "Cal, stop!"
The gun he was holding was a silver-plated pistol with a mother-of-pearl grip. "Did you really think I'd let you win that easily?"
Jack shoved me behind him as Harry stood in front of Torie. He pulled me behind him and shielded both Torie and me from Cal's aim. Cal just laughed. "I could have you both dead before you hit the ground. Do you honestly think that hiding them will help them any? Two shots in quick succession and you're both gone."
I heard the sound of another gun clicking behind me. "You may be able to get off one shot, but not two." Jason had his own pistol raised and was aiming at Cal. "Go on. I dare you. The instant I hear that gun being cocked, you're dead."
Cal swung the aim of the pistol in Jason's direction and scoffed, "You. You betrayed me." He aimed the gun at me and started to point at both Jason and me. "You both betrayed me. The last person who betrayed me didn't do well." He put the pistol down at his side. "Just keep that in mind next time you're out in public."
"Enough!" Harry's voice was loud enough to startle me. "I'm about two seconds away from summoning the law. Both of you. Enough!"
"Being bossed around by a sailor." Cal raised the gun again. "How charming."
Jason had his gun aimed at Cal. "You never learn. We're offering you a way out if you'll offer us a way out. Your secret about your alleged daughter will be safe if you'll drop the charges against Jack. You have had that court date moved so many times that if the judges and jury weren't on your payroll, you'd be on trial alongside Jack. I'm giving you one last chance. A trade. The evidence about who Sarah really is for Jack's freedom and you leaving everyone in this room alone."
Cal heard Nathan's footsteps and put the gun back in the desk drawer. "We're not done yet."
When Nathan finally came back, he had something in his hand. "Here."
He handed Jack the piece of paper. "A check?" Jack looked at me. "We don't want your money. I want my freedom. Rose and I want our lives back." To my shock, Jack ripped the check into tiny pieces and threw them into the air like confetti shreds. "Do we have a deal or not? Either you leave us alone or we go public about Sarah's true identity. Everyone in this room knows she's not a biological child of any Hockley family member. We also know how Cal wormed his way on board a lifeboat when the ship sank. I also know that reputation is everything for you people and you should know what Jason is capable of."
"Caledon?" A young woman with blonde hair entered the office. She couldn't have been much older than me and as my eyes drifted downward, I saw that she was pregnant as well, probably a month ahead of me. "Is everything all right?"
"Not now, Julia."
"But Caledon, we have that polo match…"
He cut her off as he raised his voice. "I said not now!"
The woman cast a glance at me. Apparently Cal had told her about who I was, because the look on her face was one of shock. "Rose?"
"Julia! I said leave!" Cal bellowed. "Now!"
With a slam of the door, Julia went back to the front of the office, leaving us alone. I seized the moment. "I'm guessing the wife doesn't know about Sarah's lineage, either?"
"Leave my wife out of this."
"Leave my husband out of this!"
"How about you all leave?" Nathan came out from behind his desk and started to shove Harry and Jack towards the door. "Now."
Jason interfered. "You give us what you want and you can have the photos and the documents. If you don't, we leave with them. This is a one shot deal that expires when the clock strikes four."
The grandfather clock in the room read 3:55. Cal had five minutes to decide his fate. Without even bothering to wait, Nathan accepted our deal in exchange for the pictures and documents Jason had collected. "You have my word no one will bother you again."
"Pardon me, but the Hockley word to me isn't worth anything. You've tried to hurt us once. What's to say that you won't again?" Jack stood in front of me, protecting me from Cal and his evil glare. "You and I had a deal on board the Titanic. Remember? Something about us both catching a lifeboat together? Then, after it was all said and done, you sold me out."
"Cal isn't giving you his word. I am." Nathan held out his hand. "I am giving you my word that my son will leave you alone." He glanced at Torie and Harry. "You two as well. Your father and I have done a lot of business in the past and I hope he and I can continue to do business in the future. You know I would never jeopardize such a relationship. As a business acquaintance of your father's, I am giving you my word that Cal will leave you alone. I will see to it."
Jack looked at Nathan's hand, unsure about what to do. When the clock struck four, he shook Nathan's hand and when he did, I felt a weight lift off of my shoulders. We had won. Cal continued to silently brood in the corner, knowing that once his father gave his word, there was little, if anything, he could do. Part of me wanted to throw it in his face that I had won and walk out with my head held high, but the other part of me, which these days was the rational part, knew it was best to leave well enough alone and just walk out while we had the chance. Cal's gaze kept shifting downward toward the drawer with the pistol in it. Jason had put his gun back in the holster underneath his coat and put his hand on the outside of his coat where the gun was. Cal got the message and folded his arms across his chest as he leaned against a filing cabinet behind Nathan's desk.
Nathan escorted us out of the office, told us he wished us all well, and assured us once again that he'd keep a handle on his son. I knew Nathan well enough to know he was somewhat more reliable than Cal was, but even then, I had my doubts.
Once outside, I learned that Jason had a backup plan. "I gave Nathan the photographs of the girl, but he doesn't know I have copies. Plus the documents he had? It was a flyer from a newspaper I bought on my way to meet all of you." He held out another envelope. "The real reports are in there. Guard these with your life. I hope you never have to use them."
I hugged Jason. "Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for everything you've done for me. For all of us."
"You're welcome. Take care of that baby for me." After hugging Torie and shaking Jack's and Harry's hands, Jason caught a cab, headed to the train station.
We spent the rest of our vacation in Philadelphia enjoying the sights before we went back home. Harry was being promoted to third officer and Jack was also due for a promotion. After the births of our children, Jack said he had made arrangements for all of us to sail to England for the ceremony, which would take place during the early summer months.
Life continued to flow by easily. Right after we got back, Jack opened a safe deposit box at our bank and we left the envelope with the evidence in it, just in case Cal tried anything.
Almost a month later, Harry and Jack were both gone to work and Torie was at home asleep. James and I were playing in the house and I was trying to get him to eat. He was too busy entertaining himself with his toys to pay attention to food. I gave up on feeding him for the time being and got up and went to put the food back in the kitchen when I heard a knock at the door.
"Coming." I left James on the floor, playing with some brightly colored blocks Jack had gotten him. James was too little to understand that he was supposed to build things with them and seemed content to pick up some in his tiny hands and bang them against the flooring.
The person on the other side of the door knocked again. I didn't peer through the curtains anymore when I answered the door. Nathan had given his word to leave us alone and I didn't feel a need. My breath caught when I opened the door and saw who was knocking.
"Rose."
"Mother."