A FIRE IN THE WIND
Chapter Fourteen
Rose woke up to the sound of rain pattering
on the window. The street outside was dead and quiet. Rose guessed it was about
6:30. Her mother would still be asleep.
Rose got out of bed and began devising a plan
to see Jack. Her mother hadn't mentioned any plans for today. Thank God!
Rose began to nervously pace around her room.
The wedding was a week from Sunday. Today was Wednesday. She and Jack hadn't even
begun to discuss about Rose's plan to run away from her life.
Rose was shaking with fear. Just the thought
of Cal touching her made Rose moan in pain. It wasn't meant to be. There was no
way she could persuade Cal to call off the marriage. Caledon Hockley had a good
name, and didn't want to ruin his reputation with society.
By breakfast, the rain was pouring down
fiercely and showed no signs of stopping. The breakfast room was silent, except
for the clinking of teacups. Rose looked up at her mother, questioningly. Ruth
seemed to be in a good mood. Now was the best time to ask.
"Mother, may I go out after breakfast? I
have a few errands to run," Rose asked, out of the blue.
Ruth looked up from her teacup and frowned.
"Rose, have you looked outside? It's pouring."
Rose looked back down at her plate,
disappointed by her failed attempt.
At about ten there was a knock on Rose's
door. "Miss Rose," came a voice from the hallway. "Miss
Courtwell's on the telephone for you."
Rose smiled. Allison! Thank God! Maybe she
could solve her problem. Rose walked fast to the telephone in the study.
"Ali?" Rose smiled, picking up the
telephone.
"Rosie!" came a sweet voice on the
other end of the line. "I haven't talked with you in days. Are you all
right?"
Rose laughed, realizing she hadn't told her
friend the next chapter to the Jack Dawson story. "I'm fine," Rose
said, more cheery then usual.
"Listen, Rose. I'm truly bored. The
house is so empty! Did I tell you my parents are away on business in Baltimore?
Anyway, can you come over?"
Rose smiled. "I'll go ask my
mother."
Ruth gave in and let Rose go over to
Allison's house for a while.
Rose arrived at Allison's house in one of the
family's autos, driven by Edward, the driver. She would much rather have
walked, but her mother wouldn't allow it.
Rose rang the doorbell and looked up at
Allison's house. How long had it been since Rose had been over? A few months,
maybe.
The door opened, and Rose was pleased to see
her friend's usual bright face. "Rosie! Come in!"
Rose smiled and walked into Allison's house.
Allison was an only child, just like Rose.
Her mother, unlike Rose's, was not terribly strict and let Allison get away
with things more easily. Mrs. Courtwell still held a high place in society, and
was fairly good friends with Ruth.
Rose and Allison headed up to Allison's room,
which seemed to be the most comfortable place in the house for the two. They
both took a seat on Allison's bed.
"So, what's been happening lately?"
asked Allison, questioning her friend's unusually good mood.
"A lot!" said Rose with a laugh.
"Do you remember the Jack Dawson story?"
"Yes," said Allison, morbidly.
"There's another chapter to it!"
Rose explained to Allison what had happened
since Saturday. Allison listened in awe. She was just as amazed at what
happened as at the first half of Rose's story.
"You--you mean he's still alive?"
Allison replied to the story, literally shocked.
"Yes," Rose answered with a smile.
"He lives about fifteen minutes away from my house. The problem is, I
haven't been able to see him for a few days. I'm scared. He's going to help me
run away from my life, but it seems like I'll never be able to see him
again."
There was an uneasy silence for a few
seconds, and then Allison looked up at Rose. "Come on. Let's go!"
Rose laughed, nervously. "What are you
talking about? There's no way we'll be able to!"
Allison groaned. "Rose! Do you ever want
to see him again?"
This startled Rose. She nodded sadly.
Allison smiled. "Then get up and do
something about it! Your mother isn't expecting you home until four."
Rose listened to Allison, and twenty minutes
later they were standing in Jack's doorway.
"I promise you, you'll like him!"
Rose said to Allison, happy to be near Jack again.
Allison looked around the hallway, distracted
by its uncouth appearance. Even Allison the tomboy wasn't used to the poor
people's living conditions.
Jack opened the door and was immensely
relieved to see Rose. He hugged her passionately, and was surprised to see a
girl, about her age and her social class, standing next to her.
"I've see you've brought a friend,"
Jack said, a little confused.
"Oh! I'm sorry!" Rose said,
embarrassed. "Jack, this is Allison, my best friend. I told her
about…well, us, when I thought you were dead. My mother thinks I'm over at her
house, but I decided I had to see you!"
Jack smiled and shook Allison's hand.
"You didn't tell me he was this
cute!" Allison murmured to Rose, blushing.
Jack broke down into laughter and escorted
the two in.
The three sat down at Jack's table, watching
the rain pour into the streets below. It was silent, except for the pattering
of the rain on the window. No one talked. They didn't know what to say. The
wedding was less than two weeks away, and no one could think of any ideas.
Allison eyed both Rose and Jack a few times. They looked so devastated. They
obviously had been through a lot together, and weren't about to let Caledon
Hockley come between them. Allison wanted to help. Rose had been her best
friend since she was six years old, and she wanted her friend to be happy.
Allison believed that Jack Dawson was the key for Rose's eternal happiness.
The silence lasted a few more minutes. It
haunted all three of them, vastly. Rose and Allison both gasped softly when
Jack finally had the courage to speak up. "Rose, what are we going to do?
Got any brilliant ideas?" Jack asked, trying to hide the fear in his eyes.
"I--I don't know," Rose began,
afraid. "Cal is coming back tomorrow, and he will not let me go on any
visits across town without the company of a servant. I don't know what to
do!"
Jack looked into Rose's face. She was
perfectly composed. How did she do it? Jack looked far into her eyes, and saw
her fear. It was there, no doubt, and it was larger then anything Jack had ever
seen before. Rose seemed to want to let everything out at once, but didn't.
Maybe it was because she was afraid. Maybe she didn't want to worry him.
Whatever the reason, Rose kept the majority of her fear hidden.
Time passed. The three plotted out dozens of
escape plans on scraps of paper. They covered the ground like rocks in an
alley, all worthless.
"Rose, we have to leave. If the auto
comes to pick you up, and you're not there, your mother is going to know we
spent the afternoon out," Allison murmured to Rose, depressed.
Rose was almost in tears. A composed face no
more, she spoke, having trouble getting out the words. "Oh, no! Not yet!
What's going to happen? We need more time."
Jack paused for a few seconds and thought.
What could he say? There she was, the love of his life, about to go back to her
world, maybe forever. "Rose…I know it's hard. It's hard for me too. Hell,
I don't know what's going to happen, or how it will turn out in the end. But I
think it'll be all right. Allison," Jack said, addressing Allison. "I
need your help, too. You can play the part of the messenger. If you wouldn't
mind, could you come over a few days a week to help think of a plan?"
Allison nodded.
"Good." Jack smirked.
"Whenever you see Rose, you can tell her what happened. Eventually, we'll
think of a plan. But I promise you, Rose. If you are going to walk down the
aisle with anyone, it will be me." Rose passed over to Jack and kissed
him, affectionately.
"You're just gonna have to trust
me," Jack whispered into Rose's ear, tenderly.
Rose nodded reluctantly. Her face had little
red spots all over, she had been crying so much. Her hands were shaky and
fidgety. "It'll work out," Rose said, her voice high-pitched from
crying. "You're right. Fate brought Jack and I back together. That means
something."
Rose and Allison made it back to Allison's
house on time. Ruth didn't suspect a thing. For the rest of the day, Rose
thought about Jack. It would turn out all right in the end. It had to.