A FIRE IN THE WIND
Chapter Twenty-Six
"Dear, I have to speak with you,"
came the voice of a tense Cal, interrupting Rose from a few guests that she was
socializing with.
"Why, yes. Of course," Rose
replied, bewildered.
"Meet me in the parlor in five
minutes," Cal stated, composed.
Rose was shocked. Why did Cal have to speak
with her? Was it because of Victoria? No, it didn't seem possible. Maybe it was
just a last minute wedding preoccupation that had to be dealt with. But what
about the tension in Cal's voice? He had seemed so cruel.
Rose was jittery and nervous entering the
parlor, and grew even more nervous when she saw Victoria, quite comfortable on
a love seat with a satisfied smile ear-to-ear.
"Sit down!" commanded Cal.
Rose obeyed, eyeing Victoria.
"From my understanding, there was a
certain incident that occurred the alley this evening. You don't have to
explain yourself, Rose. Victoria has filled me in on enough of the details, I
believe."
"Victoria!" Rose shouted fiercely.
"But why?"
Victoria smiled and came in a few feet closer
to Rose, and lowered her voice. "It was for your own good, really. I
couldn't bear to see you use improper behavior in the company of
gentlemen!"
Rose shrunk in her seat. She felt like
choking her cousin. Muttering rude remarks about everything that was important
to Rose was one thing, but ruining her whole entire life was quite another.
Cal continued, seeing the tension between the
two cousins. "I don't know what this behavior is about! I don't know if
this has to do with a certain dead steerage boy or what, but by God you will be
my wife in two days! Two days! This is not the type of behavior I should expect
from my fiancée at all! This will stop now! Do you understand?"
Rose was scared but remand calm outwardly.
"Cal, it was nothing. I hardly knew him at all. We were just
friends."
"Just friends? JUST FRIENDS?"
yelled Cal, losing his temper. "You were holding his hand God dammit,
Rose! What were you doing alone in an alley with a strange man?"
"I--I wasn't alone," replied Rose,
coolly. "I was with Allison."
Cal tried to relieve his anger but had no
such luck. "I don't want you out of this house until Sunday. Do you
understand me?"
Rose breathed in deeply and nodded.
Cal got up and silently left the room. Rose
tried to keep in her tears and just stared at Victoria, blankly.
"I--I don't understand. Why are you so
cruel?" Rose asked, immensely hurt.
Victoria took a seat across from Rose and
lost her composure. "Why were you having an affair with that poor
bastard?"
"I did not have an affair with
Jack--David," replied Rose, almost not correcting herself.
Victoria smiled, seeing that she had once
again caught her cousin in an awkward spot. "Who's Jack? I don't recall a
Jack. I recall a David."
"What are you talking about?"
replied Rose, in tears now. "I said David!"
And to think, ten days ago you called me a
whore!" Victoria shouted, leaving the room.
Rose broke down in tears after that. What
next? She was trapped. Victoria had ruined her only chance of escaping with
Jack, ever again. Her cousin had gotten into a battle she knew nothing about,
and had ruined everything. Yes, Victoria loved to make Rose's life miserable,
but this time she had gone too far.