A FIRE IN THE WIND
Chapter Thirty-One
"Rose, they're ready for you."
Ruth's voice came from the threshold.
"I'll just be a minute," Rose
replied, flatly.
"Please, do hurry," Ruth urged her
daughter. "You needn't keep everyone waiting."
After Ruth closed the door, Rose slammed her
hand against the vanity. After everything that she had been through, things
would be exactly as they once were! She had no choice. Hundreds had gathered in
the church, waiting for her. Rose could make a scene.
Rose got off of her chair reluctantly and
sighed. Jack had tried. He really had. There was nothing else he could have
done.
*****
Molly Brown sat in the third aisle
helplessly. She had never seen so many gathered for a wedding before. Poor
Rose. There was nothing she could do.
Next to Molly sat Mary Bukater. Mary and
Molly had become friends quickly in their few minutes of sitting next to each
other, but spoke nothing of Rose.
Both women were nervous, but remained
composed. There was nothing that they felt they could do.
'What else is there left for me to do?' Molly
thought to herself, aggravated. 'Make a scene? Steal the bride from the altar?
What's done is done. Besides, what do I know? Maybe Rose really does love Cal.
Only she can stop this now. If Rose feels she can't go through with this,
she'll speak up. I just hope that she has the courage to do so.'
*****
Rose stood in the hallway, in front of the
massive room of so many strangers. Regina, Samantha, Diane, and Rebecca were
whispering excitedly behind her. Rose wasn't paying attention to their
infantile conversation. She wasn't paying attention to anything. Jack had given
her a second chance, and she had ignored it. How could she have been so naive?
"Where's Allison?" Diane whispered.
"She hasn't shown up yet!"
"Can you believe it?" asked Regina.
"Where could she be?"
At that moment the organ's music began to hum
softly from inside. Rose swallowed hard. She had never felt so awful in her
entire life. Her face was pale white and refined, but if you looked closely,
you could tell that Rose wasn't exactly a content bride.
For a few seconds, Rose couldn't move. She
remained stationary, and thought about what she was about to go through with.
How could she do this to herself? How could she do this to Jack? Rose caught
one glance at her mother's beseeching stare and began to pace slowly down the
aisle. Rose was terrified.
'Dammit!' Rose thought fiercely. 'I can't
believe this. I can't think straight. This is just what Mother wanted, isn't
it? A large wedding, and a marriage to a man of high society. And after Daddy
made me promise. I had so many chances to get away. Why didn't I? Why the hell
couldn't I?'
Rose was already a third of the way down the
aisle, but her thoughts were running wild. 'This is why I wanted to die in the
first place. And here I am. Here I am.'
Rose's mind went blank. Either she had
forgotten how to think properly, or she was in far too much pain to. Whatever
the reason, not a thought passed through her head. There were only emotions,
fear, hatred, confusion, betrayal, guilt. The list went on and on. Rose was
feeling so many different emotion at the same time that she couldn't tell them
apart. They had all mixed together to create one big plague in Rose's mind.
Rose's appearance was somewhat ghostly. Cal
hadn't noticed. He had never cared about what Rose was feeling. Molly and Mary
had both noticed Rose's state in an instant. They couldn't bear to look at her.
They could hardly stand being in the church, but couldn't get up, for they
didn't want to make a scene.
Out of nowhere, like a shooting star in a
clear night sky, came the words of Jack in Rose's mind. 'Rose, I promise you if
you ever walk down the aisle, it will be with me.'
Rose looked ahead to see the priest only a
few yards away. More of Jack's words ran through her head. 'Then, I knew I had
to survive. I couldn't let you be Hockley's wife, to bear his children, to be
completely miserable for the rest of your life.'
"Dearly beloved, we have gathered here
today..."
The priest's words hit Rose like a bullet in
the stomach. There was no turning back now. His words uttered on. Rose couldn't
focus her eyes on any given thing.
This couldn't be happening; but it was. Rose
was in denial. She couldn't face reality. She wasn't there at all. Physically,
she was. Everyone in the room looked over to see the "happy" couple
at the altar, but something was wrong. Something bystanders wouldn't be able to
see.
Cal's smug smile would not fade. He was on
top of the world and simply was refusing to come down. Rose was finally his to
control. She was obligated to say yes. Cal knew she would. He didn't have
sweaty palms. Caledon Hockley was never nervous. He was too cocky and arrogant
to be. Cal had no doubts about the marriage. Rose may have a slightly wilder
spirit than most girls, but Cal was confident that he could control her. He saw
right through her, or at least he thought he did.
Molly and Mary both couldn't watch now. Their
faces looked towards the ground praying to God for a miracle. Both of them
wanted to stop the wedding. They truly did, but they just couldn't move. Like
Rose, they were in a different world.
"If there is anyone who objects to this
marriage, speak now or forever hold your peace."
There was no noise.
Rose looked around the church, praying for
someone to speak up, but no one did. The priest continued.
Rose's mind broke down. She shed no tears. It
wasn't because she was trying to keep her composure. It was because Rose was in
shock. She felt worthless. Her life was about to become one giant hell. The
engagement was only a preview of it. Rose knew marriage had to be worse.
Rose jumped at the sound of an "I
do" from Cal. She hadn't been paying attention to the sermon at all. It
was those two words that made the difference. Next it was her turn.
"And do you, Rose DeWitt Bukater, take
this man to be your lawfully wedded husband? To honor and obey him as long as
you both shall live?"