IT HAS TO BE YOU
Chapter
Five
"Come along,
sir. I’ll help you get to the infirmary." The steward crouched down beside
Jack, trying to get him to stand.
Jack looked at him
in confusion. The infirmary? No, he couldn’t go to the infirmary now. He had to
find Rose.
"No, I’m all
right," he mumbled, his split lip making it painful to talk. He tried to
stand, but the deck tilted crazily, much like Titanic’s had the night before.
"I beg to
differ. Now, can you walk with my help, or shall I call another steward to
help?"
Jack shook his
head, trying once again to stand. "You don’t understand. Rose…I have to
find her. I have to help her. Cal has her."
His second attempt
at standing also proved unsuccessful. As the steward gestured to another man
for help, he asked Jack, "Rose? Cal? You mean the first class couple that
was down here a few minutes ago?"
Jack brightened,
not seeing the look of disapproval on the steward’s face. "Yes! Cal took
her back to first class…I have to find her and bring her back here."
"You, sir, are
not going anywhere, except the infirmary. And you certainly are not going up to
first class. Those passengers have been through enough already. They don’t need
a steerage ruffian up there harassing them."
"But
Rose—"
"—is in first
class where she belongs. I don’t know what she was doing down here, but I have
my most sincere doubts that it was to be with you. Most likely, she was dazed
by the sinking and didn’t know what she was doing, and you, sir, were trying to
take advantage of that. Now, for the time being, you are going to the
infirmary."
He and the other
steward lifted Jack up, carrying him in the direction of the infirmary. Jack
tried to struggle out of their grasp, but was too weak.
"If we catch
you anywhere near first class, you will be brought back here and locked up for
the rest of the voyage. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes." Jack
kept his voice even, his mind already going over ways to get up to first class
and find Rose. There was no telling what Cal would do to her for her defiance.
He had to find her as soon as possible.
But how could he
help her, when he couldn’t even stand upright? Crawling around the ship was
definitely not a subtle way to search for her. He would be returned to steerage
in an instant.
Resignedly, Jack
let the stewards take him to the infirmary. He couldn’t do anything for Rose in
his condition. Maybe after a few hours rest, he would be fit to leave and could
go in search of her.
*****
"Rose!"
Ruth rushed forward, hugging her daughter with an unusual amount of enthusiasm.
"Rose! Thank God! I was afraid you’d died."
"I’m fine,
Mother." Rose hugged her back. "I’m glad to see you survived."
"And Cal, too,
of course," Ruth added, smiling broadly at Cal. Not only was he the
perfect fiancé for her daughter, and the man who would replenish their
fortunes, but he had found Rose. Ruth had been pacing constantly since the
Carpathia had picked them up, terrified that Rose was gone. Rose was her baby,
her only child. What would she do without her?
Then, Ruth looked
more closely at Cal, noticing his torn collar and the bruises on his face.
"Cal! What happened to you?"
"That steerage
rat happened," Cal growled, staring angrily at Rose. "I found him
with Rose, and he attacked me when I tried to take her back."
"That wasn’t
what happened at all!" Rose exclaimed. "Cal shoved me to the ground,
and Jack stopped him from hitting me again. Then they got into a fight."
Cal shook his head,
giving Rose a patronizing look. "Sweetpea…I think the trauma of the
sinking has addled your brain. You know that wasn’t what happened."
"Yes, it was.
Don’t try to tell me I’m crazy. I’m just fine. Now, if you will excuse me, I’m
going to go back to steerage and look for Jack. You beat him senseless."
"In your
defense, dear."
"He was
defending me!"
"Rose,
darling," Ruth interrupted. "Why don’t you go and lie down? It’s been
a long night for all of us. You need your rest."
"I need to
find Jack first. Then I’ll rest."
"You are not
going back to steerage, Sweetpea. Now, do as your mother says."
"Need I remind
you, Cal, that you no longer have any hold on me? The wedding is off. I am no
longer your fiancée."
"The ring on
your finger says otherwise."
Rose yanked the
ring from her finger, throwing it in Cal’s face. "This is what I think of
your engagement, Cal. I don’t want you, or your riches. Now, leave me
alone." She turned to leave. "Good-bye, Mother. I’ll keep in
touch."
"Rose!"
Ruth’s commanding voice stopped her. "Apologize to Cal immediately. Then,
I want you to put that ring back on. Your engagement isn’t over until the
wedding." She looked balefully at her daughter. "Yes, Rose, the
wedding is still on. Last night doesn’t change anything."
"No, Mother,
it isn’t. I won’t marry Cal."
"The wedding
plans have already been announced and the invitations sent out. We will have to
get you another gown, but that shouldn’t be too difficult."
"Mother,
listen to me! It’s over. Whatever Cal and I had ended a long time ago. The only
reason you want this wedding to go on is because of Cal’s money."
Ruth looked at Cal,
hiding her shock that Rose had revealed her real motivations in pushing for the
match. Cal just stared back at her, one eyebrow raised as he waited for her
response.
"Cal is right,
Rose. Last night’s trauma did addle your mind. Whatever do you mean, I want
this wedding to go on because of Cal’s money? Certainly, I want the best for
you, but you were happy enough to accept Cal’s proposal."
"That was
before I knew what he’s really like. Do you know what he did last night,
Mother?"
"Whatever
happened, Rose, or didn’t happen, as the case may be, you must forgive him. It
was a terrifying situation for all of us, and less than proper actions can be
forgiven in such times."
"Unless, of
course, they’re mine."
"Not another
word out of you, Rose. You must be crazy if you want to reject a well-mannered
gentleman of high standing in favor of a steerage ruffian who won his ticket in
a poker game."
"I love
Jack!"
"Sweetpea,
you’re causing a scene." Cal took her by the arm, pulling her into a small
room.
When the door was
closed behind them, Cal’s demeanor changed. Grabbing her shoulders and shaking
her, he leaned so close to her that Rose jerked her head back in fright.
"How dare you?" he ground out. "How dare you humiliate me in
front of so many people? I have no doubt, of course, that your mother wants
this marriage because of how she will benefit, but that doesn’t matter. She
won’t receive a penny from me."
"Then you’ll
let me go?"
"Oh, no,
Sweetpea. You aren’t going anywhere. The wedding is still on. No one crosses me
and gets away with it. As I told your gutter rat last night, I always win, one
way or another, and you are staying with me. We will be married as planned,
whether you like it or not. You are my fiancée, not his, and you will do as I
tell you."
"Mother will
never back you up, once she learns of your plans to leave her penniless."
"Sweetpea,
your mother is well on her way to being convinced that the trauma of last night
addled your mind. Why would she believe you?" He put a hand to her face
with deceptive gentleness, turning her head to face him.
Rose jerked away.
"Don’t touch me!"
"I will touch
you, if it pleases me to do so." Her laughed at widened eyes. "Don’t
worry, Sweetpea. I won’t touch you in that way—until the wedding night. The
we’ll see who’s the better man—Dawson, or me."
Rose mouth curled in
contempt. "You unimaginable bastard. I will never let you touch me."
"Once we’re
married, you won’t have a choice. It will be your duty as a wife to give me
whatever I want, whenever I want it."
Rose spat at him,
but missed. "No!"
Enraged, Cal
grabbed her shoulders, shoving her against the wall. "Don’t defy me, Sweetpea.
I can guarantee that you’ll regret it."
"I will never
marry you."
Almost casually,
Cal slapped her across the face. Rose’s head jerked back, thudding against the
wall. Rubbing her sore cheek, she glowered at him.
Cal just smirked at
her and walked away, slamming the door behind him. A moment later, she heard
the sound of key in the lock.
Racing to the door,
Rose tried to open it, but the doorknob refused to budge. "Cal! Let me
out! You can’t lock me up like a prisoner!"
There was no
response. Rose pounded on the door with her fists, then kicked it furiously.
"You bastard!
I hate you!"