JACK'S ROSE
Chapter Twenty
"So, I suppose I'll see you tomorrow,
Rose," William said. He awkwardly kissed her on the cheek, then said his
farewells to the rest of the family. Julia smiled at Rose after William had
left.
"He really is fond of you, Rose."
Rose turned and looked at Julia, her cheeks filled with crimson.
"Yes," Rose mumbled. "I guess
I'm going to go ahead and get to sleep." Rose kissed everyone on the
cheek, then hurried up to her room and changed into her sleeping garments. She
lay down on her bed and stared out the window, watching as the moon rose higher
and higher above the horizon.
Rose lay awake in her bed staring at the
moon. Its sweet face shone in her room. On a sudden impulse, Rose slipped out
of bed and dragged the dress box from under it. She shifted through the dress
and the rose and the newspaper article and grabbed the diamond. She climbed
back in her bed and held it in front of her, staring into it. Its facets made
the moonlight dance about the room, like ripples of water on a pond. She stared
deeper and deeper into the diamond. And, for a moment, she felt herself
completely lost in its dazzling beauty.
Rose felt as if she had betrayed him.
Betrayed Jack. She had let her defenses down to William Calvert and let him in.
She felt dirty somehow. Her entire being felt as if she had just wronged Jack.
"Oh, Jack," she whispered quietly.
And suddenly she felt another presence in the
room. She sat up and looked about.
"Hello?" she whispered. Rose looked
about, petrified. She could still hear Nathan's rhythmic breathing coming from
his crib. Rose wanted to stand and venture to his crib, peer down at him, but
she could not bring herself to get off the bed.
But the presence was still there. Someone was
in the room besides she and Nathan. Rose's eyes fluttered over the small room.
"Rose..." The voice swam in her
head. A familiar voice.
"Jack?" she whispered. And then she
felt something settle beside her, and her head snapped around to see it—him.
"Jack!" She smiled, but when she saw his expression her smile faded.
She said nothing for a long time, letting a peaceful silence fall over them. “It's—uh—it's
time, isn't it?" she whispered shakily. He gazed at her.
"He loves you, Rose. And so do I.
Someday, we'll be together again, but now you need to live. You need to live
for both of us." He smiled and gently touched her face. A feeling of
warmth spread over her. They gazed at each other in a loving silence for a long
time. This time, it was Rose who broke the silence. She stared up at Jack,
knowing this would be the last time for a long time that she would see him.
"I love you," Rose whispered.
"And I love him."
*****
William unlocked the door to the shop and
silently slipped in. He turned to lock the door once more. As he laid the keys
on the desk beside the cash register for Ralph to find in the morning, he was
startled at the sound of someone beside him.
"Ah…Willy, I scare you?" Ralph
said, a tone of laughter in his voice.
"Yeah."
"How's things go with the Dawsons
tonight? You engaged yet, boy? Can I finally get you off my hands?" He
playfully elbowed the young man and smiled. He set the candle he was carrying
on the counter.
"No, not yet. You'll have to keep me a
bit longer." The older man frowned.
"What happened?" William took the
ring out of his pocket and looked at it.
"I don't know." William had gone
that night with the intent of asking Rose to marry him. As he'd walked down the
main road that night and bounded down Dawson Lane, he'd been sure he would be
able to simply take her hand in his, gaze into her eyes, and ask. But as soon
as he had entered the door and given the girls their flowers, the thought had
flushed completely from his mind.
"Never crossed your mind! William, boy,
are you scared or something? You're scared, aren't you?" William looked at
the middle-aged man. He could tell by the look in William's eyes that his
accusation was correct. "You're awfully lucky none of the other young men
in this town have spotted her. If they had, she'd have been asked at least five
times now. I myself, if I were ten or fifteen years younger would have my eye
on her as well. You've earned her trust, boy. Now, don't you dare hurt her or
I'll break your neck," he said in a somewhat playful tone, but William
could hear the seriousness behind his voice. "Now then, go to bed so you
can stay awake tomorrow at the dance."
"Thanks, Ralph." William bounded up
the stairs, clutching the ring in his hand.