LET’S LEAVE THE PAST BEHIND
Chapter Nineteen

Two Weeks Later

Kimberly Smith and her mother were in the general store, buying last minute items for Kimberly’s wedding that Saturday, when a well-dressed, red-haired woman came in, her head held high from a sense of superiority. It was obvious that she was not only of the upper class, but that she wasn’t from Chippewa Falls, either.

"Will you look at that?" Kimberly’s mother looked the woman up and down in admiration. "I wonder who she is."

Kimberly just shrugged, not having any idea.

"May I help you, ma'am?" Lyle Kirtwood, the store manager, asked.

"Yes. I’m looking for the Dawson farm. Is there anyone who can take me there?"

Kimberly’s mother frowned. Now what can a woman of such high caliber want at the Dawson farm? It didn’t make any sense. Did Nancy have some rich relatives that she didn’t talk about?

"Kimberly! You and your ma there wouldn’t mind taking this lady to the Dawson farm, would you? You’re heading right past there."

"I suppose it won’t be out of our way," Kimberly’s mother spoke up. "We’d be honored to escort you to the Dawson farm."

The woman only nodded, not bothering to say thank you for their trouble. She looked rather upset to be honest about it. Like she was preparing herself for a fight.

"By the way, I am Linda Smith, and this is my daughter, Kimberly. We welcome you to Chippewa Falls."

The woman only nodded and started out the door.

Lyle just had to smile. It looked as if Linda Smith, the most uppity woman in Chippewa Falls, had finally met her match.

Dawson Farm

Everyone was out on the porch, listening to one of Charles' stories while Jack sat and sketched the scene, when Jacquelyn spotted the Smiths’ car in the distance.

"Looks like we’re going to have company." Jacquelyn crossed her arms. "I wonder what they want now."

"Jacquelyn, be nice. They may be here just to see if we’re still coming to the wedding," Nancy scolded her daughter.

Rose got up and stood by Jack, taking his hand. She has had a sense of foreboding all day, and now that feeling was stronger than ever before. Something was in the air, and she had a feeling that she was going to need Jack’s strength to survive it.

"Kimberly’s marrying that swell, ain’t she?" Richie asked, looking at his mother. "Funny, I thought her and Jack would get together."

"Long story," was Jack’s answer, indicating that he didn’t want to go into it.

The car stopped in front of the driveway and the driver helped three women out of the car. The third woman was terribly familiar to Rose. She gasped when the women came closer and she recognized her mother.

"Jack." She tightened her hold on his hand.

"It’s okay, Rose. I’m here," Jack reassured her.

"Who’s that?" Jacquelyn stood on Jack’s other side.

"My mother," Rose flatly replied. "Well, I guess it’s time to face her in person."

"Thank you for your help, ladies." Ruth turned to Kimberly and her mother and back at Rose. "Rose DeWitt Bukater. You have a lot of explaining to do."

Rose looked at Jack, and suddenly her strength came back to her. She turned the same icy stare on her mother that Ruth was throwing at her. "I have nothing to explain, Mother, and it’s Rose Dawson now."

"Running off like that while the ship was sinking! Cal looked everywhere for you!"

"And this concerns me how?" Rose glared at her mother.

"You didn’t even bother to let us know that you were still alive. We all thought you were dead. Didn’t you see the papers?"

"Oh, I saw Mother. I saw your fake grief and the lies both you and Cal made up for your own benefit. I didn’t refuse the lifeboat because of a stupid necklace! I refused the lifeboat to go rescue Jack, who Cal had locked down below and left to die! Not only that, Mother, but your perfect idea of the ideal husband chased both of us deeper into the sinking ship, trying to kill us! We almost did die that night!" Rose was so angry with her mother that her green eyes flashed fire. She couldn’t stop. "And it wasn’t only his behavior on Titanic, Mother!"

Both women ignore the gasps of Kimberly and Linda. Neither had known that the newlywed couple had been aboard the Titanic.

"He treated me as a possession. Both of you did. You sold me into that relationship. It was to whoever was the higher bidder for me! You didn’t care that I was unhappy! That he hit me whenever I stepped out of line or belittled me when I spoke my mind about something! Just as long as you remained in the lap of luxury!"

"Rose…that’s not true." Ruth took a step back, feeling the heat of Rose’s anger.

"You want to know the truth, Mother? Really? I wasn’t trying to look at the propellers when Jack saved me from falling into the sea. I was trying to kill myself, but Jack talked me back over!"

Ruth gasped. "Rose…"

Rose laughed. "Like you’d care. You probably wouldn’t care if I had. Well, you would have, but only because your meal ticket was gone and you’d have had to leave the ranks of high society."

"Rose, that’s not true. You’re my daughter. I love you."

"You don’t know the meaning of the word love Mother. You ran Daddy to death, dragging him to gala after gala, knowing good and well that he was sick. Then trying to force me to marry that horrible Caledon Hockley, knowing that I was unhappy! Oh, and what topped the cake was the last day on Titanic when you tried to pull a guilt trip on me to end my relationship with Jack. Tell me, Mother, how is life as a seamstress treating you?"

"Rose…" Ruth stammered, tears appearing in her eyes as she heard all the pain and anger in her daughter’s voice.

"Tell me Mother. What was it like to sit in that safe, dry lifeboat, listening to us call for help from that freezing water? Did it even occur to you that one of those people was your daughter, or were you too selfish and upper class to even come help us? Did you feel relief when all those cries for help stopped?"

"Rose stop." Jack pulled her back, his voice calm. "That’s enough."

Ruth was now in tears. All the regret she had felt two weeks ago was returning. She had hurt her daughter, maybe beyond repair.

"Jack, you’re defending her?" Rose stared at Jack in disbelief.

"No, but I think you’ve made your point okay. Come on. I’ll take you upstairs, where you can calm down."

"I’m not a child Jack! You don’t need to tell me what to do!" Rose turned her anger on Jack.

"I wasn’t trying to tell you what to do Rose. I just thought that maybe…"

"You know what you can sleep on the couch tonight!" Rose glared at her husband before storming into the house.

"Uh…Mrs. DeWitt Bukater…feel free to stay if you like. I’m sure Rose will calm down before the day’s done." Jack looked at the teary-eyed woman, all her upper class superiority gone. Rose had stripped that away in her tirade. Taking a look at his mother, who just nodded, he disappeared into the house to talk to Rose.

*****

Jack found Rose laying face down on their bed, hot tears running from her eyes. He sat next to her and gently touched her hair.

"Rose…I think she’s really sorry. She’s downstairs in tears right now." Jack sighed.

"So what! They’re fake tears, anyway! I can’t believe she has you fooled, Jack!"

"Rose, you really don’t think she’s that manipulative, do you?"

"Why do you think I was engaged to Cal for so long, Jack? My mother and her waterworks. She turned them off and on like a faucet. I’m not letting her get away with it this time!"

"Something tells me that it isn’t waterworks this time. That those tears are the real thing."

Rose sat up, wiping the tears from her eyes. She sighed, knowing that Jack was probably right. He was perceptive about people. If he said her mother’s tears were real, they probably were. But Rose was still angry and hurt by how her mother had treated her. Not only on Titanic, but before Titanic, as well. When her father had died, Rose had been destroyed. She had needed someone to hold her and tell her that everything was all right. When she had tried to turn to Ruth, she had been cruelly turned away. Told that it was improper to show such compassion in public. Now here her husband was, pleading with Rose to show Ruth the compassion that she herself had been denied.

"Jack…I don’t know. I don’t know if I can even feel sorry for her right now. When she was far away in Philadelphia, I could, because I didn’t have to face her. But right now…with her here, face-to-face…all that anger is back, Jack. It’s back, and I don’t know how to get rid of it."

"You can Rose. All you have to do is face up to it. Face up to her. I’ll be right by your side the entire time." Jack gently touched her cheek.

Rose sighed with defeat. "You always know how to bring out the best in me, don’t you, Jack?"

"Only because you bring out the best in me." He smiled, kissing her gently. "Now come on. Ruth is waiting." Jack took her hand and led her down the stairs. They found Ruth and the Dawsons, along with the Smiths, in the parlor. Rose wondered why the Smiths were even there, but dismissed the thought. They were just curious.

"Rose." Ruth stood as Jack and Rose came down the stairs.

"Mother." Rose didn't let go of Jack’s hand for a minute as they went and stood in front of Ruth.

To Rose’s surprise, Ruth broke into renewed tears. "Oh, Rose I’m so sorry. I truly am. I never realized how much I was hurting you! I only wanted what was best!"

"For who Mother? Me or you?" Rose’s voice showed no sign of softening. Her mother didn’t deserve any compassion from her.

"For us both! I thought if I found you a rich husband, we’d both be set for life!" Ruth cried. "You wouldn’t have to know a day of manual labor, and neither would I. I thought Cal would take care of you…of us both."

"Well he didn’t Mother. He was horrible to me. He never listened, he always put me down, and he hit me whenever he could. He didn’t treat me like a person…not the way Jack does."

"I’m sorry Rose."

"And where is your Mr. Hockley now, Mother?"

Ruth bowed her head in shame. "Back in Philadelphia. I’ve been staying with him, and he’s been giving me a daily allowance."

Rose snorted. "Figures. Don’t worry, Mother. I won’t come back to Philadelphia and ruin your cozy lifestyle."

"Rose, that’s not what I want! I mean, I don’t want you out of my life."

"But, Mother, don’t you see? I can never be a part of that life again! If I go back to Philadelphia, there will be a big confrontation with Cal, and I don’t want that. All I want right now is a peaceful, quiet life with Jack, and never to have to worry about the silly rules of high society again."

"But, Rose…you don’t really think you’re cut out for this type of life, do you? You can’t even boil water." Ruth’s hand touched her throat.

"Oh, Mother how typical of you! I can boil water just fine!" Rose glared at Ruth. "Thanks to my mother-in-law, I can not only boil water but can make an assortment of different meals, and I’m learning more every day! So just pack up and go back to your safe little existence back in Philadelphia!"

"Rose, you’re my daughter," Ruth tried to protest.

"No Mother, your daughter died aboard Titanic. Rose DeWitt Bukater died, and in her place, Rose Dawson was born. So since you seem to be having trouble accepting Rose Dawson go back to Philadelphia and pretend you never saw me."

"Rose…"

"Good-bye Mother." Rose turned away from her mother and headed into the kitchen, followed by Jacquelyn and Jack.

"Are you okay?" Jack asked his wife, who was facing the kitchen sink and beginning to wash the breakfast dishes.

"Great. I’m better than I’ve been in a long time." Rose cleared her throat. She turned to her husband and smiled. "I did it Jack. I stood up to my mother and told her how things were going to be from now on, and lightning didn’t strike me down for doing so! Instead, I’m left with this wonderful feeling of freedom! I’m free, Jack! I’m finally free of all that anger and pain I’ve been carrying around for the past couple of months!"

"I knew you would." Jack pulled Rose into his arms, filled with pride at his wife’s accomplishment.

"I don’t think she’ll be going back to Philadelphia though. By the look in that woman’s eyes, returning to Philadelphia is the last thing she’s going to do." Jacquelyn crossed her arms. "And I thought Linda Smith was an ice queen."

"No one comes close to my mother." Rose pulled away from Jack. "I guess we'd better go in there. It’s only proper that I make arrangements for her to stay in a hotel."

The trio found the Dawsons and Smiths in the parlor. Rose had to wonder why Jack’s ex-girlfriend and her mother were sticking their nose in her affairs.

"Mother." Rose cleared her throat. "Jack and I talked about it, and have decided to put you up at the local inn."

"What?" Ruth stared at her daughter in disbelief. Rose couldn’t possibly be serious about making Ruth stay in one of those dirty little rooms.

"Would you rather sleep on the couch?" Rose asked, crossing her arms.

"Why doesn’t Mrs. DeWitt Bukater stay with us? There’s plenty of room," Linda Smith offered.

"Oh, no I couldn’t intrude," Ruth said.

"Oh, it’s no problem. Besides, for a lady of your stature, my house is more appropriate than the Dawson farm."

"Oh, please." Rose rolled her eyes.

"Well…since you insist. Rose, you know where Mrs. Smith lives, don’t you?"

"Yes, I do, Mother. If I need you for anything I’ll call." Rose glared as the women showed Ruth out the door.

"Can you believe them? This was none of the Smith’s business, and they went and stuck their noses in anyway," Jacquelyn grumbled.

"Hey, it’s okay. If she wanted to stay with them, let her. It’s better than letting her stay here." Richie shrugged.

"Richie Dawson take that back! That woman is Rose’s mother and Jack’s mother-in-law, and you will speak of her with respect." Nancy glared at her eldest son.

"Oh, that’s quite all right. Richie can talk to my ice queen of a mother anyway he wants." Rose sighed, suddenly exhausted from the confrontation. "You know, I’m feeling really tired. I think I’ll go upstairs and lay down." Rose sighed, leaning against Jack.

"I’ll walk you up." Jack tightened his arm around her waist.

Rose just nodded at her husband and allowed him to lead her upstairs.

Chapter Twenty
Stories