LET’S LEAVE THE PAST BEHIND
Chapter Seven

The next morning, the Dawsons sat down to breakfast. Rose followed the women into the kitchen, much to Jack's surprise, and Jack went into the living room with his father to help set the table.

"Your ma's upset," Charles Dawson said flatly, not looking at his son. "You should have written and told us you had gotten engaged, son."

Jack swallowed. He had known that this was going to come up eventually. He just hoped his mother kept her opinions to herself around Rose. "I know she's not happy, Pa. But I love Rose, and I wanted to marry her as soon as possible. I couldn't take losing her…not after losing…I just love her and wanted to marry her. Okay?"

Charles laughed and held his arms up as if defending himself. "No need to convince me, son. I can tell just by looking at you two that you're crazy about one another. And don't worry. Your ma won't say anything about not being invited to the wedding. She still has Jacquelyn's to plan."

Jack laughed at this, just as the women came out, each carrying a covered dish.

"We're having Jack's favorite breakfast this morning." Nancy grinned. "Bacon, eggs, flapjacks, sausage, and hash browns."

"With fresh squeezed orange juice." Jacquelyn set the pitcher of juice on the table. "You like fresh squeezed orange juice, don't you, Rose?"

Rose nodded shyly and took Jack's hand. "I love it."

"Good. Now, let's sit. Rose, why don't you sit between Jacquelyn and me? We'd like to get to know you better." Nancy grabbed Rose's hand and led her to a chair away from Jack. Rose looked at Jack as if she was begging him to rescue her. Jack just shrugged his shoulders like there was nothing he could do.

"Here you go, Rose." Nancy smiled, seating her next to Jacquelyn, and sat next to her son, who was flanked by his father. "Charles, why don't you say grace? You do say grace, don't you, Rose?"

Rose smiled and nodded. She bowed her head as Jack's father said grace. At that moment, she wished she were back on the sinking Titanic. That had been a lot more comfortable than where she was now.

After grace was said, the dishes of food were passed around the table. "So, tell me, Rose. Where are you from?" Nancy asked, scooping a helping of eggs out of a bowl.

"Philadelphia," Rose answered, looking at Jack, who just smiled reassuringly at her. She could swear that she knew how he had felt that night at the first class dinner. Of course, he had passed with flying colors, while she wasn't so sure about herself.

"Which part? I hear parts of Philadelphia are really run down." Jacquelyn took a bite of flapjack. "I wouldn't be able to live among all those rodents."

"Well, where I came from, there were hardly any rats." Rose smiled at Jack, who silently laughed, recognizing the line he had used at the dinner in first class.

"Something funny, son?" Charles looked at his son.

"Uh...no, sir." Jack immediately stopped laughing. "Rose comes from upper class Philadelphia, Mother."

"Oh, I see." Nancy nodded. "However did you meet my son?"

"On a ship," Rose answered quickly. "It was love at first sight, you could say."

"Yeah, after getting arrested for getting you out of a sticky spot. You should have been there dad. She was trying to look at the propellers and she slipped. Good thing I was there to save her life. I pulled her back over, her screaming all the way. The crewmen came just when I had pulled her over, and we had fallen in a compromising position. Her dress was ripped and she looked terrified. You can only imagine what the crew members thought."

"But I explained everything, and they let Jack go. I invited Jack to dinner as a thank you for saving my life. The next day, I searched him out and we spent the day together. He showed me his artwork and showed me how to spit like a man." Rose laughed.

Nancy glared at her son disapprovingly. "Jack, really. Couldn't you have resisted?"

"Well, she had to learn it somewhere." Jack shrugged. "It was better that I taught her than someone who didn't have any real manners."

Jacquelyn, of course, burst into laughter. "I can just imagine my brother spitting over the railing of a ship."

Rose laughed too. "It was a sight. He had the nerve to call me pitiful."

"It was." Jack laughed.

"And you fell in love with that?" Jacquelyn asked.

Rose stopped laughing and just smiled over at Jack. "No. I fell in love with his kindness, his ability to listen, and his ability see people for who and what they really were. With his ability to make me feel like the sky's the limit. I never met anyone like Jack before."

"Well, I, for one, would like to welcome you to the Dawson family." Charles stood up and took Rose's hand. "If this fellow gets out of line at any time, just let me know."

Rose nodded and smiled at the kind man who possessed Jack's sparkling blue eyes. Everyone jumped at the sound of the doorbell.

"I'll answer that." Jacquelyn stood from her seat and strolled into the living room. She opened the door to Linda Smith.

"Mrs. Smith…what a pleasant surprise." Jacquelyn forced a smile, hiding her dislike for the woman. "To what do we owe this pleasure?"

"Here's an invitation for your family to my daughter's engagement gala. It's tonight, you know, so I don't know if you'll be able to find anything to wear in time…"

"Oh, that's not a problem. Mother and I will just have to run to town to buy something. We thank you for the invitation. And this does extend to all the Dawson family, right?"

"Of course." Linda looked at Jacquelyn strangely. "Why wouldn't it?"

"Oh, no reason. Just curious." Jacquelyn smiled happily. "Well, we thank you again."

"Good day, Miss Dawson." Linda Smith shook her head, feeling sorry for the girl because she just knew that with the Dawson's uncouth upbringing skills, the girl would have no chance of finding a quality husband.

"Mother! Daddy! We're all invited to that gala tonight! Whatever should we wear?" Jacquelyn skipped back into the living room.

"We'll take Rose shopping. That's what we'll do. Rose, you do like galas, don't you?" Nancy asked.

Rose forced a smile. She had thought that she'd never have to attend another one of those stupid parties again, but to please her mother-in-law, she'd endure another one. "Of course."

"Well, good. Now get ready. We have a lot of shopping to do. Oh and Charles, take Jack and get him something decent to wear. A nice suit from Seared would be nice. And so would a haircut. He looks like a little boy with his hair falling in his face like that."

"Yes, dear." Charles nodded. "Come on, son. We have shopping to do."

"Can't wait," Jack flatly replied, getting up. "But let me warn you, no one is touching my hair. I don't care what Ma says."

One Hour Later

Wyndhyme's Dress Shop

"Oh, this looks ravishing on you, Rose!" Jacquelyn exclaimed her approval as Rose stepped out in a black and red beaded dress, similar to the one she had worn to the first class dinner on the Titanic. "This is definitely your color."

"What do you think, Mother? Too rich for our blood?"

"It'll be a wedding present." Nancy smiled at her daughter-in-law. The girl had really grown on her. Despite Rose's upper class upbringing, she was one of the most down-to-earth girls she knew. No wonder she had captured her son's heart so completely.

"Oh, no, Mrs. Dawson. I can't allow you to spend this much money…" Rose began to protest.

"It's no trouble at all, dear. We've saved money for just such an occasion. And call me Nancy. It'll be less confusing, since we're both Mrs. Dawson now."

"All right…Nancy." Rose smiled.

"Ready to buy?" The saleslady smiled as the women took their purchases to the counter. "So, all of you are going to the gala, huh?"

"Yes, even though Linda Smith took her own good time in getting our invitation to us," Jacquelyn grumbled.

"And who is this lovely young lady?" the elderly woman asked, looking Rose up and down.

"Oh, Gertrude, let me introduce my new daughter-in-law, Rose Dawson." Nancy smiled.

"Did you say daughter-in-law? Then that means Jack's come home, and he's married?"

"Yep. Big news, huh? Just came strolling onto the porch last night, wife and all." Jacquelyn smiled. "A big surprise for us, but we're happy to have him home and happy."

"Well, that's good to hear, Nancy. Congratulations, Rose, and welcome to Chippewa Falls. I hope you and Jack are here to stay."

"That all depends on what Jack wants to do." Rose smiled. "But thank you, and I'm very happy to be here."

The doorbell chimed as a group of giggling girls walked into the store. Gertrude sighs. "Oh, great. The wedding party's here. Girls, what can I do for you? I've already sent your dresses to the Smith house!"

"We need dresses for tonight, silly." One of the girls laughed. "We can't show up at Kimberly's party in rags, now can we?"

"If she was marrying her old boyfriend, we would." One of the girls chuckled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jacquelyn turned to glare at the girl who had made the comment.

"Jacquelyn, please, not here on Rose's first day out. Now, come on. Let's get home so we can get ready for the gala. See you tonight, Gertrude." Nancy rushed the two girls out the door, leaving the chuckling wedding party behind them.

*****

Jack and his father were at Sears, trying on suits for the party.

"So, whose gala is this?" Jack asked curiously, eyeing a black suit.

Charles looked somberly at his son. Even though Jack was happily married and deeply in love with his wife, Charles knew how deeply his son had cared about Kimberly Smith. Even though her mother had made his life miserable and had been behind him leaving all those years ago. Charles wondered what Jack's feelings for Kimberly were now. Was he truly over her?

"Brendan Lakesworth."

"Oh, really?" Jack looked up, surprised. "What's the occasion?"

"He's getting married, Jack."

"To who?" Jack asked, looking back at the suit.

"Jack, it's Kimberly. He's marrying Kimberly Smith."

Jack dropped the sleeve and looked at his father, his eyes clouded with mixed emotions. "Did you just say he was marrying Kimberly?"

"I'm sorry, son. I know how much you care for her. I wish it could be different for the both of you."

Jack didn't answer, but he shook his head. "I'm not upset that she's getting married, Dad. I mean, I have Rose, and she's all I could ever want. But Kimberly…she was my first love. I would like her to find love with someone like I did with Rose, and both you and I know that that isn't the case with Brendan Lakesworth. It's another one of her mother's get rich schemes. Rose's mother tried the same damn thing on her, but thank God Rose was strong enough to break free before it was too late. I just hope that Kim has the same strength. That's all."

"Well, Kim and Rose are two different spirits, Jack. Rose's spirit seems to match your own, and has an added fire. Kimberly…her spirit is more passive. No fire at all. I doubt she can get out of this one. Especially when she finds out that you've been taken."

"Should I go, Dad? Should I let him know that I'm back in town? Or should I stay away? Rose and I can go to the nickelodeon over in Eau Claire or something while you three are gone."

"No, Jack. That's not a good idea at all. Rose deserves to be shown a good time, and this gala may just do it. Don't you think?"

Jack sighed. "Maybe."

"And besides, you don't want to give Brendan Lakesworth and Linda Smith the impression that you're hiding from them, either. Stand on your own two feet Jack. Show them that they don’t have you down for the count. That you've risen above all that."

Jack forced a smile, knowing that his father was right. "You're right, Dad. I can't run away forever. I have to face up to it somehow, and it's better to do it now, with my beautiful wife by my side."

"That's my boy!" Charles slapped his son on the back.

Chapter Eight
Stories