LOVE FOR LIFE AND BEYOND
Chapter Five
Rose had guessed what Jack was about to say
from the look on his face. She immediately knew the answer.
"Of course I’ll marry you! I’m so
happy!" cried Rose.
She reflected back on Cal’s non-proposal. Her
mother and Nathan Hockley had organized a quiet dinner and by the end of it had
reached an agreement. Reached an agreement. Those were her mother’s
exact words when she told Rose about her engagement to Caledon Hockley. They
sounded so cold, so formal. More like a business deal than a marriage.
"Do you have any idea about what we’re
going to do when we get off this ship?" asked Jack. Rose blinked and
returned to the present.
"What, you mean apart from staying away
from boats and large expanses of water and becoming Mr. and Mrs. Jack
Dawson?" teased Rose.
Jack laughed. "Yes, apart from
that."
"Go to Santa Monica and drink cheap
beer, then ride the roller coaster until we throw up, then ride horses right in
the surf. You’ll have to show me how," said Rose.
Jack laughed again. This was why he
loved Rose. Her passion for living and sense of fun, as well as her beauty and
intelligence, had drawn him to her the first time they had talked.
"Yup. But after that?" asked Jack.
"Where do you want to live?"
"Chippewa Falls. Where else? I want to
go ice fishing on Lake Wissota," Rose said. "Besides, where else
would I find people to tell me embarrassing stories about when you were a
child?"
Jack nodded in agreement. "I still hold
rights to the house and some of the surrounding land," he said.
Just then, Molly returned. "I’ve hunted
up something for you two to wear for now," she said. Molly handed Rose a
simple black dress. She put it on. Although a little loose, it would do for
now. Jack was wearing clothing much like his old things, only slightly newer
and of a different color.
"Where will you two be heading after we
dock?" asked Molly.
"Straight to the church," said
Rose. "Then Cal won’t be able to come between us. You’re invited, of
course."
Molly smiled. "So, you’ll be living in
New York?"
"No. We’re going back to Chippewa Falls.
Jack still owns the family home there," replied Rose. "Besides, I
don’t think Cal will think to look for us there."
"Good idea," said Molly. "Hey,
I think we're going to dock soon. Want to come up on deck?"
Jack and Rose looked at each other.
"Yes, we will," said Jack.
"I hope Cal doesn’t see us," added
Rose in a somewhat worried tone. She had finally found happiness and she wasn’t
about to have it torn away from her.
"Don’t worry," said Molly grimly.
"He’s probably off trying to find a replacement for you."
"In between displays of grief and his
most sincere condolences to my mother," added Rose sarcastically.
"Come on. We’d better get going."