NO MORE 'IF ONLY'S'
Chapter Nine
Time to Give Up the Past
Rose walked with Jack back to his room.
"Still in third class I see, Mister Dawson."
Jack was laughing. "Yes, indeed, Miss
DeWitt Bukater. Mrs. Calvert, I mean. Would you like to enter?"
"Oh, Jack. I need to go back. James is
probably worried sick about me. How am I going to explain the trick Molly
played on us?"
"You’ll think of something. You always
do."
Rose stepped forward and held Jack. It was
meant to only be a hug, but neither one could let go. Jack broke away first.
"Good-bye, Mrs. Calvert. Rose."
As Rose walked away, Jack said, "I love
you, Rose." But he said it too softly, and she didn’t hear him. She wasn’t
supposed to hear. He was letting her go, even though she didn’t know it yet. He
knew she was alive, and that was going to have to be enough for him. He
couldn’t take her away from her life now. She truly was happy, and he couldn’t
destroy that. He turned and went into his stateroom. At last he could rest.
Jack lay down on the bed and slept more soundly than he had in years.
*****
James was awake and waiting for Rose when she
got back. He had sat and talked with Molly for two hours and Rose didn’t come.
He hadn’t slept at all. Molly refused to say who Rose was with. He had spent
the night pacing the stateroom. At the sound of the door, he jumped forward and
yanked it out of Rose’s hand.
He’s in a good mood, I see, Rose thought. "Hello, dear. Did I worry
you?" Rose asked. There was really only one thing she thought she could
do. She had to tell her husband the truth. She prayed he would understand. She
would then ask for a divorce. She had to be with Jack.
"Did you worry me? Is that supposed to
be funny? You were gone all night, Rose. I was with Molly, and I know you
weren’t. What am I to do, Rose?"
"Calm down, James. I’ll tell you,
then." Rose sat down on the bed, and waited until James seemed calm.
"I need you to listen to what I have to say. I’ve been lying to you. I
need to tell you why, and the truth."
James sat down, and looked at Rose.
"I’ll listen."
"Nine years ago, I was Rose DeWitt
Bukater, and I was on the Titanic. DeWitt Bukater is the name I was born with,
and it’s the name I used for the first seventeen years of my life. I was only
sixteen when I became engaged to Caledon Hockley…"
"Caledon Hockley? Rose, what the hell
are you talking about?"
"Do you want to hear this story or not,
James?"
"Yes. Go ahead."
"Cal decided that we needed to take a
trip to Europe. After we were done being seen at all the right places, Cal
wanted to go home in style. He bought us tickets on the Titanic…"
James was speechless. The story his wife had
just told him answered so many questions he had had about her. He knew when he
met her six years ago that she was hiding something, not only from him, from
everyone. He never imagined that she had been on the Titanic. Or that she had
been engaged to one of the richest men in Philadelphia. He realized that he
hadn’t even known that she was born in Philadelphia. She had told him so many
lies. But he understood why. "Rose, you could have told me sooner. I would
have understood. I understand now. This explains how you met Molly, but where
were you last night? Is there someone else on this ship that you knew on the
Titanic?"
"James. Yes. Last night, I saw Jack
again."
"But you said he was dead."
"He’s not." Rose couldn’t keep the
happiness out of her voice. "He’s here, on this ship. He thought I had
died. I don’t know how we missed each other for so long. He’s spent the last
nine years looking for me."
"And now that he’s found you?"
"James, I want to be with Jack. He
didn’t say so, but I think he wants to be with me."
James stood up and walked to the door.
"A divorce is out of the question, Rose." He walked out of the
stateroom and slammed the door.
Rose sat on the bed, stunned. What will I
do now?