NOBODY SAID LOVE WAS GONNA BE EASY
Chapter Seven
Robert handed Jack another glass of water as
his friend sat and explained about the fight he had had with Rose and her
disappearance. Robert was still wheeling from the fact that Jack had hit her. That
wasn't like his friend at all. But he knew that Jack still loved Rose, and that
Rose felt the same for him. There would be no way that she would ever leave
Jack, especially without saying good-bye. Something wasn't quite right about
all of this.
"Have you asked the O’Connors what they
were helping Rose's mother with?" Robert asked.
Jack shook his head. "They'd just deny
any wrongdoing anyway. What do you think, Rob? I mean, she's pregnant and
probably scared. There's no telling what that bastard Cal has done to her
already. You have to help me get her back. Please."
"Of course I'll help you. Both Christina
and I will. Rose is family, and family sticks together. Now, what we need first
is a plan."
Jack nodded in agreement, trying to be
optimistic. He had his doubts about this whole kidnapping thing. What if Rose
had wanted to go back to Philadelphia, begin her old life again? Was it Jack's
right to drag her back into a world she was no way prepared to live in? He
loved her so much, but would he have to let her go? Only finding Rose would
answer these questions. If she wanted to stay with Cal, fine. So be it. But if
this was a case of kidnapping, he was going to make sure that whoever was
involved would pay for taking her away from him.
*****
Anna O'Connor woke up in bed alone. It had
been a night of arguing and slaps for her. She had told Matt that she wanted
out of the marriage, but he wasn't hearing it. He had accused her of having an
affair with Jack Dawson and that he wasn't going to have it. He had slapped her
and forced himself on her when she refused his intimate advances. Sore, she
winced as she stepped onto the cold wooden floor. Something just wasn't right
with the world tonight. She could feel it. Maybe a glass of water would help
her relax, help her take her mind off her horrible marriage.
She reached the first landing when she heard
the sound of uproarious laughter from her husband and father-in-law in the parlor.
Curious, she pressed against the wall, listening to the conversation below.
"Do you think Ruth got her there
okay?" Ronald O'Connor asked, lighting up his favorite pipe. "I mean,
the woman is so frail-looking."
"Who cares? The important thing is that
Jack no longer has his pretty wife and is now so distracted that his parents’
deaths are the farthest thing from his mind. I don't like to brag, but it was a
stroke of genius contacting that Hockley fellow, and Ruth…what an actress. That
floozy actually thought her mother wanted forgiveness. Someone that cold? Hah!
The woman is my role model."
"Now, Matthew, it's not good to brag. We
don't know what's going to happen to that girl…"
"I don't care, and Jack had better be
smart and let things go as far as his parents are concerned, or he's going to
have a lot more to worry about than his missing wife."
Anna gasped and rushed back upstairs. She
locked her bedroom door and huddled on the bed, thinking of what she had just
heard. Matt and his father had helped kidnap Rose? Their objective was to
distract Jack? But why? What did the deaths of Lily and James Dawson have to do
with any of this?
Making sure that no one saw her, Anna slipped
on her coat and slipped out into the night. Jack needed to know about this as
soon as possible.
*****
Jack was in his parlor, an unopened bottle of
whiskey in his hands. He had never been one for drinking until he was falling
down drunk, but this was a special occasion. The love of his life had fled from
him, and now he was alone and had no idea of how to get her back. Maybe she
didn't even want to come back. He had slapped her after he had made that
promise, the first broken promise he had ever made. He had lost Rose forever.
"Jack?" Anna stepped through the
front door, her eyes searching out her friend. "Jack, are you here?"
She gasped as she saw him on the couch, whiskey bottle in hand, his eyes red
from crying. This was worse than she had thought.
"She's gone, Anna. Rose left me. She
went to Philadelphia with her mother, back to her old life. She hates me."
Jack sighed dejectedly, leaning back against the cushions.
Anna shook her head, sitting down next to her
friend as she pulled the whiskey bottle from his hands. "Rose didn't leave
you, Jack, at least not of her own free will. I overheard Matt and his father
talking. They helped her mother kidnap Rose and take her to Philadelphia."
Jack stared at Anna in partial disbelief and
confusion. "Why would they do that? I don't get it."
"Because Matt hates you and wants to see
you miserable. Plus, I think that Mr. O'Connor had something to do with your
parents’ deaths, and they think that this will distract you from investigating
anymore."
"I knew it! I knew it wasn't an
accident! And now they've gone too far in helping that Cal bastard get his
hands on Rose! They're going to pay for this, Anna. I swear they will."
"I know, Jack. But first, concentrate on
getting Rose back. What are you going to do?"
Jack sighed. He had no idea what he was going
to do. He knew he was going to go after Rose, but he had no idea how to go
about it. Of course, Robert would want to be in on the rescue mission, too, but
he was sure that Cal's estate was tightly guarded. Getting inside there would
be next to impossible.
"I'm going to Philadelphia and bringing
Rose home," was Jack's answer, his eyes blazing with anger. "And then
when we get back, I'm going to make sure that the O'Connors pay for all of
this."
Anna bowed her head, suddenly feeling
useless. "I wish that I could go with you…but…I know I can't. Matt would
find out and it wouldn't be at all good. Be careful, Jack. Please." She
hugged her friend tightly, praying to God that Jack and Rose would both come
out of this all right. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if anything
happened to them.
"I promise, Anna. I'll be fine, and so
will Rose. You'll see." Jack returned the hug, hoping that he was right.
Whatever Cal was doing to Rose, Jack hoped that it wouldn't be too much for her
to handle.
*****
She had done it! She had escaped! The maid
had left the door unlocked, and Rose had quickly slipped out and was now running
as fast as she could down the deserted Philadelphia street, searching for the
nearest police station, someone to help her get back to Jack. She had to get
away. Who knew what Cal had planned for her? She feared for her unborn child's
life.
She had almost made it to the edge of the
neighborhood when she was roughly grabbed from behind. She knew it was Cal. She
smelled the liquor on his breath, the smell of brandy making her feel rather
nauseous and weak.
"Stupid move, Sweetpea. Now I'm really
going to have to teach you a lesson." He dragged her back to the house.
She struggled and screamed, but it all went unheard…or rather, ignored. No one
cared what the dignified son of Nathan Hockley was up to now, or who his poor
victim was. For all they knew, she was a whore from the filthier part of the
city, and Hockley was giving her a good wash down.
Cal dragged her back to his mansion and
pushed her down into the basement. Rose landed hard at the bottom of the steps
and struggled to her feet, just to be knocked back down with a hard slap from
Cal.
"Why do you make me hurt you, Rose?"
He balled up his fist and gave her a right hook to the face. "And look at
you! A mess! All ugly for our special night!"
Wincing in pain, Rose looked up at him, but didn't
dare speak. But she did wonder. What special night? What was he planning now?
Cal swiftly kicked her back down, careful not
to hit her stomach. He wanted the gutter rat's brat to be born so she could
watch him give the creature away. Another torture to visit upon his ex-fiancée.
"Now, get up!"
Rose didn't move. She just remained on the
cold floor, sobbing. Her escape attempt had failed. She'd probably never see
Jack again. And Cal…he was sure to kill her. Sooner or later.
"Did you not hear me, Rose? Get
up!" He grabbed her by her red curls and lifted her to her feet. Rose
screamed out in pain as Cal tossed a plain white dress to her. "Get
dressed. We have a wedding to attend."
"W-wedding?" Rose managed through
her sobs. "Wh-what wedding?"
"Ours, of course. Who else’s? Your
mother will be there, and…"
"Cal…I can't marry you. I-I'm married to
Jack. I'm still married to Jack."
Cal looked at Rose, his dark eyes full of
anger and hatred. How dare she even speak that name on the night of their
wedding? Well, later, he was going to make sure she forgot the name Jack Dawson
and any further plans of escape. "Do you honestly think that's enough to
stop me, Sweetpea? I told you once before, you're mine. You belong to me.
Dawson has no rights to you. He never has and never will. Now, get cleaned up
and dressed. The minister will be here any minute." Cal grinned before
stepping out of the room, leaving Rose to prepare for their special day.
Rose looked forlornly at the now locked door.
She had been so close. So close to freedom, she could practically taste it.
Now, thanks to her stupid childhood wish to be close to her mother…that freedom
was now just a distant memory. A dream that she had lived for only a few days
and was probably gone forever. Sighing sadly, Jack on her mind, Rose did as Cal
told her, reminding herself that no matter what he said, her marriage to Jack
was still intact, and he would come for her. There was no doubt in her mind
about that.