AN UNFORGETTABLE JOURNEY
Chapter Forty-Two
Ruth walked onto the front porch of the
Dawson residence. She was steaming mad. How could her daughter even think of
living in a place like this? Ruth was angry at the whole dreadful situation.
She couldn't believe that she was actually walking around unescorted in this
small, hideous town. But she knew that this was something she had to do alone.
She couldn't bear to have the hired help be there to witness when she and Rose
got into it. And knowing her daughter, Ruth knew that there would be a scene.
She was prepared for her daughter's temper.
She knocked on the door, then waited
impatiently. A moment later, the door opened and there stood three women…and
Jack. He looked shocked to see her. She glared at him. She would not let that
filthy boy come between her daughter and Cal.
"Mrs. DeWitt Bukater! Where's Rose? Have
you seen her? Is she all right?" Jack asked in a rush, his voice urgent
with concern. He started pacing; he looked like he was in a panic. Ruth was
shocked to see him acting this way. What was going on?
"I don't know what you are talking
about, Mr. Dawson. I assumed that she was with you. After all, you do plan to
marry my daughter today, don't you, Mr. Dawson?" Jack realized that Ruth
didn't know what was going on. He remembered Rose saying that she hadn't seen
her mother when Cal had first kidnapped her. Was it possible that Cal hadn't
told her mother what he had done?
"Please, come in, Mrs. DeWitt Bukater.
And please call me Jack."
She looked at him, a slight sneer on her
face. "I will call you whatever I please, Mr. Dawson," she replied
haughtily as she breezed passed him and entered the small sitting room. She
looked around the room in disdain. The room was sparsely furnished and
hideously small. Ruth decided to ignore the fact that it was clean. She still
thought it repulsive.
"Mrs. DeWitt Bukater, Rose has been
kidnapped. She disappeared this morning," Jack informed her.
She looked at him in disbelief. "Mr.
Dawson, that makes no sense. Who would want to kidnap her?" Ruth didn't
know what was going on, but she knew that something was happening.
Jack gestured toward the couch. "Maybe
you should sit down," he said.
Ruth looked at him angrily. "Don't tell
me what I should and should not do, Mr. Dawson! Now tell me where Rose
is!"
If the situation hadn't been so awful, Jack
would have laughed. Now he knew where Rose had gotten her sharp wit from.
"Mrs. DeWitt Bukater, Cal has kidnapped Rose."
Ruth laughed bitterly. "Mr. Dawson, how
can Mr. Hockley kidnap his own fiancée?" she asked incredulously.
"I am her fiancé, Mrs. DeWitt Bukater!
What makes you think that she would marry him after the things he did to
her?" he cried.
Ruth looked at him in bewilderment.
"What are you talking about? Mr. Hockley has done nothing but love and
care for Rose. She should be thankful that he still wants to marry her after
the way she carried on with you!"
Jack shook his head. Was this woman really
that blind? "I don't think that kidnapping a person and locking them in a
room for three weeks straight is very loving or caring at all! Nor do I think
that it is in Rose's best interest to be with someone who leaves bruises all
over her arms." As Jack said this, he felt a shiver run down his spine at
the thought of Rose in Cal's hands.
Ruth looked stunned. Was he serious?
Jack decided to change tactics. He had to get
her to see how serious the situation was. "Please, Mrs. DeWitt Bukater,
you have to help me find her. If you really love your daughter, please help
me." He looked pleadingly into Ruth's eyes. He knew that she hated him,
despised the earth that he walked on. But he had to hang onto the hope that she
did in fact love her daughter. He had to make her see what kind of man Caledon
Hockley really was.
Ruth didn't know what to say. She couldn't
believe this desperate-looking poor boy, could she? He was probably just
desperate to get Rose back. Or was he? But Cal had left for Chippewa Falls
without informing her. She couldn't help but remember Cal's promise to tell her
immediately if he had any news about Rose. But he did tell me. He sent that
letter, she thought to herself. Yes, but he could have told you before
he left, a little voice inside her head spoke to her.
Ruth was confused. She didn't understand why
she was even considering what Jack was telling her. She knew Cal. He wasn't the
monster that Jack had just described. He would never do those things to Rose.
But even so, she felt that something was wrong here.
"Okay, Mr. Dawson. I'll help you find
her. Then she will give me the truth, one way or another."
Jack winced at her words. Those were the
words that Cal had spoken to him that night on Titanic as Rose was being
lowered in the lifeboat. Did the Hockleys always win…one way or another? Yes,
Cal was a monster, and Jack realized that he would do anything to win. Even if
winning meant that Rose would be hurt.
Jack looked at Ruth, a serious expression on
his face. "I need you to contact Mr. Hockley and give him something for
me." Ruth watched as Jack started to write something down on a piece of
paper. He folded the piece of paper before handing it to Ruth. "Can you
give this to Mr. Hockley for me?" Jack asked.
Ruth looked at him in confusion. What is
he up to? she wondered.
"If I'm right, then Mr. Hockley won't be
able to resist meeting with me after reading that. Tell him that he had better
show up with Rose if he ever wants to see this again," he said as he
dangled the necklace in front of Ruth's face.
She stared at the diamond in shock. She knew
now beyond a doubt that Rose was in danger. For Jack would surely have kept the
diamond for himself if Rose didn't mean anything to him. Ruth left the house
silently. She knew exactly where to find Cal. All she had to do was look for
the most expensive and luxurious hotel in town. Most likely, he would be
staying at the very same hotel that she had checked into that morning.