7
It’s been five hours since Rose’s talk with Angus. She had spent that time thinking about her life, her feelings for Jack, and did she love him enough to spend eternity by his side, in the meantime, giving up her old life. She had only known Jack for a few days. A few wonderful days full of love and fun. Of being a seventeen year old girl. Not having to worry about being a proper lady or finding a proper husband. Of being with the most wonderful boy in the world.
But were those few days worth giving up her old life for? She’d never see her parents again. But then again…she wouldn’t have to be courted by that awful Caledon Hockley. Sure, he was handsome and probably quite charming; but it didn’t look like he had much of a personality. He definitely wasn’t the right man for her. But her parents were insistent and she knew that she couldn’t disobey them. She’d marry Hockley against her own wishes and wash her dreams and aspirations down the drain. With Jack, her dreams would come true. They’d travel and do all kind of things together.
The choice was then made. She knew what she was going to do. She was going to become a Dawson. She was going to leave her old life behind and start a new one. A new life that will last forever.
~*~
The Dawsons were all on the porch. Angus was carving on a block of wood, Mae was playing her music box; Miles was reading, and Jack was staring out into the horizon, wondering what Rose was thinking about and why it took her this long to think about it. He glared one more time at Angus, wondering what he had said to her.
"Ahem," Rose cleared her throat, stepping out onto the porch.
"Rose," Jack went to her, taking her hands in his. His blue eyes shone with love and concern, wanting to know if she was ok or upset. "Are you ok?"
"I’m fine," Rose squeezed his hand, feeling confident about her decision. She did love Jack…more then anything. She couldn’t even imagine living her life without him. "I just had a decision to make and I’ve made it…for all the right reasons," her eyes fell on Angus, who was watching her intensely, his warm gray eyes curious. "Jack…I love you. More then anything. Not only are you everything I had always wanted to be, but you’re who I want to be with forever."
Jack’s eyes lit up with hesitant joy. "Are you saying that you want to go to the spring? Be with me forever?"
Rose smiled and nodded, happy that she could make him happy.
"Woohoo!" Jack swept her into his arms, swinging her around.
"Jack! Put me down," Rose laughed, feeling complete joy…something she hadn’t felt in a long time.
"Rose," Angus got to his feet as Jack sat her back on her feet. The eldest Dawson was happy for his son, who had been rather lonely for the past twenty years. Angus saw it each time the boy had seem him and Mae together. He wanted Jack to be happy…but he was concerned about the young woman. She was young and she would be giving up a life of luxury. Had she really thought this through? "Are you sure about this? Our life isn’t an easy one. It’s hard and can be rather lonely. Are you sure that this is the life for you?"
Jack glared at Angus, wondering what his father was trying to do. It seemed as if Angus was trying to change Rose’s mind. "What are you trying to do? Change her mind?"
"No Jack. I just want her to be sure about her decision. That’s all."
"Please don’t fight," Rose placed a hand on Jack’s shoulder. "Angus is just concerned. That’s all, and I appreciate it. I do. But Angus, I have thought about this. I’ve thought about this good and hard. I love Jack. I can’t imagine my life with him in it. This is what I want. I have never been so sure about anything in my entire life, but I am about this. I want to be with your son. Forever."
Angus looked at Rose, searching her face for any signs of uncertainty and found none. This truly seemed to be what the girl wanted. He just slightly smiled and nodded, excepting the situation. ""ell then, all I have to say is welcome to the family," he pulled Rose into a bear hug that he only reserved for family members.
A clearing of the throat interrupted the moment. Everyone looked at Miles, who was frowning at the situation. Did he ever smile? Rose thought to herself. Everytime she saw him, he had a frown on his face.
"I hate to rain on everyone’s parade here, but this is rally not a good time to be adding new family members," Miles sighed, truly hating to remind everyone of the man who was following him and Jack in Paris. But they needed to be reminded. Rose needed to know of this too if she was going to drink from the spring.
"Great, you just had to bring that up again, didn’t you?" Jack glared at his brother, tired of Mile’s doom and gloom attitude.
"Jack, why don’t you take Rose for a walk?" Mae suggested, wanting to avoid a fight between her sons. Her boys usually got along, but when they fought with one another, things get nasty. She didn’t want Rose to witness that.
"Yes ma," Jack took Rose’s hand and led her away from the cabin and Mile’s stupid worries.
"Miles, there’s been no sign of that man yet. There’s nothing we can do about him until he does show up," Angus turned to his eldest son with grim eyes
"I’m only saying that we should wait until we know for sure that he’s gone, before we let her drink the water. Why pull someone else into our situation until we know it’s safe?"
"He has a point Angus. Maybe we should wait."
"Wait for what, Mae? For the girl to turn fifty? I think that’s unfair of us to ask. Besides, I think it’s too late. Jack’s taking her to the spring right now. By the time they return, we will have a new member of this family."
~*~
The spring was right where they left it, Rose noticed as they returned to the clearing where they had first met, just a few days ago.
"Jack…maybe we should wait for Mae and Tuck…I mean they may…" Rose nervously began. This was one of the biggest decisions of her life. She wanted to do it right.
"Rose, you do want this, right?" Jack asked, not wanting to push her into anything she wasn’t ready for. She loved him. He knew that. He saw it in her eyes. But did she really want to drink the water right now? "I mean, you don’t have to if you don’t want to Rose. We can wait."
Rose smiled, touched by his concern. She was again reminded of why she loved him so much. "Jack…of course I want this. I want to be with you forever. I just thought that you’d want your family here…that’s all."
Jack smiled, gently touching her face. "They’ll be at our wedding. But this…this is just for us. Do you understand?"
She blushed and nodded, understanding perfectly well why he want to be alone for this. This was proving her love to him. Once and for all. It was a moment of intimacy to the both of them. "Perfectly."
She stirred the water with her hand, nervous, yet certain about what she was about to do. Scooping the water up into her hand, she took a long refreshing drink. Jack was right. It was the most delicious water she had ever drunk. After she had drunk her full, Jack pulled her into his arms, and her tight, thinking that his days of loneliness were now over.
"Are you happy, Rose?" Jack asked, once again doubting her feelings for him. He hoped that she wasn’t regretting her decision.
"I’ve never been as happy as I am now," Rose looked up into his eyes…into her world. "I love you Jack. I’ll love you forever."
"I love you too Rose. Today, forever…until the day I die," he pulled her into a warm embrace…an embrace that turned into a kiss…a kiss that wanted to be even more.
Jack pulled away and stared into her eyes, so full of passion and love. "Nervous?" he asked, not wanting to scare her. He wanted their first time to be special.
Rose shook her head. How could she be nervous with Jack? She knew for certain that she was safe with him. "No," she took his hand, kissing his artist fingers; Long and strong. Safe. "Put your hands on me Jack."
With a bit of hesitation, Jack let her guide his hand down to her left breast. Not able to hold out any longer, Jack kissed her long and fully.
In the warm, afternoon sun, Jack and Rose consummated their love for one another, certain that eternity was theirs.
~*~
Meanwhile, back at the cabin, the quiet world of the Dawsons was about to be shattered. Mae, Tuck, and Miles were on the porch, awaiting Rose and Jack’s return when awaiting Jack and Rose’s return when Spicer Lovejoy approached, a cruel smile on his face. Startled by the newcomer, Angus got to his feet.
"May I help you?" He didn’t like this stranger. He had a sleaziness about him that made Angus’s skin crawl.
"Yes. I’m looking for someone and something. I believe that you know where both of them are," Lovejoy smiled, pulling out a gun. He knew that the weapon was useless against these people, but it still gave him a surge of power. A weapon of intimidation.
"Sir, we don’t know what nor who you’re talking about," Mae got up to stand next to her husband as Miles disappeared into the house. "We’re simple folk who stay to ourselves…"
Lovejoy laughed long and hard. He was not one to be fooled by the simple, country folk act. The fact that this woman thought he would fall for such bullshit was laughable. It amused him greatly. "You don’t fool me Mrs. Dawson. I know you’re not simple and you’re the kind of folk that would never leave a poor, young runaway to fend for herself. Just tell me where the spring and the girl are and I’ll be on my way.
"The spring? What’s it to you?" Angus asked, curious about how this man knew of their secret.
"Oh it’s nothing to me. I could care less about the spring or the girl. But it’s everything to my employer, Caledon Hockley. You see, his father is dying and the spring will save him. Not to mention that the Hockley men have a short life span. The spring can save them all.
"And then there’s the girl. There’s been a marriage arrangement between him and the young lady. He’s willing to pay for them both."
"Go to hell," Mae glared at Lovejoy. There was no way she was going to hand neither Rose, nor the spring over to these people. She knew that there was a good reason for Rose to run away and she was glad the poor girl did.
"We’re not handing over what you seek," Angus crossed his arms. "You’re wasting your time here."
"Mom? Dad?" Jack returned, holding Rose’s hand tightly in his. "What’s going on?"
"Oh look," Lovejoy grinned. "Why it’s young Mr. Dawson and Miss. Dewitt Bukater. Returned to us at last."
"Jack, take Rose and get out of here," Angus said, his teeth clenched in anger. This man was dangerous and he didn’t want Rose and Jack anywhere near him.
"Who are you?" Rose asked, stepping closer to Jack, who wrapped a protective arm around her. She had never seen this man before, but he obviously knew her and she didn’t like that at all.
"Spice Lovejoy. Manservant to Caledon Hockley. Mr. Hockley is in search of things that are precious to him and it seems that I have found one of them."
"Let my parents go right now," Jack glared at the man, not liking how he was looking at Rose. Hating that he was marring a day that was supposed to be full of happiness for both him and Rose.
"Lovejoy laughed. "Only if you give me the directions to the spring and Miss. Dewitt Bukater there comes with me, where she’ll be returned to her family."
"No way," Jack’s grip on Rose tightened. "She’s going nowhere with you and as a spring…there are no springs around here."
"We’ll see about that," Lovejoy pulled Rose away from Jack and held her in a chokehold. The man then pulled out a gun and shot Jack.
Rose screamed as she watched the love of her life fall to the ground.
"Deny the spring now, Dawson," Lovejoy sneered.