Chapter Ten
November 22, 1912
It’s the day before thanksgiving Jack and Rose set on the porch watching the sunset. Rose sighs contently and strokes her slightly swollen abdomen. This is the happiest she’s been in a long time. Jack smiles and squeezes her shoulder lovingly, thinking of how lucky he was to have her in his life. He was the luckiest man alive in his opinion. They stand to go in when jack stops and looks in the distance, where a lone figure is coming up the path a single bag clutched in it’s hand. He squints and his eyes widen. Could it be? Can she finally be coming back home?
The figure reaches the porch and steps up on it in front of the couple. She’s a pretty girl, Jack’s hieght, Rose’s build. Blonde hair and brown eyes.
"Maggie?" Jack stares at the girl.
"Is it really you."
"That’s right cousin. I’m back," the girl
grins, not making a move. It’s Jack who pulls her into a
warm hug.
"It’s so good to see you! Where have you been?! I’ve been trying to contact you for months now!" Jack grinned.
"Around. Why did you want to contact me and who’s this?" Maggie notices Rose and how she tightly holds on to Jack’s hand.
"Maggie, I’d like to introduce to love of my life…in fact she’s the meaning of my life you can say. Rose Dawson, this is my cousin Maggie Dawson. We grew up together," Jack smiled proudly.
Rose smiles nervously. "How do you do?"
"Why aren’t we proper? Where you find this one Jack? First class Titanic?"
Neither Jack nor Rose smiled at the comment.
"Let’s just say it’s a long story and leave it at that," Jack nods.
Maggie shrugs and stares coldly at Rose. It’s obvious that she doesn’t really care for the woman in her cousin’s life. "So this is where you’re staying? What happened to the old house?"
"Burned down," Jack sighed sadly. "We’ve been staying here until we can get another place to stay."
"So do you think Mrs. Bloom has room for your cousin or will she put me out on the streets with the rest of the vagrants?"
"We’ll just have to ask her won’t we?" Jack grinned. "Come on. She’s in the kitchen now."
Mrs. Bloom is in the kitchen putting the turkey on for the next day’s dinner. Gretchen is putting vegetables in the refrigerator and gasps when Jack and Rose enter with Maggie Dawson.
"What are you doing here?" Gretchen asked glaring at the newcomer.
"Can’t a girl visit her cousin?" Maggie smirks.
"Gretchen be nice," Mrs. Bloom warns her daughter. "Why don’t you take Rose down to the market and pick up that pumpkin for that pumpkin pie?"
"Mom!"
"Are you arguing with me?"
"Ok. Come on Rose. You’re about to witness the first step in making the perfect Blooms Pumpkin pie."
"What’s with you and Jack’s cousin?" Rose asked curiously as they walk to the market place. "It seems like you two don’t like each other very much."
"That’s because we don’t. Rose,
you have to understand, the Dawsons are a good family. All of
them friendly and willing to give the shirt off their back if
need be. Maggie’s the only one that’s not like that.
She’s the black sheep of the family. No one will have
anything to do with her."
"No one except Jack. Right?" Rose looked at Gretchen.
"You got it. And for someone who has no friend and who most of her family hates her, one would think she’d treat Jack a lot better."
"How is she mean to him?" Rose asked, not able to fathom anyone being needlessly cruel to someone as sweet as her Jack.
"Puts him down when ever she gets chance. Calls him names, that sort of stuff," Gretchen shrugs then sighs forlornly. "I wish she never came Rose. I wish she stayed where ever it was she came from."
"Maybe she’s changed Gretchen. Maybe she realizes what a special person Jack is and decided to treat him better."
"I can only hope," Gretchen shakes her head.
When Rose and Gretchen return to the house, Rose found her mother and a man she didn’t know setting on the loveseat deep in conversation. Ruth looks up and her face brightens when she sees her daughter.
"Oh Rose you’re home at last! I’d like you to meet Mr. Bryson, a old school friend of mine. He’s the owner of Gleasons!" Ruth gets to her feet and motions to her friend.
"Gleasons? You mean the famous art gallery in New York City?" Rose’s eyes widen in shock. She had no idea that her mother knew someone that interesting.
"Yes. He was in Eau Claire on business and I thought I should invite him to dinner. I told him of Jack of course and what an exquisite artist he is," Ruth grins, proud of herself.
"According to your mother, Jack’s a rare talent. She said he captures the very essence of his subjects," Mr. Bryson replied.
"Oh he does. His work is exceptional. His portfolio is upstairs in our room. I can get it for you if you like," Rose offered, her heart beginning to pound faster. This was a remarkable opportunity for Jack.
"I’d like that very much," Mr. Bryson nods.
"I’ll be right back. Oh by the way mother, where is Jack?"
"He took his cousin a couple of blocks to meet some old friends. He said he’ll be back in time for dinner," Ruth nods.
Rose grins and darts upstairs, excited beyound belief. Grasping Jack’s new portfolio she had purchased him two days after he returned from the hospital for the blind she flies back downstairs. "Sorry there’s not much here. All his pictures he had before were destroyed in a fire a couple of months back."
Bryson nods and looks at the pictures that were there. By the expression on his face, he was beyond impressed. "These are the most perfect drawings I’ve seen in a while. Is your husband with a gallery right now?"
"Only the local one for aspiring artists," Rose shruggs. "Nothing as big as yours sir."
"Rose, I’d like to meet with Jack. Tonight if at all possible."
"Why not stay for dinner? Jack will be back by then," Rose smiles.
"In the meantime, I’ll keep you company," Ruth pats his hand. "This is a great opportunity for young Jack."
"Well Jack is obvoiusly a talented artist. I can’t wait to meet him," Mr. Bryson smiled.
At that moment Jack returns, a big smile on his face. He looks up at the scene in the setting room.
"Hello," Jack smile.
"Oh Jack it’s so wonderful!" Rose couldn’t contain herself. She runs and fiercely hugs her husband, who’s a bit confused about the emotional greeting from his wife.
"What is this all about?" Jack asked.
"Jack this is Mr. Bryson from Gleasons. That famous gallery in New York," Rose explained. "Mother brought him over and mentioned that you were an exceptional artist…"
"Exceptional indeed!" Mr. Bryson gets up from his seat and strolls over to the young man. "Mr. Dawson you have a rare talent. Your wife here has shown me a couple of your drawings and I must say that you capture the true spirit of your subjects. How do you feel about displaying your work at my gallery?"
"In New York?" Jack’s eyes widen in disbelief.
"Of course. You don’t have to leave Chippewa Falls if you don’t want to. Just have the paintings shipped to my gallery in New York. I’ll send all the profits to you through mail. What do you say Jack?"
"Sounds like a trick to me," Maggie snorts, she quiets down when Rose throws a glare her way.
"Gleasons is one of the most prestigious galleries in the United States Maggie. All the artists sell for a good price. Jack’s lucky to be getting this opportunity," Rose smiles falsely at Maggie. If Maggie thought she could come here and continue putting Jack down she had another thing coming.
"Sure. I’ll do it," Jack grins happily, thankful for such good luck. "I have a lot of ideas of what to send to New York," Jack glances at Rose.
"Ah a portrait of your lovely wife will be fantastic," Mr. Bryson notices the way Jack gazes at his wife. Something tells him that a lot of Jack’s inspiration comes from her.
"You’ll be getting plenty of those," Jack grins.
"Jack why don’t you go show Mr. Bryson some of your work at the art gallery. I’ll take care of Maggie," Rose smiles at her husband.
"are you sure?" Jack asked, looking between his wife and cousin. He had already picked up on some of the tension between the two and didn’t know if he’d like them to be alone together.
"Positive. Now go.," Rose shoes them out the door.
"Well I’ll go help get dinner on," Ruth nods to her daughter. "Rose this is quite an opportunity for Jack. He’ll be doing something he loves and bring money into the family."
"Thank you mother. From all three of us," Rose lightly touches her extended belly.
Ruth just smiles and leaves Rose alone with Maggie.
"So mind telling me why you couldn’t wait to get my cousin and his new employer out of the same room as me?" Maggie crosses her arms.
"Gretchen told me of your treatment of
Jack Maggie. I just want you to know that there will none of that
this time around. You will treat Jack with respect. If you
can’t do that then leave."
Maggie laughed. "You really are a piece of work Rose.
Standing here defending poor little Jack. He’s a big boy. He
can take care of himself."
"I never said he couldn’t. But I’m letting you know that you won’t be getting away with anything. I won’t allow it." Rose is surprised by the exact same sentence her mother had used with her on Titanic when she was trying to keep her and Jack apart.
Maggie steps up closer to Rose. "I’m not scared of you Rose. I’m not fooled either. I’ve seen your type. First class all the way. A wilting little flower that can’t take care of herself. Always in need of a man to take care of her. Your threats mean nothing. I’ll treat Jack as I please and nothing you say or do will stop me."
Rose is indeed insulted by this. The few months after Titanic and before she came to Chippewa Falls, Rose was forced to take care of herself and her live off what earnings she had made that day from her job as a waitress in a ran down café in New York. It was a miracle that she had come to Chippewa Falls and found Jack. "You know nothing about me Maggie. Neither do you know anything about Jack either. He’s changed from the last time you saw him. He’s changed a lot. And I will not stand by and let you tear down Jack’s self-esteem."
"Rose Dawson. Defender of my cousin’s feelings," Maggie laughed, disappearing up the stairs.
"Rose?" Ruth’s voice appeared in the doorway. She had been standing there through the entire exchange and was surprised to hear how cold her daughter’s voice had grown. Almost as cold as hers.
"Mother…what are you doing out here? I thought you were in the kitchen," Rose stammers.
"You were so cold with that girl…I’m proud of you," Ruth smiles.
"What?"
"You showed your backbone tonight. I haven’t seen that since that night on Titanic when you refused to get into that lifeboat with the rest of us."
"Well mother, no one treats my Jack horribly and get away with it. I don’t care if she is his cousin," Rose crosses her arms. "Now come on. Let’s get ready for dinner."