CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The next morning...
Susan is setting at the kitchen table, a plate of bacon and eggs in front of her while she reads the local newspaper when Caledon Hockley comes stumbling into the room as cross as always.
"Where's the room service around here?! I don't even have a phone to call!" Cal demands.
"We don't have room service here in the boarding house," Susan shruggs. "If you want breakfast, you're going to do like everyone else and fix your own plate. It's right there on the stove."
Cal grumpily snorts and goes to the cabinet gets a plate. "This is so absurd. Whoever heard of no room service?"
"Everyone except you obviously," Susan looks up from her paper. "My goodness, and I thought Rose was bad when she first came here. At least she didn't expect room service."
"Rose never did appreciate the hightlights of luxery. She even said that Titanic wasn't any larger than the Maurtania," Cal chuckled. "Then she took off to shack up with that street rat."
Susan's anger flares up at that comment. No one, especially an arrogant snobby swell like Caledon Hockley talked that way about her best friend. "How dare you call Jack that! He's anything but a street rat! He's the most sweetest, sincere person I know and obviously he was doing something right to make Rose fall in love with him, unlike you. In fact, Rose told me you were suffocating her. That's why she took off."
"How dare you talk that way to me! Do you even know who I am?!"
"Caledon Hockley, son of Philadelphia steel Tychoon and pain in the ass," Susan crosses her arms. "Your title doesn't impress anyone here Mr. Hockley. We're not going to bow down whenever you come into a room. You might as well get used to it."

"In all my years I have never been spoken to in such a matter!" Caledon exclaimed angrily. "I demand an apology right now!"
"Dream on!" Susan stands from her chair, facing Caledon down.
"Susan Eugenia Swallens! How dare you treat one of my tenants in such a disgusting manner! Apologize right now!" Mrs. Emma barges into the room, her cheeks flaring with embarrassment.
"But mother..."
"Now Susan."
Susan doesn't look at Cal. She glances down at the floor and her voice is flat. "I'm sorry."
"Apology accepted," Cal holds his chin high.
Then Susan holds her head up and looks Cal straight in the eye. "I'm sorry that Rose had to suffer your presence to what might have been a great trip to Europe!" With that said Susan marched out of the house.

"I do apologize," Mrs. Emma shakes her head. "I don't know what gets into her."
"I suggest madame that you get some control over your daughter. Where I come from, women didn't allow such things to come out of their daughter's mouths, nor to storm out of the house unescorted," Cal waltzes out of the room in search of a phone to make another business call.
Mrs. Emma just stands in the middle of her kitchen shaking her head in amusement. Her daughter sure could hold her own. Caledon Hockley may have just met his match in her.

Rose is at the country store buying groceries for that night when she hears the ring of the bell as someone enters the store and Brianna's flirtatious voice greeting the visitor. Rose turns to see Cal, looking right at her.
"Why isn't it my wayward fiancee again," Cal grins, interrupting Brianna's rendition of how good her blueberry muffins taste. She glares at Rose, knowing that one again one of her suitors were distracted. "Where's your husband?"
"That's none of your concern Mr. Hockley. Now if you'd excuse me, I have to pay for these," Rose tries to move past Cal, but he roughly grabs her by the arm before she could get away.
"Not so fast Rose. That was very rude running off like that in Southampton and very immature," Cal growled. "Do you know how much I've spent for our now aborted wedding? Do you?"
"Is that all you care about Cal? That I costed you thousands of dollars? For a second there I thought it was because you actually cared about me. How foolish that was," Rose jerks her arm out of his grasp.
"You're pushing my limit Rose. I want an explanation right now!"
"And I gave you one yesterday! I don't love you and I have never loved you. Oh sure at one time I found you charming. What girl wouldn't? But then you made the mistake of letting your true colors show. You talked down to me Cal, you never listened to me nor to my ideas. You treated me like I was a prize you won at one of your shooting competitions, holding me up for the world to see! But I'm not a prize Cal, I'm a person and I have found someone who treats me like I'm a person! Now if you'd be so kind as to move out of my way, I'll be going," Rose pushes past Cal and out the door before depositing a heap of money on the counter.
"Rose!" Cal calls after her. "Rose! You come back here this minute! Don't you dare walk away from me!"
But she was long gone. She wasn't even in sight anymore. "Women," Cal hissed.
"I'm sorry about Rose," Brianna apologized.
"At least someone in this one horse town understands," Cal snorts. "She was always wild like that. Never wanted to set still and do what she was told. I was foolish to think I could tame her. I should have chosen someone more domesticated."
Susan steps out from behind some shelves. "You sound like you're talking about a horse."
"Shut up Susan," Brianna hissed.
"No really Brianna. Don't you see that he's describing the woman he was supposed to marry like she's a horse? No matter what Rose ran away from you. I know I'd never want to be married to someone like that."
"You have no right to talk to him that way Susan," Brianna growls.
"Well someone needs to put him in his place. He has to learn he can't treat us women like we're cattle!"
"Susan...," Brianna begins but is interrupted by Cal's dejected sigh.
"What?" Both girls asked in unison.
'You're right. I didn't realize it until Susan said something and I went back over my words. I did treat Rose like she was my posession. I just wanted a trophy to hang on my wall of accomplishments. You see, Rose was one of the hardest girls to get...one of the best girls. And to even court her was considered a great accomplishment. Once I got her where I wanted her and I thought she was mine for sure, I began to claim posession of her. I growled at any other man who even looked at her. Then I refused to listen to her...I mean to really listen to her. I mean what could my prized trophy possibly have to say that was so important that it warranted my undivided attention? Then I spoke down to her and even mentally abused her by calling her stupid. I noticed the hurt in her eyes, but at the time...I didn't care. She had no right trying to assert her independence."
"What are you trying to say here Mr. Hockley?" Susan asked, trying her best to get where Cal was going with his story.
"That I'm sorry. That I'm sorry I treated the one person that I did love like she was no better than cattle.
Susan laughed. "I almost believe you loved her Mr. Hockley but your actions say otherwise."
"I did love her. I did. But I was never raised to show my affections. That only weaklings showed their feelings. And I didn't want to be weak. I wanted to be strong and assert my dominance over my fiancee. And in the end she left me...left me for a man far better than I by the looks of it."
"You got that right," Susan crossed her arms.
"If you two ladies will excuse me now, I'm going back to the boarding house to pack," Cal slumps his shoulders in defeat.
"Wait! Don't go!" Brianna cried after him.
But it's too late. Caledon Hockley had left the building.

Susan returned home to find Cal in his room, packing his things. "Leaving us so soon?"
"I got what I came here for. To see Rose...see how she was doing. I've done that and now it's time for me to head back to Philadelphia."
"Did you apologize to her yet?"
"What?" Cal turns to her, confusion in his eyes.
"Did you apologize to Rose yet? It's the least you can do you know," Susan stares him straight in the eyes.
"No. I haven't apologize to her. She won't accept it anyway."
"How do you know if you don't try?" Susan asked, "Come on. We'll head to the Dawson's right now and you can talk to her."
"What? Are you mad? She won't even stay in the same room with me much less talk to me," Cal pulls back.
"Rose is a Dawson now, and one thing the Dawson's are big on is forgiveness. Believe me, I can't tell you how bad the fights I got into with Jack got, most of them my fault of course, but he always forgave me," Susan laughed.

"But Rose is also a Dewitt Bukater and they are not as big on forgiveness as your Dawsons may be," Cal sighed.
"Well you won't know until you try. Come on. I'll go over there with you," Susan takes his hand and pulls him out the door despite his protests.

Fifteen minutes later...

Jack and Rose are in the kitchen making dinner. Rose is putting the beef in the stew when Susan and Cal arrives.
"Looks like we've got company," Jack smiles, spotting Susan and Cal at the screen door. "Come on in," Jack opens the door. "Both of you."
"No," Rose steps up beside Jack, her expression cold. "Mr. Hockley can remain outside."
"Oh Rose, don't be like that," Susan sighed. "He came over to apologize..."
"For the store? No need. I've been treated that way by him before. It's no big shock," Rose shrugs.
"He...I'll let him explain himself," Susan steps aside, signaling for Cal to speak.
Cal looks at Susan, then he looks at Rose. "Rose...please hear me out before cutting me off. This is really something I have to say."
"Ok then. Say what you have to then leave," Rose crosses her arms.
"I realized how I've been treating you ever since the day we got engaged and I'm ashamed of myself. I treated you like you were a prize to be shown off, not like a real person. I never listened to your feelings, nor your ideas. I treated you like you were cattle and I'm sorry. I'm sorry I treated you so horribly and believe it or not, I did love you...I just didn't know how to show it," Cal sighed, bowing his head.
"Is that all you have to say Mr. Hockley?" Rose is still cold towards him. Part of her was touched by his speech, but a larger part didn't trust him. He had to be up to something.
"Yes. I never deserved your love and I'm glad you found someone who does," Cal nods. "Mr. Dawson. Take good care of her. She's a remarkable woman for putting up with me as long as she did."
"I know," Jack smiled, placing a arm around Rose's shoulder.
"So Rose...will you forgive me?" Cal asked tentatively, not wanting to push her.
Rose is silent for a couple of seconds before answering. "To be honest Mr. Hockley...I don't know. I don't know if I can ever forgive all you've done," Rose steps closer to Jack. "I need time to think this through."
"I understand. I'll be going now," Cal turns for the door when Jack speaks up.
"Feel free to come again," Jack's eyes are sincere as Cal stares at him with a mixture of surprise and respect.
"Thank you Mr. Dawson. Good night to you both," With that both Cal and Susan are out the door and heading back to the boarding house.
"Now you see, that wasn't so bad now was it?" Susan asked.
"No it wasn't. But she still hasn't forgiven me and probably never will. Not that I can blame her. I can't really forgive myself."
"Give it time Mr. Hockley. She'll come around," Susan takes his hand and stops. "She can't stay mad forever. Especially with someone like Jack around. He's a good soul with a forgiving nature and some of that's bound to wear off on Rose."
"You certainly have faith in your friend there. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you are in love with him," Cal laughed and stops when he notices that Susan's not laughing along with him but starind down at the ground. "Susan...did I say something wrong?"
"No. It's not you. It's life in general. It's funny how it works out," Susan sighed. "Don't tell anyone this, especially rose, but I've always kind of imagined me and Jack getting married, not him leaving town, and returning five years later with a wife in tow."
"If it's any consolation, I know how you feel. Right now I was expecting to be married to the best of all society women, but now she's married to someone else and I'm here standing in the middle of the street of some strange town speaking to a very attractive woman."
Susan blushed. "Well...we better get back to the boarding house."
"Yes. I have to pack the rest of my things and be on my way back to Philadelphia," Cal sighed. "This really is a quaint little town. It's too bad I'm returning to the city so soon."
"Well don't if you don't have to. Stay. We'll be glad to have ya," Susan grinned.
"You mean you'll be glad to have my money don't you?" Cal laughed "But serioiusly, I think I might. At least until Rose says , I think I might. At least until Rose says those three little words."
"You'll never hear those from her Mr. Hockley. Those are only reserved for Jack," Susan smiled wistfully.
"I meant I want to hear her say I forgive you," Cal rolls his eyes. "Is everything a joke with you people?"
"No. But a joke sure does come in handy once in a while," Susan laughed. "Come on. Ma has dinner on the table right about now and she doesn't appreciate straddlers."
"Cal sighed as they headed back to the boarding house. He didn't know how long he was going to stay in Chippewa Falls, but he knew one thing. He was going to get Rose to forgive him...one way or another.

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