CHAPTER EIGHT

Five days later...

Rose stretches tiredly as she steps off the train that had brought her and Jack all the way to Chippewa Falls Wisconsin. It was a long train ride, but Jack's company made it go by fast.
"So this is Chippewa Falls," Rose looks around the small town. "It's nice."
"It's small. Everyone here knows everyone else. If you sneeze they know about it," Jack steps off the train behind Rose. "Come on Rose. Let's find a place to stay the night. It's a long carriage ride to the house, it's best to take it during daylight."
"How about there?" Rose points to a nice looking brick building.
"Mrs. Emma's bread and breakfast. I haven't seen her in a long time. I used to be close friends with her kids before I left."
"Let's go in Jack. Maybe she'll remember you," Rose pulls him to the building. Inside the building is warm and well lit. A middle aged woman is at the desk, her attention buried in a flat book on the desk.
"Having trouble with those books again Mrs. Emma?" Jack asked.
The woman looks up and her eyes light up with pure joy at the sight of Jack. "Why Jack Dawson. Aren't you a sight for sore eyes!" The woman comes out from behind the desk. "Come here and let me get a good look at you!"
"How are you Mrs. Emma?" Jack asked as the woman hugged him tightly.
"As busy as ever. My Jack, have you grown up from the last time I saw you. You've turned into a man. Susan will be surprised when she lays eyes on you."
"Who's Susan?" Rose asked curiously.
"And who's your little friend here?" Mrs. Emma finally takes notice of Rose.
"This is Rose Dawson," Jack wraps an arm around her shoulder. "my wife."
"You're married? Why Jack you have grown up. I can't believe it," Mrs. Emma laughed. "Poor Susan will be disappointed when she hears of this."
"Susan's her daughter Rose," Jack explained. "We were friends right up until I left. How's Susan doing now a days anyway Mrs. Emma?"
"Oh she's fine. Busy in the social scene she is. If I didn't know any better, I'd say she was trying to be one of those society girls she hates so much," Mrs. Emma laughed, not noticing the nervous expression on Rose's face. "Well Jack, it's too late for you to catch a ride down to your house, so why don't you and your new wife stay here tonight? Free of course. I'll give you the best room I have."
"We'd like that a lot Mrs. Emma. Thank-you. It's the room on the left right?"
"Right. But how did you know that?" Mrs. Emma places her hands on her hips.
Jack blushed and shrugs. "A lucky guess."
The olderwoman just shakes her head, "I have to have a talk with Susan about boys up in the rooms."
"Ahh don't Mrs. Emma. It was five years ago and you know me. Always the gentleman," Jack laughed.
"Mother! I can't believe this! My favorite dress is ruined," A girl with dark brown hair and a cross expression stomps into the house.
"Susan..." The woman tries to stop her daugher's tirade.
"Those damn swells. Who do they think they are? They think that just because they have money that they can just splash mud on anybody," Susan continued.
"Susan we have company. If you stop throwing that tandrum of yours than you'll see who it is," Mrs. Emma interrupts her daughter's stream of complaints.
Susans brown eyes grown round as saucers as she looks up to see Jack.
"Hey there half-pint," Jack laughed.
"Jack Dawson. You've finally returned home. Come here and give me a hug!" Susan runs and throws her arms around Jack's neck. "Where have you been for the past five years?"
"Everywhere," Jack smiled. "So word has it that you've become a society girl."
"Yeah right. Mother exaggerates. I just help my friends out with their activities. You know, weddings, parties, baby showers...that sort of thing. Besides, who'd want to be one of those snotty society girls with their nose stuck in the air?" Susan laughs. Then she notices Rose and immediately knew that she was a society girl just by the way she held herself. She wondered what she was doing with Jack. "And who is this?"
"Susan...I'd like you to meet my wife Rose Dawson," Jack introduced the woman. "I'm hoping you two will become good friends."
"Hello," Rose holds out her hand.
"Hello," Susan nods, accepting the handshake, still looking Rose up and down with suspicion. "How long have you been married?"
"A couple of weeks. You can say it was a whirlwind romance," Jack grinned, placing a arm around his wife.
"I bet it was," Susan nods.
"Well, I guess we better head on up to our room now. It's been a long train ride and we have to head out to the house tomorrow morning."
"Maybe we can catch up on old times before you leave," Susan suggests.
"That'd be nice," Jack smiles, grabbing Rose's hand and leading her up the stairs. "Night Susan, Mrs. Emma. We'll see you in the morning."
"Night," Susan watches them disappear up the stairs.
"So what do you think of the new Mrs. Dawson?" Mrs. Emma asked curiously glancing at her daughter.
"She's definately a swell," Susan nods. "How did she and Jack hook up?"
"Don't know. He didn't go into detail, but she seems nice enough and she's quite beautiful."
"I just hope she's as nice as she seems...for Jack's sake," Susan snorts. "We all know how these society belles are. Nice one minute...uppity the next."
"Well we shall see won't we. By the look of things, the Dawsons will be staying in town for quite a while."
Susan nods and turns to go into the kitchen, her mind in a whirlwind. Her best friend has returned to Chippewa Falls and with a wife that Susan wasn't sure about. She'll just have to watch Rose Dawson...wait and see if she really was as nice as she seems.

Jack and Rose cuddle close together under the blanket, staring lovingly at each other. Rose found it hard to believe that a month ago she was the most unhappiest woman on earth. She was engaged to a cold arrogant man that didn't love her...that only thought of her as a trophy...a piece of property to sport around to his friends.. But now, a month later, she was married to the most wonderful man alive. He was sweet, sincere, and loving...but most importantly he saw her as a person who deserved not only love but respect. He had never once spoken down to her like Cal had done several times.
"What's my Rose thinking about?" Jack asked, tucking a red curl behind her ear.
"How lucky I am to have found you. Oh Jack...you are the best thing that's ever happened to me. How did I get so lucky to find you like I did?"
"It wasn't luck Rose. It was fate. I believe we were destined to be together," Jack smiled.
"And how do you figure that?" Rose can't help but laugh.
"Well look at it Rose. You're a high society princess who was engaged to another man and let's face it, I was a poor drifter. I didn't know where I was going to be from one day to the next. Then we meet...somehow we fell in love and got married...and now maybe we'll start on a family," Jack kissed her forehead.
Rose sighed happily. A family...with Jack. There was nothing she wanted more.
"That'll be great Jack." Then the meeting of Jack's friend crossed her mind. "Jack...I don't think your friend Susan liked me very much. She seemed sort of stand offish."
"Give her some time Rose. She's just not used to people she doesn't know. She'll warm up to ya," Jack squeezed her shoulder.
"I hope you're right Jack. I just don't want to think about someone who means so much to you not liking me."
"Well Rose, you won't have to worry about that because the people of this town, Susan included, are going to grow to love you just as I did." Jack smiled. "And just as quickly."
Rose smiled at her husband before leaning her head on his chest and drifting off to sleep.

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