CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Eau Claire…
Rose and Jack stand before the justice of the peace happily. Jack looks at his sister and makes eye contact.
She couldn’t be happier for her little brother. It was so funny, she thought on this day, at this time she’d be staring daggers at her brother’s new bride, but that wasn’t the case. If someone had told her that she’d be filled with joy on Jack’s wedding day, she would have laughed in their faces. But now here she was, happy that Jack was marrying the woman he loved.
Jack looked at Rose with all the love he felt right now. He squeezed her hand and held her gaze. He loved her so much. Rose felt the same as Jack
"Dearly beloved, we are
gathered here today to join these two special people in holy
matrimony. Do anyone here today have any objections to why this
marriage should not take place? Speak now or forever hold your
peace," The justice of the peace asked, looking at Caitlin
and Cory, who remained silent. The old man just nods and
continues on with the vows, having Jack and Rose repeat after
him. After five minutes, they are announced man and wife. Jack
and Rose kissed passionately, knowing for sure now that nothing
on earth can come between them ever again.
Train Station
Jack, Rose, Caitlin, and Cory stand in front of the train that’ll take Jack and Rose to Denver, Colorado. Jack is saddened to be separated from his sister and best friend, but he’s elated that it’s Rose he’s leaving with. Rose hates that she won’t get a chance to get to know Jack’s sister better, but she knew that there’ll be other times and she looks forward to them. Caitlin hated losing her brother just as she got him back, but she’s glad that Caroline Simmons was no longer going to be a part of her family.
"You take care of my brother Rose," Caitlin hugged her sister in law. "And when he acts like a jerk, just give me a ring and I’ll talk some sense into him."
Rose laughed. "I’ll remember that."
"It was nice meeting you Rose," Cory hugs her.
"Jack, you treat her right. And stay in touch. I’m coming to visit when that baby gets here," Caitlin hugs her brother tightly. "And Jack…Ma and pa would be very proud of you and they would absolutely love Rose."
"I love you sis. Don’t worry, we’ll keep in touch," Jack hugged his sister twice as tightly.
"All aboard!" The conductor yells out.
"Well that’s us," Jack takes Rose’s hand. And waves good bye to Cory and Caitlin. "See you guys!"
"Bye!" Both Cory and Caitlin waves as the train departs and disappears into the distance, taking jack and Rose to their future together.
Five days later…
Denver Colorado
Brown Mansion
Molly has just gotten through reading the letter that Rose had sent her and smiles with joy at her niece’s good fortune. Things were finally going right for Rose and that baby. Now all Molly had to do was get a room ready for Rose and her new husband. She’s about to go and make arrangements when there’s a sharp knock at the door.
"Now who can that be?" Molly grumbled, not liking to be interrupted when she’s about to do something. She opens the door to Ruth Dewitt Bukater, her head held high, and her glare cutting into Molly like ice. "Ruth. What are you doing here?"
"May I come in Molly? I had a very long trip and I need to set down," Ruth enters the house.
"Sure. Make yourself at home," Molly’s voice is flat. What did Ruth want? Why was she here? One thing was for sure, she had to get rid of her before Rose and Jack arrived. She didn’t want this woman to mar Rose’s happiness.
"The place looks gaudy, but it’ll do I suppose," Ruth takes a look at her surroundings. "Really, red Molly? You could choose another color for your interior here."
"I like red Ruth,"
Molly stands in front of her sister in law. "Now do you want
to tell me what ya doing here?"
Ruth falls back against the couch and sighs forlornly. "Well
ever since Rose’s death, things have been falling apart.
There was no way for me to pay Ralph’s debts so they came
and took the house and everything in it. Then they had taken
Rose’s trustfund. Plus I discovered when I got home that the
heart of the ocean was missing. That belonged to your grandmother
you know. She’d be terribly hurt if she knew it was
lost."
Molly smiled to herself. The necklace wasn’t lost. Rose, the person it was meant for had it. If only Ruth knew.
"Well I had no where else t o go, so I came here. Since we are family and all I knew you’d take me in," Ruth smiled. "You’re all I’ve got now Molly, with Rose gone and all."
"Rose is in a better place now Ruth. She’s with people that love her," Molly walks away from Ruth.
"We loved her. I just wanted the best for Rose," Ruth stands up.
"Your actions spoke otherwise Ruthie," Molly grumbled. "I’ll go have Gertrude prepare your room for you,"
"Don’t bother Molly. I’ll go have her do it. The servants are going to have to learn to follow my orders anyway. I know how you told them that they didn’t have to listen to me. That’s going to change Molly…including this ghastly interior. I see royal blue. Don’t you?"
Molly just glared at her. Ruth shrugs and goes in search of Gertrude. The nerve of that woman. Coming up into her house and trying to rearrange everything. Ruth Dewitt Bukater was staying in her house over her dead body!
Molly jumps at the ring of the doorbell. Not bothering to wait for her butler once again, she opens the door to reveal Rose and Jack, brilliant smiles on their faces.
"Rose! Jack! I wasn’t expecting to see ya this soon! I just got Rose’s letter today!" Molly exclaimed, hugging her niece. "My Rose, you’re as big as a house now."
"I know. I keep telling Jack he’s going to divorce me for a nice skinny vaudeville girl," Rose laughed, hugging Molly tightly.
"And Jack Dawson. You are a sight for sore eyes," Molly gives Jack a big hug. "Come in the both of you. I want details. The details Rose didn’t tell me."
"Well, I don’t know all she told you so I’ll let slugger her tell the story," Jack laughed, seating on the loveseat next to Rose.
"Slugger?" Molly arches her eyebrow.
"Oh that’s Jack’s nickname for me," Rose giggled. "I’ll tell you how I got it, but first let me tell you about what happened on the Carpathia. Caroline had found Jack and me when they brought us aboard. She told the officers that Jack was her fiancé so she had them bring him to the mens infirmary on third class. Then Caroline had told Jack that I was dead and changed their names to Jack and Carly Dahl."
"I should have known that girl had something to do with this," Molly shakes her head. "I was wondering why she wasn’t attached to Ruth like she was on Titanic.
"Yeah. She was too busy keeping Me and Rose apart," Jack said, a little bit of anger flares in his blue eyes, but it’s gone as soon as it came. "I just think God that Rose showed up in Chippewa Falls when she did."
"Yeah, he was going to marry her the day after," Rose squeezed his hand.
"What?! Jack Why?"
"Because I had lost Rose and my best friend Fabrizio. At
that time I felt that life wasn’t worth living, but I
didn’t want to be a hypocrite to Rose. So I just letted
Caroline do what ever she wanted."
Well I’m certainly happy that Rose decided to take a trip to Wisconsin for the baby’s sake. I hated to see you saddled down with that horrible shrew." Molly shakes her head. "And Rose. How about that nickname of yours?"
Rose and Jack laughed at the memory on Caroline’s face when Rose had hit her.
"Well Caroline stopped by Jack’s house and began insulting him like always. I had had enough so I broke her nose," Rose smiled. "Ever since Jack’s called me slugger."
"Good for you Rosie!" Molly laughed so hard that she fell back in her chair. "I wish I was there to see the look on that girl’s face!"
"Oh Aunt Molly, you would have loved it!" Rose laughed.
"Molly what’s all the racket down here? You know that maid of yours can’t hear a thing…" Ruth comes down the stairs and stops when she sees Rose. "Rose?"
Rose gets up and puts on her coldest face in order to face her mother. She was not going to let this woman hurt her any more. "Mother," Rose coldly replies.
"We thought you were dead," Ruth comes and stands toe to toe with Rose. Jack gets up and places a supportive hand on Rose’s shoulders, giving Rose the strength and courage she needed.
Rose smiled coldly. "How inconvenient for you."
"Inconvenient indeed! Do you know how selfish you’ve been putting all of us through this and then suddenly deciding to show up alive?!"
Rose crosses her arms and shakes her head in amusement. Her mother had no idea that Molly knew that Rose was alive all this time. "And is that my necklace you’re wearing!"
"No mother. It’s not your necklace. It’s the necklace Daddy’s mother wanted me to have and that you stole. Molly made sure to give it to me before we went our separate ways."
"You knew?!" Ruth turns on Molly. "You knew my daughter was alive and you didn’t tell me?! You stood by and watched them take everything away from me and never told me that the one thing that could get us out of debt was still alive?!"
"Oh Ruth you don’t get it! Rose is not a possession you can sell to the highest bidder! She’s your daughter! You’re supposed to love and cherish her unconditionally! Since you haven’t been doing that, I thought it best that she remained dead to you so she could go on with her life in peace and happiness!" Molly growls at Ruth.
"And look at you!" Ruth ignores Molly. "You’re with child and I can just guess who the father is! You are a little slut aren’t you!" Ruth raises her hand to slap Rose, but suddenly Jack catches the hand in midair. He wasn’t about to let her hurt Rose in anyway. How she had just talked to Rose was the last straw. "Let go of me!"
"You are never going to raise another hand like that to my wife, do you understand me," Jack angrily glared, moving in front of Rose. "In fact, you are never going to come near or talk to her ever again!"
"How do you plan to support my daughter Mr. Dawson. From what your now ex-fiancée had told me, you haven’t worked an honest day in your life," Ruth glares at Jack.
"Don’t believe everything Carly tells you Mrs. Dewitt Bukater. She was the one out for your money. Not me. I could care less about how rich you are. All I wanted was Rose," Jack lets go of Ruth’s hand. "Now if you excuse us, it’s been a long trip and Rose is tired."
"It’s the room on the right Jack," Molly smiled, proud of the boy at how he had just stood up for Rose.
"Thanks Molly," Jack smiled, leading Rose up the stairs.
"Wait that’s my room," Ruth turns to go after them.
"No it’s not Ruth. You’re not welcomed in my house and I want you to leave," Molly coldly replied.
"What?"
"You heard me. You are such a hateful woman and you never
cared for Rose. In fact, you’ve always been jealous of her
youth and beauty. And now it’s her that has everything and
you have nothing. Now get out of my house before I have one of
the man servants throw you out!" Molly angrily points at the
door.
"Very well then Molly. I just guess I have to depend on the kindness of strangers and friends," Ruth holds her head up high before storming out of the door, walking out of Rose’s life forever.