Jack was gentle as he helped her into the chair that he had occupied before she had sent herself falling into his lap, unaware of Rose's turmoil. He handed her the glass of water that the barkeeper had gotten for her.
"Here, Miss. Drink this. It should help," Jack directed, the defunct poker game far from his mind now. His full attention was on how to help this girl who fascinated him for a reason he couldn't explain.
"The way the girl looks at you, Jack I'd say she's in love," One of the prostitutes that frequented the Southampton pubs giggled.
"Who could blame her?" Another one added, joining in the giggles.
Jack just gave the women a glare and rolled his eyes before turning back to Rose. "Ignore them. How are you feeling now? Any better?"
For a second, she couldn't speak. She was too upset. The moment she had found that her wish had come true, she had never thought of the possibility of whether Jack would know her or not. For some reason, she thought that he would and that the love they had in the old timeline would still be there. That he would somehow recognize her. How naive she had been! Now she had no idea what to do. How horrible to still have this love for him and not have that love in return.
"Miss?" Jack asked, concern tinging his voice.
"Miss. Rose, are you alright?" Trudy was at her side, fussing over her lie a mother hen. She couldn't help but be annoyed. She wasn't used to the attention of a lady's maid anymore.
"I'm fine, Trudy..."
"You know her?" Jack asked.
"She's my boss," Trudy simply explained. "She's not usually prone to fainting spells..."
"Maybe she just got overwhelmed. It doesn't look like she's used to places like this," Jack chuckled before turning his attention back to Rose. "How are you feel now, Miss?"
"Better, thank you," Rose made herself smile, trying not to lament too much over the fact that Jack didn't know her. She should have expected it. It made perfect sense. At least he was safe now. Now what she had to do was figure out a way to stay in his orbit so he could get to know her and fall in love with her like he had before in the old timeline. "Thank you for catching me the way you had. You're very kind."
Jack blushed and gave her a wry smile. "Well, I didn't actually have a choice. You kind of fell into my lap."
Rose was the one to blush this time. "I am so embarrassed..."
"Don't be. I say that I'm a pretty lucky guy to have a pretty girl fall into his arms. A lot of fellas wouldn't get that lucky."
Rose blushed again. "You are very kind."
Trudy gasped, her eyes glued to the window. As Rose and Jack were talking, she watched as the Titanic pulled away from the dock, starting out on it's maiden voyage. She got a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Miss. I am afraid that we have a situation. The Titanic. She left without us."
Rose turned her head to see the Titanic pulling away from the dock. Everyone on the dock and on the ship were waving good-bye, unaware that it really was good-bye for most of the people on that ship. She shuddered at the memory.
"Miss. What are we going to do? We're stranded!" Trudy worried.
"You were supposed to be on that ship?" Jack asked, suddenly remembering the poker game. He wasn't surprised to see the Swedes that he was playing, plus their tickets, long gone. At least they left the money.
Rose nodded, not regretting missing it at all, nor costing Jack the game that would have sent him to his death. But it was best to pretend to regret it. If she acted happy about it, Jack would think poorly of her and any chance of getting him to fall in love with her would be lost. "Yes. I had forgotton a necklace at our hotel room and I was going to go back for it...but I had forgotten the way and was going to ask for directions and go retrieve it go back before anyone knew I was gone...but as you can see...things did not go as planned. Now poor Trudy and I are stranded...I don't even know what is going to become of us..."
"Hmm, you are in a sticky spot," Jack nodded, his blue eyes brimming with sympathy and concern.
"Is there a telegraph around? We can send a message to the ship for your mother and Mr. Hockley, Miss. Explain to them what happened," Trudy suggested, wanting to do all she could to sit things back on course.
"I have one in the back. Write down your message and I'll send it to the ship," the pub owner offered.
Rose wanted to reject the offer of sending any sort of message to her mother and Cal. She wanted to rid her life of them as soon as possible. But Jack would probably find it strange if she revealed that she didn't want to send anything to the people she was supposed to be leaving England with.
"I'll send it, Miss. I just need a pencil and paper," Trudy offered, trying to remain patient with Rose. She of course knew that Rose didn't want to marry Cal. That she was giving her mother and Cal the hardest time she could, but this time may be taking it too far. She knew that both Mrs. Ruth and Mr. Hockley were going to be more than annoyed with her young mistress. This may be a step too far.
"I have paper and pencil right this way," The pub owner smiled, leading Trudy over to the bar.
"What a mess," Rose sighed, looking down at her hands.
"I am sure everything will turn out okay. Do you and your maid have a place to stay?" Jack asked, curious. "I mean, I can't picture you two sleeping out under a bridge or anything.
Rose just shrugged her shoulders. "We checked out of our hotel this morning...and well...I guess the answer to that is no. We don't have a place to stay."
"Ralph will let them stay with us," One of the prostitutes offered, her lips curved in a knowing smile. "He's always looking for more girls..."
Rose shuddered at the thought of going anywhere with these women of ill repute. Sure, her mother would die if she knew that Rose was staying in a whore house, but upsetting her mother wasn't worth possibly being forced to join said whore house. Besides, that would go against her new purpose of making Jack fall for her.
"I don't think so, Sally. But thanks anyway," Jack quickly rejected the idea, much to Rose's relief. She couldn't help but feel warm inside as well. Jack's refusal meant that he cared about what happened to her. He wasn't going to just abandon her. Of course, she didn't think he would. After all, he had refused to leave her to jump off the back of Titanic in the old timeline. He had refused to allow her to remain in the situation she was in. He wanted to make sure that she'd be alright. Why wouldn't it be the same now? After all, this was the same Jack. Their situations were just somewhat different.
"Well where will they stay then? In that tiny flat that you talked Clarence into letting you rent?" Sally gave a derisive snort. "A flat that you can only afford for a night?"
"You don't know how long we can afford the flat and yeah. Why not? I can share a room with Fabri or even sleep on the couch. They'd be a lot safer with us than with that leech you work for," Jack argued.
"I have money...I can pay you for your trouble," Rose quickly offered. She knew that this may be deemed inappropriate, with two young women staying with two young men, but she was in a desperate situation here. She came here to save Jack, but she also needed him to love her, or else she'll be back to square one...which would be pining for what she had lost in the old timeline. Besides, she trusted Jack. She trusted him more than anyone.
"You don't have to..." Jack began, but Fabrizio interrupted.
"That be good idea, Jack. They can help with rent and perhaps a way to get to America," Fabrizio nodded, willing to go along with the idea.
Jack frowned, not knowing what to say. Letting the girls stay with them would be inappropriate...but he never really cared about what society said anyway. If he did, he would never have left Chippewa Falls. Plus, he would be able to keep an eye on the girls...protect them until they reached their people again. He couldn't just abandon them to their fate. He was too involved now. Besides...he felt something drawing him towards the pretty red head girl. She was beautiful, but there was something else...he wanted a chance to find out what that something was.
"You really wouldn't mind staying with two strange men that you've just met?" Jack asked, still unsure if this was the right thing to do.
Rose smiles, tempted to tell him that she did know him. That he was the furthest thing from a stranger that she could get, but she fought the urge. Telling him that they had met in a different timeline would probably land her in an insane asylum. So she just nodded her head. "I wouldn't mind at all. You seem like good men. I think Trudy and I would be safe in your care."
"I don't know..."
"I say she owed you anyway," Sally again spoke up, coming up to stand behind Jack. "I mean...she did cause you to lose that card game that would have gotten both you and Fabri to New York."
Rose nodded, using the prostitute's reasoning. This was too good of an opportunity to pass up. If she stayed with Jack, she could work on earning his love a lot more easily than she ever could living apart from him. "She's right. I do owe you, especially if what she said is true. Helping with rent and a way to America, it's the least I could do..."
Jack sighed and pushed his hair out of his eyes, still feeling apprehensive, yet not really wanting to deny this girl anything. "Well...it was a full house...alright. You can come with Fabri and I. That way, we can make sure that you girls are safe. Southampton is nice, but it can also be dangerous."
"I sent the telegram, Miss. Rose," Trudy returned.
"That's splendid, Trudy. Oh and we have a place to stay thanks to Mr...," Rose remembered not to say his name again, surprised that he hadn't questioned her before now.
"Dawson. Jack Dawson," Jack smiled, then frowned, remembering something. "Which reminds me, how did you know my first name? We've never met before, have we?"
"Oh...well...you looked like a Jack," Rose gave a wry smile. The name certainly did suit him.
He just laughed and shook his head, clearly amused. "I suppose I do."
"Oh and I am Rose. Rose Dewitt Bukater."
"Wow, that's quite a name you've got there. I'm going to have to get you to write it down for me."
Rose stared, remembering that he had said the same thing in the old timeline. She blinked away her shock and smiled at the joke. "It is a long one. Oh and this is Trudy Bolt, my lady's maid...and best friend."
"And of course this is my best friend, Fabrizio. He's from Italy," Jack nodded to Fabrizio, who took off his hat and nodded his head in greeting.
Looking into his eyes, Rose allowed herself to believe that everything was going to turn out alright. She may not have Jack's love at the moment, but she was being given a chance to earn it once again. It was a chance that she wasn't going to waste.