The farther behind I leave the past, the closer I am to forging my own character.

Isabelle Eberhardt

The poem in this chapter is called – The old clock on the stairs by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

A/N Thanks for the review and to my followers/everyone favouring this story.


Rose had been visiting the town – meaning going shopping – when some little girls came running up to her. Before Rose knew what was happening they had invited for a special festivity held tonight.

This one was to honour Rose Calvert the great actress.

Rose had been given a seat in the front row feeling a little bit out of place. She looked up gazing at the chandelier above her. Though it was nothing special, it still had something nice to it.

Next to her sat the major, then Mr. Lovett and his daughter. Rose didn't know where Cal was and didn't really care, but she noticed Lucy furiously eyeing her the whole time. In fact the girl made her kind of angry.

Rose realized she was young and everything, but still didn't she understand what a dangerous person Cal was? She should be grateful that Rose forfeited that ill-fated engagement and possible marriage in time.

One day she'll be glad that I did.

On the stage some school children had gathered singing a poem and acting accordingly to the next.

Somewhat back from the village street
Stands the old-fashioned country-seat.
Across its antique portico
Tall poplar-trees their shadows throw;
And from its station in the hall
An ancient timepiece says to all,-
"Forever-never!
Never-forever!"

"I don't understand what she's doing here," Lucy somewhat angrily hissed towards her father.

"Lucy, be quiet."

"But it's true," she whispered. "So far she has given us nothing.

Rose felt uncomfortable though she didn't really know why. This was Jack's hometown for god's sake. This was where he had lived; sitting here with the exact same people he had spoken too. Shouldn't she be beaming with happiness?

Rose forced a half-hearted smile towards the children on the stage. They were really doing great.

Half-way up the stairs it stands,
And points and beckons with its hands
From its case of massive oak,
Like a monk, who, under his cloak,
Crosses himself, and sighs, alas!
With sorrowful voice to all who pass,-
"Forever-never!
Never-forever!"

A little boy was playing the monk stumbling around. He certainly wasn't made for the role and tripled uneasily around in his frock. Rose pulled her coat tighter around her, feeling Lucy staring at her again.

"Such an unpleasant girl," the woman next to her said.

"What?" Rose turned her head slightly faking a grin. "Oh, sure…," she finally mumbled wanting to be left alone with her thoughts.

It wasn't Lucy's fault that she was so young and innocent and that Cal was…well that Cal was Cal. Maybe she shouldn't have treated her so harshly lately?

By day its voice is low and light;
But in the silent dead of night,
Distinct as a passing footstep's fall,
It echoes along the vacant hall,
Along the ceiling, along the floor,
And seems to say, at each chamber-door,-
"Forever-never!
Never-forever!"

After all she had also been her age once, when she had met Cal and she knew from her own experience how charming he could be, if he wanted to have something. Lucy had somehow indicated that Rose was jealous of her, something that Rose had found totally ridiculous.

She hadn't wanted Cal back then. Why would she want him now? She didn't wish this girl any bad; she just wanted her to understand certain things. Therefore she had gone up to Mr Lovett some days ago telling him everything about Cal – how he had hit her and belittled her already during their betrothal, how he had behaved on board the Titanic.

'Thanks for coming here and informing me, Mrs Calvert. I couldn't be more grateful to you. To think that I really thought this man worth marrying my Lucy…'

Through days of sorrow and of mirth,
Through days of death and days of birth,
Through every swift vicissitude
Of changeful time, unchanged it has stood,
And as if, like God, it all things saw,
It calmly repeats those words of awe,-
"Forever-never!
Never-forever!"

Surely Cal had come to the evening. He wouldn't miss this opportunity to tell people about the real character of Mrs Rose Calvert.

The play Cal found instantly boring – at least he tried to find it boring, while it reality he was remembered of his sons. He had gotten a letter from Julia today informing him that she'd move to England with her parents and would take them with her.

I trust that you've nothing against it, darling…she had written.

Cal could almost picture her while putting the words on paper – almost. She must be enjoying this immensely, taking his sons away from him.

'I don't know your problem, Cal. We both knew that our marriage was more of an arrangement…a business deal.'

What had she wanted to express? That he should be grateful she had married him? Quite frankly Ms Julia Mason had been nothing spectacular – her family much less interesting than the Dewitt Bukaters – and much less attractive than Rose.

In that mansion used to be
Free-hearted Hospitality;
His great fires up the chimney roared;
The stranger feasted at his board;
But, like the skeleton at the feast,
That warning timepiece never ceased,-
"Forever-never!
Never-forever!"

Cal spotted Rose in the front. She had put on a nice green dress, which perfectly suited her short cut hair. For the first time in years Cal realized that maybe he should've fault harder to keep her at his side.

He wondered what she had told Mr Lovett. Lucy wasn't sitting beside her father and occasionally looked around trying obviously to make out, if he was there – to no avail.

First Rose, then Julia – now Lucy. He never had much luck with women, now did he? The first one had left him for a penniless nobody she had known a mere three days, deciding to hide away from him even after he had offered the world to her. The second had chosen to break up their supposedly – marriage in good times and in bad times – as soon as the bad times had arrived.

And Lucy…? Did she really love him? Wasn't she more in love with the idea of loving him? She was growing up – maybe she needed something to stand up against her father. In fact Cal had always wondered, if that had been the real reason why Rose had been so smitten with Jack in the first place.

She must've known that her behaviour wasn't acceptable neither to her mother nor to him. And still she had done it – thrown herself against Jack Dawson like some common street whore.

Cal knew she had wanted to anger him deliberately, but on the other hand – had she really been in love with Dawson after two days? Could such things really happen?

Cal very much doubted it.

Real love needed more…

There groups of merry children played,
There youths and maidens dreaming strayed;
O precious hours! O golden prime,
And affluence of love and time!
Even as a Miser counts his gold,
Those hours the ancient timepiece told,-
"Forever-never!
Never-forever!"

Cal stood up – feeling suddenly sick at the mentioned of money. While walking out he lit himself a cigarette. Doctors back in Pittsburgh had told him to stop this dreadful habit as it could cost him many years, but Cal hadn't cared.

Better living fifty years full than hundred years half – he had always told himself.

Rose had once told him that only always thought about his money and never cared one bit for her.

Had it really been only about funds for him? Probably – but that was years ago – now he would've given everything for a real friend, although he wouldn't admit it to himself.

He noticed another one standing outside – some of the local police. He had spoken to them after the shooting towards him, but they hadn't been very helpful – even accusing him of provoking it.

'Don't be ridiculous,' they had told him, when he had demanded police protection.

From that chamber, clothed in white,
The bride came forth on her wedding night;
There, in that silent room below,
The dead lay in his shroud of snow;
And in the hush that followed the prayer,
Was heard the old clock on the stair,-
"Forever-never!
Never-forever!"

The man turned his head away, when he noticed Cal coming towards him.

"Want some?" Cal offered him a cigarette trying to make up a conversation, but the man just walked away without saying a word.

He could've at least rejected it properly – Cal thought angrily.

All are scattered now and fled,
Some are married, some are dead;
And when I ask, with throbs of pain.
"Ah! when shall they all meet again?"
As in the days long since gone by,
The ancient timepiece makes reply,-
"Forever-never!
Never-forever!

Rose's eyes had been wandering around the room finally locating Cal.

How dare he come here and ruin this evening.

"Yes, you're going to marry Mr Johnson…he's a fine man, who'll provide…"

Lucy and Mr Johnson…?

Yes he possibly would provide for her, but Rose wasn't so sure about the fine man. She had seen him drunk, smelling of alcohol more than once.

Should she tell Mr Lovett?

But then again Lucy wasn't her problem. She was his daughter – surely Mr Lovett would now better.

'I think I now better what a girl like you suits, Rose. Just listen to your old mother.'

Rose glanced over at Lucy, who shot her an icy look.

Yes indeed – the girl was nothing of her concern.

Never here, forever there,
Where all parting, pain, and care,
And death, and time shall disappear,-
Forever there, but never here!
The horologe of Eternity
Sayeth this incessantly,-
"Forever-never!
Never-forever!"

The play had ended Rose finding herself standing up and clapping her hands with the rest of the town's people.

Cal had apparently left.

Now well, Rose couldn't care less.

"Mrs Calvert, I'm…we're so glad you could make it…," the school teacher told her nervously.

Rose forced a smile.

"And I must tell…well I hope I'm not too forwarded…," another woman stepped forward.

Rose shook her head.

"…how lovely you look tonight, Mrs Calvert," she finished her sentence.

"Yes indeed, you look beautiful tonight, Rose," came Cal's voice from the entrance.

Rose turned her head staring at him as did everyone else.