Rose and Jack were sat looking out onto the ocean, there was now only 2 days left until they reached land.
"Rose" A voice behind them said, it was him again Cal.
"Cant you learn when to leave a lady alone?" Jack asked him sharply.
"I don't believe I was talking to you" He said "Rose, its about your mother"
"What about my mother?" She asked sharply, Rose may now hate Cal, in fact she always had, she may have dislike, even hated her mother at times as well, but that didn't stop her being her mother, Rose still cared.
"She's been taken ill" He replied, forcing a pained look across his face.
"How ill?" Rose asked worriedly.
"She doesn't look it, but the doctor said it could be only days" He said.
"Oh lord" Rose whispered. Jack could see the scared look on her pale face, he knew that she couldn't stand Cal, or he hoped so anyway. But her mother could never stop being her mother whatever happened.
"So I just thought I'd tell you, you may go and see her if you want, but I wouldn't say anything it may upset her" Cal said.
"Ok" Rose said.
"Come along then Rose" he said, holding out his arm.
"Oh no you must have misunderstood" Rose said simply "I said I was going to see my mother, not that I was going with you. You may leave now Mr. Hockley"
Cal gave her and evil glance and wandered off.
"Jack I hope you don't mind, it just that I mean, if she is…. And she never stopped being my mum" Rose said.
"Listen Rose, its ok" Jack said "You go and see your mum, ill be alright, as long as you come back to me after"
"Of course I will" She promised. "See you later" She said, kissing him quickly.
"Bye Rose" he said.
Cal watched from first class, an evil smirk spreading across his face, there was now way she could get away now.
Rose found her mother taking a walk on the deck with the countess.
"Mother" Rose said sadly.
"Rose!" Her mother shrieked and embraced her "I thought I'd lost you" She said, Rose hoped for a moment that her mother might have changed, but as soon as the countess left she whispered to Rose in hushed, angry tones "How dare you leave me Rose, you have a duty to me to the family name"
"Mother I don't care" Rose said "I love Jack whatever you say"
"You don't" Her mother said in denial "Cal is a great match"
"Cal is a bastard" She whispered.
"Rose, that language is unacceptable" Her mother said.
Rose forgot her fury as she remembered why she was actually there.
"So… are you ok today?" She asked carefully.
"Fine just fine" She said "I'll feel better when I know your back with us"
"Mother, just because…" Rose started, she didn't want to say the words you're dying, so she just left a space "You can't make me come back"
"Rose believe me, when you get off this ship it will not be with him, he has nothing to offer you, no hope for the future" Her mother said.
"He has love mother" Rose said "And that is all I need"
"So love is going to pay for food and clothes?" Her mother asked. "He cant work now, Cal has informed me about his arm"
"And I bet your happy" Rose said angrily.
After a silence Rose spoke again, she really didn't want her last memories of her mother to be arguments.
"So, have you thought about what's going to happen, when it happens?" Rose asked sadly.
"What on earth are you talking about Rose?" Her mother asked.
"Your ill mother, you've got to face this" Rose said, tears springing in her eyes.
"I am most certainly not ill, where did you hear this rubbish?" Her mother said.
"Don't be silly mother, Cal told me everything" Rose said, angry that her mother could still be lying to her, but sad at how scared she must be to keep pretending. "I know your dying mother" She added, in barely a whisper.
"Pardon?" Her mother said.
Rose took a deep breath and cleared her head before carrying on, god she needed Jack right now, he would know how to help her. "Cal told me this morning, about the doctor, he said you only have a while left" She said surprisingly calm "He's told me everything mother, don't hide from it anymore"
"I don't know what kind of joke this is Rose but it certainly isn't funny" Her mother said.
"But, he told me you where dying?" Rose said.
"Why ever would he say such a thing?" Her mother said, Rose could tell at that moment, from the tone of her voice, the look on her face that her mother had no idea what was going on, and was most certainly not dying.
"Your… your not are you?" Rose said, angry with herself for her gullible stupidity, angrier with Cal, how low was this man going to sink to try and get her back. She felt sick to her stomach as she thought about the last hour, she had believed that her mother only had days to live, all just so her ex-fiancée could try and win her back, how the hell did he think that would work? She felt dizzy and pale as she stood in front of her mother, who was quite obviously fit and healthy, she had felt so terrible when Cal had told her, she felt almost guilty but she didn't know why, and know she had found out that all those feelings had been part of a cruel plan for a cold hearted man to try and win her back, what kind of sanity did he have if he thought telling her that her mother was dying would make her go back to him? Her head swam with anger, confusion and deep, deep hatred.
"No" Her mother said truthfully. Rose turned her back and ran, ran to find Cal as soon as she possibly could.
