Chapter 12 - Job to Do
Again, here is another update. I've changed jobs yet once again and completely forgot about this story until now. My bad.
One month later – Ruth
I stepped off of the train and looked around. I was in New York City and was on a mission to bring my daughter back home. Cal had all but given up on the notion of helping me. He told me if I wanted her back, I could get her myself. He told me if I got her home, he'd take things from there and would marry her. With that in mind, I left Hockley manor knowing that I had to bring Rose back. I had no other options when it came to Cal. Without Rose, Cal wouldn't let me stay in his house much longer. Things with Andrea Rose were progressing as planned, but Cal assured me that if Rose came back, he'd end things with Andrea.
As I waited on the porter to tell me where I needed to go next, I started to look around. The train station here wasn't that much different than the ones in Pennsylvania. As with most other train stations, it was a simple building complete with glassed in areas for offices and a bored looking conductor over to one side watching as the people that had gotten off the train I was on milled about. For it being such a late hour at night, the station was relatively busy. I didn't expect it to be this crowded. As I started to move around passengers to head towards the exit of the station, I noticed a few police officers were over to one side, keeping an eye on things. They politely nodded as I passed. While I made my way around the passengers, I couldn't help but notice that as I moved slower than everyone else, the passengers hurried around me. Everyone here was oblivious to the fact that I was here to get my daughter. The porter came over and told me that my baggage was ready and was put in the taxi and for me to follow him. He held the door to the cab opened and told the driver to take me to my destination.
After a long and bumpy ride into the night, the cab driver eased to a stop in front of the hotel. I waited on him to open the door and when he just sat there, I cleared my throat. He turned around and I gave him a look. With a heavy sigh, he got out of the cab and opened the door and held out his hand. "Ma'am."
I looked down to put my feet on the ground and to my horror, I saw that I was about to step foot in a puddle of water. I strained to avoid stepping in it and with as much dignity as I could muster, I managed to step over the puddle and on to the sidewalk outside of the hotel. Without me having to prompt him, the cab driver went to the back of the car and retrieved my bags.
He looked at me as I smoothed the wrinkles out of my coat. "D'you need any help inside with these, ma'am? I do believe that at this time of night, you'll be hard pressed to find anyone who would help you inside."
As I noted the Irish accent that he had when he spoke to me, I glanced up at the hotel. It was a far cry from the Astoria or the Biltmore, but I was assured that this time of year, this was the only place that had a reservation for the length of time that I needed. I turned my attention back to the cab driver that was holding my bags. "If you do not mind, please, that would be fine. I'll find out what room I'm in and then you can go."
The cabbie nodded and disappeared inside the dimly lit reception area of the hotel. After one quick glance around at the trees and street lamps outside of my home away from home, I took my handbag and followed the man's path inside. The concierge was a bored looking man, quite possibly in his late fifties. His grey hair was disheveled as if we had just woken him up from his sleep.
"Name?" He grabbed a pencil off of the desk and approached the counter.
"DeWitt-Bukater. Ruth DeWitt-Bukater. I believe my attendants called last week about the reservation. I'll be here a week, perhaps longer."
The man took a ledger from the side of the counter. He penciled something in and then turned his attention to me. "Have you right here." He stopped and looked above his head at the keys. After selecting one off of the rack, he handed it to me. "Room 211. The elevators are over there. 4th door on your left after you get off. Enjoy your stay." He held the key out to me. I reached out for it and thanked him.
The cab driver picked my baggage once again and we made it to the second floor after a brief delay at the elevators. He opened my door and I motioned for him to put the bags down by the bed. After retrieving some money out of my handbag, I made eye contact with him and handed him the money. He thanked me and gently shut the door behind me.
I walked over to the window and sat down at the desk beside it. After opening my handbag, I retrieved a piece of paper with a name on it. Jason Wright. Cal refused to help me with my journey to bring Rose back home, but did suggest I might need some help and offered me this man's name and address. According to Cal, Jason knew I was coming. It was too late today to do anything, so after changing into my nightclothes, I pulled the covers back and slipped into bed, confident in the fact that I was doing the right thing.
The next morning
After realizing that the hotel I stayed at offered no help in dressing, I hired one of the maids on my floor to help me with getting ready to leave. After gladly accepting the extra money, she stayed with me until I was ready to leave. With her help, I was able to dress quickly and headed out just after the sun came up. The concierge I met last night was replaced with a bubbly young girl, approximately Rose's age. She bade me a good day and after returning the favor, I left the hotel and walked outside and began to walk in the general direction of Rose's house.
After taking my time on the streets and trying to blend in with the crowd, it didn't take me long to find it. As I stayed back so I could watch, I made sure I was out of the line of sight for anyone who may be passing by. I didn't need to be discovered right away. I was only hidden for about a minute as I caught the Metcalfe girl in the front yard of what I presumed to be their house. She had a cute little girl dressed in a frilly pink and yellow dress with a matching yellow sun bonnet. The little girl in her arms was smiling as the Metcalfe girl made her way down the walk as they started to leave their house. I moved behind the tree I was standing at to a tree that was larger, hoping it'd give me the additional protection I needed in case the Metcalfe girl glanced over at my direction. I was in an empty lot which was overgrown but offered the trees at the front for protection. This must have been where Charles hid when he was spying on Rose. It offered the protection he would have needed to be able to watch the house without being seen.
After the Metcalfe girl was out of my line of sight, I waited a few more moments to make sure she didn't turn around and come back. I was sure that she'd remember who I was and if she saw me, it was almost a certainty that she'd tell Rose and that Dawson boy that I was here. As I peered out from my safe spot to make sure that she was gone, I kept my eyes on both houses, looking for any sign of movement. After seeing nothing, I began to walk closer to my daughter's house.
As I approached, I started to take note of the house. It was very plain. The picket fence across the front was peeling paint in places and the bushes across the front of the house needed to be trimmed. Bright red tulips and purple orchids blossomed in the flower boxes that were empty when Charles had taken the photograph of their house. After having a problem with the latch on the gate, I got it open and I slowly started up the cobblestone path to the front door and walked up the stairs. As I held my breath as I was about to knock, I exhaled when I shut my eyes and hoped that Rose was home. The door was a pale yellow and a brass knocker was shining as if it was inviting me to come in. I gathered my composure and as I got ready to knock, that was when I saw the name on the knocker. "Dawson." I muttered the name to myself, swallowing back the anger that was building up inside of me as I said the name. "It won't be Dawson for much longer. It'll be Hockley. Just as it should have been all along." I shook my head and lifted it and knocked three times. I stepped aside and peered into the windows. The furniture was sparse, but looked as if it was at least ten years old. The windows were a bit dusty from the dirt road in front of the house and the curtains were a lacy fabric that seemed to have yellowed over time but no one seemed to be home.
"Looking for someone, ma'am?"
I turned to see a woman, about my age at the Metcalfe girl's house. She had an apron on and was drying her hands on a dish towel. "Yes, I am afraid I am. Is, Rose, um Dawson is it? Is she home? I met her earlier this week and needed to speak with her."
The woman's accent was English and was hard to understand, but she called back cheerily, "No, the Dawson family isn't home right now. If you're looking for them, you might try the harbor though. It's 'bout mile and a half that away." She pointed over her shoulder. "Mr. Dawson and Mr. Lowe were coming back from sailing this afternoon. Mrs. Lowe left earlier with Anna headed to meet Rose and James so they could wait on Mr. Dawson and Mr. Lowe. Ship should be there any time. Do you want me to tell her you're here?"
"No." I didn't want this woman telling Rose I was here. If Rose knew I was here, I'd worry that she would pack up and move and I'd never find her again. It was luck that I found her this time and I knew if she ran again, I'd never find her. Instead, I decided to go down to the docks to see if I could find them there. "The docks did you say? I believe I'll head that way. Thank you though." The woman looked at me and nodded as she headed back inside.
I watched her gently shut the door behind her without giving me a second look as I stepped off of the porch of Rose's house. I left there and headed in the directions of the docks. It didn't take me that long to get there and after walking around a moment, I spotted a crowd gathered by a large ship that had evidently just docked. I made my way closer to the front of the crowd, gingerly pushing passers by out of the way. I looked down to tell a small child to get out of my way when I heard that musical laugh that was unmistakably Rose's. I quickly ducked behind a large truck that was hauling cotton as not to be spotted.
From my vantage point behind the truck, I could see that Rose was facing the Dawson kid as she held out my grandson. The Dawson kid smiled as he took the baby from Rose's arms. "He's gotten so big!" The baby smiled and a bit of drool escaped out of the corner of his mouth. He squealed in delight as Jack took him in his arms. "Seems to get bigger every time I see him." I watched, still hidden, as Jack bounced the baby a few times and then turned my direction. I moved back a bit farther to stay out of sight. As I watched them pass by, I had to fight off the urge to run after Rose and force her to come with me. I stayed where I was as I watched as the Metcalfe girl and a handsome man came up beside Jack and Rose and the baby. The Metcalfe girl held another baby, about the same age. I recognized the man with the Metcalfe girl as one of the officers on board Titanic.
"Anna's not too far behind. Look at these cheeks." Mr. Lowe reached out for his daughter and again, I saw the same thing happen that just happened to Jack. The baby girl held out her chubby arms and squealed and babbled some nonsense as Mr. Lowe held her close. They began walking again and once they were far enough ahead of me, I started to follow. I stayed back far enough to blend in with the crowd so I wouldn't stick out, but close enough to hear that they were going to be going back out the end of the week. I could see the pained expression in Rose's face as Jack broke the news to her. I again resisted the urge to rush up to her, grab her by the hand and lead her to the train station to catch a train back to her life in Pittsburgh with Cal and with me, but I held back. I knew that in this situation, timing would be everything and I had to plan for the best way to get Rose alone.
I followed them all the way back to their house. I took my spot at the tree line back so I could remain out of sight. As I watched, Rose and the Metcalfe girl said their goodbyes after the Metcalfe girl's husband and the Dawson kid went inside. As I sat and watched, I was beginning to wonder if the plan I had in mind would work. Rose and the Metcalfe girl were always together when their husbands were gone. I didn't want to have to hurt the Metcalfe girl, but if she got in the way of what I had planned, I would be faced with no other choice.
Rose and the Dawson kid hadn't gone inside their home yet. Dawson was tinkering with the gate latch that had given me so much trouble. As Rose and the baby waited outside, I could see that Rose was bouncing the baby in her arms, making him laugh and smile. "He sounds just like Rose." I smiled to myself at the revelation that the baby looked enough like Rose that Cal would be able to pass him off as his own without anyone being the wiser of the boy's true parentage. After Dawson came back out, he had something in his hand. He stopped to kiss Rose as he made his way to the gate. He was oiling the latch on the gate and after putting the can back in his pocket, he opened and shut the gate a few times, demonstrating to Rose that he fixed the gate. Finally, after dealing with the gate and stopping to check the mail, Rose handed Dawson the baby and they both went inside. After hearing the faint click of the door shutting, I started up towards the house. I stood in the street, trying to get a peek inside, when I heard a car coming. After moving towards the other end of the street, it gave me an idea.
I hurried back into town and back to my hotel room. I impatiently waited on the elevator to arrive on the ground floor to take me to my room. After what seemed like an eternity, the elevator arrived and let me out at my floor. Finding the key in my handbag, I unlocked the door and didn't bother to shut it. I wouldn't be here that long to bother shutting it.
After reaching in the closet, I found the slip of paper Cal had given me before I left. After seeing Rose with Dawson and their son, I knew what I had to do. I'd need Jason's help in order to carry out my plan. Cal had told me that Jason would help me in any way I needed for the right price. I knew that with the money Cal's family had, money wouldn't be a problem. I brought almost a thousand dollars with me as payment for Jason for whatever plan I needed his help on. After checking to make sure the money and Jason's address were both in my bag, I left the hotel and stepped out into the sunlight again.
After having the concierge at the hotel hail a taxi for me, I gave him the address I needed. We rode in silence until he turned down the street that was Jason's. He held the door open for me as I stepped out. He got back in the car as I got money out of my handbag and gave to the driver to cover the cab fee and the tip. I didn't even hear the driver's response as I started walking towards the front of Jason's house. It wasn't one of the largest houses I had seen, but it certainly was rather large. A fountain was in the center of the circle driveway that led out towards two brick columns. The two large trees on behind the columns gave enough shade for half of the front yard. As I made my way up the brick steps, something inside of me was telling me I was making a mistake. I managed to quiet that voice as I knocked on the door.
As I was looking around waiting on the door to open, I caught movement in one of the windows on the left side of the door. Finally, a young woman appeared at the door. "Yes?"
Judging from her uniform, the woman was one of Jason's maids. "I'm looking for Mr. Wright?"
"He's inside. Please, come in. May I tell him who is calling?" She held her hand out and I handed her my shawl.
"Please tell him that Caledon Hockley's mother in law, Ruth, is here. He has been expecting me." She nodded and opened the door to the parlor off of the main hallway and said she'd find him and return and asked that I wait here until she did. I said I would as she shut the glass door to the room I was in and left me alone.
I started to look around the room as I was passing the time waiting on Jason to come in. There was a large framed mirror in the foyer that I had just come out of. The room I was in opened up into a large sitting room across the room as the room opened up to the left towards a smaller room that looked like an office. As I started to walk towards the back of the room, I saw that the wall to my left had photos on the wall, followed by a large bookshelf to one side. Huge windows lined the opposite wall and the sunlight streamed in through the sheer fabric of the curtains. I looked at the photos in the room while I waited on Jason to speak with me. I noticed one photo that was the largest of the group on the wall. It appeared to be an oil portrait of who I assumed to be Jason's family. A petite blonde lady was smiling as two blonde haired children stood next to her. She held a dark haired baby girl in her lap as a dark haired man stood behind her with the same expression in his eyes as the lady did. "They look happy considering." I stared at the portrait a moment longer before moving on to other portraits in the collection. Next to the family portraits were works of art. My daughter was the one who knew her artwork. "Rose would love seeing some of these. She'd appreciate their value and everything they have to offer." I was staring so hard at the other paintings that I didn't hear Mr. Wright come in.
"Ruth?" He held out his hand. "Cal said you'd be dropping by. What can I help you with?"
The young woman in the photo appeared in the room, "Jason, who is this?" She turned to me.
"Colleen, this is Caldeon Hockley's friend, Ruth. I told you she'd be stopping by today. Ruth, this is my wife, Colleen."
Colleen shook my hand. "Pleasure to meet you." A baby started to cry and she apologized for leaving before heading upstairs, leaving Jason and me alone in the room together.
Jason motioned for me to sit down. I did as he poured himself a glass of brandy and offered me one. "No, thank you." He sat down on the couch across from me and crossed his legs. "Are you sure you don't want a drink?" When I said I didn't, Jason leaned back and took a long drink from his brandy glass before acknowledging me again.
He didn't say anything so I did. "Did Cal tell you why I was here or anything?"
He nodded. "Yes, something about your daughter? The telegram Cal sent wasn't clear in many areas. He just stated that you needed to see me about getting your daughter back. He said you'd clear up any of the details or questions I may have. My first question is what is the situation with your daughter? How can I help you?"
"My daughter and I were on board Titanic with Caledon when the ship hit the iceberg and sank. While on board, my daughter befriended a young man and I'm afraid he has tricked her into marrying him and now she's stuck in a marriage she doesn't wish to be in. I was hoping that with your help, you could make her see that coming home to Pittsburgh and to Cal would be in her best interests."
"I see, and this is why you need my help?"
I cleared my throat, unable to word my question properly. "He said that you…well, you helped him out when he needed you? Cal never went into any details of the business dealings the two of you had, but he did tell me that you were, well, 'the man to know' in his words. I need help. Similar help to what he asked you to do."
Jason put his glass down and looked at me. "Do you know what I did for Cal?" I nodded and he continued. "I don't work for free. Cal paid me good money to do what I did for him. Are you prepared for that?"
I reached in my handbag and pulled out the brown envelope with the money inside of it that I had brought to New York and tossed it to him. "Cal told me your rates and as you know, where the Hockley family is concerned, money is no object. My daughter being home with us is worth any amount of money. Here is the amount you charged him. There will be double that amount when the job is done."
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