The morning was not one of Jack's best. He was woken up early by the knock of Charlie, who said that they were wanted downstairs for an early breakfast, since in another hour valet applicants will be coming in for interviews and he and Jack were required to be there and pick out who they wanted. Jack was still not too keen on hiring a valet, but it was obvious that Lewis was not going to take no for an answer.
After breakfast was eaten, Jack followed his cousins and Great-Uncle into an office and sat behind a large table that contained a notepad for each person waiting for them.
"Take one my boys. They are to take notes about the applicants," Lewis happily directed.
"Do we really need to have a valet? I mean, I've been doing everything myself for years," Charlie grumbled.
"I have to say I agree. Plus all the valets I've met have been complete assholes," Jack sighed, not realizing that Bradley's valet Reynolds was in the room until Charlie cleared his throat and nodded towards him. "Um...but that's too much of a generalization...sorry..."
Bradley just laughed. "How many valets have you met in total?"
"Honestly? One and he was a murderous wanker who had put both Rose and I through a lot of grief," Jack shrugged. "But I shouldn't have generalized like that. I'm sorry, Reynolds. I'm sure that you're a nice guy."
"Oh don't apologize to my brother's undertaker of a valet. He is a jerk," Elizabeth entered, having heard some of the conversation. She bristled at the thought of Reynolds, who had made it his business to make sure that her and Sam were kept apart. Hopefully he didn't stop Sam from getting hired as Jack's valet.
"What are you doing here, sis? I thought that you'd be at breakfast with Rose and Hope."
"I just wanted to check out the pickings for valets. Make sure that our cousins don't end up with undertakers as well," Elizabeth happily smiled.
"It's time. Let the applicants in," Bradley leaned back in his chair after throwing his sister a dirty look.
For the next hour, Jack was bored. All of the applicants were grim old men that looked as if the word fun was not in their vocabulary. He looked over at Charlie, who looked just as bored as he was. It was the arrival of Rose, Hope, and Lily that broke some of the monotony.
A man that looked to be the grandfatherly type was in midst of being interviewed by Charlie when Lily broke away from her mother and went running into the room accidentally running into the applicant. Instead of outrage, the man just smiled kindly and handed the child a lollipop before directing her over to her father who scooped her up in his arms.
"I have grandchildren of my own, sir. Such joys they are," The applicant kindly smiled. It was obvious that he was fond of children.
"I like him, daddy," Lily wrapped her arms around her father's neck, happily.
Charlie just smiled and nodded, his decision made. "I do too. Mr. Crabapple, you are hired. I think you'd make a good fit."
"Oh thank you sir. You will not regret your choice. I will make you a fine valet, sir," the man bowed his head.
"Mr. Crabapple, please join Reynolds to your right there. He will show you where to go once my other cousin finally makes up his mind," Bradley directed, glancing at Jack. "Have you not found anyone agreeable as of yet?"
Jack just shrugged, looking apologetic. "I just can't see even being friends with these guys. They all look like little Lovejoys."
Rose couldn't help but snort, drawing Jack's unhappy attention.
"It's not funny. I want a valet that I can consider a friend and wouldn't mind hanging around. I don't want someone that's going to remind me of that asshole every time I look at him."
"Well hurry it up. We don't have all day for you to make up your mind. We still have shopping trip to go on and then we have to get ready for the Cotillion afterwards," Bradley warned.
Annoyed, Jack ran his hand through his hair. "Alright. This is what I'll do to cut back on time. Anyone over thirty may leave."
A mass of grumbles rose up as a great number of applicants filed out.
"Jack!" Bradley hissed.
"No point in wasting their time. I wasn't going to hire them anyway. This at least cuts down on the number of applicants."
"Ok, fine. Just choose someone in the next hour," Bradley grumbled.
Jack had dismissed five more people when Sam finally came up to be interviewed, but before Jack could start, Bradley was up out of his chair, glaring at the young man.
"I can't believe that you have the nerve to show up here thinking that you can get hired!" Bradley glared.
"Bradley, sit down," Lewis sighed, rubbing his eyes. It's been too long of a morning for this. "If the young man wants to apply for the job, let him."
"But..."
"Sit. Or do you want to leave the room?" Lewis insisted. He wasn't happy to see the young man in question either, but this was Jack's decision and it was hard enough getting his great-nephew to agree to this.
Bradley glare intensified. "Just for the record, dear cousin. This boy has no experience what so ever. In fact, his family is poorer than dirt."
"Well, isn't that even more reason to give him the job. It sounds like he really needs it," Jack looked over at his new found cousin. Then sighed, sensing that there was a bigger story here, but he didn't care enough to get into it at the moment. Right now, he rather just take Rose and take a breather from the whole situation. "Okay, let's just get started. What's your name?"
"Sam. Sam O'Rilly," Sam answered, feeling even more nervous after being confronted by Bradley. He risked a glance at Elizabeth, who was now standing with two other women. She just nodded and smiled.
Jack instantly recognized the last name and accent. "You're Irish?"
"My parents are. I was born here in the good ole USA," Sam explained. "We mainly are around other Irish immigrants, which is why I seem to have the accent."
"You wouldn't happen to know of a Tommy Ryan, would you?" Jack asked, not looking up as he seemed to be writing something on a notepad. The accent reminded him of Tommy, the kind Irishman that had helped him sneak back into first class to see Rose, despite thinking that Jack was being foolish for chasing after a first class girl.
Sam frowned confused. "No sir, I do not."
Jack just nodded. Then looked up at Sam with sad blue eyes and nodded. The memories that Sam brought were good ones. He could have grown as close to Tommy as he had grown to Fabrizio. They had gotten along so well and Jack had been very fond of him. Why not hire someone that Tommy could have grown to be? In a way, he felt it would honor his now deceased friend. "You know what, you remind me of a friend of mine...you're hired. I guess you can follow Mr. Crabapple and Mr. Reynolds."
"You can't be serious Jack! He has no experience!" Bradley exclaimed, outraged that this gutter-rat was getting his way.
"How much experience does one need to carry things around and shit? Huh? I say he's hired. It's my decision and it stands. Unless you want to spend another hour, here? You were in such a hurry before."
Bradley just sighed in defeat and crossed his arms angrily. He glared over at his sister, sure that she had something to do with this. "I just want to remind Mr. O'Rilley that there are rules and guidelines to go by and inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated."
Jack had to wonder what that was about, but right now he just felt too annoyed with the whole choosing a valet process to question him. "Can we go?"
"Yes, yes. Mr. Reynolds, I trust you good man to have our new employees ready and to perform their jobs once we're ready to go on our shopping foray," Lewis got to his feet.
"Yes sir," The valet nodded and led the other two men out of the room.
Jack and Charlie joined their wives, who stood in the doorway with a happy Elizabeth.
"Jack, are you alright?" Rose asked, concerned. She saw the look on Jack's face when he talked to Sam. She knew that he had been thinking of Tommy Ryan.
"I'm alright. At least the hard part is over and he definitely is no Lovejoy," Jack chuckled sadly.
"Who is Lovejoy, by the way?" Elizabeth asked, curiously.
"The deceased valet of my ex-fiancee. Let's just say that he made our lives rather difficult when we first got together," Rose explained.
"Sounds like Reynolds," Elizabeth couldn't help but reply, thinking of all the times her plans to meet Sam had been ruined because of the man.
"Rose, have you eaten breakfast? Or were you here all this time waiting for me?" Jack asked.
Rose blushed. "Um...waiting for you."
Jack laughed. Somehow he had known she'd search him out first. "Oh darling, you must be famished. Come my dear, we'll find you some food."
"I tried to get her to eat, Jack. But she was insistent," Hope giggled.
Jack just laughed and led everyone out of the office, hoping that it'd be a long time before he sat foot inside that room ever again.
…..
The shopping spree went off spectacularly. By the end of two hours in town, new wardrobes were purchased and Rose and Hope had new hairstyles for the night's festivities.
Jack and Rose were in their rooms, getting dressed for the occassion. Rose was doing her makeup and looked in the mirror at Jack, who was adjusting the tie of his tux. She smiled, being reminded of the first class dinner on-board Titanic. He was even more handsome now than he was that night, which felt like a million years ago.
"What are you smiling about?" Jack noticed her gaze.
"That I have such a stunningly handsome husband. I will be the envy of all the women tonight," Rose giggled, putting on the last of her makeup.
"I'm the one who will be the envy. To have the most beautiful woman in the world on my arm," Jack smiled. "You're so amazing, Rose."
"I doubt it. People are still talking about how I left Cal at the alter. To be honest, I'm a little scared. Some of these people, I haven't seen since the engagement gala to Cal and now here I am, married to one of the long lost cousins belonging to one of the richest families in the country. What are people going to think?"
"Well, if they're anything like your mother, they would think that you were shrewd and smart and a risk taker. They'll have respect for you."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I mean, you went from measly Hockley millions to Dawson billions with a even better reputation. How can they not see you as smart?" Jack chuckled, walking over to her and wrapping his arms around her waist. "Besides, it doesn't matter what they think of you anyway. Of either of us. We have each other and that's all that really matters."
"You jump, I jump," Rose smiled, allowing herself to get lost in his eyes, like always.
"That's right. Now, let's go jump together," He pulled out of the embrace just to offer his arm.
"Thank you kind sir," Rose smiled, accepting his offer. Together, they left their wing of the mansion and made their way down to the ballroom where all the guests were gathered and classical music was being played. Rose already felt the boredom setting in.
"Oh god, Jack. I thought that this part of my life was over."
"Is it really that bad?" Jack frowned.
"Maybe. I don't know. Maybe it was just because of mother, but I always found myself bored at these things."
"What can I do to keep you from getting bored?" Jack asked, wanting to do all he could to keep this from being just another cotillion to her.
"I don't know if there is anything you can do. I mean, it was always the same narrow people. The same mindless chatter."
"Well how about we talk to some new people for a change and make the chatter anything but mindless. Let's take control of the conversations," Jack grinned.
Rose laughed. "Oh Jack, if only it was that easy."
"Oh my goodness, is that Rose Dewitt Bukater as I live and breathe?!" A blonde girl wearing a long pale blue sequin gown came up, her arms outstretched for a hug, her lips stretched in the fakest of smiles.
"Oh god, I can't believe she's here, of all people," Rose gasped as the woman quickly approached.
"Who is she?"
"Gloria Danweather. One of the friends that mother had picked out for me. I was sure I'd never have to see her again, but obviously that was too much to ask for."
Jack didn't have time to reply to that, because Gloria was right upon them. Rose quickly put on a fake smile of her own as the blond took her hands and gave a air kiss on each side of her face. "Oh Rose, what a treat to see you again. Needless to say, we were all concerned for your welfare when you had left Cal at the alter the way you had, but now I see that it was all part of an genius plan that none of us had seen coming."
"Pardon me?" Rose frowned, confused. She knew that there must have been some gossip, but she didn't know exactly what people were saying.
"It's been the talk of Philadelphia and Boston society dear. The shrewd Hockley bride trading in millions for the greater wealth and respectability of the Boston Dawsons. A very shrewd and wise move indeed. I know poor Cal has been made a fool of, but he will survive. It does a lady good to see a woman take charge and do well for herself."
Rose was flabbergasted. She could not believe that people would believe such a thing of her. Money and respectability had nothing to do with why she had left Cal for Jack! She opened her mouth to say something, but Lewis tapping a fork against a glass to call for attention stopped her.
"Ladies and gentlemen! May I have your attention please," Lewis called for quiet. He smiled at the crowd, his smile widening when his eyes landed on his newly found great nephews. "I have called you here to celebrate with us the reuniting of the Dawson family. As most of you well know, my two brothers left home as young men, never to return and I had been on a mission to find them and bring them home. Sadly, I did not find them in time. They had married, built their own lives and had families of their own. But by luck, I did find their grandsons, Jack and Charlie and both have been kind to uproot their own families and make an old man's wish come true. To have his family whole again in his final years. I've called you all together to introduce and welcome my brother's grandsons home at last. Come on up Jack and Charlie. Bring your lovely wives with you."
Jack was reluctant, but he didn't want to disappoint his great uncle. So he gripped Rose's hand in his and went up to the stage.
"This is uncomfortable," He whispered to Rose as he smiled and nodded to the crowd.
"It is, but you're doing great," Rose also smiled, feeling sick when she noticed even more people she knew from Philadelphia. The Philadelphians seemed to be whispering among themselves, probably talking about her and the scandal she had caused by leaving Cal. "Jack, I think I need some air."
"Do you want me to escort you outside?" Jack asked, feeling more and more uncomfortable.
"No, I'll be okay. You need to stay here and mingle a little. I'll just be outside."
"Rose..."
"You'll be fine, Jack. Just be your charming self," She quickly kissed his lips before heading for the nearest exit.
"Is she alright?" Charlie asked, noticing how tense Rose had became.
"One too many blasts from the past I think. She just needs some air. If she's not back after we make the rounds, I'll go after her," Jack sighed, worried, but not wanting to crowd her. It was obvious that she wanted to be alone. He just hoped that she knew that she could talk to him if she needed to.
"Well, let's start making the rounds. The sooner we're done, the sooner we can make an exit. This tuxedo is not the most comfortable thing on earth."
Jack just chuckled and followed his cousin and his wife as they went and talked to different people in the crowd.
…..
Sam and Elizabeth were in the stables, in a passionate embrace. She had finally managed to get away when her Uncle began to introduce her cousins. She had found him exactly where she knew she would and had ran into his arms.
"How's the party?" Sam laughed, kissing her blond curls.
"How do you think? Boring. I'm so glad that you waited for me. Now you can take me to a real party."
Sam laughed. The plan was that once the cotillion was well underway and Elizabeth wouldn't be missed, Sam and her would slip away to his cousin's wedding reception. He had missed the ceremony because of work, but that was okay, because the reception was where the real fun was and Sam wanted to show her a good time after all the first class rigidness she would be stuck in for the early part of the evening.
"I can't wait to show you an Irish jig or two, lassie," Sam grinned pulling her into a kiss.
Elizabeth giggled, but the giggle faded when she heard running feet and a sob nearby. "Someone's here."
Sam frowned and followed his girlfriend to the front of the stables, where they found Rose leaning against the building sniffling into a handkerchief.
"Rose? What are you doing out here, sweetie? I thought you'd be in there enjoying the party?" Elizabeth asked, relieved that it was Rose and not some debutante that would turn them in. She was pretty sure that Rose wouldn't think anything of her being here alone with Sam.
Rose looked at her with tear-filled eyes. "Oh, Elizabeth...I didn't expect to see you here. I just needed some air...I...there were...," She sighed, looking lost and miserable. "I'm afraid that I shouldn't be here."
"You shouldn't be here? Why on earth would you say such a thing?" Elizabeth came to stand next to her newly found cousin in law, feeling sad that the red head would feel so out of place. This of course was the world she grew up in. She should feel right at home here.
Rose sniffed, wiping away her tears. "Because everyone knows about how I left Cal at the alter, not that I care about that. I just care about how that will affect Jack. I mean...I saw a girl I grew up with in there and she was all about how shrewd and genius I was to leave Cal for someone with more money and more status than the Hockleys, but that's not why I left Cal and it's not why I married Jack. I don't want people to think that it is!"
"Well then why did you?" Sam asked, and winced when Elizabeth elbowed him, telling him to shut up. "Ow...um...sorry..."
"No, it's a fair question. It's actually ironic really. I met Jack when he was a poor wandering artist with only a few blank sheets of paper and air in his lungs and that was enough for him. He had nothing, but he was the happiest person I knew and I loved him. I married Jack because I loved him more than anything else and I married him when he had nothing. But no one will see it that way. No one will know. Now when they look at us, they'll see us in the way they would have seen me and Cal if I had married him and it makes me sick. Jack doesn't deserve that."
"Oh Rose, it doesn't matter what anyone thinks. If it did, would you have left Cal at all?" Elizabeth asked, feeling for the girl.
Rose shook her head. "Of course not. At that time, just talking to Jack would have been inappropriate. I was first class and he wasn't. Despite how lovely he was...how charming."
"Yet, you loved him anyway despite what anyone thought. So why would it matter now?"
"Because now they'll think him naive and he's not. He's far from naive. He just gives people a chance. More chances than any first class person has given, no offense but you know what I mean. I just don't want them to think poorly of him for marrying me. He doesn't deserve that," Rose sniffed.
"It sounds like you really do love Jack," Elizabeth smiled, taking Rose's hand.
"More than anything. When I thought that I had lost him forever, I had almost lost myself and allowed myself to be pulled into my mother and Cal's plans. It was the thought of disappointing him that woke me up to what I was about to do. When I found him again in Chippewa Falls, it was the happiest day of my life. I just want people to see him the way I do. But being married to me may have ruined in chances of that and I hate myself for it."
Elizabeth's heart hurt for Rose. She knew what it was like to love like that because that was how she felt about Sam. She wanted to be someone he could be proud of and she wanted the world to see him the way she saw him. As the most wonderful man on earth and it would break her heart if she found that she was the reason why they never would.
"Rose, listen to me. When it comes down to it, it doesn't matter what those busy body gossips think. No one of importance really listens to them. The only opinion that matters is Jack's and from how he looks at you, you're his whole world. He thinks the sun and moon rises and sits on you. He adores you. So ignore everyone else. That's what I'd do."
"I usually don't pay attention to what they think, not about me usually. It's just so different when it may affect him."
"It won't. I promise you that. Jack will be just fine," Elizabeth wrapped her arms around her cousin in law, somehow feeling a sort of kinship with her.
"Rose?! Rose where are you?" Jack came running up in search of his wife. Relief swept through him when he found her, but relief turned to worry when he saw the tear tracks on her cheeks. "Sweetie, you've been crying."
"I'm okay, now, Jack. It just got overwhelming in there," Rose smiled as he gently touched her face. "I'm fine. Really."
"I remember the last time that you were fine."
"Yeah and you told me off but good, too. But I'm not trapped, Jack. Not anymore. I really am fine," Rose smiled as he wrapped her in a warm hug.
"So everything is great here," Elizabeth grinned, looking at Sam, signaling that they should be going.
"I'm sorry, Elizabeth. I feel like I've been rude," Rose felt the need to apologize. "After all, your family has worked hard on putting this together and I'm out here, dragging Jack away."
"Oh Rose, don't worry about it. Really, once you've been to one cotillion, you've been to them all. And now that grandfather has introduced Jack and Charlie to Boston society, there's really no point in being here. You and Jack can go elsewhere if you like," Elizabeth waved away the apology.
"Mother always made me stay to the end of these things," Rose chuckled.
"Well that's not a requirement here."
Sam looked at the time, trying not to seem too impatient.
"Are you missing something?" Jack asked, noticing Sam's movements.
"Um...no...yes...um...well there's a wedding in the family that I missed tonight, but I had promised to be at the reception,"Sam stammered, not wanting to do or say anything to get fired. After all, he was being paid more than he had ever been before and it was another way to see his Lizzie.
"Oh. You should have said something, I would have given you the entire night off so you could go to the ceremony," Jack gasped, embarrassed to be the reason that someone had missed a family event. "Here, I give you the rest of the night off. I wouldn't want you to miss the reception."
"You know, I never been to an Irish wedding reception before. I bet they're tons of fun," Elizabeth chuckled.
"I bet Jack's been to a few with all the traveling he's done. Of course there was that real party we attended when we met. There was a lot of Irish music and Jack made me dance a jig, even though I didn't know how," Rose smiled at the memory.
"I would never have known that by the way you showed me up. You were a natural," Jack grinned.
Sam couldn't help himself. He wanted to get Elizabeth away from the mansion, and at the same time he found himself really enjoying the company of Jack and Rose. "Why don't you three come with me if you're no longer needed here? I mean, I'm sure that Mrs. Rose here could use some real fun, not that a cotillion isn't real fun..."
"Trust me, it's not. It's all about dressing up like a penguin and walking around with your nose stuck up in the air," Jack chuckled.
"Hey, I like that description," Elizabeth laughed.
"How about it? Would you like to come to my family's wedding reception?"
"Rose? What do you think?" Jack asked, not wanting to take her somewhere she'd feel even more uncomfortable than she already did.
Rose's eyes lit up. "I'd love to!"
Jack smiled happily and turned to his new employee. "Count us in."