Chapter twelve:
Ruth's voice massaged Rose's ears constantly without a break. It was a sunny morning and the light through the dining room windows was lovely along with the heat. Rose sat with her back to the veranda doors, the breeze tickling her neck. It was as Rose's request that the morning air had been allowed into the room with Ruth complaining of bugs coming in along with anything else. There was never any pleasing her mother at any given time.
Rose had rolled her eyes quickly and insisted it was too warm. The fans were already working overtime. She glanced over at the food on the table; toast, preserves, bagels, fresh fruit with Greek yoghurt and then a selection of fruit juice. Rose skipped past most of the food, picking up an apple before pouring herself a fresh cup of coffee. She was tired, her mind consumed most of the night. How was it that Jack was still able to haunt her dreams as though they had been truly in love and conducted a beautiful affair which lasted years? In reality, it had been a simple kiss or two and it had lasted a few days.
''There are six more portfolios to be inspected after breakfast.'' Ruth told her daughter, her eyes sharp as she sipped her tea.
''Yes, Mother.''
''The utter stress of having to select a home half the way across the country without knowing of interiors, of the local school systems, the nearby amenities, the entertainment...''
''Mother, I am sure in New York, that entertainment is not so far away.''
Rose touched her head, she was warm. Drinking a hot beverage wasn't much help but she needed something to help wake up her. Coffee was always her beverage of choice until midday.
''Well, perhaps Cal will be along later to help select. The wedding planner is also due just after lunch.''
''Oh yes.'' Rose had forgotten. Another afternoon spent wasted. "How could I forget just how full my social calendar is these days."
She went to bite her apple but then realised that she wasn't even hungry, she wasn't anything. Muttering words to her mother had taken up much of her energy.
''New York in autumn I hear is quite lovely.''
''Yes, Mother.''
''The fall line will also be along any time now.''
''How exciting.'' Rose couldn't sound any less enthusiastic. She couldn't care less for the latest fashions.
''And of course, the wedding could still be held there but then there is the small matter of where to live until we are married, of course, there is the Waldorf but then the stress of moving all of our belongings across and then into a house. But then we could spend some time selecting an exquisite home ourselves. We can visit the realtors, examine that with our own eyes...''
Ruth went on and on, creating such stress for herself that even Rose wondered how she slept, how she continued to speak without taking a breath. Did any of this stuff matter? In the last few years, her mothers hysterics had been discussed with doctors who had simply encouraged her to lie down, and then the nose bleeds had started after stressing herself over the silliest, smallest things.
''We can discuss that in due course, Mother.''
Ruth put her tea cup onto the table. ''But dear girl, we have a matter of weeks before this will be finalised. Cal wants to marry you as soon as he possibly can.''
Yes, of course he does. Rose wanted to place her head in her hands, to lay down and nap from one conversation with her Mother. Her engagement ring sparkled on her finger, a large diamond, worth enough to feed an entire small country. He wanted her marry her so that he could take off her clothes and do with her what he will. She ignored her own thoughts knowing just what they did for her moods. They had been up and down enough lately that she did seem to wonder whether or not she was truly insane in some way. No one had grasped or gauged her moods the way that Jack did and since him, they had felt erratic.
Her floral printed dress was thin but not thin enough, she felt the heat which seemed to penetrate her skin, her bones and she felt faint. She had two options; to lay down for the rest of the day and blame the heat for her exhaustion or to play along with her Mother's zest for the preparations. The latter would have allowed her out of the house for just a couple of hours to escape the life which she had found herself more than content with inside the four walls of her bedroom where she would submerge herself into books and her own thoughts.
''Then perhaps I should go into town this afternoon, take a long browse at dresses and such.''
Ruth perked up immediately. ''What a splendid idea. Just yesterday Moira at the club was asking when we would be visiting her boutique and-''
''No, Mother. I would like to go alone.'' She cut her off. ''This will be my day therefore I shall like to attend myself, at least I know what type of dresses I shall be wearing. As you do say, fashions are always changing and my dresses do feel a tad out of style."
Ruth pressed her lips together. She wasn't best pleased with Rose's decision, but the fact she was taking such an interest in the wedding was excellent. There had to be somewhere to start and grow upwards and this was where it would begin
''Very well then.''
''Perhaps you and the wedding planner can come up with ideas together whilst I am out. I trust your better judgement.''
That way Rose didn't have to spend hours and hours speaking of endless idiotic notions such as place settings or the damned flowers. Ruth didn't even suspect Rose's ulterior motive behind going dress shopping and of course, she didn't intend to go shopping. Perhaps a visit to one shop to make a random purchase would ensure her Mother that she had indeed taken the afternoon to browse endlessly, when in fact she would have taken time off for herself.
''What a wonderful idea.''
''That is settled then.'' Rose was somewhat pleased. "I do like to spend a full afternoon with just my intentions towards tending to updating my wardrobe."
Ruth smiled behind her cup of now lukewarm tea.
''How glad I am to hear you say that.''
Rose glanced at her mother, trying to think of herself in a world of where it only mattered to be wearing the seasons latest fashions, to be submerged into self importance and feeling the need to conform to every single rule which society had ever written. That was part of the suffocation. That was the reason for her wishing to have left with Jack when she had the chance. A chance which was now completely gone.
"Yes I feel I have remained out in last seasons fashions for too long, perhaps bringing myself up to date may help."
"Yes, it will."
A light flickered. His eye opened, and then the other. Tommy's body pulsated and was almost glued to the floor. He couldn't move, almost as though he was held down by some great force. He winced at the pain, the floor cold against his bare back. He lifted his neck upwards, seeing blood on his chest. Had he been shot? No. He knew that after struggling to lift his upper body into a sitting position. It took a few moments for him to realise something. They had gone. He snapped into motion in that very second. He caught glimpse of himself in the mirror, bruises appearing on his body, blood drying in his hair. He quickly pulled himself to his feet, ignoring the throbbing in his ribs.
He found a black jacket, it was ripped and expensive. He knew it belonged to Ethan. Tommy remembered he had removed it just before challenging Tommy to a bareknuckle fight. Memories came at him like shattered bits of glass. He pulled the jacket over his body, a pair of sunglasses also sat nearby. He didn't want to wear them but he would need to cover most of his face for the walk home. It was now daylight, but he didn't know what time it was or where he was. He stammered outside into the sun. His body ached and throbbed but it was what he was used to, he told himself. He would need to get himself home before he collapsed into a deep state of exhaustion.
The night before he had been taken into the back of the car until they had reached this destination. The drive the night before had seemed long but when he got his baring's, he realised that he was only a fifteen-minute walk to his own home. He set off walking. In the pocket, he found a packet of expensive cigarettes, he grinned. Well, there was a God. Perhaps a silver lining to this entire thing.
''Well, what a find.''
Tommy took one from the packet and placed it between his lips before lighting it and feeling the calm, which followed. There weren't many people about, aside from the odd stare, he didn't notice much else. His mind was focused on getting home and hoping that Jack hadn't drove the night before.
He continued to smoke, ignoring the pain in his body. His mind reeling from the events from the night before. He had been set up, he knew that much and he had a good idea who by; Cara. He gritted his teeth. Funny how she hadn't appeared at the ballroom when she had been so eager for them to go. There was something amiss, happening, something deep rooted which he would pull out with one hand in a single swoop.
Ethan had challenged Tommy first, throwing his fists about like an untrained monkey. Tommy had laughed; hard. The truth was Ethan didn't know just how long Tommy had trained for, how much he did train and how he had made a living back home in Ireland by breaking noses since he was about thirteen. Ethan went down easily, then so did Roy but then Ethan came at him, this time with something, a weapon; perhaps a bat of some sort, he didn't even remember and that had battered his body but Tommy was undefeated. He had left them both laid out where they had fell, they could have been dead for all he knew. Then he must have passed out and awoken this morning but they had gone. Why they hadn't just killed him there and then was beyond him – unless this was a warning, maybe they had other plans.
He needed to bathe, to sleep and repair his body. He knew that the Hockley's would return, perhaps this time with more of them.
As Tommy reached his front path, he noticed that Jack's Dodge was parked outside. The wheels about a foot away from the kerb. An indication that Jack had driven home whilst drunk. Tommy shook his head as he ragged the jacket from his body and disposed of it in the trash can located just outside the porch, he also removed his glasses and threw them into the trash.
''I don't know how they wear those damned things.''
As he opened the front door, he was greeted by Fred barking at his feet. Tommy scooped him up into his arms, glad to see him. He had obviously been well fed by a drunken Jack with the look of the pile of dog food which had been filled to the brim and then overflowed all over the floor. Tommy shook his head, making a fuss of his dog as he walked further into their home. He noticed something odd. He glanced about, most was quiet aside from the flush of a toilet. Tommy furrowed his brow as he noticed a shirt, one of Jack's thrown on the kitchen floor, followed by a pair of his pants, undergarments...
''You, lucky old dog.'' He grinned as he came across a pair of stockings and a white dress. He peeped his head around the bedroom door and it was then he saw her. Cara. Laid out naked awake in Jack's bed. As soon as her bright blue eyes met Tommy's, his face fell. He put Fred on the floor causing him to yap loudly.
''What the hell are you doing here?'' He shouted. ''I know your game, get out of my house, you dirty-''
He didn't finish his sentence. Instead he grabbed her dress and stockings in one hand and with the other he wrapped it around her forearm and with a strong and forceful swoop she was out of Jack's bed, still completely naked.
''What are you doing?'' She cried.
He didn't answer. He pulled her through the kitchen before opening the front door.
''No, you can't do this.''
He pushed her out onto the porch before thrusting her clothes into her arms and it took her by complete surprise as she stumbled onto the rail.
''You stay out of my way, you and those damned Hockley's.''
He slammed the door in her face before she even had chance to respond. There she was where she belonged. He didn't even care if she was seen out there by the damned neighbours. When he turned, he found Jack wearing just his undergarments.
Tommy's jaw was tight. He eyed Jack sharply.
''What happened?''
''She happened?'' Tommy pointed out of the door. ''The fuckin' reason she wanted us to go last night is so she could grass me up to the Hockley's, get them to beat me up, leave me for dead!''
Jack felt the anger run through his body. He had a bad feeling about her. The fact she had invited herself into his bed, his intoxication hadn't helped matters but he hadn't had the ability to push her away and now had spent the past thirty minutes vomiting away any remainder of dignity he had left. He felt ill; physically and mentally. Fractured memories the night before attacked him at various points but nothing was set in stone about what had truly come about.
''She's told Ethan that I have been wanting her, forcing myself on her-''
''Tommy I was-'' Jack tried to recall but there were fragmented pieces of an evening. As though it hadn't been him.
''You fell asleep in the ballroom, I carried you back to the car.''
Jack squeezed his eyes closed. ''She came into the car, I thought it was her-Rose.''
Tommy shook his head at his friends stupidity. ''There is a big damned difference.''
Tommy's anger toward Jack disappeared as quickly as it had come. Arguing with him wouldn't make a difference, nothing would, they would have to stick together in a defence.
''I want Rose. I don't know what the fuck I was playing at.'' Jack shouted, at himself. The embarrassment and madness were full to the brim. He kept rubbing his face trying to rid himself of any stupidity but it did nothing. He would never be rid of her.
''Well I have put her out in the street where she belongs like a damned stray dog.'' Tommy went to the mirror and caught sight of himself for the first time. He was in a worse state than he initially thought he would be. It wouldn't take long though and soon he would be feeling the urge to hurt them all in return.
''I need to clean myself up. Ethan and Roy won't lay low for long. The rest will be after me soon, and you, if Cara spills any details about what happened between the two of you."
Jack was already pale. Paler than Tommy had seen but the innocent of his mistake seemed to shine through and so he softened.
"I can't go back now, can I?"
"No, man, you're a fool and a mess, but by God be ready to own whatever comes your way."
Jack's eyes met Tommy's. He knew what the warning meant.