Where would they go? Promising to keep her safe was easy, but Jack knew actually doing it would be a challenge at best. There were only so many places they could go. Getting away from Cal would most likely involve staying on the move until the ship docked. So where would they sleep? His room was too obvious, even if there hadn't been three other men in it. He couldn't ask Rose to sleep on the floor, in some hidden corner. Could he?

There was no hope of the crew siding with them. Cal was a first class passenger; whatever he said went. There was no way around it. Rose might have shared his first class status on her ticket, but Jack knew no-one would take her word over his, not even with bruises covering her arms. They would probably blame him. They would say he'd tried to force her into going with him.

"Jack, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," he assured her. "Just thinking." He took her hand. "We should get going."

"Where?" She looked up at him with hopeful, trusting eyes. Wherever he led, she would follow. Jack was torn between joy that she trusted him and fear that he didn't deserve it. He couldn't be worthy of her. A woman like her deserved so much more than he could offer, and yet he was sure he could make her happy. He was sure no-one else would love her the way he did. No-one else would let her bloom the way he would. But in the meantime, he had to keep her safe.

"I don't know," he admitted. There would be no lying. They had to be honest with one another, always. "Do you want to get any of your things?" he asked. "Some more clothes, maybe?"

"We'll look rather odd together," she said. "Nothing I have is fit for any activity besides sitting around and being decorative. I'm afraid my clothes won't hold up very well. But I suppose I do need something else to wear." Her expression grew serious. "Do you think we should go there?"

"Rose, if you're afraid of Cal—"

"I am." She said it before she could stop herself. It was the first time she had ever said it out loud. She felt nauseated. When had things gotten so messed up? She was supposed to love her husband, not loathe him. She wasn't supposed to be afraid of him. She wasn't supposed to constantly wonder what mood he would be in or how he would react to everything. She wasn't supposed to love another man.

Jack held her face in his hands. "Don't be," he said. "Alright? I'm not gonna let him touch you again."

"Jack, you don't understand—"

"I understand he scares you, and he's hurt you, but that was before. Rose, trust me."

"It's not you I don't trust," she said. "Jack, you do know what he can do to you? What he'll have done to you? Forget about me. He can't have me killed. That would be too inconvenient." She smiled bitterly. "I'm the perfect wife. There would be too many questions. He needs me."

"He shoulda thought about that before," Jack said. "He shoulda treated you like a wife—like a person."

"And if I were your wife—" she began.

He kissed her, slowly and tenderly. Her knees were weak when it ended. "That's what you can expect," he said. "We gotta go."

…..

Ruth was the first to notice Rose's absence. As they rounded the next corner she realized Rose's voice was missing. Cal was at the head of the group, and if he had noticed anything, he didn't let it show. Slowly, so as not to arouse suspicion, Ruth glanced over her shoulder. No sign of her. Where had she gone, and why?

Ruth wore a mask of calm politeness, but emotions swirled within her. Rose was with him; she had to be. What could she possibly be thinking? Didn't she appreciate the danger she was placing her marriage in? The humiliation she could cause them all? If Cal were to divorce her—No. Ruth took a deep breath and willed herself to remain calm. No, that was not going to happen. She mustn't let herself think such things. The marriage to Cal was the best thing that had ever happened to Rose—to either of them. Whether Rose liked it or not, they needed him. He wasn't like her father; he wouldn't desert her with nothing.

Mr. Andrews looked around. "Where's Rose?" he asked, surprised to find her missing. Cal glanced around the small group. Where, indeed?

"She went back to the cabin," Ruth said smoothly. "She wasn't feeling well, and she didn't want to disturb anyone. If you'll all excuse me, I'll go and make sure she got back alright."

As Cal watched Ruth leave a kernel of suspicion formed in the back of his mind. It was possible she was telling the truth, but how convenient that Rose should fall ill barely an hour after he has tried to see her. He wouldn't have been surprised if Ruth was lying for her, but Cal knew she wasn't involved in whatever Rose was doing. Ruth could always be counted upon to do her duty. She knew what was best for Rose, even if Rose was too silly and naïve to know it herself. He trusted that everything would be worked out quickly and quietly, one way or another.

Rose's hands shook as she unlocked the door. Jack put an arm around her. "Five minutes," he said reassuringly. "There's nothing to worry about. After the tour your mother's going to tea, and he's going off with the other mastes of the universe, remember?"

She took a deep breath. "I remember," she said. "They must have noticed I'm gone by now, but they won't make a fuss. I know they won't." She was equally sure they would know why she was gone. There was no story she could tell to save either of them from what would happen if they were caught by Cal.

They moved quickly, tiptoeing across the empty rooms. Jack couldn't help but gaze in wonder at the opulence in which they loved. Each room was beautiful. For a moment, he wondered what it would be like to live in such luxury. Rose's voice pulled him back to reality. "Will you help me?" she asked. She opened a small suitcase and began pulling clothes from a wardrobe. She paid little attention to what she packed. Even her simplest dress was too ornate and too fragile for even a day in Jack's life, so what did it matter what she took?

"What do you need?"

"That drawer, there," she said, pointing. "Just get whatever will fit in the case. It's all the same."

"Right."

They moved quickly, and in minutes they were finished. Rose snapped the suitcase shut with a triumphant, "That's it!" Her hear pounded; her cheeks were flushed, though whether with excitement or fear, she didn't know. She turned to Jack and held out her hand. "Shall we go?" she asked. Her words tumbled out. "I'm hungry. Are you? I just realized I haven't eaten anything today." She laughed. "I couldn't before, but I think I can now."

Jack returned her smile. "I could eat," he said, glad to see her fear disappearing. "We'll get some food and figure out what to do next."

But their triumphant spirits had come too early. Ruth was waiting for them as they stepped out of the bedroom. Rose sucked in her breath; she couldn't move. Her hand felt like ice in Jack's. If her mother was there, Cal must be as well. Panic washed over her. She had been wrong. They hadn't just gone on with their usual routine. How could she have been so stupid? What had made her think this would be easy?

Jack's eyes moved from Rose to Ruth; he waited to see which would speak first. This was Rose's moment. He couldn't interfere. Finally, Ruth spoke. "Just as I suspected," she said. "I knew you would be with him." She spat "him" as though it were a curse. Rose stiffened; she gripped his hand even tighter. He moved closer in an effort to reassure her.

"Yes, I'm with him," Rose said. Her voice rang out, clear and strong. "He had a name, Mother. It's Jack. And I'm leaving with him."

Ruth couldn't believe her ears. "Have you completely taken leave of your senses?" she demanded. "How can you say something so foolish? Be glad your husband isn't here to see the way you're behaving."

"I am not a child," Rose said calmly. "I have made a decision about my life, and there's nothing anyone can do about it. I know how I want to live, and it isn't like this."

"Like what?" Ruth's tone was sharp. "Surrounded by fine things, wearing jewels and lovely dresses? Meeting the most intelligent, the most important people in the world? Rose, you are one of the move envied girls in America. You can have anything. Don't you see?" she pleaded. "You never have to worry about anything. You'll never be cold or hungry, never be without a doctor. Your children will be healthy and well-educated."

Jack tried not to let her words get to him, but they managed to anyway. Sue, he could make Rose happy, but could he keep her fed? Keep her clothed and warm? Ruth glanced at him. He kept his expression neutral and met her eyes.

"I don't want to be envied for someone else's money," Rose said. "I don't want to have everything decided for me, to live by someone else's whims."

"What do you think happens to the poor?" Ruth asked. "Do you think being destitute means getting to make your own choices? Just ask him. He knows. He'll tell you. Being poor is nothing but bowing and scraping to other people, and Rose, you're a woman. You can't move up on your own. You can't earn your own fortune. Your life is only as good as that of the man who takes care of you. You won't be young and beautiful forever. This life you want, it will age you. How long do you think he'll want you then?" \

Jack wanted to yell in response. He would never leave Rose. She didn't know anything about him. But he remained silent. He squeezed Rose's hand. "I don't want Jack to take care of me," Rose said. "I want us to take care of each other. I want to be with a man I can be friends with." She turned slightly, to look at him. "Jack is the best friend I have ever had." He wanted to pull her into his arms; he wanted to carry her out of there. "I want to be free, the way he is," she continued. "I want to wake up with him, ever morning, more in love than the day before. I know it's possible. It will be hard, harder perhaps than I realize, but I know we can do it."

"We'll do it," he whispered. As her strength built, her voice became more confident. "I don't want to be afraid anymore," she said. "I want to never stop wanting the man I'm with." They had both forgotten Ruth's existence.

"I'll never stop trying to make you happy," Jack promised. "Winning that ticket was the best thing that ever happened to me because it brought me to you."

Rose moved toward him. "Jack—"

"This nonsense has gone on long enough," Ruth cried angrily. "Rose, if you refuse to see what's best for you—well, I'll have to tell Cal where you've gone. You can't expect me to help you ruin your life."

"Mother, don't you see?" Rose implored. "I don't have a life. I'm dying!"

"You always were a dramatic child," Ruth said. "You never could accept the roles and responsibilities you were given. I won't be responsible for what happens if you leave now. Your husband has the right to bring you back. Don't say I didn't warn you."

….

They walked quickly, even though they didn't know where they were going anymore. They held hands, but they were silent. Rose carried her suitcase. Jack wanted to offer to take it but wasn't sure he should. "Rose, what your mother said—"

"I'm sorry for the way she talked to you—about you," Rose interrupted. "You didn't deserve that."

"You don't have to apologize for her," he said. "I've heard worse. And it—some of what she said, it's true. Rose, I have nothing to offer you. I have nothing, no money, no job, no family—I have nowhere to go once we get to New York. "

"I'd rather sleep under a bridge with you than in the finest hotel with Cal," she said. "Please, Jack, don't doubt me. Don't doubt us. I can't do this alone. I'm just as afraid as you are, but I trust this—" She clutched his hands tightly and looked up into his eyes. "What's happening between us, it's real, and it's strong, and nothing can stop it. As long as we're together in our hearts, nothing can ever really part us. The only thing that can come between us is each other. You jump, I jump, remember?"

"I remember." There was so much he wanted to say, but words weren't enough. He pulled her close and kissed her, pouring everything he felt into it. They were both gasping when it finally ended. "So, now what?" she said. She wanted him to kiss her again; she wanted him to never stop kissing her. She had never felt like this before.

"Are you still hungry?" he asked.

"Actually, I am."