Hello lovelies, it has taken me a bit longer to post again. I hope you don't mind and I hope you'll enjoy this new chapter. xoxo

Chapter 6

"You're always complaining, Rose. It is starting to get on my nerves." Unwilling to move, Rose was still plastered on her windowsill. Her back was facing her mother who had been trying to convince her daughter to come downstairs for over fifteen minutes. Like a protesting little girl, she had her arms crossed. Her body remained still. Ruth sighed loudly and called for Trudy to help make up her mind. The maid placed a gentle hand on the young girl's shoulder and smiled gently.

"It is only for a week, miss Rose."

"I just don't see why I need to go?" Rose finally turned to face her mother, "This is all about Violet. What am I supposed to even do there?"

"Be your sister's moral support. Even your brother is going." Ruth tapped her heels on the wooden floor. She was growing more impatient as each second passed.

"Then I can stay at home to watch the house now father is in New York for business."

That was the last sentence she spoke out loud before her mother more or less dragged her out of her room and ordered her to wait in the car. Leaning her chin in the palm of her hand she sighed. In the far back, Violet came heading out the door in one of her new dresses. It had taken her more than two hours to choose between the items in her new wardrobe. After being invited by the Dawsons to spend a week at their home in the countryside, both Ruth and her eldest daughter jumped into a state of panic. This was the moment. It was what every young girl prepared for from the moment she opened her eyes. The perfect engagement and then; marriage. Violet was on the verge of this new period of her life. It was now or never. Trudy pinned her green hat down one last time before she entered the vehicle. Rose bit her lip and locked eyes with the bird that was wrapped around her sister's head. She had always hated the idea of the use of dead animals for fashion and kept her taste to ribbons, lace and the occasional flowers.

"How do I look?" Violet asked one more time.

Rose managed to form a smile on her face. "You look beautiful, sister, truly." The car drove off and their house disappeared in the distance.

The manor represented every aspect of an English estate. Build in a Georgian style, it was surrounded by acres of land and beautiful gardens. Rose gazed around, mesmerised by the fine beauty of it all. The April sun peaked underneath her big purple hat and left a satisfying heat on her face. She took it off and clenched it underneath her arm. Ruth was too busy with the representation of her eldest sister that she had no proper attention for her other children. Edward, insecure yet keeping his back straight, stood closely to Rose. On the stairs the Dawsons stood in a perfect line and watched how everyone stepped outside the car. To her surprise, as Rose looked up at them she saw that Jack did not have his eyes on Violet, but on her. They were burning, perhaps still with anger, she thought. Quickly moving her attention off of him, his close presence still ached her. Next to him were his younger brothers. One was close to Edward's age and one no older than five. Then they stepped down. One at a time like a perfect choreographed dance. Violet was greeted like a princess arriving at her castle. Her smile almost reached her ears. She was on top of the world.

Rose took a deep breath and followed everyone inside. The interior was even more exotic than the exterior. This time it was her who was in total awe of the luxury. A memory sparked inside of her mind from a few years ago. The bored young teenager she was, Rose had persuaded Trudy to take her to the market. As the were waiting for the greengrocer to pack their baskets, Rose caught the attention of a young woman. She was holding a baby in her hand and had her gaze fixated on who was in front of her. The woman was almost hypnotised by Rose's appearance. She looked obsessed with her clothing, her hair, her manner of speaking. Now Rose felt like that woman, obsessed with the beauty of a home.

Her coat and hat were being taken from her and they headed towards the garden where an elaborate high tea had been laid out. Cakes, biscuits and sandwiches all looked perfectly plated and there was a variety of many kinds of teas. Rose was still admiring her surroundings when she noticed everyone had already taken their seats. Then there it was again, his flaming stare from the other side of the table. Apart from her knowledge of their mutual dislike she was still certain his anger from their recent quarrel was burning within him. Did he not believe her promise for not revealing her discovery? It had taken her a lot of effort to keep her mouth shut, but still up to this day she had managed to remain quiet. Violet, who of course sat next to her lover, leaned in perhaps a bit too close. She lifted her hand and placed it on top of the table, moving it towards his slowly. Then their pink fingers touched. Jack did not move and remained seated like a statue. It didn't surprise the youngest sister in the slightest. Rose chuckled to herself and took a sip of her tea. A bit too hot to be manageable, she almost dropped the the cup, leaving it in tiny peaces, but her reflex was surprisingly fast. Both Edward and the other two Dawson boys burst out laughing.

"I think it's a good idea for you boys to explore the garden. Samuel and Richard why don't you show Edward around the property?"

Relieved, they all shot up and rushed off until they were completely out of sight.

"Perhaps miss Rose would like to join them?" Jack suddenly said, "for she is quite capable of getting the children's attention."

She scoffed at his unexpected remark and laughed politely. "Perhaps you are right, Mr. Dawson. After all, I am still a child myself, am I not?"

"Rose will be staying here with us." Ruth interfered. The smile on her face was filled both embarrassment and annoyance. Then there was a silence so loud that everyone was only able to look down at their plates. Jack could feel the tension around him. His palms were getting sweaty and his throat was starting to get dry. He usually loved to be in the country side. It was his safe place to get away from his hectic life, but he had never dreaded to come here more than this time. There was much at stake. This was the moment to make his life changing decision and once he made up his mind, there was no turning back. Alexandra then laughed at something Violet had said, but Jack was too much In his own head that is was impossible to pay a single form of attention. The mindless chatter continued, pulling the ladies back into their own world. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Rose pouring herself another refreshment. Her lips were pressed shut as she clattered her spoon against the edge of the cup, almost aggressively. Jack knew that she was also bored out of her mind, it was readable in every crack over her facial expressions. He let out a deep sigh and stood up, holding his hand out to Violet.

"If you don't mind, ladies, I would like to take miss DeWitt Bukater out for a walk." Sitting there, proud as a peacock, both mothers admired both children as they strolled away.

Violet's heart was pounding so hard she was afraid he could hear it. Her arm was still wrapped around his and she looked at him intensely as he explained the creation of their family's masterpiece.

"My grandfather designed it himself after his first travel to England," Jack explained, "He was a very creative man as well as extremely intelligent. If you'd like, I can show you the inside. The walls are covered with paintings and other objects."

"Paintings of what, Mr. Dawson?"

"Oh everything, miss." He smiled. Talking about art created a warm sensation in his stomach. As a young boy he could sit in front of those masterpieces for hours. He'd inspect every detail; the movement of the brushstrokes, the use of colours. It was like magic, capturing a moment in history and leaving it behind like a forgotten dream, "Portraits, landscapes even some abstract pieces."

"Well you must keep my sister away from your collections, sir, or she will lose her mind."

Jack stopped in his tracks and looked down at her. His smile had faded. "What do you mean?"

"Rose is quite into arts. She can spend hours in museums and spend all her money on silly drawings from the strangest people. Ever since she was little she'd run around and scream that she wants to run away and become an artist. I want to live in the garret, poor but free." Violet giggled hysterically and bent forward slightly. "Luckily father says it is just a phase for she wouldn't last a day in the filthy streets of Paris."

He turned his head away slightly and twisted the cufflinks on his suit. "And what about you?" He asked, hoping for an answer he probably wouldn't get.

"Me?"

"What sparks your interests?"

Staying quiet for a moment, Violet noticed she had to think rather hard to answer his question. Her days all looked the same, yet she was satisfied with the way of it. Luxury was what she grew up in, a world where she never had to lift a finger and it suited her. There were no aspirations but one. Now, she only had that thing on her mind, and she was close to getting it. His blue eyes were now fixated on her, trying to drag out his own longings. Violet had none. "I like to read," she simply said, "embroider every now and then and I volunteer at the hospital at times together with my mother and sister."

"Of course you do." Jack responded with a lopsided grin. The sun had slowly started its descent. A golden glow washed over the growing greenery and the flowers. The smell of spring roamed through the air, the beginning of something new. Violet's hand felt soft to the touch, her presence was delicate and her manners well spoken. Remembering the feeling of her lips on his felt good, pleasant even. Closure. His mind was screaming for the ending of his tormenting thoughts, yet it was only he who could free himself from his mind game.

Then, there was a faint sound echoing from afar. It was close to a sound that came from his childhood. It was soothing even, a reminder of the days that were filled with innocence and joy. His brother's voices yelling out in pure excitement filled some kind of void he always seemed to be feeling. Violet and Jack made their way towards the pond. She was in it, the water up above her ankles and she was holding her dress in her hands. Laughing, the boys splashed all over her gown and she almost lost her balance. Rose didn't seem to mind in the slightest, she looked so free and careless, making Jack somewhat jealous. As a little boy, he used to play a lot in and around the pond only to be dragged out again by his mother to go and finish his studies. His body froze into place. Jack could only watch. Then Rose picked up his youngest brother and dragged his feet through the water, letting him scream out in laughter. In a fast response, Violet loosened her grip from Jack's arm and called the attention of her sister. Rose looked up, smiled and waved at the the bewildered couple.

"What on earth are you doing, Rose?" Violet asked whilst rushing over towards the scene. Richard, who was still being held by Rose, reached out his arms towards his big brother. Jack sighed and took him over, putting him back onto the ground.

"Boys, please go back inside and take young Mr. DeWitt Bukater with you." He basically ordered them. Samuel nodded, his head down to the ground and moved past him as fast as he could. As it was now only the three of them, Rose got herself out of the water and collected her shoes and purse. She wanted to flee from their presence, but it was of no use. Violet had already taken hold of her shoulder and made her turn around. It was always that odd look in her eyes that made it impossible for Rose to hate her. Now all she felt was guilt by only a glance and silence. Rose was always between everything, her whole life seemed a metaphor of black and white. She was between being a girl and becoming a woman. That everlasting urge of freedom, which made her do the craziest of things, even if it was without bad intentions. Then out of the blue, Jack left and let the girls all by themselves.

"Can you," Violet groaned with her eyes starting to tear up, "for once leave this rebellious behaviour behind you and behave? You know how important this week is for me!"

Rose wanted to respond, apologise even, but Violet lifted her hand up refusing her to to speak. "I feel so ashamed right now, you don't even know."

"Violet, I understand and I am truly sorry, but that man hates me no matter what I do!"

"I don't blame him for it, Rose, for everything you do and say is incredibly childish." Violet was now crying, something she always did when she was overtaken by anger.

Nodding her head, Rose's voice turned cold. "I see how it is you all think of me." On bare feet, she marched through the grass back to the main house. Luckily, when she entered, there was no one in sight. Next to the staircase, behind a life sized china vase, a mirror showed her reflection. She looked like anything but who she was supposed to be. Water dripped slowly down her legs, leaving a puddle on the marble floor and she radiated the presence of a creature living in the woodlands of a far away land. Moving closer, every detail of her body became more prominent and she laughed, her voice reverberating through the hallway like a siren song.

"Miss?" Caught by surprise, Rose quickly turned around. A maid, even younger than Rose herself stood a few feet behind her. Her eyes were wide, body stiffened. "Can I help you with anything, miss?"

Rose shook her head and wanted to head up the stairs until she realised she had no clue which way to go. "I am afraid I am quite lost actually." She chuckled at the stranger.

"You're staying in the Vienna suite, miss."

"Vienna suite?" She raised her eyebrow, "Are all rooms named after European cities?"

The girl nodded her head. "Yes, miss. It is all the cities old Mr. Dawson had visited before building this house. But if you'll follow me."

The admiration for also the interior of the manor had soon faded. Like a puppet, Rose had been sitting in the same spot on her bed for over three hours. In front of her was her dinner dress laid out, still ready to be put on. The diamonds sparkled because of the moon, the only source of light that entered her room. The red silk turning into velvet by the softness of the night. All of the perfect ingredients and she simply couldn't go. She couldn't be in their presence with their judgemental looks and critical comments. It felt as if she was frozen into place. Despite the grand size, she was still able to hear the chatter from downstairs. Her room was directly above the dining room. She stood up, moved to the middle of her bedroom and kneeled down. Placing her ear onto the floor, Rose tried to listen to the ongoing conversations. It sounded rather calm, monotone and was overshadowed by the clattering of plates and glasses. Suddenly her door burst open and she shot up, her stomach dropping out of fear.

"What on earth are you doing?!"

"Eddie!" She snapped at her little brother. He turned on the light and laughed at the sight of her older sister.

"You know we sleep in a bed right?"

Rose groaned and shut the door behind him. He had loosened his blouse and was eating a bowl of strawberries. "Why aren't you downstairs?" Rose asked him and snatched a piece of fruit from his hand. Having missed dinner she was starving.

"The children had to go up," he responded and sat down, "but I don't really mind, it was boring anyways. Trudy told me you weren't feeling well."

"Yes," Rose nodded her head, "Perhaps I had too many cakes during tea."

Again, Edward laughed and shook his head. He knew his sister better than himself. Of course she was lying.

"Perhaps you are trying to avoid someone's presence. I might be twelve, Rose, but I am not stupid. I know you cannot stand the man."

"Indeed I cannot," She sighed, "No matter what I do or say he always has to point out the stupidity of my being. I can't even take a bite of a piece of bread without being judged."

"He is just.."

"He is an arrogant bastard," Rose interrupted him, "acting like he is the King Of The World. I hope this puppet show will be over soon. They'll get married, leave for Boston and I can continue my life in peace."

"Do you think they will get married, Rose?"

She shrugged her shoulders and sat down next to him. Her fingers traced over his red curls like she used to do when he was little. "I believe Violet can get someone who actually adores her, even she deserves that. But on the other hand, she is a grown woman and she has to figure it out on her own. She even told me she is in love with him."

With widened eyes, Edward gazed at Rose. "But that is a good thing, is it not?"

"I suppose it is."

"Do you know what it feels like to be in love, Rose?"

"I wish I did, but of course I don't. I can't even imagine the feeling of wanting to spend the rest of your life with someone. It sounds more like a nightmare to me. But I have to accept that everyone has their own opinions."

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation.