Chapter 16

Again, thank you all so much for the lovely reviews you are giving this story. It absolutely means the world to me when you tell what you think of it! Here is a new chapter for you all. It was kind of painful to write because I came to the realisation that I give the characters quite a difficult time ;) Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy it xoxo

The tires shined like a diamond. Freshly washed and polished the vehicle stopped right in front of her. Through the window she could see him say one last thing to his valet before the door opened.

"I thank you for your time, Mr. Hockley." Violet said as she watched the man step out of his car. He straightened his coat and took off his head. His smile looked gentle and kind. Shaking hands they started to walk over to the park. From underneath her hat she scanned his facial expressions. She could still hear the relief in his voice when she spoke with him on the phone and even now she was able to sea a spark of hope in his eyes.

"I also thank you for your time, miss. To be fair, I was beyond surprised when you contacted me."

"And I was beyond surprised when my sister told us about what happened. I can only apologise."

"Miss DeWitt Bukater, I feel absolutely flattered that you want me to propose to her again."

Nodding her head Violet's gaze remained serious. "My sister is a pistol, sir, but I am absolutely sure you can handle her. She so often acts like this child, forgetting she is now a grown up woman. I am just so afraid that, with her crazy beliefs and ideas that she will fall in the hands of someone bad." She turned her head to look up at him once again, "I have seen you two together and everything within me, as well as my parents, says that you would be the perfect man for her."

"Many people have said that actually." Cal now confessed himself.

Believing she was getting somewhere, a smile appeared on her face. "Exactly, Mr. Hockley. Therefore I must ask you this really blunt question: Could you ask her to marry you again? I can help you. I'll make sure she says yes."

Cal only smiled, letting her words sink in. To hear those around him were as charmed by his presence as he was himself, certainly did his ego good. "Although I would want nothing more than to marry your sister, I do not wish to share her heart with someone else."

"I am afraid I do not understand what you mean, sir."

"What I mean is that your sister is in love with someone else." His statement was firm, without any form of doubt in the words that he spoke. Violet could feel the blood drain from her body. A slight gasp escaped her lips and she watched how Mr. Hockley put a cigarette between his lips.

"But who could that be? Did she tell you, Mr. Hockley?"

"Silence can say a lot, miss. I mean…" He took a break to recollect his thoughts, "I have been told, by many, that I am a charming man. I can give her anything she wants to have. She wouldn't have to worry a single day for the rest of her life, but there is something in her eyes that gives it away. A mixture between a sparkle and sadness."

"I simply don't understand, Mr. Hockley. Why would she want to leave to France when she is in love with someone else?"

"If situations had been different, miss DeWitt Bukater, I would have definitely reconsidered asking for her hand again, but I am not a man who likes to share what is his."

"Do you know who it is?"

"Unfortunately not." The gentleman he was, Caledon Hockley kissed the top of Violet's hand and casually walked back towards his motor car. And as people rushed past her, chatting about their daily lives, Violet DeWitt Bukater remained tormented by the inner confusion she was now dunked in. As she watched the man now disappear from her sight, scenes from previous times started to play out in her mind like a storm. What had she missed? Violet asked herself. What was it that she had not seen that was even obvious to a stranger? All her doubts and worries started to play out in her head, and it was until she couldn't take it no more that it suddenly clicked.

On the opposite side of the city, two friends sat in the company of many adults. They were the reflexion of their future. Rose stared mindlessly ahead of her, scanning every person that strolled through the garden of the Jones family. As Mrs. Jones had aged gracefully to the respectful age of forty-five, she had organised he lavish garden party to celebrate both her life and the life of summer.

Leaning back in her chair, Rose nibbled on the a piece of cake she been given. Yet, with every bite she took, she felt more sick to her stomach than before. Letting out a deep breath, she handed her plate to one fo the servants who walked past. Wendy looked at her friend and gave her a smile of understanding.

"Your parents will come to terms with it, Rose. Trust me."

"Then you don't quite know my parents, Wendy." Rose groaned and improved her posture. She had managed to avoid her whole family this morning and fled towards her best friend's house a soon as she could. Luckily, Mr. Dawson was not there for breakfast. Having him around her would ruin everything, Her eyes remained low with a melancholy luring within them.

"There is something else, isn't there?" Wendy asked out of nowhere. She could look right through her friend. Rose quickly shook her head, not daring to reveal a tiny detail of what happened between her and her sister's fiancé. Wendy didn't take her eyes off her, inspecting the lie that radiated over her persona. Rose appeared paler than her usual fair complexion and anxious as her hands couldn't stop trembling.

"Rose?"

"I cannot say it. At least not here. If someone hears it I can already book my ticket to the gallows." Her eyes were wide, like a scared animal. Taking Rose's hand, Wendy brought her inside of the house and towards her bedroom. Locking every door as well as window the two sat down on her bed. Rose stared at her feet and noticed that the leather on her shoes had started to tear.

"Has mr. Hockley done something to you?" Wendy's tone of voice was worried.

Rose shook her head. "No. Apart from his arrogant demeanour when I turned him down, he has left me alone." She looked up again. "I believe it is much worse."

"Oh do tell, Rose! I am sitting on the edge of my seat."

"Will you promise me not to go mad?"

Wendy nodded her head. "I promise."

"Right," Rose sighed and stood up. Marching through the room like a soldier she then stopped, her body standing completely still, "Last night, when I told my parents the news about Mr. Hockley and my plan on leaving for France all madness broke loose. I rushed towards the library to collect my thoughts when Mr. Dawson followed me inside."

"Mr. Dawson?"

Nodding her head, Rose turned towards the window and stepped forward. She could still hear the chatter from the guests. It was dull and vague, as if she was looking at a painting. "He was so angry," she muttered, "and then he turned so soft. It was scary yet magnetic at the same time. I felt so strange and despite my head telling me that I needed to leave, my heart couldn't. Before I knew it he kissed me. No, Wendy. I kissed him." Scared by the confession, Rose stepped aside to stabilise herself. Behind her she could hear her friend gasp in pure shock followed by a loud call for the lord above.

"Rose, I can't believe this!" Wendy's voice burst through the room, "You kissed Mr. Dawson? Your sister's fiancé?"

"Hush, Wendy, please!" Rose covered her face with her hands to disguise her embarrassment, "You are making me feel really bad."

"Well you should feel really bad, Rose." The tone of her voice startled Rose. Wendy scolded her as if she was a little girl and was ready to be whipped. "I don't understand it one bit. I thought you hated the man?"

"I thought so too." Rose groaned, "But it just happened."

"Those things don't just happen, Rose. Think of what will happen when everybody finds out about this."

"You're making me sound like I am the villain."

"I am not saying you are the villain, Rose, but you did just confess to me that is was you who kissed him." As if she wasn't confused enough, Rose felt her heart being ripped into tiny pieces. The one person she trusted with whole her heart was turning her back towards her and she felt worse with every second that past. Wendy's gaze was firm. Her lips thin and eyebrows frowned. Then out of the blue, she apologised.

"I am sorry, Rose. I shouldn't have reacted that way, but I am just so shocked. I think it is a really good idea to go to France. You can free yourself from this confusion, leave it all behind." In a way, her friend was more than right. However, why had she hoped she'd say the total opposite. Where came this need for someone to tell her to stay and that everything would work out in her favour. Of course, that was too good to be true. Following her deepest desire would eventually turn into a disaster, with everyone being more disappointed than they already were. Rose DeWitt Bukater saw herself as nothing but a failure and she wanted to disappear into oblivion.

"Than you can come back when things have calmed down. When you have calmed down."

"Wendy, don't you see? I will never be able to calm down. From the moment I was born I have always had the restlessness within me which I can't explain."

Wendy stood up from the bed and gave her friend a tight hug before she placed a comforting kiss on the top of her head. "Then the time has come for you to figure it out."

"You won't tell anyone what happened between Mr. Dawson and I, right?"

"Of course not!" She reassured the distressed flower, "We can just pretend it never happened. I've known you longer than today and you are just confused about many things. That kiss meant nothing."

Agreeing to her statement Rose followed Wendy back to the garden where she gladly took hold of a gold glass of champagne. She was in fact bewildered by the whole situation. The ability to still feel his lips on hers was just her mind playing tricks on her. Even on her way back home, as Wendy chatted on about uninteresting topics, her brain was screaming. Moments of them spending time together played out like a moving picture. Horse riding in the open fields, swimming in the lake. She recalled that in those moments she surprisingly felt happy. But he had lied to everyone around him as well as to her. Comparable to most men of her standing, his world revolved solely around money and he needed a woman as a representation of his fortune. Or however much there was left of it. As the car stopped in front of Rose's house, she waited for a few seconds before she had found the courage to step out. Was there a way to ignore everyone until it was time to leave? She asked herself, but quickly came to the comprehension that it would be an almost impossible task. Wendy walked along with her to the front door and held her hand until it opened. Thankfully it was Rose's maid who welcomed them. She hugged Wendy one last time before disappearing inside. The light in the hallway was dim and it felt cold. A shiver ran down her spine.

"Good evening, miss." Trudy took her coat.

"Hello, Trudy. Is everyone still gone?" Rose asked, hoping for a wholehearted yes in return.

The maid's eyes widened for a second. "Well technically…"

"I see," she interrupted her sentence, "If you don't mind then, I am going straight to bed. Noticing from your hands I believe you are still polishing the silver?"

Trudy nodded her head, "Yes, miss Rose. I will be done in half an hour."

"You can finish it first before getting me ready for bed."

"Thank you, miss." Rose looked at how she disappeared into the dining room and sighed deeply. Exhaustion was a light term to describe how tired she felt. Perhaps she wouldn't even be able to keep her eyes as soon as she headed inside of her bedroom. A sudden sound filled the silence. The notion that it wasn't her maid's footsteps behind her caught her attention. She slowed her pace and waited for a second as she expected Mr. Hockley appear. But the voice

"Can you wait, please?" Rose held her breath until she started to feel lightheaded. There was a strange mixture of a fluttering feeling inside her stomach as well as a pain in her chest. She could hear his heavy breathing closely behind her and she shut her eyes for a second.

"Mr. Dawson…" She finally dared to turn around. His blue eyes seemed to burst through her soul, "This is impossible. I can't see you like this."

"I just need to talk to you for one second."

"Listen," Rose lowered her voice slightly, "Whatever it was that happened between us the other night, Mr. Dawson, we simply must forget it. It was a moment of weakness and utter confusion. For the both of us."

"Admit it, Rose. You wanted me as much as I wanted you. You wouldn't have kissed me otherwise."

Despite his truth, she shook her head heavily. "I am being serious, Mr. Dawson. You promised me not to break her heart and nor must I. You are marrying my sister and I am leaving for France. That is final."

He collected his thoughts for a moment and stayed silent. "You are really going to leave then?" He then asked, hoping he had heard it incorrectly.

"Yes. I have come to the notion that I am a grown woman now and I don't need anyone's approval anymore. I am leaving next Friday."

He took hold of her hand, intertwined their fingers. Rose wanted to pull away from him, but it felt as if she was struck by lightning and remained frozen to the ground.

"I think you are making a mistake, Rose." There was something so vulnerable about the way he spoke to her. As if nothing was left from the man whom she thought she hated to the very core. The arrogance he projected towards the outer world was gone. Opening his heart, speaking his truth. Jack Dawson was now his purest self. He was just as lost as she was, roaming through this world without knowing anything. It was what pulled her towards him. His purity, his soul that she found to recognise in every way possible. Yet, she didn't allow herself to open up to it. She simply couldn't for it would be too painful.

"For both of our sakes, Jack, please leave me alone. I can't bear it any longer." Then she released herself from his touch and headed up the stairs.

"Rose!" He called after her, loud enough for the whole house to hear, but he didn't care. Everything in his body told him to run after her. "What is it that you cannot bear?"

Her footsteps stopped. Leaving her shadow standing right before the end of the staircase. Rose stayed there as she heard him coming closer. Her heart was exploding with fear as well as passion. Jack placed his hand gently on her hip. She gasped for air. "Wanting you." She then whispered, "Every moment of the day, no matter if you are around or not. Even at night when I am in bed. It's the most haunting sensation and I do not want it anymore." The clock ticked ten, followed by the sound of servants chatting. Rose recognised Trudy's voice. Jack's hand was still laying gently on her body. She grabbed it, pulled him closer and they rushed up. As she noticed they were now really alone, they could do anything they wanted to. Her room was only three doors away. But as lust crippled in the back of her mind, she brought herself back to her senses. "I can't be the product of a paycheque. I wouldn't be able to look myself in the mirror for getting along with it. I can't fall in love with someone who only wants money…"

"Only want money?! My god." Jack cried out loud, "I know I've made the biggest mistake of my life," he now gently held her face in the palm of his hands, "I should've told you it was you all along that night I saw you feeling outside of the Wideners' ball. Because that night I knew it was you and it would be you forever. You might not believe me, and that is fine, but I do believe myself. For the very first time, I have finally been honest with myself and now I've at least gotten it off my chest."

"I don't want to see you anymore, Jack." She simply responded as if his words had gone completely through her. His outspoken affection, his admitted live for the woman in front of him were ignored in every way. Her eyes pierced within every part of him. They were haunting and painful.

"You don't mean that." He sounded desperate, like a child clinging onto the leg of its mother.

"I do mean it!" Having you around me for one moment longer will be the death of me. If someone finds out, our families will be caught up in a scandal thus big that it will still roam around after we're both long dead."

"What if I hadn't made that promise that night, Rose? Would it have been different? Do you really want your sister to live the rest of her life with a man who longs for someone else?"

"She is in love with you and you desperately need the money, Jack. Something she doesn't know won't kill her." The darkness of the corridor did not hide the tears that had started to form in both their eyes. Jack still had his hand on the side of her face and rubbed his thumb gently over her cheek. His lips were so close to hers. His scent was too strong to ignore.

"Please don't go." He whispered almost inaudibly against her mouth. Before she could give in and before she let him say something more, she pushed his hand away and stepped back, "No. You have to let me go, Jack." Running away from the chaos, Rose locked herself in her bedroom and sank to the floor. Her sobs haunting him as he descended down to the real world.

As he entered the hallway again, Jack placed his hand on the wall to support himself from falling to the ground. His uncontrolled emotions made his body weak to the core. He felt numb, lightheaded and yet heavy at the same time. All the possibilities of it ending good, the wish of a happy ending was now really over. Everything was done and he was back at the start of all the misery.