Chapter 24

August 29, 1911 New York City

Sixteen-year-old Rose Dewitt Bukater and twenty-nine year old Caledon Nathan Hockley boarded the R.M.S. Mauretania for their trip to Europe, and for Rose to attend the finishing school there in Paris. She didn't look too particularly happy, but she was needed to, for her future was at stake, more for her mother's, since her father's unfortunate death, leaving them buried in debts that needed to be paid off. Just after they boarded, Rose decided she needed some air.

"Come along, Sweetpea." she had heard Cal say to her, but she gave him a knowing smile, before she left for the reception room, where she sat at one of the tables. Before she knew it, she saw a young man, probably no older than herself, at best she guessed the man was seventeen, and he was tall, and gracefully slender. He stepped afoot into the graceful liner, followed by two men behind him. She watched, in amazement and awe, at the young man, who was pulling what appeared to be his hair, but she couldn't tell, as the sun shone directly behind him. Soon, he was on board the Mauretania, and he craned his head, as he seemed to be taken aback by the splendor of the ship, as he looked at the domed ceiling above the staircase, and the elevators, then he looked down the stairs, as something glinted in his hair. She saw the man had his hair clipped, to keep it away from his youthful, delicate face. Even though she saw him very briefly, she saw enough of the man, who had delicate features, that would be forever burned in her memory, as he looked well different for the time. He was unlike anyone Rose had seen before, as if he was unrealistic, except for fairy tales she had heard from her nannies when they used to read to her at night before bed. Except for his hair, and his slight Asian appearance, he looked truly Edwardian, down to his formal wear, and a gracefulness to him. The man adjusted his tie, then straightened his jacket, before he makes his way over to the other two men. He gestured at them, before he followed the steward with his belongings, then disappeared down a corridor. Rose soon felt the urge to follow after the man, but she knew Cal would be furious if he knew what Rose was up to. So she sat back down at the chair in the reception room, hopeful the man would return back to the room, as more people were still boarding the ship.

Her waiting around had finally paid off, and the young man returned once more, as he straightened his hair once more, then clipping it in place. Rose kept waiting for the right moment, while he talked to fellow first-class passengers, and other women were onto him as well. He gave a small smile, his subtle dimples showing, then took a drink from his glass. It was too much for Rose, her body tingling harder, but she knew she had to wait much longer, but at the same time, she kept a watch for her fiancé, for he might come out of nowhere.

The man soon walked over to the staircase, then leaned against the railing. With his head extended, she saw he had a graceful neck, and had a slight hint of an adams apple on his otherwise smooth neck. He swished his glass, then looked at the liquid before he drank the content, as Rose watched the small bump on his neck move with his drinking. She soon saw what the man was swishing in the glass was nothing than a lemon slice swimming in the liquid, which was a highly unusual combination for the time. With no one close by, Rose finally gathered her courage to meet this fine young gentleman. With butterflies in her stomach, and heart pounding loudly in her ears, so loud she thought he might actually hear, Rose finally steps close to the man. As she approached closer she could take in his scent of vanilla, a hint of cinnamon and cologne, and for some strange, unknown reason, the scent of chocolate also wafted from the young man.

He turned his head, and she immediately felt herself blush, and her mouth go dry. She was afraid she might faint. Her heart pounded even harder in her chest.

He's...beautiful... Rose thought, as she began to be lost in the beautiful sight of this gentleman standing over her.

"Can I help you?" he asked, almost as if musically to her ears, as he gave her a warm smile. He soon gestured to a nearby chair close to the reception room in the Grand Entrance. He helped Rose in her chair, then pulled his closer, as he sat down gracefully. Rose couldn't help herself, as she couldn't stop staring at the man in front of her. Finally, the man spoke, taking his clip out of his hair, then shakes his head.

"I'm Jesse Williams. And what might your name be, miss...miss..."

"R-Rose Dewitt Bukater." Rose quickly said her name, then swallowed. Jesse might be the most beautiful man on the ship, but Rose still felt very uneasy giving him her name. It sounded unusual coming from her. But for this young man, Jesse was indeed a fitting name for this beautifully handsome man sitting in front of her.

"Just like the flora, it's a beautiful name." Jesse says, smiling. He leaned ever so slightly, then flicking his head. "You do blossom beautifully, like your namesake." he smiled once more, as Rose felt a tingling in her spine once more, and blushed. Jesse's soft hair fell back down once more, completely covering his right eye. Rose finally had the courage to ask Jesse.

"So, what are you doing on the Mauretania?"

Jesse looked around, his hair hung down in front of his eyes, then he points.

"I'm traveling with my father and that man over there, with the top hat, his walking stick, and cigar dangling from his mouth, he's going to be my new employer sometime in the future." Rose looked at the somewhat pudgy men, and couldn't help herself. She laughed, as she couldn't picture the man, with a mustache, slightly graying hair, and slightly pudgy appearance, could possibly be Jesse's father. Rose suddenly felt much better. She got a good look at the man, who almost resembled her late father...except for the graying hair...and his thick mustache.

"Forgive me for asking, Miss Bukater, what are you doing on the Mauretania?" Jesse asked, then coughed lightly. Without thinking, Rose spoke.

"My fiancé wants me to go to finishing school in Paris..." Rose quickly slapped her mouth shut. Jesse stopped his glass midway, then looks up at her.

"Did you say, 'fiancé'? Is he on this ship?" Jesse brushed his soft, thick hair from his eyes, as he looked around.

"Don't look." Rose squirmed, as Jesse saw who Rose was looking at. He saw an arrogant-looking man, with the other men, drinking their brandy, and laughing. Jesse wrinkled his nose a bit, then turned around, as he stuck his tongue out. Rose looked at him, perplexed.

"I despise alcoholic drinks, if you can call it that." Jesse shuddered ever so slightly, while Rose didn't notice. Rose soon pointed to his glass.

"It's water." he said, as he set the water with the lemon piece down on the table, before fixing his hair, then clipping it back in place again. Rose saw that Jesse had thick, but slightly wavy hair, especially at the ends, as he parted it away from his face. She resisted the urge to run her hands through his thick, dark, soft-looking hair, as she sat back in her chair, then resumed the conversation about her marriage to her fiancé.

"My fiancé and I will be getting married sometime in 1912, so I will be going to a finishing school in Paris. Then afterward, we will be looking at various dresses, having the cake tasting, and sending out invitations. We will be sending out invitations to this society called the Philadelphia Society. All of them will be there. However, Mother despises all lavender, but its my color, and it reminds me of Father when we I was young." Rose quickly wiped a tear away.

"You're from Philadelphia? My father works there, at some steel plant. He was supposed to be an associate to someone or something of that nature. What a coincidence." Jesse laughed, and soon Rose joined in. They didn't see who was standing over them, as they continued laughing. Rose, still laughing, looks up, and quickly stops, and clears her throat, in a prissy, ladylike manner. Jesse also sees, and turned his head.

"What is all this about? I demand an answer!" the arrogant man says, his anger rising.

"Cal stop..." Rose pleaded, as tears began welling in her green eyes.

"This is totally, completely unacceptable..." Rose grabbed Cal's arm, as Jesse quickly stood up from his chair.

"Cal stop. We were just..." Rose began to cry, as Cal took an unexpected swing, sort of a modern-day cheap shot, and missed. Jesse was quick to duck down, then clobbered the steel tycoon to his eye. Jesse still stood his ground, as they both watched Caledon Nathan Hockley take a nasty spill into a chair, after tripping over a nearby table. The chair tipped over, sending Cal down with it. He quickly got back up, his eye had completely swollen shut from Jesse's lightning punch. Jesse was ready to punch out Cal once more, but officers quickly rushed to put an end to this charade. They tackled both Jesse and Cal and pried them away from each other. More officers were needed, as Jesse was much stronger, despite being slender. Cal yelled, as an officer quickly swung his arm behind him. Rose saw that passengers had gathered, some with shocked expressions on their faces, while some of the men cheered them on, and another appeared to be betting on them.

"Get ahold of yourself, Mr. Hockley!" an officer yelled. Jesse perked. Hockley. He will forever remember that name. Now Jesse knew who his father was working for. He was getting ready to be escorted off the ship, when another officer, presumably the purser, arrived, and handed Jesse a piece of paper. The officers let go of Jesse, and the purser led him to the wireless room, followed by the two men. Rose watched as Cal angrily tugged at his coat, and with eyes burning, he saw Jesse. He gave a sneer, as he saw Jesse disappeared in a corridor, with the two men behind him, and an officer.

...

Beneath the dome of the dining saloon later that evening, in the lower dining area, Jesse, his father and his prospective employer were having an evening of dinner and conversation, amongst the other first-class, while the men had their brandy, and Jesse, his water. Rose watched, from afar, as she carefully and daintily places her napkin on her lap, at Jesse. She still had feelings for him, despite what had happened earlier. A tear had fallen from her eye, as she swung back around, and a steward had given her a plate of foie gras.

"Is something the matter, Sweetpea?" Cal asked, while Lovejoy continues to eat on. Rose quickly wiped the tear away, before she smiled at him, then removes the napkin. Ruth looked on, ready to ask but Rose quickly gets up from the table, and retreated back to her private stateroom, where sat in her parlor suite, and she cried softly...

April 17, 1912 R.M.S. Carpathia

Rose wakes up that evening, as she notices her pillow was wet from her tears. She rubbed her eyes, then realizes she had a realistic-looking dream. Only that actually happened, and Jesse was a real person. She cried once more, as she won't be seeing that beautiful person who almost entered her life. Rose knew Jack was on board the rescue ship; that she was sure of. Her tears began to fall, as she had a horrible thought Jesse had indeed been left behind, and his body was reclaimed by the sea, as the ship rolled gently over the waves. Rose crawled back under the sheets, as she continued to sob, as she was never going to have someone like Jesse again. When Jack would wake up, he would be as devastated as her, as he lost his friends. No Tommy, no Fabrizio, no Cora and certainly, no Jesse. They were now resting peacefully, and watching over her in heaven, and Jack, as they steamed back to New York.

Rose finally went back to sleep, to the motion of the ship's gentle rocking, and dreamed of Fabrizio, Tommy and Cora, Captain Smith and Mr. Andrews, including the rest of the Titanic passengers; and in front of them all, Jesse, with his hair completely obscuring one eye, and dressed the he was like he was back on the Mauretania. He was standing next to the Cherub statue, and smiling subtly, as they watched, from above, from the Titanic's Grand Staircase, in front of Honor and Glory.

The clock showed the exact time it disappeared beneath the ocean.