Jack found himself in the park that he and Rose had met each other for Cora's birthday party. He sat on the bench, his portfolio opened, sketching a mother and daughter walking among the flowers. This was most likely his last day doing this. Tomorrow, he'll be returning to his life as an heir to a huge Boston estate. Today was his last day of freedom as a penniless artist. He was sad to leave this life behind, but the reason for doing so was well worth it. He just had to talk to her one more time. Make sure that he had read her right the night before. Make sure that marrying that Caledon Hockley was something she didn't want. If it was...well he'll continue on and work to forget her...but if it wasn't...he'll follow through with his plans.

There was one problem. How to gain access to her. He doubted that she would be able to escape her house again, now that her mother knew who she had been spending time with. Then again, Rose was resourceful. If she did manage to escape, she'll come here to the park. He was sure of it. If she did, what would he say to her? Would he confess everything? Would it help? One thing he did know. He had to find out the truth of her situation. Did she want to be with Hockley or not?

He was so lost in his thoughts as he sketched the scene before him while contemplating his own situation, he nearly missed Rose entering the park, looking around as if she was looking for someone, which she was. She had woken up that morning, positive that she wouldn't be able to escape the house without some kind of chaperone, once again. But her mother had gone off to have breakfast with one of her friends, leaving Rose to herself, probably convinced that her manipulations had worked. Ruth hadn't counted on Rose's determination to see Jack one last time to explain herself and at least say goodbye. There was no telling what he thought of her now. She didn't want him to think of her as some kind of tease or that she was using him as some stupid experiment, like some girls in her station were likely to do. Her friendship with Jack had been real. She needed him to know that.

With her heart in her throat, Rose walked up to a seemingly busy Jack and cleared her throat. "Hello Jack."

Jack looked up and looked at her with wide blue eyes. He had hoped that she would show up, and now that she had, he had no idea what he was going to say. Forgetting about his drawing, he closed his portfolio and got to his feet. "Hello Rose."

"Am I disturbing you?" She frowned, not wanting to disturb his work.

"Oh no, it was nothing important. In fact….I was kind of hoping that you would show up here," He chuckled, combing his hair back with a slightly shaky hand, feeling more nervous than he had ever felt in his life.

"I almost didn't...but mother was gone and….I wanted to see you. I...I wanted to explain myself."

Jack simply nodded, hoping that she would volunteer the needed information herself instead of him having to dig for it. Sometimes asking questions could be insulting and he didn't want to do that in anyway. He wanted Rose to see him as someone she could trust….someone she could turn to if need be. If he asked her the wrong questions, gave her the wrong impressions, she would not accept any offer of help from him.

"You're probably wondering why I never mentioned Cal and our engagement," Rose looked away, nervously twisting at her hands, not at all sure on how to go into this, or what to say.

"The thought did pass my mind," Jack chuckled. He sat back down on the bench he had been occupying and patted the spot next to him Rose to sit as well. There was no point in them both standing up for this.

Rose's smile was grateful and genuine as she took a seat. She looked Jack in the eye, hoping that he would see her honesty. "I know what you must have thought. That I was using you as some form of entertainment...after all, it was at a slumming party where we met..."

"Actually, that never crossed my mind."

Rose frowned, taken aback. "It didn't?"

"No. I could tell that you were completely genuine. You're not the type to do such a thing. I've met girls who are and...they're nothing like you, Rose. You're special."

Rose blushed and looked away, then back at him again. "Well, I don't know what to say. No one has ever called me special before."

"Well you are. I can probably sit here and list all the ways you are special, but that will get us off topic, I'm afraid."

Rose blushed and chuckled. "Indeed it would."

"So...that fella is your fiancee."

Rose simply nodded, looking as miserable as she felt. She hated that she was engaged to Caledon Hockley. If only...well there were no if only's. With her family's dire situation, no one else of Caledon'Hockley's status would touch her with a ten foot pole. Of that she was sure. At least...there had been no other offers of marriage. Not to her mother's satisfaction anyway.

"You don't look too thrilled about that. Don't you love him?"

Rose sighed and looked at her hands. How to explain this without it sounding awful? "Jack...in my world...love has nothing to do with marriage. It's all a business deal."

"So you don't love him. Do you even want to be with him?"

Rose simply shook her head. "It doesn't matter what I want. You see...my father made a lot of bad debts...and it's all covered by a good name...but that good name can't pay off those bad debts that my father had made before he died. He had left me and mother...in a real bad situation. My mother had no choice but to find me a rich husband to marry, saving us both from poverty. Not that I would mind living a simpler life. I crave it, really. But mother...she would have no clue on how to survive...she'd perish if the worse should happen..."

"So you're marrying him just for money? And it's not even a marriage you want?"

"It sounds horrid, doesn't it? You must think me an awful golddigger."

Jack shook his head, a slight frown on his lips. "You're not the golddigger here, Rose. And it's unfair that she's putting this on you."

"Well, as my mother would say, I'm a woman, Jack. Our choices are never easy," Rose shuddered as she repeated her mother's own words from the night before.

"Except this isn't your choice, is it?"

Rose stared at him, silently admitting to herself that he was right. Caledon Hockley was not her choice...but what other choice was there? Go poor? Let her mother become a seamstress, something she feared? She just couldn't let that happen...not when she could stop it by simply getting married to a man she didn't even like much less love.

"There is no choice, Jack. Caledon was the only man to make an offer to my mother's liking. There is no one else. I know you don't understand it...you don't have to. It's not even your problem."

"Rose..."

"I just needed to find you and explain that...our friendship...it was real...for however long it lasted."

"Rose..."

"And to say goodbye. Our friendship was never appropriate and now that mother and Cal know about you...there's no way I'll be able to see you again and I didn't want to just disappear without saying goodbye to you and tell you that it was real and that the time we spent together...it was some of the happiest days I've had in a long time. It meant a lot to me..."

"It meant a lot to me too," Jack simply replied, wishing that he could say more...that he could tell her the truth...that he could get on one knee and propose right then and there. But would she even believe him?

"I better go, before mother gets back. Good-bye Jack," Rose got up and turned to leave.

"Rose wait," Jack got up and before she could step away, he gently grabbed her and claimed her lips in a kiss that was full of desire and promise. A kiss that didn't say goodbye, but more of a see you later.

He pulled away, breathless and looked into her tear-filled eyes. "This isn't goodbye, Rose. I promise…."

"That's a promise you can't keep, Jack."

"But it is...there's so much..."

"I have to go," before he could stop her, she was gone, running out of the park and back to the gilded cage they had her trapped in, with only the memory of his warm lips against hers. It was a kiss that she was sure that she'll never experience again.

Jack stood there in the park, staring after her, his plans beginning to form in his head. Today was indeed going to be his last day in Philadelphia. He'll be back in Boston soon. Once he's back home, only then could he seriously make plans on what to do about Rose.

Jack didn't know how Rose was going to respond to the truth about his true status...but he did know one thing. He was going to give Caledon Hockley a fight. The man was about to learn that he couldn't have everything he wanted, and he certainly wasn't going to have Rose.