It didn't take too long for Rose to unpack and organize her belongings, making the room provided more her own. Looking around, she felt rather satisfied and felt a happy thrill that someday soon, this place may be considered another home for her. Not that it mattered. What mattered was Jack and the freedom that they both craved and was sure would be theirs to enjoy together. She didn't know how lucky she was to have met Jack the way she had. It was a stroke of fate, really. It had to be.

Changing into a green lacy tea dress, Rose took one more glance into the mirror before making her way downstairs to join Emilie and Jack, who was now in the sitting room with Ruth and Jack's parents.

"Rose there you are!" Emilie walked over to greet Rose. She took her hand and pulled her over to where Jack was standing. "Now we can show you the grounds. You are going to love it here."

"My lady?" Jack offered his arm. Rose smiled and accepted the offer. "I'd love to."

"Mother, father. Emi and I are going to take Rose for a walk around the estate. Send Fabri if we're needed for anything," Jack nodded to his father who just gave an approving nod of his own before returning his attention back to Ruth and his own wife.

"It looks like our parents are getting along," Jack commented once they were out of earshot.

"I am not surprised. Your family is old money. That's mother's favorite kind of people."

"Okay, first we'll start at the tennis courts, then the gardens where we can spend a large amount of our time and then the private beach a little ways down there. Jack and I used to play there as children. Plenty of fun memories," Emilie giggled, linking an arm with Rose, making the redhead between the two cousins.

"It all sounds wonderful," Rose giggled, feeling the stress from the ride from Philadelphia begin to fade away. It felt so good to be here with people she enjoyed being around. In Philadelphia, all she had were her mother's friends since Louise was busy planning her own wedding. Rose honestly didn't care for her mother's friends, so this was a nice change.

For the next two hours, Emilie and Jack showed Rose around the grounds and estate, from the tennis court to the stables, from the beach and finally ending in the garden. Rose found herself rather enamored by it all. She usually didn't care about such luxuries, that was more her mother's thing, but somehow the Dawsons seemed more...magical. Like they belonged in a fairytale world or something.

"The gardens are my favorite thing here. So many flowers to draw," Emilie happily sighed, ignoring Jack as he rolled his eyes.

"What is your favorite place here, Jack?" Rose asked, catching his reaction to Emilie's statement.

"The fairgrounds on a crowded day. There are so many people. Men, women, children. Families. So many people of different classes and of different stations of life. You can just sit among them and draw all day. It's the perfect place to capture the human condition, you know?"

"So, Emilie you like landscapes and still life and Jack you like drawing people?"

"Yeah. I mean, still-lifes are great and beautiful, but there's a story with people. There's more...heart in drawing people. Everyone has a story and I like capturing it on paper," Jack nearly ranted as they walked along, his passion for his art clear in his voice and facial expressions. "If I could do nothing for the rest of my life but draw, I'd be happy."

"Yet his hero is Monet," Emilie giggled. "I remember how we almost met him that one time in Paris."

Rose's eyes widened in wonder. "You met Monet? THE Monet?!"

"Not exactly. Fabri and I were out exploring and I spotted him inside his yard drawing. I wanted to say hello, but Fabri stopped me. He thought that we'd get in trouble."

"It's a shame. You could have invited him to dinner and gave me a chance to meet him," Emilie playfully pouted.

"Well forgive me, dear cousin. Next time I see him, I will be sure to ask him to stop by just to meet you," Jack laughed. Rose couldn't help but to join in the laughter, becoming even more infatuated with the two cousins. She wanted to be part of this family more and more.

"You must have seen so much in your travels. Did you go to France with your family or was this trip to France part of your big adventure?"

"That time it was with the family. I kept it to the states when Fabri and I left high society."

Rose gave a wistful sigh, her voice taking on a dream-like quality. "I wish I could do what you did Jack. I would do so much. I could live in a garret, poor but free...or be a moving picture actress! Better yet, I could be the next Isadora Duncan, a fiery pagan spirit!"

Rose suddenly broke free from her companions and twirled around the garden, indeed resembling such a spirit. Jack watched her with pure adoration. He was falling more and more in love with this girl, there was no denying it.

"She indeed fits you perfectly," Emilie nudged his arm. "You should talk to your father soon...tonight even. Let him know your intentions."

"I won't be too forward? She had just gotten here."

"Well...maybe wait a few days. But do it soon before they start talking about finding you a bride. You have to keep control of the situation."

Laughing, Rose returned to them, twirling into Jack's arms and wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. "What do you think?"

"I think that you're my fiery pagan spirit," Jack chuckled, before claiming her lips in a lingering, yet passionate kiss, almost forgetting that they weren't alone. Sighing, they pulled apart and stared into each other's eyes. "Marry me, Rose."

Rose blushed and looked away, overwhelmed by the love she saw as clear as day in his pretty blue eyes, eyes that she wanted to get lost in. If she wasn't careful, she could lose herself completely in him. The very idea, frightened, yet excited her. No man had ever filled her with such a mix of emotions like this. Only Jack. "Jack...you know that I want to. It's just..."

"What?"

"Feels so soon, you know? This barely feels real."

"It is. It is real, I promise you that. My love for you is as real as my need to breathe. Trust me on that."

"I do. I trust you more than anyone. It just feels so much like a dream. Cal is barely out of my life, I'm in love, the man I love wants to marry me, but I still feel like I'm standing on quicksand. I'm afraid to trust it, I guess."

"Yes, Hockley can still rear his arrogant head somehow, but not in any meaningful way," Emilie agreed, seeing Rose's point. "But not in a way that he can't be dealt with. So far, everything is going swimmingly. By the look of things, your mother has been conquered."

Rose laughed. "Well, as you saw in your last visit, I kind of told her how I felt about everything and that there really was no choice. That she couldn't make me choose Cal or any other rich man, so she might as well accept my choice if she wants to keep the life she's used to."

"I think it's time to talk to my father tonight. Let him know that I've found my bride. I want to get us good and engaged as soon as possible. There will be nothing that Hockley can do then," Jack grinned, kissing Rose once again, absolutely certain that there was nothing at all that could stand in their way now.

…..

Nathan Hockley sat behind his desk looking over some contracts when his son Cal entered the room in a rather dark mood. Noticing his son's demeanor, Nathan resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He was used to Caledon's tantrums, but today he was in no mood. There was too much to be done and he had no time for such theatrics.

"Father," Cal solemnly greeted, taking the empty seat before his father's desk.

"Caledon. What is the matter now? Lovejoy forgot to polish the car again?"

"I had just stopped by the Dewitt Bukater estate."

Nathan frowned as he sat up straight in his chair. He had thought that he had made it clear to Caledon that he had decided against the marriage with the Dewitt Bukater girl. "I thought you were exploring other options, Caledon."

"Oh, I have been. But I am intrigued by Rose. She's not only beautiful, but smart...even though a little bit opinionated, but I am sure that can be ironed out. I am not ready to close the door on her just yet, father."

"You do know that their name hides a precarious situation. A situation that I am not sure is good for the Hockley name."

Cal sighed with an impatient roll of his eyes. "Of course I am, but that is not Rose's fault. I don't think she should be punished for her father's failings. I just like...being in her company. At least until a final decision is made."

"I cannot in good faith approve of an engagement between you and the Dewitt Bukater girl. I have explained that to both you and the girl's mother. Why can you not let it go?" Nathan glared at his son, now more annoyed than ever. He couldn't understand why Caledon was so insistent on a girl that didn't even seem to like him.

"I am not asking for you to approve of the engagement, father. I am just asking you to not slam the door just yet."

Nathan grumbled and began to return his attention back to the contracts before him. "Very well. You may spend time with the girl. There is no harm in that, I suppose. But no spending money on her. We've already wasted enough money on that family."

"I couldn't spend any money on her anyway, with her not even being home," Cal pouted, slouching in his chair.

"Well, I suppose Ruth took the girl shopping or out to some function that these women like to attend. Wait until they return, boy. It won't be that long."

"According to their butler, they'll be gone for the summer. Word has it that the Boston Dawsons had invited them to their summer estate in Coney Island for the summer. According to the Henshaws, the Dawson heir seems to have taken a keen interest in Rose," Cal's face darkened even more. He had been infuriated when that simpleton Edward Henshaw took great pleasure in telling him that there was now competition for Rose's affection and by all evidence, Rose seemed to prefer Dawson to him! How absurd! As if Ruth would allow such a thing to happen! He had Ruth Dewitt Bukater wrapped around his finger! No way would she let some Boston interloper make off with his woman! Unless the Boston interloper was richer than the Hockley's….which he was...but still the Hockley's were a sure bet for Ruth...unless his father had made it known that he wanted Cal to explore his options...which he had...dammit!

"The Dawsons, eh? Can't believe that Dawson would let Ruth get her greedy claws into his fortune. They're even more well off than us. Then again, they could afford to pay all of Dewitt Bukaters debts and still be in the black," Nathan snorted with a shake of his head.

Cal shot forward, gripping the edge of his father's desk as his eyes narrowed at the older Hockley. "This is your fault!"

"Pardon me?"

"You told Ruth that you wanted me to see other people! That you weren't so sure about the engagement anymore!"

"Of course I did. I'm not a fool. No one is. It'd take us months to recover the money that we'd have to pay out for such an engagement!"

"And now she's allowing that Dawson brat to make off with Rose!"

"Well, it's not like they can't afford it. If the Dawsons want to take on such a burden, let them I say!"

"Rose is mine!"

"You are mine! I am not going to just hand you over to Ruth Dewitt Bukater without a second thought! You are to see other girls to see if there is a more suitable fit! Only then will I approve a marriage between you and the Dewitt Bukater girl! Therefore, she is not yours! Not officially anyway."

"She won't ever be mine if Dawson gets his peasant loving hands on her! Father, you have to do something! You have to fix this! I at least deserve a chance, don't I? I saw her first, damn it!"

"Bloody hell...fine. Fine, I'll make a call to the Dawsons. Inform them of the situation that the Dewitt Bukaters have found themselves in. Maybe that will give them pause. But that is all I am willing to do, boy! In the meantime, you are to court Bitsy Stevens! She's from a fine family who has no debts and her father is an old Harvard buddy of mine. She will make an excellent Hockley wife."

"Father..."

"Now get out of my face with this nonsense! I will not be discussing it with you again!"

Not at all satisfied, but having no choice but to accept his father's decision, Cal got up to leave. He really couldn't say why he was so stuck on Rose. Perhaps it was her beauty. Perhaps it was her mind. No, he knew what it was. He hated to lose. If he allowed Jack Dawson to pop up and make off with the girl he had once thought to marry, it would make him the laughing stock amongst their peers! He was not going to have that! He didn't care if Rose hated him or not! Nothing was more important than his reputation.