Titanic - The Heart Goes On By HL Griffiths

(Sequel to The Heart Never Lies)

Chapter Twelve– The Past Returns

Mid October 1912

Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin

Gerard

Jack came back down the stairs after a while. He was quiet.

"Rose has dropped off" he said rubbing his forehead "God I am tired"

Aunty said to me "Gerard will be staying tonight Jack" Jack nodded impassively.

Aunty passed me a second cup of tea and gave one to Jack, we all sat down. William excused himself saying he was going to check on the outbuildings.

"Where do we start?" Jack said "I can't believe you are that scum's brother"

"Half brother, very different from me" I said "We have the same Father but my mother Sylvie Dubois is Nathan Hockley's 2nd wife, I am more like her"

Jack watched with his blue eyes twinkling with interest. Auntie's eyes were inscrutable. Both were tense. Jack drummed his fingers on the table.

"Your mother, is she a nice woman?" Aunty enquired

"She is French" I said "Very French, passionate and demanding, but she has a shrewd head on her shoulders" I paused.

Should I tell the truth of our fractured family, hidden beneath decorum and etiquette?

I breathed deeply "She needs to be strong to be married to my Father, he is a very difficult man to live with he is all supreme and commands his world with efficiency and control, I am ashamed to say. Anyone who gets in his way woe betide them" Anger creeping in my voice.

Jack and Janette exchanged knowing looks.

"I was spared the worst of his rages and ruthlessness as my mother stands between us, I try very hard to be the quiet dutiful son and please him. The fact that he adores my mother makes it easier for me."

"It can't have been easy despite all your trappings of wealth" Jack said, he rested his head on his elbows and listened to me intently.

I continued "It's all about the money and the social standing and the powerful name of the Hockley's. Father expects so much, especially from me but even more so from Caledon"

Jack winced as I said Caledon's name and then drank some tea slowly.

"Cal being the older son has high expectations on his shoulders. He is so like Father they clash so much. Strange that as a child I pitied him, Father molding him to be in his image, no mother to shield him from the brutality of my Father" My mouth twitched with an emotion I could not control.

"I am being candid here" I said softly "Father was vile to Cal. He would beat him with his belt and my mother would stand by and let him. My Mother never liked Cal. She said he hated her from the first day they met as a young child. What can it do for a mans soul and heart when you are whipped like a dog and lashed with harsh words and groomed to be the Hockley heir from a young age and your step mamma hates you and doesn't love you. But Cal is not easy to love..." my voice trailed off. There was silence in the room.

"Poor child" Aunty said and wiped a tear from her eye "Who has grown up to be a cold hearted monster, Jack told us his actions on the Titanic"

Jack who had been quiet spoke up then and told me plainly about Cal and the way he had treated him and Rose on the ship, then he told me of the revelations of Ruth Dewitt Bukater and the fact that my father had ruined the family all in a bid to make way for Cal to marry Rose.

I was appalled...

My cheeks burned "I am nothing like them" I said "I may be a Hockley with everything I could ask for but I try and be a gentleman, Cal and Father have really surpassed themselves"

Jacks smile dropped "I hate to tell you this, Gerard, but it gets worse"

"Oh" I said, wondering how the hell it could get worse. My heart rate increased as Jack started to speak.

"You seem like a decent Guy" Jack said "I will tell you something that must be kept secret. I have only just found this out myself. Aunty gets the photo!"

Aunty went to a drawer in the kitchen cabinet and returned with a dog eared photo and handed it to me

Jack

Gerard stared at the photo in confusion and looked at me with big brown puzzled eyes... It was painful having to fill this nice young man in on his family's misdeeds but it had to be done. How he and Cal had the same Father was mind boggling. I could hardly take it in myself. It was all too much for Rose to handle. How Aunty has keep the news for years I did not know.

"I don't understand" he said in his refined voice.

"Two girls" I said "Two sisters, brought up to be society young ladies from a 1st class home. Both expected to marry well, both would have large dowries and their future husbands picked for them by their wealthy Ruthless father""

Gerard looked even more baffled. "What have they got to with us" he asked.

"The elder one, the pretty one all smiles there, is married off young to a very rich high society husband and it's not a happy match. The younger girl sees all this and knows they are plotting the same fate for her. She falls in love with a young man she meets at a country fair who is a poor farmer and runs away him and defies her family. They disown her!"

I paused for breath.

Gerard commented "Its sounds like bad novel" I smiled faintly

"Yes I know it does, but it is all true. The younger sister was called Hope and she is my mother, Hope Dawson"

He looked at the image of my mother as a rich upper-class girl and around at the farm house and all its simplicity.

"Jacks Mother and father were poor but happy" Aunty interrupted "Jacks mother was always a lady even living here amongst all these common folk" she laughed.

Gerard stared at me aghast.

"The most shocking part my dear Gerard is still to come" I drawled putting on a fake snobby accent

I stopped then continued in a normal sober voice "The sisters were Tremaines of Boston. And the elder sister you see in the picture became Mrs Demelza Tremaine Hockley!"

There was silence in the room. Gerard was struggling to digest the news, his face was grey. I helped him along.

"Yep that's right, Dear Cal and I are cousins as our mothers were sisters, and you are I Gerard are step cousins. Small world isn't it? Its done Roses head in I can tell you"

"Demelza Hockley is Cals mother?" Gerard said surprised speaking at last.

"She died when he was nine. My Father never speaks of her except with distaste. This is all strange!" He was staring at the photo in amazement "She would have been my step mamma!"

Aunty put her cup down. "It would have broken Demelza's heart to know what her son is" she said her voice shaking.

"I never met her but Hope always talked about her as a gentle soul who loved flowers and animals and was kind and sweet. She did not deserve to be married to Hockley. She was blessed with artistic ability and would spend hours in the meadows, she and Hope painting flowers and things. Both were very good at drawing"

Aunties' voice turned to pride "Our Jack can draw too"

Gerard laughed suddenly "Well I don't think Cal can draw zilch". He handed the photo back to Aunty "That's so sad about Demelza" he said sweetly.

I brought my portfolio over and showed him some of my drawings and told him of the exhibition and my plans. I liked this step cousin of mine; he was a genuine caring guy.

Gerard then told us of Emily and how he was going to be married soon and that he loved her and was fortunate that she was money too so his Father approved. As he spoke of her his face lit up.

"I am going to take Rose to Lake Wisotta tomorrow, get her out the way and get some fresh air into her, shes so pale. Besides" I grinned "I can catch up on some drawing and Cal will never track us down there. Do you want to come?"

Gerard nodded and smiled broadly. "I would like that, we can talk more"

William walked back in then and said we should take watches with the shotgun in case of any unwanted visitors. I said I would take 1st watch. Aunty shooed William and Gerard upstairs to get some sleep.

Left alone sitting in front of the fire, Uneasiness sat on me. I would happily put a bullet through Cal if he came within hundred yards of Rose and me. At least Gerard was on our side and was an ally