The Point of No Return

Chapter 3

I was on my way down to see Tommy again the next morning when I ran into Rose. She seemed to be headed for the same place I was.

"Emma," she looked shock when I came up beside her. "What are you doing out here?"

"I'm on my way to see . . . a friend." I raised an eyebrow at her. "What are you doing?"

She hesitated a moment before simply saying, "The same as you. Looking for a friend."

"Did you go off to see this friend when you left dinner so suddenly last night?" I smirked as thoughts of scandal popped into my head. "Rose, I'm proud of you." I nudged her teasingly.

"Oh, no, it's nothing like that, Emma," she blushed when she caught on to what I was thinking. "I almost . . . almost had a bad accident last night while I was on deck taking in the fresh air. Mr. Dawson came along and helped me."

"Oh, Rose, always getting in trouble." I shook my head at her and grinned.

"Like you're one to talk," she gave me a look. "Don't think I didn't notice Cal's handiwork on your face." We had just reached the gate down to the third class deck and my hand immediately went to cover the bruise my brother had left. I had forgotten about it when I dressed this morning and didn't bother with make-up. I didn't want Tommy to see it.

Rose sighed and pulled me a few steps away from the gate so she could try to figure something out. After looking at me for a moment, she pulled some of the pins out of my hair, allowing it to flow down and then arranged it so that most of the bruise was disguised, if not really hidden – well, I assume that's what it did, I didn't have a mirror to check.

I swallowed around the lump in my throat and smiled at her. "Why did I have to be Cal's sister? I'd much rather be related to you."

"You will be soon," she replied, a deep sadness in her voice.

"So, this Mr. Dawson," I started, wanting to get her on a happier subject. "Would it happen to be a Mr. Jack Dawson?"

She turned to me with wide eyes as we once again reached the gate. "You've met him?"

"Yesterday after we excused ourselves from lunch. I met him, Fabrizio de Rossi, and Tommy Ryan when I came down here yesterday. . ."

My voice faded out as we descended down the stairs and made our way into the third class' General Room. A hush fell over everyone present. Eyes followed the pair of us as we spotted who we were looking for. I felt even more self-conscious than when I had first arrived the afternoon before. There were so many more people in here than there had been out on the deck the previous afternoon. And they were all staring at us, the two strangers coming down from the first class.

"Mr. Dawson," Rose addressed Jack, her voice was tense.

"Hello again," Jack nodded, obviously surprised by her arrival.

"May I speak to you in private?"

Jack agreed and the two left together. I grabbed the seat Jack had left and smiled at Tommy. "Good morning."

"Good morning to you, Miss Emma," he replied, grinning.

"Oh, you're so formal," I groaned and rolled my eyes, but the grin stayed on my face.

"My deepest apologies, Emma," he replied. Then, much to my embarrassment, he stood and made a show of bowing. When he straightened up again, he saw the deep shade of red on my face and laughed at me. "So how was dinner with the high an' mighty first class?" he asked once he was done laughing.

I just groaned again and shook my head. "I spent the entire time wishing I had stayed down here and eaten with you. You are much better company," I told him as he sat down beside me. I reached up and grabbed the cigarette he held between his lips and took a drag of it.

"Am I that special, lass?" That contagious grin was back on his face and I couldn't resist smiling myself.

I blew the smoke out of my mouth before turning my face up to his. "Of course you are, darling," I imitated the posh accents of the other society ladies I so often had to dine with. And then, like I had the day before, I leaned up and kissed his cheek quickly. The life had seeped back into the people around us and hardly anyone was paying attention to what we were doing.

"Well, you could always have dinner with me tonight, that is as long as you don't mind eating with this whole lot," he gestured to the room around us.

"You already know I don't mind. I like the people here," I said. This was followed shortly by a laugh as two children ran by us, screaming with joy as they played some kind of game. It was an older red-haired girl running from a younger dark-haired boy. I assumed they were siblings, the way he ruthlessly pursued her. Not giving up until he was able to jump and tackle her to the floor, both giggling before getting up and starting around again, this time the boy running from his sister.

When I laughed I must have moved my head the wrong way because the next thing I knew he had once hand holding my chin and the other one was moving my hair out of the way. "Who did this to you?" he asked. It was like someone had flipped a switch in him. His smile was gone and his eyes were filled with rage as he examined my cheek.

"No one, it's nothing," I answered too fast. He brushed his fingers down over it, making me wince.

"It's not nothing, lass. Tell me who hit you." He was still angry, but there was a tone of pleading to his voice. He let go of his grip on my chin and moved that hand so it was cupping my other cheek before turning my head so that I was facing him.

"You really do care," I said, more to myself then to him. I just couldn't comprehend the genuine concern in his eyes. No man had ever looked at me that way before.

"That I do, Emma. So please, tell me what happened."

"Cal . . . my brother. He was angry with me for disappearing after lunch yesterday. But really, Tommy, it's nothing. I have had far worse than this, growing up with Cal." I tried to flash a reassuring smile, but I could tell he wasn't going to back down. There was a look in his eyes like he wanted to fight.

"Well, brother or no brother, he shouldn't be hittin' a lady. Especially not you." He stood up and looked around as if trying to decide on a plan of action.

"No, Tommy, please," I stood in front of him and placed my hand on his chest. "If you do something drastic you could get yourself in trouble and I won't be able to see you anymore." This time I was the one pleading. "Please," I repeated.

He looked torn for a moment and then sighed. "Alright. But if I happen across him later, I can't make you any promises that I won't hit him."

"I don't know that I would be too upset over that," I laughed as we sat back down. "I just don't want you to go looking for trouble. Then he would make sure it was impossible for me to come down here again."

He just grinned at me. "Well there's a simple solution to that. I would just have to go up there looking for you."

"If you do that, how do you ever expect to get rid of me?" I said, teasingly.

"Who said I wanted to get rid of you?" Then he did it again. As soon as that smile was on his face I couldn't help but return it.

Hello my pretties!

Here is chapter three for you, I certainly hope you enjoyed reading it! And if any of you are readers of my other story, Mr. Darcy, I just want to let you know that an update for that one will be coming soon, I'm just waiting for a response from my beta reader. And as for this story, things will be getting more exciting soon. For next chapter expect to see the party below decks and a step up for Tommy and Emma. And then things will only be getting more exciting from there!

Until then,

Meagan