Muffled voices of Jack and Christian Shepherd where booming through out the hallway. Juliet, Sarah, and many of the maids including Ana where trying to decipher what the two gentlemen where arguing about. All the woman could gather was that both of them where very unhappy with whatever they were discussing.
On normal circumstances these women of different social classes would rather be dead than working together, but oddly enough the drama of what was going on between their Master and his father had brought them together in the hallway, making them equal in the moment no matter how short lived the moment maybe.
" I think Master just said he would rather pie." Spoke one of the younger maids who was no older than fourteen.
"Maybe he meant that he wanted to eat some pie." Added Sarah trying to figure it out, just as much as the younger maid.
"No you idiots, what he said was that he would rather die," stated Ana, causing all the woman to chuckle and then quickly become silent again so that they would not miss another chance to understand what exactly was going on behind those walls.
However, there was one woman amongst them that knew exactly what the two men where disputing.
Juliet stood a few steps aback from the group that was huddled around the door. She remained silent through out the whole ordeal and her heart was pounding so fast and hard that she felt it was about to burst right out of her chest and on to the floor.
She knew that Sawyer had gone through with stealing the company right under Shepherd Shipping's noses. Jack had come home one day in a horrible mood and when she asked why he refused to tell her, but soon after a little prying on her part Jack had told her everything that Sawyer and Ben Linus had done. That was phase one complete.
After that she would just have to sit back and have faith in Sawyer to follow through with phase two. Juliet hated relying on someone else to do her dirty work, but there was no getting around it she needed another for her plan to work. Sawyer was perfect for it. She knew that he was in love with her, but that still did not mean he would carry out her commands. Depending on what action he took would be what they were fighting about through the walls.
There were three scenarios that could be playing out.
One Sawyer did everything that she Jack and Christian where fighting about what to do with that farmer girl.
Two he had not talked to Christian at all. Thus Jack and Christian were only simply fighting about how Jack failed the company and allowed a business deal to be stolen from him.
Thirdly which in her mind was the worst scenario of all, Sawyer had told Christian everything that she had done and she was the true trader. They were disputing about what to do about her future.
Beads of sweat were beginning to form on her brow. The normally calm and collect woman was panicking. If it turned out that Sawyer had told on her she did not know how she was going to cope. Never having to work a day in life she would be completely useless and all alone out in the world. Possibly being forced to work the streets just to put food on the table, "God what have I done to myself", thought Juliet.
" Son what did I tell you when you first brought that girl into your home? I told you either to put her back where she came from or make her a servant girl. Then I also informed you that you would live to regret making that farmer girl your wife! Look where we are now, dealing with a trader!"
Jack had his back to his father for the past thirty minutes he had been silently listening to his father explain to him what a failure and disappointment he was. Then after that rant he moved on to the new found information he had heard at the bar the other night. About how his new wife had given Sawyer all the information about the company that he was suppose to work with. Once his father started using the words little slut or bitch Jack stopped listening to his father speak.
Shock was the first emotion that clouded his mind. How could his precious Kate do this to him. He trusted and loved her. Was she trying to get back at me for Ana, try as he might Jack could not wrap his mind around why Kate would do this to him.
Jack came out of his thoughts just in time to hear his father's latest assault. "You must banish that inferior wife of yours and her daughter. That way we can forget this whole mess and go on with our lives as if she never was."
Jack finally broke his silence, "What? No father I would rather die than send Kate and my daughter to the streets! How do we even know that she really did what you say? I never once talked to her about my business or my business plans."
" Tell me son, where does she sleep and spend most of her time?"
" My room."
" Where is your home office connect to?"
"My room."
"Exactly son! That whore went in your office behind your back got the information and handed it over to your rivals! This woman has no respect for you or your company and I don't see why you should have any respect for her."
"I don't care what she has done to me. I could not sleep at night knowing that Kate would be on the streets probably being raped and god knows what would happen to my little girl."
" What are you going to do son, cause I refuse to just sit back and watch her get away with what she has done! If you won't do anything about it then I will!"
Think Jack, come on the old man is going to toss them out on the streets or god he would probably sell Kate into prostitution and try to make some money off her. Come on you have to think of something, then it hit him what he must do, before his Father took charge.
Jack hated what he was about to say, but Kate had left him no choice in the manner. "I will make her apart of the servants. That way she can work off the debt that she owes me. I will have her moved into the servant quarters at once." Jack also thought to himself at least this way I know that they will be fed and a roof over their heads. Kate won't have to work the streets.
"Very well son, if you will not banish her I accept this as a proper punishment, but in my opinion she should have been a servant girl all along."
"You may go now Father, I will take care of things here."
"Like hell I am! I'm going to make sure that your pathetic accuse of a wife knows what her punishment and place is and I want to make sure that she is taken out of this house and into the servant living area at once."
Meanwhile, downstairs Kate and Gracie sat by the fireplace, while Rose was washing clothes by hand and humming a lullaby to the girls. The room had a warm glow that the fire was causing now that the sun had disappeared .They felt safely hided away from the bitter cold that was just outside. Every now and then the wind would howl shaking the windows and even though it was just the wind Kate would still hold on to Gracie a little tighter as if it could blow right through the room taking her daughter away from her.
The lullaby that Rose was humming was one that her mother use to sing to her when she was a child. She watched as the sweet sounds not only put the baby to sleep, but Kate as well.
Rose did not have any children of her own. She never did get married being a servant girl since the age of eight a life that involved such things as a husband, children or a home of your own was never in a servant girl's fate.
These past couple of months she found herself showing Kate family recipes or telling her childhood stories that her father had told her or singing her mother's lullaby to Kate and Gracie.
Rose had raised all of Master Shepherd's children and through out all these years she never once sang them her mother's lullaby or told them her father's tall tales. Maybe it was because deep down she knew that they were never her own children and her only objective was to clean and feed them. Really that was all that she was allowed to do. With Master Shepherd it was always about how much of his attention she could she earn. It really had nothing to do with what a real family was about and that was love.
As she looked upon the two girls with milk colored skin and chocolate curls with eyes of green. Rose felt as if they were closest thing she had to children of her own. She felt such a stronger purpose than to just feed or clean Gracie. Kate loved Rose's help and input when it came to Gracie.
Rose fondly remembered one morning when her Master had just left for work. Kate and Gracie where still lying in bed both awake just not ready to face the day yet. As Rose enter the room to start cleaning and helping them dress for the day. Kate pulled Rose down on the bed to just be with them in a moment of peace. Then out of now where Kate spoke to Rose.
" I'm so grateful for you Rose. Everyday that you're here with me and Gracie." Kate paused for a moment thinking over how she could truly portray what Rose meant to her.
Then seeming to have a grasp of her thoughts she continued. "Not having my mother here to watch Gracie grow, play or even just telling what I'm doing wrong is very hard, but with you it is if I do have a mother here and Gracie a Grandmother."
" You really are a silly girl." Rose said trying to lighten the seriousness of it all, but tears where already forming in her eyes, she was truly touched.
Rose was taken away from her joyful memory as she heard a huddle of foot steps headed her way.
Jack followed his father as he ran away in search for Kate.
Everything was moving in slow motion and he could barley focus on anything expect for trying to keep up with his father. Jack was so unaware of his surrounding that he did not even realize that there was a group of women behind him running after his father as well.
He saw that his father had finally stopped and Rose was asking him what the hell he thought he was doing. His head maid was trying to force him back.
Then Jack saw her behind Rose. His world was a blur to him everything fuzzy shapes surrounding him. Everything that was, but Kate and Gracie were clearly in focus. Kate appeared to still be in a sleep daze trying to get her bearings on what was happening. He noticed as she became more awake she also became more aware of what was going on, bringing Gracie closer to her chest in a protective mother fashion. He could see in her eyes that she was terrified of what was happening. All he wanted to do, God help him for it, was just go over and hold her tell her that everything was to be ok. That he would protect her.
Instead Jack Shepherd stood still just watching the whole scene go down.
His father was yelling at her calling her a trader and telling her that woman like her should be on the streets. How dare she even have the nerve to show her face in this house hold. Then told her the punishment that was set for her. Jack watched as she just stood still taking in all his father's mean and hateful words just as he was. He wanted to tell his father that was enough, but something inside himself would not let him move or speak.
"So what do you a have to say for your self?" Christian stated in more of an order than a question.
Kate turned her sad eyes to him, "Jack." She was asking him for help as the sharks where about to eat her alive.
"Just answer the question Kate."Jack could not believe the words that where coming out of his mouth, but there still was a large part of him that was mad at her. This part of him was what on the surface for everyone to see. It was the other half that he kept buried deep down.
Kate then looked around the room at Sarah, Juliet and Christian mainly. "It does not matter what I say, because since day one all of you have been trying to get rid of me. The lot of you have already convicted me without any proof. So I will go and live in the servant quarters with my daughter and I will work as a maid. I will go peacefully so I do not need you upsetting my daughter by forcing us there, hell I should have probably been there all along."
Kate then turned to leave the confines of the warm house and make the cold journey to her new home, but then she suddenly stopped and turned facing Jack.
" You know I expected this from them, but not from you Jack. Deep down I know that you are a good man and I just hoped one day that you would be that man. So, the real shame here is you Jack and all I feel is disappoint."
Kate then quickly began to walk away so they could not see the tears that where now streaming down her face. Rose followed after the girl.
Just like that the bitter wind took Kate to a new life.
The frigid winter was making the tears on her face freeze by the time they reached her cheeks. Kate walked with Rose by her side and Gracie tucked away in her arms. Kate was not sure why, but her thoughts went to the willow tree of her youth. How she would lay down below the tree in the warm summer air and watch the wind make it sway back and forth the motion would put her to sleep.
Then she remembered her mother's callous hands that would hold and comfort her.
Jack had not moved from his spot since Kate had left. Staring at the door that Kate had walked through just moments ago.
Juliet then approached her husband grabbing onto his bicep with both her hands.
"Jack that girl was no good, I think it is better if we all just forget about her being your wife and just see her in this new fitting light of being a servant."
Jack had to get out of that room with all those people.
Pulling his arm from Juliet's grasp and Jack then bolted out of there as fast as he could.
He found himself in Kate's favorite room of the whole estate, the library. He was so irate that he was throwing books everywhere. Moving whole rows of books to the ground, smashing them against the wall.
Pages from the books were flying all around him as he came down from his rage. Breathing heavily Jack was brought to his knees and he did something that he had not done since he was ten years of age, he wept.
It was in this moment that he truly realized that he loved Kate more. He knew that he loved her differently than his other wives, but now he knew she meant so much more to him than anyone would ever mean to him.
Sorry guys. I hope that nobody hates me too much.
Let me know what you think! Good or bad.
Trust me I have a plan and it is NOT lets see how much crap I can put Kate through or how much of a jerk Jack can be.
So if you will just stay on the ride hopefully it will be worth it.