Chapter 2

(A/N: I decided to go ahead and continue this since more ideas keep popping up and people seem to really enjoy it and want more. This story will contain their time on Titanic and their life together afterwards.

I'd also like to encourage readers of this story to go read and review The Look In Your Eyes by septemberwaltz. It's a lovely present time story with both Cal/Rose and Jack/Rose. It's a really lovely story and deserves a lot more replies than it gets.)

The next morning, Cal got up feeling like something had changed. He couldn't put his finger on it, but whatever the change was, it was good. He took a hot bath and slipped into his normal everyday clothes, thinking to himself that he was glad to be a man and didn't have to change his clothes six times a day like the women do.

He stepped out into the setting room just to find Ruth coming out of her room as well, dressed for morning breakfast.

"Ruth. Good morning," Cal greeted, not surprised when he felt a wave of anger towards the woman rise up into his chest. This woman. She was the reason behind Rose's depression. She was smoldering Rose. Not letting her grow and breathe and be her own person. It was time that stopped. Now.

"Mr. Hockley," Ruth nodded as Trudy handed her a pair of gloves. "I take it that you are taking breakfast in the Parisian cafe this morning. Trudy, wake my daughter. Tell her we will be dining within the hour."

"Actually Ruth, let Rose sleep a little longer. I believe that it's high time that we had a conversation you and I and Rose does not need to be present for it," Cal quickly intervened. He wanted to lay down the law with Ruth and having Rose there would just put her in the line of fire and make things worse. It was for the best that he confront the older Dewitt Bukater woman alone.

Surprised, Ruth blinked in shock and seemed a bit uncomfortable, probably sensing the seriousness of the situation. "Oh. Well, if that's what you want..."

"It is."

"Very well then. Never mind, Trudy. Let Rose sleep. She can eat on her own when she awakens," Ruth directed, before taking Cal's offered arm.

They walked to the cafe in silence. Cal knew that Ruth had to be wondering what this could be about. It wasn't everyday that he requested an audience alone with her. But Cal gave nothing away. He wanted Ruth relaxed and off guard for this conversation. He wanted to gain the upper hand and keep it. Finally they reached their destination and are seated far enough away from their fellow passengers so that their conversation could be kept private.

"Ruth, I know that you must be wondering why I would want to talk to you without your daughter present," Cal picked up the menu, glancing at the cafe's breakfast offerings.

"I can not deny that I am curious, Mr. Hockley," Ruth unfolded her napkin and placed it in her lap, looking the very picture of a first class lady. So prim and proper like a porcelain doll.

"As you may have noticed, your daughter has been in a rather melancholy mood ever since we had started on our European excursion. It has been quite clear to me that she has been unhappy."

Ruth blinked, taken aback. She had noticed that Rose had been more rebellious of late. Harder to get along with and mold, but she had hoped that had gone unnoticed by Caledon. "Well...I am certain she is just struck with the case of the blues that all of us women sometimes come down with. I am sure that she'll come out of it once we are back home, among familiar surroundings."

"That is not the case at all Ruth. Last night, I had a talk with Rose and she told me exactly what the problem is."

Ruth blinked again. Well, this was getting more interesting. She had never expected Rose to confide in Cal. Maybe this marriage won't be so difficult to pull off after all. "She did? What did she say?"

"It's you, Ruth. The problem is you."

"Pardon me?" Ruth placed a hand on her throat. A flash of hurt flitted across her face but was gone as soon as it came. Her posture seemed to become even straighter than before. She was indeed a cold, frigid woman and worked hard not to reveal any type of emotion that could be used against her.

"It's you. Rose told me that you seem to have taken over the wedding arrangements. She had ordered the bridesmaids gowns, just for you to send them back."

"Well, they were lavender, a detestable color. She had only ordered them to offend me..."

"No, Ruth. She ordered them because she likes the color lavender. Ruth, I am going to be blunt here and I want you to take my words at face value. Forgive me, but it is Rose that I am marrying. Not you. Everything is to be to her liking. If she wants lavender bridesmaids gowns, well then she shall have them. If she wants chocolate wedding cake instead of vanilla, that is her choice to make. You had your wedding, Ruth. Now it is Rose's turn," Cal placed his menu back onto the table. "When we return to Philadelphia, all wedding arrangements are to be turned over to Rose and you are to have nothing to do with them. Do I make myself clear?"

Ruth stared at her future son in law in disbelief. She couldn't believe what was happening. Was he serious? Did he really want her to leave planning the social event of the year in the hands of her rebellious 17 year old daughter? "You cannot be serious..."

"Oh I am very serious. You are to hand over the planning of the wedding to Rose. If you don't, your debts will go unpaid, whether I marry your daughter or not."

Ruth gasped, deeply disturbed by this turn of events. She had thought that she had a ally in Caledon Hockley when it came to controlling Rose and her rebellious tendencies, but obviously she had been wrong. "Very well then. I am out of it."

"Very good. I am glad that we've had this discussion. Rose has been feeling that control of her life has been snatched away her. Perhaps, planning her own wedding will make her feel more in control of things than before and will lift her out of this depression she's been in."

"Well, I hope that you are right, Mr. Hockley and that handing this big responsibility to Rose will not end in disaster," Ruth huffed, feeling offended by having control of her daughter's wedding taken from her, as if she was a child playing with a toy that did not belong to her.

"I am sure that the wedding will be spectacular," Cal smiled charmingly as a waiter arrived to take their order.

…..

Cal was not happy. Dinner had been a disaster, for him anyway. His fiancee's rescuer, Mr. Jack Dawson from the third class, had been a hit with their group. He had somehow acquired a suit from someone and had shown up looking almost like a gentleman. A very handsome and charming gentleman that had not only Rose's but every young lady under the age of twenty's attention the whole night. The bully in Cal, a part that he often used to get what he wanted out of business deals and mergers, had hoped that Dawson would show up, be made a fool of and shown back to his place in third class and stay there, never even daring to look at Rose again. Instead, the gutter-rat charmed not only Rose, but their group with talk of luck and making it count. He was a big hit.

But that had not been what had angered him.

His manservant Spicer Lovejoy had just reported to him that Rose was below decks with Jack Dawson. The peasant had taken her to a steerage party where Rose had laughed and danced and behaved in ways she had never behaved with him. She had seemed...happy. It hurt to know that it wasn't him that caused her to smile, to dance, to enjoy life. That it had been someone else. Someone that couldn't give her all that he could.

What did the girl want? He gave her jewelry. He had given her control of their wedding. What else did he need to do to gain Rose's love?!

Well, her behavior could not be tolerated. If it got out that his fiancee was behaving in such a manner, well he'd be the laughing stock of society! He couldn't allow that to happen! He was going to have to have a long conversation with Rose! Set down the law and tell her how it was going to be!

She was his wife by practice if not by law and she would...

Cal sighed, cutting off his own thought. His wife by practice if not by law and she would honor him the way a wife is required to honor a husband. That was where his thought was going. It was a line that his own father had told him when advising him about his place as a husband. Somehow, he knew the advice was bad and it would turn Rose against him even more.

No, he could not be heavy handed and behave like his father in this situation. His father's way worked with his mother, but it would not work on a woman like Rose. Last night, Rose opened up to him because he was gentle and sincere. He needed to be that again. Let her know that he wanted to be the one to make her smile and have fun. Any other way, he would lose her for sure...he may even lose her to that gutter-rat Dawson! He could not let that happen.