Chapter 3

The next morning, Cal made sure that he and Rose had breakfast together alone on his promenade deck. He was going to have a long talk with Rose. Let her know that her behavior the night before was unacceptable and how hurt he was by it. He reminded himself that he had to keep his temper. Flying off the handle would only push her away and destroy any progress he had made the night before last.

He stared at her from across the table as she sipped her tea. She was so beautiful, he almost couldn't handle it. All he wanted to do was make her happy. Give her what she wanted and needed, but how could he if she turned to people like Dawson instead of to him?

He sat down his own tea cup and swallowed down his frustration. "I was hoping that you'd come to me last night."

Rose's face gave nothing away. She just looked at him with those wide eyes of hers, not even apologetic. "I was tired."

"Your excursions below decks was no doubt exhausting," There. He let her know that he knew what she had been up to. He hoped that such knowledge would make her feel somewhat guilty enough to open up to him.

Instead, it just seemed to make her even more unapologetic, much to his frustration.

"I see that you had that undertaker of a manservant follow me again. How typical," She took another sip of tea before sitting down the cup.

"You are not to behave like that again, Rose. Do you understand?" She had to understand. Things like that...it just wasn't done in polite society, no matter how much one wanted to let loose and have fun. It just wasn't done and he couldn't have her doing it or people would think that he had no control over his wife and then, who knew how that would affect his business. Many people may believe that he had no control over his business matters either.

She looked down, as if gathering her thoughts. "I am not one of your foremen at the mills that you can command," She then looked up into his eyes. "I'm your fiancee."

"My fiancee. Yes you are. And it is up to me to make sure that all is well in this engagement. But how can I do that when you're off traipsing down below decks with men you've only known for a day?"

"I wasn't traipsing down below decks. I was attending a party and having fun. Fun, Cal. I know that you may not know of such a thing, but..."

"I know about fun," Cal frowned, insulted.

"Really? You call taking a brandy and smoking cigars while discussing business is fun? Or attending those boring cotillions and galas is a real hoot, with all it's gossip and mindless conversations. It's boring classical music. They don't even play anything modern. Can you honestly call any of those things fun? Because I don't. They are boring and depressing to be quite honest. Nothing like the party in steerage last night."

Cal couldn't help but snort. "Sitting around playing poker, drinking that disgusting beer, and skipping around like a child to that vulgar music with a crowd of gutter-rats is fun?"

"They're not gutter-rats, Cal! And yes! It is quite fun! And the dancing is more than skipping around and the music definitely isn't vulgar. It's lively. I am quite sure that there is vulgar music in the world, but the music in steerage last night was not it," Rose sighed and sat back in her chair, certain that he didn't understand what she was saying. He was too entrenched in first class life. Too brainwashed to think that what polite society said was acceptable was fun. In order to change his mind, he would have to experience it himself.

Experience it himself? Why couldn't he? Surely, surrounded by music and laughter and the optimism of the people in steerage, he wouldn't be able to help himself but to have a honest good time. She leaned forward and grabbed his hand, taking him by surprise.

"Cal, come with me!" She grinned, loving the idea of taking her stuffy fiancee to a real party.

"Pardon me?"

"After dinner tonight, instead of your cigars and brandy and patting yourself on the back for being one of the masters of the universe, come with me instead to steerage! Let's go to a real party! See for yourself what I'm trying to say. I think that's the only way you'll understand it."

Cal stared at her in disbelief. Was she serious? Did she really think that he'd lower himself to go down there among the peasants and be one of them for a few hours, just to see her point of view? He looked at her closely, seeing the hope in her eyes...the willingness to give him this chance to be the one that made her happy, smile, and laugh like Dawson had.

Oh Bloody hell...

"Alright. I will go down to steerage with you and see what the big deal is. I assure you, I will not enjoy it."

"If you don't enjoy it, I will never go again and will do something you enjoy doing when we reach Philadelphia," Rose promised, feeling that she ought to offer something, since he was willing to do this one thing for her.

"You think my life is boring. Now why would you ever do that?"

"That is how sure I am that you will have fun tonight."

…..

The rest of the day passed quickly. They went on the tour of the ship, given by Mr. Andrews, who seemed rather taken with Rose, much to Cal's pleasure. It pleased him for people to know just how intelligent his fiancee was, that she wasn't just a pretty face. Then Rose had tea with her mother while he talked business with JJ Astor. Afterwards, he collected Rose and they took a walk along the deck before returning to their room to change for dinner.

Now that the interesting Mr. Dawson was not dining with them, dinner was a boring affair. Cal listened as his fellow gentlemen talked about all they had experienced on the new ship, from the gymnasium, to the turkish baths. Rose listened to the gossip of her mother and her friends. The only enjoyment she had was when Molly again regaled them with her tales how she adjusted to the privileged class after striking gold. She was such an interesting character and Rose idolized her. If only she could do all that Molly had accomplished.

Finally, dinner was over and the men were getting ready to disappear into the smoking room for brandy and cigars, leaving the women to their gossip.

"Are you joining us, Hockley?" Benjamin Guggenheim asked, probably looking forward to talking more about the supreme court decision regarding Rockefeller.

"Not tonight, gentlemen. I'll be escorting my fiancee back to our room and then turning in for the evening," Cal lied. He did not want his fellow gentlemen to know where he was really going.

"Oh. Of course," Guggenheim nodded, as if he had expected nothing else.

Cal got up from his seat and held the back of Rose's chair, signaling to her that he was ready to go. "Sweetpea?"

"Coming, darling. Mother? I will see you in the morning," Rose leaned down and kissed her mother before taking Cal's arm and being lead out of the room.

"Which way to steerage?" Cal lowered his voice so no one could hear.

"Let's return to our rooms first. I want to get changed into something more comfortable," Rose whispered.

"As you wish," Cal nodded, leading the way back to the suites, which were now deserted.

It didn't take Rose too long to get ready. Cal knew that he probably should change, but he always felt comfortable in a tux and didn't feel the need to change. He wanted everyone down in steerage to know that there was royalty in their midst. Rose came out wearing the dress she had brought in Paris. It was lavendar and had a pink sash and showed off her gorgeous neck. Her hair fell free down her back and shoulders in fiery curls.

"I'm ready," She smiled, taking his arm once again. "Don't you want to change into something other than a tux?"

"I am comfortable the way I am," Cal reassured her. Rose just shrugged in response. She wasn't about to argue with him. "Lead the way."

…..

Again, the third class general room was set up for a party. Rose and Cal found a spot at the table with the Irishman known as Tommy and Jack's friend Fabrizio. Jack was nowhere to be found it seemed. Fabrizio had the idea that he was up on decks again, catching a smoke or drawing something that had caught his interest. Cal didn't care where Dawson had gotten off to, but Rose seemed to be disappointed. The two seemed to be on friendly terms still. Cal didn't know how he felt about that. He had always been told that men and women could not be friends. But was that really true? His father and Ruth got on well and he knew for a fact that there was no romantic feelings between the two. Maybe it was possible. Maybe Dawson really wasn't someone he had to worry about.

The music stopped and Rose stood from her seat, holding her hand out to Cal, her smile bright and happy. "Let's dance, Cal!"

"What?" She could not be serious. He didn't know how to do an Irish jig. The most he could muster was a foxtrot.

Rose laughed a beautiful carefree laugh that Cal had never heard from her before. She grabbed both of his hands and pulled him out of his chair. "Let's dance!"

"I don't know the steps," Cal frowned as Rose positioned his hands, one at the small of her back and the other holding her hand in his.

"Just go with it! Don't think!" She grinned, her feet beginning to move, giving him no choice but to follow her lead, much to the amusement of the men in the room.

Ordinarily, Cal would be outraged by this, but amazingly, he didn't care. He was having too much fun, skipping around the room to time of the music with his beautiful fiancee in his arms. Who cared that she was leading. Who cared that the other men were laughing. All that mattered was that Rose was in his arms, she was laughing, and it was not because of Dawson or any other man. It was because of him.

As the music ended, they came to a standstill laughing and sweating. He looked around and saw that Dawson had arrived and looked amused at the sight of Rose leading her stuffy fiancee around the dance floor. He looked towards the stairs and saw Lovejoy watching them in disapproval. Cal reminded himself to have the man fired. He really didn't like being spied on. It was annoying and now knew why Rose had been so displeased.

"Are you thirsty?" Rose asked, not moving from the circle of his arms. In fact, she seemed to be leaning into them, pressing her chest against his.

Cal swallowed, realizing that his throat was indeed dry. "Um...yes..."

Rose smiled and took his hand and pulled him back over to the table where their seats had been taken. She grabbed two full glasses of beer and held one out to him. "It's disgusting, but it's refreshing."

Cal took a gulp and grimaced at the taste, but the bitterness was forgotten as he watched his fiancee down hers in one gulp.

"I see that I'm not the only one shocked that a first class girl can drink," Jack laughed.

"That's quite some woman you have there, boy-o. I'd say she has some Irish in her," Tommy grinned.

Cal found himself smiling. He didn't know if it was the adrenaline, the beer, or just Rose herself, but he felt a sort of comradeship with these men. Any other day, he'd be annoyed by their meer presence. But tonight, they were fellow passengers, celebrating their luck at getting to travel on this magnificent ship.

For the next hour, Cal and Rose stayed in steerage, dancing, drinking, and talking. Making friends. It was nearing 11:40 when they both decided to leave and start the walk back to first class, leaving the party in steerage behind them.

"Row row row your boat, gently down the stream! Merrily merrily merrily, life is but a dream!" Rose and Cal sang together as they came to a stop just outside of first class entrance.

Rose stopped and grinned at Cal, her hand still clinging to his. "Did you have fun?"

Cal rolled his eyes and gave a little chuckle. "Okay. You win. That was the best time I've had in years."

"I told you," She giggled, wrapping her arms around his waist. She sighed, not able to believe how content she felt. Was this her life? Was this man, who had kicked up his heels and let loose tonight, was this really Cal? She had seen a side to him tonight that she had found quiet attractive and exciting. "I saw a side of you tonight that I didn't know existed."

"I can have fun too."

"Well, I know that now," Rose giggled, then turned serious. "But I didn't before. It makes me feel better. About you...about us."

"Really?"

Rose nodded, leaning in closer. "Cal...I'll admit...I didn't want to marry you at first. But now...seeing this side of you...it makes me happy to know that I am marrying you."

"I only want to make you happy, Rose. I love you."

Rose smiled, her eyes sparkling in the starlight. "I..."

She didn't get to finish that sentence. Suddenly the boat was shaking and a huge mountain of ice came out of nowhere, spilling chunks of itself onto the deck. Cal pulled Rose back in order to keep any of it from hitting her.

"What the hell...?" Cal stared, as the mountain of ice disappeared into the night.