I kept out of Cal's way for the most part of the morning, choosing to run errands outside of the suite, rather than remain there. I noticed that he was getting more and more agitated every time I re-entered the room and Mr Lovejoy kept shooting him dark looks.
I was on my way back to the suite, with plenty of time to take Mr Lovejoy and Cal down to lunch, when a noise from their suite made me stop dead. It was the unmistakeable sound, of crying. And it wasn't quiet, contained crying either, but harsh sobbing. I poked an eye through the keyhole, which didn't reveal much. However, as I altered my position, it felt like an ice cube had slipped down into my stomach as I realised it was Cal who was crying.
His head was in his hands, his body shaking with his sobs. It was not a pleasant sight, and I felt like I was intruding on something I shouldn't be; it was all so wrong seeing Cal this way.
"And what might someone like you be finding so interesting behind Mr Hockley's keyhole?" Came a voice that made me start, and stumble away from the door. I whipped round to see possibly my least favourite person in the world right now; Lady Horsaw.
"Oh!" I said, nervously "I was just, err, looking for, um..." I trailed off, realising I didn't really have an excuse.
"I know exactly what you were looking for" she hissed "And let me tell you, girl, that if I catch you laying eyes on my fiancée again, I'll make you wish you'd never been born. Understand?"
"Of course, yes!" But then something registered in my head. "Wait" I said "Your fiancée? Cal isn't marrying you!"
Lady Horsaw gave me a slide smile "What, you think he's going to marry you? Get real, child, this is reality, of course Caledon will marry me, it will ensure his survival as a respectable man. And, whilst we're on the subject, as soon as the marriage is done, you and your scrawny brat of a brother will be dismissed faster than you can say, I do"
She glared menacingly down at me, and I opened my mouth to retaliate, when I suddenly found the door pulled out from behind me, and I toppled into the room. I closed my eyes, ready for the crash as I hit the ground, but it never came. Instead I found strong arms catch me, moments before I hit the floor.
I opened my eyes, and found myself staring into the face of Cal. His eyes looked a little red, though there was a look of mild surprise and humour on his face. I hurriedly stood up, suddenly feeling extremely hot and flustered. Without looking him in the eye, I stammered out an apology.
Cal, looking slightly amused, looked past me and saw Lady Horsaw, her hat filling the entire doorframe.
"May I ask" he said, eventually "What two fine ladies, such as yourselves were doing hanging around outside my suite door?"
I looked at Lady Horsaw, and could see she was furious as me having been called a fine lady. I couldn't help but smirk. I wondered briefly is she was going to do me in for looking through the keyhole. But I decided that I didn't really care if she did.
But, instead, she gave a high pitched laugh, that I was sure only dogs could hear, and swept towards Cal.
"Oh, Caledon, darling, I was just passing, and I happened to meet your charming servant girl in the corridor" she said, putting extra emphasis on the word "servant girl".
"So we just decided to have a pleasant little chat? Isn't that right, Susie?" she said, in a completely false sickly sweet voice.
"Scarlett" said Cal.
"What?" said Lady Horsaw, in the same voice.
"Scarlett" repeated Cal "Her name's Scarlett."
"Oh!" said Lady Horsaw, giggling stupidly again, but this time there was slight look of annoyance in her eyes "Of course! Of course! Scarlett, wonderful!"
And then to my upmost horror, she placed an arm draped in expensive lace and silk over my shoulders and pulled me close to her. I tried to wriggle free, but she had an annoyingly tight grip on me.
"Such a wonderful girl" she said.
Cal's eyes flickered from my face of bewildered disgust to Lady Horsaw's false, beaming one. He raised an eyebrow.
"Indeed" he said.
He turned away and I used the chance to step smartly away from Lady Horsaw. She gratefully lowered her arm, and then looked at it as if she had contracted some sort of horrible disease. She bustled forwards to Cal.
"Well, anyway" she said, importantly "I have an invitation for you, that I am sure you will accept!" Cal looked unconvinced, though Lady Horsaw continued, oblivious. "I am holding dinner tonight in the Dining Saloon, and some very important people are going to be there. It's only for the best, none of that," she turned pointedly to look at me "riff-raff." She shot me a dark look before saying brightly "So, I'll be seeing you at seven?"
"No" Cal's response was short, and even I was surprised at his bluntness. So, apparently, was Lady Horsaw.
"What?" she said, incredulously.
"I said, no. I've got very important things to do tonight. I cannot afford to waste time sipping champagne with the John Jacob Astor's."
Lady Horsaw gave a nervous laugh, but leaned in closer to talk in hushed tones to Cal, so that I couldn't hear. I was just thinking about making a sharp exit when Cal's voice exploded from the other side of the room.
"No!" he said, loudly "I will not! It is most important that I remain in tonight, I have spent far too much time socialising when I should have been working, I have my business to think of!"
Lady Horsaw muttered something non-descript.
"Yes!" said Cal, angrily "Marrying you would ensure the business' survival, but it is a shame that marrying you is the last thing I want to do!"
I felt bemused and nervous as I looked from one angry face to another. I wondered what had given Cal this new found anger, and ability to stand up to Lady Horsaw. Thankfully, there was a knock at the door. Pleased for the distraction, I sped over to get it.
I opened the door, and was surprised to see the young porter who had greeted me on the first day. But I was sad to see his toothy grin was nowhere to be seen.
"Terribly sorry, Miss, but we have to bring this young miscreant to your attention. He's been trying to sneak onto first class, he has, claims he knows you fine people."
And with that the porter reached behind and dragged forward a second porter, who, to my dismay was holding a struggling Jack.
"Scarlett!" he said when he saw me "I wasn't, I swear, I just had to see you, I..." he trailed off as Cal made an appearance in the doorway.
"What seems to be the problem here?" he said in his familiar, smooth manner, having calmed down from seconds before. Then he properly focused on Jack. "Dawson?" he said.
"Oh, so you know this man, Mr Hockley?" said the porter, suddenly sheepish. "Only he was requesting an appearance with a Miss Scarlett Monty, that'll be you Madam?" he said to Lady Horsaw, who had suddenly decided to appear at my shoulder.
"Absolutely not!" she exclaimed, as though the idea of being me repulsed her.
"I'm Scarlett" I said " And yes, we do no Mr Dawson here, he dined with us yesterday, didn't he Cal-uh, Mr Hockley, sir?" I added, hastily.
But Cal was looking from my face of eagerness to Jack's face of guilt, before saying, slowly.
"Good sir" he said, addressing the porter "Kindly escort Mr Dawson here back to steerage and see that he stays there." He tucked a few notes into the porter's pocket, and his toothy grin was restored.
"Right away, Sir, it will be our pleasures to do such duties for you, you will not be seeing this man again!"
"Wait, no!" I said, as Jack struggled to get free "Stop, don't!" But the porters were already dragging Jack out the room and down the corridor.
I turned to Cal immediately. "What did you do that for?" I demanded, forgetting all mannerisms.
"Young lady" snapped Lady Horsaw "Remember who you are talking to! As I was saying, Cal, children have no respect for their elders..." She went off on another of her rants about "young people of today"
"What did you do that for?" I said again "He wasn't doing anything wrong!"
I saw a look in Cal's eyes, though I wasn't sure exactly what it was. It was sort of mingled hurt and confusion.
"Mr Dawson holds a third class ticket and is therefore not allowed to set foot on any other part of the ship, I-"
"You let him on yesterday!" I said
"Yesterday, Mr Dawson was here by invitation. Today, however..."
"Well, how about I invite him then? I could-"
"No" said Cal, shortly "Now, I shall hear no more talk of Mr Jack Dawson." He turned away as if that settled it.
I muttered something under my breath about how Jack was better than Cal would ever be, and was just pondering over going to see Jack that evening, when Cal whipped back round.
"Oh, and Scarlett, I have a job for you this evening, you and your brother. Kindly report to my room as seven."
I glowered, but nodded, before Cal turned back to Lady Horsaw, presumably to continue their discussion from earlier. I took this as my cue to leave, and darted from the room.