Jack's couldn't help but stare at the picture in front of him.
"She's beautiful, right?"
He turned his head. Ella was standing near him. He hadn't heard her coming. Jack laughed lethargically.
The necklace…her necklace it had drawn her to him…
"I wonder, who she is…," Ella spoke up watching the portrait closer. "Mrs. Meredith Thompson…," she read the description underneath.
Jack simply nodded his head. He didn't care at all about any woman at the moment.
I've wasted far too much time already. I got to take care of Fabrizio…got to find that stupid diamond.
Ella was standing beside him, her gaze moving from the lady to him. Somehow she sensed that his thoughts were miles away.
Caledon Hockley meant what he said.
"It's already five days…," he choked out only afterwards noticing that Ella was there and how he had spoken out aloud.
Confused she looked at him, her eyes showing her bewilderment. This Mr. Dawson was such a mystery to her. If she could she would marry him instead of that stupid boring Mr. Lindsay. A man like him she would find every day, but not Mr. Jack Dawson…surely he must've been in some kind of adventure…with a shadowy past…
"What are you talking about?" she asked him not really expecting an answer.
Jack didn't want to answer; he was feeling uncomfortable and fixated his look on the picture. Maybe she would go away.
Bring me the diamond…
I want you to draw me like one of your French girls…
Why oh why did life have to be so complicated?
"Has it something to do with a woman?"
Jack finally looked at her moonily.
In a way it had to do with her. Cal wouldn't have thought him out to bring him back the diamond, if he hadn't stolen Rose from him. Jack didn't want to say it like this, but in a way it was true. Rose had indeed been engaged to Cal, before meeting him.
The plan simple was stupid. He should've listened to Fabrizio.
Rose was gone; there was nothing he could do about that.
"Don't you think that it's very cold inside here? I wonder why they never think of closing the doors," he said a tortured smile appearing on his face.
He realized immediately that he had already been better in lying or in making attempt to change the subject.
Not surprisingly Ella was now even more interested in the whole story.
"Mr. Dawson, with all due respect I may be young, but I'm not an idiot and I demand that you don't treat me as such," she spoke up.
With all due respect, Miss, but I'm not the one, who's intending to jump of the ship.
Jack felt bad and cold, despite the actual heat in the room. He shivered inside. Cal was right; it was his fault that Rose died. If she hadn't met him, she wouldn't have jumped out of the lifeboat…hell she would never have looked for him being handcuffed deep down in the ship…because…because, yes he never would've been handcuffed, if he hadn't met her.
Damn Caledon Hockley – Jack thought balling his fists.
"My aunt always does that…she treats me like a baby," Ella was clearly really angry now, but she also noticed Jack's distress.
Hadn't Rose's mother been much the same? But this wasn't about Ruth Dewitt Bukater and even less about this girl…it was about his friend. Jack felt his body beginning to shake and fearing that he his voice might show something he'd rather like to hide and he instantly thought it better to keep his mouth shut.
Tenderly she moved out her hand to touch his.
It was cold, very cold…freezing really.
Shocked Ella drew her hand away, looking at his somehow traumatized face.
"I'm sorry," Jack got out. "I didn't mean to…I mean your moth…your aunt…," he stammered.
Maybe he could turn the subject to her marriage or something? He didn't want to tell her about his problems.
At the mentioning of her mother, he thought he could see her eyes watering, but before she started to cry, her face was stern and harsh once more. Really talking about her mother must be hard for her.
Did she even know her?
Jack wanted to ask her about her, but felt that it wasn't the right time.
Ella's gaze was burning on him and he knew that he wasn't treating her correctly. It wasn't her fault and most likely she was really only trying to help.
My sweet little Rose…Fabrizio I've brought so much misery into your life…
"It has something to do with a woman," he heard Ella's voice repeating itself ignoring his words, but it wasn't those of someone, who wanted to help him anymore. Her tone now showed disinterest. Jack could understand her very well, considering how he had been treating her.
The room was suddenly cold again, much like the water in the Atlantic. Ella's gaze returned to the picture.
What a life this woman must've led.
"I wonder what such a necklace would be worth…I'm mean how much I would've have to pay for it, if I decided to purchase it," she loved half-heartedly.
Cal must carry that thing wherever we go…
Would you draw me like one of your French girls?
"I bet I would be the only one wearing such a necklace. It would be something special and would I would distinguish myself from other young girls…"
You won't need such a thing.
Jack's eyes fell on her, looking at her closer, while she had drawn hers on the woman on the picture.
"…but well I think she looks a bit unhappy…much like…," she began stopping herself turning her head to him.
"Much like…?" Jack asked.
"Oh never mind, she's still beautiful," Ella finished both knowing that this wasn't what she had wanted to tell him.
But it was too late now to offer her an explanation. She wasn't interested anymore.
Jack wanted to leave, but felt that he hadn't the right to do so. Wouldn't it have looked like he was running away from challenges? Ella already thought him to be rude; she didn't have to think of him as a coward as well.
Jack placed his arms around his chest in an attempt to make the coldness go away, fully aware still of how his silly action in a fully heated room must've looked like to the bystanders. He couldn't care less.
Ella's eyes were dark now.
Finally however, the awkward silence between them was luckily interrupted by the loud shriek of a woman.
Both Jack and Ella turned her heads in the direction of the voice.
Apparently an elder woman had fallen onto the floor, slipped to be precise, and now a dozen of people seemed to be gathered around her wanting to help. Jack couldn't help but grimace. Whenever he had been slapped, no one had turned to help him, but oh well, he hadn't been a millionaire's son.
"Are you alright?" one man around forty asked her.
The woman had sat up by now and was resting against the wall.
"Should we call a doctor?" another one wanted to know.
"No," she woman shook her head looking around.
Jack and Ella couldn't help, but to curiously draw closer as well. At least it was helping Jack to be distracted of Fabrizio and Cal.
"You ought to call the police," she said pointing her head in the direction of the door. "There was this person…a man…I'm sure it was a man. He stole my purse…"
Indeed some of the onlookers seemed to remember one, who didn't quite fit inside here.
"He was pumping into me, tripping me over and before I had come to my senses again all my money was gone."
"Yes, call the police," a woman shouted.
Ella and Jack exchanged glances, both remembering how they had met. But now there was no use to run after anyone.
"It's a shame that you can't even visit a museum without being robbed," another woman spoke up instantly getting some – yes you're right – from the others.
"Can you describe the person?"
"No, it all happened so fast…I'm sure it was a man, but not very big or fat…more like…," she touched her head, which apparently must've been hurt. "…I don't know. I don't think that you'll find him anyway. There're too much of these scoundrels nowadays," she scolded.
Jack wanted to shout at her that poverty didn't mean everyone was stealing and that most people were not.
I for myself won't condemn it and I've never done it.
His face was dark once more as he remembered all the people on the Titanic with their hopes and dreams and how they had been shattered by people of her standing…wanting to buy fame by risking the lives of innocent people.
"Mr. Dawson…," Ella choked out shocked noticing his balled fists.
Jack didn't answer her and simply turned his head to the lady on the floor.
Ella decided to better leave it for now and her gaze wandered around the room, looking for her aunt. She had really taken a liking in Mr. Lindsay, who was much closer in age to her than to me. Wouldn't it be easier and more comfortable for everyone, if she would marry him?
"Do you find that funny, young lady?" the sharp voice of an old lady let the smile on her face disappear. Apparently they were thinking that she was mocking them.
Harshly Ella was brought back to reality.
"No, I'm sorry…I wasn't thinking of…," she stammered but her voice was lost to the police suddenly coming into the room.
When looking up once more, Jack had disappeared.