A/N: I'm so happy that I got another review! Thanks so much guys, although to everyone, who put this story on the story alerts list etc.
A few days after Ella had been told the whole story about the Titanic by Jack and promised to help him, Lettice had been bound to notice the change occurring in her niece's behaviour. For the first time the girl was showing some signs of free will.
What's more she was spending more time looking after Mr. Dawson than spending the previous days with her dearest fiancé. Moreover she seemed to be absent, having something else on her mind.
She's ignoring her betrothed while he's doing everything possible to show her his love by buying her presents, taking her out to the most exclusive restaurants…every other girl would be happy to have such a great man marry her.
Whatever was wrong with her niece?
Indeed Lettice was much like Ruth Dewitt Bukater, but in contrast to her she lacked friends in high society. So far she had been able to live a sheltered life, been living of the money of her dead sister and her husband – Ella's parents. But – try as the might, being wealthy didn't naturally mean having the right touch to them. In short she had spent more than she actually had.
Now as money would be running out shortly, she had had to find a solution, which she finally had done by successfully talking her niece into needing to do something for the family income herself. She had convinced her into believing that it was the own way they could survive.
Until a certain moment, Ella had accepted her words as being the whole truth, but now for whatever reason this was changing. Lettice had a pretty good idea why. This Mr. Dawson had something to do with it. Like Ruth Dewitt Bukater, Lettice sensed that the time had come to keep them apart, but unlike the first one there wasn't a sinking ship to help her.
Silently she made up her way to her room about to talk to her, make her understand the importance of this engagement. Ella had to face the reality, come to terms with her destiny.
A cold rush of air hit her face, her eyes showing her confusion that was soon replaced by anger, when she heard the giggling sound coming out of two different throats. The laughing was followed by whispering, the noise coming clearly from Mr. Dawson's room.
Lettice had had enough. Her niece had overdone it.
"Luckily it's me seeing you two here together," she exclaimed angrily as she shut down the door.
Jack's and Ella's mouths both drew open in astonishment at once.
"Mrs. Mansfield…," Jack started, but Lettice stopped him by holding her hand up.
Something similar had happened to him on that damn ship – hadn't it? The stateroom scene came to his mind. Ruth's eyes full of contempt and Rose's confusion, when the officer had pulled out the diamond from his pocket…
'I do believe this isn't even your coat…'
Now Lettice dark eyes were staring at him and Ella. The past was repeating itself.
"Would you care to tell me, young lady what are you doing here?"
Ella too shocked to answer, just sat there like in trance.
"Mrs. Mansfield nothing happened, really…your niece was just helping me…," Jack stepped in to her defence. In a way this woman was different from Ruth and Jack thought that she was reasonable towards his arguments than Rose's harsh mother would've been.
"No one is talking with you, Mr. Dawson."
Once more Jack felt like being drawn back in time, only this time he wouldn't back away. Lettice couldn't arrest him for a stealing a diamond and they weren't on a ship that could sink any minute. Ella had provided for him, risk her own life for him, in a way he had never thought would be possible considering her young age and such.
Lettice may be her aunt, letting him stay here, but she certainly had no right to treat her niece as her superior. Jack never had had the chance to stand up for Rose as fate had obviously not wanted them to be together, but he would now do something for Ella. He felt that he owned it to her. Rose had died, because of his stupidity, because of him making her fall in love with him. She had passed away never being able to really spend a live with the one she loved.
But Ella was alive and kicking and she should get the chance to.
"Mrs. Mansfield, you came here without even knocking on the door so I second that I've at least the right to question about your motives," Jack continued. "I mean, who's really profiting from this marriage – your niece or you?"
Her eyes flamed in rage and Jack could tell that she in fact wanted to slap him, only being hold back by her ladylike manners being installed in her. She clutched her hands in an attempt to calm herself down.
Ella stared at Jack in amazement. She had never heard anyone talking to her aunt in such a manner. Normally her word was law to everyone. No one had ever dared to doubt her like MrDawson did. She wondered, if this was the reason why this other woman – Rose – had fallen for him in the first part.
No one had ever stood up for like he had done before.
"Mr. Dawson you're living here in my home...," she started ignoring his question.
But Jack wasn't about to give in.
"I thought it was the home of Mr. Lindsay?" he interjected his eyes focusing on her not wavering for a second, receiving a look full of contempt in return.
Lettice couldn't believe that she was actually having this discussion with the good-for-nothing little boy.
"How dare you…well, I do believe that it's good that it was me seeing you here together and not your fiancé. A decent young lady like yourself…really haven't you got any manners? I've certainly raised you better than that."
Jack looked back at Ella feeling a sudden urge to take her into his arms to protect her against her aunt, but an instant thought about Rose about betraying her, was holding him back.
"Come on now, Ella, get up. You need to dress for dinner. Your fiancé wants you to look nice and smoothly, when he's coming home."
Jack hadn't seen this ominous man in a while, in fact not since the day he had broken down outside on the streets. He seemed to be very busy working and would only come back home in the late evenings. Be it, Ella certainly wasn't unhappy about it.
"Maybe your niece doesn't want to be a decent young lady, Mrs. Mansfield, maybe she doesn't want to marry this Mr. Lindsay," Jack voice rang out again.
He wanted Rose to be proud of him. He hadn't been able to save her, but he would help this sweet little girl sitting behind him. Rose shouldn't have died for nothing.
"Of course she does, it's her destiny."
"Have you ever cared to ask her?"
In the past few days Jack not only had told her about his problems and angst, but had come to know about Ella's in return. Although she hadn't expressed her wishes to him out in the open, Jack could still tell that marrying Mr. Lindsay was the last thing she intended to do.
"Mr. Dawson, that's none of your business," she said turning her attention to Ella once more. "I don't have to ask her. I know best about what she needs. Whatever do think I'm, Mr. Dawson?"
Jack could clearly see Ruth Dewitt Bukater standing before him now. He had never gotten the chance to tell her everything he had wanted to, but he would do so with Mrs. Mansfield now. One young woman being ripped of her future by a selfish relative was certainly enough.
"I think you're an egoistic and self-centred…," Jack started being completely in his element now.
He just wished now that he would've had the possibility to spit out the truth to Mrs. Dewitt Bukater.
"Mr. Dawson…," Ella was nudging on his sleeve urging him to stop.
"I'm coming, aunt Lettice. I'm sorry," she mumbled standing up.
Ella didn't want Jack to be involved in her problems or to be thrown out, because of her.
"He doesn't mean it what he said, right, Mr. Dawson?"
'I slipped, when looking at the propellers…'
Ella's eyes now were pleading with him as well. Jack was angry, but still silently nodded. Her mouth seemed to tell him something alike of – I can't help you anymore, if you're bringing both of us in trouble.
Jack understood and reluctantly gave in.
"Yes…I…I apologize for my behaviour, Mrs. Mansfield. I wasn't thinking. Your niece was just tending to me, because of my illness lately…," Jack told her hoping she'd believe him even though he didn't mean a word truthfully.
"Fine, I guess I've overreacted too. I really would love to know however what happened to you on this day, Mr. Dawson," she said.
"Oh, it's nothing important," Ella spoke up; before Jack had a chance to answer and before he knew it she had dragged her aunt out of the room.
Jack took out his new sketchbook that Ella had given him yesterday and began to draw another picture of Rose, afterwards drifting off into a deep slumber.