Jack had been busy working the past days, not being at home very much and therefore not able to notice how Roger Lindsay was following his young wife everywhere she went. He had been feeling a little dizzy lately, but conducted that it was just the strange April weather. Jack would've loved to spend more time with Rose, but alas he was forced to work almost day and night.
Rose didn't seem to notice Roger making advances; her mind still being on her mother and what she had said to this little boy. Freddy was now occasionally coming to them and her mother was always thrilled, when she saw him. Rose however, told herself that she was just imaging things. After all her mother had never been a very emotional person and surely her affections towards this young child now would to fade with time. Only Ella would sometimes look at her from the side, her eyes questioning, but she didn't dare ask her.
Rose had successfully convinced herself that her mother was only jealous.
She's using this boy, because of the bad relationship with me.
Jack watched at his wife sleeping, while he was getting dressed. She looked like Sleeping Beauty herself.
But you're much more beautiful than her. And luckily I don't have to wait a hundred years for you to wake you up.
Than for a quick moment, there was this dizziness coming up once again and Jack had to take hold of the table for a second, blackness surrounding him. However, the sensation was over as soon as it had come up. Nothing to worry about, he told himself and certainly nothing to bother Rose with.
She looked so sweet, when she was sleeping, her hair spilling out widely on her pillow and Jack didn't want to trouble her with anything. She should for once only think about herself, not money or her evil ex-fiancé.
'You should take a day off, son,' his boss had told him, but Jack had refused, knowing quite well that the more money he earned, the sooner they would be able to buy a home on their own. Then finally everything, Ruth, Roger Lindsay, all of them could be put behind them.
Jack smiled tiredly, wishing he could stay here, but working on weekends meant extra money and he really needed them.
We need them – he silently told himself, disregarding his little illness.
He kissed Rose on her forehead, not wanting to wake her up. The sun hadn't even risen yet and he was already on his way out. Rose steered in her sleep.
"Jack…," she mumbled and for a moment he thought that she would open her eyes and stepped back for a second, just watching her. Certainly now, she didn't look like a lady and her mother would've been horrified, if she could've seen her at this moment.
Jack however, smiled.
"I love you, my angel," he whispered into her ear, silently as not to wake her up, taking her hand in his, kissing the palm of it. He still couldn't believe that she was really his. It was too good to be true.
Rose shifted around in the bed drawing the covers closer to her body.
"Mmh…," Jack could see her chest rising up and down. She must've had some dense reverie or something. "…I love you too…"
Jack smiled despite knowing that she hadn't said it to him, but to the creation in her dream. He tiptoed out of the room and downstairs into the kitchen. Jack never ate anything in the morning; a coffee was the only thing he needed. Each day he would heat up the water at first, before going upstairs again to get dressed. This way he wouldn't lose any time in the morning. There wasn't a definite time, when he had to be at work, but he had told his boss that the sooner the better.
'This way, I get back to my wife faster.'
His boss had just smiled, mumbling something about young love.
Still somehow asleep he didn't notice Roger, who was standing behind the door to the living room, which was located next to the kitchen. He saw Jack moving his hand up to his right temple. Quickly Roger stepped forward, noticing Jack cringing slightly.
"Good morning, Mr Dawson," he said startling Jack.
He doesn't look good at all. If I were him, I would stay at home. Mr Dawson doesn't seem to know what leisure means.
But of course Jack couldn't know what was really going on.
"You're sick?" Roger asked him doing his best to hide his good mood.
Jack was making rotary movements with his fingers on his temples again. He didn't look well at all, but for sure Roger wasn't about to help him. He detested this man with a passion. He was standing in his way, between him and his Lygia.
If there was one thing Roger Lindsay didn't like at all, it was to lose. He was never going to fail especially not against some trash from the streets. Rose, Lygia, she was his and it was time that everyone understood this, particularly this good-for-nothing Mr Dawson.
Despite not really being very fond of Mrs Dewitt Bukater, he agreed with her on one thing – indeed – what had Rose been thinking?
"It's just the weather," Jack spoke up though it was clearly something else.
"Sure," Roger nodded not saying anything more.
Jack hastily drank his morning coffee, not paying much attention to Roger Lindsay. He just found the guy annoying. If he managed to work for another three weeks or so, then he and Rose would've enough money to move out of here. Eventually they would find a way to get the diamond back, free Fabrizio and then go on to live in Santa Monica maybe.
Jack didn't really care where, as long as this place was as far from this man as possible. He started to feel shaky again, but ignored the upcoming headache, blaming his constant work and the lack of sleep.
"I've to go," he told Roger grabbing his coat.
And leave your wife alone, unhappy and unprotected? Why, Mr Dawson, that's not a very wise decision. I'm sure however, your wife could need some company.
If your husband can't be here for you, because other things are seemingly more important for him, then I will be there for you.
Jack was too tired and too worn out to detect Roger's mocking expression behind him. He also didn't notice his evil smile.
Roger meanwhile was as happy as could be.
Rose, his Lygia, he would give her his love and shelter, all the kind she yearned for and needed.
I can give her what she really wants, but what he isn't able to give her. She's far too good for someone like you, Mr Dawson.
Roger smiled to himself, when Jack was finally out the door, looking at the empty cup of coffee. He had a meeting with Mrs Pearson today, but not until the afternoon.
For now he would make breakfast, officially for his own wife of course.
In the afternoon he was meeting with Mrs Pearson, telling her that he had slightly changed his plans. He was certain that she would agree with him. Rose wasn't just any woman. She wasn't some poor girl from the streets that no one would miss, if she was kidnapped from the streets.
Roger knew by now with whom she had been engaged and he could imagine that someone like Caledon Hockley wouldn't look kindly on persons, who turned his former fiancée in a whore. Not to mention Mr Dawson. There was no telling what he would do in this case.
Roger, even though he wouldn't admit it, feared Jack's reactions much more than anyone elses, because he knew that Jack didn't trust him from the start. Jack was making him nervous, whenever he was in the same room with him.
Moreover he was the one, who was standing between him and Rose.
If the plan should've any chance to work, then this Mr Dawson was the first and most important person to get rid of.
"I think that first she needs to realize that he's not the right one for her," he predicted while taking a sip from his wine glass.
After all their marriage was supposed to be a love match and Rose had be shown, what her husband was really like, before there could be any other steps.
"She has to end the marriage herself, otherwise I fear that there won't be much of a chance for…," he added looking at the glass in his hands.
"Indeed…makes sense…"
Mrs Pearson certainly wasn't interested in helping him and she for sure didn't really want to give him the diamond, but Roger had already told her that this wouldn't even be necessary.
'If I'm done with him than he'll wish that he'd never met me. And she will be completely ours.'
Mrs Pearson had smiled evilly, when he had told her his whole plan, finding it simply brilliant.
Lygia had been the most popular person of her girls, because not only was the beautiful and vicious, she also had a certain intellect that was alien to the others. That's why specifically the more important politicians and senators had liked to spend their time with her. She spoke French, knew about world politics and still wasn't outspoken, but could keep secrets.
She wasn't about to let any men have her all alone; Lygia belonged here to her, to her institute. No man had the right to make a claim on her, not Mr Lindsay and not anyone else.
Roger was aware of this and of course he knew that he couldn't marry her. She was a whore after all, nothing else, even if she was something extraordinary. Ella was his wife; she was the one, who would – hopefully soon – bear him his children.
However, Ella was a complete failure in bed and that's what he needed her – his Lygia – for. Roger didn't give a damn on both. Women in his opinion were there to pleasure men and serve their needs, for nothing more. Mr Dawson, as stupid as he was, of course didn't understand his.
"Maybe it'll be better, if you don't come here for some time," Mrs Pearson suggested. "I mean just in case someone's following you."
Roger nodded his head, knowing that she was right. He would just send her a message, when something important happened.
Mrs Pearson smiled, already counting the money, thinking of the time, when this girl would again be under her spell and everything would be back to normal. Like Roger Lindsay she hated nothing more, but to lose.
Jack came home late in the evening, but Rose was still up, talking to Ella in the living room. The two of them were laughing about something, but they stopped instantly, when Jack stepped into the room.
Rose got up from the sofa, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
"Hey…did you've nice day today?" she wanted to know.
Jack smiled at her weakly, before getting a glass of wine from the kitchen, afterwards moving down besides Rose, putting an arm around her.
Rose looked at him, at the glass of wine in his hands, thinking about the last time he had done that. She couldn't help, but remember Cal.
Jack isn't Cal, Rose.
"Jack, do you think that this is…?" she started, but stopped herself not really knowing what to say. Jack looked at her questioningly. "I mean the alcohol…you work so much and…"
Instead of answering her, Jack just kissed her on her forehead.
"Are you concerned that I might become an alcoholic?" he asked her somehow offended.
She was the love of his life and he would never to do anything to hurt her. Didn't she know this?
"I just…I mean Cal, when he was drunk he…he…," Rose stammered finding herself sounding silly. After all this was Jack she was talking to.
But still, she couldn't forget what had always happened with Cal.
He had continuously hit her then and called her names and once he had even…Rose didn't want to think about it now, rejecting her dark thoughts quickly. This was Jack, not Cal or Roger Lindsay. Jack had saved her from all darkness in her life.
Jack moved his up to her cheek, stroking her hair silently.
God, she was so beautiful.
How could anyone take pleasure in hurting her? He for sure didn't.
"Don't worry, my love. I'm not him. I won't do any harm to you," he told her.
For sure the alcohol wasn't the problem here; it was something else that Jack and Rose both didn't know.
"Just promise me that you'll be careful," Rose added looking him deeply in his eye.
The memory of what Cal had done, when he had drunken to much was all too fresh in her mind and she really didn't want history to repeat it.
"You should listen to your wife, Mr Dawson."
Roger Lindsay was standing in the doorway again, coming to stand behind his own wife.
Jack indeed looked more than just sick.
Life couldn't be better. Roger felt Ella moving uncomfortably under his touch, but of course he didn't care. Soon she would be with child and that would give him the opportunity he needed. Every rich man, with a pregnant wife, was holding a mistress and he would too. It was normal in their society. Finally with Jack not standing in his way anymore, it would give him the chance to have Rose all to himself.
She had had her choice, but since she had rejected his offer to have one night with him, he thought that he had the right to demand more.
Jack meanwhile felt a little dizzy again, but managed not to show Rose. She didn't need to worry.
Maybe he should stay at home for a few days?
Quickly however, he was feeling better again. He didn't notice Roger's evil smile, who knew very well what was really going on.
Somehow Jack got a feeling that he was following him. Indeed he found it strange that he was there every time Rose and he had something important to discuss. It was in a way too much of a coincidence to still be one.
You're being stupid, Jack. You've simply worked too much.
Roger Lindsay is an idiot, maybe even after your wife, but he's no criminal.
Once more Jack ignored his inner voice that told him that Roger Lindsay was more than an ordinary rich man. This guy meant trouble.
"I promise," Jack told Rose moving his head towards hers. "I love you."
With that they shared a kiss Roger's eyes flaming up with hatred.
Lygia was his and his man here was standing in his way.
Roger put his hands on Ella's shoulders, whispering something in her ear. A moment later both were standing up, heading towards their bedroom.
Only Rose noticed the strange look Roger was giving her, while Jack had started to kiss her neck.