A/N: Thanks to NotAgainstDarkSide and Rose Dewitt Bukater Dawson for reviewing. I must admit that I had plans for Fabrizio and Ella at first, but it wouldn't work together with what I've in mind now.

However, Ella will still play some part in the story.

Roger couldn't help, but notice how Ruth kept observing him throughout the weeks to follow. She would be behind his every step as it seemed to him and she especially never let him alone with her daughter. Roger was growing angrier every day. Ruth was a big problem.

Someone must've told her; he was sure of that. In fact no one had, as indeed no one knew of his disgusting relationship with Rose. However, Ruth having somehow recovered her motherly feelings – after Ella's death she was alerted that something similar might happened to Rose as well – needed no one to tell her.

She already knew herself that something was terribly wrong here. She had seen how Roger was looking after her daughter, she had noted how Rose would look away frightened undeniably, but very poorly trying to hide it. And she would see how Roger was observing Jack – like he was some rival, treading on his territory, as if being having taken away his property.

Really there was no need for anyone to mention it to her. She knew.

Roger proved to be the more nervous the more Ruth would slowly start to uncover everything. For sure she didn't know what dark secret she was about to detect, but she was determined to make it up to her daughter. Rose shouldn't face the same dark future as Ella had done.

Lettice had been a wreck ever since and in an attempt to help Ruth had persuaded her to take a few days off.

Maybe I should too.

However, at first she wanted to find out about the secret of Roger Lindsay, which he undoubtedly had. And Rose was some part of it. But asking her daughter somehow – Ruth knew – wouldn't pay off. Rose was herself too deeply involved to be of any help.

Moreover I would probably be the last person she would confess to.

Luckily there was some other person living here, whom she could turn to.

So instead Ruth went up to Jack. He had been better, but still – there was something awfully wrong with him. Something was happening to him that was beyond anyone's control. Sadly no one seemed to know what it really was.

In the past weeks Ruth had tried to accept him and Rose being a couple and although she was still uncomfortable with their marriage, she found that Jack Dawson was indeed much better for her daughter compared to Roger Lindsay. The last one was scary.

Jack turned his head to the sound of the clicking door.

"Oh, it's you," he choked out clearly crestfallen.

Ruth ignored it and instead took a chair, moving it to Jack's bedside, sitting down.

Where should she begin with?

"Where's Rose?"

Of course she should've known that this question would arise, still it shocked her every time. Jack always asked about Rose first. Ruth hated telling him that she had no idea – well in fact she had – she just didn't want to tell him. Roger Lindsay and her daughter – it had something of Lucifer and Jesus Christ – it was terrifying.

"Mr Dawson, I've to talk to you," Ruth chose not to answer the question at all, not wanting to lie to him.

From seeing his expression she knew that he knew anyway.

His eyes fell and Ruth thought that she had heard him mumble something along the words of - of course.

What does he think that she does the whole day? Does he believe that she really cheats on him? Has Rose told him something?

Rose and she had never got a very close relationship, but with Jack it was different – right? She would tell him, wouldn't she? Rose wasn't the person to live a lie. If she really loved this man - Roger - she would say so and play with open cards. She wouldn't keep him guessing.

Didn't he look awful? Ruth had trouble holding herself back about asking him, knowing he didn't like this.

It was probably a bad idea to...

His voice brought her back to reality.

"Sure, what about?" he wanted to know causing Ruth to be stunned for a moment.

Yes indeed, what about exactly?

Having come up here, Ruth had thought that she would just talk to him, but now she understood that she had in fact nothing she could tell him. Maybe her observations were all wrong?

Rose is an attractive woman, why wouldn't other men look at her?

This wasn't really a crime.

And Roger Lindsay? Now she didn't like him, but that didn't make him a bad person. He had never done anything bad to her or Rose for that matter.

Rose's looks? This could be putting too much into it – like wanting to be an overprotective mother after having postively rejected everything bad that Rose had had to say about Caledon Hockley.

Perhaps she was now overdoing it the other way around?

Ruth found herself being very silly.

What did she really know about anyone, especially Roger Lindsay? Did she have the right to judge him without really knowing him, particularly she, who had kept her daughter away from the person she loved?

Her discernment had never seemed the best, not with Mr Hockley too.

Why should this have changed now?

"Mrs Dewitt Bukater is everything alright with you?" it was funny somehow that he would ask this question of all people, because he looked like the perfect incarnation of a zombie put together with a corpse on its burial day.

It was a bad idea to summon up his help. This was Jack Dawson the man to cause her all her problems from the beginning. Why should this have improved?

It was like some vision playing on around in her head - him and Rose together on the Titanic - and then she looked at Jack, who was very obviously still very sick. He had been treated with the same medicine for weeks and yet there were no real changes, it was just an up and down. Ruth noted how he started to raise his hand again, putting it up against his forehead.

Does he have fever once more?

But the doctor has said that he was getting better, didn't he? Jack was a very uncomplaining patient indeed, drinking his medicine every day, but maybe drinking too much coffee. Ruth however, didn't mind. It didn't seem to do any evil and she would bring it to him every morning by herself.

Now it was standing there as well.

"Mr Dawson is everything alright with you?" she repeated after him.

Jack seemed to notice her somehow – concerned – gaze and pulled himself together trying to appear as healthy as possible. In fact his head was spinning around and he felt like flying. If only Rose would be here. He hadn't seen her for hours.

Jack sat up some more and smiled at Ruth confidently. His whole body hurt, but he chose to ignore it.

He wasn't very successful and a cough escaped his mouth.

What do you think of Mr Lindsay?

Do you believe that Rose and he…?

No, she couldn't ask him that, she couldn't tell him. Not in his state. Never. He didn't deserve this. After all wasn't he the one to rescue Rose?

With a rush she jumped up, leaving Jack staring at her in wonder.

What had suddenly happened to her?

"Wait! Didn't you want to…?"

The rest of his words were lost due to the slamming noise of the door.

Ruth stood outside, her heart pounding, her chest rising up and down. It was clear that Jack's illness was more than just some usual sickness. And she knew as well that Roger had taken a hand in this. Just what should she do? Without any proof, there was no one she could turn to and Roger Lindsay wasn't exactly poor, quite the contrary he was a very well respected figure in society.

Should she call Cal, tell him?

Let him know about – Rose and Jack – no –this didn't seem fair to anyone of them and would only contract new problems. She paced the floor, walking up and down the stairs –trying to think of somebody to be of any assistance to her. At last she had fallen asleep on the couch and didn't wake up some few hours later, being shaken heavily by some man she had never seen before.

And who wasn't very friendly.

…..

"Mrs Dewitt Bukater you say? Ah, Mr Lindsay, you fear some old lady?" Mrs Pearson laughed, mocking him. "It's so hilarious."

Roger Lindsay wasn't in the mood for this. He waited for Lygia to be ready again for him. Mrs Pearson wasn't like the other women he knew. She was the devil in person and no one of her girls dared to object to her.

"She's following me everywhere. What if she finds out about us, about me and Rose?" he got out hurriedly.

"My god you sound like a farmer, who is threatened by some rich, malicious banker to take away his ranch. Laughable…nothing else," she started giggled like a school girl.

She really had a talent in belittling people.

"But…"

"Now, pull yourself together," she hissed. "I've thought about everything and calculated every move. Mrs Dewitt Bukater is no match for me."

Roger wondered if there was anyone in fact, who would be. It didn't seem like it.

Mrs Pearson wasn't afraid of anyone.

Robert appeared at the door suddenly. Was he in love with her? Certainly. Why would he be still here otherwise? He must be a small-minded person – never once thinking of helping anyone of the girls to escape and very masochistic indeed. Roger didn't want to admit it, but he was starting to turn up very much the same.

"What do you want?"

"I'm sorry, it's Lord Davenport, he…"

Of course he wanted to see Lygia. He had come here every day also she had forbidden him to do so, told him that Lygia wasn't going to see him anymore. He wouldn't listen.

"Should I…?" Roger asked.

"No, I'm going to deal with him."

It was too risky to let him meet with her again. Lord Davenport may be cheating on his wife, but despite this he was a very down to earth person and very law-abiding, who surely wouldn't keep calm, if he found out that many girls were kept here against their will – especially his beloved Lygia.

Robert followed her outside but not before shooting Roger an angry glance.

The latter one just shook his head over this stupid jealous man. Mrs Pearson really wasn't on his list.

Ruth Dewitt Bukater was.

…..

'Sometimes a problem will resolve itself,' Mrs Pearson had said, but Roger hadn't understood what she meant back then.

Now he did.

Rose was sitting there – a nervous wreck, a police officer offering her a glass of water. Ruth was sitting on the opposite side hating how her daughter would observe her with a look that said – How could you do this to me?

"Mrs Dewitt Bukater I think you should follow us to the police station."

Wickedly Roger smiled at her.

Now he knew what Mrs Pearson had been talking about.

"Rose, please I never...," Ruth got up and tried to touch her shoulders.

However, Rose pushed her away and hopped up staring at her mother in anger.

"Just get out of here!" she screamed.

"Rose…"

"Get out!" she repeated shaking. "I never want to see you again."

"Mrs Dewitt Bukater come on," one of the police man urged her once more. "If you're innocent you'll be back in an hour."

Ruth nodded, realizing that she had no choice.

The last thing she saw was Roger Lindsay having his filthy palms around her daughter's back.

Ruth frowned.