The next morning Leah came down to find Rose in the kitchen attempting to make breakfast for everyone. She was at the stove, stirring the egg mixture with her mind on the previous evening with Jack...or rather making love to Jack. He was such a beautiful man with his soft blond hair and blue eyes, and tanned skin that was so pleasant to touch…

"Good morning Rose!" Leah announced her presence, startling Rose out of her daydream about Jack.

Rose's face grew red as she forced a smile and returned her attention fully to the eggs. "Leah, hello! Good morning! It's good to see that you're up and about!"

Leah laughed and settled down at the kitchen table. "It's good to be up and about, especially after yesterday's confrontation. That was something, don't you think?"

"You mean Cal? I suppose it was. I could have done without him showing up here and threatening Jack, but we seemed to have survived it once again," Rose laughed, almost too loudly.

Leah chuckled, noticing how flustered Rose seemed. She could probably guess what her friend had been daydreaming about, or whom. "You know...if I had a husband that good-looking and sweet, I'd spend my morning daydreaming about him instead of making breakfast."

Rose sighed and her shoulders relaxed. "Am I that obvious?"

"Yes. But I don't blame you. It's good to see you so in love, Rose. You were so miserable with Cal, I was scared that you'd never be happy again."

"Believe it or not, so was I. It wasn't that I didn't give Cal a chance. I did. Especially during our Europe trip...I tried to think of myself as the luckiest girl in the world to be on the arm of such a rich and handsome man. But he was so...awful. Leah...he was like an extension of my mother. He was not the handsome, romantic fiancee who was to sweep me off my feet like he was supposed to be! When he wasn't treating me like some ornament on his arm, he was another extension of my mother. Doing what she wanted. Following what she said. Neither one of them cared about what I wanted to do, or how I may want our wedding to go. I was just...there. There and utterly miserable and depressed," Rose sighed, finishing off the eggs and putting on some water to make coffee and tea.

"I am so sorry, Rose. You shouldn't have had to go through that," Leah apologized. "But it lead you to Jack, right?"

"Yeah. Even though, I don't recommend scaring a young man for life by trying to jump off the back of a ship."

"Good thing Jack was there."

"Yeah. He's my hero in all ways."

"Good morning ladies!" Tommy came in with a yawning Lily in his arms. "Is that breakfast I smell?"

"Yes, it is! Sit and eat before you have to go to the factory," Rose motioned for Tommy to take a chair. "I bet Sarah and Fabri are having a marvelous honeymoon."

"I bet. Even though that Hockley bloke is hanging over their heads. I know blokes like that one. They never give up. He may have given up on you, Rose. But his sister...nah. He'll be back for her, probably accompanied by Daddy," Tommy settled Lily into a seat before taking one of his own.

Rose worriedly looked at Leah. "Do you think Nathan will show up here? He's even worse than Cal!"

Leah simply shrugged. "There's no telling. Nathan doesn't usually like to travel, but in this case...when it's about his daughter...that may be enough reason for him to make the trip. God, we are bringing you guys so much trouble...maybe it'd be best if Sarah and I leave again...go somewhere that Cal and Nathan can't find us…"

"They'll just find you again and the next time you'd be alone. Here, you have friends to help defend you. Besides, Fabri's not going to let his new bride go so easily. He's finally healed from losing Helga. He's not going to lose Sarah without a fight. Not to mention, I have a fight in this too. I don't like the thought of being separated from you," Tommy took her hand with a small smile.

"The funny thing is...Sarah's problems aren't mine. I just ran away in support of Sarah. Actually...my parents are great and my dad would love that I'm being courted by an Irishman, seeing that my grandfather came from Ireland," Leah chuckled.

"Ah, I knew that there was a reason that we got along so well, lassie. Maybe someday, I'll get to meet your parents."

"I'd like that," Leah smiled, leaning in as if to kiss him.

"Eww, mommy are they going to kiss like you and daddy do?" Lily frowned, not happy at all with what she was witnessing.

Everyone laughed as Leah and Tommy pulled away from each other.

"Lily, darling. Someday you will meet someone and you'll no longer think of kissing as yucky," Rose giggled, just as Jack came in.

"Hey! Don't listen to Mommy, Lily. Kissing is very yucky and so are boys! Remember that, especially when you reach your teen years," Jack frowned, looking adorable as he folded his arms.

"Ah, boy-o better have that shotgun ready. Lily's gonna be a heartbreaker," Tommy grinned.

Jack just grumbled and took the chair next to the little girl that he thought of as his daughter. "No one will be good enough for my little Irish princess."

Rose smiled, watching the people at the table, her heart filling with warmth and affection. This was her family, something that she had always wanted and now had. Not even Cal's presence could take that away from her.

"Darling, when the time comes, who Lily chooses to love will be her decision. Not ours. Let's not forget how we came to be," Rose warned, giggling at Jack as he pouted like a scalded little boy.

"I know, I know. I won't be too bad, I promise. But I will not let her marry anyone like Hockley. That is for sure."

"Oh of course," Rose giggled, beginning to make everyone a plate.

…..

Cal winced as his father began to berate him some more as he finished telling him about having found Sarah just to find her married to some Italian immigrant and refusing to return home.

"Father, I know that you are upset, but what do you expect me to do? She is married to the man and she won't listen to me. She is completely ruined by now," Cal hissed into the phone, watching as Isabella and her lady's maid came into the room, looking just as self-important as ever.

"Is that your father, darling? Do tell him to let us come home now. This country air is a horror on my hair. My curls are failing to gleam like they normally do," Isabella whined.

Cal just rolled his eyes and continued to ignore her.

"I cannot believe that you had allowed this to happen! All of my plans are ruined! Bunker won't let us open a mill in his town now! This is so disappointing and this is all your fault! If you hadn't wanted to court that Dewitt Bukater girl who had been such an awful influence on your sister!" Nathan yelled.

"I know, I know, father. I am so sorry. Believe me, I wish that I had never set eyes on Rose. She has been nothing but trouble for our family. Now it's cost us this lucrative deal!"

"Damn it...the business is getting too big for Pittsburgh. I need to expand! I need a plan that has nothing to do with your worthless sister! Tell me...what is that town like? Is there a steel mill there?"

"There's a brewery...as far as I can tell it's mainly a farming community. Eau Claire is nearby and I suppose there is an opportunity to expand here...if the right people are approached…"

"Do you know any of the right people?"

"Father...what are you thinking?"

"Hockley Steel needs to expand. We need more mills in different locations around the country. Of course, our main headquarters will be here in Pittsburgh, but...I think we would do well if we expanded into Wisconsin."

"What?! Father, you cannot be serious!"

"I am! I believe that all things happen for a reason Caledon! What other purpose could there be for your sister to choose such a small provincial town as Chippewa Falls? I do believe that we were meant to open up a mill there! I certainly do!"

Cal wanted to groan. He hated when his father got one of his inspired ideas, because it always meant work for him, work that he would rather not do. "Father, I do not believe that is a very good idea…"

"You and Isabella stay put...in fact...you may want to start looking for more permanent lodgings for the two of you. In the meantime...meet up with some of the businessmen in the town. Feel them out. See what the landscape looks like and let them know that the Hockleys are thinking of bringing some of our business to the town. Especially meet with politicians and community leaders. A new mill will mean new jobs for their citizens. Use every contact in that town that you have."

Cal wanted to choke on the brandy he was nursing. "Father, I only know one businessman and I dare say...we don't like each other much…"

"I don't care, Caledon! Suck it up and talk with him! Finagle some contacts out of him! This is our big move! I will not let your sister's shenanigans be for nothing! I will be there by the end of next week! I do hope that you have something arranged by then!"

"But father!"

"Goodbye, son! See you soon!" Nathan hung up, leaving Cal glaring at the telephone in disbelief.

"So? When are we going home? All these poor people in this area are giving me hives," Isabella shuddered.

"Sweetpea," Cal said, his voice deceptively calm.

"Yes, Pookie?"

"SHUT UP YOU STUPID BINT!" Cal roared before storming out to the room, slamming the door behind him.

"Well...that was rude," Isabella frowned, staring in disbelief at where her fiancee had just stood.

…..

Philadelphia Pennsylvania…

Ruth watched as the butler had the servants put the rest of their luggage into the car. She looked at the mansion that she now called home and missed it already. She didn't plan to stay in Wisconsin for long, of course, but she still felt homesick just stepping away from the place.

"Darling, are you ready to go? Or would you rather we not? After all, the girl is not expecting us. I don't think she even wants to be found or she would have made contact." Randall questioned, not sure if this impulsive trip was such a good idea. Ruth had finally come to peace with her past. This news about Rose surviving... was digging old feelings up that may be best if they remained buried.

"I have to go. I have to see my daughter. If nothing else, it's closure. You do understand, don't you darling?" Ruth gave her husband a pleading look. Rose's death had indeed changed Ruth a great deal, but it was Randall's love that did most of the work of getting Ruth to see things from a new point of view that had turned her into a person that even Rose may not be able to recognize.

"Of course I do. Which is why I'm coming with you. I will not leave you to face this challenge alone," Randall kissed her hand. "Look, our bags are all loaded. It's time to head to the train station to find your daughter."

Ruth just gave him a grateful smile and followed him to the waiting car.