Rose smiled happily as she cuddled up close to Jack as they sat on the loveseat together, the Anne of Green Gables book being held by Jack as Rose rested her head on his shoulder. It was early evening. Lily was with Tommy and Leah, who were taking her to some kind of festival in town. Fabrizio and Sarah were up in their room enjoying their time together, knowing that Sarah's father would most likely be showing up on their doorstep soon.
"Ok, what chapter are we on now?" Rose asked, eager to lose herself in the world of Anne Shirley once again.
"Diana is invited to tea with tragic results. Oooh, that sounds interesting."
"Oh my god, that's the chapter where she gets drunk on current wine and Anne takes the blame!" Rose gasped. "She is then banned from being friends with Diana for a good chapter or two!"
"Really? That sounds exciting."
"It's tragic Jack! Just think, if someone should ban me from seeing you because I'm some kind of bad influence!"
Jack couldn't help it. He laughed. "Like that could ever happen. No one would ever keep me away from my Rose. No matter how drunk I am! Not even your strict, scary mother!"
"Well, I guess you've proved that enough times," Rose kissed his cheek and wrapped her arms around his waist. "No one could ever keep me away from you. Not a sinking ship, not the North Atlantic...nothing!"
"That's good to know," Jack smiled, claiming her lips in a tempting kiss when the doorbell rings, disrupting the moment. Jack groaned as he pulled away. "We can ignore it."
"It might be someone important," Rose took the book and closed it.
"Like who? Your mother? Her to again grace us with her presence? Not that I'm complaining. At least she doesn't look at me like a dangerous insect anymore."
Rose simply giggled. "Let's answer the door, darling."
Jack smiled and got up to open the door to Rose, Randall, and a woman that he had never seen before, but looked a little familiar.
It was Randall that began talking. "Jack, hello! I hope that we aren't intruding."
"Um...no. Rose and I were just hanging out. Come in," Jack stepped aside to allow their visitors into the house.
"I know that we're here later than normal, but it couldn't be helped. But, I do have someone that I want to introduce you to, Randall smiled widely, motioning to the woman that Jack sort of recognized but couldn't place. "Jack, this is Enid Dawson. Your father's twin sister. Enid...this is Eric's son Jack. As you can see…"
"He's his spitting image...you look just like my brother at this age," Enid gasped, stepping forward, and looking at Jack closely. "Your nose is a little different...but you're all Eric...my dear brother…"
Jack grew concerned as the lady raised a gloved hand to cover her mouth as her quivering voice turned into a sob.
"Oh dear, Enid. Don't cry. This is a happy reunion, yes?" Randall placed a gentle hand on Enid's arm.
"Oh, of course! My brother's son! I never thought I'd see the day I'd get to meet his son. I only wished that we had found him sooner...before...his death...how did he die again?"
"It was a fire in the barn. Pa got trapped and Ma ran in, trying to help him and they both died...I was only fifteen at the time," Jack explained. "Um...would you like to take a seat? My wife can get you some tea if you like?"
"That will not be necessary, Jack, but thank you," Ruth rejected the offer before anyone could answer.
Randall frowned at Ruth's comment. "We can all due to get off our feet. That is for sure."
Jack motioned for them to join him and Rose in the living room. Rose quickly straightened the room up to make it look more presentable.
"Mother? Randall? Hello, what a nice surprise to see you here," Rose greeted as Jack walked over to stand by her side, taking her hand in his, feeling the need for some kind of contact. Somehow, Rose made things seem more grounded for him.
"We were hoping to come earlier, but it couldn't be helped," Ruth forced a smile. She had to admit, she did not care a bit for Enid Dawson. She reminded her of an even more uptight version of herself and the way she gave a disdainful snort when Randall had introduced her made her dislike the woman immediately. It was clear that the woman looked down on her and most likely would look down on Rose as well.
"Rose, may I introduce my Aunt Enid Dawson. She's my father's twin sister," Jack introduced.
Rose gave a welcoming smile and stuck out her hand for a shake. "How do you do? I'm…"
"I know exactly who you are," Enid coldly replied, her gaze turning to ice as she refused Rose's offered hand. "There is no need for introductions."
Both Jack and Rose frowned at the coldness in Enid's voice and how she had refused Rose's offered hand. It was obvious that the woman knew about what had happened with Rose's doomed engagement to Cal and didn't appreciate the rumors at all.
"I am well aware of the scandals that were caused and I cannot say that I approve," Enid continued.
"Enid," Randall frowned, not liking the turn things were taking. "This is Jack's home and Rose is his wife. I believe that it would behoove you to be civil."
Enid just gave a tight smile that did not reach her eyes. "Oh, of course. Forgive me for my rudeness. I am still exhausted from the long train ride and it has not done a thing for my mood. Anyway, this was my brother's home?" Enid turned her back on the frowning couple to look around the cozy-looking room.
"Yes. Pa had it built for my mom when he came here and I grew up here."
"Oh, how quaint. I do hope that it was a happy childhood?"
"It was," Jack simply answered, not really feeling so friendly anymore. He did not appreciate how the woman had reacted to Rose. He looked at Rose as she gave his hand a small squeeze.
"It's ok," Rose whispered, knowing what Jack was feeling at the moment. "It was a scandal. I was expecting this."
"Do you have any pictures of Eric?" Enid asked hopefully.
"Sure. I'll go get them now," Jack nodded, wanting to make an escape, but reluctant to leave Rose alone with the guests, even though her mother would be there.
"Rose, why don't you and I go make some tea after all. I am feeling a bit parched," Ruth smiled, getting back to her feet and taking Rose by the arm.
"Mother…"
"I insist," Ruth escorted her daughter into the kitchen, while Jack disappeared upstairs to retrieve the photos of his parents.
Once in the kitchen, Rose began to go about getting everything prepared to make tea. She was aware that Ruth wanted to get her alone, but she didn't know why.
"That woman is horrid! How dare she!" Ruth began to rant, her eyes sparking with a fire that Jack would say that Rose contained as well.
"It's to be expected mother. I did fake my death. I left Cal for someone else. I am not surprised that it has reached the society pages and I am being judged," Rose sighed, not really wanting to get into it.
"But still! That does not give that woman the right to come here and judge!"
"The fact that I'm married to her nephew kind of does. I mean...mother...she gave me the same look you had given Jack when we had first met. It's probably my turn now."
"Oh pish posh! That is absurd!"
"It's to be expected, Mother, and I'm not going to make a big deal out of it. This is Jack's family...he has a chance to get to know them and I'm not going to get in the way of that. If I have to deal with her judgemental looks, I will because I have nothing to be ashamed of. I only fell in love. With HER nephew. I'm not going to act like I'm sorry at all."
Ruth looked at her daughter and then smiled, feeling pride swell up in her chest. "Well, when you put it that way, I don't feel sorry either. We are prideful women. We will not let that woman get the best of us."
"Exactly," Rose smiled. Finishing off the tea, Rose picked up the tray with cups, a kettle of tea, and some cookies. "Are you ready to go into the snake pit?"
"You have indeed been around that Molly Brown way too much," Ruth sniffed, leading the way back into the living room, where Jack was showing Enid a few of the pictures that he had found.
"Your mother, I take it that she was not from money?" Enid questioned as Rose sat down the tray.
"No, she wasn't. Her family wasn't poor...but they weren't wealthy either. Her parents died a year before my birth though, so I never knew them," Jack sighed.
"Oh, that is tragic. And you've been on your own since you were fifteen?"
Jack simply nodded. "Yeah. I left town right after. I couldn't stand everyone's pity. I rolled out of town and only came back about a year ago. I guess that you can say that I was a tumbleweed blowing in the wind."
"Hmm...how horrid. I do wish I had known. The family would have loved to have you. Especially Mother and Father. They never did get over Eric's disappearance."
"They're still alive?" Jack frowned.
"Of course they are! And they are wanting to meet you as well!" Enid smiled, a slender hand pushing a lock of Jack's hair away from his face. "You'll also have to meet your Uncle Jeffrey, who is now head of the family business. You'll love him. He and your father were so close and your Aunt Janice. She of course is now married, but she visits every summer with her family. They are all going to be excited to meet their long-lost nephew, especially with you being the very image of your father."
"That's great," Jack smiled, feeling a bit uncomfortable. He knew that this woman was his aunt and was probably really close with his father at one point, but he still didn't know her. It was disconcerting having her act so familiar with him as if she's always been a part of his life.
Sensing Jack's discomfort, Randall cleared his throat. "So Jack, where's little Lily? I'm sure that Enid would want to meet your daughter with Rose."
"Um, she's with Tommy at the moment. She's not really used to strangers though. Maybe that meeting can wait."
"Oh, you have a daughter? Already?" Enid's eyes widened.
"She's adopted. Her parents died in the Titanic disaster. A gentleman had used her to get on a lifeboat and then had just abandoned her. So we took her in."
Rose didn't miss Jack leaving out that he and Rose had been separated for a good year before finding each other, but she didn't say anything. She sensed that he was trying to give them a united front. That there had never been a moment when they weren't together.
"Oh, that's so generous of you, especially after such a horrid ordeal," Enid tsked. "Did you know the girl's parents?"
"Yes. They were very kind people. Sadly, they won't get to see her grow up, nor live out the dreams they were looking forward to."
"That awful white star line. We should look into seeing if we can get some compensation, for the girl at least. Of course, finding loving parents to take care of her is a godsend."
"Jack and Rose are very loving parents," Ruth stated, nodding her head.
"Well, I should hope so. Judging from how you raised your daughter, it could be a disaster," Enid huffed.
Rose frowned. She didn't always get along with her mother, but she wasn't about to sit here and let this woman degrade her! "Pardon me, but my mother did the best she could with what she had. She may not have been the warmest mother, but she did try."
"Really? Is that why you ran away from your former fiancee because your mother tried her best to vet the man and was sure he'd be a suitable match? I assumed that Caledon Hockley was a beast with how quickly you ran away from both him and her."
"Excuse me, you have no idea what you are talking about…," Rose was about to go into a tirade but stopped herself, remembering who this woman was and what impression she must be making. "But that is all in the past. Mother has learned her lesson and in that so have I, I'm sure."
"I should hope so. I don't want to have a Dawson child running away from their responsibilities."
"As your brother did," Ruth pursed her lips, unable to help herself.
"Mother!" Rose gasped. Now it was going too far, she was talking about Jack's father.
"I am sorry, but it is the truth. This woman comes here, looking down her nose at you from the start when her own brother had done the same thing you had. Left his family behind for what he deemed was a better life and with a sister like her, I do not blame him!" Ruth got to her feet, her eyes flashing angrily. She glared at Enid Dawson. "I have put up with your rude behavior for hours now, but I will not have it in my daughter's home or towards my daughter or myself! You are being very rude and uncouth for a lady of your stature! I may have made mistakes, but they are mine, just as Rose's are hers. I have my limits...and so does my daughter...and your beloved newfound nephew. I suggest that you don't reach them. Randall, darling. I will be outside waiting for you. I cannot witness this any longer."
Everyone watched in stunned silence as Ruth marched out the door.
"I do apologize," Randall gave an apologetic smile to both Rose and Jack. "Enid, I think we should go. Things have gotten a little too charged and I can tell that Jack is uncomfortable."
"That is not my fault," Enid was indignant. Surely Randall could not be saying she should leave now. She was just getting to know Eric's son.
"I am sure you can come back when things are more calm."
"Well. Fine, I'll go now. But I shall visit again and maybe meet that darling Lily. It was grand to finally meet you, Jack," Enid got to her feet and placed an affectionate hand on his shoulder. She didn't even look at Rose as she followed Randall out the door.
Once they were gone, Rose closed her eyes, feeling awful. That had gone horribly and it was all her fault.
"I am so sorry, Jack. I don't know what had gotten into me. She just started in on mother and…"
"Hey, it wasn't your fault and Ruth was right to go off like that. At least now I know where you had gotten that fire from," Jack went to her and took her hands in his. "I'm the one that's sorry."
"Why are you sorry? You didn't do anything. In fact, this must all be rather daunting for you and the way she kept touching you. Like she always knew you your whole life. That was rather inappropriate. I could see that you were uncomfortable."
"I was...but I understood it. I obviously look a lot like my father. He was her twin. Most twins are really close. It must have been hard for her when he left home. She finds out he died and all that's left is a son that looks like him. That's a lot of emotions she's dealing with. Decorum kind of goes out the window at those times."
Rose chuckled and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "You are always so understanding. No matter the situation."
"Nah, not always. I'm giving her a free pass today, because of the newness of it all, but like your mother said, I have my limits. She keeps up looking down on you and even your mother, she can forget about having any relationship with her brother's family."
"Jack, you don't have to do that. Don't walk always from your family because of me. I can handle myself. I'm not a porcelain doll, alright?"
"I know that Rose. But you are my family. You and Lily. If they can't accept you, they can't accept me. The three of us are a packaged deal and I'm going to make that known, loud and clear."
"I love you," Rose smiled, a tear rolling down her cheek.
Jack smiled, wiping the tear away with his thumb. "I love you, too Rose. Remember that alright? We're a family. We're in this together, no matter what. You jump, I jump."
"You jump, I jump," Rose laughed as Jack claimed her lips in yet another kiss that sealed their vow once again.