The streetlamps were lit long before Cal left the office. The orange glow from their flickering flames floated past the Packard's windows as the driver made his way through the city. Though his gaze remained fixed to the passing view, Cal's mind was elsewhere.

His meeting with the lawyer had gone well enough. Despite the man's initial surprise and his cautioning Cal to take some time to think over this decision, all it took was Cal's insistence to get him to comply. Anyone who worked for a Hockley knew, their orders were not to be questioned. His lawyer assured him their firm would handle the legal proceedings as quickly and discretely as possible. That just left…well, everything else.

He would need to set up a room for Evelyn, one in each of his houses. She needed clothes and toys and things for school. Finding a governess to watch and teach her was essential. If he was going through all this effort to give the girl a home, he sure as hell wasn't going to send her away. Cal thought back to when he and his sister were children. His father had strongly suggested they each be sent to preparatory schools, and they might have gone if their kindhearted mother hadn't intervened. Anne Hockley was, after all, the only person on planet earth who was able to look her husband in the eye, tell him 'No,' and get her way without incurring his wrath.

Thinking of his mother, Cal worried about how she was faring in the wake of the accident. She loved Rose, almost as much as he did, and though he knew that losing her intended daughter-in-law would break the kind woman's heart, he hoped that gaining another grandchild might help to ease her pain.

Before Cal could dwell on his own feelings of loss, the car stopped in front of his brownstone and he quickly got out. Ever since arriving in New York two days ago, Cal felt as if he had to keep moving, both in body and in thought. His grief stalked him like a hungry predator, waiting for any moment of calm to attack, dragging him back to that state of panic that seized him on the Carpathia. But if he kept moving, kept busy, he found he could keep the monster at bay. At least until evening when he lay down to sleep. Then, all bets were off.

Cal had just entered the foyer and was removing his hat when a shrill scream pierced the air. Time froze, his heart stopped and before he knew it he was up the stairs, sprinting down the carpeted corridor and flinging open the guest lavatory. The steam from a freshly poured bath billowed around him, escaped through the open doorway and revealed the source of the outburst. Evelyn, dwarfed in the red cashmere of Cal's bathrobe, was desperately fighting the grip of one of his maids. The exasperated woman, Hannah, held the robe by the sleeve, from which Evelyn's arm had escaped as she leaned as far away -while still being trapped within the oversized garment- as she could. Evelyn continued to wail as she swatted at her captor with the excess sleeve around her other arm.

"What's going on here?" Cal demanded, asserting himself upon the chaotic scene.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Hockley, but she just won't cooperate with me. I drew her this perfectly nice bath and she reacts as if I mean to drown her."

Cal cast his gaze to the tub then back at the child. Compared to her small size, it was an enormously gaudy thing, currently holding enough water for two adults, let alone one little girl. Sensing the issue, Cal let out the breath he had been holding. He gave Hannah a look and she released the sleeve, allowing Evelyn to pull away before wrapping his robe even tighter around herself. The tension slipped from Cal's shoulders as he knelt down, meeting Evelyn at her level.

"Is it the water?" He asked, his voice low and gentle.

Evelyn nodded, swallowing her sobs as she wiped her nose on the fine red fabric.

"I understand…I have another idea. Come with me." And rising, he offered her his hand. She took it, and followed him out of the room, stumbling over the adult-sized bathrobe all the while. Hannah came too when he called her, the three of them passing through Cal's master bedroom to the adjacent washroom. At first, Evelyn pulled back when she saw another bathtub, this one even larger than the last. But Cal bypassed the basin and instead approached a contraption in the corner. To the little girl, it looked like an odd, human-sized bird cage. It was made of ascending metal rings with an opening on one side and stood atop a porcelain base with a small round grate in the center. There were shiny metal nobs and when Cal turned them, water sprinkled down from a faucet that was attached at the top.

Evelyn gasped and looked up at Cal with wonder in her eyes. He gave her a tired smile and put his hand under the stream, showing her that it was safe.

When Cal first heard about showers, he'd brushed them off as a passing novelty. But after seeing one in a friend's home in Boston, and never a man to be outdone when it came to luxury, Cal had his own shower installed a month later. They were certainly quicker than taking a bath, and he appreciated the overall efficiency. Now, he hoped, this contraption would have an additional purpose.

"See? It's just like rain. Nothing to be afraid of. And you can step out any time. Give it a try."

Evelyn cast a nervous glance at Cal before cautiously approaching the shower. Rolling up one sleeve, she carefully put a tiny hand under the water, smiling when she felt how warm it was.

"You'll be fine." Cal said, running a hand over her curls as he stepped around the child. "Hannah, help her. You can use this room for her bathing from now on. Just clean up afterward."

"Yes, Sir, Mr. Hockley."

Assured that the crisis had been averted, Cal left, retreating to his study for a much-needed brandy and cigar. He quickly downed a glass before pouring himself another. Having left his work at the office, Cal was anxious for something to occupy his attention, otherwise dreading the spiraling thoughts and dark lamentations that threatened to creep in. He glanced at his desk and examined a small collection of messages that had been left for him. All of them, he was disappointed to find, were from Mrs. Dewitt Bukater.

She had booked a funeral home but couldn't decide on a casket style. She didn't know if they were expected leave it empty or put something of Rose's inside and wanted Cal's opinion on which of her gowns he'd liked best. She claimed to be mortified that the paster she had wanted to give the eulogy had a previous commitment that same day and was now unavailable. And oh, how embarrassing it will be to have the second-best option for such an important occasion.

Tossing the messages aside, Cal rubbed his hands over his face. He pressed the heel of his palms against his eyes, hard enough, he hoped, to blot out the image of that awful woman's words. After the funeral, he told himself, he would never have to see her again. That was, perhaps, the one good thing to come from such a miserable loss.

As tears of guilt and regret threatened to rise, Cal quickly wiped his face and drew a sheet of stationary from the flat wooden box to his right. Uncapping a fountain pen, he began writing his mother, letting her know that he would soon return home to Pittsburgh, just as soon as his business in New York was concluded.

"I'll be away a week at most, and I'll be sure to wire you once I have the exact date and time of my arrival…"

Cal paused, debating how much sentiment he should include. Part of him wanted to pour his heart onto the page, to ask his mother to invite Cora and her family so he could see them as soon as they arrived. But, knowing his father would likely read the letter as well, Cal thought better of it. Besides, he'd already called home and spoke briefly with his parents, so they were already aware of his survival and the loss of his fiancé. And he knew he needn't request Cora's presence for she was undoubtedly already at the house, fretting away with their mother, with her husband and two children in tow. As much as he wanted to speak with his mother and sister, and ask their advice about what to do with Evelyn, those conversations could wait until he saw them in person. Going home would be hectic, but at least with most of his family, Cal could let down his guard down and stop pretending like he had any clue what the hell he was doing.

Picking up his pen again, Cal added, "I'm bringing a guest with me…" and made a vague request for his mother to prepare a room. Until the adoption was finalized, he couldn't risk telling her more. If Cal's father found out what he was planning to do, he would obliterate the process before it could even begin. Nathan Hockley had controlled every aspect of his son's life since the day he was born. But this was one act of compassion that he couldn't destroy. Like it or not, the elder Hockley was about to have a new granddaughter.

Evelyn... Evelyn Hockley.