October came and went, and soon, along with the autumn chill, James returned from Europe. By now, Rose was certain that James knew that she was pregnant with Jack's child. There wasn't any way that she could hide it from him any longer. She was now almost seven months into her pregnancy and she still hadn't found a way to get Jack back to her before the baby was due. Jack might not have had much of an education, but he certainly wasn't an idiot. She couldn't just tell him that she had gone into labor, for it was much too soon for the baby to come, but if Jack came when she did go into labor, it would be too late anyway, for the baby would have already been born.
*****
Jack, meanwhile, was a busy man in Wisconsin. He wanted to be in his new home before the end of the year and was working like a madman to get it finished by mid-December. It was currently early November–nearly seven months after the Titanic's sinking. Already, he'd been in America for seven months, known and loved Rose for seven months, and he'd been a father-to-be for seven months. Jack wondered if Rose actually wanted his child…he wanted to be there for his child's birth, but he had no way of knowing when Rose would go into labor.
November in Wisconsin had always been beautiful. The trees were beautiful shades of orange and red, and the ground was covered in a mixture of brown, orange, red, and yellow. Jack sighed as his eyes scanned the scenery. He'd wanted to enjoy this beautiful season with Rose–in fact, by now, he'd probably be married to her already. He wasn't much of a marrying man, nor was he one to even stay with a woman for longer than a week or two, but Rose was different. She was so much more different than those other women. Jack was in love with Rose; he loved her more than anything. She was his entire life–the only reason that he was still breathing–and she wanted nothing to do with him.
Jack knew that she was lying to herself when she told herself that she loved James, but what hurt him was the fact that she refused to admit it to herself that she didn't love James. Jack knew that Rose's love for him was still there, but she just didn't know how to access it again. Jack really loved her and wanted her in his arms, to prove her wrong and tell her that he loved her, but he knew that it would never happen. What Jack didn't know was that, secretly, Rose wanted him to come and take her away again. But Jack had already tried that, and now, he had decided, Rose had to come to him if she wanted him again. But at this point, he was sure that she wouldn't. And even if she did, Jack probably couldn't take her back. No, he wouldn't. There wasn't a single thing that she could do that could change the past and take away the pain that she had caused him.
Rose had hurt Jack emotionally more than the Titanic had physically on that terrible night seven months ago. He had opened his heart to her, given her the first taste of his lips, and had even given her his virginity, only to have her drop everything and forget about him completely. And suddenly, he was furious with her. He hated her for hurting him like this, for happening to be the mother of his child…with an axe in his hand, Jack took out his anger on a nearby tree.
*****
That night, Rose felt as if something were wrong. Her heart ached and she felt sad…more depressed than she had been. She felt as if something were missing, and she knew what that something was. Jack. Rose didn't blame him if he were mad at her. He had every right in the world. She admitted to herself that she loved Jack, but it was too late. She and James were to marry in a month, and by now, the preparations were almost complete and it was too late for her to say no. She had to go through with it.
But wasn't she in a similar situation with Cal? It almost seemed the same, despite James being more kind…but James would allow her to back out of the marriage; Cal would have hit her had she suggested as much. This time, also, Rose was seven months pregnant with another man's child–a man who was labeled a street rat. But what Rose feared the most was the fact that, most likely, her father would not approve of her marrying beneath her. It had been a while since Rose had lived with Joseph, for she had lived with the crude and careless Ruth–who had forced the thought into her mind that all high society adults would never approve of Rose marrying beneath her–for many years. Ruth wasn't even her birth mother.
Rose's real mother, Melanie Smith Bukater, had died during childbirth–Rose's birth. Previously, Melanie had delivered Rose's elder brother, William Bukater–a brother who she had yet to meet and have contact with–with many complications. But Joseph and Melanie had desperately wanted a daughter, and Melanie had lost her life to experience the joy of motherhood once more. Joseph had mused on many occasions how much Rose was like Melanie. It was possible, he said, that Melanie's departing soul was awakened within Rose, and so, Rose was her mother. Joseph had also said that Melanie could have convinced him of anything, but Rose still had her doubts. Why would Joseph approve of her marrying beneath herself? She was basically his only child, after he disinherited William after a terrible scandal…and ironically enough, Melanie was born in the lower class and Joseph had married her.
Rose had to do her duty to her father and marry James. It was the right thing to do, she felt. And yet everything about that statement sounded wrong.