AN UNFORGETTABLE JOURNEY
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Rose could feel the icy cold water against
her skin. She couldn't understand why she would be in water so cold. Everything
was so dark; she couldn't even see where she was. Instinctively, she knew that
Jack was there. "Jack! Where are you?" she cried out. Rose swallowed
hard as she felt the fear build up inside of her. Jack didn't answer. Suddenly,
Rose felt herself sink underneath the water. She gasped for air, desperately
trying to reach the surface again. As she was kicking for the surface, she felt
someone bump into her in the water. Then, she saw Jack's lifeless face sink
further and further down into the depths of the dark ocean. She had tried to
grab him, tried to pull him to the surface with her. But it was no use. She
wasn't strong enough. She broke the surface alone and screamed.
*****
When Nora and Diane ran into Jack and Rose's
room after hearing her scream, they found that she was thrashing around
violently in bed, crying out Jack's name. Nora ran over to her future
sister-in-law and tried to wake her. Rose sat up abruptly in bed, breathing
heavily. "Jack! Where's Jack? He--he was in the water. I--I couldn't get
him out. Oh, God! Don't take him from me, please!" she cried out in agony.
She was only half-awake, still thinking that Jack had lost his life to the
ocean.
"Shh. It was a dream, Rose. Jack's safe.
He's at the Bakers' house, remember? You're getting married tomorrow,"
Nora said softly as Diane sat down on the bed. Diane had stayed the night, not
wanting to intrude on Jack and Jesse's last moments of male bonding. She hated
to think that Jack would soon be a taken man. She watched as Rose slowly began
to calm down. It was then that she realized for the first time that Rose really
did love Jack. The look in her eyes when she had thought that her nightmare was
real would stay with Diane for a long time. Knowing that Rose really loved Jack
eased Diane's mind a little. At least now she knew that he wouldn't be hurt.
But it didn't lessen her own pain any. She was hopelessly in love with Jack,
always had been, and always would be. They stayed until Rose fell asleep again,
and then left for Nora's room quietly.
*****
It was a couple of hours before dawn when
Rose awoke with a start. Someone was in her room. When her eyes adjusted to the
dark, she realized that the person in the room was holding a gun. The gun was
pointed right at Rose. Before Rose could scream, the man spoke. "I
wouldn't scream, Miss DeWitt Bukater. If you make a sound, I'll not only kill
your precious Jack, but I will also kill everyone in this house." Rose
immediately shut her mouth. She recognized the voice clearly. The man standing
in her room was none other then Mr. Norton Buff, Cal's new manservant.
"Why are you here?" she whispered.
Mr. Buff laughed quietly. "Mr. Hockley
has sent me to bring you back home, Miss. After all, your wedding to Mr.
Hockley is only three weeks away."
Now it was Rose's turn to laugh. "When
will Mr. Hockley realize that I am a taken woman? I am marrying my fiancé
tomorrow. It is over between Mr. Hockley and myself. It's time that he realized
that."
Mr. Buff stepped closer to Rose. "You
will come with me, Miss. If you don't, then the Dawsons will die. Do I make
myself clear?"
Rose swallowed nervously. How would she get
out of this one? "Will you please turn your back to me so I can at least
make myself decent?" Rose knew that she had no choice. She had to go with
him. She couldn't stand the thought of Jack and his family being harmed, or
worse, because of her.
"Yes, but remember, I do have a gun. If you
try anything, I won't hesitate to kill the Dawsons," he said as he turned
so Rose could get dressed.
She could hear the cold truth in his voice.
Any thought of escape left her mind then. A moment later she was dressed and
facing him once again. "Okay. I will go with you quietly, but you have to
promise that no harm will come to the Dawson family, including Jack."
"You have my word. All that Mr. Hockley
is interested in is taking you as his wife. No harm will come to Jack if you
obey Mr. Hockley and do what he asks."
Rose nodded. She desperately tried to hide
the fear that she felt. She didn't want Mr. Buff or Cal to see how terrified
she was. Jack, I'm so sorry. I have no choice. I can't let any harm come to
you and your family, she thought to herself, hoping that Jack would be able
to move on with his life. It's over, Jack. We've lost. He'll never let us be
happy, she thought sadly. She knew now that Cal was obsessed with her. He
had to be to have still believed that their wedding would still go on. Now it
looked as if it would.
"Gather your things. Then, we will
leave. You will also write a note to Mr. Dawson, telling him that you've
changed your mind about your upcoming marriage to him."
Rose did as she was told. A few minutes
later, they left quietly in the night, leaving the note that would break Jack's
heart behind. But what Mr. Buff didn't know was that Rose had left something
else behind also. The object's deep blue color sparkled in its hiding place in
the bottom drawer of the desk. Rose hoped that somehow Jack would find a way
for them to be together, but she doubted that he would. It was now too dangerous
for both him and his family to hope for a future together. Rose hoped that Jack
would think of the necklace as a reminder of the love that they shared, and
would always share. That was all she could give him now.