My Clarity

Chapter fifteen

At the divine service, which was led by Captain Smith in the dining room, Jack stood beside Molly, as the group was led singing 'Almighty Father Strong to Save.' Miss. DeWitt Bukater was stood central in the crowds with her mother and Hockley beside her, as though she needed entrapment the entire time. Off to one side, Hockley's sour faced valet was against a wall, his sharp eyes across the crowds and finally, when they settled on his own, he seemed to stiffen and smirk, as though Jack was the one that he was seeking out in the crowds. From behind his hymn sheet, Jack glanced to Miss. DeWitt Bukater, who's curls were loose, aside from a partial bit which was swept half up and secured with a butterfly pin. Her gown was of royal blues and beige with a beautiful wrap which she held at her waist closed with her hymn sheet within her dainty white gloved hands. Her face was half concealed with the paper, but she must have felt the heat from his gaze radiating across the room, for soon their eyes caught and Jack found that he couldn't look away for love nor money.

It was as though he had set eyes upon her for the first time, the natural rise and fall of his chest suddenly ceased to a halt as though it was a forgotten task. Stunning, curious emerald eyes locked with his own. His lips parted as he struggled to breathe through his stunned state. The empty, hollow hole in his stomach seemed to fill for the first time in so long that it burned him. He had never felt that before. It was settling and yet, so unsettling at the very same time. It was warm...

''I do believe that you have young Rose blushing.'' Molly whispered, keeping her eyes down and face forward.

She was right. A rosy hue had come across her cheeks. That much was evident from across the lines of people in between them. Suddenly, her eyes left his and there was that cold draught again.

In response to Molly, Jack simply kept his eyes on the hymn sheet but allowed a smirk to pull at his lips, before he garnered a chuckle from her.

''You know that little dance you had with her last night caused quite the stir.''

''Oh, it'll give the little wifey's something to gossip about whilst enjoying their delightful tea.''

''Is that your intention, to stir such a commotion or to play the alpha in a game of cat and mouse with Hockley?'' Molly raised a brow, and Jack exhaled, losing just about where they were on the hymn sheet and the line of words suddenly became senseless.

''Molly, I have no intentions to stir anything or to play a game.''

''Well, Mrs. DeWitt Bukater was in quite a tangle this morning over the way you danced with her daughter and now their little manservant over there has watched her like a hawk would its prey.''

Jack glanced to the valet, who's eyes were on Hockley, and it appeared that something was transpiring wordlessly between them with a series of sharp eyes and small nods.

''You know how these mothers get when it's time for their precious little daughters to marry them off to the highest bidder. As for the tall guy, he's probably on strict orders to keep her locked away.''

''Poor girl will never have any room to breathe. Why do they insist on keeping her on such a tight leash? She is a pistol, that I can say, but one day she will resent her mother for the way of this.''

The hymn drew to a close, and the passengers were seated as the service continued. It was endless. With hymn after hymn, Jack was unable to cease his watch of the family. How she was under such security that even he could feel the severity of the suffocation. Nestled between the two people who were in complete control of her destiny, Rose was seemingly oblivious to the world around her; as though she was so carefully wrapped in cotton that if she did fall from a great height then she would barely feet the impact. What an impact Jack wished to make. Perhaps by going right over there, taking her mouth in the middle of the God damned church service. Perhaps that would ruffle the feathers of society. Clutching his paper, he had realised that his fingers had started to tense, and his body stiffened.