The Queen's Secret Affair

Chapter 17

Jackie comes up to her private quarters after a long day of meetings. She sits down on the sofa and dials Jack's number. Again it just rings and ring and goes to voicemail. The last time she talked to him was the day before. He had told her he had a lot of meetings and had been busy, he would call her back once he got up from his nap. The call never came. She figured he's been busy with all that is going on with the hotel he has invested in and he acquired a new boat to add to his vast shipping business.

He'll probably call me later on tonight, she thinks to herself.

Just as she sets her phone down on the end table, she notices a white envelope with her name on it in Jack's handwriting. Curious as to what could be the contents she opens it and sees a paper folded in threes. Taking it out and unfolding it she begins to read it...

Dearest Jackie,

It is very hard for me to write this letter as this will be the last time you will ever hear from me. I love you very much and I wish we could be together but we can't. I have come to the painful realization that I don't want you to have to choose between your country and me. When I truly think about it, we could never be together as too many would-be against us being together. The last thing I would ever want to happen is to be the reason your citizens turn against you.

I have read somewhere "if you love someone, set them free; if they come back to you, it was meant to be." Sadly for us, I don't think we'll ever get to be together. Maybe in another lifetime, we could be together. Just know I love you very much Jacqueline Bouvier, and I will never forget you or the time we spent together. You are a very special lady and any man would be the luckiest man in the world to be your husband.

Love Jack

She re-reads the letter a second time to make sure she read it correctly the first time. After the third time, she lets the paper fall from her hands and the tears begin to stream down her face. She can't believe what she just read. The love of her life is  gone forever. The one ray of happiness in her cloudy skies was gone. First, she lost her beloved father, and now Jack. She cries as the hurt she feels hurts so bad she can feel it in her soul.

Lee is about to grab the doorknob to enter her sister's suite when she hears her crying on the other side of the door. Slowly she opens the door.

"Jackie... are you ok?" she inquires. All she hears is the sounds of her sister crying.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Lee asks when she sees her sister's face. Makeup running down her face. She goes over to her sister and kneels beside her.

"Jackie, what is wrong? Talk to me!" Lee exclaims, afraid something wrong has happened or worse her sister is having a nervous breakdown. Since their father's death, Jackie had become withdrawn and more to herself. Sadly she never got to grieve as she had to take over right away. She had to be strong for everyone.

"He's gone Lee, he's gone," is all Jackie can get out between the sobs.

"I know Jackie, I know it's hard, but just think he is in a better place. He's not here suffering anymore," Lee replies trying to console her sister.

Trying to regain her composure, Jackie gets up and heads to her bedroom to get a tissue. Lee quickly follows behind her to make sure she doesn't do anything drastic.

Jackie collapses on the bed before grabbing a pillow and holding it tight.

"Jackie, it's going to be alright. Dad wouldn't want you so upset like this."

"No Lee, it's Jack," Jackie replies.

"What about him? Oh no nothing bad has happened to him?"

"No, he's fine at least I hope he is. He left me, Lee, it's all over," Jackie says before burying her face in the pillow.

"What do you mean he left you? You just told me a week ago you and Jack were talking about getting married. I thought everything was fine and you two were happy?"

"I thought so too, but I guess it was all a front," Jackie sobs through the pillow.

"Did he call you and tell you this?" Lee inquires, trying to figure out where everything went wrong.

Jackie shakes her head, "he wrote me a letter, that's on the living room floor," her voice muffled by the pillow.

Lee gets up and goes back to the living room from where they just left. She sees the paper on the floor, picks it up, and begins to read it. By the time she finishes she feels for her eldest sister. The love of her life is just up and gone without any real explanation. For some reason, Lee feels like Jack's reasoning as to why he is ending his relationship with her sister doesn't sound very solid.

She goes back to her sister's room and sits with her.

"Jacks I'm going to call mom and John so we can sit with you. You don't need to be by yourself tonight, I'll stay here with you."

Without a word, Jackie just nods her head as the tears continue to flow forward.

An hour later Janét comes out of Jackie's bedroom after finally getting her to calm down. She joins Lee in the hallway and they make their way to the living room.

"She's finally calmed down and went to sleep. Oh, I hate to see her like this," Janét says sitting down on the sofa.

"I know, I feel like it's all too much for her. First, she lost Daddy, I don't think she ever got over losing him, now Jack is gone too," Lee says sadly.

"Maybe it's for the best, Lee. For her and Jack not to be together I mean," Janét says going into the kitchen to make herself some tea.

"How mother? Jackie truly loved Jack and from what she told me he loved her. They were talking about getting married. It's just crazy for him to up and just leave her like this. There has to be a reason why!"

"Maybe it's another woman," Janét says as she pours the boiling water into the mug, "I've heard American men are notorious for having multiple women and being unfaithful."

"No I don't think so," Lee replies sitting down at the island opposite her mother, "I've seen them, Jack is crazy about Jackie."

"That doesn't mean anything, my dear. Mr. Kennedy maintains a home here and back where ever he is from. Who knows when he goes home if he was handling business like he said he was. Men play games, and they are very good at lying about their whereabouts," Janét counters before taking a sip of the steamy liquid.

"I don't think so mother, Jack doesn't seem like the type."

"I wouldn't put it passed him, Lee. You would be surprised at those who hurt the ones closest to them."