An Exchange in Promise

Chapter two

Chapter two:

The study of the Hockley residence was silent. It was a small room with a dark oak décor. It was lined with cabinets filled with files, sheets and every important document related to the business. At the desk sat a name plate, bearing the words 'Caledon M. Hockley.' Jack felt his jaw tighten as he went into the room, eyeing up just how dark it really was inside. This was the house which sheltered Rose, kept her locked away and he wondered just how eerie and shut off the rest of the house was. It was like a prison, keeping her caged and away from any sign of life which existed outside. Jack remembered just how she had described her life, and how dark and suffocated it was during those few days which they had met and fallen in love, now he was seeing it for himself, he couldn’t help but feel his stomach sink.

''Take a seat.'' Cal offered, calmly and simply. He walked slowly around his side of the desk as he held out his hand to the leather upholstered chair opposite his own, for Jack.

''No. I want to see her.'' Jack's voice was low but firm. His eyes had darkened, the anger from months before seeping back out of every pore.

Cal clamped his mouth shut, breathing deeply as he collected his thoughts. He wore his usual tuxedo minus his jacket. He eyed up Jack's shoddy appearance and quickly sat at his desk.

''Well, I am afraid to disappoint you but Rose is not here.''

''Then, where is she?'' Jack demanded, his voice rising. His eyes had darkened, narrowed and they were almost threatening. Cal then realised that Jack would not give this up lightly. This was a time when he had no hired help nearby. The only option would be to telephone to a policeman but then he knew just what a can of worms this would open. This would have to be dealt with by himself. There would be no scandal. The press would never find out the truth. No one would. They couldn’t.

''Please, take a seat so that we can discuss this.'' He offered, continuing to approach the situation as though it was a business deal which was about to profit him greatly.

''No.''

Standing from the seat, Cal straightened out his shirt. He smirked, this was going to be more difficult than he had initially thought.

''Well, we still have the stubborn bite.'' His eyes narrowed. ''The last time I saw you, taking my fiancée below decks into a sinking ship, well, I thought it would have been the last we ever saw of you.'' He hesitated his next words. ''Of course, Rose came back to me.''

Jack bit his lip harshly, after a minute he took the pressure off knowing it could cause his lip to bleed. He knew that Rose would not have returned so easily to her family – there must have been reasons. There would have been reasons for it. Or she was forced. ''Yes, and if you do not let me see her then your actions from that night will be made known to everybody out here in this shitty city which you call home, where you extend your business.''

Cal laughed at his threat. ''And do you think people here would believe you? An average man, no work, no wife, no family. Nothing?''

''Maybe not. But I am sure it would cause a scandal. I hear you people love the gossip; 'Hockley's fiancée left him for a man with much less money', 'Hockley's jealousy caused him so much anguish it drove him to attempt to shoot at them, missing pitifully','' Jack laughed as he held out his hand to demonstrate the headlines, the chatter which would go on, ''I think them knowing about your behaviour would ruffle the feathers around here. Or at least satisfy the gossips. They might not believe me, call me a crazy fool but you know as well as I do just how much attention it would bring to you and your precious family name. ''

Jack had walked about the desk as though it was his own. Multiple pictures lined the top, he picked them up one by one as he noticed that none of them was of Rose. It was as though she held no importance to the man he stood with.