Rose tried to push the thoughts of Cal and her mother out of her mind. She hoped that Cal was out of her life forever, but when she thought about her mother, she sometimes had a guilty feeling. Even though Ruth had sacrificed Rose's happiness for financial security, she must be feeling some sadness at the death of her daughter.

"Am I right in continuing to allow Mother to think I am dead?" she wondered.

Rose and her mother had never been close and since her father had died, Ruth had become more distant and formal that ever.

"For right now, I have to let things be this way." thought Rose.

That part of her life was over and that was that. The freedom of going and saying what she wanted, and doing what pleased her, meant more to her than all the money in the world.

"Now I have to deal with Jack," Rose said to herself, as she looked into the mirror. "My God, I look so thin, so pale. I don't even look like myself. How can he possibly want me."

When she and Jack first met, things had been simple. There were no responsibilities, just the carefree shipboard existence. The only crucial thing had been to stay out of the way of Cal, Ruth and the dour Lovely. But now it seemed that things were very different.

Rose wondered what Jack must really think of her. She had been so forward and bossy when she had asked him to draw her and make love to her. But she loved him and she hoped and thought that he still cared for her.

"Surely he wouldn't have sat by my side and looked so worried about me, otherwise," she told herself.

That night on Titanic, Jack didn't seem to be taking advantage of her. He had blushed enough when she took her robe off and as for the other, well ........he had looked into her eyes before they began as if to search her soul. And he had been so gentle.

"What is done, is done," thought Rose.

She wanted to be with Jack and do all the things that they had talked about. But then what? Jack was a free spirit, while she had led a very sheltered life. She would be hopeless and helpless as a wife.

"Marriage?" thought Rose.

That topic had never come up. Somehow she didn't see Jack settling down. And when he did, he needed a helpmate, not a stone around his neck.

Rose finally got the bow tied and started brushing her hair. Maybe she should tell him that they should not see each other again, that they were not right for each other. But then she remembered the pain she had caused him when she sent him away before.

"NO, that is not the solution either."

Somehow, she felt that in spite of the great differences between them, they were still soulmates.

Rose focused her attention back on getting ready for Jack. Perhaps she should take a page out of Jack's book. Just let things happen, as he did, and see what develops.

"He'll be here any minute now," she remembered.

She looked at the clock in her room. It was 9:50 A.M. Jack had said he would be there at ten. Now she began to panic. Tell him yes, no, nothing? But there was no time. She heard his footsteps in the hall.