Chapter 29
Getting to Know You
Harry
I haven't seen Victoria look as well as she did since we were on board Titanic. The gown that she had on was a perfect color for her. Her hair was held in place by the clips that matched the dress. Everything was perfect. As I led her down the hall and to the elevator, I couldn't help but see that men in the hall would stop and stare at her. It made me proud to see that she was getting attention and it made me feel even better that she chose me. Out of everyone she could have picked, she picked me.
We arrived in the breakfast area where Shannon, Rose, Jack, Victoria's father and a few people I didn't recognize were already seated. When Victoria and I came through the door and approached the table, the men stood up, even Jack who took a cue from Rose as to what to do.
"Victoria, you look lovely honey. You really do." Victoria's dad looked her up and down as she leaned in so he could kiss her.
"Thanks to you and your friends plus the wonderful help that you have hired for Shannon and me, it was easy." She turned to face Mr. Metcalfe's friends. "My father explains that you are responsible for this. I do thank you. Very much." Gracefully as she spoke, she sat down in the chair I had pulled out for her.
I looked around the table before taking the empty seat next to her. Victoria motioned to me. "May I introduce Titanic's Fifth Officer Harold Lowe? We met on board Titanic and after being rescued by Officer Lowe, we are now engaged."
I watched the astonished glances exchanged between the people we were with. A man in his middle 50's spoke up.
"Well, Officer Lowe. Looks like you got a winner."
I nodded as I tried to swallow a drink of water I had just taken without choking. I wasn't expecting that kind of response. "Thank you kind sir. I do believe I agree with you. I couldn't be happier." I looked at Victoria as I spoke. She had an elegant smile on her face. She was glowing. She was everything her breeding, finishing school and education taught her to be.
"My manners, please excuse me." He stood up to walk around the table to introduce himself. I stood as well. "My name is Henry Williams and this is my wife, Helen." He motioned to a petite lady sitting next to him who politely smiled when she was referenced. "James and I have known each other some time now. Ever since this one was a little kid." He pointed to Shannon. "I've watched both girls grow from a baby in their parents' arms to beautiful young ladies who have matured seemingly over night." Mr. Williams looked over both Shannon and Torie before sitting back down and nodding approvingly at both Mr. Metcalfe as well as me. He turned his attention to Rose and Jack. "I don't believe I've met the both of you."
Jack looked at Rose and she nodded at Victoria who spoke up. "Mr. Williams, may I introduce Jack and Rose Dawson. They are dear friends of ours from England. They too were on board Titanic when the disaster struck. Mr. Lowe not only saved me from the water, he also saved Jack and Rose who were just married before they set sail."
Mr. Williams again was impressed, "My, Officer Lowe. What a man you are. Courageous and look at the fiancé you've got to boot. No wonder you're proud of him, James."
Mr. Metcalfe nodded, "Yes, sir I am." He looked at me then at Torie again. "I don't know what I would have done if Officer Lowe wasn't there when he was there. Such great timing and good luck he has. For saving my daughter as well as our dear friends, Jack and Rose Dawson, I am forever indebted." He picked up his glass. "To Officer Lowe and my daughter. May they be as happy as Angela and I were." We all picked up our glasses to toast to the two of them.
"My mother's name was Angela." Torie whispered in my ear. "Father rarely talks about her. I think the memory of her dying while my sister was being born really shook him up. Father always wanted another child but the doctors told my mother it'd be dangerous, but she went along anyway. I think there is still some guilt in that he thinks that he was responsible for my mother's death. He wasn't. The doctor said her body just simply couldn't take it anymore."
I noticed a tear forming in Torie's eyes. "Dear, I'm so sorry." I gave her hand a reassuring squeeze under the table.
The rest of the breakfast was just small talk. Mr. Metcalfe and Mr. Williams discussed business mainly while Mrs. Williams spoke with Rose and Torie. She was eager to learn of Torie's and my wedding plans and we were ashamed to admit, we didn't have any. But Torie handled it well, making up things as she went along. I turned my attention to Jack who seemed thoroughly bored with the whole situation.
"Bored are we?" I waited for him to snap out of his boredom-induced trance.
"Somewhat. I really don't know what to say. Rose has been around all this society stuff but I haven't. I have to just make stuff up as I go along. I don't want to say the wrong thing or embarrass Rose or Mr. Metcalfe so I think it's best if I just sit here and smile and let them handle everything. You know how women are anyway. They like it."
I got a small amount of satisfaction from what Jack said. "You're right. But I think you're doing well. You look great. Did Mr. Metcalfe send that up to you as well?"
Jack nodded, "Yes he did, or well, his friends down there did. They also sent up 3 or 4 really fancy dresses for Rose. One of them doesn't fit but Mr. Metcalfe told us if they didn't fit we could have them altered or we could just go pick out more and charge them to our room. I feel bad about that, you know? I'm taking his money and what can I do for him? Work for him to pay it back? If I did that, I'd be working for the rest of my natural life then I'd still be working well beyond my natural life."
I noticed Torie and Rose watching us.
"Wonder what the boys are talking about?"
Rose looked at Torie and leaned in closely and whispered to her, but it was still loud enough for us to hear. "Man talk. You know how that goes. We're not privy enough to hear what is going on. We better act like we don't see them, nod politely and bat our eyes at our men then go back to small talk about cotillions, finishing school ways of thinking and child rearing since that's all we're good at."
Torie looked at Rose, "You're right. These manly conversations leave me a bit cold." She looked at me, her eyes sparkling with laughter. "It isn't proper for a lady of breeding to interrupt her male counterparts while they're speaking anyway. We'll just do what you said: pretend we didn't hear them and continue talking softly until they realize we do know what they are talking about and perhaps they'll pick up on that and rescue us from this hell hole and take us outside for a walk while the sun is still up and it's not blistering cold." Both Rose and Torie looked at Jack and me.
Rose spoke again, "Think they got the hint?"
Torie shook her head, "Probably not. You know how men are."
I looked at Jack who playfully nudged Rose in the ribs. I turned to face Torie. "We get it. We get it."
Torie stood up, "Father, Officer Lowe, Rose and Jack and I are going to take a short tour of this area of New York. Jack and Rose have never seen this area."
Her father nodded and I arose helping Torie out of her seat. Jack took the same cue and helped Rose as well.
"Thanks, man." He whispered as we walked out together into the bright sunlight. Jack and Rose took off one direction towards the shops where Mr. Metcalfe's friends had bought the dresses and Torie and I took off in the opposite direction.
"Tell me more about your mother if it's not too painful."
Torie looked at me. "No, it's not. You deserve to know." She took my arm and together we went on our walk. "My parents met a few years before I was born. They had a very short courtship in just the same manner as ours. I'm not really sure how they met. But they did and my sister and I were the products of that. When I was born, father was away more than he was home. He was traveling all over England and Scotland as well as Wales and even sailed to America a few times. I'm not really sure how my sister got ordered in the first place considering he was never here, but when my mother was pregnant with Shannon, something changed. Father was home for months on end and was always here playing with me and looking after my mother. I know the last months of her pregnancy were difficult and I couldn't understand why my mother couldn't get out of bed. Father hired Belinda to take care of me and hired a lady named Allison to take care of my mother. When my mother passed, Allison left to go back to Wales to be with her family rather than stay with us. But Belinda did turn us on to Melissa who was hired to take care of Shannon. Father turned to alcohol when Mother died."
Torie stopped to look at me. I was engaged in her story and it was evident by the look in my eyes so she smiled and went on.
"There were many nights when Shannon was too young to remember or comprehend that Father was too drunk to come home so he'd sleep it off at a pub or a neighbor's house to keep us from seeing him. Belinda, Franklin and Melissa knew what was going on. I realized it slowly that something wasn't right, but our attendants all did their job to keep it hidden from us and to keep us out of danger. I don't know what made Father change his ways, but he did. He just quit drinking all together one day and tucked both Shannon and me into his bed, told us he loved us and from that day forward, he never touched the bottle again." She stopped to admire a blooming tree off to the side of the road and then looked at me again.
"Sounds like your father had it rough. I have never been married before but I can see why he did what he did. It was obvious by his actions he loved your mother very much and was very distraught by her death. He didn't mean to turn to alcohol to console himself or to abandon you or Shannon, but it happened. Are you or were you angry at your father then or now?
Torie stopped to think about her answer before she spoke. When the right words came to her, she quietly spoke. "I used to be. Once I got older and realized how selfish Father was, I was quite angry with him. But then I stopped to realize that he didn't know what else to do. Mother was supposed to be here to help raise Shannon and me. Instead, she was gone, Father's only knowledge was business not family and what else could he do? He did the best that he could. I know he loves both Shannon and me and would do anything for us." She motioned that she wanted to sit down so I led her to a bench with a huge oak tree hanging over it to get us out of the sun. She dusted off the planks on the bench before sitting down. "Damn corset makes everything difficult." I looked at her, astonished. She looked at me again. "You have no idea what this damn thing does to me. I can't eat, I can barely move and my insides feel as if they are being pushed outside. I hate this thing."
"I wish I could say I knew what you mean, but if I did say that, I'd probably be looked at in a not so kind manner." Torie laughed at the thought of me in a corset. "So I can't say that. I will say when we are married, you don't have to wear one if you don't want to. They look like they hurt and I did see a bruise or two on your mid section when you took yours off when we were on the Titanic and Carpathia."
"They hurt badly. But it's part of being a lady I guess." Torie stood up. "Care to walk some more?" She held out her arm and this time I was the one who took it.
A/N: Roses are red. Violets are blue. Reviews are sweet, so make it your New Year's Resolution to be sweet to me by leaving me a review!
