A Titanic Tale - Chapter 6
Oliver was hardly able to pay attention to the service. He didn't know if he should feel angry, sad or relieved. Holly was not only pregnant, but she had a child verging on toddler's age in her arms. What was the story here? She looked as beautiful as ever. Pregnancy suited her. She looked radiant, a look Oliver never saw on her while they were together, Oliver realised sadly.
The moment the service ended, Oliver made his way to the other side of the aisle and waited for her to catch a glimpse of him.
Shane looked at Oliver standing there with his back to her. She looked at Joe with a questioning expression. Joe slid towards her and simply said: "Holly!"
Shane gulped and looked to the other side, trying to guess which woman was Holly.
Joe got up and offered her his arm. She took it automatically, not focusing on anything else other than Oliver. They reached Oliver and Joe said, "We'll wait for you in the house, Ollie."
Oliver grabbed Joe's arm. "Dad, is that William Greenberg, the baker, with her?" Oliver asked incredulously.
Joe looked at Holly and the man with her and he nodded. "Yes, it is!" He said flatly, but an edge in his voice indicated Joe was fuming and mightily attempting to contain his ire.
By now Holly and William had stood up to leave and saw Oliver and Joe… and the beautiful blonde holding on to Joe's arm.
The church was emptying quickly. "Hello Holly, William!" Oliver said, trying to sound indifferent while trying to control his temper, which was rising at a frightful speed.
"Hi…" They both said uncertainly.
"How are you? What a surprise to see you guys here, and in a family way no less!" Oliver said angrily, finally losing the grip on his temper.
Father Patric, who had waved the last goodbye of the day to his parishioners, came back in. The minute he saw the little group standing there, he smiled broadly and said, "Ah, let me introduce you. Joe and Oliver O'Toole and Miss McInerney, this is William and Holly Greenberg and little Ryan. They are also from our beloved Ireland."
Oliver smiled sarcastically. "William and Holly Greenberg, huh?" He glared at them. "How did you manage that?"
Father Patric suspected he had missed something when he saw how tense everyone looked.
"Father Patric, let me introduce you to William Greenberg and Holly O'Toole, my wife!" Oliver said bitterly.
The priest's jaw dropped. "What?" He said, appalled and mystified.
"Oliver?" Joe said, "Shane and I will wait for you in the house." Oliver nodded. He looked quickly at Shane and gave her an almost imperceptible nod that only she noticed. Or so he thought.
###
Father Patric took control of the situation. "Let's all sit down and start from the beginning, please."
Oliver started. "Do you want to tell him, or shall I, Holly? Although I think by now whatever you say will be highly questionable, don't you think?"
All of a sudden William decided to contribute to the conversation. "Hang on a minute, Oliver; you don't get to talk to my wife like this."
Oliver laughed a loud and sarcastic laugh. "Your wife? Unless women in America are allowed to be polygamous, Holly's still MY wife." He glared at William, speaking in a tone that verged on shouting.
"Please, everybody, let's calm down." Father Patric entreated, and then continued calmly. "Who's going to tell me more about this?"
Oliver took a deep breath. "Holly abandoned me in Dublin almost two years ago. She left a note saying she was sick of her boring life in Ireland and she was moving to New York. I didn't know she was running away with our local baker's son."
Father Patric looked at Holly, who was holding Ryan on her lap. He was playing with the ribbon on her fancy hat. "Holly? Is this true?"
"Yes, Father, it is." This was the first time Holly spoke.
"Why didn't you ask him for a divorce, child?"
"I fell in love with William, Father. He's like me, ambitious." She looked lovingly at William, who smiled back. "As you know, we already have two bakeries in Manhattan and we're about to open two more; one in Queens and one in Brooklyn. Oliver never dreamed of even trying to get a better job or leave the post office. I needed somebody with the same drive as me. I was dying inside married to him."
Father Patric looked from William to Oliver. "This does not excuse adultery, Holly. You could have asked him for a divorce. Why put him through this heartache?"
Holly smirked, oozing sarcasm and decided to throw fuel on the fire. "Heartache? Are you actually suffering, Ollie? Who is the beautiful blonde looking at you like you are her Prince Charming?" She said, pointing her chin towards the back of the church where Joe and Shane had disappeared through.
Oliver looked at her with disdain. He decided to fight fire with fire. "She's Shane McInerney, someone who is so much above you, Holly, the minute I met her I forgot all about you. Unlike you though, she has dignity and more importantly, integrity, a word you don't even know the meaning of."
William got up abruptly. "Enough of this! I'm not going to stand here and allow MY wife to be abused and insulted by you or anyone else. She has chosen me to be her husband, despite the fact we don't have a piece of paper to prove it. You're just going to have to deal with it, Oliver, whether you like it or not. We're leaving now."
He turned, taking Ryan in his arms, and spoke to Father Patric. "Father, I hope you don't mind if we use you as our liaison. Our lawyer will send divorce papers to you this week. Would you be so kind as to pass them along to Mr. O'Toole, please?"
"Yes, of course." Father Patric said still looking stupefied.
Oliver looked at Ryan, the baby in William's arms, trying to guess his age. "Were you with child when you left Ireland, Holly?"
Holly smiled sarcastically. "No, but that was sheer luck, wasn't it darling?" She patted William's arm flirtatiously. Then turning to Oliver, she hardened her eyes at him again. "But even if I had been, it wouldn't have been yours, I can guarantee you that!"
Oliver felt the heat rise in his face. He drew a deep breath and nodded. "Be careful William, God forbid you should underperform, you might be in for a lot more than you bargained for. Good luck, brother."
With that he walked out of the church.
###
Oliver was shattered as he entered the house. His manly pride had taken a beating and he felt like smashing something. Holly had always been able to make him feel inadequate, lacking in one way or another. Today had been no different and now she had another man to help her hammer on him.
He looked at Shane. Immediately, he realised God had blessed him, despite his broken heart at seeing his wife happy with another man. All things turn out for good to those who trust in the Lord, and here was the perfect example of something good coming out of a horrible situation. In this case, something infinitely better!
Shane made lunch for everyone. They all ate quietly. Father Patric made some attempts at conversation, but soon realised no one was in the mood for chatting. He and Joe offered to do the dishes. Joe suggested to Oliver and Shane they go for a walk through Central Park. Shane had mentioned the day before how much she wanted to see it. Here was the perfect time and opportunity for them to go there.
It was a mild spring afternoon. They walked arm in arm until they got to the park. Oliver seemed lost in thought, oblivious to his surroundings.
"This is so beautiful." Shane said, as they arrived in the park.
"Yes." Oliver said flatly.
Shane doubted he even knew what he was responding to.
"Oliver, do you want to talk about it?"
Oliver sighed. "I don't know. When a man discovers the true depths of his wife's betrayal, it's soul destroying. We start to doubt our own abilities as men."
"Oh, Oliver…" Shane sounded broken herself, as his suffering was affecting her deeply. "From the very beginning, when you told me about Holly, my estimation of her was very low. It's now pounded into the ground and cannot sink any lower. She doesn't deserve one more moment of your concern, Oliver. She's beneath you."
"She told me, quite bluntly and unashamedly, she was having an affair with the baker's son and she could have been pregnant with his child before she left Ireland." He said, utterly broken. "She made me feel like I was not man enough to satisfy her. On top of that, it was disgusting to learn I was sharing my wife with another man."
"Oh, Oliver… let me tell you something. I was engaged before for almost a year. I never felt for him what I feel for you and I have only known you for two weeks." She stopped and reached up to touch his face. "Of course, I don't know anything about the physical aspects you're talking about, but the way you make me feel when you look at me, when you hold my hand is undeniable. I guarantee you, you are man enough without even trying."
She looked deeply into his eyes. His eyes were filled with unshed tears. "Oh Oliver, please believe me."
He held her face very tenderly with both his hands. "Thank you, dear Shane." He whispered. "It's mutual. How you make me feel is new to me as well."
She made him feel better immediately. She was like a balm on his wounded soul.
Shane continued, "Have you considered that God orchestrated this meeting with Holly perfectly? If we were not staying with Father Patric, we may not have come to his church today. We did, and it happens to be the same church Holly attends. You thought you'd have to hire a Pinkerton agent to find her. Instead, she was brought to you without any effort on your part."
He nodded. "True! William will be sending divorce papers this week through Father Patric. I will soon be free, Shane. We will go to Denver with hopes for a bright future."
He looked uncertain for a moment. "I assume you want to come to Denver with me, don't you?"
She smiled. "Where else would I go? If you think I'm going to let you go anywhere without me, you're sorely mistaken, Mr. O'Toole."
She repeated the words he had said to her after they were rescued. They smiled at each other, forgetting all about Holly.
Shane bit her lower lip. "However, I do have a favour to ask."
"Yes?" Oliver looked at her expectantly.
"Give me your left hand." She asked, extending her hand.
He placed his left hand in her palm. She grabbed his hand and kissed it. She touched his ring and said. "I think you should take this thing off now. Frankly it's offensive, don't you think?"
He smiled. "Oh yes! Why didn't I think of that before?" He said, removing it and putting it in his pocket. "We shall sell it and use the money to buy our train tickets to Denver, where our future awaits."
He grabbed her face tenderly. What he wanted to do was long overdue. He lowered his lips to hers and took them in a soft and gentle kiss. Her heart just melted. Since they were in a public place, the kiss was brief, despite the fact there was no one around.
###
That evening, Oliver was happier than anyone expected. Father Patric and Joe looked at each other questioningly. Slowly, they caught the looks between Shane and Oliver and they understood. Oliver felt free. He was now free to formally pursue Shane; although it was obvious she hardly required pursuing. She looked smitten!
Father Patric and Joe said goodnight early, left the two of them alone and retired to the vestry.
Shane felt weird being intentionally left alone with Oliver now. She had been alone with him for almost the entire time she had known him, but he was unavailable then. Although he was not yet legally free, he was free emotionally.
She got up and walked to the kitchen under the pretext of making coffee. He followed her. When she turned, she bumped into him because he was right on her heels.
"Oliver?" She whispered.
He said nothing. He grabbed her waist and pulled her to him. He found her mouth and gave her a hot kiss, one he had been dreaming of giving her since the first day they met. The little peck on the lips in the park that afternoon had only served to awaken and stoke his desire for her into a full frenzy.
He pushed her against the pantry door and pressed his body against hers as he devoured her mouth.
She tasted of blueberries and smelled of roses, a heady combination stronger than wine. Oliver was starving and Shane was like a beautiful buffet. He kissed her senseless, drinking from her like a man dying of thirst.
The desperate events of the last week had given both of them a new appreciation for life and the desire to live it to the fullest.
"Oh, Shane…" he whispered in her ear, kissing her neck seductively, making her moan. That little unmistakable sound of satisfaction lit a fire in him. "Shane, you're my lifeline. I feel more alive now than I have ever been."
He kept up his onslaught on her mouth until he felt he should let her go.
She was reluctant to let go of him, wanting more and willing to go as far as he wanted with no protestations.
He realised he was going to be tested, maybe even beyond his capability to resist her. Unlike Holly, her assault on his senses was not sexually blunt; it was subtle and truly more effective as she pulled at his heartstrings.
Finally, he let her go and immediately they felt the cold of their mutual absence.
She smiled at him. "What took you so long, Mr. O'Toole?"
The easygoing and witty woman he had met on board the White Star on their first day at sea was back.
"Miss McInerney, don't push your luck or I'll not let you go at all."
She smiled again, flirting shamelessly. "Who told you I want to be let go?"
They laughed together. He pulled her to him again, giving her one more kiss before he said goodnight.
The following day, he and his dad started their month at the Post Office before they made their move to Denver, where their future awaited!
###
True to his word, William sent the divorce papers which Oliver signed without a moment's delay sending them back immediately.
The month rushed by. Within a few weeks they also received the payout compensation from the Titanic tragedy which was less than $900 per person. They bought their tickets to Denver and after hugging Father Patric with gratitude in their hearts; they boarded the train and left NYC behind them for good.
The train ride to Denver was long and uncomfortable. It took almost as long as the crossing of the entire Atlantic Ocean from England to the US but there was no mortal tragedy on the way.
Denver was a beautiful city and full of possibilities.
Oliver was put in charge of the new Denver DLO. His first decision as the Section Leader was to hire Shane. He also hired Rita Haywith and Norman Dorman and together they formed the POstables, a task force to be conjured with.
Oliver and Shane got married within 6 months.
He also received a fortune from a biological father he didn't know he had.
Joe became even more special to him, they became even closer as Oliver realised that Joe had chosen him not just begotten him.
The Titanic had a sad and tragic ending but it brought together two people who couldn't live without each other. The bond they formed to survive that tragedy would serve them well for the rest of their lives when they faced the normal storms of life.
In the midst of death they clung to life.
They often reminded each other, if you can survive something like the sinking of an unsinkable ship, you can survive anything.
The End