ALL I NEED
Chapter Twenty-Five

In all history, has any bride ever had the courage to tell people that she didn't appreciate the compliments on her wedding? I was smiling now for a long time as people who I had seen maybe once or twice in my entire existence approached me to tell me, "Congratulations! All the best to you!" Those people were Goddamned liars, yet I had to just smile at them.

We had already left the sanctuary and now we were in some kind of reception room, still on the grounds of the church. My mother was by my right side, Mr. Henderson and someone who I had no idea of--but was surely introduced; I just didn't pay attention--on his left side. It was an elderly man, perhaps his father. He was like an even older version of him.

"You are so lucky!" one excited socialite said to me after a brief hug. I nodded and smiled as I'd been doing all that time. I had heard from some other socialites a few moments before that I was a stunning bride, but too quiet. I was starting to like the idea that Harry could have a gun hidden in his clothes and we could shoot everyone before leaving.

"Mr. Lowe, you came. Hello, Mr. Lightoller." Mr. Henderson's voice caught my attention. I looked at him to find Mr. Lightoller shaking his hand. He had a smile on his face, but every time Henderson took a look away from him, he rolled his eyes.

Harry, however, had both of his hands together and he had a superior look on Mr. Henderson, as if he was analyzing a very disgusting insect. I had never seen him so serious, not even when he was in the sanctuary or when he found out about Cal's attack on me on the ship. Just to make sure, one last time, I scanned him, looking for hidden guns, though if human beings had such powers, I believe he could have killed Henderson only with his eyes.

"You could hide it better." I heard my mother's voice whispering in my ear. I looked to my other side at her and ignored her comment, looking back at Henderson and the officers.

Mr. Lightoller did the talking. He was now saying beautiful things about the vows of a marriage and love and all these sorts of things. As he spoke, Harry's look became even more disgusted at Henderson, acknowledging that these words meant nothing to the insect in front of him, but Henderson either didn't notice it or didn't care.

"Well, thank you, sir," Mr. Henderson said with a smile after Lightoller finished his speech. He looked at me and smiled sarcastically. "You are both coming to the party, are you not?"

"I'm sorry, but we won't be attending." Harry's Welsh-accented voice spoke for the first time. His voice was serious. I could feel my mother's tension at my right side.

"Why, it will be the unforgettable event of the year."

"Certainly, it will." Harry smiled widely, in a sadistic way, as did Lightoller and I.

Surely they both thought the same thing as I did--it would be unforgettable for him when the news that his bride had disappeared reached his ears. I could even imagine the fuss of the press and all the gossip that would ruin his reputation--and mine, but I couldn't care less, unlike him. Oh, if I could, I would turn into a butterfly, just to watch it with my own eyes.

As I thought of Mr. Henderson's downfall, I saw Harry coming towards me, following the line. He first complimented Mr. Henderson and then me. He stopped in front of me and smiled truly this time. My mother watched us closely. He hugged me, a very comforting and tight hug, unlike the others.

"You're the most beautiful bride in the world," he whispered in my left ear, and he actually kissed my neck softly before speaking again. "I love you and I will get you out of here. This will be over soon."

"I know." I smiled and whispered back to him. I saw in the corner of my eye a concerned look on my mother's face. Mr. Lightoller waited patiently. However, his eyes kept moving.

"When I finish speaking, all the attention will be drawn to Mr. Henderson and you. You will have to confirm my accusations and sign a paper." His voice was still whispery, though more firm now. I frowned. "The police will gather around him. You will be free. Behind you, on your far right, behind the orchestra, you will see a door that will lead you to a long corridor. You take that long corridor until you reach the alley. You will see a car there, and you will wait there for me."

"Harry--" I started, but he let go of me. I frowned, watching him. He looked intently at me, squeezing my hands as if trying to confirm what he had just said. I nodded at him and looked around. Behind me, the orchestra had been playing beautifully since we entered on some kind of small stage. On the far right, I saw the door he was talking about.

Harry let go of my hands while I turned my head to the side, looking at the orchestra, and he passed by me in the orchestra's direction. I looked at my mother, and she had a curious look. Mr. Lightoller approached me and said, very quietly, "Don't worry. He's got everything planned. He came here over the last few days to study possible exits and to know where people would be at certain times." I looked at him. I opened my mouth to ask what was he going to do now, but the music stopped and I looked at the orchestra again. It was Harry who had asked them to stop.

"Ladies and gentlemen, your attention, please," he said, his voice loud. I felt my heart starting to race in my chest. All the chatter in the room ceased and all the gazes stopped on him. Mr. Henderson and everyone else who had their backs to him turned around. "I want to congratulate Mr. Gregory Henderson," Harry started with a sarcastic smile, his voice steady. I swallowed dryly. He was insane. "For being the greatest star of the night. You are probably wondering why, and I will be happy to share with you my thoughts towards such a talented person."

"He's insane," I whispered, and Lightoller nodded, an amused smile on his face.

"Henderson deserves it. Harry is attacking with the most powerful weapons against a person like him," Lightoller whispered to me, and I looked at him. He pointed to the press taking pictures and all the curious looks. "Public humiliation."

Mr. Henderson, however, did not seem to understand what was going on. Nobody seemed to understand. Everyone was thinking Harry was just making some speech to congratulate the groom.

"His talent consists of not only making a fool of all of you with his façade of decency…" Harry kept going and there was a gasp in the audience. "…but also of trying to force himself on his own soon-to-be wife and of accusing a man of crimes he did not commit to hide his own crimes, not to mention the emotional pressure against the bride's family to force her to marry him, as if she was a prize, a possession."

I looked at Mr. Henderson and he had a shocked look. His jaw dropped. His face filled with humiliation as all the eyes landed on him. He didn't seem to know what to do now. There was a pause. I could hear people moving from the end of the room to the front, where I was. I looked from over my shoulder and saw the police coming towards us. Everything was carefully planned.

"Mr. Henderson, I've gotten your maids to testify against you as witnesses of your attempted rape of Catherine Hockley and your false charges against Larry Brown. You are under arrest," Harry finished with a satisfied smile, but there was a serious look on his face, that officer look.

"Revenge is a dish better served cold," Mr. Lightoller whispered in my ear and gestured with his eyes for me to look at the people slowly stepping away from Mr. Henderson.

Lightoller took my arm gently and made me step back as the police gathered around Mr. Henderson. Two of the policemen took his arms and handcuffed him. By then, he had lost his temper and was shouting loudly.

"You cannot do this! Do you know who I am?" He was screaming and the policemen rolled their eyes. Another one came towards me.

"Miss Hockley." He called me by my single name, which made me remember that the civil wedding would be in two days, so by law, I was not Henderson's wife. "Do you confirm the accusations made by Officer Lowe?" the officer asked, and all the attention was drawn to me. The press was taking endless shots and the photographers seemed the most amused of all of the people.

"Yes, sir," I said, and the people gasped again. The man lifted a paper with an already written accusation and gave me a pen to sign it. I didn't think twice and signed it, giving it back to him. I could still hear Mr. Henderson's shouts against the police officers and threats towards Harry.

"Come on, Mr. Henderson. Everything you say now can and will be used against you." The man who took my signature turned around and ordered the other two to take Mr. Henderson away.

I stepped back again and heard my mother and father's voices behind me, but I wasn't paying attention. I watched Henderson's downfall carefully with a disgusted look. The policemen turned him around to take him away and he shot a look at me.

"You will pay for this, Catherine! You and your family!" he yelled at us. He had just confirmed everything Harry had accused him of. The policemen shook him and started to drag him out.

Then I realized that the accusations were actually bait to draw the attention away from me and to, of course, humiliate Henderson. But I knew, and Harry knew, that due to his powerful influence, this wouldn't last long, and wanting to or not, I was about to become his wife in law. So, either way, we had to run away, but now we would leave with the pleasing sight of a humiliated Mr. Henderson.

"Your turn, Catherine," Mr. Lightoller whispered beside me, and I looked at him, nodding. I walked towards the orchestra and looked back at the people. Everyone was focused on Mr. Henderson as Harry expected, even my family. Lightoller, however, nodded confidently at me.

I took a quick look around and found Harry talking with the policeman who had talked to me. I took a long breath and headed towards the door on the far right without looking back. What God joins together man must not separate? I think I am going to hell.

Chapter Twenty-Six
Stories