OLIVIA
Chapter Nineteen

June 1914

A warm breeze blew across the lawn where Olivia sat with two of her childhood friends, Thalia Wentworth and Charlotte Carter Smith. She had begun to feel cut off from her own life, and with Emma gone, it made her realize that it had been a very long time since she had been in contact with any of her old friends.

Cal was to be gone for several days to survey some holdings of his father’s outside of New York City, so this gave her the perfect opportunity to socialize outside of the small circle of her children and family. Thalia and Charlotte were as eager to come and visit with her as she was them. She had a table set up underneath the large oaks in the back of the estate, and there the three young women sat together, chatting amongst themselves.

"Olivia, I can’t tell you how wonderful it was to hear from you," Thalia said brightly. "We were beginning to wonder if you were ever going to come out of hiding."

Olivia smiled at her friend. Thalia was unmarried, as of yet, but was still hoping to meet an eligible man to marry. With her honey brown hair and sparkling blue eyes, it was only a matter of time before she caught the eye of someone.

"I wasn’t hiding, silly. I was otherwise occupied," Olivia answered with a small laugh. "Having twins tends to put a damper on socializing."

"I don’t see why," Charlotte responded with a carefree shake of her head. "That’s what nannies are for."

"Charlotte," Thalia reprimanded her friend. "You mustn’t say things like that. Don’t listen to her, Olivia."

Olivia turned her attention to Charlotte, who was smiling coyly. With her dark raven hair and emerald green eyes, she always had an exotic look about her that Olivia used to envy. She never had trouble attracting the opposite sex, but she was capricious and had broken the heart of many a young man.

"Charlotte, I have a nanny, but I prefer to have a more hands-on approach where my children are concerned. That may take away from my social life somewhat, but the rewards are far greater than what I’m giving up."

"I didn’t mean anything by it, Liv." Charlotte laughed airily. "I just can’t imagine me living this kind of life. Marriage, babies…I don’t want to be that tied down."

"I do," Thalia chimed in dreamily. "I envy your life, Olivia. You have the most beautiful babies and the most handsome husband. Being married to Cal Hockley must be so wonderful. Is he as romantic as he seems?"

Olivia froze for a moment, not quite sure how to answer. She didn’t want anyone to know or to even suspect the true nature of her marriage to Cal. It was humiliating enough to have to live it without it being known to her friends. As long as everyone believed that she had the fairytale romance, that was all that really mattered.

"Of course," she lied smoothly. "I am a very lucky woman."

"He’s so attractive and debonair." Thalia continued with her perusal. "Too bad he doesn’t have a brother."

Olivia and Charlotte laughed at Thalia’s comment and her too-obvious desire for a husband. Secretly, Olivia thought that Charlotte was the wisest of them all. But it was too late for thoughts like that. Her life was what it was and nothing could change it.

"Oh," Charlotte interrupted the moment by taking Olivia’s hand. "I have some very interesting news, Liv. I have found out through a very reliable source something that I know will fascinate you."

Perplexed as to what it could be, she waited for Charlotte to tell her.

"Well…" Charlotte lowered her voice for dramatic effect. "It seems that Ruth DeWitt Bukater has gotten herself married. Can you believe that? He’s not as wealthy as her first husband, but he’s not unfortunate, either. Mother says that the poor woman should be thankful anyone would have her."

Olivia stared at her friend, too shocked to answer. Thankfully, Thalia took up the slack.

"I heard that, as well. He’s new money, so I hear. He owns a string of clothing businesses. He’s quite a bit older than her, I believe."

"She certainly has come down from her position since the Titanic incident." Charlotte went on and on. "She’s not so high and mighty now, that’s for sure. Why, I remember Rose once told me that her mother locked her in her room all day just for having a conversation with her father’s valet. What a horrible woman she was."

"Charlotte," Thalia whispered with her brows knitted together. Having caught Charlotte’s attention, Thalia darted her eyes towards Olivia, who was pale as a ghost and as silent.

"Perhaps we should change the subject."

"What?" Charlotte questioned offensively. "It’s nothing to her what Ruth does. I just thought she’d be interested."

"Obviously she’s not," Thalia admonished. "I’m sure Olivia doesn’t want to know what Ruth DeWitt Bukater is up to these days. We should have thought to be more sensitive on this subject."

"You can’t change history, Thalia. Olivia knows that. All right, so Rose was engaged to Cal once upon a time. Rose died and Cal lived. You can’t change what is. Olivia is married to Cal now, and that’s what counts."

"Charlotte, you are far too outspoken, and it’s going to get you in trouble one of these days." Thalia threw down her napkin. "Can’t you see that Olivia is upset? Can’t you see that this is a subject that is too painful for her? I don’t know what gets in that head of yours."

"I didn’t mean to hurt her. That was not my intention. But we can’t pretend that Rose never existed and that she was, in fact, engaged to Cal. From all I heard, she wasn’t so happy about it anyway."

"Charlotte!" Thalia exclaimed, and stood. "I think you’ve said enough. If you don’t stop, I’m taking Olivia inside and you can see yourself out."

Olivia was taking all of this in, but for the life of her, she couldn’t find the words to say to stop it. Deep down inside, she knew that Charlotte hadn’t meant to hurt her, but she had. Of course, Charlotte had no way of knowing what a truly sensitive subject Rose was to her and how deep that hurt ran. If she did, she knew her friend wouldn’t have said such things. Clearing her throat, she finally found her voice, shaky though it was.

"I…" she said as she stood. "I think I’ll go in and check on Catherine and Nathaniel. Excuse me." She laid her napkin down and left the table. She had just made it to the patio doors when she heard Thalia come up behind her.

"Olivia, wait!" she called to her.

Olivia stopped for a moment, but didn’t turn to face her.

"I apologize for Charlotte," she said as she came around to her. "She doesn’t really mean to say hurtful things. She’s just outspoken at times. Please don’t be upset with her."

Olivia gave her a small smile. "I know how Charlotte is. I’m not upset with her. Maybe with what she said, but not with her."

"She’s never been the bashful sort," Thalia joked quietly, and laughed when Olivia rolled her eyes.

"No, she’s never been that."

"Why don’t we go check on your beautiful babies, hmm? I want to kiss their faces off while they’re still young enough to not know what I’m doing."

Olivia laughed and hugged her friend. "Thank you, Thalia. I’m so glad you came to visit…and Charlotte, too. I think."

Laughing, the two women made their way upstairs to the nursery. Mrs. Ryan didn’t excuse herself from the room when they entered, but instead sat in a rocking chair close to the door, observing their actions. Already on edge, Olivia turned to the frowning woman and asked her to please leave. It was clear she didn’t like it, but she did as Olivia had told her. She drew herself up and threw her head back as she huffed out of the door.

"Well!" Thalia snickered as she hefted Nathaniel onto her hip. "She’s just a bucket of sunshine, isn’t she?"

"You have no idea." Olivia answered as she lifted Catherine from her crib.

Her babies were five months old now, and they were round as roly-polies and just as cute. Nathaniel was growing faster than Catherine and looked so much like his father Olivia had to wonder if she had anything to do with it at all. Catherine didn’t really look like either of them, but had her own look. Both babies had chocolate brown eyes, but where Nathaniel had Cal’s dark hair, Catherine’s was more of a strawberry blonde.

"I’m so jealous," Thalia said as she held Nathaniel up. "Not one, but two gorgeous babies. How can you keep your hands off of them?"

"I can’t." She laughed as she sat down with Catherine in her lap. She handed her a silver rattle that had been a gift from Cal’s parents. Immediately, the chubby hand grabbed it and began shaking it wildly. "Sometimes, I can’t believe they’re mine. I look at them and have to wonder what I did to deserve them."

"I understand that. It’s hard for me to believe you’re a wife and mother now. Again, I’m insanely jealous of you." She laughed.

"Can I tell you a secret?" Olivia asked her quietly.

"Of course. You know you can."

"I’m going to have another baby in February, right after the twins turn a year old."

Thalia gasped in her excitement. "Olivia!" she squealed, jumping up from her seat. "How wonderful!"

Olivia accepted the hug and the congratulations. However, she felt anything but excited. Getting pregnant again this soon was not her idea of a joyful experience. She hadn’t even told Cal yet. She was waiting for his return to tell him. She knew what his reaction would be--he had told her many times that he wanted more children, or more sons, to be exact. He wanted to know that the empire he inherited would be passed to his own sons and that Hockley Steel would never be owned by anyone other than a Hockley heir.

"Please keep this to yourself. I haven’t told Cal yet," she said to Thalia.

"I promise. Not a word to anyone," Thalia promised as she crossed her heart.

"I had hoped to have a little space between these two and the next one, but I guess you can’t have everything the way you want it."

"At least they’ll all grow up together. They’ll always have someone to play with and to fight with."

"I suppose you’re right," she agreed as she held Catherine up. Her daughter gave her a toothless grin as she shook the rattle around her head. Laughing, Olivia planted a kiss on her round cheek. A knock at the door had them turning to see Charlotte standing there. In her hand she held a small stick with one of the white linen napkins attached to the end of it.

"Truce." She waved it around in the doorway. "Liv, I’m so sorry. Thalia’s right. I do have a big mouth, and I don’t know when to shut it. I didn’t mean to hurt you, and I won’t mention that name again in your presence."

Olivia and Thalia looked at each and burst out laughing. Olivia stood and walked over to Charlotte, stepping into a hug in the process. "I forgive you, Charlotte. You wouldn’t be you if you didn’t speak your mind."

"I know, but I should know when to keep it in my mind and not let it come flying out of my mouth. Do you really forgive me?"

"Of course I do." She nodded and hugged her again. At that moment, Catherine dropped her rattle and grabbed a handful of Charlotte’s hair. When Olivia pulled back, so did the handful of hair.

"Ow!" Charlotte yelped, leaning forward. "It’s got my hair!"

Olivia chuckled as she detangled Charlotte’s hair from her daughter’s grasp. "It’s a she, and her name is Catherine," she told her. "And that is Nathaniel." She pointed to her son.

"Lovely, but she pulled my hair out by the roots."

"She didn’t mean any harm. She’s only a baby. Would you like to hold her?"

Charlotte laughed loudly, stepping away from Olivia and Catherine. "No, thanks. I’m not good with babies. They don’t like me, and I’m not particularly fond of them, either."

"Maybe if you hold her, you’ll see it’s not that bad."

"I don’t think so. Some other time, maybe. I just came up to tell you I’m sorry and that I have to run. I’m meeting someone at two o’clock, and I don’t want to be late."

"A gentleman, perhaps?" Thalia prodded jovially.

"Yes, and I’m not telling you who it is. You might know him, and that would be bad for my reputation."

"He isn’t married, is he?" Thalia’s eyes widened at the very idea.

Charlotte smiled demurely while putting her hair back in place. "What you don’t know won’t hurt you. Toodles, all." She blew them a kiss as she sailed out of the door.

Once again, the two burst into laughter at their friend’s antics. Thalia stayed a bit longer, and then she left, as well. It had been a good day with her friends, except for the unpleasant incident about Ruth DeWitt Bukater.

Now that she had calmed down, she thought about what she had heard about Ruth, and a part of her was happy for her. She had heard other stories of how Ruth had nearly gone into seclusion after Rose’s death, so hearing that she had remarried had to be a good sign.

Realizing that she had to come to terms with the memory of Rose, she promised herself that she would no longer let it haunt her. Cal hadn’t mentioned her in months, and she hoped that he was gradually forgetting her, too.

Thinking of the present, her mind shifted to what she had confessed to Thalia. When Cal came home, she would tell him that he was to be a father again. No doubt he would be pleased. He was gaining another heir…will this be another prophetic Hockley son? she wondered. Regardless, it was to be her child, and as it was with Nathaniel and Catherine, so it would be with this one.

Chapter Twenty
Stories