OLIVIA
Chapter Two
Olivia reached behind herself and
tightened the sash on her dress before turning to the full-length mirror again.
It was white organza trimmed in lilac lace. It was one of her prettiest
dresses, and she hoped Cal thought so, too.
There was a tap at her door, and
then her mother, Constance, came in, smiling approvingly at her appearance.
"Very nice, Olivia. Mr.
Hockley should be quite taken when he sees you."
"Do you really think so,
Mother?"
"Yes, darling, I do."
She nodded and took her hands. "Now, I want to talk to you before you go
downstairs."
"All right, Mother,"
Olivia said as they sat on the trunk at the end of her bed.
"As you know, Mr. Hockley
suffered a great loss when he lost his fiancée on the Titanic. It was a tragic
thing, but he has managed to survive, and after a period of grieving, has asked
to call on you. I think you should realize how fortunate you are to be in this
position."
"Fortunate?"
"Yes, fortunate. He could
have asked to call on any one of the very beautiful and eligible young ladies,
but it was you he chose."
"I have thought of that,
Mother, and I have a very good feeling about all of it. I’m sorry he lost Rose,
but he has to think of his future, and I, for one, hope his future is with
me."
"I was hoping to hear you
say that, darling. Your father and I have discussed this, and Caledon Hockley
is the kind of man we had envisioned for you. He’s everything a well-brought-up
young man should be. Handsome, kind, well-traveled, and from a good
family."
"I know you’re right, but
still I wonder…"
"About what, Olivia?"
Olivia stood, walked back to the
full-length mirror, and looked at herself again. She knew it might have seemed
foolish, but she couldn’t help but compare herself to Rose. Rose might have
been different, but there was no denying her beauty, and there was a certain
glimmer about Rose that Olivia knew she didn’t have.
"What are you concerned
about, darling?" Constance came up behind her.
"What if Cal doesn’t see me
as he…well, as he saw Rose?"
Her mother smiled reassuringly at
her. "Olivia, you need not compare yourself to Rose DeWitt Bukater. You
are an exceptional person, and I’m sure Mr. Hockley will see this in you."
"I hope you’re right."
"I know I am. Now, we’ve
kept him waiting long enough, so let’s go down, and remember, Olivia…you are a
Barlow, and that makes you very, very special."
Feeling better about the
situation, Olivia followed her mother across the spacious hallway and down the
long spiral staircase. Just before they came to the parlor, her mother stopped
at the door.
"I have a few things to
check on and I’ll be in directly. Your father is already with Mr. Hockley, so
you go on in. Don’t worry about anything, Olivia. You’ll be just fine."
Taking a deep breath after her
mother walked away, she opened the door to the parlor and walked in. When she
did, both her father and Cal got to their feet. She smiled when she saw him. He
was just as handsome as she remembered. With his dark good looks and the gray
wool suit that was tailored to fit him perfectly, he was the epitome of what
she always thought the man of her dreams would be like.
"Well, there you are,
Olivia!" her father boomed. "I thought we were going to have to send
out a search party for you."
"Oh, Father." Olivia
laughed and came further into the room.
"Miss Barlow." Cal
smiled and bowed his head. "You look exceptionally lovely today."
"Thank you, Mr.
Hockley." She felt warm tingles when he took her hand and kissed it.
"Your father and I were just
discussing how beautiful your home is and how nice it would be to take a walk
on your grounds. That is, if you would oblige me."
Her father’s chest protruded as
he smiled broadly. "I think that’s a fine idea, and I’m sure Olivia would
be more than happy to. Wouldn’t you, Olivia?"
Olivia blushed under her father’s
enthusiastic response. "Of course I would."
"Shall we?" Cal lifted
his arm toward her. When she stepped next to him, she lost her breath for just
a moment. She so wanted this man to fall in love with her, and at that moment,
she would have followed him anywhere.
They stepped out onto the patio
and made their way down to the path. The sun shone brightly overhead and
filtered through the trees above them. The crunch of the leaves beneath her
feet was a comforting sound to her. She felt his arm warm and hard beneath her
hand. She never wanted this moment to end.
"So, Olivia, your father
tells me that you only made your debut at the beginning of the summer. You must
have had many an invitation to only the best select parties."
"Yes, I have. It has been a
wonderful time, but I’m just as happy to be here walking with you as at any
party I’ve been to."
Cal stopped and stared down at
her, a smile on his handsome features. "Sweet." Then something like a
scowl came over his face, and she wondered if she had been too bold.
"I shouldn’t have said
that."
He shook his head.
"Nonsense. I apologize for making you uncomfortable. It wasn’t what you
said. It was just a memory I had. A rather painful one."
"You mean about…Rose?"
A flash of darkness covered his
face. but just as quickly it was gone. "Yes. I’m sorry for that. I
shouldn’t have spoiled our afternoon."
"No, you didn’t. It’s quite
all right. You cared for her, and I understand that."
Cal jutted his chin out and
turned from her for a moment. "I thought she cared for me, too, but in the
end…"
Olivia was at a loss for words.
What was Cal saying? What had happened between he and Rose before her death?
She suddenly felt like an intruder, and it was only the two of them there.
Confused and unsure of what to do, she placed a hand on his arm. He glanced
down at her and took a deep breath.
"Forgive me. This is no time
for sad memories. Shall we return and have the delicious lunch your parents had
prepared for us?"
She nodded, feeling better that
his dark mood had disappeared. "Yes, that would be wonderful." She
took his arm again as they made their way back to her home. The rest of the
afternoon was splendid, and at the end of the day, she knew she had fallen in
love with Caledon Hockley.