OLIVIA
Chapter Twenty

The next day, Cal returned home from his trip. Olivia was there to greet him when his motorcar pulled up the driveway. When the Daimler came to rest, his driver stepped out and opened the door for him. Cal exited with McBride behind him.

"Here you are, sir," McBride said as he handed Cal his hat.

Cal took the hat from him and swept it toward the car. "McBride, make sure that my luggage is seen to."

"Yes, sir." He nodded. He stepped away from Cal and came toward Olivia in the process. For a brief moment, their eyes caught and held. "Mrs. Hockley," he said with a quick nod as he passed.

Olivia had never paid any attention to McBride until that day at the train station when he had held her back from going after Cal. He was, after all, Cal’s manservant, not someone she would normally associate with. But after that day, she had noticed him staring at her from time to time when he thought she wasn’t aware of it.

He wasn’t necessarily a strongly handsome man, but there was something about him that was strangely attractive. He was of medium height and build, with short, dark brown hair and green eyes. His skin was also browned by the sun, not something normally seen in a man in his position. Sometimes she wondered how he came about doing this job, since it seemed to her that it didn’t quite suit him.

Olivia realized that she was staring back at him as her thoughts wandered. Embarrassed, she quickly turned her head away from him.

"Olivia!" Cal called to her as he walked up. He bent and kissed her cheek with a small peck.

"Hello, darling," she answered, smiling up at him. "Did you have a good trip?"

"Yes, yes, it went very smoothly. I’m sure Father will be well-pleased with the turn of events."

"Wonderful," she replied. "Are you hungry? I had Cook prepare your favorite meal."

"Splendid. I’m starving," he said, wrapping his arm around her waist. "Let’s go inside, shall we?"

Nodding, Olivia turned with him to go inside. From the corner of her eye, she saw McBride stop for a moment and stare at them. Disturbed by this, she quickly stepped into the large foyer.

"It’s good to be home," Cal said as he laid his hat on the round foyer table. Several newspapers were there, accumulating from when he was gone. He picked up the top one, browsing it while he loosened his tie. "How are the twins?"

"They’re fine. Nathaniel had a bit of a rash, but it’s gone now."

"Anything exciting happen while I was away?"

"Nothing especially exciting. I did have Thalia Wentworth and Charlotte Carter Smith over for lunch one day. It was so good to see them." Suddenly, his brows knitted together and stopped his movement. Puzzled, Olivia stared at him. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

He didn’t answer for a moment, his eyes rapidly scanning the newspaper.

"Cal?" she questioned, placing her hand on his arm. "Is something wrong?"

"There’s been an incident in Serbia. The Archduke Ferdinand has been murdered."

"Who?" she asked, coming around to see what he was referring to.

Seeing her reaction, he quickly closed the newspaper and set it down. "Nothing for you to worry about, my dear. Politics. Nothing you’d be interested in."

"But I am interested," she quickly interjected. "I used to talk with my father about these kinds of things. I find it all fascinating."

Frowning, he turned from her to walk from the foyer into the large hall. "I’m not your father, Olivia. I prefer my wife to keep her mind where it belongs…on our children and our home."

Feeling frustrated with his dismissal of her, she followed him. "I can do both things, Cal. I’m not dimwitted. I can take care of our children and our home and still talk with you about current events."

Sighing heavily, he stopped to look down at her. "Why must you always be so contrary? I’m tired and I’m hungry and the only thing I want is for my wife to share a quiet dinner with me and not barrage me with inane comments while doing so."

Olivia felt as if he had slapped her. She wasn’t trying to bother him; she was merely trying to talk with him. She wanted him to see that she could be all things to him if he would let her. She had missed him while he was away, and now suddenly she wished he hadn’t come home. Guilt washed over her at that thought. This was not how she planned for it to be. She wanted to set the mood for when she told him about the baby, and now it was ruined.

"I’m going to wash up, check on the twins, and I’ll be down shortly to hopefully have a quiet dinner with my wife," he said, stepping away from her. Stopping at the bottom of the staircase, he turned back to her. "Oh, and I hope you didn’t take it upon yourself to do something disapproving while I was gone."

Olivia stiffened at his words. He still hadn’t let her forget the incident with Mrs. Ryan. "No," she answered quietly. "I haven’t done anything you would disapprove of."

Satisfied with her answer, he nodded and then ascended the stairs. Olivia stood there listening to the echoes of his footsteps until she could hear them no longer. What had just happened? One minute he was home and in a good mood, she was happy to see him, and then, just like that, it had changed. Why did it always seem to go that way? Releasing a small sigh, she turned, only to find that she wasn’t alone. There, in the doorway of the foyer, stood McBride, holding Cal’s luggage.

"How long have you been there?" she questioned him a bit harshly, once again embarrassed that he had caught her in another awkward moment.

He hesitated, but then spoke. "Not long. I didn’t want to intrude, so I didn’t show myself."

"So, you heard everything?" she asked again, appalled that he had been a witness to what had happened.

He looked at her as if contemplating his answer and then he nodded. "I heard, but it’s really none of my business what goes on between you and your husband, Mrs. Hockley."

Olivia closed her eyes and tried to compose herself. She couldn’t believe she was even standing here having this conversation. He was a servant, not a friend, not an acquaintance, not anything. She stood straighter and looked over at him as coolly as she could manage.

"You are correct, Mr. McBride. It is none of your business. I would appreciate it if in the future you refrain from making your presence known."

Then he smiled at her…he smiled. Olivia couldn’t believe he had the nerve to do something so audacious. Irritation ran through her. "What, may I ask, is so amusing?"

He cleared his throat and shook his head. "Forgive me, Mrs. Hockley. I find nothing amusing. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable."

"I didn’t say you made me uncomfortable, Mr. McBride. Your presence means nothing to me one way or the other. My intent was to make sure that you knew what your position is, and that is all."

Hefting Cal’s luggage, he turned towards the staircase. "I’d better take this luggage up to Mr. Hockley." He paused and turned back to her with amusement in his eyes. "Thank you for setting me straight on what my position is."

If she didn’t know better, she would have thought he was being facetious with her. Perhaps he was. Before she could respond, he was already going up the stairs.

Men, she decided, were far more trouble than they were worth. First, her husband dismissed her attempts to talk with him about something beyond their children and home without another thought, while his manservant practically mocked her. Taking another deep breath, she shook her head, tried to clear her mind, and went into the kitchen to make sure Cook had everything ready to begin serving their meal.

The rest of the evening passed relatively quietly. Every time Olivia thought about telling Cal about the baby, they were interrupted by one thing or another. She decided to wait until they were alone in their room before breaking the news, but by the time she made it there, he was already asleep. Nothing had gone as she had planned. Disappointed and wound tight from the day’s activities, she decided to go out onto the balcony for a breath of fresh air.

She changed out of her clothes into her nightgown and robe before opening the wide double doors and stepping outside. A cool breeze was blowing and felt wonderful against her skin. She walked over to the railing of the balcony and looked down over the dark, shadowy lawn. Down below, a light spilled out onto the ground from one of the lower rooms.

Sighing, Olivia’s mind couldn’t help but wander as she stood there contemplating everything that was her life. She supposed she was happy enough. Her life may not have gone the way she had expected, but then, that was the way of it, she supposed. Still, she sometimes felt as if she were simply a bystander watching it pass her by, never a partaker, only a viewer. She knew she was everything she was brought up to be, but there was a part of her that wondered if this was all there was…if what she was was all she was ever meant to be.

Suddenly, a distant cough interrupted her thoughts, and she saw something flicker down below. Slightly bending over, she watched a figure walking slowly across the lawn away from her. The glowing orange tip of a cigarette marked the movements of the person as they stopped.

Olivia tried to make out who it was, but it was too dark to see. Straining to get a better glimpse, they moved again, but this time back toward her. Coming from the shadow into the glow of light from the lower room, she saw that it was McBride. He stopped again, but this time he raised his head and looked directly up at her. Casually, he drew on the cigarette and blew out the smoke as a small smile came across his face.

Olivia pulled the lace robe around her and gripped it at her neck. She should have stepped back when he saw her, she should have gone right inside, but instead she stood there as if rooted to the ground. Moments passed as they stared at one another…one whose gaze was bolder than it should have been and one whose gaze told too much.

Throwing the cigarette aside, McBride stepped forward so that he was standing nearly below her. Olivia knew she had stood there for far too long already, and yet she still didn’t move. A small gust of wind blew her hair forward and across her face to finally bring her back to reality, which was that she was outside in her nightgown, looking down into the eyes of a man who was not her husband. She stepped back into the interior of the balcony and then into the room. She shut the doors behind her and leaned back against them. She took a calming breath as her mind raced with what had just occurred. It was nothing, really, but it was something that should have never happened.

Glancing over at Cal, asleep in their bed, she made her way over to him and crawled beneath the covers. She closed her eyes, but she could still her hear her heart beating in her chest. Cal stirred for a moment, but then went still again. As she lay there, listening to the sound of his deep breathing, she let it soothe her until she was finally able to relax. Before long, sleep overtook her and allowed her to clear her mind of what had happened. It was nothing, it meant nothing, and it would lead to nothing. It couldn’t…she was a married woman and he was but a servant and that was the way it was and the only way it could ever be.

Chapter Twenty-One
Stories