OLIVIA
Chapter Twenty-One

It wasn’t until the next evening that Olivia had the opportunity to tell Cal about the baby. They had gone into the parlor after dinner, where Cal immediately immersed himself in the newspaper. Olivia paced around the room, looking over at him from time to time. Finally, she faced him and cleared her throat. "Cal, I have something to tell you," she started.

"Hmm," he mumbled, and glanced distractedly over at her. "What is it?"

"Well…" She smiled and bit her lip. "It seems I’m going to have another baby."

"What?" His eyes widened as he looked up at her. "Are you sure?"

"As sure as I can be. It will be sometime in February."

He didn’t say anything for a moment, but laid his newspaper aside. Olivia stepped closer to him. "You are happy about it, aren’t you?"

"Yes, yes, of course," he answered, and smiled slightly. "I just wasn’t expecting it this soon."

"Neither was I, but here we are," she replied with a quiet laugh. "I had hoped to have a bit of time between the twins, but…"

Cal stood and walked over to the bar, pouring himself a snifter of brandy in the process. Olivia noticed that he hadn’t so much as touched her, but had walked directly to the bar instead. She wanted him to touch her, to reassure her that this was something he was really happy about, because she wasn’t sure at all. She would have three children, all babies, and as much as she loved being a mother, the prospect was a scary one.

"You really are pleased about it?" she asked again.

"Yes. I told you I wanted more sons, and you are doing exactly as I had hoped when we married, which is providing me with them," he answered her before taking a sip of the brandy.

Olivia stared at him for a moment, not quite sure how to take his comment. To her, it seemed that he was comparing her to a baby breeding machine and nothing more. Surely that wasn’t his intent with what he said. He must have seen the look on her face, for he came around the bar towards her.

"Come now, Olivia," he began as he came up to her. "Don’t pretend that this wasn’t part of the reason for our marriage. I made my desire for children very clear, mainly my desire for sons. I haven’t misled you about that." His face softened for a moment as he lifted her chin to look at her. "Have I?"

"No." She shook her head as she answered him. He hadn’t misled her, but somehow the way he said it made her think in some way he had. Then, suddenly, something stirred within her…something she hadn’t thought about in months…something that she had pushed very far back in her mind. It was right there, so close that the only thing she had to do was open the door to see it.

"I have never been anything but forthright in my desire for sons. The Hockley name must be preserved, and as I am the only son my parents could have, it’s my duty to make sure that it continues on," he told her.

Again, Olivia felt a sense of awareness. It was getting stronger with each passing moment. What was it? What could be pressing against her memory so intensely?

"Believe me when I say this is very good news, Olivia. Father will be pleased as well, I’m sure. He always regretted that my mother could never have more children after me."

"Father," she repeated his name in almost a whisper. Father, she thought. Nathan Hockley. She searched her mind frantically now, knowing that it was close. Nathan Hockley had triggered something deep within her.

"Yes, my father," Cal answered her. He looked down at her with a puzzled look on his face. "Are you sure you’re all right? You’re not feeling ill, are you?"

Olivia couldn’t answer him. She was experiencing something she had never experienced before, and it was so strange and foreign that it threatened to overwhelm her. It was coming back to her now. It was the night of their homecoming party and she was on the patio. She heard their voices, their laughter. I hear old Nathan gave him ten million for marrying her and he’ll get an additional five million for every son born to him. You know what that means for the poor girl, don’t you?

Like a whirlwind, it came back to her. The awful truth, the truth so painful she had blocked it out…until now. She stepped away from him and walked over to the couch, turning her back on him in the process. She placed a shaking hand to her mouth to keep herself from reacting to what she now knew and could no longer hide from. A sickening feeling washed over her, threatening to consume her.

She heard Cal come up behind her, concern lining his voice. "Olivia, darling, perhaps you should go lie down. You’re not looking well at all."

She nearly laughed from the irony in that statement. Of course I’m not looking well! she wanted to scream. How could she when she knew the truth of their marriage…the real truth? From the very beginning, it had been a lie--all of it! All this time, when she thought that it was Rose who prevented them from being close, it was really money. Money! His all-consuming greed for money and the power it wielded.

Five million for every son born to him. Oh, dear God, could this be happening? She felt his hands tighten on her forearms when she slumped a little. Realizing this, she jerked away from him. She didn’t want him to touch her.

"What is this, Olivia? What’s going on with you?" Cal whirled her around. "One minute we’re discussing our children and the next you look like you’ve seen a ghost."

She looked up into his eyes, those dark, seductive eyes that had always been her undoing. Please! She wanted to cry. Please tell me it isn’t true. Please tell me this wasn’t the only reason for marrying me and having children with me. Please tell me that I mean more to you than that. But she couldn’t say any of it. No wonder she had blocked it out. It was too horrible to think about.

As she stood there looking at him, she felt something cold begin to stir deep in her chest. She wasn’t an idiot. She knew that things were less than perfect between them. She had always hoped that, while she didn’t have the love from him that she craved, in some way he did care for her. The ultimate irony of it was that all this time she had thought her fight for him was against Rose’s ghost, but now…

"Why do you have that look on your face? What’s going on?" he demanded now, his brows furrowed together. "Talk to me, Olivia."

"I…" she finally managed. "I-I’m not feeling well. I’d like to go lie down as you said."

"Don’t be absurd. I can see something is wrong, something more than just not feeling well. I want an answer from you, and I want it now."

"It’s nothing." She swallowed hard. "I--I guess it’s been a long day and the twins were very active today. I’m just very tired, Cal."

His grip tightened on her arms as his face darkened. "You aren’t telling me the truth. I can see it in your eyes."

"I just need to lie down," she answered him reluctantly. "Please don’t harass me."

He drew himself up then as a dangerous smile came across his face. "Harass you? I am your husband, my dear. I can do anything I please and you will do as you’re told, starting with telling me why you looked at me as if I had crawled out from beneath a rock. What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?"

Olivia contemplated her next move, her resilience growing weaker and weaker. If he would just leave her alone, she could brace herself for this. But it was clear that wasn’t going to happen. Cal was relentless in his pursuit once he started.

A sudden tap at the door interrupted them. McBride stepped in and cleared his throat. "Mr. Hockley, a telegram just arrived for you. It’s marked urgent. I thought you’d want to see it right away."

Cal stared intently down at her before finally releasing his hold on her. "This is not finished," he growled in a low voice. "You will be waiting for me upstairs after I’ve taken care of this."

Olivia didn’t answer, but only turned her head away. She felt him move away from her and speak to McBride on his way out. "Escort Mrs. Hockley upstairs and make sure she stays in our suite."

"Yes, sir," McBride responded.

With the click of the door, she knew he was gone and it was only she and McBride in the room. Embarrassed, ashamed, and humiliated, she couldn’t turn to face him. She slowly made her way over to the couch and sat down. Everything that had transpired raced through her mind. A lump formed in her throat and a dull ache in her heart.

"Mrs. Hockley," she heard McBride say behind her. "Is there anything I can get for you?" She closed her eyes, wishing he would just go away and leave her alone. But of course that wouldn’t happen. He had been given orders by Cal and he would carry them out, regardless of her feelings on the matter. When she didn’t answer, she heard him step forward towards her.

"Mrs. Hockley," he said again. "I don’t want to pry--"

"Then don’t!" She cut him off. "I can find my own way to my suite, Mr. McBride. I don’t need, nor do I wish, for your assistance." She had barely gotten the words out when she felt the tears form in her eyes. Her resolve began to break as they came forth unbidden. No, no, no! she cried in her mind. Not now, not here, not like this! She lowered her head and tried to regain her composure.

Olivia heard a rustle of movement and then, quite to her shock, she felt McBride lay a hand on her shoulder. The weight of it was warm and comforting, but it shouldn’t have been. It was far too familiar and she knew it, but in her frame of mind she was grateful for the kindness he was showing her. She felt herself slightly leaning into it until she heard him next to her.

"Olivia." McBride said her name softly. "He’s a fool."

Gasping, she turned sharply to him. "How dare you?" she accused. "Don’t you dare say that to me. You’ve no right to take such liberties."

He shook his head, his green eyes penetrating her tearful ones. "Perhaps not, but I see the way he treats you and I say again, the man is a fool."

She stood quickly and stepped away from him. "You forget yourself, Mr. McBride."

"Patrick," he amended. "My name is Patrick."

"It is of little consequence to me what your name is. I want you to leave now, and if you overstep your boundaries again, I will have no other choice but to report you to Mr. Hockley."

He stood as well and faced her. "I see how unhappy you are. I also see how you look at him, wanting attention you never get. The sadness you feel is expressed through your eyes." He paused for a moment and stepped closer to her. "I know I have no right to speak to you this way, but I have, and I’m not sorry."

Olivia didn’t know what to say. She was stunned and shaken at his bold words. No one had ever said such things to her--no man, anyway.

"If nothing else, I wanted you to know that you have a friend to talk to. That is, if you ever have the desire to talk. You have an ally in me and I’m a good listener. Not many would understand this life you lead, but I do."

Still, she didn’t answer. Too much was happening too soon. He bowed his head slightly to her as he spoke. "I will take my leave now and leave you to go to your suite alone."

She watched him as he made his way across the room and to the door. Just before exiting it, he turned back to her and smiled slightly at her. "I’m not your enemy, Olivia Hockley, just someone who cares about what happens to you. If that is wrong, then let me be wrong." And with that, he was gone.

Oh, my God. She twisted around to face the windows. Stepping over to them, her mind was in a tumultuous state as she looked out into the horizon, seeing everything, but seeing nothing. How could she have allowed that to happen? Cal would be furious if he even suspected anything like this from her.

But in that instant, her feelings turned bitter when she thought of him. Cal had used her, and while deep down inside she knew something hadn’t been right all along, she had never thought that he hadn’t cared for her when he married her. She clung to that, hoping that someday they could truly come together as a true couple.

At the moment, however, she only felt betrayed and humiliated. If it were true, if it were really true, then what did she have left? What was there to look forward to? There was only one way to find out for sure, and that was to confront him about it all. Oh, yes, she would be waiting for him in their suite, and when he got there, he would be the one answering questions, not she. He would be the one to account for this marriage, and she intended to be told the truth, one way or another.

Chapter Twenty-Two
Stories