OLIVIA
Chapter Twenty-Eight

As predicted, the trip to California took nearly two weeks to accomplish. During this time, Olivia and Cal did manage to heal the gap between them, if only a little. Things were still very tentative, but she was beginning to feel more relaxed, and that was one thing she needed after what she had been through.

There was one moment, however, when she was faced with the consequences of her decision, and that was when they had arrived at the train station two weeks before to board their train. The porters were loading their trunks, and Cal was going to inspect their car to make sure that the accommodations were as he had instructed. Before he left her, he pulled her close and whispered to her how much he was going to enjoy having her alone for two weeks.

After he walked away, she turned to see where Marietta had gotten to. Patrick was standing close and watching her with a strange expression on his face.

"Mrs. Hockley." He nodded. "I’m glad to see you’re in better spirits."

As she stood there under his stare, she felt a twinge of guilt. She shouldn’t have. Cal was her husband, after all, but she did. "Thank you," she replied quietly. "It’s good to be moving around again."

"You and Mr. Hockley seem to have come to an understanding," he said, as if making a point to let her know he was aware of the situation. But behind the positive words, she could hear the sting of disappointment.

She drew in a breath and lifted her head. "It’s…complicated, but yes, we are trying. I felt it important for our children’s sakes."

He stared at her for moment and then gave her a small smile. "As it should be."

She didn’t know what to say to him, so she said nothing. He looked at her for a minute longer, and then he left her, following Cal toward the railway car.

Now, two weeks later, after arriving in Los Angeles, she had set aside her growing feelings for Patrick to concentrate on her marriage. She had to. She simply had no choice. Cal was trying to change. He had been the epitome of goodness toward her on this trip, and she was responding to him. She no longer feared him as she once had, but neither did she completely trust him as she once had. She doubted she ever would, but at least they could move past this time in their lives to hopefully better things.

The trip from the train station to the expansive bungalow Cal had rented came off with relative ease. As soon as they pulled up in front of it, Olivia fell in love. It was snuggled deep inside a grove of palm trees and sat facing the ocean. There were eight rooms altogether, with large ceiling to floor windows.

She walked into their big, airy room, with its hardwood floors and great, sweeping ceiling fan, looking around in wonder. She had never seen anything like this in all her travels. It wasn’t the grandest or the most opulent place she had ever stayed in, but it was warm and inviting and quite honestly, she was surprised that Cal had chosen it. She knew he preferred the most extravagant accommodations anywhere he stayed, so this was a change of pace, and a welcome one at that.

She smiled, took off her silk-flowered hat, and threw it on the massive bed in the center of the room. Cal came in behind her and glanced around, taking it in as he did. "I suppose this will do," he commented.

She turned to him and laughed. "Of course this will do. It’s wonderful, Cal. I just love it."

"Really? Well, I suppose that’s all that matters, then. I want you to enjoy your stay here."

"Look. You can see right out on the sand." She ran to the glass patio doors. "And the trees provide natural shade." The patio that led from their room was beautifully done. The floor was covered in light-colored bricks, with huge potted plants situated around the area. A large, wrought-iron table sat in the center of it with a colorful bouquet of fresh cut flowers on top of it. "We can have breakfast out here every morning. Won’t that be lovely?"

Cal smiled at her. "Yes, that it will be." He walked over to her and kissed her forehead. "I’m glad to see you enjoying yourself. It’s been so long since I have seen this smile on your face."

She wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up at him. "It’s good to be smiling again. Thank you for this, Cal. This is exactly what I needed. Of course, I miss our beautiful babies terribly, but I’m glad I came."

"Mrs. Ryan will take care of them, and of course Mother will be going by to see them from time to time."

"What shall we do first?" she asked.

"Well, I thought we’d have dinner brought in tonight, if that’s all right with you," he told her. "I’d like our first night together to be alone."

"That sounds wonderful. We can eat out on our patio and enjoy the breeze."

Cal smiled and pulled her up to him, bringing his mouth down onto hers. His kiss was soft and coaxing against her lips. She yielded to him as he deepened the kiss further. Finally, breaking away, he brought her hand up and kissed the tips of her knuckles. "I will only be a moment. I have to make sure McBride is taking care of things in the other rooms. After that, it will be just you and I."

She nodded as he left her and made his way across the room. She turned to the glass door and looked out over the beach and to the fuzzy blue horizon in the distance. Surely this is the beginning of a new life for us, she thought. After all, what could go wrong here in California, far away from their lives in Philadelphia?

*****

The next morning, Olivia awoke to find Cal gone, but a note was lying on his pillow. She sat up in bed and lifted it.

I had to run out early this morning to take care of a few things. You were sleeping so soundly, I didn’t want to disturb you. We’ll have a late lunch this afternoon when I return. Until then, why don’t you take Marietta and do some shopping. I have procured the use of an automobile for our stay. Have the charges sent to the Los Angeles Trust and Savings, and I will take care of it.

Cal

She smiled and lay the cream-colored paper aside. Perhaps she would go on a shopping trip. She needed a few things, and she wanted to see what the styles were compared to those on the east coast. She had heard so many exotic tales of the west that she wanted to see for herself if they were true.

Calling for Marietta, she quickly dressed in the most comfortable outfit she had brought. It was a soft yellow linen shirtwaist with a matching skirt. She chose the silk-flowered hat she had worn the day before because the flowers nearly matched her dress perfectly. Donning her gloves and her reticule, she and Marietta set out on their shopping expedition.

Out front, waiting for them, was a gleaming black Renault. The driver opened the door for them, and soon they were on their way. There was one thing Olivia noticed right away, and that was that the Los Angeles area was spread out in wide open spaces rather than the concentrated cluster of buildings that made up the east coast cities. Also, the air was very arid and dry, leaving the ground in a constant desert state. But in spite of all that, she liked it out here.

It was then that she noticed a line of small tracks that followed the route of the road. As they continued on to downtown Los Angeles, she saw a sign near the tracks that read Pacific Electric Railway. She was excited to learn that for a small fee you could travel on these open red cars to various areas outside of Los Angeles. She would be sure to tell Cal about those so they could try them out.

As they came down Broadway and Eighth, the car came to a stop near the curb. The driver came around and opened the door for them. They were in front of the massive stone building of the Broadway Department Store, and it was a sight to behold. Olivia hadn’t expected anything so grand here. She stepped out of the car and looked up until the glare of the sun prevented her from going further.

"This should be interesting," she said to Marietta, who had come around to join her. "Let’s go inside and see what it’s like."

"I’m dying to find out myself. It’s impressive, to be sure."

The two women entered the through the large doors and were immediately greeted by an older gentleman wearing a pin-striped navy suit. His mustache was so thin it could have been drawn on his face. He bowed to them and smiled. "Ladies, how may I be of assistance to you?"

Olivia glanced around before answering. "I am in need of several things. I think I would like to start with hats first, and then we’ll move on from there."

"Very well, madam, and who shall I make the charges to?"

"Caledon Hockley, Los Angeles Trust and Savings," she answered.

"Splendid, and you are Mrs. Hockley?"

"Yes, Olivia Hockley. My husband and I are visiting your lovely city from the east coast."

"Hockley," he mused for a moment. "As in Hockley Steel?"

"Yes. That is correct."

His face brightened suddenly, and he straightened his posture. Before Olivia could even react, he snapped his fingers in the air and motioned for a young, dark-haired shop girl standing nearby. When she approached, he swung his attention back towards Olivia. This time, his smile was twice as wide.

"Violet here will assist you, Mrs. Hockley. Anything you need at all, she will be more than happy to get for you. You only need to ask. We here at Broadway want your visit with us to be memorable. May I draw your attention to our third floor attraction, the Japanese Tea Garden?" he asked as he motioned toward a large sign near the elevators. A drawing of a Japanese woman in traditional Japanese attire held a pot of tea and was surrounded by cherry blossoms.

"Many of our ladies enjoy going there after shopping. It’s one of our more favorable attractions. The tea is exquisite and the atmosphere is relaxing."

Olivia smiled. Imagine, a Japanese Tea Garden in a department store. She had never heard of anything so lovely or intriguing. She turned back to the man and nodded. "I think I should very much like to see your third floor, Mr.…"

"Hopkins." He bowed. "Gerald Hopkins. It is an honor to be of your acquaintance, Mrs. Hockley."

"Mr. Hopkins, while I am appreciative of the offer of your shop girl here, my maid and I will be fine on our own. If I need anything, I will let you know."

"Very well." He turned toward Violet and motioned her away. "Enjoy your visit with us, Mrs. Hockley."

"I’m sure I will," she answered him before heading for the elevators. Mr. Hopkins hurried to the double doors and pushed the button. In a matter of minutes, they slid open to reveal a young man in a blue and gold uniform.

"Joseph, take Mrs. Hockley to the second floor." He turned toward Olivia and held out his arm for her and Marietta to enter. "The second floor is ladies’ wear. Mrs. Randolph runs that floor, and will be more than happy to assist you."

"Thank you again, Mr. Hopkins," Olivia said as she and Marietta stepped inside. As the doors slid shut, the last image she saw of Mr. Hopkins was his broad, smiling face.

Olivia found her shopping experience as delightful as any shopping she had done on the east coast. She chose several new pairs of gloves in shades of cream, white, and black to begin with. She also purchased several day dresses and one evening dress. Along with those items, she found a lovely, wide-brimmed straw hat trimmed with a wide, dark pink ribbon and a large bow on the front and a pair of slippers to go with the evening dress.

When she finished with her shopping, the shop girl packed everything carefully in boxes lined with pale pink tissue paper. She told Mrs. Randolph where they were staying and had them delivered to their bungalow.

"Mrs. Randolph, I think I would like to visit your third floor. Tea sounds wonderful right now."

"Of course, Mrs. Hockley. I will escort you personally," she nearly fawned. She was a tall woman with salt and pepper hair, a thin face, and large teeth, but carried herself as if she were royalty. Once again, they entered the elevators and were carried up. When the doors slid open this time, Olivia’s eyes widened. She and Marietta stepped through the doors and into a wonderland.

From ceiling to floor all around the room were delicate cherry blossoms. On the walls hung tasteful oriental artwork, while the carpeting was in the same oriental fashion. White iron tables covered by green cloths and matching chairs dotted the large area. White china saucers with the cups turned upside down sat on top of them, ready for use. It was all so beautiful.

"Right this way, Mrs. Hockley," Mrs. Randolph said, leading the way. "Your maid may wait for you over there, if you like."

"My maid will be fine with me, Mrs. Randolph. I prefer it that way."

"Very well," she answered with a tight smile.

They passed several women already enjoying the atmosphere. When they sat down, a young Japanese woman approached them and bowed. She was dressed in full traditional attire, from her extravagant hairstyle to her red silk kimono down to her sandaled feet. She was the most exotic person Olivia had ever seen.

"Suki will see to your needs," Mrs. Randolph said. "She speaks fluent English, as do all of our girls. Enjoy your visit, Mrs. Hockley."

"Thank you." Olivia smiled as the tall woman retreated to the elevators.

"I will bring you tea and cookies. Also, there is ice cream, if you wish," Suki told them.

"Tea and cookies are fine, Suki. Thank you."

As soon as she moved away from them, Olivia looked over at Marietta, who was looking around in wonder. "Isn’t this the prettiest room you’ve ever seen?"

"I’ve never seen anything like it, Mrs. Hockley. It doesn’t feel real."

"Who would have thought anything like this would be found way out here in California? Wait until I tell Mother about it. She’ll be dragging Father here before you know it."

As they talked, Suki brought their tea and cookies on a large silver tray. With expert balancing, she lifted the china teapot and set it down on the table, and then the cookies next. Then she set two small vases decorated with lilies in front of them.

"Compliments of the Tea Garden," Suki informed them. "They are yours to keep."

"Thank you, Suki," Olivia said as the young woman bowed and turned away from them.

The tea was delicious, and the cookies were the best she had ever tasted. She and Marietta relished each bite with satisfaction. She was most definitely going to remember this day for a long time.

It was finally time to leave, and she was met by Mr. Hopkins once again on their way out.

"This has truly been a pleasure, Mr. Hopkins," she said at the doors. "Thank you for your hospitality."

"Thank you, Mrs. Hockley. I hope we can expect to see you again."

"That is a certainty. Good day." She waved, and then she and Marietta moved out onto the sidewalk. Since the store itself was situated on a corner, from where she stood she could see a panoramic view of the surrounding buildings. Right across the way was an arched, domed building with two points on either side. In bold lettering, the name of the establishment was spelled out. Hyman Theater, owner Arthur Hyman, est. 1914.

"Look, Marietta, there is a moving picture house." Olivia pointed across the way. "Do you suppose it would be wicked for us to take a peek?" She laughed. "I’ve wanted to see what the fuss is about."

"I won’t tell if you won’t," Marietta answered with a grin.

The two women glanced around before they decided it would be no harm to look. They weren’t going inside, after all. They made their way across the street and up to the building to see what they could.

A sign on an easel out front displayed the featured movie, called The Daring Mr. Armstrong, starring Miles McCormick.

On the bottom of the poster was a black and white picture of a couple. Olivia bent closer to look at them, and for a moment, everything went still. She was drawn to the woman immediately, and for a moment, she lost her breath.

It couldn’t be…it just couldn’t. She studied the features of the woman’s face closer. It was impossible.

"Ma’am, are you all right?" Marietta asked, leaning close.

"I…I’m fine," she answered distractedly.

She couldn’t take her eyes off the face of the woman. It was a mistake. It couldn’t be her. It had to be a coincidence. There were similarities, yes, but it just couldn’t be her. She was dead.

Olivia knew it couldn’t be true. It was simply impossible. But if she didn’t know better, she would swear the beautiful woman displayed on the poster was none other than Rose DeWitt Bukater.

Chapter Twenty-Nine
Stories