OLIVIA
Chapter Five
Olivia waited for Angelina to
leave the room and then she shut the door. She could tell her mother was not
the least bit pleased with her request, but she intended to have her say.
"Well, Olivia, what is this
about?" Constance asked impatiently.
Olivia walked over to the bench
and sat down. "Mother, please sit down so I can talk with you in a
reasonable manner. Being angry with me isn’t going to help anything."
Constance frowned at her as she
sat down beside her. "I’m not angry with you. I’m simply trying to
understand what is going on."
Olivia stared down the five-carat
diamond engagement ring on her finger. It was beautiful. "This is for you,
Olivia. A ring fit for a princess," Cal had told her when he gave it to
her. She looked up at her mother and nervously licked her lips. "I’m not
sure if I should marry Cal."
"What?" Constance’s
face blanched. "What are you saying? Did something happen that you haven’t
told me?"
"Yes…and no," she
answered hesitantly. "I’m not sure."
Constance took a deep breath and
narrowed her eyes at her daughter. "Olivia, we do not have time to play
these games."
"I’m not playing games…I’m
afraid," she said quickly before losing her nerve.
Sighing heavily, her mother
spread her hands across her lap before speaking. "I thought we had already
discussed this. I told you it was perfectly normal to have these feelings. This
is the beginning of a wonderful life between you and Mr. Hockley. He can give
everything you deserve and more. What is there to be afraid of?"
Shaking her head forlornly, she
answered her mother. "I can’t explain it. It’s just that sometimes I don’t
feel as if Cal really sees me. Sometimes I feel as if he is comparing me to
Rose and I am not comfortable being in that position. And then there are the
rumors I’ve heard since we’ve been together. About the Titanic and his actions
on the night it sank."
"Nonsense. I don’t listen to
idle gossip and neither should you." She flitted her hand in the air and
stood. "Mr. Hockley is a perfect gentleman and has shown nothing but
courtesy and respect toward us. How could a man with such honor do anything
ungentlemanly even in the face of danger?"
"But what if he did what
they say he did?" Olivia stood as well and faced her mother. "Doesn’t
that show what kind of man he is? Hundreds of men, women, and children died
that night, and yet he lived."
Constance huffed, showing her
patience was growing thin. "Yes, and I’m sure he is very grateful for not
perishing in such a ghastly way. You should be thankful, too."
"I am, but--"
"Stop this, Olivia,"
she said as she stepped forward and grabbed her shoulders. "You are
getting married in a few hours. Everything has been planned and I won’t have
you embarrassing me by acting like a child. You are a woman and it’s time you
started acting like one."
"I am not acting like a
child!" she snapped. "I’m afraid and I wanted to talk to you before
doing something I might regret. Don’t you understand? I’m just not sure Cal is
the man that he presents to everyone. I’ve seen his dark side and it scares me.
It’s as if he wants to own me body and soul. Maybe Rose saw this and that’s why
she didn’t want to marry him."
Constance’s face registered shock
at Olivia’s declaration. "What are you talking about? What do you mean,
Rose didn’t want to marry him? How could you possibly know a thing like
that?"
Olivia bit her lip and regretted
letting the words slip from her mouth. She shouldn’t have let her frustration
get the better of her. She tried to think of a way around telling her mother
what she overheard, but when Constance was alerted to something, she didn’t
give up until she learned the truth.
"I’m waiting. What could you
possibly know about Rose DeWitt Bukater not wanting to marry Mr. Hockley? Are
these rumors you’ve listened to again? Is that it?"
Debating whether to tell her
mother about what she heard Rose say to her own mother, she didn’t answer for a
moment. But then she nodded. "Yes, I’ve heard the rumors of that, as well.
They say Rose was being forced into marrying Cal and that she ran away from him
that night on the Titanic and that’s why she died."
"That’s utter nonsense, and
I won’t hear another word about it," Constance said coldly. "Mr.
Hockley has been through enough without you questioning his honor and--"
she emphasized the and, "--his survival. I can’t believe I’m hearing any
of this from you. I thought you loved him."
"I do--I do love him,
Mother. I just want to be sure, that’s all. I don’t want to have these doubts,
but they’ve gotten stronger the closer this day has come. I don’t want to upset
you. I only want to be sure."
Constance’s face softened then
and she cupped Olivia’s cheek in her hand. "I know that marriage is big
step, but I also know how rewarding it can be. You be the best wife you can be
to Mr. Hockley and all of these doubts will fade away. You will have it all;
the love of a good man, you will be the lady of a great empire, you will be
richer than you can imagine, and you will have the most beautiful children that
will one day make you as proud as you’ve made me."
Olivia desperately wanted to
believe that was true. Perhaps she was overreacting and worrying about things
that were of little consequence. Surely, once they were married things would be
different. Cal could be a little stiff or a bit stuffy, as Emma had said, but he
was a gentleman. As for his dark moods, she supposed everyone could have a bad
day now and then.
She reasoned within herself that
perhaps her concern over being compared to Rose was more something she felt
than what it actually was.
"Olivia," her mother started.
"Everything will be just fine. Don’t worry about things that you have no
control over. This is your wedding day, darling. The day you’ve dreamed of for
years. Put aside all of these doubts and fears and enjoy this moment. You are
going to be a beautiful bride and Mr. Hockley will be thinking of no one else
when he sees you coming down the aisle to join him."
Taking a deep, calming breath,
Olivia smiled at her mother. "Perhaps you’re right. I guess I’m just being
a silly goose. I didn’t mean to upset you."
"There now. I knew you would
be fine. And I’m not upset; I always will be here for you anytime you need for
me to be. You’ll always be my daughter, even when you’re Mr. Hockley’s
wife."
The two women hugged, and then
Constance called for Angelina to return. They set about preparing Olivia for
her wedding, who tried to take her mother’s advice and put the doubts and fears
behind her. She didn’t know what the future held, but by the end of the day she
would be Mrs. Caledon Whitmore Hockley.