OLIVIA
Chapter Six
Olivia walked out onto the
exquisite private promenade deck of the transatlantic liner Empress that
adjoined the suite she and Cal were occupying. They had only boarded a short
while before after staying at the Waldorf-Astoria for several days following their
wedding. She walked over the square porthole to look out when she heard Cal
come up behind her.
"Is everything to your
liking?"
She turned to him and smiled.
"Oh, yes, everything is wonderful. I can’t believe we’re finally
here."
He came up behind her and slid
his arm around her slim waist. "Our departure will be momentarily and then
we will be on our way."
"I would love to go up on
deck and see the excitement," she said enthusiastically, but stopped short
when she saw the look on his face.
"I don’t think that would be
a good idea. I’m not particularly fond of meshing with the riffraff that tend
to intrude upon these things. Later, after we’ve sailed, we’ll take a quiet
stroll around the deck."
Olivia tried not to let her
disappointment show, so she only nodded. "Yes, Cal."
Satisfied with her answer, he
offered his outstretched arm to her as they entered the suite. Angelina and
Marietta were giggling and talking among themselves as they were unpacking her
trunks in the bedroom. As soon as they saw Cal and Olivia come into the
doorway, they stopped.
"Ma’am, sir." They
curtsied toward them. Angelina timidly stepped forward. "We’re almost
finished putting everything away."
"Just make sure you don’t
misplace anything," Cal admonished. "I want everything put where Mrs.
Hockley can find it."
"Yes, sir, Mr.
Hockley," they answered in unison.
Mrs. Hockley…Olivia repeated in her mind. The name
sounded foreign in her ears, even after almost a week. She didn’t feel any
different, even if she was a married woman. The doubts that had plagued her
prior to her wedding still came forward from time to time, but it was too late
to think of that now. She walked over to the navy blue duvet in the sitting
room and sat back on the plush seat.
Dismissing the two ladies’ maids
with a sweep of his hand, Cal followed her into the sitting room. "I’m
sorry, sweetling, but I must leave you briefly. McBride has not returned with
my trunk as of yet. I must find a steward to track him down."
"Must you?" She sat up
and extended her hand toward him. He took it and sat down beside her.
"This new man my father
hired is useless as well as incompetent. He should have already returned. We’re
not paying him to dawdle about."
"I imagine there is quite a
bit of commotion down below. I’m sure he will be here shortly," she
reasoned.
Cal frowned at her
disapprovingly. "Olivia, you are far too trusting. You can’t let these
people get by with anything. They may be getting paid, but they are servants
nonetheless."
Olivia felt herself stiffen at
his reproach. It seemed he was always doing that over one thing or the other,
as if she were a child that needed disciplining. As much as she wanted to be a
good wife, she didn’t like the approach he took.
"I will return as soon as
I’ve seen to this matter." He stood, ending the conversation.
After he left the stateroom, she
sat for a few minutes more. She didn’t like feeling this way. She was a grown
woman, a grown married woman now, and she should be able to have her own
opinions and ideas without being made to feel she was doing something wrong.
With a frustrated sigh, she got
to her feet and paced the room. It was a beautiful room, but she wanted to be
on deck. A small streak of defiance began to crawl up her back. What if she
went? What was the worst Cal would do? Get angry? Yes, that was a given. But
perhaps he would see her need to have her opinions validated and wouldn’t
berate her at every hand.
As she continued to pace, her
idea began to take form. Could she really defy Cal? Part of her wanted to stand
up to him, but the other part, the trained part of her, was willing to just do
as he had said and wait for him.
She walked back out onto the
promenade deck and looked out of the porthole. She could see the crowd below
waving and cheering emphatically up at the passengers. She tried to look above
her, but couldn’t see beyond the pale blue overhang. She looked below her again
at the growing crowd. If she were on deck, her view wouldn’t be obstructed by
anything.
Before she could change her mind,
she spun on her heel and made her way through the sitting room and to the
gleaming cherrywood door that led to the hallway. She reached for it, paused,
her mind racing at her blatant defiance. She was torn in her decision, but with
one final show of independence, she reached for the handle and opened the door.
Olivia stepped out into the
muffled hallway and looked down the corridors both ways. Only a few people
milled about and seemed to pay no particular attention to her. Feeling a bit
braver, she shut the door quietly behind her and exited down the corridor the
same way they had entered.
As she came to a large entrance
that led to the stairwell above her, she could hear the sounds of the crowd
below as well as the other passengers on deck. Excitement rippled through her
as she made her way up each step. Finally, she reached the top, where another
small stairwell would take her to the boat deck. She gripped the banister and
held up her long skirts until she finally saw the blue sky above her and tasted
the salty sea air on her tongue.
She gave a smile triumphant smile
to herself as she finally came upon the boat deck, where hundreds of people
were cheering and leaning over the railings, waving and sending good-byes to
the crowd below.
She walked over to the closest
free spot she saw and looked down. The thrill of being up here was just as she
imagined. In a most impulsive and uncharacteristic move, she leaned over as
well and began laughing and waving with everyone else.
Olivia felt exhilarated to be in
the crowd. She had never participated in such things and she was sorry it had
taken her this long to experience it. She was having such a good time, she
didn’t feel the figure come up behind her, nor did she expect it when he
suddenly grabbed her arm from behind and growled in her ear.
"Just what in all that is
holy are you doing up here acting like a common gutter rat?"
Cal!
She turned to him and saw the
utter anger in his dark eyes. She felt the grip on her arm grow tighter when he
gritted his teeth at her.
"Cal, I’m sorry. I only
wanted to see--"
"Enough!" he hissed at
her. "You’re coming back to the stateroom with me now, and we will discuss
your disobedience in private."
Without protest, she let him drag
her back down the stairwell and to the silent rooms of their suite.