Mirror Image, page 37
"I can't believe you would do such a thing, but surely .. . but .
.
. a man and a woman .. . a husband and wife .. ." "We stopped that right in the beginning. It was awful, everything we hated about each other was there between us like a boulder that kept us from ever getting closer. All she has to be is his housekeeper, and he'll never know the difference."
"Are you sure of that? " He looked at her, still amazed by the audacity of what she'd done in order to come here.
"Absolutely, or I'd never have asked her to do it. She is very sweet and very kind, and all the things I'm not, and the boy adores her."
"Will he know? "
"I don't think so. Not if she's careful." He leaned back against the seat then, trying to absorb what she had told him.
"You certainly left quite a tangle behind you, didn't you, Olivia? " She smiled at him again and shook her head, putting her finger on his lips.
"Victoria, " she whispered.
"Victoria? But your passport .. ."
"It's my sister's."
"Oh you witch, of course .. . even your names must be switched ... the poor man, how I pity him .. . how will he feel when you tell him, or will you? " Perhaps she was just going to slip back into his life again when she'd had enough of the war, but Edouard wanted to know that now too. And he hoped he had a right to.
"I'll have to tell him everything when I go back. I thought of telling him in a letter, but that seems so cowardly, and it's not fair to Olivia. I've thought about it ever since I left, and I know what I have to do. I can't go back to him again. I'll go home eventually, but not to him. I just can't, Edouard. I don't love him. It was the wrong thing to do in the first place. I never should have let my father force me to do it, but I thought he knew what was best. Maybe some people can live like that, but I can't. I'll go back and live with my sister. Or maybe I'll stay here. I just don't know yet. But I'm going to ask him to divorce me."
"And if he won't? " Edouard asked curiously.
"Then I'll live apart from him and remain legally married, " she said philosophically. "I don't really care, just so I don't have to go back to him. And I won't do that. He deserves better than that too.
He should have married Olivia, she would have been perfect for him."
"Perhaps he'll fall in love with her while you're here, " he said, amused at the comic side of it, and there definitely was one. It was like Racine or Moliere, a French farce at its best. The amazing thing was that she'd have done it. She was very brave and quite outrageous.
"I don't think they'll fall in love with each other. Olivia is far too proper. The poor thing, it can't be much fun for her, taking care of them and pretending to be me, she was an angel to do it. I told her I'd die if she didn't switch with me for a while. We used to do it as children. She was always getting me out of trouble." She smiled, thinking of Olivia, and Edouard could only laugh in amazement at the tale she'd told him.
"And you, " he said pointedly, "are not an angel, but a devil, Miss Victoria Henderson. What a dreadful thing to do." But he was actually amused by it, it was so outrageous, and then he thought of something he had forgotten to ask and she hadn't told him. "How long did she give you? " Victoria hesitated before she answered, her eyes wide as his blue eyes met hers filled with questions. "Three months, " she said quietly.
"And you've been gone a month, haven't you? "
"Five weeks, " she answered.
"That doesn't give us very long, does it? " But they both knew that nothing in life was sure, that they were in uncertain times in a place where nothing meant anything for an hour or a day, or a single moment.
"How do you feel about spending time with a married man? " he asked her honestly.
She smiled at him then. "How do you feel about spending time with a married woman? "
"I'd say we deserve each other, my dear .. .
wouldn't you? " In truth, they both deserved far more than they'd been given, and without saying anything more to her, he leaned across the seat, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her.
Chapter 25.
Although Olivia had promised to stay with her father in Croton in June, she found that when it came time to go, she couldn't bring herself to leave Charles and Geoffrey. Their whole lives had been changed in the past few weeks. Ever since he had reached out to her the night that Olivia learned her sister was alive, he had hardly been able to keep himself from her. Their life had become the honeymoon they'd never had, and rather than shutting Geoffrey out, Olivia only felt closer to him.
It was everything she had ever dreamed of. The only trouble with it was that everything she had now had been borrowed from her sister. Her husband, his son, even her wedding ring were really Victoria's, but all she could do now was cherish them, and lavish all the love she had on her sister's husband and stepson. She told herself that whatever she was giving them would be credited to Victoria eventually, so it was in a sense the ultimate gift she could give her. But at other times, she knew how wrong it was, and she was consumed with guilt over it, until he turned to her and took her in his arms again, or reached across their bed to her at night and touched her. Their passion had reached heights he'd never known, and he had never for an instant suspected Victoria would have been capable of, even back in the beginning. Her sensuality was different than it first had seemed. She wasn't as wild or as uncontrollable as he first thought she was, instead her emotions seemed to run deep, and she bared her soul to him just as he had feared Olivia would do to him when they first met. In a way, it was a relief not to have to face her now. His feelings for her had always been confusing.
But he was no longer confused about anything, except leaving for the office in the morning.
They laughed like children as they struggled to leave their bed, and hurried back to it at night, ready for fresh passion. In fact, lately they had been going to bed earlier and earlier, until they had to force themselves to stay up at least as late as Geoffrey.
"We are terrible, " Olivia giggled helplessly one morning, as Charles followed her into her bathroom and all the way into her bathtub.
"This is obscene, " she said, totally without conviction, as he took her slowly below the warm water. She moaned as she lay there with him, and she looked almost glassy-eyed half an hour later as she prepared their breakfast. And he patted her bottom playfully when he left. But when the house was silent again, Olivia stood quietly in the living room, wondering how she would ever leave him. They had two months left before Victoria came home again and reclaimed him. And the terrible part of it was that she knew without a doubt now that her sister didn't love him.
The stories he had referred to, the comments he had made, and things she had gleaned from Geoff told her exactly what Victoria had said herself, that theirs had been a totally nonexistent marriage. The only trouble was that it was real and it was binding, and Charles had absolutely no idea she wasn't her sister. And eventually, Victoria would come back to him, and inevitably he would wonder what had happened. Olivia had no idea how to solve the problem. And all she could do in the meantime was stay with him, lavish attention on him and Geoff, and love them.
And Charles thought he had died and gone to Heaven. What he had with his wife now was what he had hoped to have when he married her, and more and even far more, than he had ever had with Susan, though he was still afraid to say that.
"It only took us a year to adjust, " he said one night, teasing her after they'd made love, and lay in each other's arms together.
"It wasn't long, was it? "
"It was far too long, " Olivia said honestly, and he rolled over and looked at her.
"What do you suppose happened to change it? " As he looked into her eyes, he saw something there, but in a way it terrified him, it was too open, too dear, the doors of her heart stood wide open, and he rolled away from her again and looked at the ceiling. "I suppose I should just be grateful and not ask the Fates too many questions.
" But as he said it, Olivia had an odd sensation, almost as though he knew without knowing. But he fell asleep peacefully a short time later, and he never seemed to question anything, even when she didn't remember little details that she should have, like where he kept their bills, or his tools. Even Geoff lost patience with her at times over it.
But she was in such a good mood these days that he didn't want to ask too many questions.
They left, as Olivia fought back tears, for Croton-on-Hudson as soon as Geoffrey finished school, at the end of the first week of June, and Charles promised to come up every weekend. He was true to his word, and stayed late on the night of their anniversary, which fell on a Sunday that year. He had decided to take the next day off from work, and stay in Croton overnight to celebrate their anniversary with her.
Her father was pleased to see them so happy too. It was obvious to everyone, including Bertie, who more than once eyed Olivia with suspicion.
'"You must want something from him, like a big new house, " Bertie had teased her only that afternoon about being so kind to him, but they both knew Victoria was going to inherit the house in the city, since she lived in New York now. And Olivia would inherit Henderson Manor, though Olivia hated to think of it. But her father's health had been less than perfect for the past year, and since Victoria's disappearance, worse than ever. He seemed to be enjoying a lull for the past few days. His lungs were clear, his spirits were good, and he opened a bottle of champagne for their anniversary that night, and then, as he normally did anyway, he went to bed early.
Geoffrey was sleeping in Olivia's old room, as he always did now, and it still hurt Olivia to go in there. Just seeing the bed she'd shared with her twin for twenty-one years always made her miss her.
She'd had two letters from her by then, she'd picked them up at the Fifth Avenue house as she'd said she would, and all she knew l was that she was in Chalons-sur-Marne, working in a field hospital, and caring for dying soldiers. It sounded grim to Olivia. This was certainly not a vacation, particularly after the way it began, but it was obvious from everything she said that Victoria loved it. And whatever her reasons for being there, as much as Olivia missed her twin, she had to admit secretly to herself that she was glad she was gone, even if only briefly. It gave her these precious moments with Geoff and Charles, and that night on their anniversary, their lovemaking was especially tender.
He made reference afterwards to their time on the Aquatania the year before, and how lonely and disappointing it had been for both of them, and Olivia's heart went out to him, as she pretended to remember it, or at least know what he was talking about, which she didn't. All she could glean from everything he said was how unhappy they both had been, and in the end they made love again, and this time it seemed somehow different.
She had felt a blending of their hearts and souls like no other she had ever known, even in the past weeks with him, and afterwards, as she lay beside him, wearing Victoria's rings, she felt truly married.
It was as though he felt something different for her too, he spoke to her differently now. Everything about them seemed more intimate now that they had entered a more physical union, and the next day when he left, he almost had to tear himself away. He couldn't take his eyes from her face, and he almost turned around and drove back as soon as he got to Newburg. He had to laugh at himself eventually, and he wrote to her that night, just to tell her what she had come to mean to him now, and how much he loved her. Olivia cried when she got his letter. Life was never meant to be this perfect.
Olivia rode with Geoff in Croton almost every day, his style had improved considerably, and she coached him over jumps that his father was afraid were too high for him, but she watched him carefully, and Geoff was capable of it. He was surprised that she rode with him so much now, he knew she didn't like horses as much as her sister. But she had changed a lot in the last two months, and he was willing to believe that Victoria was making an effort. She reminded him a lot more of Olivia these days, but she still had her , .
moods too. And now and then, Olivia still made it a point of snapping at both of them, just so they would never suspect her deception. The only difference between her and her sister was that Olivia would be consumed with guilt the moment she'd done it. And she spent the rest of the day making it up to them, with kind gestures, and warm words.
In fact, Geoff almost liked it. He liked spending time with his stepmother now, though he was still aching over the shock of Olivia's disappearance. He talked about it now and then, but it was obvious to her that the pain of it still ranked with the loss of his mother. And she felt terrible about it, but there was nothing she could do to change that, except love him, and she did, more than ever.
Charles was due to spend the last week in June with them, and the day before he arrived, Olivia and Geoff were riding as usual, they were on their way home when she jumped over a small brook, and her horse lost her footing. She stumbled, and Olivia didn't fall, but the horse seemed a little lame after that and Olivia dismounted and walked the mare home, with Geoff astride his own horse beside her. When they got back to the stable, she found a large rock wedged in the mare's shoe, and she grabbed a sharp pick to push it out, but a sudden movement from another mare startled her and the horse shied and moved away quickly, just as the pick dug instantly into Olivia's right hand between her fingers.
There was blood everywhere, and a stable boy ran to get a towel as Robert, the old stable man, took the horse from her, and dealt with the rock himself. Geoff was nearly in tears as they walked outside rapidly, and Olivia held her hand under the pump to clean it.
"It might need a stitch or two, Miss Victoria, " one of the stable hands said with concern, but she bravely insisted it didn't. She was feeling a little weak from the pain and the sight of so much blood and Geoff went to get a crate for her to sit on.
"Are you okay, Victoria? " he asked nervously. It made him feel a little sick too, and he looked away as the blood flowed freely into the cool water.
"I'm fine, " she said, grateful for the box to sit on, as she put her head down and tried to clear it. Geoff was holding a clean towel for her, and when she finally thought she'd run enough water over it, she held her hand out to him and let him play doctor. "Tie it tightly please, " she said, unable to do it herself one-handed, but as he stared down into her right hand, he gasped and looked at her. His whole world had suddenly gone topsy-turvy. She hadn't even thought of it. But he had seen the freckle, and he knew exactly now who she was, and who she wasn't.
"Aunt Ollie .. ." he whispered, unable to believe it, and staring at it again in dhsbehe He had known there was something different about her, but he would never have thought they'd switched, not for so long.
"Where's .. ." he started to ask as Robert, the stable man, approached them.
"How's it look? " he asked with concern. "Shall I call old Doc?"
"No, it's fine, " she said, afraid now that he might see it too.
Perhaps he knew the difference between them. And Bertie would for sure.
She couldn't show it to anyone now. She knew that. "I'll be all right.
It just startled me."
"Good thing it didn't run right through your hand, Miss Victoria, " he said, shaking his head. "Take good care of it now. Keep it clean.
Wrap it up good, " he told Geoffrey, who was tying it tightly at the time, as though anxious to hide something in his stepmother's hand, but as soon as they were alone again, he was smiling. She was back. He had never lost her after all. Olivia thought she had never seen a child beam as he did, and she took him in her arms and held him.
"I told you I'd never leave you, " she whispered into his hair.
"Does Dad know? " He looked totally confused now as she shook her head and looked at him.
"No one does, Geoff. Except you now. You can't tell anyone.
You have to swear. Not even your daddy."
"I promise." And she knew he meant it. The penalty might be his real stepmother coming back again, and he fervently didn't want that.
It wasn't that she was particularly awful to him, he just didn't like her.
And she wasn't Ollie. And then he thought of something. Will Dad be mad when he finds out? "
"He might, " she said honestly. She didn't want to lie to the boy any more than she had to.
"Will he send you away again? "
"I don't know. We're just going to have to be very quiet about this, you and I, and enjoy it while we can.
And I mean it, Geoff, you can't tell a soul about this." Her eyes begged him to believe her.
"I won't." He looked insulted that she would repeat it, and with that, he put an arm around her waist, and they walked back to the house with her bandaged hand, and their secret.
Chapter 26.
Charles spent the last week of June in Croton with her and Geoff as he'd said he would, her hand was fine again by then, and Geoff was as good as his word. He said not a whisper about what he'd seen in her hand that day, and nothing about his demeanor suggested that he had a secret.
Olivia had been worried about it for a few days, but finally she relaxed, and by the time they left Croton, everything was fine again.
Her father looked well, Bertie was sad to see them leave, and the three Dawsons were excited to be going to the seashore. Charles had rented a cottage for them in Newport, Rhode Island.
As usual, the Goelets were there that year, and the Vanderbilts, there were parties in the grand houses that were modestly called "cottages" almost every night, and the weather was exquisite. Geoff loved swimming with her, and Charles was happier than he'd ever been. He chased her down the beach more than once, and they laughed like children.
And on the Fourth of July, they stood and watched the fireworks from the beach club. The house they'd rented was very nice, and very comfortable, and after spending the whole month of July with them, Charles went back to the city on the first of August. And as he had done in Croton in June, he would come up on weekends. And by Friday afternoon, Olivia could hardly wait to see him. She was alone with Geoff during the week, and even when they were alone, he never called her Olivia or talked about their secret. He knew it was an unspoken thing that could never be said again, and he was old enough at eleven to understand it.
