14.

~ "Are you mad at me for bringing you here?" Harold asked as Olivia explored the library. He fingers playing lightly over each book and envied Harold for a childhood with so much reading material.

Eames had ventured downstairs to inform the cook to prepare a good dinner for his new guest. The old man seeming happy at the idea of her staying even though Olivia had protested earnestly that she should leave.

"No." Olivia sighed as she finally sat down next to him. His arm draping near her shoulders, but not truly touching her. "I knew the truth might be upsetting. I wasn't sure what the truth was, but I wasn't prepared for this."

"We all have our secrets, Olivia." Harold told her. "Our lives are not perfect. I know it's scandalous that mother was divorced and married so many times."

"I still can't believe daddy never said a word about this to me." Olivia sighed. "My whole life, he talked about mother like she was the great love of his life, how could he divorce the great love of his life? How could he leave me here without him? Or tell me I had a sister? I can remember a little girl, but I thought... I don't know, she was an imaginary friend."

"Tell me what you do remember." Harold whispered.

"Shouting in the halls. The roses. I remember a little girl trying to catch up with me. I remember Mr. Eames and his typewriter. I remember a boy who was always trying to kiss me." she sighed and looked up at him.

Harold looked embarrassed.

"I don't remember that last bit." he said and refused to look at her.

Olivia was about to say something else when a shout came down the hall.

"Harry! I'm home!" a woman called.

He stood up and peered out the door. Olivia felt nervous at the new person she was about to meet.

"Felicity is home." he said.

Olivia nodded as he took her hand.

"My sister." she whispered. "Well, I'm glad she's alright."

"Are you ready to meet her?" he whispered as Felicity's voice carried across the entry hall as she talked to a servant.

"I think so." Olivia whispered back. "Dose she, does she know about me?"

"She was only two when you left. We never told her. It would have lead to too many questions." he said.

"Harold!" she hissed in disbelief.

"Harry!" came Felicity's call from the foyer. "Come out! I've someone I want you to meet!"

"Perfect!" Harold sighed.

"What do we tell her?" Olivia hissed again pulling on his hand to keep him close to her.

"We don't have to tell her anything right away. I can't believe she brought a guest here. Eames won't like that at all." he mused.

"Harold!" Olivia cried softly.

"Harry!" called Felicity.

"Come on. It'll fine." he said and took her hand.

~ Olivia tried to brace herself to meet her long lost sister. She expected a gangly, awkward teenager. Someone who would look up to her and who would want to emulate her. The tall willow creature in the hall was like a swan turned human. She could scarcely be real. The gentleman by her side was complimentary to her regal, statuesque beauty and Olivia felt plain and ordinary next to their fashionable trendy clothing and abnormal good looks.

"Felicity, you've finally decided to come back. Only a day late." Harold teased and gave his sister a kiss on the cheek.

Olivia hung back as her younger sister, who looked more grown up than she did, introduced Harold to the oddly alluring gentleman by her side.

"Harry, this is Julian. I met him at Dovie's party last night and he's a fan of Daddy's." Felicity said.

"Mr. Eames has a lot of fans and we don't invite them to dinner." Harold scolded.

"I tried to talk her out of it." Julian said brightly as he looked over Olivia and finally turned to Harold again.

"It's no matter now, I'm Felicity's brother, Harold Hays, and this is Olivia Bradford Hays." he said before catching himself.

Olivia wasn't sure she heard right. It had to have been her mind playing tricks on her. Did he just introduce her as Olivia Bradford Hays?

Harold seemed to have realized what he said as his eyes grew wide and the silence crept over the four of them. He refused to look at her, and she felt her face flush with embarrassment. Felicity was looking at her curiously and Julian looked confused.

"I mean..." Harold backpedaled.

"Well, that was a very interesting Freudian Slip, Harry." Felicity said with a cat like smirk.

She turned to Olivia and placed her long, graceful arm around her. Olivia noticing her little sister was taller than she was.

"Well, since were to be sisters someday soon, apparently, let me give you a tour of Blue Rivers." Felicity said as Olivia looked to Harold for help.

Harold looked dumbfounded and lost. He stood their stupidly as Felicity seemed to take control of the situation.

"Have you met papa yet? I know he looks like a brute, but he's a kitten at heart." the swan girl said as she pulled Olivia's hand.

"I'm sorry." Harold whispered as Felicity pulled her upstairs.

"I must show you my room and we can set you up in a room of your own. You can sneak in with Harry after you go to bed, naturally, but we must attempt to be proper for the servant's sake." Felicity was saying as the two girls climbed the stairs.

~ Eames balled up a message he had tried for the hundredth time to write. He had to telegraph Arthur that Olivia was safe and at Blue Rivers. Her knew enough about Ariadne's offspring to know that one of her daughters, no matter how well behaved and charming she may seem, had no doubt run away from home and the man didn't deserve the heart ache of wondering where his precious daughter had gone.

He tried once more to pen a response that would not have his old rival coming to England on the fastest ship available.

Arthur.

Olivia is safe at Blue Rivers.

She asked a lot of questions about Ariadne.

Eames threw his pen down. He couldn't say that. He was a parent to and he no more wanted his secrets out than Arthur did. Felicity didn't know that she was conceived out of wedlock. Still believing that Fredrick Hays was her real father. Society still not willing to accept an illegitimate child, no matter how much the world had changed since the war ended.

If Arthur knew Olivia was here, he would pull her back kicking and screaming.

Eames sensed there was something between her and Harold, and he didn't want Arthur to try and come between them, which he surely would.

So, he balled up his last attempt to communicate with the other man, and threw it away. Avoiding Ariadne's portrait as he tried to type.

He could still feel his lost love's eyes on him as he stared at the blank page.

"What would you have me do?" he asked the painting. "She's a grown woman now, she can decide for herself when to go home."

He felt Ariadne still staring, still judging.

"I'll telegraph Arthur in a week. That will give her plenty of time. Just not now." he grumbled and left his typewriter.

~ "Sorry Fel left you like that." Harold sighed as he and Julian sat in the library. Harold pouring drinks in the always honored male bonding of drinking.

"Women." Julian laughed as he sat on the leather sofa.

"So, you've only know my sister for one day?" Harold asked skeptically.

"Less than one day technically." Julian told him.

"Right, and you know she's only seventeen?" Harold asked. "She's only seventeen, very smart, but very foolish about the world. It's easy to take advantage of a girl like that. Especially one who is well off financially. But I'll tell you now, if her father disapproves of you, and he will, she won't gain a cent of his money. So, don't waste our time or break her heart." Harold said in a warning tone.

Julian nodded.

"You're sister and I are friends. Good friends certainly, but I have a girl who my parents want me to marry back in Boston. I have not, nor do I plan on deflowering your sister. She's very interesting and I like being around people like her." Julian said with a long sigh as he rested comfortably on the sofa.

"I'm sorry if I offended you." Harold said. "But it's my job as her brother."

"I understand completely. If I had a sister or a daughter, I wouldn't want her dating a gent like me either." Julian smiled.

"Well, I trust you will remain in your own room tonight if you're not going to drive back to London?" Harold asked.

"You can even lock me in." Julian laughed. "So, that girl, Olivia, is she your wife or cousin?"

Harold looked uncomfortable.

"I didn't mean to say that." he said.

"You mean, give her your last name in front of your sister and a total stranger?" Julian asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes." Harold said and sat across from his sister's new friend.

"Felicity has never brought a guest here before. She must like you. Are you sleeping with my sister?" he asked.

"No." Julian said easily and looked totally at ease. "I told you, we're friends."

"Does she know you're just friends. Or is she upstairs right now planning your wedding?" Harold asked.

"I think it's your wedding she's planing just now, Harry." Julian smirked.

Harold stood to refill his glass as Julian started to whistle 'the wedding march'.