After Grace and Oliver got settled in their cabins, they met in the observation lounge.
Oliver ordered them some drinks. The steamer held a great many passengers but the waiters attended to them as if they were the only ones onboard. Grace was quite awestruck by the level of service they received. She supposed it was something she would have to get used to now that she was in the company of such an influential person as Oliver Warbucks.
Lowering her glass from her mouth, she queried, "Mr. Warbucks, how do you expect to gain me entry to America without it being organized in advance? Isn't there quite a process for that kind of thing?"
"Actually Miss Farrell, I've already arranged most of it with my friend Senator Dillingham back in New York."
She raised an eyebrow at him. "You were that confident I would agree to come to America with you?"
He gave her a sly smile. "I was hopeful."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "I still don't understand why you'd want to go to all this trouble to have me come and work for you. Surely there are many more qualified people in New York."
Oliver pursed his lips for a moment. Truthfully he wasn't completely sure himself why he'd decided to ask her to come to New York with him. He only knew that in his heart and in his gut it felt like the right thing.
"My company is expanding at a rather rapid pace and I'm in need of more staff. Obviously I can only start you in domestic work until you can be properly educated and trained, but it is my intention to get you the proper tutelage and to have you taught the necessary skills, and then eventually to make you my secretary."
Grace shook her head. "But I don't have any experience doing that kind of work."
"I'm aware of that, Miss Farrell but you have many attributes, many qualities that any employer would be pleased by. Your intellect, your abilities would have been wasted where you were. I've gotten to know you these past few weeks and I've observed your poise under pressure, your strength in the face of adversity and I believe that given the opportunity, you will rise to the occasion and be an excellent asset to my company."
Hearing his words made her heart full. She bowed her head slightly, a gentle smile on her face. "Thank you, Mr. Warbucks. I very much appreciate your faith in me. I only hope I'm able to live up to it."
"I'm sure you will, Miss Farrell." Their eyes met across the small coffee table. Oliver raised his glass and she picked hers up too, clinking it against his. The both of them chuckled.
They knew that their situation and the catalyst of their relationship could have made things incredibly strained and awkward between them, but more than that was the gratitude they both felt to have met each other and to know that they now had one another to rely on.
On the day they pulled into Ellis Island, Oliver and Grace watched from the upper deck. Grace stared into the face of Lady Liberty, wondering what her Father and Grandfather would have said if they could see her now. She was pulled away from her reservations when Oliver leaned over to speak to her over the sound of the waves and the wind, "Welcome to your new home."
Grace knew very little about America, only the things Roscoe had told her and the little tidbits Oliver had shared with her during their time together.
Nothing could have prepared her for the bustling metropolis that was New York. High rise buildings that blocked the sun and people and automobiles everywhere!
It was quite a lot for her to take in. Once she had cleared immigration, which was surprisingly streamlined thanks to all the preparation Oliver had done before their departure, she and Oliver drove through the city on their way to Oliver's home. Grace's eyes were wide with astonishment, the city was vibrant and buzzing at every turn.
It seemed like the whole world was right there within those streets of Manhattan.
As they entered the gates of 987 5th Avenue, Grace looked up at the mansion in shock. She knew Mr. Warbucks was rich, but hadn't realized the extent of his wealth. What she didn't know was that he had only bought the house less than a year prior and even he was still getting used to the grandeur of it.
Two footmen were waiting for them when the car pulled up outside the grand entrance. They picked up Mr. Warbucks' trunk and Grace's small suitcase which Oliver had bought for her back in Hawaii, containing the new clothing he had also purchased for her.
Grace anxiously followed Oliver inside and he introduced her to his staff who were all lined up in the foyer awaiting his arrival.
"Everybody, this is Miss Grace Farrell. She's joining our staff temporarily as a maid until she becomes more familiar with how business operations work here in America, at which time she will be trained as my personal assistant."
Some of the other staff raised their eyebrows scrutinizingly, others simply smiled and bowed or curtsied politely.
"Miss Farrell, this is Mrs. Pugh, our wonderful cook." Mrs. Pugh grinned bashfully. "Oh thank you, Mr. Warbucks." She turned to Grace and shook the younger woman's hand. "A pleasure, Miss Farrell."
Mr. Warbucks motioned to a straight-backed man a good decade older than Mr. Warbucks himself. "This is my butler Drake."
Drake's initial reaction to Grace was somewhat less embracing than Mrs. Pugh's had been.
"Hello", he said rather curtly before turning his nose up at her.
Grace felt a little put out but not overly surprised. She'd expected not everyone would be so welcoming to her, assuming the city folk would likely look down on her because of where she'd come from and because of the fact that Mr. Warbucks had seemingly plucked her out of nowhere and had brought her all this way, giving her a home to live in and employment without so much as an interview. Admittedly, these were all qualms that Grace herself had gone over numerous times in her own mind and had convinced herself she would be judged for them.
She found herself being happily escorted to her room by two of the maids, all of them becoming fast friends, and later Mrs. Pugh came to check on her to make sure she was able to eat what she'd prepared for dinner. In fact, most of the other staff embraced Grace with open arms, It was only Drake who seemed to be a slightly tougher nut to crack.
Mr. Warbucks' home was very extensive. The need for more help was obvious, just for the upkeep of the mansion alone - never mind the business side of things. Grace fell into a steady rhythm with her work almost immediately. There was always so much to do.
She saw Mr. Warbucks regularly, in fact he seemed to seek her out most days. It wasn't something she saw him do with the other staff but she supposed he just wanted to make sure she was settling in OK.
He was a very busy man she quickly learned and although he mostly worked from his home office, he was often out of the house at the stock exchange or some other place of business doing deals and building his already impressive empire.
She learned a lot from Mrs. Pugh - about the company and about Mr. Warbucks himself. The more Grace learned, the more she admired the man who had started with nothing at all and had worked and worked to achieve such incredible success at the age of only thirty-five.
Grace valued Mrs. Pugh's friendship highly. The older woman took her under her wing and made Grace feel as if she had the care of a motherly figure - something she had always longed for.
A little over a week after Grace arrived in New York, she was polishing the door handles of the kitchen door when she began to hear slightly raised voices coming from inside. She recognized the voice of Mrs. Pugh and the other voice was unmistakably Drake's. Although he'd hardly said more than a few words to Grace since her arrival - he had a distinct tone and accent.
The pair sounded as if they were mid-argument. Grace knew she shouldn't be eavesdropping but it was quite hard to stand there doing her work without overhearing what was being said, even if she did crouch down to press her ear to the door to hear better...
"We don't even know where this woman has come from, what her background is or how exactly the two of them met." Grace's stomach dropped at Drake's tone. Not only because he was suspicious of how she and Oliver had come to know each other, but because he had a right to be.
"Have you, for a moment, stopped to consider that it is in fact none of our business?" Mrs. Pugh fired back in a no-nonsense tone.
"It is my job to see that Mr. Warbucks is taken care of. I am merely looking out for the interests of him and his company."
"Well, Mr. Warbucks obviously trusts her and we both know his instincts do not often steer him wrong."
"Well perhaps his judgment has been skewed by other things. You have to admit, she is quite a fair young lady."
"Now Drake that's quite enough! The poor girl is in a whole new place with people she doesn't know. Don't you remember what that's like?"
"I do as a matter of fact."
"Well then, you should be more understanding - give the girl a break, and give her a chance."
Grace closed her eyes in relief as the conversation ceased. She was so utterly grateful to have Mrs. Pugh come to her defense, but at the same time, she held so much anxiety and guilt over the secrets she and Mr. Warbucks were keeping, and knew that if anyone ever found out how they had met, their reputations and their relationship would be tarnished irreparably.
Grace couldn't bear it if Mr. Warbucks was ever put under that kind of scrutiny, especially when it was she who had initiated their intimate night together. Of course, she had been pressured into it by Mr. Goodbehere, but at the end of the day, Grace had made the choice to entice him to bed with her. No one - not even Oliver himself, had actually forced her to do so.
It wasn't just her feelings of guilt she was carrying either. She had developed a fondness for the man who she initially had thought was so unlike herself, but she now realized that he held dear many of the same morals and ideals she herself had. He was tough, but she knew a man in his position had to be. Underneath his stern exterior, Grace knew he had a kind heart. He had given her an opportunity to make something of herself, and more than that, he had given her his friendship. To lose that was another thing she knew she would not be able to bear.
"Miss Farrell, are you busy?" She jumped in shock as the man who had been inhabiting her thoughts suddenly spoke to her.
Recovering quickly, she replied, "Not especially, Sir."
"Would you mind coming to talk with me in my study, please?"
"Certainly", she straightened up immediately, using the door handle for support. Although she was very lithe, Oliver quickly rushed over to help her up, supporting her by her elbow.
She turned her head and met his eyes, the nearness of him making her feel more dizzy than steady. "Thank you", she murmured softly.
He gave her a gentle smile before turning back around and she followed him to his office.
"Please have a seat", he told her and Grace immediately got the feeling she must have done something wrong.
As Oliver sat down himself, he asked, "How are you finding it here, Miss Farrell?"
"Oh it's just fine, Mr. Warbucks. The work is good and the other staff have been mostly very warm and welcoming."
"Mostly?" He raised an eyebrow at her and she pursed her lips. She hadn't meant to tell him about her grievances with his butler, knowing how close he and Mr. Warbucks were.
"One of the other staff has their doubts about me, mostly I think, about how I came to be here."
"You're referring to Drake?"
Grace blinked in surprise. Oliver smiled tightly. "Drake and I go back a long time, he's been with me since before I made my first million. He's watched as my empire and my success have grown and has seen many people try to step in and take advantage of my fortune. He's simply protective of me and my assets, he doesn't mean any harm. I'm sorry if he has made you feel unwelcome though."
"I think he sees me as some island vagabond. Admittedly, he doesn't have a lot of reasons to trust me yet."
"Well, I'm sure he'll come around to you in time but if you'd like me to have a word with him…"
"Oh no, don't do that, please. After all, what would you tell him? I'm sure the truth wouldn't improve his impression of me."
"Actually that's what I wanted to discuss with you. Have you told any of the other staff anything about how we met?"
"No, of course not."
"I hate to be indelicate but…might I suggest that you come up with something a little more seemly?"
Grace let out a short sound of bitter amusement. She knew he was simply trying to protect them both, she didn't understand why his suggestion stung her so. He felt ashamed over the way they had met and admittedly that did hurt her. What it made her realize though, was that she herself had stopped feeling shame over it.
"I….did think of telling anyone who asks that I was working as a desk clerk at the hotel where you stayed. At least that will give people the impression that I have some organizational experience and perhaps that might give them cause to have a little more faith in me. Of course, I'll have to be an extra quick study if I want to present myself as having any of those skills."
"Well, that's brilliant, Miss Farrell! Of course, there's always the excuse that things are much more primitive in Hawaii and that the technical differences between there and New York are quite stark, therefore you could still be expected to have a lot to learn."
Grace nodded, her lips pressed together in a thin line. "Yes, I think that will work."
Oliver's face fell with regret. "I'm sorry to have to ask you to be deceitful."
"Oh no Sir, I….", she pursed her lips. "It's in both of our best interests to tell a slightly different tale of how we met."
He gave her a pondering stare for a second before taking a step towards her. "I also want to apologize again for what I did to you on our first night of knowing each other."
Grace shook her head quickly. "Please don't, Mr. Warbucks. We've been over this before." She stepped closer to him to speak quietly enough that nobody else could hear. "After all, when a woman stands in front of you and bares herself in an invitational way, what else should you be expected to do?"
Oliver blinked in surprise, not sure how to respond. After a few moments, he calmly said, "Well, I appreciate your magnanimous outlook."
"Thank you, Sir." She nodded her head graciously. They both stood, sensing the closure of the conversation.
Before Grace could turn to leave the room, Oliver spoke again, halting her. "Miss Farrell…I just want to clarify something with you."
"Yes?"
As hard as it was for him, he forced himself to look her straight in the eye. "I may be ashamed of the act…but I'm not ashamed of you."
Grace's eyes watered. She hadn't realized how much she'd needed to hear those words from him.
"Nor I of you", she croaked earnestly and that really did take Oliver by surprise.
He walked forward so that they were almost toe to toe and extended his hand to her. "I really do hope this will be the beginning of a long association between us, Miss Farrell."
She reached out and grasped the hand he offered in her own. "I feel certain it will be." She smiled gently at him and he returned it.
After leaving Mr. Warbucks' office, Grace returned to her work. Once she'd finished with the polishing, she decided to tackle some of the mold and mildew that she'd noticed had been building up a little in the crevices of the walls.
She froze when Drake suddenly walked into her eye line, but then suddenly she found some resolve and raised her voice to address him.
"Good afternoon, Drake."
The butler stopped in step. He didn't want there to be derision between himself and Miss Farrell, mostly because he did not want to create discord in Mr. Warbucks' home. It was his job, after all, to make sure things ran smoothly and efficiently.
"Miss Farrell", he replied, with a slight tilt of his head.
"I wondered if I might have a word with you please?" She spoke to him with a lot more conviction than she felt.
He stood still, waiting for her to continue. "I understand you're unsure about me and perhaps that has a lot to do with the fact that we just don't know that much about each other yet."
Drake stared at her unblinkingly. She swallowed thickly before continuing. "I'd like to change that, if you're willing to get to know me better and to let me learn more about you. I'd like to be given the chance to earn your trust."
Drake sighed heavily. "It is not a case of you earning my trust, Miss Farrell. If Mr. Warbucks trusts you, then I have no choice but to trust you too."
Grace shook her head. "But you're not sure yet if I'm worthy of his trust."
He gazed at her with a furrowed brow. "Why does it matter to you what I think anyhow?"
"Because I see the high regard you hold Mr. Warbucks in, and I can also see that you mean a great deal to him."
Her words of observation struck Drake in his heart. To know that she had witnessed his deep loyalty to Mr. Warbucks, and had seen the two men's mutual appreciation for each other enough to acknowledge it, made him very proud.
"I want you to feel confident in the choice your boss has made. Mr. Warbucks is an honorable man. In the short time I've known him, I have learned that so evidently. So, have your doubts about me if you wish, but don't make me the reason you start doubting his intentions.`` Her words effectively stunned him into silence.
Seeing that he was taking some time to respond, she added one more thing. "Mr. Warbucks has given me an opportunity to better myself and I assure you, I am not going to let him down."
Finally, the corner of his lips twitched into a faint smile. "Very good, Miss Farrell. I'm glad to hear that."
Grace's own mouth lifted into a pleased expression too.
He began to continue on his way, but paused in step to look back at her. "Sodium bicarbonate", he murmured and Grace looked at him in confusion. "Pardon me?"
"Baking soda. Works a treat on the mold."
Grace's smile grew as she stared up at the butler, knowing this was his way of extending an olive branch to her. "Thank you, Drake."
He bowed to her lowly before strolling out of the room. She watched him go with a sigh of relief and stood up to go to the kitchen, hoping Mrs. Pugh was well stocked with baking ingredients.