He didn't know how much time had passed until he heard his wife's concerned voice ask, "Oliver, what is it? What's happened?"
Hearing the sounds of distress coming from his boss's office, Drake had been worried and had gone to fetch his mistress.
It wasn't like Oliver to cry. Whatever was the matter, both Drake and Grace knew it must be serious. Grace's concern had outweighed her feelings of frustration with him, and she had run - not walked, downstairs to be at her husband's side.
Seeing the tears in his eyes had made Grace's heart clench with pain and she almost forgot her anger entirely.
"It's started Grace. Britain is at war with Germany. Chamberlain's just announced it."
"Oh my God", Grace whimpered.
"The world as we know it is at an end", Oliver said gravely.
Touching her hand to his face, Grace wept for his pain and the world's. "Oh Oliver, I'm so sorry. I know how hard you tried to prevent this from happening."
Her words made his heart lift a fraction, hearing her sympathetic tone was exactly what he had been craving for days, yet the gratification could not outweigh the grief and panic he felt. He was afraid and outraged, and Grace's words only served to remind him how much time and energy he had already given to the war effort, even before it had officially begun.
"Yes, well, I can't make the same lapses again, the world is dependent on me not to." He stood up abruptly and Grace sat back on her heels in shock. "What do you mean?" She asked him with a trembling voice.
"I must get to work straight away on signing off on this arms deal with Britain. They're going to need all the help they can get."
Grace's features darkened as she registered what he'd said. "Warbucks industries is really going to provide artillery to the British?" She'd heard what he'd said the night before last about his pledge to Neville Chamberlain, but at that stage it had only been theoretical, now it was stone cold reality, and it really didn't sit well with her at all.
"Yes, as much as we can produce. The steelworks factories in Gary and Pittsburgh will now be reconfigured to exclusively produce weapons and ammunition."
"No. I don't agree to this!" She told him firmly.
Oliver blinked at her, a deep frown on his face. "What? Why wouldn't you?"
"You're aiding murder!"
He gaped at her. "I am aiding defense!"
Her blood was seething. She couldn't believe her husband could really be making these choices, especially after he had clearly expressed to her that he truly wanted no part in this war.
Hearing the broken voices of the British Prime Minister and the President had stirred something inside of him however, jolting him into desperate action.
And Oliver Warbucks was never one to sit idly by.
"I won't have any part of this", Grace swore to him, tearfully.
He set his jaw and inhaled deeply before replying in a tone of voice so menacing, the likes of which she had not heard from him since the days of the depression. "Then don't."
With that, he walked out of the room, leaving Grace speechless, enraged, and with her heart completely shattered.
…
Dinner that night was an understandably tense affair. To his credit, Oliver, despite his urgency to organize new materials and training for the staff at his steelworks factories to begin production of munitions immediately, did not decide to cancel the dinner with Gordon. Hoping to maintain the level of trust he had just regained with Annie, he had done his best to paint on a pleasant and apologetic air when greeting the young man that evening.
Of course, he had been given no help from Grace that day which made things a thousand times harder for him. In fact, he did not even see her again until they both came together to welcome Gordon to their home.
Grace was her usual polite and warm self at dinner. She tried not to focus on the man sitting to her right, instead turning her attention to her daughter and their guest. She was genuinely happy for Annie, excited for her even, that she had found such a nice young man in Gordon. Grace had liked the boy ever since Annie had introduced him earlier that year. He was courteous and considerate and had such a sweet and gentle temperament.
In some ways, Grace was perhaps, even a little envious of her daughter.
Oliver didn't do much to raise his own appeal when he sat down at the table reeking of alcohol.
He'd had more than his usual that day to help him get through the slog of doing all his own administrative work at such an emergent and trying time. Admittedly, that wasn't the only reason for his drinking however. The liquor was also to help him get through what was, for him, a very strained and painful dinner with his only daughter's new love interest.
It wasn't only the smell of him. The tinge of pink on his cheeks and the slight slur in his words were a dead give away to the woman who had seen him drunk more times than she would like to remember.
Annie was much too distracted and infatuated to notice, but Grace had picked up on his drunkenness straight away.
"So…Gordon", he leered at the young man. "Tell me, what'd's your Father do?"
Grace grimaced as he exhaled on the word "Father", she could practically feel the fumes emitting from her husband's mouth.
"Uh, he's a scientist, Sir."
"Ah, a noble profession. Which of the sciences is he practiced in?"
"Molecular Biology."
Oliver's brow furrowed so deeply it was almost comical. "I'm not familiar with that. What exactly does that entail?"
Gordon couldn't help the smile that came to his face. Not only because talking about his Father's work was exciting to him but also because he knew something that Oliver Warbucks didn't. "It's a relatively new branch of science, Mr. Warbucks. It's the study of molecules that occur in living organisms. Right now, my Father is working in a laboratory in Cold Spring Harbor, with a focus in genetics."
Oliver's spinning head spun even more at the boy's words. He smiled lackadaisically and said, "Well, that sounds like very important work."
"Cold Springs Harbor is quite a distance away. Surely your Father isn't traveling there and back every day?" Grace asked Gordon.
"Oh no, Mrs. Warbucks. He lives out there during the week and comes home on weekends."
"I see. It must be difficult for you and your Mother to be without him so much."
Oliver turned his narrowed gaze to her at that statement, feeling she was taking a dig at him and their own situation.
"Uh, yes, Ma'am, but we get by", Gordon answered quietly, his eyes flickering between Annie's parents. He could sense the tension between them. Anyone within a 50 mile radius probably could.
"And what about you, Gordon? Do you also have aspirations for a career in science?" Oliver asked, quickly moving the conversation along.
"Yes, as a matter of fact I do. I'll be applying to NYU at the end of this year, looking at majoring in chemistry."
"Chemistry?" Oliver tittered. "And is that something you're interested in developing inside the university campus only or also outside of it with my only child?"
"Daddy!" Annie looked mortified. "Oliver", Grace hissed at him for the inappropriate question.
Gordon looked Oliver squarely in the eyes and said, "Well actually, Annie's looking at applying to NYU too, right Annie?"
"What?!" Oliver barked, suddenly sobering up.
"It's just an idea at this stage, Daddy, don't go getting all riled up. I've been talking with Mom about it these past few weeks and she thinks it could be a fine idea."
"Oh, she does?" He turned his head to Grace and met her own steely gaze. "I thought we were going to start teaching you about the company that you will one day inherit?"
"Yes, but if I earned a degree in business first, I thought it might help me to be able to understand things better."
"And I quite agree", said Grace astutely.
"After all, Mom did business studies and clearly you thoughtthat made her qualified enough to be employed by your company," Annie added.
Oliver simply gaped at the two of them, but not wanting to cause an argument in front of company, he very calmly reached for his glass of wine instead. Of course, he'd been throwing back glasses of brandy all day and so mixing in the wine did his sobriety no favors.
"And what exactly are your career aspirations once you've achieved your degree in chemistry?" He coughed the last word.
"Actually, Sir, I intend to become a nurse."
Oliver's face dropped. "A nurse?"
"Yes, Sir."
"Surely you mean a Doctor."
"No, Sir. My Mother is a nurse, and I admire the work my Mother does so greatly."
"Yes but, your Mother is a woman."
"Obviously I'll be a male nurse."
"Right…obviously."
Annie and Grace could tell Oliver was holding so much in. At this stage in a conversation such as this, he would have usually exploded. They were actually both quite amazed at how calm he was being, though Grace knew much of it was attributed to the drink.
In that vein, Oliver poured himself another glass of wine and took a long swig. "Well, in any case, I'm sure you'll be successful in your application to NYU."
He stood quickly from the table, not bothering to excuse himself. Grace and Annie stared after him as he walked towards the door. He nearly made it too, but no amount of alcohol could make Oliver Warbucks hold his tongue forever, especially not when his daughter's future was concerned.
His face was red and his eyes were wild as he turned back to the table and drawled, "But if you think that a male nurse has any hope of having a future with my only child, you've got another thing coming, young lad."
Annie held her head in despair while Grace's heart sank for her daughter. She was unbelievably angry with Oliver at that moment. She knew he'd had a tough day, but nothing gave him the right to speak like that to someone whom Annie cared about so much.
While Annie sat apologizing to Gordon and no doubt convincing him not to just get up and walk out of her house forever, Grace took off after her husband who already had his mind on his next drink.
"Oliver, stop this instant!"
He turned around slowly to look at her and Grace let him have it.
"How could you do that to Gordon and Annie? How could you behave like that - period?"
"She's my child, Grace. Mine! And I will not let her throw her life away, this life I have worked so hard to build for her."
It was a low blow. Annie had been adopted officially by Oliver the night after her rescue from the bridge. It had taken several more days before Grace and Oliver had been able to come to terms with and express their feelings to each other, and several weeks before they were married. Grace had assumed the role of Annie's Mother so naturally, and although they were all content with that, it had never been legally recognized.
"Firstly, she's our child, Oliver, and don't you ever, ever say otherwise! And secondly, just because Gordon wants to be a Nurse it doesn't mean that Annie can't still take over the business, even if their relationship does survive college."
Oliver chuckled darkly. "I wouldn't be surprised if they make a real go of it just to spite me."
Grace felt her temper climbing higher and higher. "At this point I fear their relationship will progress entirely in spite of you. In fact, it's becoming very apparent to me that the happiness of practically everyone in this house will be achieved in spite of you!"
Her comment was like a slap in his face. He blinked in shock and stared at her with fury in his eyes which soon faded to hurt, and then to remorse. "I've had too much to drink and you're already upset with me. I don't wish to continue this conversation right now, Grace. We're going to say too much that we'll regret."
Grace shook her head at him. "I knew you'd be drinking today. I can't believe you couldn't give our daughter one night of genuine support."
There were tears in his eyes when he said, "Grace, you have no idea how difficult today has been for me, or how difficult these past few weeks have been. I have been totally shunned by you and am now doing everything on my own, trying to do what is best and being lambasted for it. Do not attack me if the only solace I am currently able to find comes in a goddamned bottle!"
His tone was frightening, attacking. Grace had never felt so scared of him before. Not even when he used to yell at her when he was only her boss. As he turned around, swaying on the spot, her fear dissipated and instead she found herself sick with disappointment towards him.
As he climbed the stairs to spend yet another night alone, Grace couldn't help the reproachful comment that slipped from her tongue. "I'm sure if I were in the process of signing the death warrant of untold people I wouldn't be able to do it sober either."
Oliver paused in his step and Grace prepared herself for a severe lashing. She wasn't sure whether to be ticked off or relieved as he continued his ascent in silence, desperate not to let her see the tears now streaming down his cheeks.
