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AUTHOR'S NOTE: As everyone knows, all characters/lyrics etc. do not belong to me. (although I did create Jack the gardener and Martha Dalton.) I'm just borrowing them, for my enjoyment, and hopefully yours too.
Songs And Romance, Life Is A Dance
Oliver Warbucks lay floating on his back, enjoying the relaxation of his private swimming pool. He often came here when he needed to get his mind off things. The only problem was that even if he managed to get his mind off one thing, it would invariably land on something else.
Now that he wasn’t thinking of the share market, he was thinking of…well… he furrowed his brow, trying to work out exactly what it was he had been semiconsciously daydreaming about. The billionaire raised his eyebrows when he realized he had been thinking of Miss Farrell. She was working awfully hard for him on the case with the factory. And he had always marveled at how she took down page after page of notes, made countless phone calls and generally organized the running of the household without a single complaint.
“Ruff! Ruff!”
Oliver’s peaceful thoughts were disrupted in a most violent manner when Sandy leapt into the pool. “Get your blasted dog out of my pool at once!” he hollered at the little girl running to the edge of the pool.
“He thought you were drowning Mr. Warbucks, he was trying to save your life!” explained Annie, helping her dog out of the pool and removing her robe.
“Do you like my suit?”
“What? Oh yes.”
“Miss Farrell picked it out for me.”
“I never thought I’d get used to a girl,” Oliver shook his head, bemused.
“Girls are a lot easier to get used to than boys. Look how used to Miss Farrell you are. She does so much work around here, and you don’t even know her first name,” the girl commented, climbing into the water.
“Yes I do; it’s Grace.”
“She thinks you’re the greatest thing since sliced bread.”
“I beg your pardon!” the man sat up sharply, nearly choking on the water. That comment had taken him off guard.
“I know it’s none of my business, but you never seem to notice anything,” shrugged Annie, floating next to him on her back.
“Sliced bread,” the billionaire muttered, relaxing again.
Although he wouldn’t admit it to himself, that wasn’t such an unpleasant thought.
Grace Farrell sat at her desk, sorting through the notes she had taken down over the day. It was four o’clock, and she only had one more task left to do. Then she just had to check that the cook had dinner ready, make sure Mr. Warbucks’ schedule for tomorrow was written up, and then she could relax. Sure, her job came with its stresses, but she found it very much worthwhile. Miss Farrell had a great repartee with the staff, and the chance to work with a man like Oliver Warbucks was not to be taken for granted.
She had to admit to herself, that was the main reason she had gone to the job interview in the first place. But after working with Mr. Warbucks for three years, she had gotten to know just a little of the man behind the billionaire. True, he had a temper and a loud booming voice, but there was so much more to him than that, Grace was sure.
Her problem was that she found herself wanting to know more about her employer than a secretary probably should. What she wouldn’t give to spend time with him when they weren’t taking down notes, to talk to him, and have him notice her. The rare smiles he gave her always made her heart leap.
Shaking those counterproductive thoughts from her mind, Miss Farrell turned back to her papers and picked up the phone.
Now finished all her tasks for the day, Grace shrugged off her jacket and stood up, pushing the chair in to the desk and wandering over to the window. It was a lovely day outside, very warm.
Soon she was wandering in the expansive gardens, enjoying the chance to relax in the warm breeze, thinking of anything but work. The woman sat down on the bench next to a small fountain, sighing contentedly.
All the same, she felt a little disconsolate, distracted. The strangest thing was that she didn’t really know why. She allowed herself to slip into a daydream, twirling a flower between her delicate fingers. It was most unlike her to waste time lolling about, but she had finished all her chores and it was far too warm a day to be stuck inside a stuffy office.
Miss Farrell had been sitting there for a few minutes, when she was woken from her daydream by footsteps and a cheery tune being whistled. She smiled, knowing exactly who was going to walk around the corner any second.
Sure enough, it was Jack, the gardener. As always, he wore his green overalls and blue shirt, his hair slicked back out of his brown eyes. Among other things, he was Grace’s cousin, who she had spent her childhood with. It was thanks to her he had a job at Mr. Warbucks house.
He spotted her, and grinned. “Hi there Gracie!” He walked over to her, placing his secateurs down on the edge of the fountain.
“You’re relaxing! Are you ill?”
“Very funny, Jack,” she smiled, shifting over so he could sit down next to her. “I’m finished all my work for today, and the weather’s lovely. How has your day gone?”
“Can’t complain. Just finished pruning the roses. Brought ya one,” he said, pulling a pink bloom from his shirt pocket.
“Oh, thank you very much,” she smiled, admiring the pretty flower. “So what do you want from me?”
“Huh?”
“Well, you normally ask a favour right after you pay me a compliment,” Grace teased, enjoying the chance to be a friend, rather than a high-ranking employee and head of the staff.
At this moment, the cousins looked up as Mr. Warbucks strolled past. He too had removed his jacket in response to the summery weather and was gazing around in search of something. He spotted the pair and nodded in recognition.
“Good afternoon, Miss Farrell, Jack. Have either of you seen my jacket? I seem to have left it in the garden somewhere when I went for a walk earlier.”
“Oh, no, I don’t think so sir. Would you like me to find it for you?”
“No, you stay with your cousin. You’ve been working hard all day. Enjoy your afternoon.”
“Are you sure, sir?”
“Miss Farrell, I am always sure. I’ll see you at dinner,” Oliver replied, with a small smile.
Grace watched him leave, smiling after him. When she turned back to her cousin, he was grinning at her, his brown eyes twinkling mischievously.
“What?” she demanded, embarrassed by his suggesting gaze.
“Oh, nothing,” Jack grinned, pretending to be interested in polishing the blades of his secateurs.
“Like I’m gonna believe that,” she pursued the matter, pulling the secateurs from his hands.
“I was just thinking what a devoted secretary you are, Gracie,” the young man patted her on the shoulder, still grinning.
“Thank you,” she said, a little stiffly, knowing her cousin wasn’t telling the full truth.
Jack sighed contentedly. “You know, it is a swell day. What do you say we go and test out the new tennis court net?”
“Oh, I don’t know…”
“Gracie, you’re a cut or two above us other employees; you can get away with anything. Besides, we’ve both finished all our chores for today.”
“But…”
“Ah, I get it. You’re just chicken. I always was better at tennis than my younger cousin,” Jack grinned, knowing she was the competitive type. Grace rolled her eyes and stood up, aware he was playing her like a pack of cards.
“Shall you serve or shall I?”
How long can it take a woman to get dressed? Oliver sighed about two minutes later, deciding to check on them. Standing outside Miss Farrell’s room, he raised his hand to knock on the door that stood slightly ajar when he heard giggling from inside.
“You know, you should leave your hair down, it’s so pretty!” said the little girl.
“Oh no, Annie, I just couldn’t,” the woman laughed.
Wondering vaguely why not, Oliver’s curiosity got the better of him, and he peered through the gap in the doorway.
Miss Farrell and Annie were sitting at the dressing table, the woman brushing her hair in her petticoat and the little girl looking at her perfume. The billionaire found himself agreeing, she did look very pretty indeed. Mr. Warbucks knew he should wait downstairs, but now that he was standing there, he didn’t particularly want to leave.
“Miss Hannigan says a man don’t look at your brains,” said Annie, with conviction.
“Oh really, my goodness!” the woman laughed, “C’mon Annie, let’s go to the movies!”
“Let’s go see the stars!”
“Yes!” smiled Grace, standing up and twirling over to the couch.
“Cowboy heroes, cops ‘n robbers. Glamour and strife, bigger than life!” she sang, dancing over the couch and flipping her hair girlishly, smiling as the child copied her.
“Sitting in the darkness, what a world to see! Let’s go to the movies Annie, wait and see!
“Betty Davis is probably lying and Greta Garbo is probably crying while Robert Taylor is locked in her dying embrace. Chico and Groucho and Chaplin and Lloyd are all super! Sweet Mickey Mouse, Shirley Temple and dear Jackie Cooper.”
Although he had been staring in disbelief at first, now Oliver was having trouble stifling his laughter. That was his secretary? He had had no idea that Miss Farrell had this fun, girly side to her. And he had never seen her look so…feminine.
“Let’s go to the movies, let’s go see the stars!
Fred and Ginger spinning madly,”
The two began to dance, Grace now fully dressed and ready to go. Mr. Warbucks was surprised once again. She really was a very good dancer, and had a beautiful voice. Realizing that the pair were about to leave by the door he was standing outside, the man tip-toed away as fast as he could, heading down to the car.
“Anything you can imagine. Songs and romance, life is a dance!
Sitting in the darkness, popcorn on your knee.
Give the maids the night off,”
“Turn the kitchen light off!” Oliver yelled casually as the ladies joined him, hoping to give the ‘stern employer’ impression, rather than the ‘amused friend’ one. Still, he couldn’t help but return the smile Grace shot him as she climbed into the car.
“Let’s go to the movies Annie, you and me!”
After the film, a still slightly teary Miss Farrell pulled the sleeping Annie onto her knee as Mr. Warbucks climbed into the car after her.
“Well, that wasn’t such a bad idea,” Oliver whispered, careful not to wake the girl.
“Yes, thank you for coming, sir. It meant a lot—to Annie,” Grace added, a little too quickly to hide what she really meant.
The man hid a smile, turning to look out the window.
Back at the mansion, Grace followed her employer up the stairs to Annie’s bedroom.
If someone told me a year ago that Mr. Warbucks would carry an orphan to bed, I would have directed them to the nearest mental hospital, she thought, shaking her head in amusement.
As Oliver lay the girl gently down on the bed, the woman sat down next to her, removing her shoes and socks. Handing them to him, she whispered, “Could you get her nightgown, it’s behind the bathroom door?”
“Certainly,” he said, then lowering his voice. “Certainly.”
Grace felt a surge of maternal instincts as she pulled the nightgown over Annie’s head. And there was Mr. Warbucks, sharing that with her. Somehow, oddly, it felt right.
“How did you learn that?” the man asked as she pulled up the covers.
“Learn what?”
“That!”
“What?” she laughed.
“You put her to bed.”
“Well, you put her to bed too,” Miss Farrell smiled.
“I did?”
“Yes, you did,”
“Good heavens!” the billionaire chuckled.
Grace smiled at him, before leaning over to kiss Annie’s little forehead.
“Warbucks watched her, his expression changing. She was so…loving. And so lovely, if it came to that. Standing up and patting Sandy on the head, Miss Farrell and her employer left the room together.
“Thank you for coming with us sir. Shall I check the office answer phone to see if there’s anything else I need to fit into your schedule?” she asked quietly.
“Err, don’t bother tonight, Miss Farrell. You go off to bed. And don’t think about that film too much, I think you’ve emitted enough moisture for one night,” Oliver smiled.
“Oh, I won’t sir,” Grace smiled back. “Goodnight,” she said, walking down the hall to her room.
The man watched her go. He decided he wouldn’t mind at all if she wore her hair down, or if she wanted to sing and dance through her duties.
Just as long as she was there.
Suddenly realizing that she was an employee, and that it would matter rather a lot if she sang and danced through her duties, and that he probably shouldn’t be thinking so fondly of her, he shook his head and frowned, walking off to his room.
However, by the time he climbed into bed, he had lost all sensible, stern ideas and smiled to himself, recalling the way she and Annie had danced that evening.
Walking out of the garden, Grace couldn’t help but let out some of the excitement inside her, shaking her head to wake herself up from this blissful daze. Someone pinch me, she thought elatedly.
They were going to adopt Annie, and Mr. Warbucks—Oliver—was so…
She did another little skip, then a twirl.
“Hey,” she whispered to Jack. “We got Annie!”
Still feeling slightly nervous, Miss Farrell wandered out into the gardens, hoping to find some distraction. She found it in Jack, who was arranging pot plants on the terrace.
“You’re looking pretty today, Gracie. How’s Annie?”
“She’s with Mr. Warbucks…he’s telling her he wants to adopt her.”
“You’re thrilled about that, huh?”
“Who isn’t?” she smiled, admiring the flowers.
Jack nodded, smiling. “So Mr. Warbucks is going to be her father?” He looked slightly skeptical.
“Well, he may seem gruff, but you don’t know him like I do. You should have seen him with Annie last night…”
The gardener watched her as she toyed with her scarf, smiling to herself. He grinned, recognizing something in his cousin. Gracie hadn’t looked so pleased with herself since Peter Hanning asked her to the high school dance. What’s more, she was making an effort with her appearance today; she hadn’t worn such a feminine dress for ages, and her hair wasn’t pulled back like usual.
“You’re sweet on him, aren’t you?”
Grace’s dreamy expression instantly faded, she turned to him sharply. “Who?”
“Sir in there,” he gestured to the house.
“What? No!” she retorted.
Jack just smiled, arranging the last pot plant. When they were younger, she would’ve chased him up a tree and promised to ‘show him what for’ when he came down for suggesting something like that. He knew he was safe now though. She knew it too. She couldn’t run very well in heels, for a start.
“Jack, I like to think that over my years working here, I have become moderately professional. I don’t think of my employer like that.”
The gardener smiled at her almost sympathetically, putting his hands on her shoulders and turning her around to face him.
“Gracie, I’ve known you all my life. We grew up together. I was there at your first day of school, when you got stuck on the top of the monkey bars. I was there when you came home from your first dance lesson, decided to demonstrate and broke your mother’s favourite vase.”
“Oh God, I remember that,” Grace covered her face with her hands.
“I was there when you were telling everyone that Peter Hanning asked you to the prom. I was there at your twenty-first birthday party when your mother did that awful sentimental speech. I know you as well as I know myself; possibly better. And I know when you’ve got a thing for a guy.”
Grace held his honest gaze, and sighed.
“Is it very obvious?”
Jack chuckled, giving her shoulders a gentle squeeze.
“Don’t worry about it, Gracie. I just know you very well.”
“Too well,” she nodded, looking slightly embarrassed.
“Well, I’d better go and mow the lawns. And you had better go and be a good secretary. I’ll see you later.”
“Alright, bye.”
“Oh, and Gracie?”
“Hmm?”
“You look stunning. If he doesn’t realize you’re the most amazing woman he’s ever going to meet, then he can’t be as intelligent as you say.”
Grace smiled, liking the idea, although a voice in the back of her mind was telling her that anything actually happening between herself and Oliver was extremely unlikely.
“Did I ever tell you that for every time I bet you up when we were younger, there’s been a time when I’ve been incredibly glad I know you?”
Jack grinned. “Don’t, you’re making me blush,” he teased.
Checking her reflection in the mirror, she started down the stairs, looking up as Oliver yelled to her, “Grace! Get me J. Edgar on the phone!”
Wondering why they needed J. Edgar, she sprinted across the foyer. I’m not so bad at running in heels after all. Maybe I should have gone after Jack, she thought.
As she took down his words, Grace felt a nearly overpowering urge to look up at him. Would he be gazing at her the way he had a moment ago? His voice was so rich and warm, although his words were businesslike. When the letter was finished, she stood up and walked around to his side of the desk, placing it in front of him.
“Thank you very much, Grace. You look a little flushed, it is rather stuffy in here. Perhaps you should get some fresh air?”
“Oh no, I’m fine thank you. Will there be anything else, sir?”
“Uh, yes. I’d like to look over the plans for the new factory. These papers here,” Oliver picked up a pile, but they slipped from his hands to the floor in an avalanche. “Damn!”
They both knelt to retrieve them, picking them up. Grace looked up, aware of how close they were. Oliver seemed aware of this too, and they held each other’s gaze for a moment, before hurriedly continuing their work.
Grace sat up at her desk, ordering the papers in front of her. Oliver stood behind her, looking over her shoulder. He leant down to help her with the order, and there was another moment during which their faces were very close. Grace hoped she wasn’t blushing, the thought of which only made her blush more.
God, she’s pretty when she blushes.
Oliver shook his head. It was obvious he wasn’t going to get any work done, not with his secretary in the room anyway.
“You know, I think it’s a little too early in the morning for paperwork. Would you care to join me for a walk in the garden?”
Grace smiled brightly. “I’d love to.”
Grace turned onto her back with a sigh. A moment later she rolled onto her side. She had been lying in bed for the past hour, and sleep was yet to come to her.
Try as she might, she kept thinking of Oliver, and how lovely he had been today. They had gone for a walk in the garden, discussing everything from the factory to Annie. It had been wonderful to spend time with him when they weren’t working. But it also put silly ideas in her head, the kind that had been so distracting that morning. Although, Oliver had seemed distracted as well…
Grace buried her face in her pillow. The idea that Oliver had been distracted by her was just wishful thinking, surely. She had to stop deluding herself.
But he had been so sweet to her lately, ever since that night at the movies. The day in the garden, she had been the one to pull her hand from his. And he had asked if it meant a lot to her, and when she said yes he said he’d do it himself, as though he was doing it to please her…
“Argh!” This was driving her insane! She wasn’t sure what would be worse; if he didn’t feel the same way she did, or if he did but couldn’t act on it because he was her employer.
She gave up on trying to figure it out, turning restlessly in bed again. Nothing was going to happen between them, so she would have to learn to keep her feelings in check.
But, just for tonight, she might dream about Oliver for just a little longer…
It was interrupted when a nightgown-clad Annie came walking down the hall in the other direction. “Wow! You look great!” the little girl exclaimed, and the couple smiled at each other. Grace knelt down to the girl’s height.
“It’s a shame you couldn’t come, Annie, but it will be well past your bed time when we get home. Are you all ready for bed?”
“Yes, Miss Farrell.”
“Cleaned your teeth?”
“Yes, Miss Farrell.”
“Good girl,” Grace beamed, hugging her, then standing back up. Oliver could hardly decide which one of the two girls to look at.
“Good night, Mr. Warbucks.”
“Good night, Annie. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
They continued down the hallway, Annie smiling after her two favourite grown-ups in the world.
Oliver opened the car door for Grace as she climbed in. When the car was started, she turned to her employer.
“Thank you for inviting me, Oliver.”
“Thank you for accompanying me. This dinner will be much less tiresome with you here, and if you wouldn’t mind dancing with me, you might be able to protect me from Martha Dalton, who is much fonder of me than I am of her.”
Grace smiled. She was surprised to feel a violent twinge of dislike for this Martha Dalton, and relief when Oliver expressed disdain for her. Then she looked down, another thought occurring to her. When Oliver had invited her, she had been so elated that she hadn’t stopped to think that she would be the only secretary amongst the fashionable society ladies. She would seem terribly plain in comparison.
“Oliver,” she said suddenly, “I don’t think I should go to this dinner. I have a headache, and-”
“If you’re worried about what impression you’ll make on the guests, don’t be. Most of those society ladies are full of themselves and you are genuine and polite. If you’re worrying about your appearance you can’t have looked in a mirror.”
Grace smiled, her stomach doing somersaults. If he complimented her too much more it would be impossible to alter her feelings towards him.
“You don’t really have a headache, do you?” added Oliver, looking concerned. She smiled and shook her head. He looked relieved, then grinned, “Well if you get one, please tell me, then we can leave early.”
The rest of the drive to the dinner they chatted casually, Oliver giving her silent signals of encouragement. When they arrived, he opened the door for her.
The dining room was large and crowded, with a dance floor and an orchestra. Oliver smiled at the look on her face. Grace had never attended a function with him before.
“Oliver!” From across the ballroom an elegantly dressed woman came gliding.
“Martha Dalton,” he muttered to Grace, then assumed a forced smile. Grace was surprised, Martha looked closer to her own age than Oliver’s. And she was quite attractive. Grace’s previous prejudice became genuine dislike. Still, she smiled politely.
“And who’s this?”
“Martha, this is Grace Farrell.”
Grace felt rather intimidated as the woman looked her up and down, obviously not pleased to see Oliver accompanied by another woman.
“My secretary.”
At this, Martha smiled, not kindly, obviously feeling much less challenged by Grace’s presence now. “I’m pleased to meet you,” she smiled.
“Pleased to meet you too,” smiled Grace, feeling quite the opposite.
“Come, Grace, I’ll introduce you to William Howard Taft,” said Oliver, whisking her away.
William Taft was very polite to Grace, and seemed most impressed. At dinner, Oliver sat next to Grace, with Martha Dalton on the other side. She monopolized the conversation, holding about a quarter of the large table captive, almost deliberately discussing things Grace could not take part in. Although she knew Oliver didn’t care for her, Grace felt a twinge of jealousy when they were conversing, and especially when Martha made him laugh. Still, he did his best to include her in the conversation, even if just to offer her more wine. She felt like she needed it.
“Would you take the floor for a Ladies’ Excuse Me.”
Oliver took Grace’s arm before Martha could get a word in, and smiling led her to the floor.
As the music began her took her hand in his and placed his other hand at her waist. She tried not to quake at his touch. It was wonderful dancing with him, in his arms, smiling and making the occasional comment. It seemed to satisfy them both that Martha was dancing with some other poor man.
“You’re doing fine, Grace. Everyone is most impressed.”
“I don’t think Martha Dalton is impressed.”
Oliver grinned, and so did she. “Martha Dalton-“ he paused, his playful expression fading, “-is coming over.”
Grace tried not to grimace, and smiled as she felt Oliver’s hand tighten around her waist protectively, as though he didn’t want to let her go. Martha tapped on her shoulder, “Excuse me,” she cooed smugly. Grace’s smile never reached her eyes as she stepped aside. Her only consolation was the way Oliver smiled at her apologetically.
As she stood at the edge of the dance floor, the twinge of jealousy increased as she watched them. She had to keep reminding herself that Oliver disliked the woman, but seeing her in his arms as they danced made her feel like she’d been hit in the stomach.
“Would you care to dance?”
A man offered her his arm. “Thank you,” she replied, somewhat distantly.
Oliver looked across the room and saw Grace dancing with the rather handsome son of a Wall Street tycoon. He looked rather taken with her. Who could blame him?
Oliver felt so trapped by the Ladies’ Excuse Me. Unless another woman wanted to dance with him, he could be stuck with Martha until the dance ended. At least he could see Grace across the dance floor, even if she was with that young fellow. Seeing his hand at her waist made Oliver feel like walking over there and…
“Don’t you think so, Oliver?”
“What? Uh, yes, definitely.”
Grace was glad when an elegant young woman tapped on her shoulder and took her partner. The young man didn’t look pleased, but she hardly noticed. She immediately strode over to Oliver and Martha, tapped on the woman’s bare shoulder and smiled, “Excuse me.”
“Of course,” replied Martha, disdainfully.
Grace felt warmth rush through her as Oliver wrapped his arm around her waist again.
“Thank you,” he murmured, sincerely.
“My pleasure,” she smiled, falling back into the rhythm of the dance, feeling the jealousy ebb away as he smiled into her eyes.
When they finally climbed into the car, they were both rather tired.
“So, until the next time someone important has a birthday, anniversary or funeral, we can say goodbye to high society.”
Grace smiled, and couldn’t help noticing how he had said ‘we’. The night hadn’t been very helpful as far as becoming cool and calm around Oliver; she was surprised how much of an effect Martha Dalton’s interest in him had on her.
“You did very well, Grace. Everyone, except Martha, thought you were lovely. Charming and quite enchanting, as William put it.” Grace tried to remind herself that he was merely passing on the compliment, but he did look as though he meant it.
“Well, thank you again for inviting me.”
He accompanied her to her door, chatting as they went.
“I hope you didn’t feel too intimidated by Martha. She didn’t say anything to you, did she?”
Grace smiled at the anger in Oliver’s eyes at the thought of Martha insulting her. She shook her head. “No, she was quite civil. I can’t say I like her much though.”
“I always knew you were a sensible girl,” Oliver grinned.
“Well, thank you again for taking me out tonight.”
“It was my pleasure, Grace. You should join me for every event from now on. Everyone loved your company. Besides, I need you to ward off Martha Dalton.”
“I would be honoured. Well, uh, goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Grace.”
“Do you think the stores would take all this back?”
“All your new clothes? I guess so Annie, but don’t you want to keep them?” Grace replied, trying to ignore the pain she felt as she spent what would be her last few minutes with this little girl she loved so very much.
“My new folks; they’re poor. All these clothes are gonna make them feel bad. Could you maybe take them back to the orphanage and give them to my friends?”
“Certainly.” Grace busied herself folding the outfits, trying not to remember everything she and Annie had done together while wearing them.
Betcha my life is gonna be swell
Lookin’ at them, it’s easy to tell
And maybe I’ll forget how nice he was to me
And how I was almost his baby
She felt tears prick at her eyes as she turned to gaze at the girl. Annie sat still for a moment, then frowned and began to pack her things. Grace couldn’t help it. She began to weep silently and she sat down on the bed, trying to hide her face. The little girl looked up, and when she realized her friend was upset she walked over and sat down next to her so that their shoulders touched.
I won’t be far away
It really ain’t so bad
You’ll take the ferry and visit
Me and my mom and my dad
Grace met the child’s kind, sad gaze and felt her heart melt as Annie reached out to hold her hand.
And for all the time
That us three are apart
Don’t think I’ll ever forget you
You’ll be right here in my heart
Grace wiped her eyes and managed a small smile. “You’ll be in my heart, too, Annie.”
When the little girl spoke, her voice was slightly wobbly, but she recovered. “I think I need to teach you a song. I sang it at the orphanage, when I was sad, and it helped. It might help you too.
The sun’ll come out, tomorrow
So ya gotta hang on til tomorrow, come what may.
Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow,
You’re only a day away.”
Grace battled a fresh wave of tears at the sweetness of the child’s optimism. “Thank you, Annie. I’m sure that will help.” The girl squeezed her hand again, then stood up and turned to look at her suitcase. “I guess I better get downstairs.” Grace nodded.
“Goodbye, Annie. Come and visit us, won’t you?”
“Sure,” the girl attempted a smile, then hugged her friend goodbye.
“Bye Grace. I’ll miss ya.”
And with that, the little girl and her suitcase disappeared out the door.
Annie was safely in bed, fast asleep. The doctor had given her the all clear, but said she should take it easy and rest for the next few days, after such a stressful incident. The very idea of Annie taking anything easy was almost funny.
Oliver was sitting by her bed, waiting for her to fall asleep. He didn’t think he had ever felt a greater sense of relief than when Punjab had lowered her into his arms that night. How close he had been to losing her. But he didn’t want to think of that. There she was, lying there, perfect. And she was his, now.
He realized that she had finally nodded off, and stood up very carefully so as not to wake her. He tiptoed across the room and closed the door quietly behind him. He sighed. All this emotion was exhausting. But thank God things had turned out the way they had. Oliver wandered down the hall, enjoying the silence. All the staff were in bed, it seemed.
He wasn’t quite sure why he chose the corridor that went past Grace’s room. It was quicker to go the other way. She was asleep anyway, by the silence from her room. But a little further down the corridor, he heard gentle sobbing. A moment later, Grace came into view, heading back to her suite from the bathroom. She was ready for bed, dressed in her robe. The woman gasped as she realized she was not alone, and hurriedly tried to brush away her tears. “Oh, Oliver, I didn’t realize you were still awake.”
“Grace, what’s wrong?” his eyes were full of concern.
“It’s nothing; I’m being silly. I’ll be all right in a minute, honestly.”
“If it’s nothing, then why are you crying? Women are confusing creatures,” Oliver shook his head in bemusement, and she laughed waterily. He stepped a little closer, longing to comfort her.
“Well, it’s…it’s just that…when Annie left, with her ‘parents’” the word filled with loathing, “it was like we were losing her, and I care for her a great deal. I wanted to cry, but I didn’t. And then, when we found they were kidnappers, and saw her dangling from the top of that bridge…I didn’t cry then either. It just sort of built up, so that even though everything’s fine now, I still need to let it all out. I know it’s silly-”
“No, I understand,” Oliver hushed her, and placing his hands on her shoulders, pulled her gently, awkwardly, into a comforting embrace.
Grace tensed slightly, then deciding to go with her feelings, lay her head on his shoulder. She let her eyes close, a few stray tears still rolling down her cheeks. It was so calming, leaning against his warm, strong torso. She could feel his breath on the back of her neck. His cologne was going to her head. Odd, she did feel calm, and yet her heart had begun to pound.
Oliver had always been a man of considerable self control, but he was having trouble curbing the longing he felt to wrap his arms around Grace completely. But, of course, that would be totally inappropriate. He was just comforting her. But he couldn’t help noticing how good her hair smelled, the warmth of her through her robe, the gentle sighs of her breathing.
Grace felt like she could’ve stood there with him forever, but she remembered that she ought to keep her feelings for her employer in check. He was just being comforting, a good employer, and a friend. Nothing more, surely. Still, she wanted to make the most of this moment; she would never have another chance to be with him alone, is his arms like this, almost as if they were more than friends…
But when she lifted her head and looked into his eyes, he was looking at her with…affection? Longing? She opened her mouth to say something (she wasn’t sure what, but their faces suddenly seemed very close, and if she kept holding his gaze she was bound to kiss him and make a complete fool of herself).
But Oliver stopped her, cupping her chin in his hand.
Grace stared at him, unable to believe what was almost certainly about to happen. But when he gently pulled her face closer to his, she didn’t care how surreal it was. She closed her eyes as he kissed her tenderly, stroking her hair. It seemed all her senses were heightened; she was intensely aware of his lips moving over hers, the smell of his cologne, one of his hands stroking her hair. He broke the kiss, their faces only inches apart. Grace stood for a moment, stunned, then her instincts overpowered her surprise and she began to kiss him back, slipping her arms around his neck. In response, he wrapped an arm around her waist. Her heart was performing some spectacular gymnastics, and her knees were so weak she felt they would give way at any moment.
Had she shown any sign of resistance, Oliver would have enforced his self control and pulled away, but Grace was pressing closer to him, encouraging him to explore further.
Oliver gently broke the kiss, pulling back slightly to look down at her. Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked up at him, a shy smile on her face. Grace was a little embarrassed at her own passionate reaction to his kiss. She was slightly breathless, and he couldn’t think of a time she had looked more beautiful.
Grace blushed under his adoring gaze, and stepped closer, leaning her head on his shoulder once more. She smiled as she felt him wrap his arms around her again, holding her close. They stood in silence for a moment, reveling in what had just occurred.
“Uh…” Oliver fell silent again, having no idea what to say. This was one of the few situations he was unfamiliar with. Grace chuckled softly, “Oliver Warbucks without anything to say; if New York could see this.” The man grinned, one hand caressing the small of her back.
“I was just so afraid,” Grace began to explain, “I love Annie, as much as you do. And it wasn’t just losing her that I was afraid of. I thought that, if she left…you’d…things would go back to the way they’d been before. And I was—I am,” she smiled as she corrected herself, “enjoying the way you’ve been…acting lately so much, and I didn’t know if I could stand going back to being Miss Farrell and Mr. Warbucks, after being Oliver and Grace.”
Oliver smiled, running a hand through her hair as she lifted her face to look at him, her hands still resting on his chest. “I know exactly what you mean.”
She slid her arms up around his neck again, and they shared a tender kiss. Oliver realized he was developing a new addiction; she tasted better than the finest cigars or vintage wine.
“Well, uh, you, you must be exhausted. I should let you rest.” He pulled away slightly, and she found she missed his touch already.
“I’ll see you in the morning then. Think of me?”
“You can rest assured I will do nothing else.”
Grace glowed, and reached up to kiss his cheek. “Goodnight, Oliver.”
“Goodnight, Grace.”
They stood, smiling at each other, waiting for the other to turn away, until Grace laughed and began to walk away, blowing her employer (but oh, he was so much more than that now) a kiss.
Oliver grinned as he watched her walk away. God, she was…And…What a night!
When Grace woke up the next morning, the sun was pouring in through her bedroom window. She sat up slowly, afraid for a moment that last night had been a dream. But there were her clothes hanging over the chair where she had left them, not bothering to put them away.
She fell back on the pillows again with a contented sigh, then sat bolt upright, staring at the clock. It was half past eight!
She leapt out of bed and pulled a robe over her nightgown, her eyes scanning the open closet for something suitable to wear. She wanted to look especially pretty today. She had just decided on a nice blue dress when there was a knock at the door. Pulling her robe closer around her, she went to answer it.
When she did, she found Oliver standing in the doorway, smiling at her.
“Good morning, Miss Farrell.” His eyes betrayed the formality of his words.
“Good morning, sir,” Grace replied with a smile, playing along because Mrs. Pugh was coming down the hall carrying the laundry basket.
“I just came to tell you that due to the events of the last night, I am taking the day off, and I suggest you do as well. So you can go back to sleep if you’d like.”
“Thank you sir, but now that I’m awake I may as well stay up. I thought I might go and sit with Annie this morning, to make sure she’s alright.”
“Yes, I checked on her about an hour ago. She was still fast asleep,” said Oliver, watching as Mrs. Pew rounded the corner, leaving them alone. Once she was gone, he stepped closer and kissed the woman briefly on the lips. “Perhaps when you see Annie this morning, you might want to tell her about us, and being her mother, do you think?” he suggested, toying with a strand of her hair.
“Good idea. When are you going to tell the staff?”
“Well, I figured that once Annie knew, everyone would.”
Grace chuckled at that.
“You do have a point there. Are you just going to relax today?”
“I did have something like that in mind.”
“Good, I’ll be able to spend some time with you then. I’ll get changed and go see Annie.”
“Right, I’ll see you later,” he said, kissing her on the cheek.
She watched him stroll down the hall whistling, and smiled.
Closing the door behind her with a contented sigh, she wandered over to the closet, turning on the radio as she went.
I O D E N T…Iodent!
Oh, not Bert Healey again, she thought laughingly, remembering the time Oliver had gone on the air. Being in a cheerful mood, Grace sang along as she dressed, imitating the Boylin Sisters in a ridiculously exaggerated fashion. She was putting extra enthusiasm into the last few bars as she did her hair.
“So senator, so janitor, so long for a while. Remember you’re never fully dressed, though you may wear the best, you’re never fully dressed without a smile. You’re never fully dressed, you’re never dressed, you’re never dressed, you’re never fully dressed without a…”
Grace stopped abruptly as she turned to find Annette standing in the doorway, her face the picture of amazement.
“Good morning, Miss. I’m just bringing up a fresh towel for you,” said the girl, obviously trying very hard to act as though she hadn’t just seen her manager singing into her hairbrush.
“Oh, thank you Annette,” she blushed, restraining laughter as she headed out the door. “Have a lovely day, won’t you?”
Grace left the poor girl in complete bewilderment, laughing to herself as she headed down to breakfast.
After breakfast, she climbed the stairs and gently opened Annie’s door. As always, Sandy was sprawled out on one side, the little girl on the other. Grace smiled at the sweet sight, tiptoeing to the edge of the bed and sitting down carefully. She watched the little girl sleeping. The little girl that was going to be her daughter.
The moment ended abruptly when Sandy opened one eye and woofed in welcome.
“Hmm? Oh, good morning Grace,” yawned Annie cheerfully, as soon as she was awake enough to recognize her friend.
“Good morning Annie. How are you this morning?”
“I’m fine. It’s swell to be back.”
“It’s 'swell' to have you safely back with us. We were all very worried about you for a while there.”
“I was quite worried about me too,” the girl agreed, with such conviction that Grace chuckled, swinging her legs up onto the bed to sit next to her.
“Well, you’re safe here with Mr. Warbucks and I. Annie…you know that Mr. Warbucks wanted to adopt you earlier. Well, he’d still like to now, and I know we’d all be thrilled to have you with us forever. You are happy to stay, aren’t you?”
“That is the silliest question I’ve ever heard in my life, and I lived with Duffy! Of course I want to stay!”
“Thank goodness for that,” the woman smiled, wrapping one arm around Annie’s shoulders.
“There’s something else I want to talk to you about too…” she trailed off, a nervous knot forming in her stomach.
“Annie, you know how much I respect Mr. Warbucks, don’t you?”
“Sure.”
“He’s a great man who has been very good to me, and I have helped him as much as I can in return.”
“Yeah.” Annie looked interested, but not sure what her friend was trying to say.
“Well, sometimes when you have great admiration for a person and really get to know them, the way you feel about them changes…do you know what I mean?”
“You mean like how I thought Punjab was scary at first but he was really very nice?” the girl cocked her head questioningly, and Grace chuckled. “Yes, something like that.”
“Well, I admire Mr. Warbucks very much, but I also care for him a great deal.”
“That’s obvious. I always knew you thought he was the best thing since sliced bread.”
It was all the woman could do to stare, and Annie giggled at the look on her face.
“You’re in love with Mr. Warbucks, aren’t you?”
“Uh…well…yes,” Grace was still quite stunned.
“I thought so. He’s in love with you too, isn’t he?”
She nodded, wondering how obvious she had been that the little girl had known she had feelings for her employer.
“Good for you!” Annie grinned.
“Thank you, Annie,” replied Grace, a smile spreading across her face.
“When are you going to get married?”
“I’m not sure yet; sometime quite soon I suppose. Would you like to be the flower girl?”
“Sure!”
The little girl lay back on the pillows, closing her eyes for a second. “I think I’m gonna like living here with Daddy Warbucks and you.”
“Good,” smiled Grace, arranging the pillows and lying down next to her. But she had hardly laid her head on the pillow when Annie sat up sharply.
“What is it?”
“Wait a second…If you’re marrying my Dad, then that makes you…” the girl stared in realization. Grace watched her, hoping the reaction would be positive. She wasn’t disappointed.
“Leapin’ lizards!” Annie exclaimed, and the next thing the woman knew she had thrown her arms around her neck.
Grace sighed in relief, hugging the girl close.
“I take it you don’t mind?”
“Oh no--that’s just swell!” she looked slightly overwhelmed, but extremely happy. “I always wanted a regular Mom and Dad, and now I’m gonna have them. Actually, no, you aren’t regular--you’re super!”
Grace couldn’t do anything but beam, lying down as Annie pulled the duvet up again. She melted as she felt the girl snuggle closer, longing for a mother’s love. Wrapping her arms around her future daughter, Grace closed her eyes and pressed a kiss on Annie’s forehead.
When Oliver knocked on the door half an hour later, there was no response. Tip-toeing in, he felt his heart melt at the sight of the two people dearest to him cuddled up together. He had been standing there for quite some time when Grace stirred, and noticed his presence. “Hello,” she whispered with a smile.
“I wish I had a camera; you two are beautiful.”
Grace smiled again, careful not to wake Annie as she pulled away enough to look at her fiancée.
“I told her; she was totally thrilled.”
“I’m not surprised,” smiled Oliver, sitting down on the edge of the bed and placing his hand over hers, “You’re already a mother figure to her. She loves you.”
“And I love you.” Grace squeezed his hand. After a moment of staring at the two girls, Oliver tore his gaze away. “I’ll leave you two alone; I’m going in to town for a little while. I’ll see you downstairs later.”
The woman nodded, stretching up so Oliver could place a kiss on her forehead, then watched him go.
Grace spent the morning in Annie’s room, talking about nothing and everything until the girl had enough energy to get out of bed. Then came the not-so-unpleasant chore of confirming the staff that yes, Miss Farrell was going to become Mrs. Warbucks and that Annie was not telling tall stories. Oddly enough, the female employees didn’t seem terribly surprised—but everyone was very supportive.
Grace was quite glad when Jack offered to take Annie for a walk downtown, which left her to find Oliver. She found him standing on the terrace, drinking lemonade. She tiptoed up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist.
“Hello there.”
He jumped in surprise, and then chuckled, turning around to face her and kissing her on the cheek. “How’s your day going, dear?”
“Oh, only brilliantly. Annie’s decided she’s going to call me Grace until we get married, because it’s such a pretty name, and then she’ll call me Mom. But the thing that shocked me was that she had guessed there was something going on anyway.”
Oliver smiled. “She’s a perceptive little thing—she told me once that you thought I was ‘the best thing since sliced bread’.”
Grace covered her face with her hands laughingly, and the man wrapped an arm around her shoulders, grinning.
“You know, I was thinking: tomorrow’s the 4th of July, and we really ought to have an engagement party, and we also need to celebrate Annie. Why don’t we put them all in one?”
“You mean an Independence Day/engagement/adoption party? That sounds a lot of fun.”
“In that case Miss Farrell, please make note that we will need to prepare for a party,” Oliver teased.
“Of course, sir. Shall we invite the Hudson St. Orphans, sir? And the Roosevelts, sir? Who else, sir?” the woman smiled, playing along.
“Alright Grace, invite everyone in my address book. And one more thing…”
“Yes, sir?”
“For heavens sake, call me Oliver.”
Powdering her nose and applying lipstick, she smiled as she heard Annie running up the stairs and down the hall.
“Ooh, that’s such a pretty dress Grace!” the girl exclaimed, skidding to a halt in the doorway. “It really brings out the colour of your eyes,” she added, in her most grown-up voice.
The woman laughed, walking over to the little girl.
“Why, thank you Annie. Your dress is lovely too; it really brings out the colour of your…hair,” she smiled down at her, trying not to laugh.
“Doesn’t it?” Annie agreed, taking the woman’s hand and walking over to the dressing table.
“What are you going to do with your hair?”
“I was just wondering that. Actually, maybe you could help me,” Grace suggested, knowing how much the girl would love that.
“Really? This’ll be swell!” Annie beamed.
“Well, your hair does look very pretty down, but I think you should put it up tonight. You’ll want something other than your everyday hair-do though. Hmmm… You could always swirl it back like this,” the girl suggested, taking the woman’s dark hair and arranging it in a bun.
“Of course, it’s just an idea. And you’ll do it a lot neater than I have.”
Grace looked at herself in the mirror. She would never have thought of wearing her hair that way, but it really did look lovely.
“Annie, I think you’re right. Pass me some hairpins; you choose which ones,” the woman smiled, watching as the little girl took some sparkly white ones off the table.
“These are pretty.”
“Does it look alright at the back?” the woman asked when she was done putting up her hair.
Standing on the chair behind her, Annie gave her a big thumbs-up in the mirror.
“Now that’s sorted, do you think I should wear some jewelry?”
“Definitely! Ooh, these pearls are gorgeous!” the girl exclaimed, her eyes lighting up as she rummaged through her mother-to-be’s jewelry box.
“Hmm,” smiled Grace, holding them against her neck.
“Yes, these will do very nicely,” she nodded, handing them to Annie, who put them round her neck and did up the clasp.
“And these to go with it!” added the girl, handing her a pair of pearl earrings.
“You have very good taste,” the woman smiled at her as she put them in.
“Why, thank you.”
Laughing, Grace crouched to the girl’s level and hugged her.
“Now, I’d better go downstairs and welcome everyone. You wait here until Oliver— until your father calls you. See you later tonight,” she smiled, walking to the door.
“OK. Grace—“
“Yes?”
“You really do look very very beautiful,” said the little girl earnestly.
“Thank you, Annie,” Grace replied, before closing the door and starting off down the hall. Hoping Annie was right, she checked her reflection once more in the hallway mirror before turning the corner and going down the stairs.
Everyone in the foyer had to look twice when they saw her. Miss Farrell had never looked quite so beautiful before. Oliver reminded himself to breathe, watching her as she descended. Grace greeted everyone as she joined them, but once she spotted Oliver she had eyes for no one else. Their eyes met, and she smiled shyly at the way he was looking at her.
“Hello.”
“You look beautiful, Grace,” her fiancée smiled, looking deep into her eyes.
“Thank you,” she blushed, looking down shyly and smiling.
They stood there smiling at each other for a minute, until Punjab, who was standing nearby, coughed to cover a laugh. The pair turned to glare at him, and he walked away, continuing to act as though he did have a cough.
“Well, I’ll go and welcome everyone in the garden-“
“And I’ll go get Annie,” said Oliver, nodding as they headed off in different directions.
“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I’d like to welcome you to this celebration. Mr. Warbucks will be here momentarily. Until then, we have some wonderfully talented circus performers for your enjoyment, and a ridiculous amount of candy to be consumed, so enjoy yourselves.”
The crowd applauded as Grace descending the stairs of the terrace into the garden, and several children, mostly Annie’s friends, headed toward the nearest candy vendors. She chuckled as she spotted Jack being swamped by a mass of children wanting chocolate bars.
Gazing around, she spotted Miss Hannigan, who was standing alone, watching the circus. It had been Annie’s idea to invite the woman, when she heard how she had protested against Rooster’s actions. Oliver hadn’t been quite so forgiving, but Annie’s winning smile could convince anyone.
“Hello, Miss Hannigan.”
“Oh, hi. Grace, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
There was an awkward silence.
“Uh, I’d just like to say thank you, on behalf of all of us, for what you did the other night. If you hadn’t slowed your brother down, well…thank you.”
Miss Hannigan obviously wasn’t used to receiving compliments.
“Uh…no problem. It’s a good show you’ve got here,” she gestured to the jugglers.
“Yes, that was Annie’s idea,” Grace smiled.
“So you’re gonna be her mother, huh?”
The woman nodded. She half expected a nasty comment. She was surprised when Miss Hannigan almost laughed, saying, “Good luck with that. You’ll do a heck of a lot better than I would.”
Grace didn’t really know what to say to that. It was odd, but the monster with claws and fangs seemed quite human now.
“I don’t suppose you’re working at the orphanage anymore?”
“Nah, the cops weren’t too keen on an ex-kidnapper looking after orphans.”
“Well, I’m sure Oliver could help you get a job. What’s your field of expertise?”
“You mean other than organized crime?” the older woman said dryly. Grace chuckled.
“Fiddle-faddle, Miss Hannigan. I know; I’ve heard the hotel around the corner is looking for a new manager. You could handle giving orders and kicking out drunkards, couldn’t you?”
“Actually, that does sound quite like my kind of job. Would Mr. Warbucks do that for me?”
“I’m sure he would, especially if Annie puts in a good word for you.”
“Oh God, how much will I have to pay her?”
Grace smiled. “I don’t think you’ll need to worry about that. We’ll get back to you about the job soon. Until then, enjoy yourself. Happy Independence Day,” she said, taking two glasses of champagne from a waiter and handing her one.
“Cheers,” said Miss Hannigan, raising her glass in a toast.
“I’ll see you later.”
“Yeah, and thanks.”
“It’s our pleasure, Miss Hannigan.”
“What are you doing?” Grace asked her cousin, who was standing behind a bush in the garden.
“I’m hiding from the kids of course. Wanna swap jobs? I’ll socialize and you can be harassed by candy-crazed children,” Jack bantered, and she chuckled.
“By the way, I never got the chance to congratulate you properly on your engagement, Gracie. If these two days have been any indication, you’ll be very happy.”
“Thank you, Jack. How’s Annette these days?”
“What?” he replied defensively. His cousin only smiled.
“Oh, nothing. Enjoy yourself, Jackie darling. Oh dear, here come some children,” Grace teased, and the young man looked around nervously, before realizing she was joking.
Conversing with the Roosevelts a couple of minutes later, she laughed as Annie and Oliver came out the front door to dance on the steps. She had no idea Oliver could tap-dance. He and Annie looked very cute, tapping away together. The two people she cared about most in the world, putting on a show that was immensely entertaining. And she loved the way they kept smiling over at her.
She smiled as the pair began to dance toward her.
I don’t need anything, anything, anything,
I don’t need anything but—
Breaking off the kiss reluctantly, Oliver looked at the woman in his arms. She smiled up at him.
“Back in a minute,” the man smiled, grabbing Annie by the hand and pulling her back to the dance floor. “Congratulations, Miss Farrell,” smiled Eleanor Roosevelt, leaning over to the woman.
“Oh, thank you,” she laughed, not really knowing what to say.
Surely things couldn’t get much better.
She’s not the only one who’s got it all, Grace thought to herself, feeling like the luckiest woman alive.
She smiled as Annie hugged her new father, blinking away tears of emotion. She was overjoyed to be asked to share their moment as Oliver offered her his hand, wrapping an arm around her slim waist and kissing her briefly.
“I hope you don’t mind my saying; but you two make a very cute couple,” commented Annie, to their delight.
Watching as a fireworks display lit up the sky, the woman lay her head on his shoulder. This had to be the best day of her life.
Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow
You’re only a day away
Grace smiled as she watched her family-to-be, thinking how many tomorrows were waiting for them.
THE END!