thing at her core that would allow her to die for an ideal, or follow what she believed in all the way to the horizon.
"You frighten me when you say things like that, " Olivia said quietly, and Victoria reached out and took her hand and held it.
"I don't mean to. I think that's just who I am. I'm not you, Ollie.
Even though we look so much alike, how could we be so different "Different and the same, " Olivia said, puzzling over the mystery that had followed them since they were born, so much the same in so many ways, so totally different in others.
"I'm sorry about this afternoon. I didn't mean to scare you." Contrite at last, not because of what she'd done, but because she had upset her sister. Victoria loved Olivia too much to hurt her.
"I knew something was wrong. I felt it here." She touched her stomach, and Victoria nodded. They were both familiar with that sensation.
"What time? " Victoria asked with interest. The telepathy between them had always intrigued her.
"Two o'clock, " Olivia said, and Victoria nodded. They were both used to the phenomenon which always seemed to tell each of them when the other was in trouble.
"Just about right. I think that's when they picked us up, and tossed us in the wagon."
"That must have been charming, " Olivia said, looking disapproving again, but Victoria laughed, looking highly amused about it.
"Actually, I thought it was pretty funny. They were so determined to get everyone in, and no one wanted to be left out. They all wanted to be arrested." Victoria laughed more, and Olivia groaned, remembering the phone call from Sergeant O"Shaunessy at the Fifth Precinct.
"I'm glad they didn't arrest you, " Olivia said firmly.
"Why did you call him? " Victoria asked her then, combing her eyes with her own, looking for unspoken answers. There were a myriad of things that always went unsaid, but were clearly understood, between them.
"I didn't know who else to call. And I didn't want to take Donovan or Petrie. I was afraid to come alone, and they told me not to when they called me."
"You could have though. You didn't need him. He's so insignificant."
Victoria brushed Charles Dawson aside with a wave of her hand. To her, he was entirely unimportant. She didn't see any of the merit in him that Olivia did. Nor any of the interest.
"He's not insignificant, " Olivia defended him. He was subdued, one could see easily that his fire had been dimmed, but he had been dealt a cruel blow by one of life's swift hands, and Olivia felt desperately sorry for him. It didn't make her pity him, but she liked him. She could see the merit in the man, the man he might have been before, and could be again, with a little kindness, and perhaps even the right woman. "He's wounded, " Olivia explained.
"Spare me." Victoria grinned, easily unkind, and quick to dispense with the impaired or injured.
"That's not fair. He came here in ten minutes today in order to help you."
"Our father is probably one of his biggest clients."
"That's a disgusting thing to say. He could have told me he was busy."
"Perhaps he likes you, " Victoria said mischievously, but without much interest.
"Or you, " Olivia said fairly.
"Maybe he still can't tell the difference, " Victoria said truthfully.
"That doesn't make him a bad person. Father can't always tell the difference between us either. Bertie is the only one who ever could."
"Maybe she's the only one who ever cared enough to, " Victoria said cruelly.
"Why are you so unkind sometimes? " Olivia said unhappily. She hated it when her sister said things like that. Sometimes she could be so unfeeling.
"Maybe that's just the way I am." Victoria looked matter-of fact, but not remorseful. "I'm hard on myself too. I expect a lot of everyone, Ollie. I expect to do more with my life than just sit here, and go to parties and balls and the theater." She sounded suddenly very grown-up and Olivia was surprised by what she was saying.
"I thought you wanted to come to New York. You're
"You frighten me when you say things like that, " Olivia said quietly, and Victoria reached out and took her hand and held it.
"I don't mean to. I think that's just who I am. I'm not you, Ollie.
Even though we look so much alike, how could we be so different "Different and the same, " Olivia said, puzzling over the mystery that had followed them since they were born, so much the same in so many ways, so totally different in others.
"I'm sorry about this afternoon. I didn't mean to scare you." Contrite at last, not because of what she'd done, but because she had upset her sister. Victoria loved Olivia too much to hurt her.
"I knew something was wrong. I felt it here." She touched her stomach, and Victoria nodded. They were both familiar with that sensation.
"What time? " Victoria asked with interest. The telepathy between them had always intrigued her.
"Two o'clock, " Olivia said, and Victoria nodded. They were both used to the phenomenon which always seemed to tell each of them when the other was in trouble.
"Just about right. I think that's when they picked us up, and tossed us in the wagon."
"That must have been charming, " Olivia said, looking disapproving again, but Victoria laughed, looking highly amused about it.
"Actually, I thought it was pretty funny. They were so determined to get everyone in, and no one wanted to be left out. They all wanted to be arrested." Victoria laughed more, and Olivia groaned, remembering the phone call from Sergeant O"Shaunessy at the Fifth Precinct.
"I'm glad they didn't arrest you, " Olivia said firmly.
"Why did you call him? " Victoria asked her then, combing her eyes with her own, looking for unspoken answers. There were a myriad of things that always went unsaid, but were clearly understood, between them.
"I didn't know who else to call. And I didn't want to take Donovan or Petrie. I was afraid to come alone, and they told me not to when they called me."
"You could have though. You didn't need him. He's so insignificant."
Victoria brushed Charles Dawson aside with a wave of her hand. To her, he was entirely unimportant. She didn't see any of the merit in him that Olivia did. Nor any of the interest.
"He's not insignificant, " Olivia defended him. He was subdued, one could see easily that his fire had been dimmed, but he had been dealt a cruel blow by one of life's swift hands, and Olivia felt desperately sorry for him. It didn't make her pity him, but she liked him. She could see the merit in the man, the man he might have been before, and could be again, with a little kindness, and perhaps even the right woman. "He's wounded, " Olivia explained.
"Spare me." Victoria grinned, easily unkind, and quick to dispense with the impaired or injured.
"That's not fair. He came here in ten minutes today in order to help you."
"Our father is probably one of his biggest clients."
"That's a disgusting thing to say. He could have told me he was busy."
"Perhaps he likes you, " Victoria said mischievously, but without much interest.
"Or you, " Olivia said fairly.
"Maybe he still can't tell the difference, " Victoria said truthfully.
"That doesn't make him a bad person. Father can't always tell the difference between us either. Bertie is the only one who ever could."
"Maybe she's the only one who ever cared enough to, " Victoria said cruelly.
"Why are you so unkind sometimes? " Olivia said unhappily. She hated it when her sister said things like that. Sometimes she could be so unfeeling.
"Maybe that's just the way I am." Victoria looked matter-of fact, but not remorseful. "I'm hard on myself too. I expect a lot of everyone, Ollie. I expect to do more with my life than just sit here, and go to parties and balls and the theater." She sounded suddenly very grown-up and Olivia was surprised by what she was saying.
"I thought you wanted to come to New York. You're
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