Chapter 7: Late

Abigail woke up in a panic, sure she hadn't heard her alarm go off. She checked the clock next to her bed, and saw that it already read half past eight. She was going to be late.

Quickly, she stripped out of her pajamas and into some any random clothes she pulled out of her duffel bag. She didn't have the energy or the time to go through her extensive closet.

Hurriedly, she pulled a comb through her hair and brushed her teeth, dabbing her face with wet hands and then with a towel.

Her clock read 8:45 and she rushed to find the sunroom. She passed by two servant girls, one of whom was unable to say even a word to her, and another directed her to the sunroom.

But on arriving there, Abigail found it to be entirely empty, no trace of breakfast to be found. But there was no way she could be twenty minutes late and have missed the whole thing.

Abigail paused, trying to think. She then left the sunroom, and tried to find another servant that could help her.

"Excuse me!" Abigail called to the woman she saw rounding the corner.

"Yes, Ma'am?" the girl answered.

"Where is my father for breakfast?" Abigail asked.

The woman looked at her confused, "He's, in the dining room, Ma'am. Where he's been having breakfast for the past hour already."

Abigail felt herself go cold all over. All right, never mind, she could still salvage this. She just needed to get there before he actually left breakfast.

"And which way would I find the dining room?" Abigail asked kindly, and when the woman pointed in one direction, Abigail took off running.

She arrived at the dining room out of breath, and probably looking like she hadn't even brushed her hair that morning. But, she sighed in relief, at least Adam was still here.

"Abigail," Adam said, and the one word cut right through her. "Where were you for dinner last night?"

Abigail stopped dead in her tracks. "What do you mean? I was in my room."

"Your father came all the way from the office, early, just to have supper with you," Charlotte spoke the words with such an interesting tone. It was like she was happy that Abigail hadn't shown up, but still upset that Adam had thought to make that arrangement for her at all.

Olivia simply sipped of her orange juice.

"Oh," Abigail said, unsure what she was expected to say in this situation, exactly. "I didn't know I was expected to be there."

Adam sighed, like Abigail was purposefully making this difficult. "And breakfast is served at seven thirty on the dot, and in the dining room."

"I'm sorry I'm late," Abigail said, sitting down in the chair opposite Olivia who would not look at her. "I was in the wrong room, and at the wrong time."

"Abigail," Adam said, painstakingly, like each word is a difficulty for him. "I would have liked you to be on time. Our arrangement of getting to know each other is only going to work if you're on time for the schedule we set. I've been waiting for you for half an hour already, now I have to leave."

"I'm sorry," Abigail said again. "I know you're very busy, I'll make sure to be on time for supper, and breakfast tomorrow."

"Thank you," Adam told her. "I will very much appreciate it."

The rest of breakfast lasted all of five minutes, with Adam announcing he needed to get to a meeting and Charlotte, half-way through her complaint about the eggs this morning, followed him out.

Abigail and Olivia both greeted their father and wished him a good day at work, and then sat in silence until both Adam and Charlotte had left the dining room, the doors were closed behind them, and they were sufficiently out of earshot.

Then Olivia smiled sweetly at Abigail.

"You told me the sunroom!" Abigail hissed at Olivia through clenched teeth. "And you told me not to come for supper! You said you would let me know!"

"Sorry!" Olivia excused herself. "I must have said the wrong room by accident. I meant the dining room. We do sometimes eat in the sunroom, so I must have gotten the words confused."

Abigail glared at her. She might not have grown up with Olivia, or had a sister of any kind growing up, but she knew sibling sabotage when she saw it.

"Liar," Abigail told her. "And next time you try to sabotage me, I won't keep quiet and cover for you. I'll throw you right under the bus and tell Adam what you did."

"Oh fine," Olivia answered airily. "I won't make any more mistakes." Then she giggled. "But wasn't it fun seeing him so worked up? You should see him blow up at me when I'm late for something."

Abigail glared. Olivia was obviously trying to make things difficult, but it didn't seem like she truly hated her, it more seemed like pure sibling rivalry, and while Abigail hadn't been hoping for this kind of relationship with her sister, she wasn't going to attack her outright on it.

Olivia was probably spoiled, rich and used to getting what she wanted. Everything was probably a game to her. Abigail just had to show her that wasn't the way the real world worked.

"So anyway," Olivia brushed off the glares like they didn't bother her in the slightest. "What are you doing today?"

"I'm studying," Abigail answered stiffly. If Olivia wanted to play games, Abigail would just show her that she didn't.

"Ooooh," Olivia squealed. "What are you studying? Industrial psychology? The finances of a business? Oh, oh, the divisions of power in a business?"

Abigail stared at Olivia, slightly taken aback. So she wasn't stupid, or an airheaded heiress. She was just, so, childish. And petty.

"Law, actually," Abigail answered, a little more serious, the coldness in her tone gone.

"Oh," Olivia said, a little deflated. "Daddy wanted me to study pre-law, too. He said it was always good for a CEO to know the legal bits, so your lawyers don't screw you over. And also so that you can negotiate your own contracts so once in a while, to show them you don't really need them. But I could never. I would rather pay them to do the dirty work. I like the fun side of running the company."

So Olivia hoped to take over the company one day, then. That was interesting.

Abigail had dreams of running her own law firm one day, but in all honesty, she would be happy just working for a law firm. She would be able to afford her own place, without having to take hand-outs from her father.

Olivia stared at Abigail, giving her a once over, "Are you going to wear that?"

"What's wrong with my clothes?" Abigail asked, it was something she had brought from home.

"Oh we don't have time to go into all of that," Olivia waved her hand. "I'm just saying it would be better for you if you wore the clothes Dad bought for you, you know. You look just a tad bit ungrateful, slopping around in all of that."

Abigail bit on her bottom lip, and for the first time, looked at all of the food in front of her. She had been given a bowl, a breakfast plate, a side plate and a large plate underneath. All empty, so she could choose from anything on the table to fill it with,

A glass of orange juice had been placed in front of her, along with a cup of coffee.

"Anyway," Olivia said, drawing Abigail out of her thoughts. "I'm heading out for the day, so I do hope you won't need me while I'm gone. You'll be here in the house with mother, I'd watch out for her, if I were you. And try not to get in her way or upset her in any way shape or form."

Abigail thought that was a bit hard, seeing as how her being alive seemed to bother Charlotte.

"Have a good breakfast, since we all ate before you," Olivia said, pushing herself up. "I can honestly tell you that nothing here is poisoned. Since you will be alone for lunch, I can't guarantee the same thing. When in doubt if mother is trying to poison you, order pizza. Bye now!"

Olivia waved, and dashed through the dining room doors, going in the very opposite direction that Adam and Charlotte had.

Abigail turned back to the food on the table. There was smoked and fried salmon, with three different kinds of bagel and cream cheeses. Three platters filled with food. There was chicken and mayo sandwiches and an assortment of fried savories, pies and croissants.

Abigail started filling her plate with enough food to last her well passed lunch time. If she was possibly going to be poisoned at her next meal, she should probably try to avoid it.