Masquerade ✔

Chapter 4

"Good, you're on time."

Clara had barely entered Araminta's chambers the next morning when her mistresses began delivering instructions for the day.

Putting the tray with Araminta's breakfast on it down on the table, Clara folded her hands in front of her.

"Harrison and his family are coming for dinner, today."

Clara looked up sharply, but fortunately Araminta was examining herself in her vanity mirror and didn't notice Clara's alarm.

"This means that you have two separate duties, today."

"Two, my lady?"

Araminta stood up straight, tearing her gaze away from her own reflection and looking at Clara. "Your normal duties, of course," she said. "Coordinate with the kitchens and dining staff to make sure everything is in order. This meeting has to be perfect. After all, it is the first time we'll be seeing each other."

Not that Harrison knows that.

"But you have another task," Aramina continued. "Arguable more important."

Clara didn't know how much she liked the sound of that.

"I figured out to stop Harrison from talking about what happened last night," Araminta said. "All you have to do is catch him alone and tell him how I instructed you to tell him that I don't want to talk about the ball. Tell him I wasn't feeling myself and, while I enjoyed his company, I didn't feel like I accurately represented myself. I want a chance to show him the real me."

Clara could spot a million holes in the story, and a million ways for things to go wrong. "I feel like he will have a lot of questions if I tell him that, my lady."

"Well, I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out." Araminta let out an exasperated sigh. "Clara, you can imitate how I sound and move, but I don't believe that you acted exactly how I would have at the ball. I'm sure you can come up with a few examples of how you behaved that wouldn't fit how I would have behaved. Just tell him those and that if the marriage is going to work, he shouldn't say anything. Give him an ultimatum. He knows how important this union is."

Clara swallowed. She could think of more than a few ways how she had behaved at the ball that deviated from how Araminta would have likely behaved.

Still, this did give her a chance to talk to Harrison without Araminta knowing what she said. All she had to do was come up with a legitimate explanation as to why Harrison shouldn't mention the kiss.

Araminta surveyed her closely. "Do you think you can do this?"

"When is my opportunity to get him alone?" Clara questioned.

"After the dinner," Araminta responded promptly. "Both our parents will want to stay for a while and talk to each other, business and such. They've set up that time for the two of us to have a meeting of our own. Get to know each other, all that. I convinced my mother that I should return to my room first, get ready, primp, all of that. Fifteen minutes later, my mother will suggest that Harrison should come spend some time with me, and you will lead him to my room. During that walk, you'll tell him not to say anything. Not even in private with me."

"You don't think he'll say something before that?" Clara asked. "At dinner?"

"He might want to," Araminta said. "But I'll be sitting across from him, not next to. I can ignore and deflect for that small amount of time."