Masquerade ✔

Chapter 44

Clara could feel any hope she had of rescuing Ezra and shutting down the Tower and Bridge factory as she followed Mrs. Norrington out of the office and into the elevator. Clara was painfully aware of the letters in between her chest and the corset, but what good would they do if she had nothing to prove that Mr. Norrington and Thaddeus London had actually gone through with their plan? All of that proof had been ripped out of her hands by Mrs. Norrington.

They arrived at the deserted ground floor. Everyone was still in the ballroom, enjoying the party. Harrison and Araminta would be waiting for her to arrive, proof in hand to hand over to Benjamin.

How had they been so stupid? They had been so focused on Harrison's father, none of them had even thought about what would happen if his mother knew about what was going on as well.

Mrs. Norrington led Clara through the manor, but avoided the ballroom. At first, Clara couldn't tell where they were going, but she then realized they were headed all the way to the back. They were headed to the balcony.

Mrs. Norrington threw open the door and stood back for Clara to go through first. Cautiously, Clara did as she ordered. Mrs. Norrington followed her out and slammed the door behind them.

"I have to admit," Mrs. Norrington said, "I'm surprised that you went through with such a brazen plan. I wouldn't have thought you had it in you."

Clara didn't respond to the taunts. "So you know about everything?"

"Define 'everything,'" Mrs. Norrington said. "As in the Tower and Bridge plan? Or about the affair you've fabricated with my son?"

Clara's stunned silence told her everything she needed to know.

"Come now, Clara," Mrs. Norrington said. "Do you really think my husband sits around listening to the recordings messenger mice pick up? I'm the one who relayed to him about how much time Harrison spent with you when he was supposed to be with Araminta. And," she looked at Clara severely, "you should be thanking me. He is still unaware that these meetings continued on when Harrison would visit the Llewelyn manor."

"How do you even know that?" It's not like the Llewleyns would allow Mrs. Norrington to eavesdrop on them.

"Oh, I have my sources," Mrs. Norrington said with a twisted smile. "But honestly, it didn't matter. If Harrison wanted to have a little fun before the wedding, it's irrelevant. The marriage would still happen. A nobody like you would have no power to stop it."

Mrs. Norrington let out a sigh and looked down over the railing. "But then Harrison came asking about how his father knew certain pieces of information, and I knew he was asking questions. Dangerous questions. So I confronted my husband, wanting to know what Harrison had been asking."

Mrs. Norrington chuckled. "Little did I know that something much bigger was going on. That's when I learned about Tower and Bridge. Not that it should have been kept a secret from me." Mrs. Norrington sniffed. "I certainly have no problem with it. I detest dealing with staff. This is the perfect solution."

There were a lot of things that Clara could be scandalized about over her words. But she knew the answers to any questions she could ask.

Is she really fine with slavery? Yes.

Does she really hate the workers that much? Yes.

So Clara just kept her mouth shut.

"But, when I learned how Harrison went down to earth, to that factory." Mrs. Norrington shuddered. "I knew that you were a bigger problem than I anticipated. I don't know how, but somehow you got him to go to that filthy place, and if you could get him to do that, I certainly couldn't risk finding out what else you could get him to do."