Glass Slippers [1st Draft]

8. Mrs. Landon

After the death of her father, the small pieces of Linette that had been kind to Amelia or James or had been friendly on occasion to Clara had seemingly disappeared. They'd been replaced by a mask of cruel words and bitter motives.

Well, Clara hoped it was a mask. Ever since their conversation on the day of her father's death, she'd couldn't shake the feeling that she misjudged Linette terribly, but after over two years of living with the woman, she was convinced that the misjudging had nothing to do with her supposed goodness.

Linette had proven to be unforgiving, cruel, and prejudiced over the past year, and all Clara's hopes of a second chance to possibly reconnect flew out the window.

Now, as she stood in the hallway, she couldn't help but wonder if she was doing the right thing. Maybe if she waited for her step-sisters to be gone she wouldn't be ganged up on? But then she'd be alone with Linette.

Hesitantly, she knocked on the side of the doorway to the parlor, stiffening when the attention of her step-family was suddenly on her.

"Yes?" Linette said, her sneer carrying across the room to Clara.

"May I have a word, your Ladyship?" Clara asked tentatively, using the name that Linette had "requested" her to use.

"Is it important?"

"Well, to me it is."

"Then you can wait." Edina didn't bother to hide her unladylike snorts of laughter behind her hand while Estella just frowned at Clara and took another sip of tea. "I'm sure you have some sort of chore to do. Or did you finish everything I gave you?"

"I finished everything this morning, but-"

"Have you really? So you've washed the linens, folded the laundry, fed the animals, restocked the kitchen, dusted the upstairs hallway, polished the doorknobs, and cleaned your step-sisters' rooms?" Linette finished, taking a sip of her tea from her favorite olive green and white teacup.

Clara tried to contain her nervousness at the sound of cleaning her step-sisters' rooms. She had done everything but that.

"I have done most of it. I have not cleaned their rooms quite yet," she admitted, trying to ignore the exaggerated gasp from Edina. She couldn't help but glance at them out of the corner of her eye, but she had to hold back a frown. Based off of Edina's poorly hidden smile and Estella's grimace, Clara guessed they had known... which meant both of their rooms were going to be very, very, messy.

Estella, at least, looked apologetic.

"Most?" Linette set her teacup back in its saucer. "Oh no, no, no, that simply won't do. Why don't you go clean their rooms, and once you've finished that, you can start to work on polishing the cutlery."

"Polishing the cutlery? We only do that if we're having guests."

"Did I not tell you? Oh yes, tomorrow we're having a dinner party of sorts in celebration." For a second Clara's hopes rose slightly. Linette couldn't possibly mean for her birthday, could she? Or was she talking about Mrs. Landon leaving?

"A celebration of what?"

"Why the twins coming out into society!"

"But they're- but they're not even sixteen."

"Precisely, we want them to have an advantage by being out early. They'll have more time to catch a suitor! Now, enough stalling. Off you go!"Clara stared at Linette as she watched a slight smirk fall upon her thin lips. She had done this on purpose. Without another glance, Clara fled from the room and ran all the way up the stairs and into what was once her old bedroom.