Glass Slippers [1st Draft]

17. An Unexpected Encounter

That way if she was lucky she would be able to be more honest about how to think through the situation. It would be hard to come up with a counter plan without being personal, and by the looks of it, Estella believed she was royalty of some sort.

"That might work," Estella said, sniffling as she turned to look at Clara. "Do you mind if I ask why you came over here? You're a princess, you must have better things to do with your time than comforting strangers."

Clara's throat went dry. What was she supposed to say? Could she say that she wasn't a princess? Or maybe tell Estella who she was?

"Well, I'm not exactly a prin-"

"Lady Clara!" Clara felt her stomach drop as she turned to see Gus walking towards her, a smile on his face and looking as handsome as she had remembered. "I have been looking for you everywhere! Did you get lost in the gardens?"

"Oh no, I merely stopped to talk to Estella," Clara quickly answered, mentally kicking herself once the words left her lips. She had done it again. Her stepsister was bound to figure it out! Gus stopped before both of the girls, bowing to the two of them while they curtseyed back.

"I trust everything is well?"

"Yes, sir, very much so," Estella answered before Clara could get a word out. "I'm sure you have come to ask Clara for a dance?" Gus smiled at the two of them, but Clara only gave a small one back. Peeking over to Estella, Clara took in her stepsister's expression with a barely contained grimace. If the mischievous grin was any indication, Estella knew.

"Several actually, she owes me," Gus said, extending his arm out to Clara, "My lady, if you'll give me the honor?" Clara nodded and tentatively took his arm, glancing back at Estella as he began to lead her away. However, while Clara expected Estella to be shocked or angered, all she saw was her stepsister grinning from ear to ear.

She definitely knew, and Clara wasn't entirely sure she was ready for that.

Gus led her to the dance floor rather quickly, and unlike the previous night, Clara was relieved to see that hardly anyone, with the exception of the people directly near to her, seemed to be paying attention to her. The violins started to play the first strains to the next waltz and Gus pulled her to join him.

Neither of them said anything as they began the first steps of the dance and Clara tried not to let the strain of her aching feet show in her dancing, but it was a battle as she was already distracted by her own thoughts as well as her surroundings. It was several minutes before Gus breached the silence to start a conversation.

"This is the second time you have been late, Lady Clara," he murmured in her ear, as the dance steps brought them closer together. Clara's cheeks reddened.

"I had responsibilities I had to attend to before I was able to come," she answered her voice slightly louder than his, as she was now an arm's length away from him.

"Responsibilities? The same ones from last night?" Gus asked, obviously recalling her similar answer from the night before.

"Some of them were, others were a little different." They were both silent again as she spun around him once, and then twice more, her silver skirts flowing out around her as she twirled.

"Forgive me for prying, but I admit, I'm rather curious," Gus said, bending his head closer to hers as the steps brought her up against his chest. "What sort of tasks would a lady such as yourself have need to do? Surely you have a maid of some sort to help you with the simpler things."

Clara almost stumbled over her own feet at his question. This was it, this was her chance to bring up her siblings without sounding too awkward or the conversation being forced.