To Deceive A Duke

Chapter 3

Clarissa's bedroom door flies open the next morning, slamming against the wall and causing her to sit up in bed, alarmed.  She pulls back the curtains of the bed and looks around for the intruder only to see her sister flounce into the room and flop onto the end of the bed with an overdramatic sigh.

"I can't take it anymore."

"Good morning Catherine," Clarissa yawn. She tugs at the covers, yanking them up to her shoulders as she moves into a sitting position, not quite ready to leave the toastiness of her bed. The late morning sun streams in through the window sending bright light spiralling across the room, she has to shield her eyes to see her sister's pained face. 

"What is the matter?" 

Catherine rolls from her back onto her stomach,  her face in the bed. "I can't take it anymore." She repeats, her voice muffled.

"Take what?" Clarissa asks her eldest sibling.

Catherine lifts her neck slightly to give her sister a stupid look. She sits up and crosses her legs on the bed, brushing her mousey brown hair from her face.

"Celeste is here." She announces. Clarissa laughs at her sister's unimpressed expression and flings the blankets off herself, climbing out of bed. 

"I suppose that means that Reginald, Rufus and Charlie are also around?" She inquires as she crosses over to the left wardrobe and pulls out a simple black lace day dress.

"Yes," Catherine confirms, "And Reginald hasn't stopped crying, and yet Celeste insists he is "the most well-behaved baby boy"." Her voice goes high and whiney as she imitates her sister. Clarissa smiles to herself.  

All three girls greatly love each other and wish them nothing but happiness, but as their lives grow Catherine and Clarissa bond over similarities while Celeste becomes more wrapped up in her own life. She married Lord Rufus Lincoln over 3 years ago after a whirlwind romance and together they have Charlie and the most recent addition; Reginald, a fussy and screaming four-month-old baby. In the first year of her marriage, she visited her siblings regularly,  but her duties as a mother have kept her from seeing her siblings recently.

"She hasn't spoken once about not attending the funeral," Catherine calls to Clarissa who starts to change behind the screen. "Ridiculous if you ask me," Catherine continues, "Our entire family was present, even mother's rude French cousins, and yet his own granddaughter couldn't find the time to show her face."

"Well, no one asked you," Clarissa mutters to herself as she tightens the last tie of her dress and slips on a pair of plain shoes. Celeste's lack of appearance yesterday is a sore spot for her and Catherine's comments are far from helpful. 

"What did you say?" Catherine asks.

Clarissa pokes her head around the screen, "Nothing." 

She smiles and sits down at her vanity table. She picks up a heavy silver brush and begins to comb her wild chocolate curls into a modest updo. As her grandfather's protege the hours were unsociable meaning Clarissa had to learn how to dress and do her own hair and makeup without a maid so she could be ready for any time of the day. Catherine inspects Clarissa's hair accessories, she picks a black ribbon and hands it to her. 

"Mother is in a foul mood, she's angry with Celeste and also with you..." She warns as she sits back on the bed. 

"With me!?" Clarissa interrupts, put out. "I have done nothing to deserve her ire."

"You overslept, tis almost 11, " Catherine explains, nodding towards the clock, "And you missed breakfast which annoyed father, and then Celeste arrived, so this whole household is entirely a mess."