As much as Daniel felt he really needed some alcohol to get him through the next few hours with having to deal with his daughter, he prudently decided to forego that option for now, as he sat down behind his desk and motioned for Clara to sit in the chair across the desk opposite him, but she remained standing, telling him she was going to remain difficult, which was the last thing he needed.
He was already feeling out of his depth around her, she was no longer a little child, but on the verge of becoming a young woman who obviously was not happy that he had remarried and had not kept in touch with her as much as he should have; he was not overly surprised with her resentment. The problem was, he could never explain to her the reason why he felt she was better off without him in her life. So now there was this strained atmosphere between them, that he did not know how to bridge.
Clara felt her father's unease in her presence, which gave her some small sense of satisfaction. She found herself wondering if he was feeling some sense of guilt and remorse over his neglect of her over the last few years, now she was standing here facing him and he could no longer ignore her.
He seemed occupied staring at the desk in front of him, ruminating how he was going to deal with her, but when he did speak it was with the same stiff formality he always seem to use around her, much to her slight disappointment
"I can understand you might feel some grievance that you have not been more involved in my life since I returned, But I knew you were safe and well cared for with your grandparents, and you were far better with them than with me" He was able to tell her with honesty leaning forward and resting his elbows on the desk, his hands now clasped together with a look of deliberation, before he continued, "You have to understand that since my father, your grandfather died, I have been solely responsible for the family business and restoring the family home, which means I have been rather preoccupied, and still will be for the foreseeable future"
"I see," Clara replied, her brows pulling down, "So what you are trying to tell me, is even though I will be living under this roof along with you, I will still not have you around much, because you will be too busy with other matters to have time for me?"
Daniel coughed and cleared his throat, whilst shifting a little uncomfortably in his chair, "Well Yes, that will be more or less the case. Besides which, you are almost a young lady now, and I don't feel I am the adequate person to deal with certain feminine matters that will no doubt arise, which is why I think it's best that now you are living here, I have decided it's in your best interest to put your stepmother Eleanor in charge of your care, she can deal with you far better than I can, especially with my busy schedule"
"How convenient for you that have found someone else to take on responsibility for me, now my grandparents no longer can, I suppose i am expected to be grateful" she finished grudgingly
Daniel frowned,"I can see now what your Grandfather meant about your willfulness, "You should indeed be grateful that I haven't decided to pack you off to a school for young ladies to stay, where you might learn to control your waywardness and learn proper manners. Though it could still be an option open to me, if you continue the way you are going> As I have already told you, I am a busy man, and I do not have time for your sulks and tantrums" he then warned with the slight irritation, he just didn't need to deal with Clara's attitude right now, or want to delve into his responsibility for it.
"Then, I will try not to sulk and have tantrums around you if I can help it" Clara replied tightly, but also making him realise she was not exactly making a firm promise on the subject either, But he supposed it was the best he was going to get from her and he would let Eleanor deal with it. He just wanted it all to be over with now, so he could get to the brandy to take the edge of all the tension he was feeling"
"Well, now we know where we stand, we have it sorted out, you are free to go If you need anything further, I am sure your stepmother will take care of it" he told her in an attempt to dismiss her
"As you wish," Clara replied not even to find herself to call him father. She just wanted to escape now, before she burst into tears, in the realisation that perhaps her cousins had been right after all, and her father didn't really want her. At least to her it appeared that way after this first meeting about her future under Somerton manor, It just confirmed her resentment and disappointment of his treatment of her. She was realising he was never going to take her in his arms and hug her and tell her he loved her and missed her, and he was happy to have her home. She was only glad that his attention was now on some papers on his desk in front of him, and he wasn't looking at her to see the tears forming in her eyes as she turned to leave the room. She knew that crying in front of him was the last thing she wanted to do.
****************************************************
Much to Eleanor's dismay, she found that over the next few weeks, her growing concerns about being caught up in the middle of Clara and Daniel's complicated relationship had come to fruition.
Despite the fact she was doing her best to make up for Daniel and his lack of interest in his daughter, and went out of her way to try and engage Clara and become friends with her, Clara had other ideas, and treated her with a coolness that made it clear she did not want to be friends with her new stepmother.
Anything Eleanor suggested they could do together, or trying to find out Clara's interests, Clara made it clear she had no real intention of engaging with her, if she could help it. Miss Tarlington spent a lot of time apologising to Eleanor and scolding her charge for her rude behaviour, not that it seemed to bother Clara, who continued to treat Eleanor with a certain disdain. In the end, Eleanor told her governess not to make a fuss, and that Clara probably just needed time to come around to living under her new conditions.
As time went by, Eleanor started to see a pattern forming, when Daniel was not around Clara tended to be a little more civil and behave herself, But when he was present, she seem to go out of her way to antagonise him
If they were sitting to dine, she would complain about the quality of the food put before her or that her room was not satisfactory. And how miserable everything was in the area, she was not interested in sewing or playing musical instruments. She did love horses, but complained that the mare she had been given was too old and staid and she did not enjoy riding on it, as she preferred a horse with more spirit and was annoyed that her father refused to let her ride his stallion.
Then there were the sniping remarks about her fathers absence from the house, and his fondness for the wine, in which he would scold his daughter for her boldness, but then he would also turn his irritation on Eleanor, for not keeping Clara under better control, especially with her tongue, which Clara got some enjoyment out of. And then he would storm off to his study cursing women and how they were the bane of his life.
Clara became bolder as time went on, that one day she took it into her head to defy him and she went out riding Daniel's horse without his permission, that sent him into a rage. He seriously considered his threat to send her off to a school where she could bother him no more.
Realising this was the worst thing he could do and only drive a further wedge between them, Eleanor managed to persuade him not to follow through on this threat.
Not that Clara showed any gratitude for her Stepmother's intervention, Eleanor was realising that the only person the young girl seemed any interest in befriending and spending time with, apart from her governess and the horses, was Martha. Her only reason for this was because Martha remembered her mother, and spoke to her about Isabella and her memories of her, when she first came to work for her, before her death.
Martha found the perfect opportunity in gaining Clara's confidence, that it was a strike against Eleanor, and convinced Clara that Daniel had never wanted to marry his second wife, but implied he had been forced into it by Eleanor, and that was why he didn't get on with his her and why he drank so much and was so unhappy. This only enforced Clara's resentment of her stepmother and she was determined to make her as uncomfortable as she wanted to make her father.
So her hostility towards her grew. Eleanor didn't feel the full effects of it as Miss Tarlington just about managed to keep Clara in line, but when Miss Tarlington received a letter one morning informing her that her aunt had died, and she needed to go to help tend to the funeral, because she was her only surviving relative, Eleanor graciously give the governess a week to travel to tend to this sad affair.
Miss Tarlington had been gone in just over a day, when Clara decided it was a good time to show her stepmother her true feelings in her own little way.
Eleanor had been out doing her rounds with some of the local tenants she had befriended, when she came returned and stepped into the drawing room she found Clara giving orders to Tom and one of the other manservants about how and where she wanted the portrait she had come across of her mother, hung up on the wall.
Becoming aware of Eleanor now standing in the doorway watching the proceedings, Clara gave her stepmother a sly smile, "I hope you don't mind, but when I found this portrait of my Mother, I decided I would like to have it here, somewhere I can see it.
Eleanor, was familiar with the portrait of course, having discovered it before Clara came on the scene, just smiled in return "No of course not, I think it is a lovely idea"
Clara, frowned a little bewildered, finding she was now the one caught off guard by Eleanor's enthusiastic response; that was not the reaction she was expecting.
She had been certain that Eleanor would object to having to be reminded of the first mistress of the house on display, and would most likely try to demand to have the portrait taken down. But then, Clara decided that Eleanor was just probably pretending she was pleased when she was probably seething about it inside. Martha had told her all about it, and how her stepmother was so desperate to befriend her, to keep her father happy, and bring him around.
So, Clara eyed her stepmother suspiciously as Eleanor came further into the room to admire the portrait of Isabella, looking for any signs of dislike in her expression, now Eleanor turned towards Clara still smiling, "You are very like her, I think she would be very proud of the way you have grown up"
"You do?" Clara's tone was half suspicion and half curiosity, " I cannot really remember her, I was very young when she died" she then added stiffly, "But no one will ever replace her" she then added with a vehemence aimed at Eleanor. Still her stepmother didn't seem in the least upset by this declaration. Instead she looked sympathetic, and almost understanding
"I know, it's hard not having your parents when you are growing up, even when other relatives are there to take care of you"
"And how would you know that?" Clara demanded a little scathingly, deciding she was not going to fall for Eleanor's false sympathy so easily
"Because I still remember what it was like when I lost both my parents when I was young, not as young of you of course, I was just a little older around ten" Eleanor then explained
"You did?" This revelation caught Clara's attention catching her off guard again so that for a moment she forgot the whole purpose of her plan to upset her stepmother, and instead became curious, "H-How did it happen?"
"The carriage they were in, overturned it was a terrible accident and a terrible shock, I still miss them even now," she admitted wistfully
"My father might as well be dead as well, for all the attention he pays me" Clara then spoke up a little bitterly.
Once again, Eleanor shot her a look of understanding, "Is that why you act up when he is around, to try and get his attention?" she queried gently
Clara felt her face redden, by Eleanor's rightful assumption. But then, suddenly remembered her stepmother was trying to trick her into confiding in her and give her a chance to get around her by pretending to be her friend. So now she shot her a defiant look, "However I deal with my father it is no concern of yours" she informed her, "now, if you excuse me, now that my mother's portrait is where I want it, I think I shall go and have my horse saddled up, It's such a pity, you can't join me, because you don't like horse riding. It seems we have nothing in common" she said with mock regret
With that, she walked haughtily out the drawing room, leaving Eleanor staring after her feeling a little sad and perplexed that her stepdaughter seem determined to see her as the enemy.