Masquerade ✔

Chapter 10

Harrison led her back out through the dining hall. No one was around. Clara's heart beat hard in her chest. Harrison kept his expression impossible to read, so Clara had no idea about his intentions.

To her surprise, and somewhat dread, he led her back into the hall where he took her during the ball, winding all the until they reached the room with the door leading out to the platform. Instead of going outside, however, Harrison turned to face her in the dim light. "You never answered my question," he commented.

"Sir?"

"Did you hear anything interesting?"

Clara swallowed hard. "No, nothing at all. I just wanted to find a quiet spot to decompress after the night."

But Harrison wasn't buying it. "I know every inch of this place," he said. "And I know if you want to overhear what's being said in the smoking parlor, you stand exactly where you were standing."

Given that he was so certain that she had been eavesdropping, Clara couldn't figure out why he wasn't angry. "I heard nothing of import." That, at least, was actually true. "Just about some new project they're working on and how it'll benefit everyone, including those who live on earth. They were only finishing up their conversation when I got there." She didn't feel the need to relay Mr. Norrington's words about Harrison's upcoming marriage to Araminta.

"Hmm." If anything, Clara could have sworn that Harrison looked disappointed. "So you didn't hear anything interesting. But I do have to ask, why were you there in the first place?"

Clara's eye flitted toward the door, out to the platform as she thought about the conversation that she and Harrison had the night of the ball. She took a chance with the truth. "During dinner, I heard them talking about some project they were working on down on earth," she explained. "And, well, I live down there, so I wanted to know what might be happening. We're not always told when things change."

"You live on earth?" Harrison sounded genuinely curious.

Clara nodded.

"I would have thought Lady Araminta's personal maid would be given quarters on the air manor."

"They offered," Clara clarified quickly. The last thing she needed was Harrison thinking the Llewelyn family didn't treat their staff right. Despite their ridiculousness, the family was fair. "But I haven't worked there for very long, and I have a family I live with on earth." Part of Clara felt slightly offended that he just assumed she didn't have anyone who she would want to be living with.

But Harrison seemed to realize his mistake as well. "My apologies," he amended. "I shouldn't have assumed."

Clara felt almost uncomfortable at his words. Apologies were rare. "Thank you."

"Well, I can't say my father would have been thrilled if he had found you there," Harrison commented. "But I think this can stay between us."

Clara felt a great rush of relief. "Thank you, sir, thank you so much. It won't happen again, I swear."

"If it did happen again," Harrison said, and Clara froze for a moment, "and you happened to hear anything important, let me know."

"Sir?"

"While for different reasons, I'm very interested in my father's dealings with Thaddeus London as well."

His words made Clara pause. "Your father did mention how no one else really knew the details of their business plan except for the two of them. And that," Clara hesitated.