Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow

I Owe You One Part Two (January 1921)

Author's Note: Nucky's party, which has involved almost the entire cast, finally comes to an end. Clara starts to understand the conspiracy, and considers leaving Atlantic City.

Damn it, Clara thinks as she hears footsteps approaching. She rushes over to Charlie and Gillian, who are mercifully mostly dressed, takes Gillan's arm and all but throws her to Richard. "Richard, take Gillian through the waiter's hall down into the ballroom. The men are outside, Charlie and I will cover."

Richard looks back, not on board with the idea of leaving her alone with Luciano, but unable to come up with a better idea before Clara pushes them through the service door.

As soon as Clara shuts the door Charlie advances on her. "Are we going to pretend that you and I were alone in this room the whole time?"

Clara glares openly. "Keep your mouth far away from me, coglione. Let's pretend to argue, I feel like we can do that easily."

Charlie gives her his most winning smile, which Clara answers with an eye roll, before he says, "What, you haven't done a bocchino on your pet mostro?"

And with that, they were off. When Thompson opened the door Charlie and Clara were loudly yelling Italian insults at each with real passion.

"What the hell?" Thompson asked. How the fuck did Clara and Rothstein's errand boy end up screaming at each in the VIP Room?

Rothstein's eyes narrowed. Something didn't add up here. He thought of his wife's words-that Charlie didn't like Miss Thompson-so why were they locked in the room alone flinging insults at each other in Italian?

Jimmy been part of Clara plots since before they could walk, meaning he knew she was up to something. Richard had been watching her for hours, so how the hell did Clara end up here without him, but once more fighting with Luciano?

"My apologies, gentlemen. I was checking the room and found Mr. Luciano. Please, enjoy your evening," Clara swept out with as much grandeur as she could muster in the circumstances.

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"Hmm. I think. We go. This way," Richard mumbles, unable to look anywhere but his shoes.

"Well, isn't nice for Clara that she has a champion to rescue her from whatever contretemps she finds herself in," Gillian says brightly, sizing up the man her son and Clara had both seemingly taken to so quickly. She didn't understand it. Just being near something so damaged made her skin crawl.

Richard doesn't say anything.

"Of course, Clara is a lot more like her father, like Nucky, than she'd like to admit. Clara enjoys playing Lady Bountiful." Gillian tilted her head and regarded Richard thoughtfully. The image of serious little Clara standing awkwardly in the dressing room of Blatts in far sexier lingerie than the girl had ever shown interest in before came back to Gillian.

Clara hadn't gone shopping for better underthings when she was engaged to Darcy Blane, a man Gillian herself would have happily married. The foolish, foolish little brat couldn't possibly have bought them for this broken remnant of a man, could she?

Gillian's emotions formed a simmering cauldron of resentment at her core. Everything Gillian had, she fought for. Meanwhile, she'd watched Nucky hand everything to Clara on a silver platter, and Clara acted like none of it was of any importance. The only thing Clara valued was her friendship with Jimmy. The only thing Clara seemed to want was the one thing that was truly Gillian's. Now Clara has humiliated her by slamming into the VIP room and interrupting her interlude with Charlie. She'd already been angry since dinner about the Commodore suggesting Clara and Jimmy should have married. Angela was no prize, but she was moldable. Clara as a daughter in law? Impossible.