Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow

One Night In Atlantic City-Part Two March, 1921

Later that Same Night

Trying to find ways to spend time together wasn't simple, Clara thought as she quickly made her way across the lobby of the Ritz to the Boardwalk entrance. Mrs. Siddons was home from Florida, so going to Richard's was difficult. Clara cared little for her reputation, but she cared a lot about unnecessarily bringing Richard to her father's attention. She was realist enough to know her father's reaction to the idea she was with Richard wouldn't have been pleasant before the coup. Now? Shakespearean in nature, she thought. The last thing she wanted was for her father to decide that Richard was his personal enemy. She had taken a chance that her father would never pick up on the fact she hadn't listed Richard on the overview of men she wasn't in love with. She couldn't bring herself to deny her feelings. Admitting her feelings was a risk, but had gambled on the fact that her father never took her seriously.

Melting into the shadows was now second nature. He stood out of sight, hoping to see her turn into the alley, but not actually believing she would appear. Part of him waited in dread for the day Clara realized what he was and never wanted to see him again. That's when he saw her, wearing the gray coat and hat she wore on the train to New York. She smiled when he stepped out of the shadows into the light, and he took her hands when she gets close and as she leaned up to kiss him he heard her take the little half breath she always did before they kiss.

He breaks away and tells her he has a surprise. She teases him for clues as they walk down the alley toward the road.

Richard looks at her expectantly when they come to the street. At first, Clara just sees the Model T Richard usually drives, but then she realizes this car doesn't have the gouge on the bottom of the passenger door.

"This isn't the same car you usually have," Clara said. He's definitely smiling, she thought. "Richard, did you buy it? That's amazing!"

They both know what Richard having a car meant. Freedom. It was ridiculous, Clara thought, that two adults had to sneak around like errant children. And yet. The fear of what her father was capable of doing worried her. She didn't want to make everything worse; not at this juncture, anyway. At some point, she knew her hand would be forced.

Clara was curled next to him as he drove, but her mind seemed far away. He hesitantly picked up her hand and wondered what was bothering her.

"I had a very odd dinner with my father, even by our standards. He's hired a new, well, Jimmy." Clara said, like she knew what he was thinking. "We started off dinner with Father basically accusing me of having feelings for this man, who I hadn't even noticed until he gave me a speech about how charming Mr. Sleater is, and Margaret fell all over herself recounting all the women currently making fools of themselves over him. I think perhaps they both have feelings for him."

"The Irishman?" Richard asked without thinking. He instantly disliked the idea of the Irishman around Clara. Anyone working as Nucky's bodyguard had total access to their floor of the hotel and to Clara. The ease with which Clara disappeared to spend time with him made him sure that no one was actually watching out for her. She was better protected when he and Jimmy were stationed in the suite. The only time he was sure she was safe was when he was with her, but he knew that he was often so distracted when he was with her that Tommy would be able to get the drop on them. No matter what happened with this war, he knew Jimmy would never hurt Clara. But he didn't feel the same about the Commodore, and God only knew what Capone and some of the others might come up with.

Clara laughed. "Oh, has he charmed as you as well?" As the words come out of her mouth she was hit with a feeling that the circumstances of Richard and Mr. Sleater meeting were hardly pleasant ones. "Of course he hasn't, what a silly thing to say. I was thinking in the car back to the hotel that my father hired this man to fight Jimmy." She was quiet for a moment, pushing back the ever-growing horror at the family fracas she feared was going to end up being fought with Gatling guns.