Chapter 4 – Observe Your Enemies
Clarisse faked a smile as the woman sitting in front of her started talking animatedly. She was only half-listening: her mind was occupied in describing Heather more precisely, coming to the conclusion that she was the most inelegant person Clarisse had ever seen. She was wearing a knee-length lemon-green dress, the kind of color that would make your eyes crick. She wore a golden necklace with a ridiculously large and sparkling emerald, and bracelets and earrings with the same stone. But, Clarisse noticed with a frown, she wasn't wearing a ring.
"And then, when I saw Joseph in the Museum for the first time, I knew he was the right man for me" Heather's voice brought Clarisse back to earth. "Oh, Clarisse, you've got such a far-away look on your face. Are you still with me, darling?"
Unfortunately. "Sorry, Heather. I was just wondering, where's your engagement ring?" Clarisse was surprised with her own words. When had she started saying whatever was in her mind?
Heather laughed. A dreadful laugh. It sent shivers down Clarisse's spine, and not in a good way.
"Oh, darling, there's no engagement ring", she said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
That was strange, Clarisse wondered. Joseph wouldn't propose to Heather without getting a ring first. He was too much of a gentleman to do that. He wasn't rich, and his monthly payment couldn't afford some extravagances, but he told her once about his grandmother's ring he was saving… Or maybe, his love for Heather was so strong and overwhelming that he had blurted out the question in a moment of passion, thinking of nothing else… Clarisse rather didn't think about it.
"What do you mean, there's no ring? Certainly Joseph would have bought a ring before proposing to you"
Heather's smile got even bigger.
"So he didn't tell you?"
"Didn't tell me what?" Clarisse's curiosity was killing her, while Heather's smile was threatening to tear her face apart.
"Joseph didn't propose, I did!" she stated proudly.
"What?" The word was out of her mouth before she realized it.
"Yes, that's right" Heather said, excited to have someone to listen to her tale "When we completed six months together, I realized that he wasn't going to pop up the question anytime soon, so I decided to take matters into my own hands"
Clarisse was confused now. Joseph didn't ask Heather to marry him. So there might still be a chance. She suddenly understood what Charlotte's words from the previous night had meant. Her brain tried to focus on Heather again, just in the time to hear about how she had proposed to him.
"You see, when I said to him that we should marry, he was not excited at all, mind you. Oh, no, he was quite calm about it, I would say even cold. Didn't agree at first, said that it wouldn't work, me and him. Nonsense! We're perfect for each other, don't you think, darling? Anyway, after a few little words of convincing, he accepted"
Well, this sure wasn't what Clarisse had been expecting. She'd imagined a romantic setting, a little bit of star gazing after a candle-light dinner, with Joseph kneeling down. But, wait, Clarisse had imagined that that would be the way Joseph would propose to her, not to Heather.
Clarisse was awakened from her thoughts from what seemed the millionth time that afternoon, this time by the waiter who had just brought their orders. Clarisse was having spaghetti, while Heather was having something that apparently consisted in green vegetables plus green vegetables. Great, thought Clarisse, she is the type of woman that just doesn't eat. No wonder she was skinny, so skinny that Clarisse was starting to worry about her health. As if sensing her thoughts, Heather looked up at the woman in front of her, then at her meal, and said in a disgusted voice:
"Oh, darling, you're not eating this, are you?"
Clarisse herself glanced down at her meal.
"What is wrong with spaghetti?"
"Oh, nothing, darling. Nothing if you don't consider how much weight this will add to your body" Heather's tone implied that she wanted to add "and you cannot give yourself the privilege of gaining more weight"
Watching the woman slowly eat her salad like it was something sent from heaven, Clarisse wondered if this had been the reason why Joseph had fallen for Heather and not for herself. Clarisse didn't think so, but surely in the men's eyes Heather was more attractive than her. She had the body of a model, while Clarisse was just normal. She was young, while Clarisse was 'way over the hill'. And Heather, Clarisse thought with a sigh, was undoubtedly more beautiful than herself. Apart from the tiara that sometimes lay on the top of her head, Clarisse had nothing that would catch the others attention. Pushing her thoughts aside, she began to eat her spaghetti, but not forgetting Heather's words about her weight.
When they finished their meal, the waiter came once again to take away their plates and to offer a dessert. Heather profusely refused, saying that she was trying to avoid sweets, and Clarisse, who had been thinking about a chocolate mousse, sadly turned down the offer as well. They paid the check, or more precisely, Clarisse did ("Oh, darling, I didn't bring my purse. You don't mind, do you?"), and then went out in the streets of Pyrus. Clarisse wondered where her body guard was, and as she was about to ask the other woman if she knew about his whereabouts, Joseph himself appeared at her side.
"Had a pleasant meal, ladies?" He asked with a smile.
"The most, sweetheart!" said Heather delighted. She grabbed Clarisse's hand "Clarisse here and I are soon becoming the best of friends, aren't we, darling?"
No, we are not "I suppose we are" smiled Clarisse as well.
Joseph seemed to notice Clarisse's hesitation. Looking at her questionably, he asked:
"Where are the both of you going now?"
"I think some shopping now would do us very good, what do you think, Clarisse?" Heather said, turning to the woman by her side.
"Actually, I was thinking about going back to the castle. I'm a little tired and I can feel a headache coming"
"Nonsense, darling! You can't be tired, we haven't done anything!" What she didn't know was that Clarisse had done a lot that afternoon, just trying to block the access of Heather's voice into her mind, unsuccessfully. She knew that that was the cause of her forming headache.
"Heather", said Joseph firmly, "I think Clarisse said that she was tired. We're heading back to the castle"
Heather's eyes widened in shock. No one has ever spoken to her in such a manner! It was almost like Joseph was controlling himself not to shout at her. How could he be so insensitive? She was his fiancée; he was not supposed to treat her that way. And how could Clarisse refuse her company?
"Okay, then, if that's what you want, darling", she said to Clarisse, faking a smile to mask her hurt.
Clarisse nodded her head at Heather, just as the limousine approached the group. She was startled; she hadn't heard Joseph calling the chauffeur. Smiling once again, she waved goodbye to Heather and entered the limousine, Joseph holding the door open for her. From inside the car she could still see the two other people, and she saw how Joseph had turned his face just in time so Heather wouldn't kiss his lips, just as he had done in the restaurant a couple hours ago. She was still smiling to herself when Joseph entered the limousine, sitting beside her, in the same spot he had sat on the drive to Pyrus.
"What you're smiling about, Your Majesty?" he asked playfully.
"Nothing, Joseph. Nothing" She sighed as she laid her head on the back of the seat.
"Heather tired you out, huh?"
She smiled.
"A little bit"
"Just a little bit? Anything about Heather comes into small proportions." He laughed.
She looked at him confused.
"Do I want to know what you mean?"
"No, you probably don't" he answered, and, just like her, rested his head on the back of the backseat.
The road back to the castle was silent. Clarisse thought about the afternoon she spent with Heather, the mean comments about her weight, and how unfitting for Joseph the other woman seemed. They just didn't… connect. Of course she had just seen them together for a couple minutes, but still, nothing would change her mind. They weren't made for each other, to disagree with what Heather had said. Joseph didn't seem to have realized that the chances of him being happy with Heather were close to zero. Was it up to Clarisse to make him finally see what was in front of him?
She couldn't help the thought that suddenly entered her mind: There was one woman that would be perfect for Joseph. That woman was Clarisse Renaldi. If she was going to make him see that, well, that was another story.
TBC
A.N.: FINALLY! Here it is, another chapter. That one really tired me out! It isn't my best piece, but, all reviews are welcomed. I'm thinking about write more parts in Heather's POV, so we could understand her better. What you guys think? Yes, no, or you don't care?
Ursaa – Thank you so much. Well, I'm gonna tell you a secret: I don't like Heather either. But Joseph does, right?
Liz – I love your reviews! And YES, Heather's voice is exactly like Miss Fine's. I'm thinking of putting a comment like that on the next chapter.
Captain Weirdo – Well, 'darling', here is the progress of the afternoon. Please tell me what you think.
Misslivy – Thank you so much! Oh, yeah, she sounds nasty. But he is getting married to her. Or is he?
Tommys my 21 – So what do you think; will they or won't they get married?
For my others reviewers, you guys ROCK.
