Obligatory disclaimer: The Mouse owns all, save for my own original characters.
Claire suddenly realized that no one gave her enough credit.
Sitting bolt upright in her chair, she automatically set her teacup back on its saucer with a soft clink. No one – not her friends, not her family, not those in her employment – ever gave her enough credit. After all, letting slip something so monumental without thinking there would be repercussions, would only – could only – happen around someone the news bearer thought unworthy of recognition. After all, dropping such news about her brother in her lap and not thinking that Claire would be, at the very least, shocked was a great disservice against her.
And she suddenly felt herself harden against all those around her.
Letting the silly girls prattle on around her, Claire carefully mulled over what Rebecca let slip… William was so far in debt that if Suzanna found out, she would leave him.
Claire closed her eyes in disbelief. He apparently parted with the small fortune rather recently, so that was the only good thing to come out of the situation. Time was on their side. But when was that? Factoring in what little she knew of William's schedule of late, Claire had to presume it was the other night when he promised to meet up with Cutler. Oh, how could Cutler let the situation spiral so out of control?
Pasting on a serene smile, Claire quickly thought about methods of raising money to help cover the debt. Ideas came to her and were quickly discarded. Frustration made her skin crawl until she was ready to claw at her own flesh. But then inspiration struck her and serenity settled on her shoulders like a mantle.
She came up with the perfect answer.
While it would not be enough to cover the debt, selling Centaur to Cutler would help reduce the amount significantly. Cutler was not the first person to show interest in the horse, so Claire knew the value of the steed. And while Claire felt her stomach heave at the thought of losing her beloved horse, the thought of eventually becoming Missus Cutler Beckett soothed her aching heart. If everything worked out the way it should, the horse would be back in her possession within a year or two.
But what the Bloody Hell happened that would cause William to part with so much money? Money that he did not have! Where was his head? How far into the cups was he that night? Why did Cutler not stop William before he lost so much? Was Cutler even with him?
Nodding her head at the appropriate times and murmuring agreement when the conversation necessitated it, Claire realized that she needed to be away from her friends – if she still wanted to call them that – lest she scream at them all to shut their mouths. Why did it not dawn on a single one of them that what Rebecca let slip was painful and embarrassing? Could they not see the shock painting her features?
Feeling like a fish plucked from the water and gasping for breath, Claire needed to get out of the drawing room. She needed to take in giant lungfuls of fresh air. Never before did she feel so stifled and suffocated.
Begging off from the rest of the afternoon due to a headache, Claire did not care that the girls were all staring at her retreating figure all gape-mouthed. Her back was ramrod straight and her shoulders were set back proudly as she crossed the heavily carpeted floor and continued to the foyer without a backward glance. If they did not understand that what was said about William turned her world upside-down, then who needed them?
Realizing that her driver would not return for quite some time, Claire asked that a message be sent to her parents saying that she was doing a spot of shopping and would hire a cab to bring her home. The freedom made her heady with power. She had never done anything quite like what she was about to embark upon.
No one ever gave her enough credit, but Claire knew that her parents could never know what happened, so it was up to her to help poor William. Poor William. How ironic. But if not her, than who? Cutler? If he was there then he is equally responsible. His other friends? If they did not know, it was not her place to bring it to their attention. The offer of help had to sit squarely on her shoulders.
Satisfied that the rest of the day was hers, Claire made a calculated decision and hoped that the repercussions would not negate the necessary action. She needed to get to Cutler's home as quickly as possible.