This wasn't the first time that Clara had gone to a loud and lively party. Unless the parties at the O'Malley's bars don't count. Clara walked into the room where the party was behind held and instantly felt bliss and happiness in the room. The band was live, almost everyone was dancing, men were drinking beer and gambling and smoking cigars.
She found a free seat at a random table and sat there with her wide awake little girl. She gazed around the room and found the crowed entertaining. She had never seen such a mass group of people. From different countries around the world, traveling together to start a new life in America. Once more friendships were forming together and Clara couldn't be happier about this adventure.
She couldn't wait until she could tell someone. She craved to go back to Hope Valley, but she still believed that Hope Valley had forgotten her since nobody had reached her while she was gone. But then she had almost no where else to go unless she moved back to her old city. Maybe stay with her old friend, Esther. Esther was fairly nice. Her mother albeit, April, was a stern woman who'd probably find a way to blame Clara for getting kidnapped in the first place.
Maybe she'd find another place to stay if she saved enough money in New York.
The young brunette was laughing at the sight of some dancing just as she spotted to children run pass in a game of tag with fellow children. She vaguely remembered the two of them from their one time meeting. "Gwen? Bert?"
The two out of seven children running stopped at the call of their names and turned to the brunette with the baby on her lap. "You know us?" Bert asked.
"Yes." Clara smiled. "Don't you remember me?"
Gwen studied Clara's face and body, then smiled. "Oh, I know now. You were the big lady at bar."
Clara's eyes popped out a bit before saying, "Uh, yes, I was pregnant. Where's your daddy?"
"Upstair. He said we can come down here and play for a bit." Bert said. "We like playing down here."
"Oh. Okay." Clara said.
Sometime later just as Clara finished eating a piece of bread she felt someone tap her shoulder. She looked around and found her friend standing there with a smirk. "Hello again, Miss Clara."
"Hello." She said sweetly.
"Enjoying the party?" He asked her.
"If I don't count the O'Malley's parties, than I've never been to a party as lively as this one."
"This party will last forever even when it ends." Carl laughed. "And you Miss Josephine?" He tickled under the baby's chin, causing a giggle. "Well, I can guess she is a party baby."
"By no offense, but shouldn't you be in the boiler room?"
"Taking shifts with a few fellas. I'm here for an hour before switching with Arthur." He replied. "Like I said earlier today. I find myself wondering the ship to look for cracks and holes."
"Of course." Clara smiled.
"So Miss Clara, I never asked what you like to do."
"Not too much. House work for nearly a year now." Clara said. Then she paused and thought to herself. A year now. She's been gone for a year now. She was kidnapped a year ago. "Before that... I usually liked sewing aprons and cleaning up. I helped Abigail in her cafe, but I somehow always messed up a bit."
"Still sounds like a real party." He said. "Like back home where you are from? Not England?"
"A bit." Clara said. "But I can imagine Hope Valley throwing a party like this if they wanted too."
"Hope Valley, huh? Sounds like a good name." Carl said. He then held out his arm and said, "Drop your little girl to another person's lap and care to dance?"
"Okay I guess." Clara said.
Between cooking and dancing, Clara will always choose cooking. The fast pace music was loud and everyone was cheering and laughing. Clara couldn't dance too much if her life depended on it. She just figured she would follow Carl and let him lead the way.
Of course that ended up with them jumping up and down as they circled around the room with everyone else, spinning Clara in and out of his arms, then the both of them gripping one another's hands and spinning one another around and around until the music died down slowly. By the end of the song and another began, Clara was out of breathe.
"I've never danced that much before."
Carl laughed. "Get ready for the next one."
The next one was just as fast. If not, than faster. Everyone began holding hands with one another and created a chain and danced around the room, still cheering and laughing with everyone else.
The evening ended with Clara walking back to her room with Josephine sleeping; her tiny head on her shoulder and wrapped in a blanket Clara had taken from the bedroom.
After saying her goodnight prayer Clara settled on the bed and rested her head on the pillow and staring at little Josephine's face. "Tomorrow is the fourteenth." She softly whispered. "Only a few days more until New York."