Chapter 17

Broken Crown

"I was terribly sorry to hear about David and I knew I just had to seek you out," Alice, David's mistress was rambling, at least that's how it seemed to Clara. They had been sitting together for close to an hour already and Alice had done a majority of the talking. Clara had found herself sitting in front of her supper, which was ice cold now, and she wasn't even listening to Alice anymore, it was too much for her to take in. "It's just that," Alice shrugged, "I was wondering if you had taken anything from the ship when you left. David had something for me and I was hoping it had been recovered."

Clara stared up at the younger girl. Her brows furrowed and knitted together in confusion and her eyes scanned the girl. Alice Thompson was pretty enough in her own way. She had long blonde hair, the kind Clara had always dreamed of having, and it cascaded down past her neck in soft curls. She had a clip in her hair, which held it all together in the back, and out of her face. Her eyes were an icy blue that almost pierced through you and she had a natural rosiness to her cheeks. But she talked fast and occasionally a word slipped out that betrayed her intelligence and breeding.

"So," Clara began, "Let me make sure I have this straight. You came here and bothered me while I am in the grieving process all for some silly trinket that David promised you?"

Alice nodded, her smile never failing, "It is just that," she laughed, "David promised me we would be married after this trip. That he would divorce you and your little bea-boy and that we would be married and live in the big mansion that he owns in London."

Clara could not help it but she began to laugh, "Oh little one," she shook her head, "When I asked for a divorce my husband refused to consent because of the shame it would bring our family. You think you are so clever by coming in here in borrowed clothes and jewelry but you gave your heritage away in the first paragraph you spoke. You are a lowborn child and no one can blame you for that, but do you honestly think David was going to not only bring shame to his family by divorcing his wife who is from one of the most prominent families in London and marry a mere commoner who wears borrowed clothes and speaks borrowed words?"

For the first time Alice did not smile, "David said he loved me."

"He said the same thing to me on our wedding day and then when I became pregnant he cast me aside for a younger model. All the same, I have grown accustomed to the idea already but, if he did it to me, he was going to do the same thing to you. You are naive and it is sweet, but you must know that men do not change. If they make one decision, they will make the same decision over and over again."

Alice was about to speak but her eyes fell to a spot behind Clara.

"Mummy?"

"Oh my stars," Alice murmured at the sight of Benjamin, "He looks like David."

"Mummy," Benjamin came over and pulled on Clara's dress, "Who this?"

"Someone you need not worry about, she was just leaving."

Alice looked back up to Clara and then to Benjamin, "Hello Benjamin."

Anger flashed through Clara's eyes and she set her son down, "Esther?" she called.

"Yes ma'am?"

"Please take Benji back to bed."

"Yes ma'am."

After Esther and the boy were gone, Clara whirled on Alice, "How dare you?"

Alice frowned, "What?"

"How dare you? First you come in my suite and start making demands and asking about trinkets at the bottom of the Atlantic and you practically are flaunting the affair you had with a married man in my face and all that I could forgive, but how dare you have the audacity to speak to my son?"

"I love his father," Alice said coolly, "I have a right to insure he is at least being cared for."

Clara could not help herself but as those last words passed Alice's lips, she found herself bringing her hand up and striking it across Alice's face.

"You damn bitch!" Alice shouted, "'Ow am I supposed to go aroun' lookin' like this?"

Clara began to laugh, "I knew you were nothing but a flower girl from the street. It is almost charming that you thought David Moore with all his wealth, mansion, and country home was going to come and rescue you. But he could not even rescue me from my own misery, let alone himself. Now leave and if you ever come near me again, or my son, I will have you arrested for stalking."

"I am pregnant!" Alice shouted, taking on her posh accent again.

Clara's face lost all of its color, "You are what?"

Alice had a smug look on her face, as if she had won, "I am pregnant with David's baby and someone from his family has to be responsible for his child."

"They-they will not give you a thing," Clara's voice was hoarse, "A bastard has no claim to David's fortune."

In the bedroom, Herbert had been listening to the entire events and he could tell Clara was starting to feel ill. He looked around wildly and he ripped his officer's jacket off and quickly he left the room, "Ma'am everything in the room is alright. No problems with the heating," he said briskly, using the best American accent he could muster while posing as a hotel's technician.

Clara looked at him, "Sir, thank you for your time. Please take this trash to the curb with you when you go."

Herbert nodded, "Come along, miss." He took Alice by the arm who instantly began to fight but he never lost his grip in the girl's arm as he walked her to the door.

Clara slumped into a chair when they were gone, "Esther?" she called weakly.

"Yes ma'am?" Esther came rushing over, "Are you alright ma'am?"

Clara shook her head, "I feel I may be sick. Fetch a doctor."

–

"Mrs. Moore is going to be fine. Just the shock of everything from the last week and you mentioned yet more bad news?"

"Yes sir," Esther's hands were wringing each other tightly, "Personal business but-"

"I found out my husband impregnated another woman before he died."

Esther and the doctor jumped, they had not noticed that Clara was awake.

"Oh Mrs. Moore, are you aware of what happened?" the doctor asked, reaching over and checking her vitals.

Clara shrugged, "I began to feel very sick and I fainted?" She looked around the room for Herbert, but he was not there. Clara assumed it was to protect her social standing, but after everything that had happened in the last few hours, she really wanted him to be there.

"Yes ma'am," the doctor replied, "By the time I got here, your maid had gotten you into the bed."

Clara glanced at Esther who gave a mere shrug, which implied to Clara, that Esther certainly had not done it by herself.

"Well I do not typically faint but," Clara pulled herself up into a sitting position, "It is not everyday you find out your dead husband fathered a child with another woman."

"I am very sorry to hear that, Mrs. Moore." The doctor sounded sincere as he gave Clara a concerned look, and he continued, "Physically, you will be okay. Just try to get some rest and do not over extend your strength. You have been through a lot. If you need anything, just send word and I will be right over."

"Thank you sir," Clara said quietly.

The doctor nodded and quietly he let himself out of the bedroom. They heard the door to the suite close a moment later and within seconds, Herbert was in Clara's room.

"Oh thank God, you are awake." Esther discreetly let herself out of the room and soon the couple was totally alone. "You scared me," Herbert said.

"I am sorry, Bertie," Clara murmured.

"After you were settled in, I picked up those telegrams. You know, the ones you never got to look at."

Clara took the papers from Herbert and began to read them, "One is from my mother and father and the other from my in laws."

Herbert watched Clara carefully as she read the notes and as her face twisted into one of confusion, he gently asked, "What do they say?"

"Well my in-laws are distraught but said to let them know if I need anything," Clara shrugged, "And they ask after Benjamin." She switched her eyes back to the one from her parents, "Mother is asking about Benji and father says that the American affiliate of his export business has word to give me funds to buy a new wardrobe and," she paused then looked up at Herbert, "They have arranged passage for me home in a week."

Herbert frowned, "But you already have a ticket on the ship that David's employer's paid for, which is in a few weeks yet."

Clara sighed, "I know and the idea of being on another ship so close to the disaster sounds horrible." She buried her face in her hands, "I will have to go. There is no way around it."

"Alright, no getting upset," Herbert took the telegrams from Clara and set them down on a nightstand, "Time to get some rest. Now."

Clara eyed him and smiled, "Okay."

He reached around and fluffed her pillows for her and then helped Clara to settle into the bed, "Time to sleep and no dwelling on family and trash from the street. I mean it."

"I still do not deserve you," Clara said.

He shook his head, "Every night before I go to sleep, I ask what did I ever do to deserve you." Herbert kissed her on the forehead, "Goodnight, love."

xxx

A/N- Well not as much as I would have liked to of packed in but I am going to be late to work. There was just a huge storm so I have to take my time going and I really wanted to update before I left. So please review...Love you all. xo