Chapter Twenty:

Secrets Unraveled

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The carriage rocked back and forth as it was pulled over the uneven dirt roads back to Clara's home. Inside the carriage, Clara found herself being thrown from side to side as they rounded each corner, and she couldn't help growing steadily more and more queasy with each turn.

Was it the turns? Was it the nerves induced by her worries about what would happen when the clock stopped striking twelve? The fact that the man she had grown to almost love didn't love her back? Or was it the fact that the same man was also the crown prince of her country? As the carriage wildly swerved around another corner, she realized that it was definitely a combination of all four.

Suddenly, the carriage gave a lurch as the clock striked its last chime, and Clara gasped in horror as she found herself flying through the air. She could've sworn that she watched her life flash before her eyes until she landed heavily in a nearby bush, the sound of branches snapping reaching her ears.

She laid there for a few moments, trying to calm her racing heart, not caring that more than few of the branches of the shrub were pushing into her sharply. Groaning, Clara sat up, placing the heel of her hand to her head and using the other to take a stray branch from her hair. As soon as the twig was free from her hair, Clara struggled to her feet, looking around her for any signs of her carriage and the coachmen.

An orange mess in the middle of the road caught her eye and upon closer inspection, she realized it was a smashed pumpkin. A smashed pumpkin that was currently being played in by four mice and two grasshoppers. Clara furrowed her brow but snapped her head up to attention when the sound of galloping hooves reached her ears.

Hurrying to stand behind one of the roadside bushes, Clara watched as the mice and grasshoppers followed her and then hid around her when a carriage flew past them. Clara leaned a little farther out of the bush and almost fell over when she realized precisely whose carriage it was. It was her stepfamily's!

If they got to the house before her and she wasn't there, she didn't even want to think about the consequences. Lifting the skirts of her dress, which was back to its ragged pre-transformation state, she dashed down the road until she reached a path. She knew the path would lead to her home, but she could only hope she got there before her stepfamily.

She was about to run down the path when she saw a glistening object out of the corner of her eye. There in the trampled grass at the beginning of the path was her glass slipper. She scooped it up, frowning, before proceeding to sprint down the path towards her house, keeping the slipper close to her chest as she ran.

As she ran for the second time that night, Clara couldn't help but wonder how her dress and carriage and footmen had disappeared and transformed back to their original state, but the glass slippers had not. Why was it that her shoes were the only objects that did not disappear? Were they not magic as well? Had the slipper in Frederick's possession disappeared as well?

The only light guiding her as she rushed home was the light from the moon that could barely be seen through the branches of the trees and shrubs. Clara could hear the nighttime noises of the animals within the forest, the hooting of owls and the howling of wolves doing nothing for her anxiety. Her legs were burning with exertion and her heart was beating out a steady pace when finally the lights of her home could be seen through the trees.

She dashed the final distance to her house, her arms pumping at her sides. Her bare feet stumbled over sticks and rocks until finally, she reached the door to the kitchen. Clara didn't bother knocking, instead just going in, catching her siblings off guard.

"You're really, really late," Harriet said, getting up from where she had been kneeling in front of James, leaving Amelia to continue sitting next to her brother. "Here give me the slippers-slipper." Harriet corrected herself with a raised eyebrow when she saw there was only one in Clara's hands. "James has gotten a lot worse, you probably should take a look at him."

Clara nodded, forgoing her explanation of why she was late and the reason for the missing slipper to sit down directly in front of James. Leaning forward, she placed the back of her hand to his forehead, drawing it back slowly when she felt how hot he was.

"James?" Clara whispered gently, watching to see if he stirred. He did not. "James, come on, James," she pleaded, but he still didn't move or stir other than to continue breathing his shallow breaths. "How long has he been like this?"

"Not long, it started within the past hour. He stopped responding to us around then," Harriet answered, coming over to stand to Clara. "Why were you so late-" Harriet's question was cut off by the sound of the kitchen door slamming open and a frazzled looking Estella swooping in, grabbing Clara by the shoulders.

"Clara! You left so early! Everyone in the palace guard was looking for you! Did you know that the man you were dancing with was the prince?" Estella said, talking rapidly. "Mother was positively furious that Edina and I never danced with him."

"The man you were dancing with was the prince?" Harriet asked loudly. "Does that mean you are going to be queen? Is he going to marry you and help you save James?"

"Oh yes, Clara, please do tell. Are you to be our queen?" Everyone in the room turned to the doorway to see Linette standing there, her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes gleaming with barely repressed anger. "Because I was under the assumption that you had spent the last few nights at home, caring for your younger brother like I had suggested."

"I-" Clara tried to answer, but the words died in her throat when Linette swooped forward and took the glass slipper from Harriet's fingers.

"Glass slippers? How unique," Linette said, her gaze going from the shoes to Clara, and lastly to James. "So instead of taking care of your brother, you went to go dancing underneath the stars."

Linette's face had lost all appearance of her dark amusement. "I had thought more of you."

"I was trying to help him-" Clara was cut off by the sound of shattering glass. Linette had slammed the slipper onto the kitchen countertop and Clara had to shield her face and throw herself in front of her brother to avoid having him get a cut, though she still got a few on the back of her hands.

"Trying to help him?" Linette was looking at her with a disgusted expression on her face, the shattered remains of the shoe in her white-knuckled hand. "I think it's time for a little chat, Clara, don't you agree?" Linette said, grabbing Clara's upper arm with her other hand.

Clara threw a panicked look at Harriet, Estella, and Amelia but none of them made any move to intervene as Linette dragged her out of the kitchen. Linette lead her from the kitchen, up the stairs, and finally, up the attic stairs into Clara and her sibling's room.

"So let's have a discussion, Clara. Tell me, what possessed you to leave your sickly younger brother to go gallivanting off with the prince?" Linette spat at her as she let go of Clara and pushed her away from her. Clara stumbled away from her stepmother, almost falling before regaining her balance.

"Linette, you don't understand, I needed the money! If we couldn't afford to get him a physician I needed to find a way to get the money," Clara explained, staying away from Linette, who was looking at her in a calculating manner.

"I don't understand? I think I might understand more than you think," Linette sneered. "Do you know what I was doing at the ball?" Clara shook her head. "I was trying to convince one of the many wealthy patrons to lend me money or at the very least to marry one of my daughters."

The attic was plunged into silence as Clara took in what Linette was saying. Had Linette been trying to get money to help James?

"Then why did you not let me come with you to help?" Clara asked.

"I did not need your help at the ball. I needed you to stay with your brother to help keep him calm, keep his fever down, and to make sure nothing went wrong. People with his current illness need a lot of caring for, but with good care, it can be slowed down. However, instead of doing that, you left him in the hands of a ten-year-old and an eight-year-old who have never taken care of anything more important than a pig."

A feeling of startled horror was beginning to bubble up within her stomach and into her chest cavity. Linette had been trying to help, and she hadn't realized. But she was still unsure of something. Why would Linette ask Estella to offer her help?

"But why did you tell Estella to offer her help to me? Why not just tell me?" Clara asked, her voice shaking as tears of frustration pricked the edges of her eyes. Linette raised an eyebrow at her.

"Do you think after all of these years I haven't noticed what kind of person you are? You have made it perfectly clear that you do not trust me, but for some reason, you seemed to like Estella and she liked you. I figured if you were told that someone was helping, you wouldn't do anything rash like actually come to the ball."

"I still don't understand why I couldn't just help you," Clara said, watching as Linette shook her head in exasperation.

"I have already told you! I needed you here! Do you think that I did not know what was wrong with your brother? Trust me, I did!" Linette said, her voice bitter and her eyes flashing. "Didn't you know what my first husband died of? He was a captain in the king's army. One night he was out late in the rain helping one of our neighbors put out a fire and when he came back he had a hacking cough and was suffering from the chills. Sound familiar?"

Clara tried to contain her gasp. She had never known what Linette's husband had died of, she had never bothered to ask. "How long did he-"

"Did he last? He lasted two weeks, but due to the fact it was in the middle of winter and the physician could not get to our home quick enough, he passed away in his sleep," Linette said, her voice growing softer, seemingly lost in the memory, but a moment later she snapped back to attention, pinning Clara with a glare.

"So yes, I know all about the dangers of pneumonia." Linette crossed to the door, pulling it open. However, she held up a hand when Clara made to follow her. "No. You have done more than enough. If your sisters have done well enough to take care of him in your absence, I daresay they can care for him a bit longer." Linette made to leave the room, but Clara stepped forward and stopped her, standing in front of the door.

"Wait. I need to know. Has someone agreed to help? Has anyone said they would?" Linette stared at her in silence.

"No. Unfortunately, due to the dinner party two years ago, not a single one of them will trust me." Linette's gaze was accusatory, and Clara looked down at her feet. "In fact, your dear Lady Stanford has been the most vocal in her accusations. Apparently, she is convinced I would spend the money on dresses for my daughters."

"But if no one has offered then I can help! Augustus, I mean Prince Frederick, he promised to help me this evening."

"I highly doubt he will follow up on that," Linette said, meeting Clara's eyes. "After you left and it was clear that everyone knew who he was, his parents announced his engagement to the princess of Carigan. It is to be a most advantageous match, they are keeping us from war."

Linette pushed back Clara easily, as Clara was too stunned to fight back. "I do not think the King and Queen would be amenable to helping their son's possible new mistress." Clara snapped her head up to look at Linette, about to disagree and explain, but with her words, Linette shut the door behind her.

Clara rushed forward, pulling on the door to try to get it to open with her shaking hands, but it wouldn't budge. Linette had locked her in. Letting out a gasping breath, Clara slid to the floor outside the door, putting her head in her hands.

The prince was to be married, Linette was having trouble finding someone to help her, and Clara was locked in the attic. Locked in the attic with only the thoughts of all of the mistakes she had made to keep her company.

—

So we now know Linette's plan. How is that for a plot twist? So do you think Linette's plan will work? Do you think Clara will stay in the attic? What about James? Do you think he will die?

Tell me your thoughts in the comments!

The song is Por Una Cabeza... because I just really like it. Not to mention it was played in Schindler's list.

Also, on a sidenote, the next chapter will be from Harriet's Point of View.