Masquerade ✔

Chapter 28

Clara wasn't exactly sure where she was. She left a different way than she came, with no desire to go back into the crowded ballroom. But now she was down a hallway she didn't recognize, unsure of how to get back to anywhere she knew.

It didn't help that her head wouldn't stop spinning. Araminta knowing about the kiss was bad enough. But now Harrison knew everything. How long would it be until Araminta found out about that?

Clara leaned against a wall, breathing hard and trying to keep herself from hyperventilating. She really didn't want to pass out and have some random ball attendee find her unconscious on the floor.

Once she felt less lightheaded, Clara straightened up, a resolve forming in her mind. She would tell Araminta as soon as she had the chance. Given the smoothing out of their relationship over the past few weeks, Clara figured it would be better coming from her than Harrison. And at the very least, hopefully Araminta would still help her obtain a job on a different airship.

Now she just had to figure out how to get back to the ball.

Clara rounded a few more corners when memories of the night when Harrison found her eavesdropping on his father came flooding back. She breathed a sigh of relief. She could get back to the dining room from here, and then the ballroom after that.

She had only taken a few steps into the dining room when she bolted back into the hallway, startled by voices, one of which she recognized as Mr. Norrington. Peering around the corner, she felt the blood drain from her face as she saw the other man he was with: Thaddeus London.

"—that Tower and Bridge is working so well," Mr. Norrington had said. "The progress seems excellent."

Tower and Bridge. So Thaddeus London did have something to do with it. And so did Mr. Norrington, apparently.

"Yes, and I'm more than happy to give you the details," Thaddeus London said. "Just, somewhere more private."

"Of course, of course."

They headed down a hallway, and Clara assumed they would have their meeting in the room she had heard them speaking from previously.

It was a horrible idea. A really, really horrible idea.

But Clara did it anyway.

Keeping close to the wall, she skirted around the dining room and then, after making sure they were already out of sight, slipped down the hall. Ducking under the windows, running in a crouch, Clara rounded the corner and headed straight to the spot where she could hear the conversation.

The sound was clear as day. Even though the wall Clara stood against didn't have any windows, she still stayed low to the ground. It comforted her to be able to fold herself into the corner, even though she was still in plain view of anyone who might come around the corner.

"So how is production going?" Mr. Norrington asked.

"Well, we've only just started, but with the number of workers we've attracted with the promise of high pay and benefits, we're already seeing excellent outcomes."

"Can you afford such high pay and benefits?"

"It wouldn't be good for business, no. But don't worry about that. It's all taken care of."

Clara swallowed hard. She didn't like the sound of his words, despite their vagueness. She and her family were depending on those pay and benefits.