Clara must have been waiting for eagerly. As the coachman helped down, she stood at the front door without a coat. Winter in London is harsher than expected, with unlted snow still piled up around the garden. I was shocked to see Clara standing there so fearlessly.
“Clara! What month is it? And you’re dressed like that?”
“I was waiting for you, Honey.”
Pouting and wrapping her arms around herself, she looked so adorable that I couldn’t bring myself to scold her any further. Instead, I burst out laughing. ‘Honey’ was a pet na Clara had given , one she only used when we were alone. Clearly, she was in a playful mood. Her hands were like ice.
“Weren’t you cold? You should have worn sothing!”
“A friend is coming over. As if the cold could stop Clara Barnum! Impossible.”
She confidently flipped her short hair and smiled. I rubbed her cold hands and led her inside. To be honest, Clara looked more in need of a fireplace than a al right now. A glass of brandy would do her good.
“Wow.”
As soon as we opened the door, a rush of warm air enveloped us. My ears, which had been exposed to the cold, tingled as the warmth touched them. The biting winter wind seed to fall away. But then, I was taken aback by the scene inside. The interior of the house had completely changed. I rembered visiting this place several tis before. Clara’s ho used to be elegantly furnished with French-imported furniture, renowned for its lovely patterns and delicate decorations. Now, most of the furniture was made of heavy wood.
“Why did you change the interior so much?”
“Wanted a change of pace, plus so shopping. But I only changed this area. Replacing everything upstairs would have cost too much.”
I laughed. She was pretending to be frugal despite having more money than sand on a beach.
Perhaps it was the new furniture, or maybe she had paid extra attention to detail, but Clara’s house was spotless. And with the soft music playing in the background, to be honest… it was a bit intimidating. How much effort had my friend put into this al for ? Even hiring a musician? I decided not to ask about the cost, fearing I might faint if I heard the number. Instead, I asked sothing else.
“How’s the old butler?”
“He’s been coughing a bit due to the cold weather, so I gave him a holiday. The chef also left after preparing our al….”
“The staff welfare here is better than at our office.”
Clara’s eyes widened.
“That detective guy isn’t overworking you, right? You’re getting paid, right? Seriously, if you’re working for free, let know. I’ll bring in a team of lawyers and sue…”
“Calm down, Clara.”
“Smite them in the na of…”
“You’re an atheist.”
After a mont, we both burst out laughing. Clara wiped tears from her eyes and guided to the dining room.
“Hungry? He’s waiting inside.”
Suddenly, I felt a surge of determination. As I smiled subtly, Clara’s eyes darted nervously.
“Jane, what are you planning?”
“A pressure interview.”
“Miss Jane Osmond, this isn’t a company.”
“If you want to marry my friend, you have to get through first.”
Clara put her hand on her forehead. Just then, a man who had been anxiously waiting inside stood up as soon as he saw Clara and .
“You can sit down.”
Looking very much like an interviewer, Clara grumbled as she went to her seat. I refused the chair offered to and sat down myself. The al was served promptly.
The dinner was delightful. Clara’s boyfriend was very pleasant. I usually remain indifferent to n’s looks after seeing Liam Moore’s face daily, but I was genuinely surprised when I first saw Clara’s boyfriend. He had the kind of beauty that could make a model weep. Clara used to say she didn’t care about looks, but clearly, she did.
They say people in love start to look alike. Clara seed to have t soone who mirrored her appearance and personality. His handso features and bold personality were just like hers. It was as if they had scoured the earth to find two similar-looking people.
Clara’s boyfriend had light brown, curly hair and sun-kissed skin. As he cut Clara’s at for her with his muscular arms, I whispered to her.
“You should think about getting married soon.”
Clara smiled and showed her left hand, bare without a ring.
“He’s planning a proposal.”
“What? Clara? Did you call ?”
Her boyfriend paused from cutting the at and looked up. Such keen hearing. Clara shook her head.
“My friend thinks you’ll make a good husband.”
What? When did I say that? Clara was making things up again. I couldn’t hide my shock, but her boyfriend laughed heartily.
“That’s my duty.”
My jaw dropped.
This man was perfect. It was as if he had fallen from the sky just for Clara. Get married. Yes. Live happily together forever. Seeing the two of them blushing and exchanging sweet words made feel like I was intruding. I turned to Clara, who was still fidgeting.
“So, how did you two et?”
Her boyfriend choked on his water. His shoulders shook from the effort to suppress his coughing. Surely, I could ask how they t and fell in love. These are the stories we love.
Clara lowered her voice, as if revealing a great secret.
“Well, you know I run a business. Recently, I got a new ship, and of course, I needed a crew.”
It seed she had chartered a ship. This ant Clara had to handle everything from crew to ship provisions herself. I nodded.
“Of course.”
“I prepared everything, but I needed soone who could sail the ship. So, I went around looking for a crew, and a business acquaintance introduced to a captain. They told to go to the docks on a specific date.”
Could it be?
I leaned in eagerly. Clara continued her story.
“When I got there, he was overseeing the unloading of cargo from the ship. His coat and hair were blowing in the wind. His commanding voice pierced through the noise of the busy docks. It was so loud, but all I could hear was his voice. And then I thought, ‘Wow, I must get him.’”
“Oh my God, Clara!”
Clara’s boyfriend looked like he wanted to crawl into a teapot. Of course, Clara Barnum wouldn’t allow that.
I laughed, then winced at the slight sting in my ear. Why? Clara, noticing my discomfort, asked,
“Are you hurt?”
The tingling in my ear subsided. I shrugged.
“No, just static, I think.”
For almost three hours, we teased Clara’s boyfriend. It was inevitable. Clara’s boyfriend was easy to tease; he would blush and squirm no matter how we mocked him. By the ti I left, my cheekbones ached from laughing so much.
Clara seed reluctant to let go, her eyes lingering on with a hint of regret. But she couldn’t keep forever, so she ca out to see off. I said my goodbyes.
“I had a great ti, Clara.”
“Honey, let’s et again soon.”
“Your ‘honey’ is over there, girl.”
Clara laughed heartily and hugged tightly.
A carriage was already waiting outside Clara’s house. Inside was a very familiar, handso man. It was Liam. Perfect timing.
Halfway into the carriage, I waved to Clara. She waved back. I turned to Liam and asked,
“Liam Moore! Are you feeling better?”
Sitting inside, he nodded.
I heard the crackling noise of the radio.
＊ ＊ ＊
About ten minutes into the ride, I started feeling sleepy after the al and rested my head against the carriage wall. Liam’s gaze was fixed on . His gaunt cheeks and weary complexion hadn’t changed since I left the house. He sat upright, staring at my face.
“Liam?”
He nodded. And then, I sensed sothing was wrong.
I couldn’t tell what was in front of .
It looked exactly like Liam Moore, but there was an eerie, unnatural feeling. He hadn’t blinked for ten minutes. I couldn’t even hear him breathe. Sitting rigidly, his gaze locked on , as if that was all he could do.
Yes, to put it simply,
‘Don’t you want to save Liam Moore?’
It reminded of the creaky, shell-like state of Herschel Hopkins.
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