She denied it, creating what she wanted to see rather than admitting what she had seen. She wanted her friends to believe that what they performed was all done by force and threat.
Because Clara wanted to be in Joanna's position. She wanted to be the one who was stared at with full affection by him. She wanted to dance beautifully in his arms. She wanted to be the center of attention, having her chest puffed that her husband had been gifted a piece of land that Clara believed the value was not to be underestimated.
Who did not want to be praised for that? By becoming his wife, all the fortune would be in her grasps.
She would be more rich and famous. She would be at the top of society. People would swarm around her, seeking her attention and wanting to get associated with her.
And to gain that, she would endure anything that Joanna just mentioned about the condition she should face if she became his wife.
