The following week was filled with activities in preparation for Clara's official welcome as the mistress of the Lewin's household. Bennet instructed for the immediate movement of Clara's mother to a private health facility to ensure adequate diagnosis and treatment of her cancer which was discovered to still be at the acute stage.
The weekend at his home only strengthened his purpose, and reassured him that he was making the right decision. Isabella was difficult and demanding, and he saw with sharper clarity that the years of isolation at the mansion had made her far too precocious. Bethany was not good for her, unconsciously ingratiating herself with the child to establish a footing with the father. He tried comparing Bethany to Clara and smiled a little grimly. Clara was a perfect choice. She was smart, intelligent, tolerating and caring.
Although he knew she would never be able to remind him of his ex-wife's gracious, elegant, and classy lifestyle, he was a hundred percent satisfied with the fact that she will get to create her own memory. Felicia's memory also held sad scenes he would rather not relive.
He allowed Clara a long week off with a large chunk of money to get necessary outfits for herself, and also spend adequate time with her family, before moving into the mansion. He had sent her to the clothing store Felicia bought her outfits from. The owner of the store has been the exclusive supplier of both Felicia and Isabella's outfits till date. So he felt Clara would need a visit to the store in order to have a clearer view of the type of outfits she's expected to be seen in.
Of course the few designers she seem to own were nice looking, but not the exact type of outfits suitable for the mistress of Lewins household. In her absence, he made out time to also speak to his workers and have them know that the house will have a new mistress.
By Thursday evening, he summoned his staff to speak to them. Isabella had gone to bed, so it was just himself with his workers in the living room. "I got married last week." He had broke the news to them.
"Married!" For a moment Beatrice couldn't believe her ears. She overheard him saying Clara was his girlfriend, but that was all she heard. To be honest, she had thought he was simply joking back then. She felt he wanted to get rid of Miss Bethany. Hearing him speak now, she looked as taken aback as she felt, and her long sallowface dropped its habitual mask. She did admire Bethany, but she was never in support of Bennet Lewin marrying her.
Bennet turned to her, giving her a quizzical look. "It's very sudden, isn't it?" she said, but the colorless lashes hid her eyes. Her mind started racing as she thought of the possiblity that Bennet might be taking about Clara as his wife. The Nurse have been absent from work for some days and she was hoping she got sacked.
"You seem shocked Beatrice. Evidently, you don't feel it's a matter for congratulations?."
"I'm sorry, sir," she said quickly. "You took me by surprise. Congratulations sir, I hope you'll be very happy. Have you told Isabella?"
His smile was a little cryptic. "No.You can do that tomorrow. She'll take it better from you."
Beatrice smiled. "I don't think you need to worry. You'll be rarely home once you resume work, and Isabella is quite fond of Miss Bethany."
"Congratulations to you and Miss. Bethany sir." Aina, the young maid giggled excitedly
Bennet gave both ladies a level look. 'I'm not getting married to Miss Bethany." He said briefly.
"Not Miss Bethany? But I thought..." Beatrice looked bewildered.
"Too many people suffer from wishful thinking without any real grounds for it," he said. "She will be here by weekend, and I expect you all to accord her the due respect as the mistress of the house." That was all the information he chose to give them. He refused to elaborate further and his staff knew him too well to ask questions. "Beatrice, get the second Master bedroom ready." He instructed.
"Yes sir." Beatrice replied.
The second master bedroom had been Felicia's. It had not been used since she died, and the books, the expensive trifles and the monogrammed toilet set were still there as she had left them.
For a moment his eyes narrowed, and he looked at Beatrice again, with passing speculation. What was she going to think of Clara being the second Mrs. Lewin. Beatrice was the most outspoken amongst his staff and most of all, she seem to get along with Isabella quite alright and this earned her much respect from Bennet, who in turn increased her salary in appreciation. After speaking to his staff, he dismissed them and went into his study.
If Bennet had been too preoccupied throughout the week to give much thought to the situation, for Clara, the days were very different. With the arrival of each new day, she had plenty of time to reflect. What had seemed practical and possible a couple of days ago appeared, after a moments of careful thoughts and pondering to be a momentous step to take in such a hurry. What did she know of this stranger, much older than herself, who could contemplate taking a wife with no more thought than he might give to the choosing of a puppy? She did like him as an employer, he was kind.
Lying awake on the bed in her room, she tried to reason as she had so often done before now. Security, financial freedom, and getting back to the job she love were the most important things to her right now. And Bennet had argued that one could become fond of anyone, given the right background and a reasonable nature. She thought that life soon taught one to acquire a reasonable nature and that fondness was a matter of temperament. She could not afford doubts in her present position and, as she herself had said to Bennet, such an opportunity might never come her way again, and a marriage of convenience, even with a stranger, couldn't be worse than the terrifying struggle for existence in the world.
So, from the first doubts Clara drifted into a dreamlike state of acceptance. The next day, she paid a visit to the Ellor store for her change of wardrobe. She fell in love with the expensive-looking store and found herself immediately taken in hand by the head saleswoman.
Bennet had presumably reached out to them and made his intentions clear, and the saleswoman as flattering, as she was a little condescending. It soon became evident that the first Mrs. Lewin had spent lavishly and had been regarded as a privileged customer.
"A very beautiful woman and a real pleasure to dress," Clara was told. "So sad, her sudden death. We were all desolated here in the store. We did not think that Mr. Lewin would ever marry again, but then, time heals old wounds."
Clara attended numerous fittings, listening politely to the gossip and wondering if Bennet had been deeply in love with his ex-wife. She was aware that his second choice as a wife was and will remain a big surprise to many.
'The people at the store were making the best of her,' she thought without resentment. They told her kindly, that she could not, carry off the creations that had made the first Mrs. Lewin one of the best-dressed women in Bramhills, but she could capitalize on her youth.
Clara smiled with secret amusement, thinking it was a pity that so much thought and expense were to be wasted on a man who would scarcely appreciate it.
She had met Mrs. Edime, the owner of the store and the older woman seemed visibly shocked.
"Mrs Lewin!" she exclaimed with a fake happy face. Her look plainly said that there must be something a little odd about Clara arriving in a common designer outfit.
"Yes," said Clara, a bit embarrassed or overwhelmed by the amount of wealth the woman had on.
"Congratulations on your marriage ma'am." She had added, looking at her finger to find it void of any wedding ring. At that very moment Clara was compelled to hide her fingers behind her skirt.
After her visit to the store, the next day, she visited a jeweller, feeling unaccountably depressed. It felt strange and a little lonely to buy her own wedding ring, and she thought the salesman looked at her oddly as he noticed her hands were bare of any other rings.
"Do you want a Gold plated, gold filled, or Sterling silver piece?" he asked indifferently.
"I don't know. What is easiest and simplest?" Clara said, she didn't have to strength to surf through rings, she just wanted something easy to slip on and simple to the eye.
"It's a matter of taste, madam," the man replied, looking annoyed. "Sterling silver is more favored these days. Is your engagement ring set in sterling silver?"
"My engagement ring? Oh, I haven't got one yet," said Clara, in full confession. She didn't owe the man an explanation anyway.
The salesman pursed his lips, brought out a tray of simple sterling silver rings and said firmly, "you should try them for size,"
She tried them on hastily until she found one that fitted. "This will do," she said.
She paid for the ring quickly and was glad to get out of the shop. She was sure that the man was quite convinced by now that her intentions were not strictly matrimonial.
She turned with relief into a neighboring cafe, and as she sat at the marble-topped table, she realized fully for the first time that she was indeed married to a stranger and journeying toward a home of which she had not as much as spent a night in before. The whole marriage stuff did put a strain on her relationship with everyone, especially Jane.
Although Priscilla forgave her and accepted the medical help Bennet was offering, Clara found it extremely hard to get through to Jane. Ignas was indifferent, she was neither happy with her decision nor sad.
She got up early on Saturday to do her packing. She had tried her best to buy as little as possible, but even so she seemed to possess more expensive clothes than she had ever owned before.
Since she broke the news to the family, Jane went into a shell. They did talk about a lot of things, but never about her marriage with Bennet Lewin. Once her marriage was mentioned, Jane either turn mute or excuse herself. With Priscilla undergoing treatment at the private clinic and Clara at home all through the week, Ignas rarely visited the house.