The bad weather persisted. The month of August was filled with continuous rain. As the month progressed, Clara prayed fervently for a break in the daily rainfall routine. Empty and stress-free, she made sure to visit her mother every single day at the health facility, with Robin, driving her to and fro.
She did not try to rearrange anything in the house again, and the key to the drawing room was returned to it's usual position, but she just didn't have the heart to venture inside the room anymore.
After the second week of her morning meetings with Mrs. Eunice, she abandoned it, as she was totally tired of hearing the same thing everyday.
"The first Mrs. Lewin always preferred..." or even, "Mrs. Lewin did not approve."
It was natural, Clara supposed, that Mrs. Eunice would resent her. She had ruled Bennet's household for years without interference and it was to be expected that she would not like a new mistress that was bound to disrupt the usual routine in the house. But the days were very empty for Clara, and her efforts to get to know Bennet's child recorded little to no success.
Sometimes she would walk through the streets of Eschial-gardens with Isabella and the housekeeper, and when it was too wet to go out she would pay them a visit in the school room and suggest a game.
Clara saw little of Bennet at this time. He was literally preoccupied with work that it was hard to know when he was home or not.
He encouraged Clara to sleep early every night, and there was little to nothing she could do than obey. Even though she spent half of her day with her sick mother, she still come back home to the emptiness and absolutely nothing to do.
Mrs. Maloney, Bethany's mother finally threw a little dinner party at the end of the month and invited the Lewins over. She took the care to inform them that party was a welcome party for Clara.
The D-Day came and Clara went up to dress for the evening with a slight feeling of trepidation. This was the first time she was to fulfill the terms of Bennet's request of her and she was anxious that his friends might not approve of her. She scanned through the clothes she got from the store. There were so many options to choose from, so she became uncertain as to what she was expected to wear for a rather more formal evening. On hearing Bennet's movement in his room, she called to him to come and help her choose.
"What's the problem?" he said, sounding surprised. He had never before been in her bedroom since their union.
"Please come in," she called. "I am having difficulties."
"Very well," he replied. "Open the door."
"It isn't locked," she shouted back, and he turned the handle and came in.
"Are you always this trusting?" he remarked with a little ironical twist to his mouth.
"What do you mean?" she asked, her head in her wardrobe. Then she emerged abruptly and looked from his raised eyebrows to the open door between their rooms, she felt herself blushing.
"No," she replied sedately. "But in this case it is different, the door has never been locked."
"Hmm," he observed, and stood looking at her with a speculative eye. She was wearing a brief undergarment that revealed more than it should. He crossed the room slowly and placed his hands on her narrow hipbones.
She stood very still, and for a moment she thought he was going to draw her into his arms. She looked up at his dark face and each line was suddenly familiar, and she felt an aching tenderness toward him as she waited.
But his eyes became coolly professional once more and all he said was, "You're still much a bit thin, I told Mrs. Eunice to be more serious with your diet, I guess she's not."
"She is, I'm literally fed like a baby here." She said, and wriggled out of his grasp.
"Well, now, what are the difficulties?" he asked her, and she plunged once more into the wardrobe, pulling out dresses and tossing them at him in great haste.
"Well," he said, looking at her over the armful of clothes, "I've never worked as a lady's maid, you know."
"But it is only to help me choose an outfit," she said seriously. "I don't know if it's okay to wear this," she showed him a fluffy rich organza gown. Her hands began to sketch gestures. "Or this low cut design, or the damask."
"Definitely not the first one," he said, looking amused. "A simple, yet luxury looking dinner dress will do. What about this? It's an off-white dress, and I think it's quite suitable for a bride's first appearance, don't you think?"
She looked at the off-white Chantilly luxury gown doubtfully. It was a very unique and lovely piece, but she felt a little uncertain of Bennet when he made remarks of this kind.
"If you think so," she said, and he tossed the rest of the outfits onto a chair.
"I think it will be perfect for you," he replied, and went back to his room.
Bethany and her mother lived at the heart of Eschial-gardens, unlike the Lewins that bought a large portion of the estate land in the calm and secluded part of Eschial-garden.
The Maloneys lived in a modern, and exquisite looking duplex, and entering Mrs. Maloney's high-ceilinged and modest sized drawing room with its bright colours and a little old-fashioned decorations, Clara felt the need to appreciate the Lewin's home.
It was much more better decoration-wise. She confessed that she might fall into depression if she ever lived in a house such as the Maloneys.
The room was full of people and she experienced a brief moment of acute shyness as she stood beside Bennet, acknowledging introductions. They all regarded her with polite curiosity, these men and women who had been invited by the Maloneys to meet her.
As the evening progressed, Bennet glanced several times at Clara with eyes that were amused, and a little surprised. She was holding up her end nicely with one of the men at the table, who seem to have a poor opinion of female intelligence, and surprisingly Richard Maloney, Bethany's elder brother was clearly very taken with her. So were most of the women, who had suddenly dropped their earlier reserve and complimented Bennet on his young bride, and even Mrs. Maloney, though she did wish that her daughter was the one in the position currently occupied by Clara.
"She's such an attractive young girl, Bennet, and have nice manners in this age of the Gen-Z's that lack manner in them." She remarked a little acidly.