"We'll play some other time, for now let's get Safa inside, she seems really annoyed." Wolfgang replied.
Frowning, "I can literally hear you!" Safa said, "And yes! I am annoyed! I am about to meet the imbecile who costed James his money! And mine!" She added.
"You know...I wonder why Lady whistledown didn't write about James's failed business deal." Clara questioned.
"The New lady whistledown focuses more on being the voice for those who have nowhere to go to ask for help, she still writes about certain events and scandals, mostly of romantic or tragic nature.
However I doubt she even heard of the business deal.
Almost all parties in that deal has agreed to keep their shameful loss hidden from the public knowledge." Safa replied.
"Ugh, I really wish that I've met Mrs Bridgerton with you that day." Wolfgang whined.
"I'm sure you'll get another opportunity to meet her again." Clara said to comfort him, "Woof!"
Giggling, "I think Denver wants you to cheer up." She added.
"You two, are you done yet? Let us go inside already!" Safa complained so Wolfgang went and started pushing her chair.
As they got inside the house, Margret, a really old and skinny woman wearing a pair of round glasses, greeted them.
But she wasn't particularly happy to see the group, especially Clara.
Margret was doing her best to not sound surprised to see the very much younger maid, "Clara darling...!...good day to you...I... thought you were taking some days off."
"Hello Marg! Yes I am on my day off, i just came along with lady Vega because she wants to see James...and I didn't wish to be alone today." Clara replied.
"Uh, I see." Margret said and threw a strange suspicious glance at Safa who immediately frowned as she realized That they may not be welcome at the moment, "Is there something wrong Miss Margret?" Safa asked.
Worried, "Is James...i mean Lord Teaton alright?" Wolfgang asked the elderly woman.
"Uh, yes yes!...he is... he's just talking... he's busy! Yes!" Margret replied, she was now visibly shaking as she looked at Clara again.
"Marg, you don't look so well...also, why does the place seem empty? Where is the other servants?" Clara said, "They were all given days off, expect me...i live here, so I have no use for a day off.
So Maybe you bunch should come again another time?...Lord Teaton is really busy with the new assistant...he won't be able to see you soon." Margret replied with a nervous smile.
"I am not going anywhere, I can tell you do not want us here, which means something is going on, and I assume it is a fight." Safa spoke-up.
Suddenly, The sound of two people arguing started coming closer.
Wolfgang and Clara were about to go check when Margret sighed loudly, "I do not understand why a smart woman like yourself lady Vega...even wastes her time on a man like my employer." Margret said smiling in a strange way, earning confused looks from both Wolfgang and Clara.
"What do you mean?" Safa asked.
"For many years I have been doing my best...I gave my youth to this family...yet one after another...they all end up causing a disaster.
I have many regrets in life... but my biggest was ever coming to this house.
6 years ago I thought that it's about time I retire, but I didn't...I just kept holding on for you Clara darling." She said before she stepped out of the way.
With Margret no longer trying to keep them at bay, Wolfgang hurried and pushed Safa while Clara led the way with Denver in her arms, as they followed the sounds of the argument they were listening to.
When they were somewhat near James's study room, Clara stopped as she noticed Joey standing and arguing with James.
"That's really him!" She said in a hushed voice, "The Joey you know?" Safa asked earning a nod.
Suddenly, "James, you're truly insane! You know what! You don't deserve to be making decisions for someone else.
I will remind you one last time, Clara deserve to know she's a Teaton too." Joey replied.
"I'm...what?" Clara's eyes widen, Wolfgang and Safa were looking at each other then at Clara in disbelief.
James and Joey have noticed them by now, and James's expression was utter shock.
The colors drained from his face as he saw Clara standing nearby, "Clara..."
When he realized what he's done, "Damnit!... I'm sorry I didn't mean..." Joey tried to apologize but just looking at the broken look in Clara's face made him at a loss of words.
"James?! What the HELL is going on?!" Safa asked furiously, she was so pissed, she gribbed into the arms of her chair with intense force.
Wolfgang was just beyond confused, "Is that it...the secret you couldn't tell me?" He asked, "The person you said...you ruined their life, was Clara?!"
At this point James knew he couldn't lie anymore, "Clara, dear..." He said approaching the girl that was now crying her eyes out silently.
But with each step he took towards her, Clara backed away.
She hugged Denver closer to her chest and looked away from James, almost as if she was terrified of James approaching her.
"Woof...?" Denver whined sadly at her.
"Clara, please...can we talk?" James asked.
She refused to say anything.
Margret has joined in to see what happened and instead of being surprised, Safa could see that the elderly lady was smiling, almost as if she's relieved this was happening.
"Clara... please! I can explain."
"..."
"Clara please, I didn't tell you so you wouldn't end up like this " James said, and as if it was a trigger.
Clara's demeanor changed, she looked at James with unfamiliar rage in her eyes, he never saw her ever, make such a face.
"So it's true...I am what... your sister?!" Clara asked.
"Half..." James replied, he was fighting his tears as he looked at her.
"So the late Lord..."
"Was both our father...yes..."
"I watched him die." Clara said before she screamed, "I WATCHED THE FIRST PERSON TO EVER TREAT ME LIKE A DECENT HUMAN BEING, DIE WITHOUT KNOWING HE'S MY FATHER?!"
James couldn't hold it back anymore, he knelt in front of Clara and cried, "He begged me...it was his dying wish, father wanted me to protect you from the truth.
He loved you...so much as if you were never apart from the day he met you...Clara."
Wolfgang's tears were streaming as he watched the scene in front of him, "From what truth?! That I'm a noble's man bloody bastardette?!" Clara said.
"I... didn't want you to feel...like that..." James replied.
"So you and...your father... thought it was better to lie?! Make me do the dishes and clean like the damn peasant I am, right?! Because believing I'm a commoner's bastard child, is way better than being a noble's, RIGHT?!" She shouted.
Suddenly, "You knew...did you not." Safa asked Margret, "I did...since the day they brought her, which is why I began hating James." Margret admitted.
Angry, "You knew and you didn't tell me?! Why?!" Clara asked, "James isn't lying, the Late lord had us all swear to not tell you, he asked us to protect you and care for you without letting you believe you're anything else but a commoner...everyone who knew about the secret and agreed to keep it, received a reward of some sort, even James's mother...she took whatever her husband gave her and moved out of the estate because she didn't want to deal with you.
I too, got a reward, but not James, he was threatened to be written out of the Will if he tells you." Margret explained, "But I admit, i eventually became ashamed of myself for taking a reward on your expenses Clara...After sometime I grew fond of you, so I couldn't tell you that I kept a secret from you and that I was paid to do so." She added.
Surprised, "That reward...that was...what James trying to do with me with this assistant job...but I refused and that's why we were fighting." Joey spoke-up.
"Instead of just telling her...you went ahead and made it all worse, James did you really believe you were protecting her?!" Wolfgang asked.
"When his father died, and James inherited everything, I wholeheartedly believed he would man up and tell you the truth then.
But it turns out, I wasn't the only one ashamed of telling you the truth...James probably couldn't tell you that he hid the fact that the late Lord was your father just to get the inheritance." She added.
Hitting his fists against the ground, "JUST SHUT UP MARGRET! SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH ALREADY?!" James shouted.
"Margret..." Clara spoke-up.
"Yes darling."
"Please...do me one last favor...pack up my things for me."
Surprised, "Why?!...where do you plan to go?!" James asked.
"Southwark... I'm going back there, I can't stay here anymore." Clara replied.
"No, you can't! Please, Clara!"
"And don't you dare follow me there, James."
"Do you need me to come with you?" Joey asked, "No." Safa spoke-up then she turned to Joey.
"You, once That old hag packs up everything that belongs to Clara, load it onto the carriage outside, Clara will come back with me to my house." Safa said.
"What are you talking about?!" James replied.
"Clara, you have been robbed of your place in this life, by two men claiming to have done it to protect you.
You deserve to have everything given back to you, So I will give it to you myself.
From here on out, You will live with me, you will no longer be just a maid." Safa stated firmly.
"Clara, don't go with her." James said, "If I come with you...can you protect me from him?" Clara asked while looking at James.
Wolfgang stared at the girls in shock, "I can." Safa replied, "If you wish, I will get rid of him as a business partner." She added.
"No...keep him...it doesn't matter to me." Clara replied and began walking away.
Safa wanted to follow her but she could see Wolfgang's teary face, she knew he wanted to talk with James.
"You!" She said pointing at Joey, "Push my chair outside."
And Joey immediately hurried to her, it took him a second to figure out what to do and he started to wheel Safa out of there, leaving James and Wolfgang all alone.
"I'm horrible...Aren't I?" James said chuckling with tears streaming down his face.
Wolfgang knelt in front of the crying man, "Was Margaret correct? Were you just afraid to face the guilt?" He asked.
"My father made me promise him to not say a word...that bastard said I either shut my mouth about it or both Clara and I would get nothing from the inheritance.
How dare he?! He went and slept with a woman, he knew she gave birth to his child but he didn't care then...but when he gets sick 16 years later and realized he's about to die, he suddenly feels guilty, decided to brings his daughter home and to what?! To work as a maid?! What kind of father does that?!" James said in disbelief, "I didn't want her to know how horrible he was...how horrible I was..."
"James..."
"Now Clara hates me, Safa hates me too...even Joey does and I bet you think I'm disgusting too, Wolf." James said.
"I can never find you disgusting, James." Wolfgang said placing his hands on James's tear-drenched cheeks, "We'll get through this together, I will help you to win everyone back." He said before he kissed James.
When he pulled away, "I love you...Wolfgang." James said and pulled the man in for another, much deeper kiss.