He smiled at her, but it didn't go all the way to his eyes. "I have a plan, but it demands time." Claire is set in her ways because she believes Joshua will back her up. That belief needs to be shaken up.
Eleanor's eyes were shining with a dark light, and she could already see lies running through her mind. "Yes, right. It makes Claire feel strong to know that Joshua is on her side. But she'll be easy to attack if we can make a rift between them. She called her daughter Mia and said, "Sweetheart, I think it's time we played a little differently."
Still mad, Mia looked at her stepmother with interest. "What do you mean?"
Eleanor's sly smile was more a serpent's hiss than a sign of comfort. "Claire is only strong because she thinks Joshua will stand by her. If we can make Joshua question her or if we can get close to him, Claire will lose her backing. And once she's separated, she'll be much easier to deal with."
