Chapter 24 #2
To nobody’s surprise at all, the children chose food. Gerald chuckled as he led them away, although before all of them left, Sophia tugged at Clara’s dress. Clara bent down.
“You did very well, Sophia. I know that it must have been difficult for you. But you held the signs up nice and high so that everyone could see.”
Sophia smiled, then spoke in a whisper. “I brought something. I want them to see what our lives are like.”
She returned to the stage and brought back some of her drawings, handing them to Clara.
Before Clara could say anything else, Sophia scampered away to join the other children.
Clara rose and leafed through the drawings.
They were all of scenes that Sophia had observed.
The first scenes were before Gerald arrived.
They showed Clara picking up toys, sitting and reading the children a story, or standing alone in the garden.
Then, she saw the arrival of Duke, the dog.
She saw scenes of the children playing, of Duke stranded on the boat.
There was Gerald, emerging from the water, and Clara standing nearby, gazing at him.
Clara blushed, for she hadn’t believed that anyone had seen her reaction.
As an artist, she should have known better.
There was something different about the drawings that contained the Duke, something different about her. She stood a little taller and seemed happier. Then, Clara reached the last picture, which was the drawing Sophia had made of them all together.
She and Gerald were standing together, surrounded by the children.
They looked like the complete family, and something about it tugged at Clara’s heartstrings.
Tears began to swell in her eyes. One even dripped onto the page, but she wiped it off quickly as she didn’t want to mar Sophia’s drawing with her sorrow.
It was a glimpse of a future that would never come to pass. The children would all move on. So would Gerald. In the end, she would be left standing there alone, melancholy, without anyone to keep her company.
Clara swallowed these feelings because there was no room for them at the gala. She needed to be charming, congenial, and fun.
Clara swept around the room, distributing Sophia’s pictures to show people how they spent their days.
They were all enamored by the artwork, and impressed when Clara mentioned that she helped to nurture Sophia’s talent.
It was her opinion that children should be given the space to flourish, and that’s what she hoped to achieve at St. Margaret’s.
Children should not be condemned because of mistakes their parents made.
Thankfully, it seemed as though many people believed the same thing as her.
Gerald stood beside the children as they ate their food.
He’d worn a persistent smile throughout the night, and it hadn’t always been forced.
The performance had been charming, although it struck him that those days might be coming to an end.
Clara was right, it would be awkward if he continued to visit St. Margaret’s after their arrangement ceased.
It would only be pouring salt into the wounds if Clara retreated again.
However, he was determined to confess his feelings after the gala. There was no sense doing it beforehand. It wouldn’t have been fair to Clara, who had worked so hard on making this possible.
As Gerald moved around the room and spoke to the guests, he made sure to effusively praise Clara, telling them all that none of this would have been possible without her, and he meant every word.
The good mood of the crowd was contagious, and it was made even better by the addition of music.
The merry tunes had people swaying and dancing.
Gerald wanted to ask Clara to dance, but he could never seem to find her.
At one moment he might see her gliding past, but then she would disappear behind another cluster of people.
“Is tonight the night? Please say that tonight is the night? It would be so romantic,” Eleanor said, sidling up to him.
“The night for what?” Gerald asked.
Eleanor playfully hit his arm. “You know what, the proposal! It would only seem right. You could secure St. Margaret’s future, and then your own. There’s a certain poetry to it that is irresistible.”
“Eleanor, tonight is about the orphanage, not myself. Do you truly think I would be selfish enough to take the attention away?”
“Everyone is here. We would all celebrate,” Eleanor said.
Gerald knew he wasn’t going to be able to dissuade her, so he made an excuse that he needed to check on Duke and left, feeling a little hot under the collar.
After a period of music, and just after everyone had eaten, donations were received. Servants moved around the room, collecting letters of intent and cheques. Gerald was happy to see that everyone was putting their hands into their pockets, and he imagined Clara would be pleased.
He’d barely seen her all night, and the pain knifed through him. It was her night, of course, but in a way it felt like their night. He thought they ought to be together, yet they were parted.
Was this fate’s way of showing him the life that awaited him?
Was the universe telling him that he had to get used to this state of being?
If so, he wanted to rail against it. He didn’t like it, oh no, he did not like it at all.
The taste was bitter on his tongue, and it was ill-fitting to be alone.
At one point, something was thrust into his hands.
He wasn’t sure what it was at first, for it was too big to be a cheque. He looked down, and his heart softened.
It was one of Sophia’s drawings, depicting the six of them together in the house.
Gerald and Clara were standing near the fireplace, with the children at their feet.
It was a tender domestic scene that warmed Gerald’s heart.
For years he had never considered anything like this to become a part of his life, but as he stared at the picture, he wasn’t sure he could live without it.
The scene came alive in his mind. He heard the children’s laughter and saw the glee in their faces.
They were so happy it seemed impossible that they had ever known any suffering, and that was all due to Clara.
She had given them something to live for, and in many ways she had given Gerald something to live for as well.
He folded up the drawing and placed it in his inner pocket, unwilling to let it go just yet.
Lord Ashcombe clinked his glass and strode into the middle of the ballroom as the music grew quiet.
“For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Lord Ashcombe, one of the trustees of St. Margaret’s house.
I would just like to say a few words. First of all, I would like to thank the Duke of Clemont for offering his home to us tonight,” he said, gesturing to Gerald, who raised his hand and inclined his head.
“Then I would like to give a special thank you to the children, who gave us a wonderful performance that I’m sure will live in our hearts for a long time,” again, he paused for applause.
“I would like to thank all of you not only for your generosity, but for your presence here. It is humbling to see how many people care about St. Margaret’s, and we are all ever so grateful that you chose to spend tonight with us.
But lastly, and most importantly, I would like to offer special thanks to two women who are synonymous with St. Margaret’s.
Her Grace, the Dowager Duchess of Stonewood, and Miss Clara Sterling, you two have been indefatigable in your efforts to maintain St. Margaret’s.
We are all blessed to have you with us, and long may it continue. ”
There were cries of ‘hear, hear’ and lots more applause. The crowd parted, revealing Clara to Gerald’s vision, and he was quite certain she had never been more beautiful.
Lord Ashcombe waited for the applause to die down before he made his next announcement.
“Although we need time to make a thorough count of all your donations, from a cursory glance it appears as though you have exceeded all our expectations. It will usher in a new era of prosperity for St. Margaret’s, and I am humbled by the amount we’ve raised.
Sometimes when we put our time and effort into a cause we can never be sure how worthy it is, but tonight you have all shown that you share this passion with us, and I can assure you that the children who performed for you today and many more in the future will all benefit from your generosity.
You have made a huge difference, and I hope that you can carry our gratitude with you forever. ”
His words were met with ferocious applause. It was all directed---and rightly so---towards Clara. Gerald could only feel privileged to watch her shine.