//CLARA//
I set the mirror down with deliberate slowness and turned to face him.
Casimir stood frozen by the table. He looked like a man who had just watched someone detonate a bomb in his drawing room and was still trying to process the debris.
"Cat got your tongue, Uncle?"
I leaned against the sideboard, crossing my arms, and waited.
The silence stretched until it became a living thing between us.
Finally, he spoke, "Where did you learn to draw up a contract like that?"
I knew that question was coming. A man like Casimir couldn't let that detail pass without comment.
"Have you forgotten, Uncle?" I kept my voice innocent. "Mother gave me free rein over my studies. While other girls learned embroidery and watercolors, I decided to learn the world of business."
I pushed off from the sideboard and took a step toward him. Just close enough to see the storm swirling in those gray eyes.
