, Clara thought, and some color returned to her cheeks, though she stood trying to understand what it all meant, and if it was true or just gossip. She could hear her father's steps approaching, though at that hour he ought to be at the palace.
Pedro walked in huffing. He had probably run after his wife, to try and stop her giving the news with so little consideration to Clara's feelings.
" Papá !" Clara cried. "Is it true?"
Trying to steady his breathing, her father said, " Clarinha, minha jóia, I am afraid it's true. It's all over the palace. People know it was because of you..."
"Because everyone saw you standing together in that obscene way yesterday!" her mother concluded triumphantly. Juliana lived for the times when she could present the undeniable proof that her thousands of warnings and remonstrations had been right.
" Minha filha!" Pedro exclaimed with compassion, seeing that Clara had gone very pale again, and seemed to lose her footing.
He rushed past his wife to hold his daughter by the arm, and help her into a chair. Then he turned to his wife with unaccustomed spirit, "Don't stand her over her like that, let her take a breath!"
However, Juliana was in full fighting mode.
"How do you feel about shaming your father in this way? Can you imagine what has been whispered since yesterday, what is still being whispered now about us?"
Clara sat, thinking of Gabriel, while her mother went on and on at the top of her voice. "Your father has ruined himself so you could have everything that is good, we have both put you before us in every instance, and this is how you repay us!"
Her father shook his head and patted her hand, because he loved her and wanted her to be happy. She knew he didn't begrudge her anything, though he had sometimes contributed to the "marriage talk", egged on by his wife.
Juliana, however, wanted to bring the roof down.
"You are now considered a fast hussy, and because of a man who now doesn't have a miserable coin to his name! I knew he was bad for you, I knew he was bad for anyone! What would do with a second son, when you can marry a prince? Did I not tell you, both of you last night, that the Marquis was getting angry? Did I not say that something terrible was going to happen?"
She stopped pacing to scream in Clara's face, "There you are now, with a suitor who cannot buy you a tin of sugar! Is that what you wanted?"
Pedro was still patting Clara's hand and making consoling noises, "My poor girl..."
"Poor indeed!" Juliana cried. "Poor and ungrateful! After all we have done for her, nearly ruined ourselves so she could marry well and have a good life, her name is now attached to a man who has been dishonored!"
Clara stood up suddenly at this, the color restored to her cheeks, and Pedro instinctively put his hands over his ears.
"How dare you say he has no honor? He has been disinherited because he would not give me up, what more honor could there be in a man?"
Pedro also stood up and got between his wife and daughter, for he was afraid that they might grab each other by the hair, such was the passion in both their faces.
"Then marry him! Marry him and go live in a hovel, you stupid girl!" Juliana shrieked. "I want to see you with no servants, and without money to buy food, hated and persecuted in a city where the Marquis very much matters! Go ahead!"
Clara couldn't say anything to this. The thought of poverty was always uppermost in her mind: it had been put there, day after day, by her mother. She would lose her looks, she had been told, and she would be a servant somewhere, catering to the whims of the rich, if she did not marry well. The worst things would happen to her if she didn't marry well.
Juliana could see what Clara was thinking, and she pressed her advantage, talking about what her life would be like if she had anything to do with Gabriel. She was crushing a man she deeply disliked for daring to be stronger than her. She was crushing a love that must be utterly
Pedro walked in huffing. He had probably run after his wife, to try and stop her giving the news with so little consideration to Clara's feelings.
" Papá !" Clara cried. "Is it true?"
Trying to steady his breathing, her father said, " Clarinha, minha jóia, I am afraid it's true. It's all over the palace. People know it was because of you..."
"Because everyone saw you standing together in that obscene way yesterday!" her mother concluded triumphantly. Juliana lived for the times when she could present the undeniable proof that her thousands of warnings and remonstrations had been right.
" Minha filha!" Pedro exclaimed with compassion, seeing that Clara had gone very pale again, and seemed to lose her footing.
He rushed past his wife to hold his daughter by the arm, and help her into a chair. Then he turned to his wife with unaccustomed spirit, "Don't stand her over her like that, let her take a breath!"
However, Juliana was in full fighting mode.
"How do you feel about shaming your father in this way? Can you imagine what has been whispered since yesterday, what is still being whispered now about us?"
Clara sat, thinking of Gabriel, while her mother went on and on at the top of her voice. "Your father has ruined himself so you could have everything that is good, we have both put you before us in every instance, and this is how you repay us!"
Her father shook his head and patted her hand, because he loved her and wanted her to be happy. She knew he didn't begrudge her anything, though he had sometimes contributed to the "marriage talk", egged on by his wife.
Juliana, however, wanted to bring the roof down.
"You are now considered a fast hussy, and because of a man who now doesn't have a miserable coin to his name! I knew he was bad for you, I knew he was bad for anyone! What would do with a second son, when you can marry a prince? Did I not tell you, both of you last night, that the Marquis was getting angry? Did I not say that something terrible was going to happen?"
She stopped pacing to scream in Clara's face, "There you are now, with a suitor who cannot buy you a tin of sugar! Is that what you wanted?"
Pedro was still patting Clara's hand and making consoling noises, "My poor girl..."
"Poor indeed!" Juliana cried. "Poor and ungrateful! After all we have done for her, nearly ruined ourselves so she could marry well and have a good life, her name is now attached to a man who has been dishonored!"
Clara stood up suddenly at this, the color restored to her cheeks, and Pedro instinctively put his hands over his ears.
"How dare you say he has no honor? He has been disinherited because he would not give me up, what more honor could there be in a man?"
Pedro also stood up and got between his wife and daughter, for he was afraid that they might grab each other by the hair, such was the passion in both their faces.
"Then marry him! Marry him and go live in a hovel, you stupid girl!" Juliana shrieked. "I want to see you with no servants, and without money to buy food, hated and persecuted in a city where the Marquis very much matters! Go ahead!"
Clara couldn't say anything to this. The thought of poverty was always uppermost in her mind: it had been put there, day after day, by her mother. She would lose her looks, she had been told, and she would be a servant somewhere, catering to the whims of the rich, if she did not marry well. The worst things would happen to her if she didn't marry well.
Juliana could see what Clara was thinking, and she pressed her advantage, talking about what her life would be like if she had anything to do with Gabriel. She was crushing a man she deeply disliked for daring to be stronger than her. She was crushing a love that must be utterly
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