Misperception

Chapter 11 - Discovering Miss Clarke

Mary was a small and dark girl with intelligent eyes and very few words, she prepared me a wonderful bath and did my hair professionally. I talked to her about her study to put her at ease, asking her about her future plans and dreams got her to talk a bit more. She was astonished how little make up I used, and commented "You don't use a lot of make up like Miss Clarke." 

I replied with a smile "little is more my dear, and at all occasions we have to wash our faces at night." It seemed to me she understood my remark very well and she asked me if she can tell me something without being misunderstood. 

"Of course Mary, tell me whatever you like, I'm a psychiatrist and those people don't misunderstand. Usually, if you know what I mean." 

"I find you more like lady Mariah not like Miss Clarke, I mean you may be less conservative even than lady Mariah while you come from a family of higher rank and more wealth. Look how Miss Clarke treats us and she is a commoner and how you spent the day with joy without making us feel lower than you for a moment. I mean we know she is going to marry the count and she is planning to give him a son and prevent lady Mariah from becoming a countess, I think I'll leave the house immediately after the marriage." 

"Is the marriage planned already Mary ?." I asked 

"I don't know details, but she comes and stays in the count's room more than before, so I thought they must be planning a marriage soon. To tell you the truth, I don't like her I even fear her, she is wicked." 

"Does she have a good relationship with lady Mariah ?." 

"Lady Mariah has been in America for long and I didn't see them together ever, but I tell you she is very jealous of lady Mariah, whenever she is here she invents excuses to borrow things from lady Mariah's wardrobe or from her bookcase." 

"I see, so she uses this apartment when she is visiting here?." 

"No doctor Austin, she sleeps in the second bedroom in the count's apartment, but always comes to this apartment and looks at things with envy." 

"All I can tell you Mary is that you have to treat her according to her position when she becomes the countess, and treat her well now as Sir Rupert's guest, for his sake. I'm sure he won't allow her to insult or injure anyone of you." 

"I tell you Dr Austin I'll leave immediately even if I lost my college grant."

"Don't be silly Mary, you have a good job now and you are privileged with Sir Rupert's generosity. Don't you ever let anyone interfere with your plans for the future, this is what I tell my students my dear girl." 

"All I think of is that Sir Rupert deserves better, he deserves someone like you not like her." 

"I'm just a family friend Mary, never to think that I'm competing with Miss Clarke. To be even clearer, I don't want to be a countess so remove this idea completely from your mind and from the minds of your colleagues please."

"Please don't be angry with me doctor, I didn't mean to offend you in any way." 

"You didn't my dear girl, you didn't offend me at all." With Mary tasting my assertiveness without the vulgarity of Daphne Clarke I stood up and we left the apartment while I was thinking to myself lets behave as nana Isabella taught us J, lets sit to the dinner table and behave as if it is the king's table and see how Daphne will react.

I went downstairs intending to play the character of lady Jane for a night. I was wearing a long brick red dress with long sleeves and deep V neck, with a diamond comb in my hair, an emerald ring, small emerald earrings, and two in one long necklace of pearls and emeralds. I brought my best jewelry because I expected Daphne to come running while I'm visiting. Daphne wore a shining red dress, very tight around her gorgeous body, left her long Scandinavian ash blond hair in free curls. Full make up with very very red lipstick, dangling diamond earrings that she kept touching, a diamond necklace and a ring with tiny diamonds. It seems Sir Rupert is very generous to her, and that she has quit the role of queen of Sheba and replaced it with the role of Marilyn Monroe. I've to avoid looking at her dress or my eyes will reflect the shiny red colour and I'll look like a vampiress. Let the fun begins.