[center]Clara had watched them for a few more moments – longer than she'd intended to. However, once she'd seen the both of them shift, the girl suddenly lurched back should either of them see her.  What was the point of eavesdropping? It would only dig the knife even deeper, and she wanted no more of that that evening. Carefully, she'd jumped down from where she'd been concealed, brushing herself off as she straightened once more. She did not look back to the window above, nor did she want to.  Perhaps she just had to come to terms with the realizations that were hitting her with their full force. Christian had been right, and she hated him for it at that moment. Yet, all of the anger that she could have sworn she'd feel in that very moment ebbed away – overthrown by that harrowing emptiness that filled her. 

Her arms crossed upon her chest as her steps eventually had taken her home. She had not noticed her surroundings; had not paid any attention to the people she might have passed. Even as she approached Christian's estate, she seemed almost surprised that her steps had taken her there. Still, Clara moved silently to the door and shut it just as soundlessly behind her. She stood in the foyer for only a moment longer, looking around slowly before she headed towards the kitchen. 

It was only a moment before she'd found what she'd been looking for – her steps had taken her immediately into the wine cellar where she grabbed whichever bottle of white she could find first. Carelessly grabbing a glass, she already had uncorked the bottle and was pouring it into her glass as she headed up the stairs. 

She'd taken a long sip as she reached the top of the stairs, soundlessly shutting the door behind her with her leg before she moved throughout the house towards her bedroom. Christian had to have been lurking around, she knew, it wasn't like him to be out late either. What a bore.

"Clara?" Ah – right on cue. 

The girl sighed as she stopped at the doorway of the study, taking another sip of her wine, the bottle hanging from her hand at her side. "…Yes, Christian?"

Christian eyed her carefully from where he'd sat, the book he'd been reading had been slowly dropped to his lap. He wasn't met with her usual attitude, which had been odd considering how irritable she'd been the past night or so. "Are you alright, love?"

She eyed him momentarily, almost mulling over the idea of venting; actually telling him how she felt, but what was the point? She'd probably receive an 'i-told-you-so' in response, and she really wasn't in the mood to hear it at the moment. "…I'm fine, Christian, really. I'm just going to go to bed." She murmured. 

His brow furrowed in response, unsatisfied with her answer. Still, he placed the book beside his chair on the end table and rose slowly, approaching her in long strides. She'd been caught off guard at his sudden grasp, pulling her smaller form into his. And yet, Clara remained still, her hand holding her glass to her chest, trapped between his and her own, and her other limply hanging and holding onto the bottle at her side.  For a moment, she felt a tight sting in her throat and she shut her eyes tight, willing to push her emotions away and stomp them down. 

"Don't worry about me, Christian."  She murmured into his chest. 

"You know that's impossible, darling. I've made it my job to worry." But it wasn't his job, Clara reminded herself. She swallowed the small lump in her throat and pulled away from him slowly, just as he gently kissed the top of her head. "I'm going to bed." She repeated, and Christian sighed, letting her go. "I'll see you in the morning." He called after her, his brow furrowed in concern. His suspicions had risen once more, and he was beginning to put a few pieces together – ones he had hoped wouldn't fit. 

Clara had moved away from him without another word, her steps carrying her to her room where she sat on her bed. It wasn't long before she'd finished the bottle she'd taken and her smaller form had undressed into only a large shirt and curled up in the middle of her bed. She'd pulled the blankets up all around her, willing herself to try and push everything away and just go to sleep. 

Even late into the next day, she hadn't come out of her room. 
[/center]