Clara's POV

Sitting back before the fireplace, we all knew that she hadn't truly confessed the crime to anyone. She had just said she had done something but never clarified what that was exactly. We were trying to come up with a plan, one that would make her confess her crime. George stood and looked at us nervously.

"I have a thought, just an idea at most. It would require the nice officers to be dressed in normal attire and a rather large lie in the part of Clara and myself." George said as he cleared his throat.

"Well, do tell what it is." Jane said hoping at hear anything that might have helped in the moment.

"Have her hear the plan she fears most come to life. Her thinking my father is gone or perhaps he had come back early only to be killed in the fire, then I would do just as she feared, denounce her and pledge my love again to Clara. That would make her do something, maybe even confess." George said as he looked over the room.

All eyes went to Jame and myself. Of course I did not think that James would take the idea well at all but when I looked over at him I could see him nodding in agreement with what George was saying. It was a good idea and things couldn't get any worse so why not?

"I do believe that is quite a good plan George, though you must remember it is fake. Never forget that." James said looking straight at George.

"Of course, I know she is engaged to you no matter how much it hurts to say those words. I know I too hurt her and traded my love for her for a title that will never do me any good. I swear James, it is just a story nothing more." George stood tall beside the fireplace.

The plan was in full affect. We sat in the drawing room waiting for dinner as Angelica avoided contact with everyone. She had told the lot of people in the house that she was expirencing an episode of sleep walking and that she did not remember a thing, as if anyone would believe a word that came from her mouth. Still they went along with the story and pretended to believe her. The policemen had a few other men that would arrive shortly to report they had ''found the body'' of lord land in the ashes of the fire and then everything would go from there. However I first had to act as though I were sneaking off with George. Looking his way I saw his eye motion to the corner of the room. Standing, I begin to walk over to the side with George coming to my side all under the watchful eyes of James.

"Pretend I am saying something that might make you laugh or giggle." George said as he looked to me and then back to Angelica.

"Oh, so pretend you are loyal or a gentleman, that truly is worth a laugh." I chuckled acting again and Angelica only looked back briefly for a moment.

George came closer to me to the point where we were barely far apart at all. He act as though he was whispering sweet nothing in my ear as I looked up at him. He was tired, completely exhausted from this venture that his new wife had started and we were trying to prove.

"Do you love him?" George asked, completely catching me off guard.

"I do love James, in truth I think I had always had feelings for him but surpressed them because I thought he would one day come to his senses and marry fanny." I answered honestly as I looked past George and saw James across the way trying to keep calm.

"Then, what we had wa-" George started but I put my finger over his mouth.

"Don't, I have heard enough of that. You chose your path and I chose mine, let us end it there." I said as I leaned in just an inch closer.

Then there was a knock at the door, perfect timing. Miss Austen quickly opened in an two officers walked in and took off the hats as they walked into the drawing room. The were solom in their task, no matter how fake it was.

"Forgive us for disturbing you." the first man said and George turned to look at the two men.

"We have retrieved the remains of Lord Land, it appears he had returned just before the fire and was trapped in his room. His remains have been collected and will be sent to the chuch for burial." the second man said as they then turned and left the room.

"Oh George." Jane replied with a sigh.

George chuckled and then looked back to me and smiled, acting again and he had better make it good this time.

"No longer must I do as he says! No longer must I have a wife who messed around with stable boys. I can have the american I wanted from the start!" George said as he pulled me into his embrace. "Now I can finally have you Clara!"

He leaned down and full on kissed me there before everyone, I was tempted to stomp on his foot and make him get off me as soon as possible but I heard someone jump from their seat.

"NO! I DID THIS FOR ME! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO DIE! I STARTED THAT FIRE TO GET RID OF YOU AND YOUR HORRIBLE FATHER AND THAT UGLY AMERICAN WHORE!" Angelica yelled at the top of her lungs and stopped her feet as though she were a toddler that hadn't gotten her treat after dinner.

George looked up breaking the kiss and turned to glare daggers at Angelica. Realizing what she had just done, her hands clapped over her mouth as she looked around the room and began to cry. However no one would fall for her tears this time.

"You did this! You killed my father! Set my family home on fire! All for what? Money and title! I denounce you and anything having to do with you. You heard her officers, arrest her." George said as he helped me to stand tall again.

Angelica weeped as the officers in casual dress walked over to her and clasped her hands in irons. Lord Land then walked in the door and was completely shocked at the sight before him. Angelica gasped as she tried to fight off the officers but they held her still.

"What in god's name is going on here?" Lord Land asked outraged to see his daughter in law in irons before him.

"Attempted murder, arson and lots of well the officers will tell you." Clara said with a sigh.

"Release her, she is Lady Land." Lord Land argued with the officers.

"Father, she burned down our home thinking you and I were both in it. She even came to get Clara to have her find us just in time for the house to collapse on her. She tried to kill us!" George yelled at his father, clearly years of pint up agression in his voice.

Lord Land looked at Angelica shocked.

"They lie! It was all that american! She wanted your son! She was going to take him from me!" Angelica yelled.

James decided to intervine. He walked up to George and I, carefully and gently he pulled me closer to him and completely away from George.

"No, this was my plan to get you to confess. She loves James, I even asked her myself. She chose him and I made the horrid mistake chosing the path in which I will never have her. Angelica is a whore father, ask all the stablemen, they will tell you." George said taking his coat and hat before leaving the room.

Lord Land chased after his son in as much of a gentlman like manner as possible in that situation. The police took Angelica away though she screamed and protested the entire way. Jane, James and Clara watched as she was dragged to a waiting carriage, the mystery was solved and now they would have to go to court and tell the judge exactly what they had heard, not to mention hear the sentence she would recive.

"You did wonderful my darling." James said turning to me.

"I never said he could kiss me, that surprised me as much as it did you. Please believe me." I smile as James leans in and kisses my cheek.

"The look of shock on your face told me as much, I trust you nd love you Clara." James said as he took my hand and led me out of the room.