*Ms Tamara*
The horse was merely striding as Tamara tried to make herself comfortable with her back against Theodore. 5 minutes into their journey and to Tamara, it felt as though an hour had passed.
She didn't want to cause too much hindrance when moving so as to not disturb Theodore or upset the horse. Though one of the two she managed to achieve and it wasn't the latter.
"Are you comfortable enough? I feel you moving quite a bit..." Theodore spoke out. With her being so close to him, against him even, she felt the vibrations of his deep voice against her body. It wasn't also until then that Tamara actually realised that Theodore mightn't only have the height to account for yet also quite a bit of strength.
"Sorry, yes... yes I am...".
As if taking her reply as permission to speed up a bit, he let the horse know to do just that.
Unwillingly, a shriek of fear was emitted from Tamara. To which she felt Theodore's chest vibrate ever so slightly with his chuckles.
"Are you laughing?" she inquired, her mouth going off before she had a chance to stop them.
From there, a moment of silence passed as she felt the horse continue its stride.
"Maaaybe..." Theodore responded. "I thought you said you were comfortable, so assuming just that I thought that also meant I could go faster.".
"I did say that I felt comfortable, but I don't remember mentioning the fact that you could go faster...". From there, Tamara paused her words. "Theodore, I am scared. I've never ridden a horse like this...".
"Really? Never??". She heard a flavour of surprise and disbelief in his voice.
"Never," she affirmed. "I really should take horse-riding lessons if I ever again find myself in a situation like this.".
"Hey, at least you're not a man," Theodore responded.
"I-... not a..." Tamara repeated his words to try and make sense of them but wasn't until a mere second later that she understood what he meant. And when she did, her eyes widened and she turned her head as much toward him as possible, as if to try and find his eyes.
But eventually giving up, she furrowed her brows. "H-how do you manage then?".
"Well... using your thighs is one of the tricks, especially when the horse is galloping. But it's mostly to do with you having to get used to feeling the pain. It comes with riding a horse.".
She thought over his words, but the more thought she gave them, the more ick they caused her until, eventually, she felt a wave of shivers coarse down her spine.
With that, silence spread between them both. All that was heard was the horse's walk along with the twittering of the birds as they flew from tree to tree.
But, unexpectedly, the silence was short-lived and it was Theodore who decided to break it. "Tell me, Tamara... we have established that you like to write...".
"Yes... from that one night...".
Upon her bringing up such an event, she felt the silence approaching, in turn causing her to cuss herself for bringing it back up.
But, again to her surprise, Theodore continued talking. "Yes... of which we will further touch basis upon later...".
'What is that supposed to mean?...' Tamara asked herself. She was left with no time to speculate her own answer as Theodore continued speaking.
"I am not so sure if I asked you whether you read or not?".
"I feel as though every aspiring writer should read. It's kind of like asking a priest if he'd ever read the bible. Or... if a chef had ever consulted a recipe book in his early cooking days..." Tamara spoke out. "So yes, yes I do read. Do you?".
"Just like you said..." Theodore began, a small smile appearing on his lips. "For aspiring writers to become successful, they must read. So yes, I also read.". With that, a break took place just as he finished his sentence. "What genre?".
"Romance, mostly..." Tamara responded. "You?".
"I'm the same.".
"I'll take it you also write romance then too?" Tamara inquired.
"You've got me. I do indeed, what about you?".
To his question, Tamara nodded against him. "Me too...".
Just like seconds ago, once more, silence descended amongst them both.
And again, it was Theodore who broke it. "Who is your favourite writer?".
The deep vibrations of his voice against Tamara caused an accumulation of a feeling in the pit of her stomach, a feeling she couldn't quite put her finger on. A ticklish sensation that, at the same time, made her chest flutter. The feeling only grew more intense the more she thought about it.
"Hmm..." she began. "I have quite a few of them... but only one takes the first place.".
"And who may that be?" he asked.
"A writer by the name of Matthew Brunswick.".
Though unnoticed by Tamara, Theodore fell silent. "Brunswick, you say?".
"Yes, have you heard of him?".
"I have, I have indeed," Theodore began. "He grew in popularity as of recently, hadn't he?".
"Yes, yes he has...". She paused for a moment before continuing. "I absolutely love the way he would go on with describing things. He definatly has a way with words.".
"And how did you find out about him, if I may ask?".
"While I was browsing through the shelves in the local bookstore. That was when I bought 'Love and Life'..." Tamara spoke. "And I must say, I remember not having high hopes for it... but... was I wrong. 'Love and Life' is my favourite book and I am not sure if anything will top it...".
"And he released a new book recently, didn't he?"
"Yes, yes he did. 'Living to Love' is its name.".
"Wow..." he began. "You sound like a true fan.".
To such words, Tamara let out a slight chuckle. "Fan?... I mean, I guess you can say as such.".
"I'd feel flattered to know if I was him.". With that, seconds of muteness passed amongst them both. "What about you? Who is your favourite?".
"Mel Gibbson," Theodore replied almost instantaneously.
"A Arittorian classic.".
He nodded to her words. "Have you read anything of his before?".
"No, sadly, I have not. It's hard to find his work, at least, in Veurause it is.".
"Yeah..." Theodore began. "I've only managed to get his work when I went to Veursau to visit my parents.".
"How does that work, if I may ask?".
"What do you mean?".
"You are here..." Tamara started. "And your parents are down in the capital. I'd think the city would have more opportunities, more things worth living for than here, in the countryside.".
Her remark silenced Theodore for a few moments. "The city can get really boring, really fast.".
"Oh?".
"Yes. Life is just too fast, everyone is in a hurry to get their things done. Everyone is under pressure. While here, here it's a different story... People are warm and kind. At times, their kindness scares me, but that's because the city managed to get to me with its ways," Theodore elaborated.
"You said scared?..." Tamara proceeded to inquire.
"Yes.".
"Why so? Why do you fear that?".
Her question took him off guard, leading him to remain silent. "I guess... the generosity.". He paused. "I am always scared that... that I'll owe someone something. That I am only used for my wealth, for my status.". With those words said, his gaze lowered ever so slightly to the back of Tamara's head. "It makes me irritated, and it really shows off the fake of the world. Distancing them from the rare, genuine ones...".
It was something about his words that caused Tamara to stop. Freeze. Replaying his words over and over in her mind. 'Is that what he thought of me that night?'.
Her thoughts were cut short when she heard Theodore let out a sigh. "Which brings me over to the much-dreaded topic of that one night...".
A lump began to form in her throat, as it did in his.
"And..." he began. "And before you say anything... I wanted to apologise.".
It was safe to say that such words, which were spoken by the man who she thought didn't have such a high opinion of her, took her by grave surprise.
"Apologise?" her words further portrayed the sheer surprise that churned within her.
"Yeah..." he responded, letting out a chuckle. "Is it really that hard to believe?".
"I-... I apologise, I am just taken back.". She then proceeded on letting a pause follow her words. "Why are you apologising anyway?".
"For our interaction that one night. Venomous words were exchanged back and forth. Ever since I've been feeling a need to apologise," he replied. "I'd like it if we can be on common grounds, seeing how close you are with Diana and, my aunt, Marissa.".
But his proposal caused Tamara to furrow her brows. "Why the sudden change of heart?".
"Sudden? I'd much rather claim that it was gradual," he responded.
"Gradual, you say?".
"Yes, gradual," he affirmed. "I was wrong about you, Ms Tamara... about who you are... and that's about all I'll allow myself to admit to at this moment in time.".
"So there is more, you say?"
"I believe I said that I have no further intention of elaborating," Theodore retorted. But, for a reason unknown to him, a small smile began to grow on his lips. Against his will. He was glad that Tamara was turned the other way, that she didn't see him.
A mere few minutes of silence passed before Theodore took a sharp inhale. "Shall we speed things up?".
To such a proposal, Tamara couldn't help but furrow her brows. Before she had a chance to reply, Theodore's voice was heard once more.
"And don't you be afraid of anything, just hold on tight.". With that, instructing the horse to do so, it went from a stride into a gallop.
Almost immediately, though she had no intention of following as he said, she was left with no other option. So, as if holding on for deal life - while one held onto the gift she received, the other descended down to his thigh, holding on as she further rested against him.
He was taken off guard by such a reaction. But it didn't take long for him to get used to it. It was the price he had to pay for opting to take her home. On a horse.
But he didn't know that she had no experience with a horse. Had he known, he might, just might have taken a different approach to it all.
Throughout the rest of the journey, the mere conversation was kept in place, amusing them both as Tamara slowly, but surely, became more and more confident with being on a horse.
It wasn't long before the horse, with a few cycles of going from a stride to a gallop and back down to a stride, once more slowed its pace down just as it turned into the front yard of the Clarke household.
Slowing to a halt, Theodore was the first one to get off the obedient animal.
It was seconds later that he helped Tamara come off the horse also.
Meanwhile this was happening, the other Clarke sisters seemed to have taken an appeal in the view on the other side of the window pane. They all watched, giggling in diffidence as they looked at their sister alongside a lord and his horse.
"I hope you had a nice ride..." he commented, letting out a huff of air as he tended to his stallion.
"There was some space for improvements here and there..." she replied, keeping up the sarcasm he initiated.
But all that his response consisted of was a look her way with the raise of an eyebrow. It was then that he changed the topic briefly just as he got back onto his horse. "I'll be seeing you at the wedding?".
Tamara replied just as she began to watch toward the main door of her house. With her hand on the handle, she said, "You must defiantly will...". Pausing, she averted her gaze from the ground and back onto him. "I'll be the bridesmaid.".
"And I the groom's man," Theodore responded.
With that, one looked at the other for a mere second of silence before Theodore let out a mere shout, telling the horse to gallop away.
Keeping her gaze on him for a few more seconds, just until both he and his horse went out of view, Tamara opened the door of her house before walking inside.
There, she was simultaneously met with the curious faces of Agath, Ruth and Eileen, each having a devious smile on their face.
"What?" Tamara began.
"What do you mean by 'what?', sister?" Agath started, slight dismay expressed across her face.
"What that who we think that was?" Ruth inquired next.
"Yes... maybe, probably??" Tamara responded. "He just gave me a lift home... that is all...".
Then, Eileen's gaze descended down to what Tamara held in her hand. "And what might that be then?...".
To her question, even though she tried not to, a smile still made its presence on Tamara's lips. "A new dress...".
"A dress!" Ruth yelped just as Agath took the dress from Tamara's hands and rushed upstairs.
Tamara was about to follow them when Eileen's voice interrupted her. "I thought you said you disliked the guy. Very much.".
Tamara looked at her sister, pausing before taking in a deep breath as if she was mentally preparing what she was about to say. "I may have been wrong about him, Eileen.".
Eileen furrowed her brows in confusion at her sister's words.
"Something about him changed, Eileen. He changed," Tamara tried to elaborate. Not that it helped Eileen comprehend.
"Changed?".
"Changed..." she affirmed.
With her gaze remaining on Eileen for a few seconds more, her eyes proceeded to move to the staircase before she pursued them, advancing after both Agath and Ruth.