Dinner passes by and just as Diana stood up, Tamara followed her closely. "Thank you for the dinner, Ms Oxford.".
With that, she gave Diana a look and as if she knew what to do, Diana began her way to the door of the dining room. Once they both walked far enough so the rest won't hear nor see them, that was when Diana gave Tamara a hug.
"That was extremely uncalled for from my aunt. I sincerely apologise on her behalf..." Diana spoke out in a whisper whilst still having Tamara in her embrace.
Those words caused Tamara to let her guard down, allowing a tear or two to flow down her cheeks. "I tried to put my best foot forward in there...". Tamara began. "I don't like it when I have people who dislike me. I don't want to have any enemies, not in this small place.".
"Don't mind that..." Diana started. "If they don't like you, that is on them, not you, Tamara.".
"But... but what hurts me is that... they dislike me because of my class. It's nothing to do with how I acted," Tamara responded.
To her words, Diana remained silent. "They are from the city... and that's the easiest, most reliable way to gain friends. Wealthy people befriend other wealthy people.". A pause ensued after her words. "It's why I hate the city so much, however, I've heard from Theodore that things are slowly changing...".
Tamara remains silent, letting Diana's words slowly sink in. "If it's okay with you since I know we didn't have as long of a class today, but may I head home?".
"Of course. I'll prepare a carriage for you.". Diana was about to fully turn around and head her own way when she stopped herself in her tracks. "And how about we change the scenery for our next class?".
"What are you implying, Diana?" Tamara inquired.
"How about we have a class or two in your home? You do have a piano at home, yes?".
Tamara nodded her head. "Yes, I do. And, I wouldn't mind that at all actually...".
"Then we have a deal," Diana responded, a smile growing on her lips. From there, she continued going her way.
Back at the dining table, Victoria and Marissa were having their own conversation with Elisabeth trying to pry in on what they were talking about. At the same time, she tried to maintain her attention on Theodore who sat in silence beside her.
Theodore's eyes were darted to the door frame that was adjacent to him. And then, Tamara walked into the frame, but just merely. Only he could see her.
A second passed when his eyes lowered down to his plate and then to his right where he looked at Elisabeth and then his mother, Victoria.
Seeing that they were too busy with each other and thinking of all the nonsense that had occurred this dinner, he pushed himself out from the table before standing up.
Instantly, Elisabeth's eyes darted toward him, she looked up at him, into his eyes. "Where are you off to, Theodore?".
But all he replied with was, "I'll be right back...".
He noticed the silence he was leaving behind as he began to walk toward the door frame. And as he approached the open door, that was when he saw that he also gained Tamara's attention. He also saw the way she moved a step or two back.
Exiting the dining room just like she and Diana only seconds ago, he found himself standing only centimetres away from Tamara.
"Mr Theodore..." Tamara began.
A small, sheepish smile grew on his lips ever so slightly. "I think... I think we're slowly reaching that point in our acquaintance where we can drop all the formality...". he began. "Don't you think, Ms Tamara?".
His words caused some sort of reaction to set off in her, it caused a small smile to grow on her lips. But a second later, she regained her composure. Remembering where she was and who he was, it was that what caused her smile to reduce to nothing. "What brings you out here anyway, shouldn't you be in there?".
He cleared his throat. But just as he was about to speak up, Diana returned. "The carriage will be ready in a few minutes, Tamara.".
"The carriage?" Theodore inquired, looking back at Diana.
"Yes..." Diana replied, her brows furrowing ever so slightly. With how his mother treated Tamara and now the mentioning of the carriage should have been self-explanatory. "The carriage that will take Tamara home.".
"Home...". The word left his lips silently.
"Let me walk you out, Tamara..." Diana spoke out as she slowly took a hold of her arm. With that, they both walked to the main door, opened the wooden barrier and exited.
All it took was minutes for the carriage to arrive by the marbled steps.
Stepping on and bidding Diana goodbye for the day, the carriage set off home.
Meanwhile, in the Oxford home, Elisabeth stood by the window, watching the carriage leave.
"Did she leave?" Victoria inquired.
"It seems so..." Elisabeth responded.
Marissa's face tensed ever so slightly. "The child had to leave because of your filthy commentary, Victoria.".
In response, she snarked at her sister's words. "In my eyes, the young woman couldn't handle the criticism of the higher class...".
"That wasn't criticism..." Theodore stepped back into the dining room. "That was you being blatantly rude, mother...". Theodore paused as his jaw tensed. "Goddamn you and your higher class hierarchy...". With that, he turned and left, heading upstairs and straight into his room.
Elisabeth was about to go after him when Victoria spoke up. "Leave him... let him be.". With that, Elisabeth slowly retracted her gaze as Theodore left her line of sight. Turning, she returned back to the dining table.
---
*Sometime later*
Tamara returned back home. Instantly, the sisters knew something wasn't right.
Eileen was the first to get a hint of such. "How did everything go?" she inquired, but when she received no response for a second or two, when she called out her sister's name, bringing her back out of her trance. Only then, did she allow herself to suspect something didn't go right. "What happened?".
Tamara looked up at her sister, her face softening ever so slightly. A lump formed in her throat. "I'll tell you upstairs.".
So, with them both going into Tamara's room, they sat down. With that, Tamara told Eileen everything, or at least began to. And then Ruth and Agath came in, staying once they saw something wasn't right.
With all her sisters being on the count in her room, Tamara told them everything.
Though the story didn't hold much length, it didn't fail to leave her sisters with a look of disgust across their faces.
"Imagine if our mother was to do such?" Ruth reflected.
"She'd never..." Agath responded. "Mother wouldn't have the nerve to even approach anything as discourteous as that.".
"And to tell you that you aren't enough for his son..." Ruth began, moving her eyes so they met with Tamara's.
"Did she catch you two up to something, Tamara??" Agath inquired next.
"No, no!" Tamara replied immediately. "I... I would never do anything with... with him...". Those words impacted her more than she anticipated, leaving her clenching her jaw. Eileen noticed this, as did the other sisters.
"Are you sure about that, Tamara?" Eileen asked. "Your face is telling me... us otherwise.".
Eileen's question was answered with silence. "Nothing happened, Eileen. But... I... Eileen, I don't know. I don't know now...".
"What do you mean by that?" Eileen inquired, her brows furrowing ever so slightly in confusion.
"Do you like the man?" Agath asked, propping herself up, whilst still keeping her gaze on Tamara.
"Tamara..." Eileen voiced ever so slightly.
"I really don't know what I feel..." Tamara let out her words in an exhale as she got her pillow and buried her head into it.
All the while, Eileen, Agath and Ruth looked at one another.
"You know..." Ruth began. "You know that if you were to like this man... Theodore, whatever his name is, it would only hurt you in the end.".
A second of silence passed before Tamara nodded her head, her face still against her pillow.
A moment later, the sister gathered around Tamara before they all embarked in a sisterly hug.
"We are, and we always will be here for you, Tamara.".
---
*Days later*
In Tamara's room were Tamara and Eileen by her work table. They were working on their novel, having pages in front of them, each woman had a page from the pile in her hands.
The day before, it was Diana's second day visiting the Clarke household for her piano lessons. On her first arrival, she peppered Tamara with further apologies for the way her aunt talked to her. Furthermore saying she was embarrassed at the fact she spoke like that to her.
As if Eileen could sense what Tamara was thinking, she blurted out, "Still dwelling on what happened the other day?".
Silence followed her question, initially. Then she spoke up, "I can't help it...".
A small, sheepish smile grew on Eileen's lips. "I understand...". A pause followed her words. "But look at how close we are to finishing off the redraft! We must concentrate on this.". Seeing her sister's face softening ever so slightly, Eileen allowed them both to continue.
Meanwhile, in the Oxford household, with Theodore in his room, his feather is once again in his hand. His set up just like it is most days.
But today felt like no other. Creatively, to Theodore, no day feels the same.
Though filled with many similarities, no day left the same marks as the others. Today was no exception.
If anything, today's day was a bit more bizarre for Theodore. His mind didn't want to leave one place of inspiration. The place where he'd least expected to find anything inspiring. The melodies played by Tamara, the piano notes. The gentle tunes.
The notes failed to leave his head, they played over and over again in his mind and he had no other choice but to let them be. It was too hard to get rid of them. His head began hurting every time he tried. So he wasn't bothered.
When he finally gave in, he let his hand write. Being so accustomed to writing, he could even close his eyes and let his hand do all the work. It was his method of reaching the far depths of his brain, releasing his raw emotion out onto the countless number of pages he wrote on before this one.
He didn't think about what he was writing, he just let it all out. Reviewing and editing was a job due for another day. Once done, he took a deep breath before putting the page aside to dry.
With his head still giving him trouble, that was when he decided to take a break. Standing up, he walked over to his bed before allowing himself to stretch himself out, his head on his pillow.
Without intending but not resisting, he let himself slowly relax before falling asleep.