Diana looked at Elisabeth, tears slowly filling her eyes. "How could you?...".
"You must understand, Diana, I didn't have much of a choice..." Elisabeth tried to defend herself.
"You had a choice, Elisabeth! Everyone has a choice no matter what they are faced with," Diana couldn't help but raise her voice. "Do you know what those women mean to me?... Ms Tamara, Ms Eileen, Ms Ruth, Ms Agath, Ms Gertrude and Ms Abigail... To you, they may be women from the countryside. Women with no social rank, or social status. But to me, they are my friends, they are the best bunch of women I ever had the honour of meeting...". Diana paused, feeling a lump grow in her throat. "What did they do to deserve this, Elisabeth? What did they do to you? Who are you to step in the way of two people who love each other?".
"But how could they love when he's not even for her? When Mr Daryll is not even her rank! She's below him! Even Victoria agrees!". With that, Elisabeth collapsed onto her knees.
"God damn you and Victoria... and your social rankings," Diana seethed through her teeth. "You've most probably ruined my friendship with my beloved Clarke sisters forever... I am not ashamed to call them my friend.". Pausing momentarily, she continued, "However, I am ashamed to say that I know both you and Victoria... I only wonder what Theodore will have to say to all of this...".
And with that, Diana turned around and left Elisabeth all alone in the hallway. She returned back to Daryll.
"I am so sorry, Mr Daryll...". She paused for a moment before repeating her apology. "I am so, so sorry... I- I had no notion about any of this...".
Daryll remained quiet. He looked Diana's way but said nothing. Without him having an intention to, he heard everything that Elisabeth and she were talking about.
"I feel just as guilty..." he eventually broke the silence between them both. "I had no other choice... I was blackmailed by Ms Victoria...".
"Blackmailed??". Diana only felt her distraught grow. "By any chance, do you have Victoria's letter with you right now, Mr Daryll?".
"Y-yes, yes I do...". He developed a folded page from his pocket before giving it to her.
She managed to unfold the page, but just as she began to read it, she heard the abrupt opening of the main door.
"Elisabeth! Diana!!" she heard the familiar voice of Theodore.
"Theodore?..." Diana whispered under her breath. "Could it be that they are back already?".
"What do you mean, Ms Diana?".
"My mother, Victoria and Theodore went to Veursau..." Diana tried to explain to Daryll, but quickly she let the letter down on her chair, her worry becoming all too overbearing, as she rushed out toward Theodore.
'Why is Theodore back already? Had something happened??' Diana thought to herself. She found the hallway empty, meaning Elisabeth was on her way to Theodore.
Descending down the steps, she her the ongoing commotion.
"You're lying to me again, Elisabeth!... I want you to tell me the truth, do you or do you not know anything about the engagement between Pavel and Tamara??...".
"No! I told you already, Theodore. I don't know anything about it!" Elisabeth began. "I have talked to Pavel one night and he told me he had plans to wed Tamara Clarke. He said he found her amiable, but... but I never heard anything about there being an engagement already between them...".
Theodore looked at her, his nose flaring. "You're lying... you're lying to me again!".
"Fine! I lied to you, Theodore!". He was about to walk past her but then stopped in his tracks when he heard her words.
Elisabeth broke into tears once again. "I've lied to you, I will admit. But, I've lied to you that night we both talked, even though I said I didn't...". Elisabeth paused, knowing how bad her words sounded. "But I am not lying now, Theodore. I genuinely don't know anything about the relationship between Tamara and Pavel...".
Theodore remained silent for a moment as he noticed Diana by the staircase.
"I am unsure if you're aware, Elisabeth... but you've lost my trust. Anything that you say to me, I will consider that you're being deceitful toward me," Theodore spoke out, turning toward Elisabeth.
A second followed of him looking, glaring at her before he turned around and continued his way.
Just as he was about to leave the room, with hesitance at first, Elisabeth's voice stopped him once more. "Tamara and I had an argument that day when she was ill. When we all went to visit her. It was the reason why I decided to stay behind with her... I told you that as you were about to leave Theodore. I've noticed her closeness to you... that was what irritated me... I let it be known to her... I told her I was meant to be married to you very soon.". She paused, feeling as though a weight had been taken off her shoulders. But her hesitation slowly crept back in, however, she knew she had to be truthful. Now, she was aware of the magnitude of what her actions had caused. Of what Victoria had caused to happen. "She told me she never wants to see me again... That was what I failed to tell you, Theodore.".
And after that, silence prevailed in the hallway. Theodore stood in his place for a few more seconds, only turning his head, however, it was merely enough as he only managed to note her figure by the side of his eye. But it was enough for him.
Without saying another word, Theodore opened the door and left the hallway.
Spectating the whole commotion, Diana felt her legs were dug underground right until Theodore left the room. With that, she rushed after him, trying to catch up to him.
"Theodore!" she called out his name.
Diana followed him out into the barns where all their horses were. "Theodore, what are you doing here at this time of day?..." she whispered under her breath as she slowly approached the front of the barn.
Entering the open gate, she saw Theodore equip his horse with his saddle, fastening it before mounting it. Taking hold of the reigns, he began to trot his way out of the barn.
"Theodore!? Where are you going??" Diana exclaimed. Though it was still visible, the falling of night was not too far behind.
"I have to take care of something, Diana. Wait for me here, I'll be back as soon as I can...".
Without being able to usher something more, all Diana was left with was the view of her cousin galloping away on his horse. Though he failed to tell her where he was headed, she needed not to be told. She already knew where he was going. To whom he was headed.
---
The Clarke sisters were all around Agath who had her head on her knees.
"It'll take time, Agath, but the pain will pass you," Ruth spoke out as she rubbed her sister's back.
"I am telling you, I am over him. I really am..." Agath replied, looking at her sisters as she tried to force a smile on her lips. "I just hope... I hope he has a good life, my dear sisters...".
From there, silence descended upon the four sisters. Tamara sat the furthest from the bed, with Eileen beside her.
"I just can't believe that he would do such a thing..." Eileen commented.
"Who?..." Tamara asked, looking up at her sister, as she too had her head on her knees.
"You know who, Tamara..." Eileen began. "Theodore...".
The fact that her sister blamed Theodore for what happened, she felt something retort in her chest. "But what if it wasn't him?..." Tamara suggested, still keeping her eyes on Eileen.
"Are you suggesting someone else is responsible for all of this and intentionally put the blame on Theodore?" Eileen questioned.
Tamara kept her eyes on Eileen before she moved them elsewhere. "I'm afraid so... yes.". Pausing for a moment, she continued, "I know him, or, I think I know him well enough to know he wouldn't have the heart to do this kind of thing...".
"But here is the question, sister. Did he show his true self to you yet?... If not, who knows what that man is really capable of? People can change minds and views, and they can change them quick, quicker than you might expect, Tamara..." Eileen responded.
She looked at her sister, Tamara knew Eileen was right. But how likely is it for such to happen to Theodore?
Elisabeth's words came back to her again. 'Theodore is not the man you think he is, Ms Tamara...'.
Agath raised her head for a second as if hearing something, her sense didn't deceive her. She heard the gallops of a horse. "Do you hear that, sisters?".
Eileen immediately got onto her feet and walked to the window. She managed to get a glimpse of who it was, however, with the setting of the night, it wasn't enough for her to recognise who it was. "Who could it be at this time??".
A second passed before a knock ensued.
---
Theodore waited, nervousness filling the pit of his stomach. Seconds passed after he knocked and there was no reply. It wasn't until he heard a loud click that the door opened.
Behind it, a woman's face greeted him. He saw her before, it was the maid of the house. However, he didn't know her name.
So he greeted her with a smile. "Good evening, I sincerely apologise for this intrusion at such a late hour... but I've come here in a state of urgency. Would I be able to speak with Ms Tamara, if possible at all?".
Ms Hope was surprised at the pure level of intellect and manners of the young man when she heard his voice. Such was also shown with his choice of words. Unlike Pavel, she knew who this man was by the door. It was the young Theodore Baraville.
Ms Hope looked at him for a second more before clearing her throat, "Good evening, Mr Baraville. Ms Tamara is at home, however... I am not too sure if... if now is the right time. Especially with everything that has happened recently...".
Ms Hope didn't manage to fully finish what she had to say when Eileen emerged beside the maid, interrupting her. "Who is it, Ms Hope?". But as she moved at looked at the visitor for herself, she felt her stomach drop.
"Ms Eileen," Theodore greeted her with a curtsey.
"Mr Theodore..." she greeted him back, lowering her head ever so slightly. Not her usual curtsey. "W-what are you doing here at this time of night?".
"My apologies for such intrusion at this time, but... if possible, I came to speak with Ms Tamara.".
Eileen looked at him, before opening her mouth, "I'm sorry, Mr Theodore...". She began to close the door. "I don't think it's the right time...".
Without an intention for it but feeling as though it was an instinct, he blocked Eileen from further closing the door. "Ms Eileen, please... It's an urgency..." Theodore begged, leaning against the door.
Looking at him up and down, Eileen clenched her jaw a bit before opening back up the door. Ms Hope moved to the side, observing what Eileen was doing.
Allowing Theodore inside, she closed the door behind him. "Follow me," she muttered loud enough before ascending the stairs.