Chapter IV.

Days passed and from 14 days, all that now remained was 5 days until the ball.

A few days ago, per Mr Tippe's request, Tamara went back to his office to check up on the process of Eileen's and her's manuscript. Sadly, his reply was that personal occurrences limited him from picking up the manuscripts at the initial rate he thought he would. He ended the meeting off by requesting for her return next week, that hopefully, he'll have it done by then.

So, back at home, Tamara, with her sisters and a few pages in front of each woman, went over a play they had planned out and written together.

Eileen, pretending to be a man in the story, took a step forward. "My love!". She used her long, luscious hair as her moustache. "My love, no matter what... no matter where you shall forever and ever be mine and only mine...". Her gaze was on her to-be wife in the play, that being Tamara.

Breaking out of character, she couldn't help but let out a laugh.

And there, sighs of disappointment filled the room before laughter was heard from each of the sisters.

"Can you at least try not to laugh at one of your scenes where you're meant to be romantic?" Eileen asked as the hair that was right under her nose draped back down her face.

"Perhaps..." Gertrude spoke out for Tamara.

That was before Ruth broke into chuckles of diffidence, "But only if you were to be a handsome man.".

To her sisters' remarks, Eileen rolled her eyes. "Well if only we had a brother in that case... He'd be a handsome man, suitable for this play.".

"Not even that..." Agath voiced in. "Maybe someone else from the outside world... like... like...".

"Like who?" asked Tamara, raising a brow at her sister.

To her question, Agath couldn't help but blush in slight embarrassment. "Forgive me, sisters... forgive me, for I think that Mr Hemshire's son would be perfect for this play... he's handsome, brooding... yet so gentle...". She paused, clearing her throat before continuing, "Or so I've been told...".

Her sisters couldn't help but gasp.

"Mr Hemshire's son?" Ruth inquired.

"Handsome, you say?" Gertrude voiced straight after Ruth.

"I may have only met him a handful of times... but... but I feel as though I've known him my whole life, sisters..." Agath's voice trailed off.

"And... how long have you been keeping this from us, Agath?" Tamara asked, trying not to let a small smile grow on her lips. But the feeling was all too overbearing.

"W-what do you mean, Tamara?..." Agath inquired, her face turning slightly pale.

"You like this man, don't you, Agath?".

"L-like him?... I-I... I mean... I...". After her failed attempt to speak up, Agath took a moment's break, taking in a deep breath. "Mama and Papa can't know... they can't know now. Please, sisters...".

To such words, the sisters all huddled around Agath.

"You should know that Mama and Papa have to know of this very soon though, Agath..." Eileen spoke, breaking the short-lived silence.

"Yes, sister. I am well aware of that...".

"How long have you known him for anyway?" Tamara inquired next.

"About a month, Tamara... Maybe a little less, maybe a little more.".

"You have been hiding this from us for a month, Agath?". Gertrude's bold, but honest, statement made Agath's brows quiver with guilt ever so slightly.

"Don't get me wrong, sisters. It's not that I don't trust you... it's just that... I am not even sure what I feel for him. I do like him, that much is true. But I don't know just how much...".

Though is slight disbelief from what they've just heard, the sisters couldn't help but understand where Agath was coming from. What Agath meant.

Before another utterance could have been made, there was banging on the front door of the house.

Gertrude was the first of the sisters to stand up. "Who could that be?". Following her, the rest of the sisters stood up onto their feet too. They all made their way to the big window of the room and outside, their gazes were met by a carriage.

"A... a carriage?" uttered Tamara.

And then, from the stairs, they heard Ms Hope. "Girls! There's a visitor who wants to see you!".

"A visitor!?" Ruth exclaimed, a smile growing on her face as she rushed out the door.

The other women followed her except for Eileen and Tamara.

Tamara looked at Eileen as she looked back at Tamara. "Who could it be?...".

Eileen shook her head in cluelessness. "I guess we must see for ourselves!" she added with a smile, failing to keep her face poker.

And behind her followed Tamara.

They both managed to catch up to their sisters before they all went down the steps.

Once the steps allowed for them to see the door, that was also where they spotted a woman in a beautiful dress with a big hat on. With the way, she had her head down ever so slightly, the hat shielded her face from being seen.

It was only when she rose her head toward the sound of the steps from the stairs that the women gasped.

"Abigail!!".

Ruth was the first to embrace her beloved sister, Abigail. The rest of the sisters followed.

"My dear sisters!" she spoke, ecstatic to see them all again.

It wasn't too long before Ann-Marie made her way to the hallway and saw her visitor. The silence and straightening of Abigail's face made the women look to where Abigail gazed. She looked at their mother.

Tamara noticed how Ann-Marie tried to force a smile. "Abigail..." she heard her greet her eldest daughter.

From there, slowly, she approached all her girls.

"Mother..." her eldest daughter replied, lowering her head ever so slightly, furthermore greeting her.

She tried to think of what else to say to her child, but all the thoughts weighed down on her mind, thus making her think blank. "Would you like some tea, Abigail?".

Such a question left Abigail with a slight, sheepish smile expressed across her lips. "No thank you, Mama...". It had been more than a year since she called her own mother 'Mama'. It left her teary as she lowered her gaze to the ground.

Quite a similar reaction was expressed by Ann-Marie. It was a year since she heard the voice of her eldest child, let alone her eldest child calling for her. A lump grew in her throat.

"Have you received my letter, dear sisters?".

"Yes, yes we have, Abigail," Ruth replied.

"Are you all able to come to the ball then?".

But quiet was the response to Abigail's question.

"Sister..." Tamara began. "It's only Eileen, Gertrude and me who are able to go to the ball.".

Though visible, Abigail attempted to subside the slight disappointment that was present across her face. "That's no worries at all.".

"I am sorry, sister. I must say at home as I have school material to get through..." Agath spoke, slightly disheartened. "I hope you aren't mad, Abigail.".

As a reply, she furrowed her brows with a small, sheepish smile appearing - once again - on her lips. "Don't be ridiculous, Agath. I am not.".

"And I already have some plans to tend to with my friends, Abigail. I hope you don't mind. Also, balls aren't really my calling... if you will," Ruth muttered out next. Slightly embarrassed at such a reason for her absence. But relief was to fill her as she saw the way Abigail smiled slight her way.

"That's totally okay, Ruth. Don't worry about it.". With that, Abigail paused as she looked at everyone in her vicinity. "So, if that's it then, I'd like to ask for Eileen, Tamara and Gertrude to accompany me...". She looked up at her mother. "If that's okay, of course.".

Ann-Marie nodded her head.

"Perfect!". Abigail took a deep breath. "Well... if that's it. Tamara, Gertrude and Eileen, I will be waiting for you in my carriage...".

Just as Abigail was about to turn around and leave, "Abigail!". She turned toward the familiar voice of her mother. "Abigail...". Slowly, she began to approach her daughter.

Without thinking, she walked toward her mother, with them meeting halfway.

Disregarding what had happened, she cupped the cheeks of her daughter before she embraced her in a hug.

If Abigail was to have been holding back her tears, it was at this moment that caused all her walls to collapse because she broke into tears.

"How have you been, my dear?" her mother asked while still in their embrace.

"Good, Mama... much better now.". She then paused. "I am so sorry, Mama. I am so sorry for leaving without a sound... without a trace...".

"Don't... don't mention that now... please..." Ann-Marie responded. And with that, the two women broke from their embrace, chuckling when each found the other's cheeks wet from their tears.

But it wasn't long before the smile from both of the women disappeared.

"How is Papa, Mama?" Abigail couldn't help but ask.

"He is well... busy with work, but well.". Then quiet... the silence was shared amongst both Ann-Marie and her daughter.

Turning back to see her sisters, she saw the way that the three sisters were ready, waiting for her. "I must go now, Mama...".

Her mother nodded in response.

Abigail turned on her heels before heading back to the main door. Exiting with her 3 sisters, they all went onboard her carriage.

"Where to Miss?".

"The town centre, please.".

With that, the carriage began moving.

With all the women settled in the carriage, Gertrude took a deep breath, "You should try to come more often, Abigail... of course, whenever you can...".

She smiled at her sister's words. "I'd love to.".

---

With them reaching the town centre of Veurause, the four women ventured through their small town, visiting a few shops for dresses.

Once they picked out what they'd like to wear for the Ball, they were ready to head home.

Upon their return to the carriage, they passed by a bookshop. Instantly, Tamara's attention was grabbed by the books that lay in front of the glass display.

One of the books though caught her full attention. Matthew Brunswick.

"When did he release this?..." Tamara asked under her breath. Ever since she read Matthew Brunswick's first book, Love and Life, she had fallen in love with his way of writing. His description and the way his words portrayed his characters. "Living to Love..." she read out the title. 'Could it be the prequel?...'.

Her sisters didn't notice the hold-up until Gertrude didn't turn around and saw Tamara entering the bookshop. "Tamara??".

The sisters quickly caught up to Tamara, only to see her holding a book as she counted the money she had in her pocket.

"Not enough..." she let out a sigh.

Then, feeling her hand lighten, she looked up only to see that Abigail took the book from her hands. She paid for it before returning it back to Tamara with a smile. "You are still into reading, eh Tamara?".

She nodded to her sister's words. "Thank you, Abigail.".

"You are most welcome... alright, let's go!".

And with that, they all went back into Abigail's carriage before they set off on the journey back home.

"For being able to purchase such stuff, Abigail, you must have married a rich man..." Gertrude spoke out before thinking. Then covered her mouth when expecting to be given out.

All the sisters were surprised, but further puzzlement came about when Abigail burst into laughter at Gertrude's words.

"I guess you can say that I married rich..." Abigail responded. "But the money was only pure luck. I married him because I truly loved him...".

At some point in the conversation, tho not intentionally, Tamara zoned out as her gaze landed outside the carriage window.

It was then, a few minutes later, that she saw a man on a horse, horseriding in a field just a mere meter from the dirt road which was utilized by the carriage.

Tamara saw the rider of the horse slow the horse's gallop into a trot. Turning, so going parallel with the wooden fence, almost instantly, Tamara looked into the eyes of the youthful horserider. A wave of chills was sent through her body. And then, a second later, their eye contact broke.

Not thinking, she turned around, her eyes trying to navigate him. Such an action caught the attention of her sisters and Abigail looked in the direction where Tamara gazed. Almost instantly, a small smile appeared on her lips. "That's Sir Baraville on his horse.".

"Sir Baraville??" Gertrude and Eileen gasped as if knowing who he was, trying to see him.

"Sir Baraville?..." Tamara inquired, looking at Abigail.

She nodded. "Lord Theodore Baraville... A good friend of ours.".

"Lord!?". Tamara choked on her spit.

"Lord," Abigail affirmed, her smile growing that bit more. "Do be careful, I am not sure if he is available, Tamara...".

"If you are trying to imply that I am interested. I am not, sister," Tamara retorted.

With that, seconds later, she returned her gaze back to that small figure in the distance, still on his horse.