Chapter XIX.

*Ms Tamara*

Hours have passed since the celebration began. Since all the cheering and dancing started.

Tamara opened her eyes as she took in a deep breath. Looking around her, she was surrounded by people upon people. She was here before, it was her sister's wedding, but something within her felt odd.

'Haven't I left the part a little while ago?'. And then, slight dizziness caught up to Tamara, she felt her legs become numb ever so slightly. 'Why do I feel like this?'.

Swallowing whatever was in her mouth, 'I haven't had much to drink tonight either... I shouldn't feel like this...'.

"Ms Tamara..." hearing a voice, almost instantly she felt a touch on her shoulder.

Turning around, that was when her eyes met Theodore. "Mr Theodore...".

"You left me again... I've been trying to find you," he spoke out.

Tamara furrowed her brows ever so slightly. She couldn't remember when it was she last talked to him, other than when she walked with him to watch the dance of the bride and groom.

Before she could speak up, Theodore bet her to it. With a slight smile on his lips, he said, "But I am glad I managed to find you. Amongst all these people.".

She looked into his eyes and that was when she was greeted by his mesmerising gaze. No matter how much she wanted to deny it, for whatever reason the denial may be, his gaze made her feel a sensation in her chest.

"Why are you looking at me like that, Mr Theodore?" her words came on their own.

Thinking her words came off as being a bit too harsh, she was surprised when she saw Theodore smile.

"Why?... Don't you like me looking at you?". His smile receded ever so slightly. "However, I can stop if you'd like me to.". Another pause occurred in between his words. He took a step toward her all the while she stood still. "Would you like that? Would you like me to stop gazing at you?... I'd let you know it would be a mighty hard task because of your utter beauty.".

"I... I- I really..." Tamara tried to formulate a sentence, but no words wanted to gather into an understandable line of speech. It was when she took in a deep breath and swallowed whatever was in her mouth that she found the strength within herself to speak up. "I'd rather not have anything get in our way of reconciling our friendship, Mr Theodore.".

A small sheepish smile evolved on his lips at the realisation of her words. "Friendship?... Is that what you see us being, Ms Tamara? Just friends?".

She felt his proposal make something swirl in her chest. A sensation that she was unacquainted with, as had become the recent trend with her interactions with Theodore.

His words made her avert her eyes elsewhere as she tried to piece her thoughts together. The dizziness she felt was of no help whatsoever.

"Do you, Ms Tamara?..." His tone changed. It made Tamara furrow her brows as she squinted her eyes in slight confusion.

She recognised that the voice was no longer the one she heard only a second ago.

Looking back to where Theodore stood, that was when she was greeted by his replacement.

Her eyes widened, her gaze looking at him, expressing the look of deer in headlights. "Mr Pavel?".

"Do you see us as just friends, Ms Tamara?...". Pavel paused. And then came words she expected the least to hear. "Because I don't.".

Just like Tamara, Pavel too had his eyes furrowed, but in slight pain. Slight heartbreak.

That was the last thing she saw before everything went dark.

And then, with a deep breath, she woke up.

With eyes wide open, she looked around her only to find herself in her family's carriage. They were headed home.

"Bad dream?..." Eileen inquired, keeping her voice quiet so as to provide some peace for the other sisters that were still asleep.

Moments of silence separated Tamara's response from Eileen's question.

"More like a weird one...". With that, she rubbed her eyes before a yawn caught up to her.

"Try and go back to sleep. We have quite a way to go before we reach home," Eileen replied, her eyes remaining on her sister.

Tamara didn't need to be told twice. Sleep was already devouring her, all she had to do was give herself up into the tiresome feeling that spread through her body.

Darkness took over her vision and before she knew it, once again, sleep devoured her whole.

---

*Days later*

Tamara was in a carriage that was assigned to her by Abigail. With it stopping in front of the Oxford residency, Tamara gathered her things before stepping off the carriage.

It was her first day of teaching Diana how to play the piano.

Knocking on the large, wooden door of the house, she was greeted by the same, old man that awaited her family when they arrived at Diana's birthday party. Not only then, but also when both Tamara and Eileen had gone to Diana.

A small smile evolved on his lips. "Ms Tamara Clarke, is it?".

At first, she nodded at his question, slightly thrown off guard at the accuracy of the question. "Yes, sir.".

"Please do come in. Follow me, Ms Diana has been awaiting your arrival.".

With the door closing begin her, Tamara did just that. She followed the old man up the familiar flight of stairs and into a hallway. Reaching a door, he knocked before speaking up. "Ms Tamara Clarke for you, Ms Diana.".

"Alright! Give me one moment, please!". The door opened a second later, revealing a broad smile of joy that was on Diana's face. "Tamara!!". Almost immediately, Diana engulfed Tamara in a broad hug.

"How are you, Diana? It's been a while, hasn't it?".

"It has! It has been so long..." Diana responded, her eyes softening as they looked into Tamara's. "Even tho if it was a few days since Gertrude's wedding.".

With that statement, the two women broke into slight giggles as they pulled each other in for another hug.

With them pulling apart, that was when Diana spoke up, "Shall we get started then?".

"Of course, it's why I am here after all!" Tamara responded, another smile growing on her lips.

With that, Diana lead the way into another room, which was in close proximity to hers, just down the corridor.

Entering the room, that was when Tamara was greeted by the big instrument that sat in the middle of the room.

"Here she is..." Diana began, approaching the instrument. Tamara followed closely behind her. A moment passed before Diana continued speaking. "My grandmother gave this to me a few years before she passed. She said she'd wanted me to learn it so I could play for her at my wedding.". Finishing her sentence, Diana let out a chuckle in order to conceal the tears that began to build up in her eyes.

With that, a mere moment of silence descended between the two women. "Well then..." Tamara broke the short-lived muteness. "Shall we get started in that case? Let's make your grandmother proud.".

---

*Hours later*

The next day came around, and just as Diana and Tamara talked through right before Tamara's departure back home yesterday, they said that they'd have a few consecutive classes and see where they'll go from there.

In yesterday's class, Tamara showed Diana the keys to the piano. She had them play for her before she asked Diana to play some of the notes back to her.

Tamara planned for today's lesson to be nonetheless the same.

Diana led Tamara into the room where the piano lay, and that's when the two women sat side by side before they rehearsed what Tamara thought Diana yesterday.

"The house seems so quiet... both yesterday and today," Tamara commented as she observed Diana getting ready.

"We do have a big house for the number of people that live in it..." Diana responded. "But... for its size... it feels small. Compact.".

Tamara nodded to Diana's words. "I get exactly what you mean. The same could be said for my house.".

"You do have a very nice house, if I may say so myself," Diana responded right after Tamara finished her sentence.

Smiling at her words, that was when she responded, "Thank you... yours is gorgeous too.".

"Gets really cold during the Winter if you are not in a room with heating," Diana replied, giggling ever so slightly. A pause has occurred. "Perhaps another reason for all the silence would be Theodore's absence.".

Such words caused Tamara to pause for a moment. "Absence?... Where is he gone to?".

"He has some errands to take care of. An overnight journey. Saying he's to be back either by tonight or tomorrow early in the morning," Diana answered Tamara's inquiry.

To her words, Tamara acknowledged Diana's words in the form of a nod.

With that, silence descended between the two women and it wasn't long before Tamara was the one who broke it. "Well then... should we get started?".