Chapter XXIV.

That evening, Elisabeth began to draft an invitation specifically for Tamara.

With Victoria outside her door, she knocked on it before entering the room. "Any intel you'd like to report back to me, Elisabeth?".

Stopping what she was doing, she let her feather fall down by the side of her page. "Nothing... aside from the fact that I wanted to bite her head off.". A short pause followed Elisabeth's words. "I am assuming you heard she was with us today...".

"Diana couldn't stop going on about today..." Victoria responded.

"I've invited her to the party. She thinks it's for us to get close..." Elisabeth spoke out as a small smile of pride took its place on her lips. But seeing that Victoria's face made no change, the smile slowly began to reduce.

"And so is Theodore..." Victoria retorted. "They'll be together there...".

"I'll ensure that doesn't happen...".

"Make haste then and ensure so... otherwise, I'll not hesitate to send you back home," Victoria seethed through her teeth.

"But... My new semester doesn't begin before March!".

"That has nothing to do with me and oh but all with you, darling...". Victoria's sarcasm left a sour aftertaste in Elisabeth's mouth, she knew she had to obey her. There was no other way. "Dare I remind you that I am well capable to deal with this on my own...". And with that, Victoria turned around and began to walk toward the door. "Invite her sisters also... Better to get to know more of the family...". And with that, she left the room.

*A few days later*

Tamara sat in her room, on her bed. A book in her hands. His book. Love and Life.

Mere memories of them talking on his horse came back to her. 'You sound like a true fan...' he said. And to such words, she couldn't help but giggle to herself before the slight melancholy took over again.

She felt saddened and now she knew why. 'You're my favourite author... despite the fact that I looked down upon you for a while in person, but looked up at your words through an idea of them...'. A pause subsided her thoughts for a mere moment. 'I confessed to both liking and hating you... I didn't know, I would have never guessed you'd be him.'.

With that, her gaze was redirected to the big window in her room. It was snowing again.

The house was silent, meaning that her sisters were somewhere out and about.

And then, she heard the door open. "Tamara!" Eileen called out for her sister.

Leaving her book down by her bed, she stood up just as Eileen opened the door to her room.

"What are you still doing here?? Ruth, Agath and I are waiting for you outside!".

"I've told you already, I have no intention of going outside. It's too cold, Eileen," Tamara retorted.

"Not even for 5 minutes?" Eileen tried to negotiate.

Tamara looked at Eileen in silence before she rolled her eyes.

Not long passed before Eileen emerged through the main door with Tamara in her hand. "I've gotten a hold of the beast!".

Agath and Ruth laughed as they bent down to collect a handful of snow, making it into a snowball.

"No..." Tamara warned. "Don't you two even think about it!!".

"What Tamara?" Agath inquired, a devilish smile stretched across her lips. "You wouldn't think that we, your loyal sisters, would throw snowballs at you, would you?".

"With that smirk on your lips, Agath, I'd really think you'd do just that..." Tamara responded, backing up from her sisters.

With that, Agath looked at Ruth and Ruth at Agath. With a nod of Agath's head, the two sisters charged for Tamara, throwing their snowballs at her.

Seeing as such, Tamara rushed off. One of them managed to hit Tamara in the back. She felt the cold radiate across her back. "You both are dead meat!" Tamara exclaimed as she got a handful of snow, making it into a snowball also before throwing it at Agath.

The sisters giggled as they ran around their front yard.

Meanwhile, back in the house, their mother and father along with Ms Hope all had their eyes on the 4 young women.

"Do you remember, Noah? They used to do the same when they were younger..." Annmarie spoke out, a small smile on her lips. "When we had all our girls at home...".

Tears began to well in her eyes as Noah, gently, pulled Annmarie closer to him with his arm. Holding her by her shoulder, he landed a kiss on her temple. "How can I forget," he whispered to her.

Seeing the bonding time happening between them both, Ms Hope took a step back. "I'll be in the kitchen if you need me, Mr and Ms Clarke.".

"Thank you, Agatha..." Noah's voice trailed off as she turned to look at her. "Thank you for everything you've done for us.".

Outside, the women ran around, but it wasn't long before Agath stopped. "Who's that?".

"What?" Tamara asked, looking at her sister, then, she looked to where she had her gaze. There she saw a man on a horse, galloping toward the front door of their house. It took a moment for Tamara to realise who it was. It was Pavel.

"Who's that?..." Ruth asked, a small smile growing on her lips. "Do you know this gentleman too, Tamara?" she added as a tease, but her face straightened when Tamara offered no immediate reply.

"That's Pavel," Tamara replied and with that, she rushed off toward him and his steed.

Noticing Tamara approaching him, he hopped off his horse, keeping a hold upon the reign.

"Ms Tamara.".

"Mr Pavel..." She spoke, greeting him with a curtsy. "What business might bring you to this part of Veurause, Mr Pavel?".

Before answering, he allowed a small smile to grow on his lips. "I was given a task to deliver you an invitation...". No more had to be said, Tamara knew exactly who the invitation was from. "It also gave me an opportunity to see you, Ms Tamara..." Pavel added, biting his lip in the hope that what he said wasn't a bit too much.

His words left Tamara speechless ever so slightly. So, she took the folded page that was offered to her.

"I heard you'll be joining us too, for the party.".

It took a moment for Tamara to respond to Pavel's comment. "Y-yes, yes. That I will.".

Pavel kept his eyes on Tamara, watching her look at the folded page. With a sharp inhale, Tamara looked up at Pavel. "Thank you, Mr Pavel.".

Her words of gratitude caused a small smile to evolve across his lips. "It's a pleasure...". Without a second thought, taking hold of her hand, he lifted up to his lips before kissing it.

His gaze was averted to the background where he saw 3 other women running around, occasionally sending a glance their way. "Your sisters I assume?".

Tamara nodded, letting out a mere cackle. "My dearest...".

"Well then, I shall not take any more of your time, I've occupied enough as it is, Ms Tamara," Pavel spoke out as he jumped onto his horse. "I shall see you sometime soon then, Ms Tamara.".

"Likewise, Mr Pavel.".

Sharing one final glance, Pavel shook his reign, indicating his horse to gallop away. Keeping her eyes on him for a second more, she looked down at the page she held. The invitation.

Unfolding it, the first thing she noted was a neatness in the handwriting. With that, she scanned through the words expressed on the pristine page.

Surprise grew within her when she saw that it wasn't only her who was invited, yet her sisters too.

"Who was that?" Eileen inquired as she walked up to Tamara.

Noticing no response from her, Eileen looked down at what Tamara read. The invitation. With her gaze scanning the writing, that's when her eyes widened. "A party?... And we're all invited??". A giggle left Eileen's lips as she turned around and ran back to Ruth and Agath to announce the good news.

The sisters jumped in joy all while Tamara held the invitation firmly between her thumb and index finger, looking toward the gate that Pavel galloped past only a minute ago.

---

Three days passed when an unexpected visit ensued. It was Diana and Elisabeth. Knocking on the front door, the Clarke sisters warmly welcomed the two women.

Though Elisabeth didn't seem quite fond of it, they gave her some space in the hope she'd warm up to them.

Eileen had a smile on her face as she approached Elisabeth. "I am not too sure if we met before," she began, offering Elisabeth her hand for a handshake. "I am Eileen.".

Looking down at her hand before her eyes were to be met by her face once more, Elisabeth furrowed her brows against her will. From where she came from, handshakes were thought of as low class. And though she told herself she'd get closer to Tamara, under no circumstances was she to act of a lower class to accomplish such. "Elisabeth...". So, instead, of a handshake, she greeted Eileen with a curtsey.

"I... My apologies..." Eileen mustered as she too performed a curtsey. "I-... I'm sure you met Tamara before. These are our sisters, Ruth and Agath.".

Elisabeth nodded to Eileen's words, looking down at all the girls, examining their outfits compared to hers. "Pleasure...".

"Please... do feel at home. Follow us into the living room," Tamara spoke out after noticing Elisabeth's coldness. She hoped this would warm her up, even if it was to be ever so slightly.

With everyone settled down, Diana being by Elisabeth and the Clarke sisters all sitting across from them, and with a drink of choice served amongst the women, the chatter was thrown back and forth, like playing a ball on a broad field. Except... not much of the chatter was passed to Elisabeth.

And noticing that Tamara was listening and not talking, Elisabeth thought this was her chance.

"Have you received my invitation, Ms Tamara?" Elisabeth inquired. Though not intending to, the room fell silent and all attention was aimed at Elisabeth.

Tamara looked at Elisabeth. "I- I am sorry, Elisabeth. May you repeat what you said?".

Forcing a slight smile on her lips, she gritted her teeth ever so slightly before repeating herself. "The invitation, I hope you've received it...". Elisabeth hated repeating herself.

"Yes, yes I have.".

"And we thank you for the invitation, Ms Elisabeth..." Ruth spoke out. "It was a very kind gesture of you.".

Trying to keep her forced smile to stay on her lips, she couldn't help herself but lower her gaze ever so slightly.

With that, the chatter continued on as normal. Elisabeth fell back to silence unless prompted to speak.

With some time, it came close to Diana and Elisabeth leaving.

"Do you, my dear Clarke sisters have things you're going to wear for the party?" Diana inquired.

"I think we do," Eileen responded.

"Granted, if you don't, you know who to turn to," Diana replied, looking at Tamara with a small smile.

Holding her glass in her hands, Elisabeth looked at it before she stood up. Diana noticed.

"Where are you going?".

"To leave down my glass on the table," she responded, walking to the main table.

With her back to all the women, Elisabeth looked once more at her glass before she stopped.

A small, sinister smile grew on her lips as she held the glass out in front of her. And then, she let it go.

Crash.

The glass fell before breaking into hundreds of pieces. Forcing the smile away, she turned around toward the sisters. "O- oh, I am so sorry!!".

"Is everything okay?" Diana asked as she took up.

"Don't worry, I've got it..." Tamara spoke out as she rushed to get a broom to clean the broken glass up. "Mind your feet!".

With Elisabeth returning back to her place, she had her eye on Tamara, as she cleaned up the mess she made. She couldn't help but let a small smile form on her lips.

Eileen noticed this. She sharpened her look upon Elisabeth ever so slightly.

When Elisabeth looked elsewhere, only then did Elieen avert her eyes back to Diana who was in a deep conversation with Ruth and Agath.

A minute later, Eileen looked back toward Elisabeth. She had a different aura to her ever since she saw Tamara on her knees, cleaning. It made Eileen clench her jaw ever so slightly.

So, standing up, she walked over to Tamara before helping her out with the few shards that were left. Standing up with Tamara and escorting her to the bin, Eileen looked behind her, ensuring they were far away from the rest. "She did that on purpose. I saw it on her face, Tamara...".

Tamara looked at Eileen. "Did she?... Perhaps it was a genuine accident?". Tamara was about to walk back to the living room when Eileen took hold of her wrist.

"Tamara, she had a smile on her lips... sort of like she was happy to see you clean up her mess," Eileen elaborated.

"I don't see a reason why she'd do that, Eileen.". Tamara paused for a moment. "She's cold, yes. But we have to remember that she is from Verusau, the wealthy part of Veursau. She'll need a little bit to get accustomed to the style of the Veurause countryside.".

Tamara's words caused Eileen to second-doubt herself ever so slightly.

"It was more than likely a genuine accident. The only real bummer was that the glass was very expensive.". With a sheepish smile, Tamara turned around, but before she walked back to the women, she glanced at Eileen one last time. "Come on, let's go back.".