Chapter XXV.

*Ms. Tamara*

*A few days later*

Tamara was in Mr Tippe's office, in that same chair she was sitting exactly a week ago. But this time, unlike the last two times, Elieen accompanied her visit. She was sitting right beside Tamara.

Rubbing her hands off one another in anticipation, Tamara looked at Mr Tippe as he held the manuscript that Eileen and she spent all their hard time working on.

Silence ruled the room, right before he raised his gaze to Tamara before looking at Eileen. "I remember you saying that this project was inspired by the occurrence of the most recent war...".

"Yes, sir," Tamara responded.

"Yes... I can feel it... in the words, the pain portrayed, Ms Tamara," he began.

To such a compliment, Tamara widened her eyes. She felt as though he was giving their work more credit than it really deserved.

"Thank you, Mr Tippe," Eileen responded, not being able to control the smile that grew on her lips.

He looked at the two women, a smile growing on his lips too, right before allowing himself to look off into the distance. But only for a mere second or two. "I must say, your story is beautifully written, girls.". He took a momentary break. "So, I would love to work aside you both and take up your work.".

Tamara looked at Eileen and Eileen at Tamara. Tears began to fill to eyes of Tamara and seeing such a reaction, Eileen's eyes began to water up too.

"Don't cry!" Eileen spoke out, taking her sister into a big hug. But that only caused her to break down, which in turn also caused Tamara to begin sobbing.

"We did it, Eileen..." Tamara whispered through her tears. "We did it...".

"Of course we did, my dear Tamara," Eileen responded.

---

A few days passed and the night of the party to which the Clarke sisters were invited to came. With each woman getting ready, they were surprised to see a carriage incoming.

With it stopping right in front of the main door of the house, Diana emerged from the carriage, along with Elisabeth by her side.

Diana didn't even have to knock, the doors opened just as the two women reached the front step of the house. There, Agath was the first of the sisters to greet Diana and Elisabeth.

"Do you both want to come in for a few whilst we are getting ready?" Agath inquired next.

To that, Diana looked at Elisabeth who dismissed her with a mere shrug. Then, looking back at Agath, she smiled, "Sure. It'll do us no harm to seek shelter from the cold and snow, even if it's for a few minutes.".

With that, Agath moved aside, allowing Elisabeth and Diana inside. Closing the door behind the two women, the rest of the Clarke sisters rushed down the stairs. Each sister greeted Diana. But just like last time, Elisabeth wasn't too keen on greeting any of the sisters.

If she just so happened to exchange glances with one of the sisters, Elisabeth would force on a fake smile before looking anywhere else. However, there was a time or two when she'd look over at Diana. Confusion filled her ever so slightly.

'With such status as she has, what would she gain from befriending a family of a lower class than her? What appeal does she see in these women?...' Elisabeth thought to herself.

Minutes passed before the Clarke sisters got ready and they all went on their way to the celebration.

"Do we know this family?" Agath inquired.

"It would surprise me if you did..." Elisabeth responded, her eyes grazing over each woman in the carriage. "No offence intended.".

For a mere second, silence filled the air in the carriage. "None taken..." Agath replied. With that, she looked over at Eileen as Elieen looked back at her. With that, Eileen portrayed her glance to Tamara, who had her eyes out the window.

Seeing as such, Eileen returned her gaze to look down at the wooden floor of the carriage.

"Theodore should meet us there, is that correct, Diana?" Elisabeth asked.

"He said as such, yes..." Diana responded.

To her words, Elisabeth nodded her head as her eyes travelled to Tamara. Just like Eileen, Elisabeth looked at the way she gazed out the window.

The rest of the journey to the residency where the celebration was held was filled with silence. Once they arrived, Diana was the first to stand up. With the coachman of the carriage helping her open the door, she stepped outside followed by the rest of the women.

Ruth and Agath looked at the sheer size of the house ahead of them. They couldn't help but giggle in marvel.

With all the women out of the carriage, they all began their way toward the main entrance. Diana walked ahead of all the women and proceeded to knock on the big, wooden door.

The main maid of the house opened the door and escorted them to where the rest of the guests stayed. A wide hall, with mosaics that patterned the ceiling across the broad room. It was beautiful, mesmerising. Tamara found herself drawn to unravel the little details the pictures held. And the more her eyes scanned the art, the more she noticed and the pictures only further went into more depth.

"Tamara!" Ruth called out, noticing their sister was left behind.

Pulling herself out of her trance, Tamara quickly caught up to the women. There, ahead of her, she saw Theodore with Diana by his side.

It took her a further moment to notice, but when she did, she saw Pavel behind Theodore.

'Does Theodore know Pavel?...' She asked herself. But all it took her for a moment was for her to remember that one night. When Theodore left her with words of nothing but poison. For her to find her way back to Pavel.

So, of course he knew him.

Once the women further approached Pavel and Theodore, only then did they become aware of their presence and they averted their attention to them. Tamara noticed that not even a muscle moved on Theodore's face, all the while, a big smile grew on Pavel's lips.

It was Pavel who first stepped forward. His attention immediately went to Tamara but proceeded to greet Diana first. With that, Elisabeth came next.

"Pavel..." Elisabeth spoke out before greeting him with a curtsy. "It's been a while, hasn't it?".

"It has been, indeed..." Pavel responded, his smile remaining on his lips before kissing the back of Elisabeth's hand.

Moving on, that was when he finally approached Tamara, his smile did not fail to grow that bit more.

"Ms Tamara..." her name trailed off his tongue.

"Mr Pavel..." she responded.

With that, Pavel took hold of her hand before raising it to his lips and kissing it. His eyes never failed to leave hers. "How are you doing today, Ms Tamara? A pleasure to see you here.".

"I'm as good as I can be, Mr Pavel. How do you do?".

"I am well, thank you...". A slight pause ensued as he gazed at Tamara. "Better now," he added.

Until then, each had their gaze on the other, but then Tamara proceeded to look elsewhere when she felt his gaze became all too intense to maintain eye contact. Then, turning around to look for her sisters to introduce them to Pavel, she only saw Ruth there alongside Diana. Both were in a conversation of their own.

"Seems as though my sisters Eileen and Agath have wandered off elsewhere. And Ruth is with Diana. Please do excuse such impolite gestures.".

"Please, I'll allow it. This is a party after all," Pavel spoke out. "Let the young women have fun.".

Tamara was lost for words at his reply. So all she did, to acknowledge his words, was nod her head.

From above everyone, by the railing of the second floor, there was Victoria, looking, observing all the guests.

Managing to slyly walk away from Diana and the rest, Elisabeth made her way up the steps before she reached Victoria.

"There are so many people here... too much if you ask me..." Victoria commented. "It's already so warm inside and it's not even halfway through the night...". With that, she pulled out her folded fan, and with a swift move - managing to unfold it while - she used it to cool herself. "How does the situation look down there..." Victoria asked, knowing Elisabeth was right behind her, listening to her. Elisabeth knew what Victoria's question implied.

"It seems she knows who Mr Fuegerson is..." Elisabeth responded.

"Pavel?..." Victoria asked, immediately turning and looking at Elisabeth. Her eyes widened in slight surprise.

Elisabeth answered with a nod. "Yes.".

With that, Victoria raised a brow before continuing to fan herself. Turning around to look over at the vast crowd of guests, she cleared her throat. "Very well then... She can get invested in him all she wants. A good replacement for my Theodore...".

"Yes, Victoria..." Elisabeth spoke out.

Then, silence occurred between the two women. With Elisabeth also reaching the railing, she was right beside Victoria.

The orchestra right below them changed the music and within seconds, the two women watched as the guests below them each found a partner before they danced.

Down where Tamara and Pavel were, alongside Theodore, Ruth and Diana. Pavel turned toward Tamara. Hearing the music begin playing, he offered out his hand.

Spending a moment thinking, she was about to say no but then... she changed her mind. Just before placing her hand into Pavel's, Tamara glanced at Theodore. She managed to catch him just as he was looking away from her.

With that, Pavel gently took hold of her hand before he pulled her into the vast, dancing crowd. Taking a proper hold of her, and she doing the same, they began dancing to the music.

"Well, would you look at that..." Victoria commented as she looked down and noticed the familiar figures of Tamara and Pavel, dancing. Seconds later, Elisabeth spotted them too. "Looks like there might be more to them than the eye can see..." Victoria proceeded to comment.

Looking elsewhere, Elisabeth's eyes stop short of two more familiar figures in the crowd. "Is that... that... it cannot be...".

"What did you eye, dear child?" Victoria inquired.

"That can't be Mr Hemshire's son right there... can it?" Elisabeth asked, averting her glances between both him and Victoria. 'Daryll Hemshire with Agath... A Clarke sister,' Elisabeth thought to herself.

"Where?..." Victoria further inquired. And a mere minute passed before her eyes widened. Using the binoculars she had with her, held by its stick, she looked through them. "My oh my... what a surprise... it is him indeed.". Looking back toward Elisabeth, Victoria further questioned, "And do you know who that woman is who is dancing with him?".

"Her name is Agath. She is one of the Clarke sisters," Elisabeth replied.

As soon as such was mentioned silence descended between the two women. Victoria, once more, had her gaze back out, looking at the crowd. "Very well then... it seems as though our work has been cut out for us.".

To such, Elisabeth furrowed her brows. "What do you mean by that, Victoria?".

"I thought I told you not to question my doings...". Taking a moment's break, Victoria inhaled sharply. "All you have to do is watch and learn...". With that, a mere smile that showed sinister intent formed on her lips all the while, beside her, Elisabeth sunk that bit more into Victoria's shadow.

Below them, Theodore kept a close eye on Tamara and Pavel. Especially on Pavel. With each turn, when he faced Theodore's direction, he directed his eyes toward him.

With Elisabeth reaching the dancefloor again, she advanced toward Theodore. There, she asked, "Would you like to dance with me, Theodore?".

Wanting to deny her inquiry, he stopped himself, glancing over at Tamara and Pavel. Looking back at Elisabeth, a small - forced - smile formed on his lips. "I would like that..." he replied. He'd be closer to Tamara and Pavel.

With them both joining the dancing couples furthermore toward the middle of the hall.

Theodore swayed his way with Elisabeth closer to Tamara. With this type of dance requiring a couple-change 3 times, Theodore was adamant about changing his partner with Pavel's.

By the side of her eye, she saw them both, Theodore and Elisabeth, dancing together.

The first couple change... Theodore swiftly managed to take hold of Tamara from Pavel.

Their faces expressed surprise. Especially Tamara's.

It took her a moment to realise where she was. Who the man was that had her in his arms. She didn't expect him to be Theodore.

"Mr Theodore..." his name rolled off her tongue.

"Ms Tamara..." he greeted her back. This time, without his notice, a smile grew on his lips - a genuine smile.

Until then, she had her gaze on him, but after seeing his smile, she couldn't help but look elsewhere. Her cheeks reddened against her will and she damned herself for it.

"Why are you dancing with me?" Tamara inquired. "You heard it yourself, your mother saying...". She paused for a moment to correct herself. "She didn't tell me, but she sure implied that I wasn't enough.".

Theodore let out a mere sigh of melancholy. His face slightly tensed apologetically, matching the sensation he felt in his chest. "No one deserves to be spoken to like that. Especially you, Ms Tamara. I, once again, sincerely apologise for my mother's harsh words of pure and utter nonsense.".

From above, as if Victoria sensed her name was in her son's mouth, she looked out at all the people dancing. The smirk she had on her face slowly reduced to nothing when she saw her son dancing with Tamara.

Looking behind her, she saw that Elisabeth was nowhere to be seen, she was down there. Victoria couldn't help but grind her teeth whilst looking at her son dancing with Tamara. Then, when her eyes met Daryll Hemshire, the smirk returned to her lips as she pulled out her fan before beginning to fan herself again. An idea lurked in her mind.

The second couple change occurred, this time Tamara was coupled with a random man.

And a mere minute later, the final couple change happened, in which Theodore managed to gain a hold of Tamara before Pavel could. But with Pavel being close enough, Theodore turned his head before he seethed quiet enough so only Pavel could hear, "Desist once and for all...".

Stunned at such words, Pavel found himself without a partner, as did Elisabeth. So they both moved to the side, through the crowd.

Confusion once more lured within Tamara, wondering why Theodore chose her to dance with him once again.

"You haven't answered my question from earlier..." Tamara asked.

"Please repeat it then, so I can answer it.".

"Why are you dancing with me?".

Another smile formed on Theodore's lips without his notice. "Because I want to...".

"Because you want to?...".

"Because I want to," he affirmed.

She heard the smile that was on his lips in his words. That, with her contentment in his answer, caused a smile to take place on her lips too.

And then, something he expected the least, she let her head rest on his shoulder. "I hope you don't mind me resting my head for a bit...".

"Not at all..." he responded. With her being so close to him, Theodore sensed a sweetness. Undoubtedly, it was the sense of Tamara.

Her scent caused him to go weak. It caused him to close his eyes and take in her smell, the sweetness of fruits.

Behind them, away in the crowd were Elisabeth and Pavel, on their own. Diana and the rest of the Clarke sisters were nowhere to be found. All scattered in the vast array of all the persons present.

Turning her attention to Pavel, Elisabeth proceeded to clear her throat. "Mr Pavel... tell me...".

"Yes, Ms Elisabeth?".

"I see that both yourself and Ms Tamara are pretty close..." Elisabeth began. "Dancing together, it seemed very sweet. And dare I say, you both looked like one of the best-looking couples in the hall.".

Pavel paused for a moment, allowing her words to settle within him. And when they did, only then did he allow for a smile to grow on his lips. "Do you really think so?".

"Oh yes..." she responded, nodding her head simultaneously. "I also think you two would make a great wife and husband. I can already see your offspring looking as handsome as their father, and... as beautiful as their mother...".

"Offspring?". He laughed at her words ever so slightly. "I think you're getting a bit ahead of yourself now. Ms Tamara and I haven't even established a proper relationship yet. I think it might be a bit too ambitious, right now, to speak of us having children.".

"I was only saying, Mr Pavel. Please don't take it the wrong way," Elisabeth tried to defend herself.

"You mustn't worry, I didn't take it anyway if that's to make you feel a bit better. However, I do appreciate you speaking in such a way, as I think Ms Tamara is very amiable. I really hope that what you mentioned will come true...". Quiet ensued as he looked at Elisabeth and she at him. With a small, forced smile from Pavel, he took a deep breath, "If you'll excuse me, Ms Elisabeth...". And with that, he walked off, leaving Elisabeth all alone.

Her gaze followed Pavel until his figure was swallowed by the crowd. 'Mr Pavel to think that Tamara Clarke is amiable... He hopes to marry her...'. Almost instantly, her gaze went up to the ceiling.

She knew what she had to report back to Victoria.