Chapter XXXVI.

Rushing into the Oxford household, Theodore ran up the steps and, in the hallway by their living room, there he saw Diana.

"You're back..." Diana spoke with a sense of relief.

"Yes..." he started but remained quiet after. He looked at Diana and she at him.

"Theodore..." Diana began, breaking the silence that lay between them. "There's something I need to tell you.".

"What is it?" he responded. And even though Diana hadn't begun speaking, he feared what it was she had to tell him.

"Elisabeth told me something more... I wanted to tell you before you left, but you rushed off in such a hurry.".

Her words proved his feeling true, so he slightly narrowed his eyes at her, "What did she do?".

But right as Diana was about to begin speaking, the door of the living room opened. Through the open door, emerged Elisabeth with Daryll behind her.

Surprise rushed all through Theodore's body before his heart sunk to the ground. "Mr Daryll? What are you doing here?".

"There's something else I need to tell you, Theodore..." Elisabeth spoke with regret. Unsure if such a feeling reflected upon her plan utterly failing or the fact that she hid such from Theodore also. Or maybe it was a bit of both.

"What is it, Elisabeth? Why is Mr Daryll here?".

"Your mother and I, we wanted to steer you away from that scullery maid of yours. Tamara, so we made a plan to bring Mr Daryll with us to Veursau. We knew he always wanted to go and study in Veursau, so... we offered him a choice...". Elisabeth paused before turning and facing Daryll. "And so here he is...".

"It wasn't really a choice..." Daryll began. "Ms Victoria blackmailed me, she spoke of all kinds of secrets only my family knows. She told me that if I didn't do as she said, she'd let everyone know everything about my family... They wanted to separate me from Agath Clarke and make it be as though it was your fault, Mr Theodore. They wanted to make Tamara Clarke hate you, Mr Theodore.".

To such words, the whole hallway went silent, Daryll looked at Elisabeth and the way she let her gaze slowly fall to the ground.

"Scullery maid?... Is that what you see her as, Elisabeth?" Theodore's voice strained against his own will. He tried his best to keep himself collected. As a result of his attempt, he let out a chuckle. "If that's so, then so be it... I'd rather marry a scullery maid...".

Elisabeth darted her gaze to him upon hearing his words. "You can't do that! You mustn't!".

"Who are you to tell me that, Elisabeth?" Theodore retorted.

"I am your friend, life-long friend, Theodore...".

"We were... from now on, we no longer are friends, Elisabeth. You let your person, the child inside you coy to nothing more than a rotten apple. Your actions, actions of pure misery have shown me that I should look for friends who differ from you...".

Slowly, horror began to dawn upon Elisabeth and it was shown on her face. "B-but Theodore??...".

"I don't want to hear it, Elisabeth...". He paused before looking at Diana. "When is she due to go?".

"I can leave tomorrow..." Elisabeth inserted herself before Diana had the opportunity to respond. "I will leave tomorrow if that would make things easier.".

To her words, Theodore remained silent as he redirected his gaze toward Daryll. "Mr Daryll, don't you worry. We will resolve this issue as soon as we can and I will speak to my mother.". Pausing for a moment, he thought back on everything that was done to others, how his mother and Elisabeth hurt the people around him. It caused unease to spread within his chest. "I am sorry for everything, Mr Daryll.".

In reply, a small, sheepish smile formed on his lips. "I-... I didn't want to seem like a cowardice, but I felt like I had no choice...".

"Mr Daryll, don't say as such, you had your arms tied. And had I known about this prior to your arrival, things would have been different..." Diana spoke out, approaching Daryll. "We also invite you to stay over, since it is quite late it would be a dangerous voyage for you to travel back home right now. We have guest rooms where you can sleep tonight.".

Daryll was about to retort, to say he was capable, but Diana insisted. "It's the least we can do, Mr Daryll. Please stay over because we can't afford the possibility of you getting hurt also on your way back.".

After a second of silence, he nodded to Diana's proposal. "Thank you, Ms Diana...".

"Like I said, it's the least we can do.".

And with that, as the seconds ticked into the late night, everyone dispersed into their rooms. It wasn't until the atmosphere settled that Diana decided to leave her room. Adjacent to her, she saw the door of Elisabeth's room ajar.

Knocking before entering the room, she saw Elisabeth on the floor, sorting out the rest of her clothes. Looking briefly in Diana's direction, she continued packing herself for her departure.

"Do you need a hand?" Diana inquired.

"No..." Elisabeth's voice trailed off. From there, she paused before placing on the ground whatever she had in her hands. "Why are you here, Diana?".

"I just wanted to check in on you, to see if you're prepared.".

To her words, Elisabeth didn't supply her with a reply. At least, not straight away. "Thank you..." she began. And then clearing her throat, she continued. "And also... I'm sorry.".

From there, as was the trend in their recent conversations, a moment of silence descended between the two women. And it was Elisabeth who broke it.

As she continued packing up, she spoke out, "You live a different type of life here, in the countryside. In Veurause. A type I cannot comprehend as easily... Or maybe I don't even want to comprehend it, I am unsure...".

Diana wanted to say something, but she couldn't think of anything to say, so she remained quiet. With her watching Elisabeth pack the last of her things into her bags, she began to back her way up to the door. "Are you going tomorrow?".

"I believe Theodore made it obvious for me to leave as soon as possible, so yes...".

Another moment of muteness spread between the two women as Diana opened the door. "Good night, Elisabeth...". And with that, she left her room.

Diana, not wanting just yet to return back to her room, proceeded to walk and knock on Theodore's door. Opening it, she saw her cousin by his chair, busy with his writing.

Glancing back, he eyes Diana. A small smile formed on his lips before he continued from where he left off. "What brings you here at this time of night, Diana? I thought you were meant to be asleep.".

"I can't fall asleep..." she started before sitting on the edge of his bed. She watched him write away in silence. "I am weary what the Clarke sisters will say... When you went over to theirs, how were they?".

He furrowed his brows at her words. "How... how did you know I went to the Clarke residency?...".

"Well... for first, hearing the commotion, it wouldn't take a genius to put one and one together when they see you gallop away after that argument you had with Elisabeth. And for second...". Diana paused as she cleared her throat. "Tamara told me a little bit ago that there is nothing going on between you two. However, I've been under a suspicion that it might be otherwise.".

"I told her I love her, Diana..." he admitted. 

"You did??".

He nodded at her words.

"Did you mean it?" Diana inquired.

"Yes... I meant it with every fibre of my being..." Theodore began, putting his feather down. "I've been blinded by my own prejudice, by my own struggles... selfishness that I didn't see her for what she really is. I've never felt like this for anyone else, Diana... So when I found out she was proposed to Pavel Fuegerson, I had to come back...".

"Tamara is proposed to Mr Pavel??".

"She declined his proposal," Theodore responded. His words left him with a feeling of relief, just like that which he felt the moment those words left Tamara's lips.

With that, another moment of silence ensued.

"I knew there was something going on between you two," Diana spoke out as a smile began growing on her lips. "I had a feeling...".

"Really?". Just as he turned to continue his work, Diana's words caused him to turn back around and look at his cousin again.

"Yes," she responded, but not wanting to say all too much, she repeated, "I had a feeling.".

And with that, a smile still on her face, she stood up before beginning her way to the door of Theodore's bedroom.

"Good night, Diana," he spoke.

"Good night, Theo..." she replied through her smile as she left and made her way back to her room.

---

The next morning, after breakfast, the servants helped Elisabeth with her baggage as she also carried something herself to the carriage.

The coachman who helped Theodore on his way to Veursause was offered a night in the Oxford residency as an act of gratitude.

With her ready, she sat in the carriage, but before she closed the door, she looked at all the people who stood outside it. Theodore, Diana and Daryll.

"Have a safe trip home, Elisabeth..." Diana spoke.

It hit Elisabeth and caused her heart to sink. Despite what she'd done in this small town, Diana was enough of a person to wish her a safe trip home. So, swallowing the lump that grew in her throat, Diana forced a smile. "Thank you.".

She looked at Daryll who had his eyes on her. "I'm sorry, Mr Daryll... I really am. I don't expect you to accept my apology, but I wanted to let you know that I regret my actions...". With that, she looked at Theodore. "Good luck with your writing, Theodore...".

A slight surprise was expressed across his face.

"I hope I'll be able to one day read your work..." Elisabeth added. "Goodbye everyone...". 

And with that, she closed the carriage door and the carriage set off.

Just as the coachman was about to exit the Oxford premises, he asked. "To Veursau, Miss?".

"Yes," Elisabeth responded, but then she stopped herself mid-thought. "Actually, there's one place I'd like to visit that's on the way...".