Chapter XXXII.

Tamara walked behind Pavel the entire way to the entrance of her home. Reaching the open gate, Pavel turned around and looked at Tamara for a mere second before allowing a slight smile to return once more to his lips.

"I- I guess here is where I wish my farewell to you, Ms Tamara..." Pavel spoke out.

Not being able to make an utterance, Tamara only nodded to his words. "Thank you for everything, Mr Pavel..." was all she managed to say before turning and beginning her way to her house.

Not looking back, Pavel turned and went his own way.

Entering the house, she was greeted with silence, but she didn't comprehend it, initially. The events of recent occurrence were still boggled in her mind. She looked back down at the flowers in her hand as all the tears rushed to her eyes.

So, finding herself alone, she sat down on a step and allowed herself to cry, hoping the dreading feeling would go away.

At that moment, Eileen walked out into the hallway. "Tamara, you've returned!!" she exclaimed, but a second later, the smile that was on her face disappeared when she saw her loving sister in tears. "Tamara? Tamara?? What happened??".

Hearing the slight commotion, Ruth and Agath joined Eileen in the hallway.

"I broke a man's heart, Eileen... that's what happened. I broke the heart of a man that was nothing but polite to me... But I'd be too cruel for me to lie to him. Too cruel for his own good... and for mine...".

Immediately, Eileen embraced her sister in a tight hug as she tried to calm her down. To get her to stop crying.

All the while, Ruth and Agath looked at one another. "What do you mean you broke a man's heart, Tamara?" Ruth asked, but receiving a glare from Eileen, she sunk her head into her shoulders ever so slightly. "Or... is it the right time to ask such a question?...".

Eileen was about to speak up when Tamara beat her to it. "I was offered a proposal of marriage...".

"Marriage!?" Ruth exclaimed, but a second passed before she connected the dots.

"Yeah, but I rejected the proposal..." Tamara responded. "As, my dear sisters, my heart belongs to another man...". Just as she finished talking, Tamara's eyes looked at Eileen. And all it took was a few moments for Eileen to understand.

"But... who was the man that you rejected then?" Eileen couldn't help but ask. "I thought you were talking about Theodore...".

"Mr Pavel was the man I rejected...". Tamara began. "I think you might have seen him, he was the one who brought me the flowers...".

"I can also see this time was no exception either," Eileen replied as she looked down at Tamara's hands, at the flowers she held. But as the silence returned, it gave Eileen a moment to think back to when Tamara was sick. Though she didn't know who he was, she thought of him when Tamara mentioned his name. She was sure it was him.

---

Two days pass and the time just ticked afternoon. Tamara and Eileen were both outside, helping her mother and Ms Hope with the laundry.

"How are you feeling today, Tam?" Eileen asked.

"I am better... I'm just glad I was honest. Thinking back to it, I can feel this monumental weight dropped off my chest..." Tamara spoke out as the two sisters walked side by side, each helping the other carry the big basket of washed, wet clothes.

Just as the women began to hang the clothes onto the laundry line, behind them, Ruth rushed from the house toward them.

"Mother!?" Ruth shouted out, still running as she tried not to slip on the wet grass. "Momma!!".

Turning around, she lowered the clothes she had in her hands. "Ruth??? What is it?".

"It's Agath. Pappa is with her, but I must urge you to come also. She won't stop crying," Ruth elaborated.

Hearing her words, both Tamara and Eileen looked at one another before their gazes returned to Ruth. "W-what happened to Agath, Ruth??".

Approaching over her sisters, as both Ms Hope and their mother rushed their way back to the house, Ruth began, "Agath received a letter... I am unsure of its contents. But as soon as she got upset, I went for Pappa and then for Momma...".

Eileen glanced at both her sisters. "We'll get back to this. But we have to go now, come on!".

And with that, Tamara, Eileen and Ruth, just like Ms Hope and Annmarie, ran back to the house.

Upon their entrance, they heard the cries from their younger sister. Entering the living room of the home, there they saw Agath, keeling on the carpet, in her father's arms, crying. And in her hand, she held the letter Ruth talked about. She held onto it so tight, the strength of her grip caused the paper to crumble.

Instantly, all the sisters embraced Agath. "Dear sister... what had happened?..." Eileen inquired first, caressing Agath's forehead ever so slightly.

Being able to recompose herself ever so slightly, through the tears in her eyes, she looked at her sisters that surrounded her. "He's gone, my dear sister... He's gone and he'll never come back...".

"Who's gone, Agath?" Tamara asked, taking hold of Agath's hand, gently soothing the back of her hand with her thumb.

At first, Agath hesitated ever so slightly, not knowing whether or not to speak up on the topic of Daryll Hemshire and her. But with a further second of thought, she realised she didn't have much of a choice. "Mr Hemshire's son is gone, dear Sisters...".

"Where is he gone to, Agath?" Tamara inquired again.

"He... he is gone to Veursau, Tamara..." Agath stopped as she felt the lump only grow in her throat. And then, standing up all of a sudden, she excused herself before rushing out of the room.

Ruth quickly followed her sister, calling after her, "Agath! Agath, wait!!".

All the while Eileen and Tamara stayed in the living room with Miss Hope and their parents.

It was Eileen who first picked up the page that Agath held. "Does the name Daryll Hemshire sound familiar to you, Tamara?...".

Furrowing her brows, she shook her head. "It sounds merely familiar however. But what is in that letter, though?".

Tilting the page ever so slightly, Eileen offered Tamara to read through the page.

My dearest Agath,

I am writing this to you with grave regret. Every word expressed on this page serves me as pain. You know how I feel about you and I most certainly know how you feel about me. We shared lots of precious moments together, however, I cannot fulfil the wish I promised you. That wish of making you my wife. I was told I deserved better, which I think is pure nonsense. But with it coming from a close friend of mine, Mr Baraville, that's what hurt me the most.

I am leaving for Veursau, I was given an excellent opportunity at a University I wanted to attend. Along with that, he - my friend, offered me a ride to Veursau which I regretfully accepted as I'd have no other - reliable - means of transport. So, I'll be leaving as soon as everything is ready.

I wanted to tell you this in person, but I couldn't bear seeing the look on your face. The sadness, pain, grief. So, with much self-reproach, consider this my Farewell.

I'm so sorry, Agath. Thank you for everything.

Yours truly,

Daryll Hemshire.

"What a bunch of nonsense... 'he deserved better'? What friend would say something like that?" Eileen commented under her breath just as she finished reading the letter.

"Poor Agath..." Tamara spoke next, still reading through the letter.

"And who would have lent him a ride all the way to Veursau? This 'he' that Mr Hemshire is talking about?" Eileen inquired, looking up from the gaze she and Tamara held.

"The Baravilles might have given him a ride to Veursau, so I am assuming this 'he' might be Mr Theodore Baraville himself," their father began.

'Theodore?...' Tamara thought to herself. And just as soon as she raised her gaze to her father, she dropped it back down to the letter in front of her. 'A close friend? Saying that he deserved better than Agath?...'. She was told the exact same thing. 'Giving him a ride to Veursau?'.

Tamara couldn't help but place her thoughts to words, "Why did they leave for Veursau, Papa? I'm sure it wasn't only for Mr Daryll Hemshire.".

"Word has been going around the whole of Veurause that Mr Gabriel Baraville, Mr Theodore's father, had passed away a few days ago. They had to leave immediately for Veursau," he responded. "Makes sense, to me at least, why they'd bring him with them...".

Her father's words circled in Tamara's head. And now, to her, nothing about Theodore Baraville made sense. The dance, his words. And now this. Her heart sank like an anchor.

"Passed away?" Eileen repeated. "W-when was this, Papa?".

"I am not too sure, Eileen. All I know is that they've already left for Veursau," Noah responded.

With that, both Eileen and Tamara looked at one another, a slight frown grew on their lips. Immediately, they both rushed out of the room and to Agath's room, in the hope of finding her there.

Entering her room, there, the two sisters they found Agath with Ruth, as she cried on Ruth's shoulder. "I don't know what hurts me more, the fact that he left me like this or that I had to be disloyal to my own sisters...".

"Disloyal? What do you mean, Sister?" Eileen inquired as she sat on her bed.

"I never told you anything about him...". Agath paused for a moment. "Actually, I've mentioned him only once. But that was many months ago...".

"Why didn't you tell us anything then?" Ruth inquired, making sure to keep the tone of her voice as delicate as she could.

"It was because he told me to... he told me to not tell anyone about us... about him and me.". Agath paused for another moment, just as she managed to get herself to calm down a bit - just enough to allow her to sit up. "But you all are my sisters. That's different... To me at least. I feel so dumb now.".

"Don't say that, Agath. Don't say that because you really are not," Ruth spoke out, as she pulled Agath that bit closer to her.

"I-... I thought we'd get wedded. I thought of waiting for when he proposed to me to tell you all the amazing news. It all seemed so promising..." Agath further opened up.

Tamara stood by the doorframe, looking at her dear sisters, tears slowly filling her eyes. 'I can't help but feel at fault for what happened...'.