“Do you know something about a particular Indian Silk that she is looking for?” Thomas asked the old man in hopes that he might finally be able to provide him with some kind of information.
“Yes, her grandmother used to buy that when we sold it. No one has ever been able to get that fabric on these shores thereafter. It is known as “Muga Silk” and can be found only in the northeastern part of India.” The old man said beaming with pride.
“Is there no one who can get it for me? I have money. I even have acquaintances in India who help ship it over to me.” Thomas asked the old man hurriedly.
“I have not laid my eyes on such fine silk since those days, young man. I am sorry, but I am afraid I cannot help you with what you want.” It felt like the old man was genuinely disappointed at not being able to help.
“You have been a real help, Sir! I appreciate it!” Thomas said as he bowed out of his presence. He could not wait to get out of this area.
He made an appointment with the 4th gentleman on the list on his way to his estate. That man had sounded like he would be able to help.
The next morning when he went back to his office, he found the man seated in chair as his secretary ushered him into his office. Thomas noticed that he a very sprawl office in a very posh area of the city and he must be worth a fortune to own a property like this.
“You have a lovely office, Mr. Mitter.” Thomas said to his gracious host. His host was a brown skinned male in his 40’s.
“Thank you, Mr. Thomas, was it? Are you still looking for that “Muga Silk”?” asked the man with a heavily accented voice.
“Yes, I am. Pray tell me that you will be able to help me.” Thomas was almost begging for help.
“As it happens I have a bolt of it lying in a warehouse not far from here. But I have to warn you that I am only letting you have it because you said you are a friend of Elisabeth’s. She is a wonderful human being and she is your friend, then you are my friend as well.” Said the man as he rang the bell on his desk.
“Please rest assured that I am willing to pay whatever fair price that you quote.” Thomas said and thanked him for his help.
Thomas was genuinely impressed about Elisabeth conducted her business. She was very well respect among her suppliers and it was evident that everyone had a great admiration for her. Thomas felt a new found respect for Elisabeth.
He bought the bolt of that exquisite looking silk back home and since he was able to save some time, he met Adelaide and the girls at her shop over the next couple of days in hopes of compiling a list of her favorite things. He would arrange to collect all of these as gifts for Elisabeth this Christmas. He could not believe how much time he was giving towards collecting every little thing that was a part of the list. He had almost completed the list, with the last of the items awaiting pick up in the morning.
Elisabeth in the meantime was busy working on designs for renovating the house. She had put the work on her dresses for the event on hold and hired an additional seamstress to help out. Elisabeth was sure that with this extra help, she could complete the entire renovation ahead of time.
* * *
Chapter 31
Thomas came home early that evening so that he could get ready to attend the ball. He was planning to ask Elisabeth to accompany him there and she was sure she would never say no to that. He found her sitting on the balcony when he reached home and walked up and took a seat next to her.
“I have an invite to a ball tonight. The Lovelace’s will be there. Do you think maybe we go together as a couple?” Thomas did not want to sound too pressuring.
“I would love to go, but I have vowed to never attend a ball in this city before my event takes place.” She said as she smiled at him.
This smile on her face always floored him. Even though he was probably hurting because she did not want to go out to the ball with him, he still understood her position. He did not want her to make an appearance with her all of a sudden as well, as he thought about it more. The rumor mills might go into overdrive, if the people of the ball saw them together. Perhaps it was best that she did not agree to go.
Elisabeth felt as if her relationship had crossed a hurdle when he asked her to accompany him to a ball together. She finally felt that Thomas was her equal and not his mistress as she was sure everyone in the ball would imagine.
Thomas got ready well ahead of time because he had factored in the time that Elisabeth would require to dress up when he planned about going to the ball with her. Now that she was not going, he did not know what to do, so he asked his coachman to drive up near the address where the ball was happening and stay inside the carriage and wait for a familiar face to appear.
He waited for what seemed like ages before he saw the Lovelace’s make their way to the ball hand in hand. He walks up to Robert and pats him on his back. Robert turned around in an instant and had already guessed that it was Thomas who had patted him on his back. He turned around excitedly but a look of confusion took over his face.
“Where is Elisabeth” Robert asked Thomas quizzically.
“Well, she decided not to come and it may have been in the best interest for the both of us. She only wants to make an appearance at a ball after she was done with the Event that the two of them have planned at the Chateau.” Thomas explained.
“I know the awful things that people say to each other in these balls. So I am definitely happy that Elisa took the decision to stay at home tonight.” Adelaide put her confidence behind her friend when she spoke.
“How are you both doing? Adel, has he been good to you?” asked Thomas mischievously.
“Oh he has been really good.” Adelaide blushed as she said that.
“Oh look at the both of you. You look so much in love!” exclaimed Thomas.
One could see the glow of their faces and make out that they were in love. Thomas noticed how they always walked hand in hand and Robert made it a point to excuse himself even when he just needed to visit the toilet. It seemed to him that Robert had finally turned a page. Would he be able to make the adjustments when the time came for him? Why all of a sudden these thoughts came to him that particular night, he wasn’t sure of. But he wanted to know the answers.
“You both are making me really uncomfortable right now. I feel like an unwanted wheel in a bicycle.” Thomas said jokingly as they all laughed and the Lovelace’s blushed.
Seeing the Lovelace’s like that after all that they had gone through made him miss having Elisabeth by her side tonight, even more. The fact that Robert and Adel had worked through all the problems, stood testament to the fact that relationships can be worked out, even when one does not think it would possible. Thomas’s mind went back to the times when Robert would drink as much as he could and not be even able to walk properly. When he compared the Robert from those memories to the Robert that stood in front of him, he saw the difference that having a companion in one’s life made. He really wished he could find a companion like that.
As soon as they entered the hall, a host of people came forward to greet them and exchange pleasantries. Thomas was already bored with the pretentious show of concern and just stood there as the Lovelace’s greeted the other people. He occasionally glanced around the corners to see if there was any one worth giving his attention to. He found it odd how he did not fancy any other woman these days.
As they made their way into the hall they engaged in some light dancing to warm themselves up for the evening. They sat on a table of four and picked up drinks from the salon before they sat down. Robert met a business associate so he stopped to talk to him and that gave him an opportunity to speak to Adelaide about Elisabeth.
He asked Adel if he would give him the pleasure of a dance with her to which Adelaide gleefully obliged.
Thankfully for him, it was Adelaide that brought Elisabeth up as they danced.
“How is Adel, Thomas?” asked Adelaide obviously concerned about her friend.
“She is well and happy. But I do u
nderstand her at times. She seems interested in a relationship at one instance and she could be as distant as ever in the other instance. It is really difficult to guess which Elisabeth might show up.” Thomas sounded confused and frustrated.
Adelaide found herself getting green with envy at the thought of Elisa being with Thomas. She had moved from her relationship with Elisa but thinking of her being with another man, made her feel protective and jealous at the same time.
“What do you think people will say when they talk about Thomas and his seamstress wife? How would you deal with the remarks that would obviously be labeled against Elisabeth? What are you plans for her?” she asked Thomas in an insinuating voice.
“Plans? What plans? I have no plans with her!” Thomas shot back.
Hearing Adelaide speak like that put Thomas on the defensive again. He broke away from her and went back to his seat to finish his drink in peace.
Thomas knew that he did not have the answers to the questions that Adelaide just posed to him. So as soon as he heard her say those lines, his defenses were up. He realized that it would be better that he did not drag the topic any longer and make this discussion any more complicated.
Adelaide walked up to the table and took the seat beside him and tried to calm him down.
“I am a wealthy sought after bachelor and if you think I will stop enjoying my bachelor life to be with a seamstress, you have grossly underestimated me, Adel.” Thomas baulked at Adelaide as he said that.
Adelaide immediately regretted whatever she said. She knew that her line of questioning and outing on the spot will only driver her away from Elisabeth. And she did not want that to happen. She knew how much Elisabeth wanted Thomas despite having the all the indications that she should instead focus on her work. Adelaide had pushed her to move in with Thomas. Her relationship with Robert was also based out of lust when they started their courtship. But she now realized that was probably not the wisest decision she ever made. And maybe she felt the urge to protect her friend from something similar. She cursed herself for not holding back her tongue and exercising caution.
“Where has Thomas run off to?” asked Robert as he came back to the table and took a seat.
“I might have said something to him that made him become defensive and think of Elisabeth in a poor light.” She said as she looked at Robert.
“I am certain you did not wish for that to happen. They are in a complicated stage in their relationship and I think it is best we maintain a safe distance and not get involved. We are both emotionally involved with two different sides of this relationship. I really do not want someone else’s relationship to get in the way of what is happening between us.” Robert had that innate ability to remain calm under extreme duress.
She watched as Thomas downed a few more drinks inside him before he managed to balance himself and walk in a straight line towards some of the younger women in the ball.
* * *
Chapter 32
Adelaide felt like he was choking from the inside seeing Thomas flirt with other girls in the ball while Elisabeth waited home. She would have to speak to Elisabeth about what happened as soon as possible. She had already planned on going to the shop the next morning to finish the designs on some her dresses. She thought that she would find a way to deflect the conversation towards last night and tell her how Thomas was behaving in her absence. Elisabeth was her friend and she was not going to let any harm come to her.
Adelaide got up early the next morning and got ready to leave for the House of Camille. Robert had already left on a business trip and he wouldn’t be back until the next couple of days. She had a lot of time to herself that day and she left early for the shop. She could browse through some of the dresses that the girls would be working on before Elisabeth arrived.
Adelaide was surprised to find Elisabeth in the shop this early in the morning. “Why are you so early to the shop today? I had hoped I could find some time to look at the dresses that under process right now and would be displayed during the show that we are going to host.”
“Well, all the material related to the event has been put on hold right now and we are completely immersed in completing some of the things that I have designed for Thomas’s house. With Christmas approaching, I could not think of a better gift for him.” Elisabeth sounded tired because of the exertion that she was no doubt putting herself through.
“Girls, get us some tea. Whatever you are doing can wait.” Adelaide was heartbroken to realize how much she was invested in this relationship and how deviated Thomas was.
“You cannot keep doing this to yourself, Elisa. You cannot use work as an excuse to get away from everything.” Adelaide pulled her close and hugged her tight.
Elisabeth really missed speaking to Adelaide. The warm embrace of her hug made her bawl like a child.
She wiped the tears off her face and said “I don’t know what to do Adel. I am really trying but all of this is just so confusing. I was confused when everything was happening with you but you were by my side right throughout the ordeal and I felt that I had someone who was going through the same thing as me. I could speak to about things. Why is so different when I am trying to do the same thing with a man?” she asked sincerely as the tears kept rolling down her face.
“I understand Elisa, I really do. And I want to help you but there are certain things that I need to get off my chest first.” Adelaide said as she patted the back of her head.
“He was in the ball yesterday and we got around to talking about you when Robert was speaking to a business associate of his. Some of the things that he said sounded truly horrible. I have known Thomas for a long time and I know that he is a good guy at heart. But some of the things he said really changed how I thought about him. He told me yesterday that he sees no future between you and him and this was merely an act on his part. He also reminding me how he is wealthy and sought after bachelor and that there would be numerous girls lining up to get married to him if she wishes so.” Adelaide laid everything that Thomas had told her out in the open for Elisabeth.
Elisabeth’s head started spinning as she heard all that Adelaide had to stay. She could not believe that it was only a few hours ago on the same evening that he had asked her to accompany her to the ball. She was certain now that Thomas clearly did not want the same things out of this relationship as her. If he is just playing a game when he behaves well with him, she did not know. But she knew that he was not being one hundred percent honest with her. He definitely had the thought of treating her no more than a tool for his desires – merely something to be used. She now knew in her heart that this relationship could only be a physical one for her.
Thomas could not look beyond the veil of the societal classes that existed in everyone’s minds. And she tried to come to terms with that fact. She also thanked her stars for giving her the opportunity to pull out of this relationship emotionally. She knew that every day that she spent in that house with him, she got closer to him. He really did not seem like someone who wanted to settle down and take a relationship seriously.
“I know it must be hurting you, but I could not keep myself from telling you this. I want to see you happy, Elisa. And Thomas really does not seem to be the right person for you.” Adelaide said as plainly as she could.
“Thank you for telling me what you knew, Adel.” Elisabeth said as she stood up to make the tea that Sally had brought in and placed on the table.
They sipped tea in silence and spent the afternoon sifting through some of the fabrics that she had bought for redesigning Thomas’s estate while gorging on some tarts that Lissa had prepared for all of them. Adelaide left shortly thereafter after saying her goodbyes. They hugged each other for a long time before she climbed back into the carriage and left for their chateau.
A few days passed by before Thomas noticed that the job of redesigning the estate, which Elisa had taken upon herself, came to an abrupt halt. He had not seen anything new for the last two days. He could not figu
re out why Elisa would suddenly stop working on something. He decided to ask her face to face and made his way into her sewing room.
“I see that you have stopped working on redesigning the house like you had planned to.” Thomas asked catching Elisabeth by surprise.
Elisabeth was stunned to see Thomas barge in inside her sewing room unannounced. She definitely did not expect that he would come up to speak to her after what she had told Adelaide the other night at the ball. She tried to understand how someone could be so cold.
“I have real work to take care of. And you never hired me to do the job. So it was not a job to begin with.” Elisabeth wanted to sound cold when she said it and she did a good job of it.
Thomas could not understand why there was a sudden change in Elisabeth’s demeanor. He was merely asking for an update on the work that she had volunteered to do herself. Thomas thought the reason she had stopped working on it was because it not have any monetary benefit for her and hence not something that she gave priority to.
“I can pay you whatever you want for the job if that meant that I can hire you.” Thomas tried to sound calm when he said that.
“Are you trying to buy me Thomas? Are you putting a price on my head? How can you be so cold? I was doing this as a way of giving you a gift for this holiday season!” She started sobbing as soon as she finished speaking at the top of her voice to explain how incredibly stupid he sounded.
Thomas could not see Elisabeth crying like that. And he did not understand what had made her cry either. Confused, more than ever, he stormed out of the sewing room thinking that it would be best if he got out of her face at that moment. As much as he wanted to hug and console her, he thought it would be best if he just retreated for the time being.
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