Helga and her family lived in the Lincoln Park neighborhood on the upper north side of the city. In that area a strong German community had been established for some time and Helga's family was active in it. Not that Diana really understood what living in a 'neighborhood' was like. Perhaps it was similar to belonging to a church congregation in the south. Back home, things were much more spread out, thus people generally gathered for Sunday church or other similar occasions. However, Diana wasn't sure if this particular style of living was for her.
Everything felt cramped and tight, people lived like ants right on top of each other. The compact quarters left little room to breathe. Even from the inside of the carriage, Diana could see how people flocked together in the dirty city streets. Speaking of dirty, she'd never seen a place so grimy and muddy; even the Manor was cleaner on a bad day. Nevertheless, the city possessed a certain charm which helped Diana to see why people were drawn to places like this even if it was in a cramped, sloppy rat hole.
Slowly the horse drawn carriage led them away from the commercial distract towards the more urban focused areas of Chicago. Where Diana saw block after block of the streets lined with cookie cutter homes and apartments. Never before had Diana seen houses built so closely together that there wasn't any space to move between the buildings. The notion of living so closely perplexed her. Where were their yards? What sort of privacy did they have? Was every big city like this?
The Irwin household lived in a red brick townhouse in the middle of Wisconsin Street. On its facade, there were concrete steps which led up to an arched forest green door as well as several matching windows that could be seen on both the ground and second floors. It was fairly small Compared to the Manor and could've fit inside the grand home if it was still possible. Diana might've been more impressed if they hadn't already passed countless other identical houses on the way.
Once the quartet exited the carriage, Eustace and Ingrid dashed ahead not bothering to wait for their mother or aunt. While the girl was essentially a mute for the duration of their trip, the boy complained about how hungry and bored he was. Frankly, Diana wished she could've smacked him for the incessant whining. Her sister didn't seem to pay much attention to her son's moaning. Her lack of interest in her children was yet another thing that reminded Diana of their mother. Perhaps if Helga offered the slightest bit of discipline to the boy, he wouldn't be nearly as unbearable to be around and Ingrid would be a bit more bold.
As Diana's feet found the ground, she forgot all about her internal grumblings as a sense of a relief found her. Her journey was over for now and she could begin to take her mind away from the nightmares of the past month. Finally, she could close the door on that calamitous part of her life and she could focus on coming to terms with it.
With luggage in hand, she followed Helga up the stairs and into the house where they were greeted by the household's butler. The elderly man was long faced with a funny mustache and matching grey hair. He wore a suit coat and trousers which looked as if they had been freshly pressed that morning. Everything about the man screamed professional and uptight. But despite his strait-laced appearance, he seemed genuinely happy to see the lady of the house return.
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Irwin. I take it your journey to the Great Central Station was a success." He greeted with a bow.
"Indeed," Helga offered the man a small nod as a smile snuck its was onto her face before she gestured to the younger woman behind her, "Groves, this is my younger sister, Diana. Diana, I'd like you to meet Mr. Groves. He's the family butler. Without him I doubt anything would get done around here. He keeps everyone and everything in tip top shape."
Diana curtseyed, politely in the man's direction, "Nice to know someone can keep my sister punctual."
"It is a difficult task, but to this day she has yet to be late since she and Mr. Irwin moved in." Groves informed the younger blonde with a wry smile.
"Alright, alright," Helga stepped between them, her face flushing, "Enough about me. Is tea ready?"
Groves nodded and gestured towards an archway at the end of the hall, "Tea shall be held in the dining room as per usual. Ms. Mary just put the kettle on the stove."
"Excellent. Groves, would you mind taking Diana's things upstairs?" Helga grinned before grasping her sister's hand and pulling the younger woman towards their destination.
"Of course, Madame." He bowed, picking up the leather luggage case which Diana had set on the floor of the foyer upon her arrival.
Diana watched the man disappear up the stairs before she turned her attention towards her surroundings. The walls were painted an eggshell white with adorned with paintings and photographs on both sides. Several other doors and archways also lined the walls leading to other rooms which made up the ground floor. While it was somewhat plain, the house felt rather warm and inviting. The smell of cooking also wafted in the air, causing Diana's mouth to water and stomach to growl. It had been far too long since she'd had a roof over her head a warm-home cooked meal to eat.
Allowing her sister to lead her into the dining room, Diana felt slightly in awe of its pristine grandeur. Taking up the majority of the space was a long white table with eight matching chairs. A fine crystal chandelier sparkled overhead from the ceiling. The walls were covered with a light blue wallpaper and elegant crown molding. There was a grandfather clock positioned centrally on the wall closest to the entryway. Several more large paintings of various qualities surrounded them along with a large window, which framed the view of the family's small garden located behind the home.
Seated at the head of the dining table was a man with a sharp jawline and piercing green eyes. His dark hair was styled neatly atop his head in a similar manner to Eustace. He wore a freshly pressed business suit with gold cufflinks and a wedding band on his left hand, which glimmered in the sunlight as it turned the page of the newspaper in his grasp. As Helga lead Diana further into the room, his eyes flickered up and a faint smirk danced at the corners of his lips.
Thomas Irwin was a shrewd man, whose family hailed from somewhere in New York. He was a banker by trade and had recently begun work at the newly established First Chicago Bank. Frugal to a fault, he was someone who was more interested in money than most anything else. Diana hadn't known much of him when Helga announced to the family that she was courting this man. Naturally, she had been excited to see her sister married off and moving away. She never expected she'd actually end up living with them.
"Good you made it home." He acknowledged, not bothering to stand to greet them.
Helga offered her husband a pleasant smile as she crossed the space before ducking down to press a kiss to his cheek, "Just in time for tea."
The man glanced up and nodded, "Yes, Mary should be bringing a fresh kettle in shortly, but I'm afraid I can't stay for lunch. The board of executives is summoning us for a meeting this afternoon and I must ensure I'm prepared."
"Of course, dear." Helga said, glancing back at her younger sister as she claimed the seat closest to his, "Tommy, won't you say, 'hello' to Diana. She's come a long way to be with us."
Thomas turned his gaze towards the younger blonde and looked over her form. The unnecessary scrutiny made Diana squirm in her boots as she waited for his attention to move from her.
"Good day, Diana. How was your trip?" His forced courtesy sounded rather indignant, but what did one truly expect from a man who looked at numbers all day.
Diana smiled, thinly and remarked, "It went as well as it could considering everything."
"Indeed," Thomas nodded, "What happened to your family was absolutely horrible. Helga and the children were devastated when we got your telegraph. I doubt there's nothing left of the farm."
Her throat constricted at the thought of her home, making it difficult to speak so she shook her head, keeping her eyes cast downward to avoid his stare. Her sister's husband continued to watch her for a few moments afterward as if he was expecting more of a response before he returned his attention to the article he'd been reading as he commented,
"Pity, that plantation was particularly equitable considering its location and total acreage."
Diana felt rage boil in her veins at his inconsiderate words and glared at him through the pages of the paper; wanting more than anything to burn holes straight into his perfectly smooth skin. Needless to say, such a feat wasn't actually possible so Diana glanced towards Helga for assistance. But when the older blonde didn't come to her aide as she sat beside her husband, betrayal pierced through Diana's gut like a butcher's knife dressing a market hog. How could Helga just sit there and not be infuriated with Thomas? How could she allow him to unsympathetic towards her dead family? A decent human being would show some sort of empathy for what had happened, not be completely apathetic about the deaths of his in-laws.
More than anything, Diana wanted to leave the dining room and run out of this house. Disgust couldn't even begin to describe what she felt towards this man. She couldn't stand to be near him if he was going to treat her family's deaths and the destruction of their plantation like failed transactions. However, before a single muscle in her body could propel her out the room, dainty old woman with silver hair dressed in maids clothes appeared in the archway holding a tray with a kettle of tea and several cups set on top it.
"Tea is ready, Mr. Irwin, Mrs. Irwin." She announced as she set the metal platter down on the table top.
The woman, then, busied herself by pouring the steaming hot liquid into two of the tea cups. She went on to add two sugar cubes to one before setting it in front of Helga and offered the other to Thomas without adding anything extra. When she turned to leave, she discovered Diana standing, awkwardly in the corner of the room and froze in her steps. Adjusting the wire-framed spectacles on the bridge of her nose the maid inquired:
"Who might you be, deary?"
"Ms. Mary, this is my sister, Diana. I mentioned last week she'd be coming to stay with us for a time." Helga informed the elderly woman from over the rim of her cup.
Ms. Mary's beady little eyes widened in response before she darted over to the blonde and ushered her towards the table and into a seat, "That's right. Oh, I was so sorry to hear about what happened to your family. How dreadful this bloody war is. What an ordeal you've been through, you poor thing."
Before Diana knew it a cup of tea had been set in front of her and Ms. Mary dashed from the room only to return with a tray of sweets. With great haste, the maid made up a plate and placed it in front of Diana. For a few moments, Diana just started dumbfounded at the food in front of her unable to process what had just happened. It wasn't until Ms. Mary pushed the tea cup into her hands that she was brought out of her own mind.
"Ms. Gaertner, please eat. You must be famished from your travels. I'll be sure to draw up a hot bath and have your rooms ready for you by the conclusion of tea time." The elder woman informed her, patting her gently on the shoulder before scuttling out of the room.
Diana's somber blue eyes lingered after the woman for a time before returning her focus to the spread presented on the table in front of her. This time the young woman didn't hesitate to satisfy her hunger as she picked up a scone and claimed a decent sized mouthful of the sweet pastry. Sighing, contently, she washed it down with the tea she'd been poured and reclined back into the chair.
Suddenly, the weariness of her travels seemed to melt away and for the first time in what felt like eons, her body relaxed. Even the undesirable presence of her brother-in-law couldn't take that away from her. Nothing he could ever do or say could ruin the relief she felt in this moment.
...
Not long after Diana had cleaned her plate and drained the last of her tea, she found herself soaking in her guest room's private bath. She was finally alone. Allowing the warmth and the silence to draw out the tiredness of her bones, she washed away the dirt and grime which had built up over the last several months of travel. Oh, how she'd forgotten what a luxury a bath truly was. It had been something she'd taken for granted before, but now she understood just how precious the practice was.
She savored every last moment during her bath and took the time to thoroughly scrub every inch of her body. Suds from the bar of soap bubbled about her velvet skin as she threaded a lavender scented oil through her curly golden locks. The floral aroma blanketed itself around her senses and made her movements languid as her mind and muscles relaxed even more due to the comforting scent. Once fully satisfied with her cleanliness, she hoisted her body out of the now cool, frothy water, dried herself off with a towel before she slipped into the silken robe Ms. Mary had provided for her.
When she stepped out into the spacious guest room, Diana took a moment to marvel it's pristine state. All the linens were folded neatly and no stains or tears were anywhere to be seen. There was no dust on any of the furniture and the curtains were adroitly drawn. Glancing around the room, she noted the walls were covered in a floral print with a bedspread that matched. All the woods were a soft tan color giving the room a soft, feminine tone. As she inspected her new living space, she noticed a beautiful sage dress hanging from the full length mirror.
Stepping forward to examine the gown, she ran a cautious hand over the sumptuous fabric only to notice there were several more hanging behind it. A small smile pulled at her lips as she felt the familiar sting of tears at the corner of her eyes. Her sister's thoughtfulness was truly something to be appreciated. Diana hadn't had much to wear other than the few items that had been salvaged and the clothes on her back. This was far too much, how could she even begin to repay Helga?
As she continued to fawn over the garments, a knock drummed through the door. Diana's head to snap towards the entrance as Helga stepped into the room. The elder of the two sisters offered Diana a small smile as she shut the door behind her.
"Is everything to your liking?" Helga inquired as she moved further into the room, "It's been so long I wasn't sure what you liked anymore so I just left it as it usually is. If you'd like something else-"
Diana shook her head at her sister's worrying nature, "Helga, everything's more than perfect compared to living on a train for more than a month."
Helga, then crossed the room and embraced the younger blonde, "I'm sorry for the things Thomas said. He's always understood numbers more than he understood people so he often comes across as apathetic and awkward. He means well, he just doesn't know how to express it."
"You shouldn't have to apologize for him." Diana reminded her sister, resting her hands on Helga's shoulders as she spoke, "The way he ignored the fact that our parents and all of our brothers died was completely insensitive, especially when you're his wife. Papaw, Mamaw, and the boys were his family too, and he doesn't even bat an eye at it."
Helga's gaze turned to the floor as she sighed, "I know. The war has been a far away dream for us so when your telegraph arrived, the news hit closer to home than he expected. Tommy's never handled grief very well and I know that doesn't excuse his behavior. But with everything going on could you possibly be willing to give him a chance?"
"Give him a chance?" Diana frowned, her brows drew together in confusion. The mere suggestion made the younger woman's vision turn red.
"I know it's difficult for you right now, but please... for me?" Helga pleaded, stepping back to allow some breathing room between them.
Diana sighed, running a hand over her face and her shoulders slumping, "Fine, but only for you."
"Thank you." Helga gave her younger sister a bright smile before taking Diana's hand in her own and squeezing it, reassuringly, "Dinner will be at six-thirty if you'd like to join us. If not, I can have Ms. Mary bring something up for you."
"If it's alright with you, I'd like to have some time to myself." Diana decided after a few moments passed between them.
"That's more than fine." Helga agreed and moved to leave but turned to face her sister once more, "It really is nice to have you here. After all, we're all that's left now."
Diana nodded in agreement as she watched her sister exit the room before she turned her attention out towards the window as the thriving city bustled on in the waning hours of the day. What would be her place in this new life she was expected to lead? Would she fit in? The questions swirled in her mind. The uncertainty unnerved her, but she knew somehow she'd endure.
...
Author's Note: Thanks again for taking the time to read! Please let me know what you think of everything that's gone on. I, truly appreciate all the support this story has generated as it's really driven me to write more than I have in a long time. Even though this chapter isn't exactly what I'd wanted it to be but there's always room for improvement. But I hope everyone continues to enjoy Diana's story as much as I do. Just a heads up the next chapter will have a little bit of a time jump.
Special shout out to Aela_writer for all kind words and encouragement! I might not have pushed myself to get well enough to post if you hadn't responded! Also if you haven't already done so please check out the amazing mood boards theGhostofHarrenhal made for the story on the Soundtrack & Aesthetics page!
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