Season's Feather

Chapter Sixteen

"This author has often thought the heart a most curious of instruments, heading neither reason nor rank. For what possible explanation might Miss Bridgerton have for entertaining the suit of a mere baron when she seems to have secured a duke?

"Could the debutante mind not be the only thing amiss?

"Certainly not as it comes to my ears that Miss. Silvester might not fully be in love with Lord Bridgerton, but there for the escape from a years-old arranged marriage, she wants nothing to do with. A marriage pre-arranged by her father."

"Delilah you know I am not mad at you right, what Whistledown writes is nothing compared to the truth," Anthony said looking at Delilah's tearful eyes. The latest edition of Lady Whistledown sat on the desk of the Silvester study.

"And what is the truth, Anthony?" She said.

Anthony walked close to her, his breath fanning her face, torso just barely pushed against her own. He brought his hand up to her cheek. "That I am courting you because I truly have feelings for you. Even if I don't quite know how to express them." He whispered. But Delilah heard it, and she looked up to Anthony with the brightest eyes he had ever seen.

She moved her hand to cup the hand brushing her cheek. "You have, feelings?"

Anthony's eyes widened before he nodded, "Ever since that summer. Our meetings were in the moonlit window at night when we had no one but each other at the end of the day. I tried to push it away, I thought I had."

"You didn't want to like me?" Delilah whispered.

"No, my love," Anthony spoke quickly, "Seeing you again as a woman, a man would be foolish to leave a woman with your beauty for someone else to find. There is no greater pain than watching you with someone else. I am selfish, and I don't handle pain well.

"Since that summer I knew there was something about you." She whispered back. Anthony smiled down at her, and Delilah returned it.

"Then let us make this a real courtship."

He leaned down and sealed the gap. A light kiss, a light touch. But there were so many explosions. Delilah's chest was swelling in joy, she returned the kiss. The room suddenly felt lighter. The inexplicable tension softened. And when Anthony opened his eyes, he knew it was right. Everything in that moment was so right.

"Let it be known, dear reader, that if another bizarre behavior portends yet another scandal, then be sure that I shall uncover it, for there is nothing like an excursion into nature to lift the spirits and loosen the tongue."

The Bridgerton family was now at the park with many other families. Today Mary had joined them under the then set up for all of them.

Delilah was perched by Anthony's side, his grip on her was as firm as it usually was, but he had become more sweet. He had taken every chance to steal little kisses, peck her cheek, hold her hand, and most prominently keep a hand around her waist so her frame - which was rather small compared to him - was tucked into his side most of the time.

The mood surrounding the two families had been joyous and comfortable, and that is when Delilah took her moment to find her friend.

"Daphne," She said as she took a seat next to her best friend, "I miss you."

Daphne said nothing.

"I did not want you to marry that man."

"I did not either," Daphne said, "But I am capable of speaking for myself. Even then, what if Anthony hadn't believed you? Would he have even believed me? Did he only change his mind about Lord Berbrooke because another man was the start of the uncovered truth?"