Season's Feather

Chapter Twenty-Two

Two Bridgertons and Delilah sit in the drawing room. Daphne sits at the piano, playing a repetitive tune. Eloise sits reading on the couch. And Delilah sit's across from her reading her own novel.

At this point - listening to Daphne's repetitive line of notes - Delilah could pinpoint exactly where she was playing and do it the same for another fifty times.

"Oh! Enough! I beg of you." Eloise groans. She throws her book into her lap and looks up at Daphne who had quickly turned around at the interruption.

"Perhaps you should join me. You will need to be proficient on the pianoforte soon enough. You could use the practice I'm sure." Daphne gives Eloise a pointed look.

She waves her hand though turning her attention back to her book, "On second thought, continue. You will frighten away the duke, the prince, and any other eligible suitor clear across the North Sea."

Daphne scofs, her eyes widening just a bit, "And you would wish that upon me, would you, sister?"

"If it kept Mama's attention focused on you instead of me, I might,"

Delilah lets her jaw drop open dramatically. She looked over at her friend who stared down her sister for a moment before she tilted her head and turned in her seat, "You can take your reading outside," Daphne says.

Eloise looks up with an offended expression, and Delilah sat up a little straighter.

"You say that as if it were such a bad thing," Eloise says.

"I meant no such thing." Daphne dismisses.

Delilah looked at Daphne, she couldn't tell if she was lying or not, but she assumed she meant no harm.

"But it won't gain me a husband? That's what you meant?"

"Eloise.." Delilah whispered.   

"You wish to follow your heart. I wish to nurture my mind. Let us leave it there." Eloise picked her book back up.

Daphne turned around on the piano bench, "Can you at least try to understand? You never see things from my perspective. You are not the only one with troubles, Eloise. You have no idea what it is-" She paused however taking a breath. "It does not matter."

They sat in silence for a moment. Delilah turned her head between both of them. Eloise looked at her book, then closed it softly. Daphne turned back to the piano.

"Is it an original?" Eloise's voice picked back up.

"What?" Daphne asked.

"That song, did you compose it yourself?"

Daphne nodded her head, "In a manner of speaking."

Eloise nodded her head, then turned back to Daphne. "What is the name of it?".

"It does not have a name."

"Every song has a name."

"It is just a song, Eloise."

Eloise nodded her head. She picked her book back up. "If you need to practice, then do so. Just..come up with a name for it, at least."

Daphne nods her head. She picks up her hands and places them on the keys and repeats the same set of notes.

— & —

That same morning out at the park, the three mothers were together again out in the park. However, this time there was the chatter of the Duke and Daphne behind them.

"Tell me again why Delilah turned down this morning in the park, Mary?" Violet asked.

Mary looked over at her friend humming lightly, "Bills. The girl is working non-stop in the study on downtime so she can balance everything."

Agatha frowned, "I thought Anthony was helping her?"

"He is," Mary smiled, "But, he cannot be there all the time. He has the Bridgerton study to worry about as well. I worry she will be cramped up there till dinner, however."

"She is a smart girl." Violet smiled at her friend, "She will be just fine."

Mary shook her head, "She should not have to worry about our bills."

"Delilah should not worry about anything," Agatha commented. "She learned how to work numbers to keep an estate running. She has found herself an appropriate match so now she doesn't have to fret over her father's centuries-old deal. Delilah is an impeccable woman, Mary. Do not worry."

Mary nodded and let the conversation end. She looked around the park, and her eyes strayed over to Miss Cressida Cowper sitting with the prince, "So, Miss Cowper has finally found her match."

"A highly unlikely pairing, if I may say so," Agatha added.

Violet let her head tilt back slightly, "I say good for the young lady. Perhaps it will keep that horrible mother of hers off her back."

The three women smile fakely at Lady Cowper on their stroll by their tent. Mary drops the smile as soon she passes in her vision.