Season's Feather

Chapter Forty-Two

"Miss. Thompson." Delilah greeted with a smile. "Thank you for joining us."

Miss. Thompson just looked at her, "I did not realize I had a choice."

Delilah ignored her comment. Walking over and taking a seat on the couch of the Silvesters drawing room. She decided it would be best if the two gathered in her home as there would be no interruptions since her mother was upstairs resting.

"My fill for a brother wished for an audience. And I wish to avoid any further scandal to their family name. I will remain here as a chaperone." Delilah nodded to Colin. And he turned quickly to the real visitor at the Silvester estate.

"Marina.. You must tell me this Whistledown woman is mistaken. What she wrote, it cannot be true." Colin pleaded.

"But it is."

Colin looked taken aback, "You are with child?"

Miss. Thompson nodded.

"I do not understand." He said, "We were to be wed. You, you said you loved me."

"Colin, I hold you in the greatest esteem." Miss. Thompson spoke clearly.

"Esteem?" Colin laughed bitterly, "You are a cruel woman indeed to stand here and talk of friendly affection, as if you have not committed a sin against me."

"Speak not of sin, Mr. Bridgerton." Miss. Thompson fired, "I did not come here to be shaed by you, nor anyone else."

Her eyes drifted over to Delilah's figure sitting. A silence passed between them. Delilah bit her tongue.

"I did not know better." Marina whispered, "You may think me a villain, but I did what I thought I must. No one ever truly helped me, or guided me in a different direction. I had no choice. I needed to be wed. And you, you were the only man who offered me even a glimpse of happiness." Miss. Thompson explained.

Colin scoffed, "So I should feel flattered then? Consider myself lucky that you chose me, lied to me, tried to trick me into a fraud of a marriage? I shall take my leave of you for the last time, Miss. Thompson." Colin smiled bitterly.

Delilah felt her heart shatter at his words. He had truly felt something for her, and she had just used him.

"You wish to know the cruelest part of your deception? If you had simply come to me and told me of your situation, I'd have married you without a second thought. That is how in love I believed myself to be."

Miss. Thompsons eyes turned glassy.

Colin started to shake and his eyes were sprinting around the room, "But I see now that was all a lie." Colin turned and stormed out.

Delilah stood up from her spot. She was frowning at the door where Colin had disappeared through. He understood in a small sense, she was shocked at the revelation as well. Her eyes turned to Miss. Thompson with a stern look though. But she received the same look back, only more full of hatred.

"I believe I would like to return home now. After all, we don't want another scandal attached to the Bridgerton family name." Miss. Thompson spat.

Delilah watched as she exited the room more calmly then Colin, but the door was still slammed.

Women. We are so dramatic. She thought.