Season's Feather

Chapter Forty-Eight

Delilah was in the sunroom the next morning when Williamson came in with tired eyes. Delilah frowned at him and walked over hugging him quickly.

"She lied," He whispered.

Delilah felt her tears watering at the hopelessness in his voice. The way his shoulders sagged, and his weight dropped to her shoulders. He was tired. So inexplicably tired. "I'm sorry," Delilah whispered.

Williamson's voice broke further, "I love her."

Delilah felt her heart split in two. Love was supposed to be easy and free. It was supposed to be light as a feather. That was what she had with Anthony, but Anthony also wasn't dredged up in duty. Williamson had his family to take care of. And while he loved Kate, there was the unspoken future that prevented them from being together.

Williamson was engaged to Edwina Sharma. He could not be with Kate. Loving her wouldn't change the eyes of the ton.

"Duty. More than laws or faith, I have often thought it the bond that holds our fragile society together. Duty to rank and title. Fidelity to one's family name. It demands both utter obedience and total sacrifice.

"But what happens when such duty is in conflict with the heart's true desire? Why, then, there is the potential for a considerable scandal, indeed. The only question is, will the parties in question heed my warning?

"Or is it already too late to turn back to duty and away from desire?"

Williamson rode up on his steed to Kate Sharma, "I see you continue here with your morning rides." He got off his horse to approach the miss.

She looked at him with a face of trepidation, "As do you, it seems."

"I couldn't sleep," He admitted.

"Nor could I," Kate added, "Have you decided what you will do?"

Truth be told Williamson fought with himself about two different outcomes. But, each time the voices of the people around him spoke. Delilah, Felicity, and Thomas all spoke of following his heart. But, his father spoke of following duty.

Unfortunately, his fathers voice won.

"Long have I wrestled with it, but I see no other option. I will talk with Miss Edwina today and see my way to ending things. It is the only way that the two of us can be rid of this impossible situation. Once the engagement is over, our paths need never cross again," Williamson explained, "It will be as if we never met."

The look on Kate's face made him scream at himself. But he kept his composure. Despite the fact that Kate looked like she'd rather do anything than cut contact.

"You cannot," She said, "You cannot do that."

"Miss Sharma-"

"You cannot break my sister's heart. She is all things good and true. A tender soul you will never find. She has loved me as well as any sister could, and I could not live with myself if I robbed her of her happiness and the future she deserves."

Williamson scoffed to himself, "You have been against this union from the start."

"I was wrong!" Kate said, "I will not be the cause of you losing your honor any more than I can stand to see Edwina in pain. You once saw her as your perfect match, you will find your way to believing it again. Please, Lord Aevery. Williamson. You must keep your word. You must marry my sister. You must marry her as soon as you can, because this feeling that plagues us will pass."

Williamson felt his heart cracking as she said the words. It was just passion that would pass. It had too. It would. There was no other option. They could not be together. He would marry Miss Edwina Sharma, and she would become Lady Aevery. The control Kate continued to rip away from him would become his again.

He would become immune to her.

"Very well. I shall see that the wedding takes place as soon as possible."

Then he mounted his horse, and rode away.