Lady Unlike Any

4. Collision

"She had felt a collision with him and known that she had wanted this her whole life: to crash for just one moment into another person at such a velocity as to fuse with him." ― Ali Shaw, The Girl With the Glass Feet

"I am Kathalina Liverpool," She said glaring down at him.

"And you are going to pay for what you have done," She continued shocking him.

"Kathalina Liverpool, as in Lady Kathalina Liverpool, daughter of Earl of Liverpool the leader of the conservative party," He said curiously shocked.

"The one and only," She confirmed.

What in God's name was going on today? First, his family came over uninvited and now this woman threatened him in his estate. He needed to find another estate that no one knows of. 

"My lady, what can I do for you?" William asked restraining himself from shouting.

She walked towards him fiercely making him take a step back. She stopped in front of him jabbing her finger in his chest. She was closer than the society dictates the unmarried man and woman to be in each other vicinity and it made him uncomfortable.

"You, how dare you? How can you stoop so low?" She retorted. She was angry and her ginger hair gave her an even more sinister look.

"Perhaps we can sit down and discuss what I have done, my lady," He said a bit afraid of the woman in front of him.

He knows of Kathalina Liverpool, the only daughter of the leader of the conservative party. She debuted in society two years ago and in spite of her parents being the most conservative of the lot, she was somehow unmarried till now.

He had seen her in numerous balls and heard so many things about her from the men that courted her and many that tried to court her but failed. All of them wanted to marry her simply for her dowry, for she was not a traditional beauty. 

He had never paid attention to her, but she was the laughing stock. Men had always talked about her, more like ridiculed her. She was taller than most of the women and lacked flesh at certain parts making her look even taller. Now when she stood in front of him she came up to his chin and her angry topaz eyes were boring into him. Her face was always caked with too much powder and mixed with her ginger hair, it gave her a ghostly look.

She tried too hard, making a man lose all interest. But her dowry alone should have made a smart man turn a blind eye to everything undesirable. And yet she was without a proposal and now he understood why. She was mad and an idiot. Entering an estate of her father's enemy in such a disguise. She could be ruined in a way her father would never be able to hold his head high.

"Do not think you will be let go so easily, my lord," She said backing from him.

"I am afraid you are in the wrong estate, my lady," He said his patience running thin, "I am Lord William Kentshire, Duke of Warwick. I am from the Liberal party, your father is the head of the conservative party."

She narrowed her eyes at him, her anger flaring even more. William didn't know if it was due to the fact that she was in the wrong estate or if she was in right place and he had insulted her intelligence by treating her like a child.

 "I cannot believe it. You are more of a rotten bastard than I thought," She replied vehemently.

William was taken aback by her words. Her father was the idol of conservatism and his daughter was spewing words a lady shouldn't even hear of.

"I beg your pardon," He replied shocked. 

"Oh, don't you play innocent after what you have done," She said crossing her arms.

His head had started to ache.

"My lady, pray to tell me what have I done?" He said irritated.

"Playing coy, are we? Very well, I ought to throw the ledger at your face to refresh your memory," She said, looking at his table once again.

One day, for one day he didn't read a ledger and it invited over this mad woman to his estate. He walked to the wine decanter, where the ledger was lying on the side. He opened the first page and much to his surprise it was her father on the first page.

Lady Liverpool caught in Duke Wayton's library reading the forbidden book "A Modern Proposal to Women by Anonymous"

Lord Liverpool had always stood firm on his traditional views and principles and while preaching the ton about its importance failed to imbibe the same onto his daughter. The daughter that had failed to marry in the last two seasons, instead of spending her time at the ball, was caught in the library reading a scandalous book.

He understood why she would be upset but he still didn't get why she was upset at him?

"This is terrible indeed but I assure you it has nothing to do with him. I think you should find the person that caught you in the library, my lady," He said dismissively.

"I did. It is you," She said.

"And where in the world did you get that idea?" He said staring at her angrily. She ought to run away from his estate with fear instead she looked ready for the battle.

"There was only one man that saw me reading in the library and he told me he was there to meet you," She replied, "He was your man, wasn't he?"

"You believed him because he said my name. Are you daft?" William said. He raised his hand before her silencing her even before she could speak, "And even if that was there is no proof that I was behind this."

"But you had the motivation," She replied. He couldn't believe he could get even more annoyed.

"Everyone is aware that you lost the position to be President of your party," She said bluntly, "and it is obvious you needed something to make good with the council. So, you ridiculed the daughter of the opposition leader knowing fully well it will harm their reputation and gain you some advantage with your peers. How low can you get!"

William couldn't help but gawk at the audacity of this woman. She was throwing accusations without any proof and that too on to her father's enemy in his own home. And who was this man trying to get him tangled with the enemy?

"How do you know that? It hasn't been declared yet. Or better yet how are you privy to the internal affairs of the opposition party?" William asked suspiciously.

"A secret is never a secret in the political world, my lord," She said impatiently.

"And not everything you hear is the truth either, my lady," He said matching her irritation.

William took a deep breath. He couldn't let this annoying woman get on his nerve. It was time he sends her home.

"My lady," William said calmly, "I am afraid the man has lied to you about my involvement with such a terrible thing. I might have lost the presidency to the party but that doesn't mean I have lost my talent and work ethic. I am not stupid to attack an innocent woman's reputation which might destroy everything I worked for and honestly it is beneath me. Now, if you will excuse me I have matters to attend to."

William dismissed her waiting for her to leave but she stood glaring at him which he matched equally.

"It is getting late, my lady," He reiterated, "You ought to leave."

When he showed no sign of relenting she stuffed her hair back in her hat angrily and slammed the door out on her way.

"I will not let you get away with this," She said before leaving.

The day wasn't yet over and he was already exhausted. 

-------------------------------------------------

If you like this chapter please vote, comment and share.