Lady Unlike Any

33. Zenith

"Cry. Forgive. Learn. Move on. Let your tears water the seeds of your future happiness."― Steve Maraboli

William's blood boiled with a newfound rage when he came face to face with Lord Adam in the parlour. He remembered Kathalina's face when she had been distraught at what Lord Adam had done to her.

His teeth clenched and his hands balled into fists. He glared at Lord Adam forgetting he was there to woe Kathalina's parents.

"What is he doing here?" Kathalina was the one to speak. Her voice was angry but William noticed a string of fear attached when she squeezed his hand tighter. His first priority was her. He took deep breaths to reign in his anger and focused all his attention on his wife.

She was his wife. The thought alone made him smile and the protectiveness took a new face.

"What is he doing here?" Kathalina asked once again looking at her parents.

No one answered Kathalina's question. Everyone stood there glaring at one another. Lord Liverpool, her father, rang for the butler and asked them to escort Kathalina and William to the dining hall and suggested not to wait for them.

"No," Kathalina refused to go, "I want to know why is Lord Adam here?"

"Are you going to sit still now too?" Lord Adam said angrily standing, "Your daughter made a fool out of me by eloping and now brings a Kentshire as a husband and you sit there like a damn statue."

"What are you threatening my parents with this time?" Kathalina shouted at Lord Adam. Offended by her words he charged toward her seething.

William stood taller in front of Kathalina like a menacing tiger which made Lord Adam stop in his step.

"You need to throw him out and your daughter," Lord Adam said, "They didn't leave us to show our face anywhere."

"Please," Lord Liverpool said, jaw clenching, "Do not make a scene in my home. Everyone standing in this parlour is a guest, we do not wish to disrespect anyone so if you could all calm down and please do as we say."

Kathalina walked straight and sat on the settee.

"I am not standing," She announced, "And this is my home too".

Her antics made her father snort, a smile forming and disappearing in an instant.

"Kathy," Her mother said, "Please proceed for dinner with Lord Warwick. We will join you soon."

Before Kathalina could question more William put a hand on her shoulder.

"My Lord, My Lady," William spoke to the Liverpools for the first time, "I had multiple speeches prepared on how I will speak to you for the first time and in each one I planned to tell you how much I love Kathalina and that I would do anything in this world for her. But the situation warrants something else from me."

He took a pause letting his words fall on everyone in the parlour.

"I do not mean to offend you in any way and I am saying this with all good intentions. I married your daughter and if you want it or not I am your son in law and my family is your family now. And we Kentshire would do anything for our family. I want you to know that I will now stand with you."

The silence reigned while everyone pondered over his words.

"And what about your standing in parliament against us?" Lady Liverpool asked thoughtfully.

"Family members could have differences in thoughts and opinions but that doesn't mean we stop being a family. We fight with our family members more than we fight with others due to clashes on so many things and yet at the end of the day we want to sit together with them and have a nice meal," He explained.