Lady Unlike Any

5. Friend or Foe

"The foe loves destruction and misery."― Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms

Kathalina was furious. She kept thinking about her encounter with William Kentshire. He was a stone-cold rotten bastard. She couldn't believe he had lied to her face. She was not an idiot, she knew he was the one who would benefit most from attacking her father.

"Kathy, Kathy," She heard her mother calling her, "Are you unwell? Why are you clutching the fork as you want to murder someone with it."

"I am sorry, mother," Kathalina relaxed, looking over her father who stopped looking at her after the ledger had published about her library escapade. He was disappointed in her and her resolve to make William Kentshire pay strengthened even more.

All night she plotted on how to make him confess he was the culprit and then make him apologize publicly. When the morning came and she was well-rested, her anger had subsided and she started thinking over all that had transpired between them. He had a point when he said he will be in even more danger if someone found out he was behind this all.

But desperation can make a man lose all senses and she was not going to give up till she finds the culprit behind this. If William Kentshire was innocent as he said he was, someone was trying to malign his reputation too or it could be a deception. He could have asked his lackey to tell his name so as to prove the point how can he be so stupid or he might be telling the truth.

Whatever it may be, whoever did this she was going to get the bottom of this and for that, she was ready to make a friend or foe whatever it may be of William Kentshire.

She donned another of her tailcoat. Her skinny physique helped her to disguise herself in men's clothing and her father big hat help hide her ginger hair. She has to be careful, while she speaks or addresses someone. She couldn't believe she had to resort to such attire to meet William Kensthire.

She had seen him in various balls since the time she debuted and he always looked like a formidable person and everyone was afraid of him. He had this icy cold disposition about him that fascinated Kathalina. She had the urge to poke him and check if he really had flesh or he was made of the stone all along. She wondered if she would be able to invoke any reaction on his stoic face.

From her early childhood, she had known no one is your friend in this political world and she had stayed away from her father's friends and foe's alike and he was no exception.

She had told her mother she was going to spend her day with her friend Patricia and here she was in front of William Kentshire's estate early in the morning to spy on him. In a rage, she had made a foolish move to enter his estate. He could have done anything to her but he simply let her go but she was not going to test his limits. So, here she was waiting for him to leave his estate so she could follow him to his office chamber in the parliament house.

She paid the driver handsomely once she reached the parliament. She was grateful that it was the right carriage and he had gotten down in the parliament. She wanted to follow him discreetly but his long legs and pace made Kathalina half run behind him. Some of the men looked at her suspiciously but didn't dare to stop her. She cursed William once more.

She almost caught up to him when the guard stopped her looking at her suspiciously.

"Name and purpose," He said, passing a registry towards her.

She filled in the information with her right hand making it as unintelligible yet acceptable as possible. She tipped her hat and dashed away to find William. He was nowhere to be found.

It was the first time she had entered her father's workplace. Her father never talked of his work. He believed politics was not for the women and the pressure could stress them out too much. It must be true and her anger rose when she realized she had to be here for this wretched man.

Kathalina moved around from chamber to chamber trying to find William and in the end, she spotted him through a door sitting and burst in without thinking.

"There you are," She spoke up and realised not only him but three other men were looking at her in shock.

"And who you might be?" One of them asked.

"Apologies, my lords," William stood up from his place walking towards her glaring. He stood beside her and held her arms in his hand clutching tightly, "Please pardon him."

"Who is he? He looks rather young, how did he even enter the building?"

"He started training for footman in my estate recently and lacks all manners, please excuse us. We shall postpone our meeting for now," William bowed and dragged her out of the chambers.

"I am sorry," She whispered and his hold on her arms tightened and it was starting to hurt her. She definitely made him angry and it was best to keep quiet for time being.

She tried to see where he was taking her and to her horror, she saw her father coming right towards them. No one else had recognized her but she was sure her father will definitely recognize her and god knows what will happen to her. She had to think quick. She couldn't let William drag her in front of her father.

Her brain froze at the step of immediate danger and she could see her father speaking to one of his colleagues and they were making their way straight towards them. She couldn't avert her eyes and before her father could pass them she was snatched and was huddled in a dark corner of the building. She looked up to see she was pressed against William Kentshire, without a hairbreadth of space between them. His onyx eyes looked dangerously evil while his minty breath fanned her face.

She jerked backwards away from him but there was hardly any space left. She opened her mouth to protest and swiftly as he was he pressed his hands on her mouth signalling her to stay quiet. A shiver of thrill passed through her. It was like the adventures books she has read about all the daring knights. She always wanted to be a knight but the situation was quite opposite, she wasn't the knight here this despicable of a man was saving her from her father.

She shoved William's hand from her mouth and stayed quiet pouting at the turn of events. He peeked outside carefully and signalled her to walk behind him and she followed him without a sound looking around carefully.

As soon as she entered his chamber and shut the door behind them she left a deep breath of relief. She looked up to find William Kentshire looked thoroughly furious with onyx eyes blazing with fire.

"Need I even ask, my lady?" He said emphasizing on my lady, mocking for unladylike behaviour she had displayed at every turn.

"I thought about what you said," She said which only made him raise his brows. He was always the man of few words, "Someone had tried to malign my reputation, it could be you. But if it didn't have to do anything with you then someone is trying to malign your reputation too. And I need to find that person."

"Why?" He asked dangerously close to losing his temper.

"Whoever they might be, they will pay for dragging my reputation through the mud and you will help me discover them," She said with determination.

"No, I will not," William said with finality.

"Why not? Don't you want to know who is trying to use your name in this?" She asked puzzled.

"No one would dare use a Kentshire name so callously," He said, "It was only because of you that they had the audacity to drag me into this."

"Why is that? Why only me?" She asked bewildered.

"Because you are foolish."

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

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