Lady Unlike Any

11. Through Shadows

"Pulvis et umbra sumus. (We are but dust and shadow.)"― Horace, The Odes of Horace

"Your mother," Kathalina repeated shocked, "Lady Kentshire."

"Yes," He said his eyes reflecting sadness for a second.

"You must be jesting," She chuckled, "She is the Duchess of Kentshire, why would she want to be mistress of another estate?"

"Not the mistress, only master," He explained.

"Then does she wants to be the sole master of Duchy of Kentshire?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, not Kentshire. Warwick," He said.

"Warwick. Aren't you the duke of Warwick?" She asked puzzled.

"I am," He answered.

"I do not understand," She said.

"I suppose so,"

"Then explain," She said with an obvious tone.

"Why?" He asked uninterestedly.

"Because I want to understand," She said stubbornly surprising.

He looked at her carefully not finding anything other than a genuine interest to understand.

"It is quite a story," He sighed, she sat down quietly, her ears perked a curious look on her face. He took a deep breath. No one ever asked about his or his brother's titles. Why they were all Duke's when they weren't firstborn? She was the first and he couldn't help but tell the tale.

"My maternal grandfather was the youngest prince and he loved his daughter dearly," He started.

Prince Sheraton believed his daughter was the greatest treasure. He raised her with grace and a free mind. As she grew older, of the marrying age, he was certain no man could ever be worthy of her and least of all free-spirited Lord Kentshire. But he couldn't go against his daughter's happiness even though he never approved of her husband.

He wanted her to have her own identity, the mistress of her own life. He gifted her the Duchy of Warwick, a royal duchy in his care. But the law wouldn't allow a woman to be the estate owner and the prince would never attach his daughter's gift to Kentshire. Prince Sheraton went to everyone to find a solution to his dilemma after realizing persuading his daughter not to marry Kentshire wasn't going to be successful. In the end, it was decided the second son of Kentshire that will never inherit the Kensthire Duchy will become the master of the Warwick.

Even though William became Duke of Warwick the moment he was born, Warwick will always be his mother's, a separate part of her from the Kentshire. Her individual presence in the world, not relating her to anyone. Any other woman would have been scared but she was a born queen and was ecstatic about the idea to be a master but in the eye of society her identity was attached to her husband and her sons.

"Why does it have to be that a woman's identity should always be linked to a man? Why always a daughter, a wife, a mother and not simply her," He asked.

"My mother is far more capable and talented than half of the men in parliament and yet she will be known as Duchess of Kentshire and nothing else. She will never be able to present her ideas to anyone or actively participate in King's council or parliament sessions. Her intelligence will always be hidden and in time she will forget what she is capable of. Do not get me wrong, my lady, my mother is perfectly happy with Kentshire Duchy and my father loves her more than everything in this world but a part of her will always be unfulfilled."

He sighed. He knew he said too much but he couldn't help but add a bit more.

"My mother was lucky she had my father but it made me wonder about all those women who are not so lucky. Who reluctantly have to give up their everything to their husband. Their good for nothing husband squandering their wives wealth on mistresses and gambling while the women despair."

Kathalina was stumped. She couldn't accept anything he said. For everyone in Great Britain, Lady Kentshire was the epitome of grace and nobility for all women and here it was another side of the same coin no one knew. If the truth was to reveal it will be an even greater scandal than ever seen before.

Everything he spoke of went against all that she was taught. A respectable lady marries a noble lord and provides an heir to continue his lineage and devote herself to taking care of her husband's family. She saw how ton looked at her mother for not producing an heir but a troublesome girl. How many times her relatives asked her father to take another wife who can provide the heir, even a mistress son would do they will say.

"Did your mother tell you this?" She asked after a prolonged silence.

"She doesn't have to. She loved Duchy of Warwick it was apparent when she started grooming me for the position. She always encouraged me to be more than a Duke. It might be surprising for you but my love for politics came from her."

He was speaking fondly, a ghost of a smile on his lips, immersed in his world. It was difficult for her to accept the words he spoke but his passion made him looked ethereal. She saw something in him that made anyone want to follow him when he spoke.

"My father is respected and honoured by royalty for his excellent strategies but no one knows that my mother was the centre of it all. She decided on the most efficient one, closing all the loopholes able to think far off in the future," He continued, "My mother was always by my father side, working from the shadows. She is his brain while he is her strength. Together they are a formidable team."

He observed the emotions playing on her face carefully. The range of emotions passing through trying to understand was a comical sight. She was struggling with assimilating all that she heard.

"It is time you should leave, my lady," He said when she stayed silent for a long time.

"But I have more questions," She grumbled.

"Even if I answer all of your questions you won't understand," He said.

"And why not?" She grumbled.

"Because of your," He stopped mid-sentence.

Katharina felt her heart broke a bit.

"My parents," She said with fake confidence, "You can say it. I know you were thinking about it."

"It is not like that," He said softly, "I apologize."

He had seen through her facade.

"I know my parents are traditionalists, the conservative of the lot. But I never felt that I was lacking something in their care," She said.

"And yet here you are on a whimsical adventure that I am certain your parents will be horrified to find out," He exclaimed back to usual bantering.

"I never said they were perfect," Kathalina started, anxiety creeping in, speaking about her parents in front of someone else. Especially when he was not only her father's enemy but also came from a family whose parents did not seem to have any flaws.

William heard her. He sat down on his chair, passing her the glass of water. She was in distress and he wanted her to hold and comfort her.

"My parents seem so incompetent to you but they love me and they have never done anything that I do not like," She expressed, "And what is wrong in being conservative, I am of this soil and I would like to adhere to age-old traditions. I am a proud English."

"And yet your name is not English at all," He said smugly.

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