Chapter Text
The horse’s hooves pounded against the ground, flattening the grass in their wake. Anthony could see her just ahead, the skirts of her riding habit streaming out behind her as mad laughter rose in his chest. God what a woman she was.
She was coming up their drive now, looking over her shoulder at him, grinning in triumph, her entire being alight with it, and Anthony couldn’t help the pounding in his chest. Every beat of his heart echoing her name, just as it always had. Kate Kate Kate Kate Kate.
Her horse skidded to a halt, Newton rushing forward from the steps, her hair unbound, blowing in the spring breeze of the early morning, her voice dripping with amusement. “My, My, Lord Bridgerton, what an absolutely atrocious performance this morning. And here I thought you a much more proficient horseman.”
Anthony leapt down from his horse before it had really slowed, his boots crunching on the gravel, catching her around the waist, “Lady Bridgerton, you wound me.” He tugged her tighter against his chest, letting his voice drop, his lips brushing the shell of her ear, something delicious int he way she still shivered against him. “I rather thought I showed you how proficient a horseman I was last night. And at the very least, what an excellent horse I made, not a hour ago.”
This had been without a doubt, the very best year of his life. He had hardly been able to believe his luck when Kate had stood in front of him, with every memento he’d ever kept, squirrelled away greedily, hoarded jealously, in front of her and told him she loved him too. His heart pounding out of his chest to leapt into her hand where it belonged when she had asked, nay, told him to propose again. She had left his house, wearing his ring, bundled out by her mother who had still looked more than a little mortified at the position she had caught them in, merely bidding one another a fond farewell, in the corridor, and he’d gone to bed that night and thought of nothing but Kate, their entire future sprawled out in front of them, and for the first time in a very long time, there had been a smile on his face as he’d drifted off to sleep.
He’d woken early the next morning, banging on the door of the florist until the irritated looking man opened it, his brow furrowed.
“Lord Bridgerton this is highly irregular!”
“Good morning, Williams! I shall need you to send two hundred or so pink tulips to a Miss Kate Sharma.” Anthony had clapped the man on the shoulder, ignoring the incredulous look.
“Lord Bridgerton, there will hardly be any tulips left in London.”
“Ahh but my bride will be well satisfied! Good day sir!”
He practically ran up the steps to Bridgerton house, his boots pounding on the stone, bursting into the breakfast room, startling several of his siblings as he dropped into the chair beside his mother, kissing her cheek. “What an absolutely beautiful morning it is! Is it not, mother?”
She had looked at him from the very corner of her eye, one eyebrow raised. “You’re very chipper this morning, dearest.”
He hadn’t been able to resist, the smile growing on his face while happiness thrummed in his chest. “Can a man not be glad to greet the day?” He snatched up the newspaper from the table, grinning broadly.
“A man can, you usually are not, though. To what do we owe the honour?”
Anthony hummed nonchalantly, drumming his fingers on the table, “I have been making enquiries about a new house in town.”
His mother had stilled, eyes widening, “You wish to… are you moving to town? It makes little sense to let property if you are, your siblings and I shall be leaving for Kent again before long.”
He’d barely been able to surprise his laughter as he’d gone in for the final blow. “The new Lady Bridgerton and I may wish for a little privacy, while we see out the rest of the season.”
The effect had been nothing short of glorious. His mother had dropped her teacup in surprise, Daphne hd let out a sharp gasp, and Benedict had nearly toppled from his chair.
“The… new Lady Bridgerton? Anthony what-?”
He couldn’t keep the smile off his face, even as he cleared his throat, “Last evening I asked Kate to be my wife-” He had to raise his voice over his mother’s excited gasp- “- And she has accepted.”
His mother had shot out of her seat, arms holding him tightly, her voice whispering in his ear. “I am so happy for you, Anthony, and your papa would be so happy as well. He used to call Kate his future daughter in law, whenever he saw the two of you together.”
Tears stung at Anthony’s eyes, the wind knocked from his chest as he chuckled, “Well that’s a little nicer than the By God, are you back again, boy? I used to receive in greeting from Mr Sharma.”
“Oh he was very find of you, why else do you think he never twisted your ear, when you winked at his daughter?”He hummed, stepping back. “Now, we have lots to plan, we’ll call this morning and-”
“Lady Mary asked that I call this afternoon, I believe Kate has some other gentlemen to… let down gently.” A rather savage stab of ungentlemanly pride had shot through Anthony at that, a small smirk growing on his face that Kate could have chosen anyone, to spend the rest of her life with and yet all she had wanted was him.
He’d been shown into the Sharma’s drawing room, just as the clock had struck one, his mother beside him tutting at the excited way he was bouncing on the balls of her feet.
“If you weren’t so sweet, I should be very vexed at you.” She had hummed as they were announced, Anthony practically pushing her to of the way to get into the room.
Nearly every surface was covered in flowers: Pink tulips. Hundreds of them, and Kate had looked nothing short of breath taking, nestled between them on the window seat, her fingers playing with the dedication card he knew she must have received with them penned in his own hand, his heart hammering in his chest just as it had when he’d seen his ring nestled on her hand sparkling in the afternoon light.
Kate,
When the florists of London replenish their supplies you shall have one for every day I have loved you, until then: consider this a down payment.
Ever yours,
Anthony
She had smiled, when she’d looked up and seen him, a tiny, beautiful thing she always saved just for him and in that moment, he had wondered how he could have ever believed he was meant for something other than being her husband.
“You’ll have to excuse my son’s manners, Mary, he’s a little overcome this morning.” He had vaguely heard his mother hum as he scampered around the room until he was right in front of her, soaking in the amused tilt of her eyebrows, her lips twisting around his name in a smirk.
“Lord Bridgerton, very kind of you to call this afternoon.”
He had inclined his head, barely even thinking as he spoke, “Lady Bridgerton.”
The entire room had fallen silent, so quiet he heard her sharp intake of breath, her thumb fiddling with the unfamiliar weight of the ring on her finger for a moment before her lips curved upwards in a teasing smile. “Not yet, my Lord.”
He had nudged her to make room, his fingertips burning against her arm. “I think you shall find it makes little difference.” He’d tapped the ring on her finger, aware of the three pairs of eyes watching them curiously.
“Nonsense, you have not trapped me at the altar yet, Anthony. There is time yet for me to make my escape.” But even as she had said it, she intertwined their fingers together grinning up at him, their lips just inches apart.
“You have very much trapped me though, Kate.” It had been just a whisper, as their eyes caught together, Kate’s breath catching in his ear again as he tried to nestle closer to her, as close as he could before Lady Mary’s sharp eyes caught him.
Her voice had wavered a little when she spoke, her words falling as a half admonishment at best. “I think, Anthony, that’s quite close enough.” She had turned to his mother with a soft smile on her face. “Violet, I think, perhaps, a short engagement would be best.”
Just a month later Kate had been walking towards him, in the church in the village where they’d both grown up, looking like the most beautiful thing Anthony had ever seen, and he hadn’t been able to breathe for how much he loved her.
There had been so many moments, in the last year where he’d felt overwhelmed by how much love his body could contain.
When he’d laid her against his pillows on the night of their wedding, her eyes filled with love and trust and he’d whispered against her skin Just us, Just like this, forever.
When he’d proudly introduced her to his tenants, who had all smiled delightedly.
“And of course, I believe you already know the new Lady Bridgerton.”
“Gad boy!” Mr Johnson had said, smacking him on the shoulder, while Kate cooed at his new baby, Newton on a leash at her feet. “You had a long engagement. Did you not offer for the girl when she came of age?”
His cheeks had been burning as he’d tried to stammer that no he hadn’t been quite that wise Kate’s laughter had floated back to them. “Mr Johnson, I’m afraid Lord Bridgerton and I are only recently betrothed. My husband needed just a little push.”
And the Johnson’s had all laughed while he murmured, “I thought everyone felt this way about their friends.”
In fact, his marriage to Kate had made him really very popular in the village. She had always been a favourite there, charming her way into extra sweets and, lengths of ribbon, who danced with the working boys at the assemblies just as freely as anybody had. He’d made the choice apparently everyone had been expecting, and still it felt like the best thing he’d ever done. He’d chosen the other half of himself, the woman who sat with him on the sofa and turned his pages while he read aloud to her, kissing his chin while her fingers slipped into the neck of his shirt, tickling his chest hair. The woman who sat for hours with his young brothers and sisters, Newton laying between them and listened to whatever they had to say.
Who laughed at him, and challenged him and made his heart pound in his chest when she wrapped her legs around his waist and dragged him back to bed with her lips nipping at his neck and her fingers wandering and in moments like that he couldn’t believe he’d been so close to letting her slip through his fingers.
“Why did I marry you?” Kate tutted disgustedly, though she didn’t move at all from the cradle of his arms, just stood there, shuffling a little closer, slipping between his legs.
“I believe it was because I’m devilishly handsome and you love me very much. Am I wrong?” Their lips brushed together slowly, a gasp rising in Kate’s chest.
“Yes.” Kate said bluntly, “I married you because your chest looked delicious when we fell in the river and your shirt got wet.”
“Well that’s very wise of you, to assess my assets before leaping into a lifelong commitment.”
Kate hummed, leaning against his chest, brushing their lips together again. “I am known to be very wise.”
“Not so very wise, if you think going to town for the season is a good idea.” He’d been harping win this for weeks, no months. Ever since Kate had hummed when his mother had said-
“Kate darling, have you thought about the preparations for the ball this year?”
“A ball? Kate’s not hosting a ball.” Anthony had hummed, trying to nestle just a little closer to his wife.
Kate’s eyebrow had lifted skeptically at him before she’d turned back to his mother, “As you can see, Violet, Anthony is still having a little trouble keeping up with me. I’m not hosting a ball, Anthony. We are. We’re going to London in April, the Ball is in May.”
And no matter how he’d tired to wheedle or needle at her, or convince her down on his knees with his tongue moving over her. He was going to London.
“For shame, Anthony, one would think you didn’t want to advertise that you managed to carry off a diamond of the first water.” Kate teased, stepping back, pulling her gloves from her hands as she knelt before Newton. “Your Papa has become so grumpy since we married, Newton.”
Anthony humphed, “I would much rather stay in with you, I’m not sure that makes me anything close to grumpy.”
Kate straightened, pushing her hat and gloves into his hands as she walked backwards away from the stable. “Oh come now, Anthony. I will wear very pretty dresses, and I’ll save you a dance, and-”
“I want all your dances this season, my darling.” She danced backwards as Anthony tried to catch her arm, a smirk growing on her lips.
“Perhaps, I shall consider letting you have three of my dances per night.”
“No, I’m afraid I really must have all of them, Lady Bridgerton.”
Kate sighed, making her way back up the drive. “Perhaps you’re right. It will, after all, be our last season before you have to share me.”
Anthony’s eyes narrowed, hurrying after her, panic rising in his chest, “And who might I be expect to share you with?!”
Her lips grew into a devilish smile before she turned away from him, tilting her head back over her shoulder, “Your son, of course.”
And she took off sprinting up the drive, leaving him chasing after her, just like always. And god, he would chase her forever.
“Kaaaaaaate!”