Falling from Grace - Bridgerton

Chapter Sixteen

~Episode Three~

"You have proved you can remain capable of laughing in my presence." The two men walked through the men's club after just winning another round to Lord Featherington.

Simon took a swing of his drink as they walked towards the couches Anthony following behind him, "You cannot fault me for being doubtful of your intentions."

Simon laughing exchanging a greeting with someone else before taking a seat, "Indeed I can, for if I remember correctly you and Grace had a relationship far beyond just friends, while she was engaged I might add."

Anthony clenched his jaw taking a seat beside, "I have moved past that, and she has as well. We were foolish children it is much different than you courting my sister."

"Well then for all the mischief you've witnessed me make, you'd also know I would never make a fool of a lady, and certainly not one such as your sister."

Anthony scoffed remembering Simon's past accounts, "You confound me. You are respectful yet I know you have no intention of marriage. Has that changed?"

"I cannot claim so."

Confused Anthony tried to see what Simon could possibly want with Daphne, "Then what could your intentions be?"

"Respectful, might we leave it there?"

Suddenly a door opened and multiple ladies came through to a crowd's applause, and Anthony searched for Siena. He caught sight of her flirting with another man and stood up, "If you will excuse me,"

"You move on quickly Anthony, and here I was thinking you might never get over her."

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Past:

"Do you live here or do you simply have nowhere else to go?"

Grace looked up from her book to see Anthony looking at her from the doorway and laughed, "If you must know I live next door, but I much prefer the company here then at my family home."

Anthony walked away from the door sitting next to her on the couch and Grace moved from her lying down position to make room for him, "So you enjoy my company then?"

Grace looked up from her book for a moment before looking back down, "Maybe, you have spent the last two summers here."

Anthony smiled, "And I never wish to leave."

The Hastings house was not now only a sanctuary for Grace but for Anthony as well, at least for the summer. Grace folded her book onto her lap wanting to continue the conversation with the young twenty-two-year-old, "And what of your family?"

"What of them?"

"Well this is your second summer here and if you truly are coming back next summer then I must know something about the family you are running away from."

Anthony laughed, "Well, I have three brothers and four sisters."

Grace smiled, "What are they like?"

"Extraordinary, each one is so different it is hard to believe that we are all related. You would love them I just know it. Maybe after I go back you and Simon could join us for dinner."

"We would love that, I wish my family was the same."

"You do not speak of your family often, is their presence just not as good as mine?" He joked but it hit Grace harder than intended,

"Let's just they do not wish for my presence at all." Anthony noticed how suddenly her smile had faded, her thoughts and voice falling deeper into her head.