The Emerald Viscountess

~8~

"Then you betray your immaturity!" Anthony snapped.

Colin took a moment. "If I caused Mother discomfort today, I am sorry for it. I shall speak with her. The truth is, I do not require your permission to marry Miss Thompson. But I would very much prefer to have your blessing."

"Then I am afraid I must disappoint you," Anthony said bluntly.

"You have. In more ways than one."

~~~

Anthony despised the idea of attending dinner with the Featheringtons to celebrate his brother's engagement. He'd rather do anything else, even be in Eleanora's presence. Though the more he thought, the more he realized he'd always want to bask in her presence.

"What were your favorite pastimes in the country?" Violet asked.

"I enjoyed riding above all else, my lady," Miss Thompson answered.

"Please, you must call me Violet now, remember?" she reminded.

"Miss Thompson is such a proper young lady, is she not?" Lady Featherington asked rhetorically from the head of the table.

"Have you traveled at all beyond England, Miss Thompson?" Violet asked, continuing the conversation. "It has long been Colin's greatest ambition to travel the world."

"Never," Miss Thompson admitted. "Though, it is now a great ambition of mine as well."

Phillipa stared at Anthony across the table through her batting eyelashes and he awkwardly averted his eye contact while taking a sip from his glass.

"What think you, Lord Bridgerton?" Lady Featherington asked, catching him off guard.

"I would not like to speculate," he answered, completely unaware of what the lady was asking from him.

"Yes indeed, I believe a honeymoon in foreign parts would be just the thing," Lady Featherington concluded. She turned to Colin. "Mister Bridgerton, you might even make the most of this fine weather that we've been having - if you choose to marry sooner rather than later."

"Colin is still very young," Anthony advised, suspicious of Lady Featherington's need to rush the wedding. "I believe a lengthier engagement would be prudent. Excellent weather notwithstanding."

"Mother," Colin said, wishing to change the subject. "Have I told you Miss Thompson is very accomplished at needlework?"

So is Nora. Anthony pushed the thought back.

"She really is quite brilliant," Colin praised. "Puts my sisters to shame."

"I can assure you, that is not true," Miss Thompson stated sheepishly.

"You have not seen my sister Daphne's embroidery. In all honesty, it is like a battlefield."

Lady Featherington forced a laughter, making Anthony want to visibly cringe.

After the dinner, the Featheringtons insisted the Bridgertons took a seat in their drawing room while Phillipa played the pianoforte as Prudence sang an awful rendition of Oh Dear, What Can the Matter Be. Thankfully Anthony brought his glass of liquor from the table, taking a long drink from his glass at the horrid sight.

~~~

"Oh dear me," Eleanora muttered, bursting into Anthony's study, the latest Whistledown in her hand.

Anthony shot his head up at the sudden entrance, setting aside his papers on his desk.

"Dear me, dear me," Eleanora continued, pacing around in a panic. "Alchohol. I will need - ah, this will do." She searched around, spotting Anthony's glass of scotch and downed the rest of it, slamming down the glass back on the table. She showed no reaction to the scotch going into her smoothly, all within a blink of Anthony's eye.