Unexpected Love || Anthony Bridgerton

ten

"A duel?"

Marianne was frozen in shock as her brother replayed the events of the evening at the Trowbridge ball to his sisters in the living area of their house.

Apparently during the Trowbridge ball, whilst Lucille had spent the night dancing with the Prince and Marianne had spent it avoiding Anthony and his soprano counterpart, there had been a commotion outside when the viscount had caught his sister and the duke scandalously tangled up in one another.

And apparently, seeing as the duke refused to wed Daphne, Anthony challenged him to a duel at dawn.

Men.

"They cannot! Surely?" Lucille asked desperately, eyes wide with terror, "It is illegal! I could tell Freidrich, perhaps he can stop it."

"He shall have them both arrested, sister." Marianne reminded her, "He is a prince, he has duties."

"Well then what do we do?" She cried helplessly, fingers threading through her blonde locks, "They are our friends! We cannot just simply let them die!"

"And we won't." William spoke firmly, "I shall find them and hopefully talk some sense into both of them so they shoot wide."

"And if they don't?" Asked Marianne, brown hairs spiralling from her up-do with panic and worry.

William hesitated, "I —,"

"And if they don't, William?" She gritted out.

Her distraught brother stared at her with a look that made her regret the harshness of her words, "Then there is nothing we can do." He whispered helplessly.

Marianne's resolve plummeted. She sat herself down on the settee, her head falling into her hand at the oncoming headache of everything that had happened.

A duel. Anthony could die, the duke could die. Daphne could loose either a brother or the man she loved that night and Marianne had no idea how to help with the situation.

Lucille had wrapped her arms around herself, her cheeks and dress the same shade of distressed pink, "What are we to do?"

William couldn't find the words, the grief of loosing one of his friends the next day too overwhelming to put into words. So naturally, Marianne took a deep breath and moved to stand, "You will sleep." Her gaze flickered from Lucille back to William, "You will find Anthony and convince him to calm off this reckless duel. And I will go check on my children."

Her voice was much calmer than what she was feeling, but if all of them panicked and cried all at once there would be no one to help see reason through all the commotion.

"That's it?" Lucille spluttered.

"What else do you propose?" Marianne asked, voice numb, "If either one of us is seen out at night without an escort, we shall be tarnished. You will not be allowed to marry Friedrich." She pointed out making Lucille recoil and glance away, "We cannot get caught up in this. Anthony made a decision, it is his own fault if his actions result in something vile."

Hearing no other words leave her sibling's lips she quickly ascended the stairs to her room. She kept her composure up until the door gently shut behind her.

Then she broke.

Clutching her stomach, Marianne's face twisted in agony as silent tears spilled down her face. She slumped against the door, the pain at the thought of loosing Anthony was too much. She couldn't bear it.

And yet all she could do was cry and wait until morning. And hope her heart didn't completely shatter upon hearing the news.

It was past the middle of the night when rapid knocking on the front door awoke Marianne from her sleep.