Burn - Edmund Bridgerton II's story

Chapter 10 - Aftermath

Viscountess Kate Bridgerton was still sitting by the breakfast table after everyone else had left. Anthony had marched out of the room shortly after Eddie had run into the storm after Amelia, while Kate had tried her best to calm down the Dorsets, Miles and Charlotte. Everyone had naturally been upset over Anthony's words and Kate tried to convince them that it was something else that was bothering him and they should not worry about it, even though it was quite clear that it was Amelia's presence that had caused his unacceptable behaviour. After Eddie's revelation about his father's history with a certain opera songstress, it was obvious to every single one in the room why the poor girl's presence had in fact bothered the viscount so much.

Kate had also begged Geoffrey that this unfortunate incident would not affect his opinion about Amelia and that he would still want to marry her - "Surely Eddie will find her and bring her back shortly, so you can talk things through with her!" - but now two hours had already passed and neither Amelia or Eddie were nowhere to be seen. Luckily, Geoffrey had nevertheless stated that this would not change his feelings towards the girl and the Dorsets had gone to their rooms, determined that they would leave for London immediately when Amelia came back and the storm had passed. That had left Kate alone in the breakfast room with a silently shocked Charlotte and an agitated Miles, who was nearly screaming about how on earth could an honourable man like his father get involved with such a scandalous soprano, one that the gossip papers still wrote about twenty years after her career. Kate had tried to calm him down with an "we have all been young at some point" speech, which of course did not help, because Miles and Charlotte were both young at the moment and they were somehow the most sensible human beings she had ever met.

Kate did not even know how that had happened, as they had definitely not inherited it from either of their fiery parents. Neither of them would probably ever do anything reckless or foolish, not even when they were in love, whereas Eddie and Lily seemed to be more spontaneous and intense in every way. Poor, careful Miles had already everything planned out with Miss Emily Dorset and this could definitely prove to be a huge setback to his plans. Would the Dorsets allow their daughter to marry into a household where the viscount spoke to his female guests in such a way he had this morning?

"Miss! Miss, are you alright?" Kate heard a maid call out in the hallway, so she stood up and walked to the door. She managed to catch a glimpse of Amelia, who was rushing up the stairs towards the guest wing, just before she disappeared behind the corner. Kate let out a sigh of relief, at least the girl was alright and Eddie knew the forest like his own pockets, so he would surely be back in no time as well. If he had not been struck by lightning, or a tree had fallen on top of him, or... Kate shuddered and tried to stop her wildly galloping imagination, caused by the vicious thunder. Fortunately, the storm seemed to have passed already and it was no longer raining as heavily outside, but Amelia had still looked like she was soaking wet and frozen.

"You should probably go and prepare her a warm bath." Kate pointed out to the maid, who curtsied, hurried upstairs and left Kate alone again. She went back and sat down by the breakfast table, prolonging the moment before she would have to go and talk to Anthony. She had no clue what she should say to him. She was furious at him and of course disappointed as well over how he had spoken to a young woman, in their very own house nevertheless, which Kate had always wanted to be a welcoming place for everyone who was their guest. Still, she also somehow understood the pressure her husband felt because of Eddie's very apparent interest in the Fife girl and Charlotte's debut with her countless eager suitors.

The summers at Aubrey Hall also sometimes seemed to wake up some agonising memories about his father, which Kate understood very well, especially right now, since thunderstorms always brought back her own painful memories about her father. Out here, summertime made Anthony every now and then a bit melancholy and kept him in the background, away from the joy of the other visiting Bridgertons, but this time it seemed to be worse than ever before. Something was clearly troubling him deeply, something else than just Eddie and Charlotte. Kate simply had to find out what it was, no matter how angry she was at him at the moment...