Anthony was sitting in his study looking over some paperwork when he noticed his mother enter the room cautiously. "You were a reasonable mother until your eldest daughter came of age." He spoke with a harsh tone.
"Anthony..." Violet tried to say as she entered the room further, but was cut off by her frustrated son,
"This matchmaking scheme you rather transparently concocted with Lady Danbury, it will not work." He said firmly as he looked up at his mother for the first time since she entered the room.
"I can think of worse matches for Daphne than a Duke," Violet said with a bit of a sassy undertone in her voice. "I believe the two of you to be friends."
"We are good friends." Anthony was tired of his mother's antics, "Which is why I know that he has absolutely no intention of marrying."
"You must understand that all men make that assertion. Your... your father even-" But she was cut off again by an upset Anthony,
"Do not bring father into this." He said hastily "Even if he were in want of a wife, you most certainly wouldn't want the Duke anywhere near Daphne." Violet let out a little scoff in disbelief,
"I am fully subscribed to the belief that reformed rakes make the very best of husbands." She said in a matter-of-fact tone.
"He will not make her happy!" Anthony raised his voice. Violet's expression turned to a stunned one at her son's sudden outburst, "Daphne deserves better. And I know you think that you are solving the problem, but you are not, and that is all I should say on the matter." He finished with a definitive statement, but Lady Bridgerton wasn't done yet,
"The Duke will be joining us as our guest at Vauxhall tomorrow evening," She spoke uneasily, not sure of Anthony's reaction, "I admit, it was not easy to convince him to come." Anthony sighed in frustration at his mother,
"You overstep." He declared. Violet became flustered and defensive,
"She is my eldest daughter." She said irked by her son's ways,
"She is my responsibility, as are you." The Viscount stated. Lady Bridgerton scoffed at his words,
"Responsibility?" She asked with a slight laugh,
"Do not make this more difficult than it already is," He warned his mother, but she was through with his arguing.
"I wish to know something, Anthony," She said in a tone that he knew meant he was on her last nerves, "Tonight when you leave this study that you continue to keep at your family home, are you to return to your bachelor lodgings across the square, or will you pay a visit to a certain soprano that you tend to in an apartment that you pay for across town?" Anthony's eyes shot up to his mother's at her words and glared at her. "Relying on your younger brothers to one day do the job that you cannot." Anthony's eyes softened as he realized the truth in her words, "You like to speak of responsibility. My Dear son!" Violet shook her head in bewilderment at his hypocrisy. "Of duty? Pray tell, what you should know of it?" Lady Bridgerton's tone softened as she began the next part of her speech, "I sit with her every day in that drawing-room. Do you know what I see? A young woman who is terrified because she knows of what kind of life, what kind of future awaits her should you continue to get in her way!" Anthony scoffed and shook his head at his mother's words "If your father were still here, Daphne would have already been matched. The man would've made an arrangement with an old friend. The man would've done what was necessary, and here you are refusing to even marry. I invite a perfectly acceptable Lady over, and you chase her away," Violet moved her hands around as she spoke to further emphasize her point, "So you must ask yourself, are you merely an older brother, or are you the man of this house?" Violet stared at her son as he focused his attention on his hands. Violet walked out of the room angrily without a response from her son. Anthony watched his mother leave with glassy eyes and knew her words to be true.
Anthony thought about Nicollette and the way she carried herself, the way she fought so hard to keep her thoughts from spilling out of her mouth. He wished so hard that she might one day lose the habit and be able to speak freely, and he wished that he would be the one to hear it. Anthony thought of the way she smiled at the simplest of things and her dimples stuck out on her cheeks, he thought of the way she was so kind to Gregory and Hyacinth and knew she would make an excellent mother. Anthony thought about her on the arm of another man and it made his stomach clench in distaste. He couldn't help be infatuated with the young Arquette girl and it terrified him. Anthony felt that his end would be sooner than most and that was the reason why he had declared himself a lifelong bachelor but the thought of being happy with the beautiful Arquette girl by his side, made him doubt all his previous worries.
The following morning Anthony found himself in Sienna's bed wrapped in the bedsheets. He watched the young opera singer sleep and dreaded what he was going to tell her when she woke. He glanced at the watch his father gave him and carefully kept track of the time, he was supposed to meet Nicollette for her garden tour in an hour. He looked down at Sienna with a slightly sad expression, "I cannot see you anymore." She sat up and looked at him with an expression full of hurt,
"I...I do not understand," Her voice wavering as she spoke. Anthony avoided eye contact,
"It is not for you to understand. I must do what is necessary." He looked at her with a blank expression on his face.
"You said you would always protect me," Her voice filled with pain and betrayal. "You promised to care for me, my lord. And now... what shall I do now?" She asked confused and hurt. Anthony looked out the window and back down at his lap, anywhere except for at a hurt Sienna,
"You shall leave." Anthony stood up and left the apartment and a broken-hearted girl behind him.
Nicollette was nervously getting ready for her garden tour with none other than Viscount Bridgerton himself. "Francine!" Nicollette called her Lady's maid. Francine came rushing into the room,
"Yes, my lady?" She asked while trying to catch her breath. Nicollette shot her an apologetic smile,
"I cannot decide what to wear," She spoke frustratedly "I am supposed to meet the Viscount in an hour and I still do not have a dress picked out." Nicollette sat in one of the chairs in her room and thought about what to wear. Francine laughed to herself and walked to the girl's closet. Francine dug throughout the young debutant's closet before pulling out a gorgeous red gown. The dress had a beautiful gold embroidered sash and the bottom of the skirt was embroidered in the same fashion.
"How about this?" Francine asked as she held the dress up for the young girl to see. Nicollette gasped and stood to her feet all the while nodding her head,
"I forgot about this one." Nicollette touched the satin fabric and smiled, "This is will do." Nicollette hurried to put the dress on with Francine's help and then patiently waited for her to do her hair. Francine had put most of Nicollette's hair in a unique updo but left the girl's signature couple of pieces in the front down to frame her face. Nicollette smiled at herself in the mirror, she looked beautiful. "Thank you," She said in astonishment at the lady's work. Francine gave a polite nod to the young girl and left the room. There was a slight knock on Nicollette's door and her mother peeked her head in,
"All ready, my dear?" Juliette asked her daughter. Nicollette nodded her head and smiled at her mother. She stood up and showed her mother her dress, Juliette brought her hand up to her heart and smiled at her daughter. "You look lovely." She said with all sincerity.
"Thank you. Now I must be off mother or else I am to be late." Nicollette practically rushed past her mother before making her way down the stairs. Nicollette was a bundle of nerves at the idea of spending her morning with the Viscount, nearly alone apart for Francine who was to chaperone the outing. Nicollette and Francine were riding in the carriage to Bridgerton house and Nicollette couldn't help the strange feeling of nerves. She kept fiddling with her skirts and her hands to try and get rid of the nervous energy. Francine couldn't help but smile at the young girl in sympathy, and in a way, she felt bad for her. Francine understood the pressures being forced upon her by her father and pitied the girl, the girl would never work a day in her life unless she was planning a party, but she also had no free will and Francine couldn't help but feel sorry for Nicollette.
"My lady, you must calm down, or else you will be all distraught when we arrive," Francine said trying to calm the young girl down. Nicollette nodded her head and tried to distract herself by looking out the small window of the carriage.
It wasn't long until they arrived at Bridgerton house, they were greeted by a footman and the Bridgerton butler who escorted them inside. "Lord Bridgerton is right this way," the butler spoke as he led the two ladies outside to the Bridgerton gardens. There Lord Bridgerton was looking dapper as ever surrounded by flowers. Nicollette couldn't help but think of it as a peculiar sight, to see the serious-looking man surrounded by something so delicate as flowers. "Lord Bridgerton," The butler called to him gaining his attention, he turned to look at Nicollette, and his breath and thoughts suddenly were gone. She was beautiful in the daylight, her hair was glossy and her eyes sparkled like none he had ever seen. Nicollette's cheeks flushed with color at the Viscount's stare. "Lady Arquette is here," The butler finished and Anthony shot him a look of annoyance for stating the obvious.
"Thank you that will be all," Anthony said dismissing the man. He approached Nicollette and took her hand in his and place a soft and gentle kiss on her knuckles, "My Lady," He greeted and Nicollette's cheeks flushed even more. Anthony couldn't help the smile that graced his face as he watched her cheeks darken in color.
"Anthony, it is only right that if I call you by your first name that you call me by mine," She stated with a bright smile. Anthony smirked a mischievous smile at the thought of it,
"Alright, Nicollette," He said her name slowly and in a tone that was much too seductive for such a moment. Nicollette shivered at the sound of her name coming from his lips and he smiled to himself at what he did to her. Francine was uncomfortable by the intimate moment between the two and quickly looked away, sensing the Lady's maid's uncomfort, Anthony offered Nicollette his arm and commenced the tour of the gardens with a "Shall we?"
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Thank you so much for reading my book! If you have any suggestions or critiques, feel free to message me or leave a comment, and do not hesitate to leave comments and give me feedback. I hope that you continue to read about Nicollette's and Anthony's journey!