Daphne stepped into Anthony's office, "Brother."
Slipping his watch away, Antony greeted her, "Sister."
She tentatively walked further into the office, "Mama has her ball all set for you."
"Just her?" He teased as he continued to go through his paperwork, "Are you to tell me you have had no hand in it?"
"Well, we have both been planning, certainly." Daphne informed in before she stopped at the edge of his desk, "So you plan to wed Brynlee?"
"I do." Anthony glanced up at her, "Is there something you wish to say to me?"
"You have never once mentioned wedding Brynlee." Daphne paced just a little bit as she played with her hands. Watching as Anthony moved back to his work, "In fact, you had invited her family here to court her cousin, Miss Aspen. For many years there has been quite animosity between you and Brynlee-"
"I sure miss his Grace." Anthony murmured, "In the Duke's absence, you've become quite meddlesome, have you not? Do not concern yourself."
Daphne watched as he finished his drink and stood up, "Brynlee is my friend." She finally mustered the courage to say, stopping him before he could leave, "And you are my brother."
Anthony said nothing to this but he did look back at Daphne, who had turned to face him. He shut his eyes before he left his office with Daphne standing alone inside.
All Daphne did was release a long sigh before she finally left as well.
As soon as the evening came, the entire ballroom was bustling with music and conversation. Brynlee stepped into the room with her cousin, brother, and mother. A wave of nerves hit her because she knew that soon the entire ton would know of the engagement.
"Do not faint." Kaden teased.
Aspen nudged him, "Do not bother her like that."
Kaden rolled his eyes but stopped as soon as the Sharmas walked inside. He cleared his throat before approaching, "Miss Edwina, would you do me the honor of giving me your first dance?"
"Certainly."
Aspen raised her brows and looked directly at Brynlee, "Seems he has truly taken a liking."
Brynlee just nodded her head as she walked down the steps with Aspen. She had seen Anthony but purposefully managed to slip away quickly.
Aspen had been the one to notice before she finally hunted Lord Bridgerton down herself, "My lord, do you not think it is appropriate to invite my cousin onto the dance floor today? Before the announcement?"
"It is highly appropriate, Miss Aspen." Anthony informed her, he eyed her for a moment, "You are not upset?"
"Why would I be?" She offered to him with her head tilted. "I am incredibly happy for Brynlee."
"Even so, I would like to deeply apologize to you." Anthony clasped his hands behind his back, "I brought you here with the intention of courting you and now I have turned to your cousin. I am sorry-"
"Please, my lord, do not worry about any of that." Aspen continued to brush him off, the smile on her face unwavering, "You shall find Brynlee hiding out by the stairs."
Anthony could only grin at Aspen before he nodded his head and moved in that direction. He caught her with a book in hand as she leaned against the stairs. "I believe I should have a dance with my fiancee."
Brynlee gasped and shut the book with a loud snap, "Excuse me, what?"
"Brynlee-" Anthony extended his arm for her, "Would you do me the honor of this dance?"
"I am certain that-" She released a pitched breath as he pulled her to him, "Do you not think we should announce our engagement first?"
"You are wearing a ring-" He told her, "I had no intention of making an announcement."
Brynlee just widened her eyes, "I thought the point was for such?"
"Would you like a huge announcement and for everyone to bombard you with their questions?"
"Our mothers are expecting such, Lady Featherington-"
"Lady Featherington already knows that we are engaged to be married-" Anthony answered, "Besides, she must have already informed her daughters meaning the rumors shall spread like wildfire. Look-"
Brynlee's focus moved to all of the others in the ballroom. Eyes were on them and whispers were being spread. She even saw one of the females raised her hand and point to her wedding finger. She cleared her throat, "Is it wise? The ton knew of your set intentions on my cousin-"
As the music began, Brynlee started to dance with him. She glanced to see the others were watching them closely. She exhaled and took a step closer to him in the dance. It was almost odd to have so many people staring at them, and instinctively she squeezed his hands.
Anthony glanced down at her face. In their many ears of bickering, he had not seen her this nervous before, "Do you wish to stop?"
"I do not know." She told him truthfully.
"Just keep looking at me then. No one else matters." Anthony suggested in the midst of the dance, "Think of the many times that you wished to punch my face perhaps?"
Relaxing a bit, Brynlee laughed as she twirled before facing him again, "That has been on my mind on quite a number of occasions."
"Admittingly, I may have thought so as well."
In an amused voice, she raised a brow, "Do you plan on doing so anytime soon?"
"Absolutely not. What kind of man would I be if I ever harmed a woman?" Anthony looked almost shocked that she would ask that, though he could hear the amusement in his voice, "I may have thought of such things but I would have never carried them through."
"I believe you." Brynlee told him, "You may vex me at every turn but I could never seeing you harming me physically."
"I am glad you think so." Anthony chuckled, "We will be heading back to town tomorrow. I have something that I must attend to, will you be content with staying with my family?"
"I love your family." She said immediately, "Daphne and Eloise are my friends. I am also certain Benedict will be pestering me about this engagement but I can handle him quite well. I still need to teach Hyacinth how to create flower crowns. She has been very insistent every time I visit."
"Then it is settled."
Brynlee eyed Anthony for a moment before they bowed as the song ended its last chord. He reached for her hand with the engagement ring and kissed her fingers before he told her goodbye. She stepped off the dance floor to see her mother being bombarded by other mothers at the ball. Her brother was actively in conversation with Edwina. She could even Lady Bridgerton being asked questions. And she knew that people were asking about her and Anthony.
Cressida Cowper, Anastasia Winters, and Gertrude Knight were together as Brynlee tried to slip out of the room. She knew she would soon be surrounded and wanted to avoid it.
"My goodness-" Anastasia practically smeared with disdain evident in her voice, "You were quite lucky with that match."
Gertrude placed a hand on her cheek, "I had no idea he was interested in you." She gushed this out, but her expression clearly said she still did not believe it, and perhaps even hoped that the betrothal might still prove to be a sham.
Cressida seemed to be the most vicious, "Don't know how you trapped him, but it must have been a neat trick."
Brynlee stopped and turned around. She had not been facing any of the girls during their words at all, but the firm glare on her face definitely made them flinch back. She slowly stepped back to them, "Do all you girls have nothing better to do with your lives than sneer at others? No wonder none of you are betrothed to be wed. Not only are your attitudes as dark as the bags beneath Anastasia's eyes, but your minds are as empty as Lord Harrington's glass."
With that, Brynlee turned around and left the room. She had enough for one night. Perhaps this was far too much for her. She had never once seen herself marrying anyone and to be wedding Anthony Bridgerton. One of the most talked of bachelors and rakes of the entire ton was quite a lot.
She stepped out and walked into Anthony's office. She knew he was preoccupied with guests who were definitely asking of his engagement to her. So she did not expect him to enter the room at all. Or anyone else for that matter. When the door opened, Brynlee was fully prepared to leave but sighed out when she saw it was just Daphne.
"Oh, goodness sake, Daff, you gave me a fright."
"You must be rather overwhelmed-" Daphne hummed in response before she gently shut the door behind her, "-especially with everyone conversing of this very interesting match."
Brynlee almost covered her face but instead she simply sighed, "You too, I presume?"
"I am simply curious." Daphne admitted to her as she approached, "From what I recall during the beginnings of my marriage with Simon, you and Anthony were quite at one another's throats. And yet... you two are to be wed quite soon."
"And you believe this is not a good match?" Brynlee immediately asked, but it was genuinely more of a statement, "Daff..."
"No-" Daphne said rather quickly before Brynlee could even process her words, "Actually... I have-Well, to be quite frank with you. I have always thought my brother needed someone that was... quite similar to himself."
"You believe that I am similar to Anthony?" Brynlee gaped in surprise.
"Yes, I do. Whether you think so or not." Daphne sat down in one of the chairs and exhaled deeply, "After my marriage with Simon, I began to understand these feelings far better and... Bryn... It is rather clear that you two are infatuated with one another."
Without missing a beat, Brynlee laughed. But as Daphne opened her mouth to counter, she heard Brynlee's laugh devolve into what was almost a pained whine. That was when she caught the expression on Brynlee's face.
"Bryn... What is wrong?"
"Anthony does not love me." She pressed as she fell down in the seat beside Daphne's, "Nor will there ever be any kind of love in this arrangement, Daff. He has made that rather clear."
Daphne waited for a moment, she remembered Anthony saying something like this when Colin first went on his trip. She finally decided- "And you? What of your feelings?"
"I have no idea." Brynlee threw her hands up in the air before covering her face, "I believe that I have certainly developed some kind of romantic feelings for him... I know I have. Instead of the immediate urge to harm him, I actually look forward to seeing him now. Which is rather the drastic change, Daphne, far too drastic for my comfort."
"I see..."
"What am I meant to do?" Brynlee mumbled, "This marriage is not because he wants it. It is because if I do not marry the rumors that Lady Featherington will surely spread will cause my cousin and possibly Miss Edwina to be unable to wed."
Daphne finally understood why this marriage was happening but at the same time she had simply assumed the pair had finally realized their attraction for each other. "Then what shall we do?"
"What do you mean?"
"My brother has quite the temper-" Daphne hummed with a small grin on her face. "You know this rather well."
"I do." Brynlee eyed her friend, "What are you thinking?"
"Well, you shall promenade quite a lot once you return." Daphne stood up from her chair and just smiled, "Perhaps you shall converse with other... men."
"Daphne Bridgerton!" Brynlee gasped in absolute shock, "You believe I should flirt with others? Would that not cause an issue?"
"Not flirt. Simply converse. Be kind. Be a viscountess-" Daphne almost looked mischievous, "Or that will be your answer if others were to question your intentions. Rest assure, Bryn, my brother's eyes will not leave you if you do this." As if they already leave her now.
Brynlee just crossed her arms over her chest, "This feels ridiculous."
"Not at all." Daphne waved it off, "Besides, I believed you to be the rebellious one between the two of us. Might as well express that now, hm?"