Everyone in the house had entered into a routine to try and create some normalcy for the Bridgertons. The one thing that none of them had anticipated was the friendship that had bloomed between Anthony and Angel. Even Veronica, who had anticipated that something would happen was quite surprised.
After everything that they had endured due to the lengthy list of disagreements and pranks, the pair had pulled on one another throughout the years. It had not mattered though for they had found a way to mend this childish rivalry. And everyone could see that Anthony was coming around a bit more and they were all in agreement it was because of Angel.
It had been about two and a half months since Edmond's death and the family was still in mourning but it didn't stop Angel from doing her best to cheer everyone up. She had been planning a family meal for everyone at the end of this coming week. She had pulled out all the favorites, A nice roast, chicken, and asparagus and she had the cooks make many fabulous desserts some even having a bit of chocolate.
She had been so excited to have the entire family together but even though she was excited her heart fell at the fact that one person was not going to be attending. Anthony had been very passive that morning when she had asked him if he would be joining dinner with his family. She had been dropping hints all week trying to persuade him to come and break this streak of solitude that he was self-imposing.
She had brought him breakfast like she did every morning with a nice hot cup of tea. They spent the early hours together chatting. When Angel had brought up the dinner that would take place that night. "Anthony, did you get a chance to decide if you are to come to dinner tonight with the family?" He had barely even acknowledged her. He usually took the time to stop what he was doing to speak with her but she could tell that he was doing this deliberately. She saw his neck twitch as if he was about to look up at her but he kept his head down.
If she hadn't been looking straight at him, she would have missed his hesitation. She looked down at her teacup, swirling the spoon around the amber-colored liquid. The smell of camomile and honey wafted up to her nose. She was contemplating what she should do to motivate Anthony to join dinner, but nothing had come to mind. Anthony looked up. "I don't think that I will join you for dinner tonight." She had tried to remain calm. "May I ask why?" giving him a curious look.
He slid his gaze back down scribbling something on a sheet while he answered, not being able to meet her eyes. "I just don't think that I have the time." She sighed with disappointment, it was evident in her demeanor. Her dropped shoulders and the frown that was forming on her face. "I suppose you are right Anthony." He looked up, not believing his ears. Did she just admit that he was right? Had pigs started to fly, he was tempted to look out the window just to make sure. An image of a drift of pigs flying in the sky like birds came to mind. "I beg your pardon?"
She looked up from her tea cup with a quirked brow. He had this irritating smirk on his face as he leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped in front of him. "Did you just say that I was right?" Angel ground her teeth. Trying to hold back a biting comment. She smiled as genuinely as she could. "Do not give me that look, Anthony. Even a broken clock is right twice a day." She smiled into her tea hiding the pleasure she had, knowing that her comment bothered him. Yet when she looked up that damn smirk was still on his face.
She frowned. "Oh, Anthony stop it this instance." He chuckled to himself. "I am just surprised that is all, do not fret my dear." She sighed going forward with her plan. "Well, I suppose we will not be seeing you tonight." His smile faded as he moved forward in his chair trying to act as if it did not bother him.
He fiddled with some papers as he continued his work. Angel could only roll her eyes at his subtle escape. He didn't respond, just grunting a bit in reply. "Well, I guess the children will be alright. This will be the first meal sitting together but I guess they will understand." He grunted again, still writing. She got up to refill her cup pouring the hot water into the blue floral china. She grabbed a biscuit from the silver tray.
As she walked back to her chair sitting right in front of Anthony again. She placed her cup and cookie on his desk, readjusting her skirt to sit properly. It swished on the ground, the light pink garment bothering her as she regretted the choice of material. She looked up at Anthony but he just continued to ignore her. She elegantly picked up her cup. "I'm sure your mother will be fine not seeing you as well. She has been cooped up for months in her rooms but I suppose she will just have to accept the fact of the matter." He grunted again. "I wonder if I should ensure that Hyacinth is taken care of. My mother has been diligent but the poor babe has been quite restless."
She gingerly sipped her tea. As she grabbed his attention with that. "I think that it would be best if I bring her along even if it is improper. I believe that the child will bring so much joy to the room. After dinner of course, during dinner would be completely mad." It was barely noticeable but she had noted the reaction. She watched him closely but drank her tea all the same. "Roast duck, chicken, oh Anthony I have picked out the finest meal for everyone. All the favorites. I even was able to convince the cook to make some wonderful pies, macaroons, and even some lovely chocolates that were brought in from town. Oh, it will just be so lovely." She smiled widely at him, her pink lips stretched out uncovering her pearly white teeth.
She couldn't help herself. She was honestly so overcome with joy for the impending dinner, that she only hoped that it would go smoothly. It was so important. "Well if that is all Angel, I do have work to get to." A deep-seated hurt struck her heart as the words left his lips. He didn't even have the courage to look her in the eye as he said this to her. Her smile disappeared as quickly as it came, her eyebrows furrowed as the feeling swallowed her whole. Was he, was he... "Are you kicking me out?" He looked up at her giving her an unamused smile "I believe I am." He said quite matter-of-factly.
Her eyes widened at him, and her lips tightened but all he did was continue to look at the pages on his desk. She sat there half-stunned before a fierce fire was lit within her. Her cheeks turned red and her eyes darkened in anger as her tiny hands clenched to hold back her rage but only by a single thread that Anthony seemed so determined to cut. She got up slowly staring at the boy that sat in front of her, with a glare so vicious even Medusa could have turned to stone.
Laying her hands on the edge of his desk he looked up at her from across the table. "Anthony Marcus William Bridgerton." She said coolly. "I have been preparing this meal for weeks, no, for an entire month making sure that everything is perfect for your family and mine." She kept walking toward his chair rounding the desk, step by step hearing the click of her heels as they made contact with the wood floor, as each word came out of her mouth.
"I have made sure that every ingredient, every recipe is precise. I have spoken to the cook, the baker, the servants, and the wet nurse. I have made sure that everyone in this house is ready for tonight. Especially after this devastating loss that we all have had to endure." She stopped right in front of his chair as he turned to face her. Her face was the perfect picture of rage yet the way she spoke it was almost as if she were calm. Her eyebrows were creating a line between them as her eyes narrowed in on him.
He could see that her normal emerald gaze was more the color of a dark forest. Her lips were pulled tight as her nostrils flared. "Are you telling me after weeks of isolation and mourning you are not going to come to the first family dinner we are holding?" She stood right above him close enough that if he reached out he could touch her. He could see the fire fueled in her eyes. Her lips were pulled back in a sneer, her green eyes looked like they were about to shoot arrows at him as she stared down at him right to his very soul.
She knelt down toward his ear to make sure that he understood, every... single.. word... For she would not be repeating herself. "Anthony Bridgerton on everything good and holy on this earth. If you do not come tonight to dinner so help you god I will torment you till the day I die. Every day, every night. I swear you will never find peace. Not in this life or the next."
Her voice held steady with an eerie calm that struck a nerve through Anthony's heart and a shiver to run up his spine. She rose to look at him once and for all with a piercing gaze that stripped him bare. He was so shocked his mouth fell agape, his eyes wide in surprise and a bit of fear could be seen in them if she did say so herself and she did. She smiled a perfect smile, patting his shoulder as she marched to the door.
Before leaving entirely, She looked back at him. "I think you would look dashing in your blue coat tonight, don't you?" She made a tutting sound with her mouth once she finally noticed what position she had left Anthony in. 'Serves him right', she thought still riding the high of her small outburst. " Oh, Anthony I would shut that mouth of yours before you catch a fly." She held back the smile that threatened to break just before closing the door with a nice bang for good measure. Anthony sat there perplexed and a bit uneasy as he fiddled with his cravat feeling a bit hot.
Angel was leaning against the door of the office breathing hard gathering her bearings, a bit out of breath from her flare. It wasn't what she had planned but god that man, that boy drove her completely mad! She sauntered off still annoyed, she could feel the anger bubbling within her toward that pompous prat that sat just inside that room. She grumbled to herself as she walked to the bedroom to change into another dress, deciding that she did not like the way that this one felt on her skin.
It had been a few hours since Angel had seen Anthony. She would always bring him dinner around this time but she had made it perfectly clear that if he did not show, he was going to have to satiate himself with the Brandy that he was so fond of. She was a bit on edge as she looked at her reflection in the mirror.
Was it too much to ask that everything go smoothly tonight? She sighed at the thought, of course, it was, why wouldn't it be? She may not know what it was like being a part of a big family being an only child and all, but she was considered an honorary member of the Bridgerton children. Due to that little-known fact, she was well aware that if there are that many people to account for then it could only lead to disaster.
She twirled a loose curl that fell delicately on her cheek. She thought to leave her hair down tonight because she did not like the updo style that her mother insisted she do. She pulled out the pins and let her long curls fall down her back. She pinned the sides back and allowed the rest the freedom to sway as she moved. Her hair had grown long. As she stared at her reflection in the mirror it reminded her of the time Anthony had dipped her hair in ink. It had stained the entire house.
For after seeing that her curls were painted black she absolutely could not contain her anger and tackled him down the stairs. Landing perfectly on top of him, yet they had not broken a single bone that day. At the moment that it had happened, she thought 'pity' for she had wished to cause him some type of pain. She settled for humiliation. That night they were forced to stay in separate rooms with no dessert. Now she was practically begging him to have dinner.
Things had changed so drastically but that was to be expected for a gap had been left in Edmonds' place. She had loved him so dearly and even though she was not technically one of his many children, he always made time for her. He was the one who had taught her to ride, he was the one who convinced Marcus to teach her to swim, he even insisted that she learn chess properly and even got her a tutor so they could play together.
Their games could go on for weeks, but best of all he had always given her some splendid ideas on what she could do to get back at Anthony. That though, was something that they had kept between themselves, something private that they shared. She hadn't realized but a tear had escaped and she swiped it away before getting up with a smile. 'I wonder what he would think of us now?" She quickly walked out of her room to check on the meal going on in the kitchen. For it was almost time for dinner and she was definitely not going to be late for that.
Anthony was sitting in the armchair that Angel had occupied hours ago. He had sat at his desk managing paperwork but as the day went by he had started to move slowly around the room. For some reason, he hadn't been able to sit still. It was driving him mad. Now he was sitting in a chair with a glass of brandy and a bottle that was a quarter from the top empty.
He had been put off by Angel's words but why should he even care what she thinks? She is a child, yet here he was jacket off sleeves rolled up and his cravat thrown over the papers on the desk. He looked like a complete mess as he stared at his pocket watch. It was almost time for dinner. He groaned into his drink before throwing the amber liquid down his throat emptying it.
The bitter-sweet taste burned as it made its way down, forcing him to suck in a breath before letting out a noise of satisfaction. Twirling the now empty glass in his hand he swiftly got up to refill it, for the glass looked quite sad sitting there empty. He uncorked the bottle filling the cup halfway before placing it down. He pulled out his watch again quarter to seven. He ran a hand through his thick chestnut hair.
Why was this decision driving him crazy? He had not seen his family properly since his father's death and the birth of his new baby sister Hyacinth. The only person that he saw on a daily basis was Angel. Not that he had asked for her to do so but at the same time it was... He didn't complete the thought as a rush of frustration ran through him and flopped back down into his chair.
Then immediately he got up rushing toward the fireplace before throwing his cup into the blasted space. Making it smash against the hearth. As he heard the pieces shatter, he still felt no satisfaction as he stared at the broken glass. He closed his eyes letting out a breath before he stormed out of the room.
The entire family had shown up even Violet who sat at one end of the table in her rightful place as Viscountess. On one side of the table sat Benedict, Colin, Gregory, and her mother. On Angel's side of the table sat her, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, and her father. Hyacinth was too young to join the group and would be joining them in the drawing room after dinner. The only empty seat was to Angel's left.
She did not feel as though it was appropriate to stare but she sighed. She missed Edmond and she knew, later on, she would be angry due to Anthony's absence. She planned to make it known to him just after dessert when she could slip away and chastise his behavior, fully capable of fulfilling her promise. She had started to converse with Benedict, Colin, and Daphne. They had been a bit quiet at first but once she had started to tell them about how she spent her days they quickly joined in.
Benedict was on a full rant about how someone keeps moving his paints and his suspicions on who might be doing it. The other end of the table was having some lively conversation as well. Francesca and Eloise were laughing at something silly that had been said while her mother, Violet, and her father conversed at the other end of the table. Seeing this put a smile on her face.
It felt odd but natural being all together again. The only person missing was... The doors at the entrance to the room opened and footsteps could be heard entering the area of the formal dining room. Standing there in front of the family was none other than Anthony Bridgerton.
My favorite chapter since I finally got to portray Angel's personality more. I was never going to portray her as this perfect lady since that is just not her. She is a very complex character and I love writing and exploring who she is. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and Thanks for Reading!!
-Kiki