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Chapter Text

The door lock was released with an audible click, signalling to Kate that she was free to push through into the room. Taking a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart, she turned the knob and stepped in.

She saw Gregory, still dressed in his pyjamas—a loose t-shirt and gym shorts—standing before his canvas overnight bag gaping open on the bed. Looking frazzled, he moved to the dresser and then the floor of the closet to grab random crumbled-up articles of clothing and shove them hard into the bag.

“I didn’t do it to hurt you,” Kate said softly, her arms wrapped tightly around herself, unable to help but think about the way she likely looked right then, hair a mess from the lake, her dress zipper sagging open at the back.

Taking a balled-up pair of socks from the bed, Gregory shoved them deep into his bag and pursed his lips. “You can find another ride back to London.”

Stalking to the bathroom, he grabbed his toothbrush and shaving kit and stuffed them into his little toiletry bag. 

“Gregory,” Kate pleaded, walking to the door and brushing her hair behind her ear. She could see herself in the vanity mirror and winced at the eyeliner stain on her lower lids and the matting of her air-dried hair. “I’m so sorry.”

Laughing, Greg shook his head and zipped up the little pouch. Pushing past Kate, he jammed it into his bag. “With my brother!” he shouted angrily, spinning to face her, his face crumpling. “He’s like a father to me! You knew that!”

Turning away from her once more, he buried his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking until he quieted. 

Kate knew there was nothing she could say or do to make this right, so she stood there quietly, willing him to say whatever he needed to. She could take it.

Looking up, she widened her eyes when Anthony appeared in the doorway. He had buttoned up his shirt and was looking at Greg as he cried, Anthony’s hands deep in his pockets, his face crestfallen.

“Let me drive you back to London, Greg,” Anthony said quietly, his brows low as he focused on his brother. “You shouldn’t be driving right now.”

After zipping up his bag angrily, Gregory draped the strap over his shoulder. “You are the last person I want to see today,” he said, addressing Anthony, his voice tinged with a quiet rage. “Kate’ll fuck anyone that’ll have her—have fun with that!”

Bag in hand, Gregory bowled into Anthony with his shoulder, shoving him back into the hallway, before pounding down the stairs and out the front door. Anthony gave chase as Kate sank onto the bed, her arms still tightly wrapped around herself. She supposed she’d deserved that.

She didn’t lift her head until she heard footsteps in the hall again and looking up, she saw Anthony standing in the doorway. “I’ll drive you home,” he said quietly, not meeting her eyes, “best we leave before everyone else wakes up.”

Thankful that his wife hadn't been stirred awake by Gregory’s angry words, Anthony crept into their room to take a quick shower and get dressed for the day. Afterwards, as his hair still dripped from his shower, Anthony stood at the edge of the bed as she slept, thinking about how their lives had changed so drastically in a single weekend.

Their marriage was over, regardless of what happened with Kate and whatever the future held for them. Their union had been an unhappy one and it was finally time to end it. Anthony had had the opportunity to reflect on the impact it had on their children and his family, and it wasn’t something he was proud of.

Sighing, he gently closed the bedroom door behind him and stopped to check his watch. It wasn’t even half-six yet and it made him feel a little insane to think that just thirty minutes ago he’d been feeling lighter than he had in years as he stepped over the threshold with Kate.

But then he’d broken his brother’s heart—shattered it, even. He had thought that Gregory finding out had been inevitable, these types of things always came to the surface, but he had hoped they would have more time. Walking down the hall, he paused for a second behind Gregory’s bedroom door and listened to the sound of the shower spray and bathroom fan. 

Perhaps this was for the best, Anthony thought as he made his way to the kitchen and started the coffee maker. It would be tough, but he could repair his relationship with Gregory. At least, so he hoped. 

When it came to Kate, however, he had no idea what the future held. Greg’s angry words about her echoed in his mind, but he shook them away, deciding to give her the benefit of the doubt.

“Anthony,” he heard his mother’s voice call from behind him, her words laced with disappointment but not surprise. Spinning around to face her, he took in her displeased frown and how she crossed her arms tightly over her terry cloth bathrobe. 

She must have heard.

Sighing, Anthony turned back to the coffee maker and began tapping the granite countertop, willing the drip to speed up. He thought he and Kate would need the caffeine for the drive back up to London. 

“You have children, Anthony, and a wife, what were you thinking?” she asked as he heard the scrape of a stool, he assumed she sat on one of the barstools by the kitchen counter. 

Not knowing what to say to her, Anthony shook his head and pulled two travel mugs from the cabinet. Then it hit him. 

“I know it was dumb and selfish,” he said, the sound of defeat in his voice surprising him, “but when I was with her I finally felt happy.”

His own mother couldn’t see that but it wasn’t a surprise because he knew understanding was beyond her abilities when it came to him. Shaking his head, he filled both of the mugs and replaced the lids, wishing Kate would hurry up.

Hands gripping the steering wheel tightly, Anthony shifted gears, easily picking up speed as they hurtled down the old tree-lined lane that led away from his family’s country house. His eyes drifted to where Kate held her mug of coffee between her thighs, noting that she hadn’t yet taken a sip.

She had worn a baggy t-shirt that hung off of one shoulder and a pair of bike shorts, opting to pull her wet hair into a high bun on her head. Anthony’s hands had itched when he’d first seen her come down the stairs, wishing he could pull that hair tie from her long locks to see how it would tumble wet over her shoulders.

As they’d gotten situated in the car, Anthony had shot off a few texts to his wife, asking her to take care of camp pick-up that afternoon, saying he’d see her at home that evening. He’d offered a weak explanation, saying that Gregory had had to return to London early and he’d offered to drive Kate back before checking in at the practice. 

It wasn’t exactly a lie, but it had felt like one. Which struck Anthony as odd, considering the fact that he’d been unfaithful to his wife multiple times at that point and didn’t feel a whit of guilt over it.

Eyes darting to Kate’s legs again, he felt his cheeks burn at the realisation that they hadn’t used protection. The thought shamed him—he’d never been so hasty with sexual partners before his marriage and she’d deserved better than that. Gregory’s angry parting words rang through his head again and his heart raced at the implication.

“I-I’m sorry,” he said, turning to look at her for a moment before facing the road. “We didn’t use protection. It was careless of me.”

Anthony could feel Kate’s eyes on him for a moment before she responded. “We should be okay,” she said, her voice so quiet and defeated that it shamed him, “I’m on the pill and I’ve never had unprotected sex.”

When Anthony turned to look at her again, she was gazing out the window at the rolling countryside.

“The first time was with you,” she said without looking at him. Something about the admission thrilled him, a small crack in the guilt and shame that had settled on him hard like marble.

“Still, I shouldn’t have been so reckless,” he added, squeezing the wheel tight and letting a deep breath out through pursed lips.

“I shouldn’t have, either. It takes two,” Kate cut back, her fingers fiddling with the cap of her coffee cup, sliding it open and closed several times.

After that, the silence stretched on for most of the drive back. Anthony wanted to tell her that he still liked her, that he didn’t want it to feel like this now, so defeated and shameful. Because he did not regret what they had done and he hoped she didn’t, either. 

It did not help that some sort of discomfort filled the air between them since they had seen Gregory that morning. Whatever they had created together had fallen to pieces at their feet and Anthony was unsure how they could get back to that. He was still unable to define whatever it had been between them.

He tried to ask her to give him her number half a dozen times, but every time he opened his mouth to speak, he bit back the words. He didn’t even know if she wanted this to continue, he hoped she did, and yet he was too afraid to voice the words.

When they arrived in Kate’s neighbourhood, she’d directed him to her flat, not providing him with a house or flat number. Not wanting to part like this, Anthony parked quickly and jumped out of his car, going to the trunk to grab her bag and motioning toward the front steps. 

Together they walked up to the front door and Anthony felt some relief when she held it open for him.

When they walked into her flat he breathed deep because it smelled like her and the thought brought him a feeling of dizzying comfort. It wasn’t even a conscious decision when he dropped her bag and pulled her close, cradling her jaw with his hands before leaning forward to kiss her.

Words had failed him but Anthony realised that all he had to do was let his body speak. When Kate kissed him back he was finally able to taste just a hint of what they had shared less than twelve hours before. 

As she wrapped her arms tightly around him, Anthony reached up and finally pulled that hair tie out, happy to run his hands through her damp hair as it spilt in loose unruly curls around her shoulders. 

Pulling back, Kate reached for his hand and led him into her bedroom. Her lone bedroom window faced west and the morning sun was higher in the sky, still filtering golden rays through gauzy curtains, alighting dust motes as they drifted lazily in the air. She didn’t speak as she reached to drag Anthony’s shirt over his head and then held his eyes as she pulled hers off, the warm sunlight painting her bare breasts in shades of gold. 

Drawn to her lips again, Anthony pulled her into another soft kiss, depositing several across her mouth, then along the supple skin of her jaw, to the shell of her ear, and then down to her throat. From there he could smell her scent so clearly, the soap from her shower, something strong and floral from her hair, and then below that, a scent light and powdery, making his mouth water with a desire to taste every inch of her skin.

“Do you have to go back?” Kate whispered, her fingers buried in his hair, her nails grazing over his scalp. 

It took Anthony a moment to realise what she was talking about, to remember anything that existed outside of her orbit. Then it came back, his family, the house in Kent, and his brother’s broken heart. Pulling away, he looked Kate in the eye, noticing how the sunlight turned her irises from a dark mysterious brown to a light amber in the sunlight. 

“I have some time, until the afternoon,” he said quietly, still very much under her spell, fully aware that he had no idea what time it currently was. 

“Good,” she responded just as softly before leaning forward to capture his lips once more and deposit a gentle row of pecks along his jaw. 

Feeling half drunk, Anthony kicked his shoes off and realised Kate’s feet were bare, not remembering when she’d removed her sandals. As she unbuckled his belt and pulled his trousers down, it occurred to Anthony that this was very likely a farewell. From the more logical part of his mind, an area that felt like a distant echo, he thought it was fitting to feel this way on such a fraught day.

Once they were both naked, Anthony pulled Kate to her bed, laying on top of her on the strewn bedding, his knees landing on cool cotton sheets, and under his arms, he felt a blanket of the softest fleece. The mixture of sensations of the bed and the press of Kate’s warm body was further drugging as he fell to her mouth once more.

Anthony thought his hands felt impossibly rough against her soft skin as he dragged his palm up her arm and then over to her breast. As he made contact with her peaked nipple, she whimpered below him, and he thought that whatever spell had overtaken him had captured Kate as well. Whatever this was, they were in it together.

“It’s never like this,” Anthony said under his breath before pressing his mouth to the racing pulse in her throat. As if in agreement, Kate dragged her nails down the nape of his neck, through the short hairs there, and then up again, the scraping sensation sending a volley of chills down his body.

“No,” Kate whispered, her breath hot as her lips grazed his temple. 

Pulling back, Anthony stared into her eyes as his hand journeyed farther down her body, over her quivering abdomen, down to the damp and downy riot of curls and then to the warm slit between her legs. He angled his head as he examined her expression, his mouth dropping open as one finger parted her there.

Kate’s eyes softened as she looked at him, her mouth opening a bit as she whimpered and spread her legs further for him. In response, Anthony pressed two fingers hard along her clit and ran them down and up, slowing his pace slightly to see if he could draw out the way she moaned for him. 

Her strong grip on his hand spurred him on, his muscles flexing below her biting fingers as he slowly increased the pressure before pushing both fingers inside of her.

“Anthony,” Kate cried, arching up into him. 

No one had ever reacted to him like that before. It had him trembling above her, wondering how something so simple could be so arousing. An all-encompassing need overtook him, his cock hard and begging as he pressed into her, past his knuckles and up to his palm.

“Do you want me?” he asked, although he already knew the answer.

“Mmm,” she cried, arching her hips to increase the pressure. Anthony focused his attention on where his hand was pressing into her, the heel of his palm and his thumb grinding into her clit. 

“I could leave you like this,” he whispered, recapturing her gaze, marvelling at how her face had softened from pleasure, which was in sharp juxtaposition to how her muscles tensed against him. “Wanting me.”

“You would have to come back,” she hissed, writhing against him, moving her hips against his now stiff hand and arm. “To finish me off.”

Growling, Anthony didn’t think he could move from that bed until he’d had her again. In truth, he was unsure if he could ever leave, let alone then or even after they’d both climaxed.

“Alright,” he said on exhale, pulling his hand away reluctantly and positioning himself on top of her. His heart raced as his chest lowered onto hers, one arm pressing into the mattress to take some of his weight. 

Burying his face in the join of her neck and shoulder, Anthony delved with his nose into the softness of her hair as he positioned his cock at her entrance. Finally, he pulled back to look at her as he pushed forward.

Kate whimpered between closed lips as she arched her back up into him, her hard nipples surging into his chest with exquisite pressure. As his forehead rested on hers, Anthony sank his hips farther, feeling his cock slowly part her, the warm wet pressure of her cunt accepting him as he pressed in beyond her entrance. 

“We fit perfectly together,” Kate whispered, her nails scraping along his shoulders, down to his biceps, before fingertips dug into skin and muscle. 

A thousand words sped through Anthony’s brain at that moment, surprising him as he was seated fully inside of her. Dissertations on the way she felt surrounding him, how she was made for him, how he wanted to possess her body and soul, the soliloquies of his heart, words he would have never dared utter aloud, they all screamed from his very soul. But he held his lips closed, none of them sounding quite right.

“Kate,” he whispered, hoping he had suffused the very word with his regard and affection, at the honour of being the one she accepted in her arms and in her body. “Kate, Kate, Kate,” he added, the words quivering as they left his lips.

“Hush,” she smoothed, running her hands through his hair, over his shoulders, his arse, his arms, everywhere. She was simply everywhere. 

Face buried in her hair once more, her scent surrounding him, he began to thrust in and out, lights already dancing in his vision from the power of her. Kate met him stroke for stroke, her hips rising and falling with his every moment, easily matching his pace. 

“Look at me,” she whispered, petting his hair and trying to push his head back. 

Forcing himself to drag his eyes open, still thrusting in and out, Anthony rose on one elbow and caught her gaze. 

Her thumb grazed his cheek, right under his eye, her brown irises showing impossible depths around her blown wide pupils. Anthony thought there were things he had to say but he couldn’t find them, so lost in her. 

As he reached his peak he wondered if she could read his mind, her lips dancing open and closed as if she was also trying to find the right words for that moment.

Then her eyebrows bunched up and her lips turned down and he could feel her start to tighten around him. Reaching down, Anthony pulled her leg up, hooked her knee with his elbow, opening her wider for him and moaned as he pounded down into her with his hips. 

When Kate cried out, her cunt starting to clamp around him, he knew he was truly lost. He groaned against her, increasing his pace, desperate to catch up to her, his climax so close. As her orgasm peaked, she dug her nails hard into his shoulders and pulled Anthony along in her swell. 

Body convulsing, he thrust three more hard strokes, holding inside of her longer each time until he could feel himself spending within. When the moment came, his entire body flexed, his toes knotting into fists, his hips pressing down hard against her until the last tremors of his orgasm faded.

Trembling now, he fell to her body, unable to stop his full weight from pressing into her.

“I have you,” Kate whispered as he fought for air, unsure if he had the strength to move. “Shhh, I have you.”

The way her soft voice soothed him and her gentle hands drifted over his skin was enough to lull him into an immediate and dreamless sleep.

When Anthony finally came to, he had no idea how much time had passed, though Kate’s hands were still drifting feather-light along his back.

“There you are,” she said, her voice happy and amused. 

The heavy thing that had settled over them earlier in the day was gone, the air between them was lighter, even cooler and fresher, Anthony thought bemusedly. 

Groaning, he rolled off of Kate, hissing when his spent cock finally pulled from her body. Flopping to his back beside her caused the bed to shake under them, slamming her headboard into the wall, from which Anthony was unable to suppress a deep laugh.

Chuckling with him, Kate rolled to her side, her eyes grazing along his face and bare chest before her hand came to rest above his still-racing heart. Laying naked next to her in bed, bed askew, the golden sunlight still filtering through the window, felt so right it settled Anthony's heart. 

“I thought you didn’t want…” she began, biting her lip as she stopped herself, her eyes focusing on nothing. Then she shook her head and met his gaze. “I thought after this morning you wouldn’t want this.”

Sighing, Anthony reached up to brush a few unruly curls from her face and to cup her cheek. Her skin felt so impossibly soft under the pad of his thumb. “I’m drawn to you,” he admitted, his voice thick.

“The feeling is mutual,” Kate whispered in response. 

Though he did not want it to, the needs of his loved ones started to bubble up around him, making it difficult to lie there. “I think I need to take some time, though,” he added, his own heart sinking at the thought. “To figure things out. With my family.”

Letting her eyes slide closed, Kate nodded, and he could feel her jaw tightening against his palm. Anthony allowed his hand to fall to the sheets.

Feeling a little disarmed laying naked next to her, Anthony reached behind him and grabbed that fluffy soft blanket, draping it around them. “I think I have to end my marriage.”

The words hung heavy between them. It was a lot to consider. He and Kate had known each other for less than five days. It seemed almost insane—Anthony felt half mad at the realisation. He also did not realise the pressure it might put on her until he’d admitted it out loud. 

Eyes open and serious now, Kate grabbed his hand and shook her head at him. “I don’t expect anything from you, Anthony,” she said, squeezing his fingers between hers. “You don’t have to do that.”

“It’s been a long time coming,” he whispered, shifting to his side so his eyes were level with hers. “We’ve been unhappy for years. You made me realise that it was time. Even if nothing else happens between you and me, my marriage is over.”

Kate fell back to the bed, her gaze focused on the ceiling effectively severing the connection of their bodies. 

Unsure of the time, Anthony thought perhaps it was in fact the perfect time to return to the reality of his life. There would be difficult conversations ahead—with his wife, his children, with Gregory… Rising from the bed, he quickly dressed as Kate watched him from under the fluffy blanket.

“Can I have your phone?” she asked, sitting up and holding the edge of it over her breasts.

Digging the device from his pocket, Anthony unlocked it and handed it to her. With a practised hand, she typed her number into it, adding her name as well, before handing it back. Looking down at her newly added contact info, he noticed she’d added a black emoji dot next to her name. 

“For when you’re ready,” she added, her eyes part steely, part soft and sad. 

It felt like an ending all of a sudden as Anthony walked toward her bedroom door but before stepping over the threshold, he turned back to her. 

“I don’t want you to feel beholden to me,” he said, his hands closing into fists at his sides. “I can’t see the future. I have no expectations of you, Kate. You don’t need to wait for me.”

Her lips pressed into a thin line as he turned and walked away, too afraid to linger on the hurt look in her eyes, not wanting to think about the idea of Kate moving on from him. 

Back in his car, Anthony pressed his forehead against the leather steering wheel and tried to draw in several deep breaths, to calm the way his blood pounded against his temples. He wanted to tear that building door off the hinges and sprint back up the steps, to dive back into her bed.

Being back in London, it was like being brought back to reality. Kent had felt like a fantasy land, where the rules had not mattered. He couldn’t continue like this—breaking the vows he’d made upon the altar. It was not fair to his wife, nor Kate.

Falling back against the driver's seat, he placed a hand over his heart and allowed his eyes to drift closed. When he opened them once more, his vision was blurry as he tried to read the digital clock on the centre console.

It was only midday and his kids wouldn’t be home yet. Reluctantly, he started his car and connected the Bluetooth so he could make a call. Pulling up Gregory’s number, he sat in traffic as he listened to it ring and then switch to voicemail.

“Hey, I know you don’t want to hear from me, but please let me know that you made it home safe,” he said before hanging up. He shot off a quick text with the same message, just to be safe. 

A few minutes later a text arrived, read out by the onboard AI in a proper English lady’s voice, ‘Text from mum: Gregory is staying at number five and we have all made it home safely.’

Feeling a little dizzy, Anthony circled the next block and made his way toward his mum’s house. 

The mid-day sun did not feel welcoming as Anthony skipped up his mother’s front steps, but he was thankful that the house was quiet as he walked inside. From the entryway he could see Hyacinth eating lunch in the dining room between two other place settings, one clean and untouched, the other with a half-eaten sandwich upon it.

“Hy,” Anthony said as he approached with an apprehensive smile, hoping at least she was happy to see him. 

Her eyes went wide when she noticed him, a sandwich suspended midway to her mouth. Then she set it down and met his eyes with a steely gaze. 

Heart sinking, Anthony locked his hands behind his back and fiddled with his father’s old signet ring on his pinky. “You heard.”

“Gregory doesn’t want to see you,” was all she said before standing, stalking out of the room, and stomping up the stairs.

“Hyacinth,” Anthony said to her retreating back as his eyes drifted closed in shame, his heart breaking a little more for the distance.

“It may be best if we all take the day, Anthony,” his mother said softly. As Anthony opened his eyes, he noticed her standing in the doorway to the kitchen. 

Swallowing, he blinked his eyes at her as he shook his head. It was a mess of his own making and he thought he very much deserved this animosity from his family. 

“Gregory will be staying here,” his mother said from behind him as he made his way back to the front door. “If you need your flat in the square after all is said and done.”

Though Anthony originally had no intention of dropping in at his family practice that day, it was where he ended up after leaving his mother’s. His wife and kids would not be home for another few hours, and thinking that none of his siblings would wish to see him, he found his patient charts to be an appropriate distraction.

He ran the practice with his wife. It would be one of the messier parts of their divorce. Their prenuptial agreement would protect his family’s properties, but Anthony thought it likely she’d try to take his Mayfair flat. Hell, he rather thought he’d happily give it to her if she were willing to part with him amicably and not draw this out in the courts. 

Watching the clock closely, he almost leapt from his chair when he finally decided it was time to go and see his children. Lord, he thought, he’d missed them dearly. 

Pulling up in front of his family’s old brick house, lovingly called Bridgerton House for the last two hundred years, Anthony stepped from the car and felt a thrill when he saw his wife’s SUV in the driveway. Two kids' bicycles were still strapped to a rack at the back, the signal that his children were home from camp, and he distracted himself by taking them down before going inside. 

Stepping through the front door, his heart raced, unaware of what his wife had heard after the events of that morning. He hoped he could be the one to break the news to her, but knowing his family, if it had already spread amongst his siblings, she was likely already aware. 

Stepping over two overloaded duffel bags, one-half open spilling old dirty socks and camp t-shirts in the front entrance, Anthony made his way for the central staircase and the family’s drawing room. 

He decided he’d volunteer to do the laundry later before their live-in maid returned in the morning, maybe it would give him a moment of peace once the kids went to bed. His wife always scoffed at him for doing things like that, when they paid someone very well for the job, but Anthony reminded himself that he wouldn’t have to worry about her judgemental remarks for much longer.

Hearing a little girl’s laugh sent a sharp thrill straight through Anthony’s chest, making him skip every other step on the way upstairs. When he reached the drawing room, Charlotte was on a sofa hugging her little favourite rag doll, Edmund on the other side of the room holding an iPad and swiping through pictures for his mother. He was ten now and had received the tablet for his tenth birthday—likely glad to have it back after being separated from it while at camp.

“That was when Charlotte fell in the lake,” he said, laughing, reaching up to scratch his head. Anthony wondered when the last time his son had showered, seeing visible streaks of dirt on the boy’s face. 

“I did not fall in!” his little girl retorted, indignant, waving her doll in the air. “Missy Kensington pushed me off of the dock.”

“That’s not very nice,” Anthony said, grinning from ear to ear, his eyes already burning at the sight of his kids. 

“Papa!” Charlotte all but screamed, a spry five-year-old, vaulting herself from the couch and into his arms. Her hair was a matted mess of dark chestnut curls, and Anthony buried one hand in her little head of hair, the sharp scent of lake water, soil, and sunscreen hitting his nose all at once. 

Lowering himself to his knees, he hauled Edmund against him, who had come to stand at his side. “I wanted to show you the canoes today but you didn’t come to pick us up,” Edmund said, his face buried in his father’s shoulder. 

“I’m sorry, Neddy,” Anthony said, finally raising his face to look at his wife across the room. Her eyes were sad and tired, and he sighed, acutely aware of the conversation that awaited them.

“These two need to get in the bath,” the kids' mum said, standing from the sofa and approaching the three of them. 

Edmund smelled sharply like little boy, and not in a good way. Smiling, Anthony stood, maintaining his hold on Charlotte as her legs wrapped around his hips. 

“We do not ,” Edmund said, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms over his camp t-shirt as he leaned into Anthony’s legs.

“I could smell you both when I walked in the room,” Anthony teased, ruffling his hair, not surprised when he pulled his hand away that he had visible dirt on his palm. “And jumping in the lake at camp does not count as bathing.”

“Edmund, shower, now,” his mother ordered sternly, pointing toward the door. 

“Fine,” their son said, crossing his arms and stalking out of the room.

“Sarah is upstairs, she can take Charlotte to her bath,” she added once Edmund was out of the room. “Then we can talk.”

Sarah was the children’s nanny and had been with the family since Charlotte was born. Hiring a nanny had felt like defeat in Anthony’s eyes, though he knew they had needed her help. He wondered if they’d keep her on once everything was said and done.

Nodding at his wife, Anthony set Charlotte down reluctantly. He would have liked to give her her bath that day, having missed his kids so severely. 

“Go upstairs and tell Miss Sarah it’s bath time, bunny,” he told her gently, pushing her toward the door.

“Okay, papa,” she said, giving him a sweet smile, and skipping out the door. 

Turning to his wife, he fell into a sofa before her, biting his tongue until the sounds of Charlotte’s footsteps faded in the distance. When his wife sat on the sofa opposite him, she looked almost vulnerable and confused, and the realisation shook him. He thought she’d approach this with hardness and resentment, as with many other things in their marriage. 

“I heard about what happened,” she said quietly, pressing her hands into the cushions on either side of her, gently moving Edmund’s iPad away so it wouldn’t fall to the floor. “With Gregory’s girlfriend.”

The confirmation that she knew sent a sharp stiletto of shame through Anthony’s gut—that guilt for what he had done while his wife was near finally settling over him. “It was careless and I’m sorry.”

“You never looked at me like that,” she said, sighing and falling back into the cushions. “I saw you at dinner last night, your eyes kept drifting over to her. Your face would soften. I thought it was just a crush.”

Anthony could still almost feel the way Kate’s soft skin had felt under his palms that morning when he’d held her. Whatever it was between them, it was the furthest thing from a crush. 

“I think we should get a divorce,” he said, though the inelegance of the words felt harsh to his ears. “I won’t lie and say what happened this past weekend isn’t related, but I think we both know we’ve been dancing around this issue since Charlotte was born.”

If they could have an amicable divorce, thanks to recent changes to divorce law, their marriage could be officially over in less than two months. The thought of freedom from this union was dizzying, but Anthony refused to look toward the future yet, for fear of the disappointment he might find along the way. 

“You’re the one that argued against separating after everything that happened with Bert,” his wife remarked, folding her arms across her chest as her eyes skittered across the room.

Bertram Fife was the man she had run to several weeks after Charlotte’s birth. He had taken her willingly into his bed, easily severing the close friendship he had shared with Anthony since their days at Oxford. 

“Did you love him?” Anthony asked, his brow wrinkling as he looked at her, her eyes growing glassy. He’d asked the same question before, and already knew the answer, but he felt he had to raise the issue again.

“No,” she said softly, her eyes fixed on the fireplace at the end of the room, blinking rapidly. 

“Why did you…” he began but trailed off as he sighed, not wanting to get into that same old argument. And to be fair, he’d had his own indiscretions in the past ten years, never going as far as intercourse, but there had been fervent secret kisses, groping, and other acts. He was not infallible and could not offer an explanation for those trysts, other than the fact that they made him feel a way his wife never had.

“Did you know, when we first got together I thought you loved me?” she asked, finally turning back to look at him. “When we slept together that first time and you proposed immediately after. I thought it was love,” she explained with a sad laugh.

She had been his perfect match on paper. Scrubbing his hands down his face, Anthony let out a weary sigh. It had been wrong since the beginning, wishing to wed for things instead of feelings, for the status, the connections, the shared wealth, and the fact that if she died his world wouldn’t turn black as his mother’s had. 

“And don’t worry, I realised it wasn’t love well before the wedding,” she added, with a sardonic laugh, unwilling to look at him. “I walked into this with my eyes wide open.”

“Does this mean you wish to stay married?” Anthony asked, his heart dropping. He wouldn’t fight her over this in court. He could accept it and they could go back to therapy. He’d end whatever he had with Kate. It wouldn’t be sustainable, to continue the affair, to keep hurting his family in that way. It did not help that that was the last thing he wanted, the reality of this marriage continuing for another moment sitting hard like a brick in his stomach. The thought of never seeing Kate again…

“No,” she whispered, crossing her arms, her voice quivering now from suppressed tears, “I see the effect it’s had on our children.”

Sniffling now, she wiped harshly at her eyes. “That's why I went to Bert…” she continued, her face turned away from him to hide her weeping, though Anthony thought it a futile effort. “I thought it could sever this, even if you claimed adultery in court… but you didn’t really care about the affair, the sex. I think that was the most painful part.”

“I’m sorry,” Anthony choked out, feeling shame and relief bundled into a tight ball, making his armpits and temples sweat, his feet suddenly feeling too big in his shoes. “For all of this.”

“You gave me Charlotte and Edmund. I can’t hate you for that,” she responded, wiping a tear from her cheek and finally looking at him. “And in a way, finding out about you and the girl was a relief. I knew you’d finally give this up, give us up.”

Walking up to the nursery, Anthony watched from the door as Sarah dried Charlotte’s hair with a big fluffy towel, his daughter sitting there, cosy in a fluffy green robe that made her look like a little frog. 

“I can take over,” he said quietly, stepping into the room. Sarah stood and smiled at him, handing him a little hairbrush before leaving the room. “Can you check on Edmund? Make sure he isn’t playing video games?” he asked as she left the room, nodding at him on her way out the door. 

“Hi bunny,” Anthony said, kneeling before Charlotte’s little bed with the brush in hand. “Did you have fun at camp?” he asked, as he started to brush through her damp curls, gently untangling knots as he went.

“I really liked swimming in the lake,” she responded, breathless with excitement. “Can we go to the lake at Aubrey Hall next time? Can you throw me off the dock?”

Laughing, Anthony gathered her hair off her shoulders and motioned for her to stand, taking the robe off and reaching for the pyjamas the nanny had set out. “You didn’t like it the last time I threw you off the dock.”

“I know,” she said, bending over to pull her underwear up, “but I’m a big girl now.”

After she struggled to pull her tight pyjama top on, Anthony pulled her into his arms, kissing the damp top of her head and smelling the scent of strawberry baby shampoo. “You are a big girl,” he said quietly, kissing the crown of her head, “but please don’t grow up too quickly.”

Giggling, Charlotte pulled away and placed her hands on his cheeks. “I can’t help it, papa.”

“I love you, Charlotte,” Anthony said, smiling, having desperately missed her rosy red cheeks and how she’d looked at the world.

“Love you, too, papa,” she said absentmindedly as she bent over to pull her pyjama bottoms on.

After eating with the kids, Anthony handled Charlotte’s bedtime, reading three extra story books at her request. Afterwards, he sat with Edmund in his bed as they read out loud from a Percy Jackson novel, Anthony burning with pride that his son had developed such a deep love of reading.

Leaving Edmund with a kiss on his head, his book, a flashlight, and a reminder that he could only read one more chapter before bed, Anthony closed his bedroom door quietly behind him.

Joining his wife in the kitchen, Anthony was happy to accept the glass of red wine that she offered. “Lord, I missed them,” he said quietly before taking a sip. 

“Me too,” she responded, smiling up at him sadly. “I’ve done up the guest room for you,” she added, motioning toward the French doors that led to their back deck. 

Nodding, Anthony followed her out. “We can tell them in the morning,” he said, falling into a wooden deck chair next to her.

“I think they’ll be alright, a lot of their friends have separated parents,” she responded, setting a wine bottle on a low table between them.

“I hope so,” he said, thinking that their kids were the important part of this, more than the broken marriage or the affair with Kate. “I’ll move into my flat across the square tomorrow. Give you some space.”

“Anthony, this is your family’s house,” she responded, setting her glass down with a thunk. “It’s in our prenup.”

“I know,” he said with a sigh, looking out across the dark garden behind their home, the sound of crickets busily singing, their songs echoing across the evening air. “But it’s the least I can do until you can find something else.”

Turning toward her, the chair creaked under Anthony before he spoke again. “Stephanie, you’re my children’s mother, I will always love you for that. I’ll make sure you’re well provided for.”

“I know you will,” she whispered before finishing her first glass. 

Facing the empty bunk bed he’d just assembled in his flat guest bedroom, Anthony took a long slow draw of his beer. Eyeing the bare mattresses, he realised he’d need to go buy bedding the next day, feeling a little shame for not remembering to do that already.

His wife would have remembered—soon-to-be ex-wife he reminded himself. He and his wife had spoken to the kids the morning after they’d arrived home and Anthony had gone directly to his barrister to get the paperwork rolling. As soon as they’d made the decision, he knew it would be difficult to wait. It would be somewhere around six weeks until everything was finalised. Then they would both sign one piece of paper and it would be done.

Thankfully, Stephanie had agreed to an amicable divorce and custody agreement with a tidy settlement for her, so they wouldn’t need to go into court, and wouldn’t have to defend against two counts of adultery. 

He’d been resolute that he’d wait out the time until his marriage was officially over before reaching out to Kate, but he was already wavering and it had only been a few days. Staring down at his phone, he brought up her contact card again and stared at the little black dot, wondering what it meant.

The sound of knocking on his door disturbed him from his dark train of thought. Making his way to the front door, Anthony genuinely smiled for the first time in what felt like ages when he saw Daphne standing on his doorstep. 

“Daph,” he said happily, pulling her into a hug. When she drew her arms around him, he let out a relieved sigh.

“A beer?” he asked, holding his up as he led her into the living room. It was still strewn with Gregory’s dirty socks, an old sweatshirt from Eton, and his video game controllers littering the coffee table. Anthony hadn’t had the time or energy since moving back to clean it up and bring his little brother's things back to his mum’s house.

“Yes, please,” Daphne said softly, bending forward to swipe some old gym socks off of a couch cushion and sit down.

Padding on bare feet into the kitchen, Anthony grabbed a beer bottle from the fridge—they were Greg’s but he didn’t think he’d be back for them—and popped it open with a bottle opener shaped like a pair of women’s breasts. He wondered where his little brother had found that .

“Here,” he said, holding out the stem. “I suppose mum filled you in,” he said as he fell back to the couch beside her with a sigh.

“She did,” Daphne confirmed, raising her brows at Anthony before taking a long drag of the beer and pulling it down with a sigh. “Greg’s girlfriend, though, really?”

Anthony shook his head at her and looked away, realising he would have to explain it to everyone now, for them to understand the way it had felt to hold Kate in his arms. To kiss her. To just be near her. 

“She’s Gregory’s age,” Daphne added.

“She’s older,” Anthony bit back, fully aware of the way that sounded. 

“You could have raised her,” Daphne said softly before taking another sip. 

The way that statement made his face burn was unwelcome because the truth was that he had raised all of them, even Benedict in some sense. 

After their father had passed, Anthony, at eighteen, had become guardian to all seven of them. Their mother had tried at first, he conceded, trying to convince himself that it was true. He’d found her one day in the bathtub after she’d made an attempt on her life. After that it had been easy to get her to assign guardianship to him, to give him power of attorney, and to sign over management of their family properties, before sending her to a treatment facility for her depression.

Regardless, even before all of that, he had ensured their family’s success since Edmund Bridgerton’s passing. 

Anthony had taken Benedict to rehab the first time and both times after. He’d attended Daphne’s ballet recitals, hell, he’d gone with her every time she’d needed new ballet slippers. He’d even taken her hair brush and styling gel out and fumbled until he’d given her the perfect bun for her classes. He’d gone to the principal's office when Colin got in trouble, gone to all of their parent/teacher conferences, helped Francesca study for her exams, and tucked Gregory and Hyacinth in at night. 

He’d done all of it, regardless of how his older siblings had resented him for it. Or how his mother acted like none of it ever happened after she returned home. All of those memories flashing through his mind, Anthony felt a burn in his chest at the realisation that Daphne was the only one to reach out since they’d all returned to town. 

“Her age doesn’t stop how I feel,” he explained softly, taking a pull of his beer and staring off into the distance, wishing she was there with him, but rueful over the fact that he still barely knew her. “I know it was wrong, Daph, but I don’t regret it. And I hate myself for that because I know how much it hurt Gregory.”

“It wasn’t just the sex?” she asked, turning to face him on the couch, her bottle balanced on her knee.

“ No ,” he whispered vehemently. Suddenly he could see Kate in his mind, standing in the sunshine that first morning back, in her room, her bare breasts shining gold in the sunlight. He couldn’t explain how when he met her, he felt like he’d known her his entire life. Couldn’t explain the way she made him feel when she was simply sitting beside him. He wanted that every day. 

Looking down at his lap, Anthony began to peel the label from his beer bottle. “I filed for divorce.”

“Well, that was a long time coming,” Daphne conceded, the beer in her bottle sloshing as she lifted it to her lips, the smell of hops hitting Anthony’s nose. “Especially after that whole ordeal with Fife. We were all surprised when you decided to tough it out.”

“I should have probably ended it then,” he responded, looking across the room at all the things Gregory had left behind. There was a picture of his football team from school, Anthony standing behind him from when he had volunteered as an assistant coach. They’d come in second place in the championship that year and Anthony had been so proud. 

“But hindsight is 20/20 I suppose,” he added, wondering if Greg would want that picture back now. “Are they all angry with me?”

Sighing, Daphne settled back into the couch, her gaze drifting to the football photograph as well. “Colin is and Penelope is going along with him. So is Hyacinth. Mum just seems disappointed, and so does Franny. I’m not sure Eloise cares, what with the Marina drama. And you know how easygoing Benedict and Henry are, I’m sure they’ll reach out soon.”

That was a relief, Anthony thought. He’d expected them to all be cross and disappointed with his behaviour. 

“And Simon?” he asked, chancing a glance over to Daphne’s dark grey eyes, feeling a slight pang of fear in his stomach for the realisation that she hadn’t mentioned him. That he wasn’t there with her. That his childhood friend hadn’t texted him.

“He wants to talk to you,” she explained carefully, her fingers starting to peel the label affixed near the mouth of the bottle. “I think he’s a little disappointed, especially after the drama that happened when he and I got together.”

“Ah,” Anthony said, his eyes burning as he nodded in feigned understanding. Letting out a shaky breath, he looked away, trying to ignore the way that statement made his stomach drop. 

Anthony had given Simon a difficult time when he’d finally admitted to dating Daphne ten years ago. It had come to blows and Anthony had justified his actions by saying family came first. Implying, in some way, that Simon was not also family. It had damaged the bond that they had shared since they were boys, and it had taken until Simon and Daphne’s wedding for them to begin repairing their friendship.

Feeling like a massive hypocrite, Anthony upended his bottle into his mouth, drinking down the rest of the beer that had grown warm from his hand. 

“Give him some time, he’ll reach out when he’s ready,” Daphne said as she stood, setting her half-empty bottle on the table. “I love you, Anthony,” she added, “we all do, just give everyone some time. Especially Gregory.”

When his children were with their mother, throwing himself into his family medical practice was the only way Anthony could find to cope with the distance from his siblings, and from his self-imposed distance from Kate. He was still desperate to talk to her and almost texted her daily, but held back, though he hated himself for it.

He had bought out his wife’s share of the practice, which had not come cheap, but it had made it a sanctuary that was free of her. She, in turn, had purchased a house, which Anthony was grateful for. It meant that he could move back into his home in due course. 

It came as a welcome relief when a few weeks after sharing a beer with Daphne, a text from Simon arrived, inviting him to Simon’s new pub that evening for drinks. Anthony jumped at the chance and responded immediately. 

Showing up in boat shoes, blue jeans, and a tucked-in dark blue oxford with the sleeves rolled up, Anthony felt underdressed when he realised that Simon’s new place was quite trendy, with many patrons in clubwear. He supposed it didn’t matter, the only person he needed to impress that evening was Simon, and he didn’t think his old friend cared about what he wore.

Stepping inside, he was relieved that the atmosphere was not oppressive or overly dark or loud. It was actually quite nice, done up with decor a la roaring 20s, complete with a brass band and powerful singer who took centre stage. 

At a table toward the back sat Simon, dressed in an old-fashioned tuxedo with tails and a starched collar, as many of the waitstaff were dressed. Anthony thought perhaps he was in fact underdressed and wished Simon had told him to wear his tux, though Anthony realised it was still at the cleaners. As he made his way across the busy floor, he mused that his wife used to pick those things up.

Upon noticing Anthony, Simon stood, pushing his chair back with a scraping sound, and drew Anthony into his arms. The gesture came as a relief, and Anthony held him tight for a moment. He missed the way his family was always touchy-feely and the fact that he’d only been able to hug his kids in the last few weeks. 

“I’m sorry for not calling sooner,” Simon said as he sat back down, Anthony joining him in the opposite chair while Simon gestured toward a waiter passing by. “Launching this place has been insane and I just… I guess I wanted to make you sweat.”

Two martinis were placed at their table, each with an olive, and Anthony immediately pulled his towards him, twirling the stem between his fingers. “I understand,” he said softly, keeping his eyes focused on his glass.

“I need you to explain it to me,” Simon said, taking a sip and turning to focus on Anthony. “Everything about the affair.”

Anthony looked up to rebuke that word, affair , it was so much more than that. But Simon waved him off. “You filed for divorce the moment you got home—I know it must have been more than just sex. Plus, I have never known you as a guy willing to blow up your entire family just to fuck about.”

“I thought it was just sex at first,” Anthony confessed, his eyes bouncing to Simon’s for a minute before focusing back on his martini glass. “I couldn’t say no to her… god, no, it was more than that. She wasn’t some temptress. There was a pull I couldn’t deny, neither of us could. Then when I was drawn in I realised how much more there was. So much that I had never experienced in my life. And I knew how much it would hurt Gregory. But I couldn’t stop it.”

“You’ve had a little taste of how I felt when I fell in love with Daphne,” Simon said softly, his eyes sad when Anthony finally looked up at them. “I knew you would hate me and the thought of losing your friendship tore me up, but I still had to do it.”

“I am so sorry,” Anthony said, his eyes watering at the confession and at the realisation that he had never actually apologised to Simon. He felt rueful at the thought, considering how much better he understood his friend now.

“I don’t think there was any way you would have ever understood until you fell in love with someone yourself,” Simon responded, the corners of his lips turning up into a smile. 

Love. The word made Anthony’s head spin. It had been in the back of his mind, but the idea had felt ridiculous. He’d known Kate for less than five days. It simply wasn’t possible. 

“How long did it take before you realised you were in love with Daphne?” He asked, his head facing his glass, but his eyes tilted up shyly to look at Simon’s expression.

“I am pretty sure I fell in love with her that day you launched your practice when that bottle of champagne exploded all over her dress,” Simon explained, his eyes growing soft as he looked off into the distance. “It was the first time I saw her as a woman and not as your kid sister. But realised?”

Shaking his head, Simon’s mind seemed to drift off for a moment. “After our first date, I think, but I pushed her away hard, afraid of losing your friendship plus I was dealing with all of the nonsense from my father. Thankfully, Daphne was very persistent.”

Maybe love moved fast, Anthony thought. Brushing the thought aside, he shook his head and finally lifted the glass to take a sip. It was a vodka martini and the way the vermouth and top-shelf vodka danced across his tongue was a welcome sensation. 

“I was really happy when you texted earlier,” Anthony confessed, licking the traces of vodka off of his lips. “Everyone's gathering around Gregory right now, as they should, but I’ve been pushed out. Haven’t been invited to family dinner at mum’s or Eloise’s Wimbledon watch thing.”

“The Wimbledon thing was painful, Ben wore Eloise’s tennis skirt and got drunk and barfed on her cat,” Simon responded, downing the rest of his glass and signalling to a waiter for two more. “And family dinner was depressing, with Gregory so moody and Eloise and Marina constantly fighting. It’s best you weren’t there.”

As the waiter deposited two fresh martinis on their table, Anthony downed his first one and placed the empty glass directly on the man’s serving tray sans olive. 

“I know it’s hard but give them some time,” Simon said, taking his second drink, “and come to Augie’s school recital this weekend. Bring Charlotte, she loves that shit, Neddy can stay at your mum’s until later. Let him work his magic on his uncle Gregory.”

The last time Anthony had taken Charlotte to one of Augie’s school events, she’d insisted on sitting in his lap the entire time, jamming the heels of her fancy patent leather shoes into his shins over and over again. At the moment, nothing sounded better.

One more drink later, the conversation veered back to the original topic at hand. “So, how’s Kate?” Simon asked, grabbing the toothpick with his olive on it, and biting down with a slight moan. Olives soaked in vodka were quite nice, Anthony thought, reaching for his own. 

“I haven’t spoken to her since that weekend,” he said quietly, downing his third drink and gesturing toward the waiter as he passed by their table. He wondered if the burn in his stomach was the vodka or the fear that Kate did not want to hear from him.

“What the fuck, mate?” Simon asked, laughing and reaching over to slam Anthony on the arm. “I thought this thing between you two was real!”

“It is!” Anthony responded, sitting up straighter, only to realise how dizzy that made him. “But I’m still married. I don’t want to be married the next time I see her.”

“But you miss her,” Simon responded, gesturing with his martini glass, some of the liquid slipping over the edge onto his hand. Licking his palm, Simon eyed Anthony. “You can at least call her.”

“I miss her so much it’s tearing me up inside, but it’s been so long. I don’t know if she wants to hear from me.” Anthony slammed down the fourth drink the second the waiter deposited it on the table, thankful this time the young man also left a basket of steaming hot chips before walking back to the bar. 

“You’re never gonna know unless you talk to her,” Simon cut back, taking a chip and biting down before groaning and opening his mouth to wave his hand in front of his face. “Hot.”

Laughing, Anthony grabbed one but coughed it out a second after biting down. “Bloody hell they are.”

“You’re allowed to love her,” Simon added, once they’d both calmed from the overly hot chips, waving the waiter away when he stopped by to see if he could bring them another round. “You shouldn’t feel guilty for that. You made a mistake, made amends, and are trying your best to make up for it. Just because you made a mistake doesn’t mean you deserve to be unhappy.”

Nodding at his friend, Anthony didn’t think he could bring himself to respond. Everything had been wrapped up so tightly inside of him and he realised that’s exactly what he’d been doing. Punishing himself by staying away.

“Anthony,” Simone said, placing a hand on the back of Anthony’s chair, “you deserve the chance to have what Daphne and I share.”

Grabbing Anthony’s phone from a puddle of martini on the table, Simon handed it to him. “Just bloody call her.”

Chapter Text

It had been a week since Kate had last seen or heard from Anthony and she genuinely wondered if he had lost interest. Not for the first time she kicked herself for not asking for his number. She’d even considered reaching out to Gregory to get it, knowing how insane that sounded, and how he’d likely have her blocked for merely reaching out. That or sending him a message request on Instagram, but she had a feeling he didn’t check those. 

Making her way to the barn where she gave weekend riding lessons, Kate enclosed herself in the dark and quiet tack room, thankful that the stables were air-conditioned. Poorly air-conditioned, but it was still a relief from the hot summer sun that continued to bake the ground.

Grabbing her key, she unlocked her tack trunk and pulled out her tall riding boots. They were covered in muck from lessons two weeks prior, so she set to cleaning them at the boot stand. The sound of the rough brush against the leather soothed her as she moved it in sure strokes back and forth.

“Hey, didn’t know you were back this weekend,” she heard someone say from behind her. Looking up, she realised it was her fellow instructor, a guy she had hooked up with on the regular in that very tack room.

The idea struck her as odd suddenly—also the fact that she hadn’t considered that he would expect sex when she came in that day. When she looked at him, she saw the bags under his eyes, the wiry beard hair that he was too lazy to shave, and the slight ring of pudge around his midsection. 

Anthony was always well-shaven and his abdomen was hard as a rock. 

All of a sudden Trent, her fellow instructor, didn’t seem so handsome or alluring and she genuinely wondered what she had seen in him before. It had only been a few weeks since their last tryst and she’d distinctly remembered the way she’d salivated when he’d put his hands on her hips. The thought of him touching her now sent a cold shiver down her body in revulsion.

“Wanna?” he asked, holding a foil-wrapped condom up and gesturing with his brows toward the wooden wall he normally took her against. Kate watched as he massaged himself through his riding trousers and shook her head.

“Not in the mood,” she said quietly, before turning back to her boots and scraping the last of the mud off, not paying attention to him, but feeling relief when he walked away without protest.

On the bus home that evening, sweaty and smelling of the barn, Kate scrolled through the texts that had come in while she was working and saw a litany of black dots. Pausing over her partner that enjoyed using fuzzy handcuffs, she seriously considered reaching out.

The fact was that Anthony had ghosted her and the thought sent a wave of frustration through her body. He’d said he’d text when he was ready, that she shouldn’t wait for him. He’d all but given her the go-ahead to fool around, but suddenly it was the last thing she wanted. All she wanted was him, the fucker.

Sighing, she locked her phone and stared out the window, leaving all of those texts on unread, knowing she’d have to get back to them at some point and explain herself. 

After work the next day, all Kate wanted was a drink. She stared at a bottle of Beefeater from outside of a liquor store near her flat and imagined buying it and chugging it while it was still in the paper bag. It had been her poison of choice once upon a time. That had all ended when she’d been drunk and forgotten a thirteen-year-old Edwina at the country fair for six hours as she’d fucked about.

When Mary had called her at three in the morning, she’d been in an absolute panic. It had been the wake-up call that their mother needed to get her grief in line—Kate had been effectively pushed out of the family until her drinking stopped. 

Even though it was the hardest thing she’d had to cope with since losing her father, she’d done it and stopped drinking. The familiar spike of pain at his death pressed into her, making Kate salivate and swallow at the sight of the gin. Shaking her head, she quickly walked home and pulled on her trainers.

After a punishing ten-kilometre sprint, she’d collapsed in her bed, denying that any man had ever had such a strong hold over her and convincing herself that what she felt for Anthony was merely lust. Pressing her face into the pillow that he had laid upon once and trying not to cry, she fell into a fitful sleep.

She awoke in the morning to pounding on her front door. Head throbbing from dehydration and poor sleep, still in her running kit and her hair a mess, Kate hobbled to the door and opened it. Siena stood there smiling, two to-go cups and a pastry bag in hand.

Kate tried to smile at her and turned toward her little kitchenette, plopping down into one of the old 50s-style padded metal chairs. 

“Okay, first of all, you stink,” Siena remarked, waving her hand in front of her face, “you’re not allowed to have any of this until you’ve showered.”

Pursing her lips at her friend, Kate grunted and stood, hobbling toward her bathroom with the little standing shower. Twenty minutes later, feeling fresher and her wet hair soaking her t-shirt, she returned to her chair and grabbed the hot cup of chai that Siena held up.

“You haven’t been to the club since before your trip,” Siena remarked, sipping from her cup of coffee, her brows high as she examined Kate’s face. “And I talked to Scott and he said you haven’t been to his since around then either.”

Scott was another steady paramour, he’d texted Kate a few times, but she hadn’t been able to bring herself to answer. 

“I haven’t been feeling up to it,” she said morosely, biting into one of the hot crumpets Siena brought and reheated in the oven.

“Sex is your vice, Kate,” Siena said with a laugh, “that is since you stopped drinking. Besides, you haven’t filled me in on what happened in the country.”

Shaking her head, Kate filled her mouth with crumpet so she couldn’t speak.

“That bad, huh?” Siena remarked, squinting her eyes. “Was the hot brother a disappointment?”

Kate’s face crumpled as she breathed in, trying desperately to chew and swallow the food, to keep herself from crying over someone she’d known for less than a week. Burying her face in her hands and finally swallowing, she concentrated on her breathing.

“Wow,” Siena said under her breath, rising to stand next to Kate and place a gentle hand on her shoulder. “That’s why you haven’t gone out or called Scott? The brother ?”

Unable to talk, Kate nodded into her hands, drawing in shuddered breaths as she tried to calm herself. 

“He hasn’t called me and I feel like I’m starting to unravel,” she admitted when she finally lifted her head, wiping away the tears from her cheeks. “I feel insane for it. I barely know him. I don’t feel like the same person anymore.”

“So, things did happen in Kent?” Siena followed up, sitting back down and grabbing her coffee cup with both hands.

“A lot of things,” Kate said with a wistful sigh, “so many wonderful things.”

“And now he’s ghosting you?” Siena’s brows were raised in question.

“Gregory caught us,” Kate explained, her cheeks burning as she turned to look out the kitchen window. 

“Poor kid.”

“Anthony said he needs to figure some things out. One of those things being his marriage,” Kate added, taking a sip of her tea and hiding behind the cup. 

“Well, fuck,” Siena responded, letting out a low whistle. 

“But he told me not to wait for him, that I was free to sleep around,” Kate finished with a sardonic laugh, feeling her eyes start to burn again. 

She supposed that Anthony had probably decided to stay with his wife and deleted her number. He had children, after all, and Kate wasn’t a sure thing. The thought made the tea and crumpets in her stomach feel like acid and she gently set her cup back down on the formica table. 

That evening, after finishing up dinner, Kate did the dishes in her little kitchenette and stared out the window as the neighbourhood kids kicked a rubber ball around in the street. The way they called out to each other, laughing and joking, made her suddenly nostalgic for her childhood. Even for the days before her father had met Mary, back to their time in India, when Kate would play with the neighbourhood children on the river’s edge, running around, collecting big leaves, and pretending they were currency.

When her phone rang, she turned off the faucet and dried her hands on a kitchen towel before looking at the screen. It was an unknown number. Happy to tell off a telemarketer, Kate picked it up, expecting no one to answer on the other end.

However, she was surprised when she heard a familiar voice.

“I don’t want you to see other people,” Anthony said, his voice slightly slurring as he spoke. “I don’t want you to sleep with anyone else.”

Looking down at her toes, Kate couldn’t help but grin into the receiver. “I don’t want anyone else.”

“Good,” he said with a sigh, “Hi.”

“Hi,” Kate responded, letting out a shuddering breath, surprised at the way his voice could so easily wrap around her heart. “I missed you.”

“You have no idea,” he responded as he huffed out a breath, “no fucking idea.”

“Then come over,” she cut back, looking around her apartment, a sudden urge to clean it from top to bottom surging through her.

“I’m still married,” he responded, but grunted when she heard another voice telling him to shut the hell up about that. “Okay, fine,” he said with a laugh, his voice farther from the receiver on his end.

“I’m at four-sev—“

“I saved your address!” he almost shouted in response, his voice joyous. “Simon’s calling me a cab, see you soon, Kate.”

When the call ended, heart racing in her chest, Kate saved Anthony’s number and placed a heart next to it, not even considering her old familiar black dot system. In the next second, a text came in from the man himself, telling her he was already in the taxi, although he’d fat fingered ‘ taxi’ and it read as ‘tabby’ .

Chuckling to herself, Kate looked up from her perch against the kitchen counter and saw the stinky pair of trainers strewn in front of the flat door, the nearby plant that she’d knocked over earlier and not cleaned up yet, the wet towel on the floor half in the bathroom, the empty to-go cups still sitting on her kitchen table, and all the other things she’d let go in the last few days.

Looking at the time, she raced across her apartment and cleaned what she could, her heart banging hard in her chest in anticipation of his arrival.

By the time she’d cleaned and flushed the toilet there was a knock at her door.

Grinning to herself, Kate took a centering breath before swinging the door open. Anthony was in a dark blue oxford with the sleeves rolled up, one hem of the shirt was untucked and hanging over his belt, and his hair was a mess from his hands.

The smile he gave her was heaven on earth as he fell into her arms.

“Kate, Kate, Kate,” he said, his lips pressing into her shoulder and neck, his fingers pulling at the loose t-shirt she’d thrown on after her shower. 

“Missed your hair,” he mumbled, burying his lips in her locks and dragging in a breath. It was then that the smell of vodka hit Kate hard in the face and she pulled back. Wrapping her fingers around his wrist, she pulled him inside and pushed him down onto the couch.

A moment later, she held out a glass of water for him. “Drink this,” she ordered, sitting next to him and watching his throat work as he chugged.

When he was done, he let the glass fall to his lap with an ‘ ah’ and served Kate with another drunk smile. 

“I am sending you to bed,” she said, angling her head to look at him and run a hand down his jawline. 

“I filed for divorce,” he muttered as if that was the appropriate response. The news sent a kaleidoscope of butterflies careening through Kate’s belly. “It’ll be done in a few weeks,” he added as his eyelids drifted shut. “Iss why I dinnit call.”

Letting out an anxious breath, Kate stood, pulled him from the couch, and directed him toward her bed. There, she helped him strip down to his pants and then tucked him in after he fell to the mattress with a childlike contented smile on his face. 

“You won’t feel like this in the morning,” Kate responded with a laugh, not missing the way drinking had always made her feel like a jackhammer was drilling away inside of her skull the next morning.

“It’s alright,” he said, eyes still closed as he settled in, “‘cause you’ll be here.”

Before going to bed beside him, Kate had set another glass of water at his bedside with a paracetamol tab, just in case he woke before her. 

The next morning, when her eyes fluttered open, she half expected him to have fled in the night. However, he was still there, one hand covering his eyes from the morning sun as he groaned. Kate placed a hand on his chest to soothe him, and his other hand automatically came up to entwine their fingers. 

“Morning,” she whispered, cuddling into her pillow next to where he was splayed out on his back. 

“Hmm,” he responded, finally lifting his hand to squint over at her. “Sorry about… well, coming here drunk.”

“It’s okay,” she responded, her voice still soft, squeezing his hand.

“It’s not,” he said, just as soft, as he turned to face her, though his eyes were now in the direct line of sunlight filtering through the window. Squinting his eyes against the onslaught, he placed a hand on her cheek. “Will you tell me why you don’t drink?”

Kate shrugged, her smile wobbly as she tried to conjure the words. “I’m an alcoholic,” she whispered, blinking rapidly, the way the admission felt surprised her. Like she was a failure in his eyes, even when she was sure he didn’t care. “I started drinking after my father died. A lot. I almost lost Mary and Edwina.”

“Are they…” he responded, caressing her cheek with his thumb.

“My mum and my sister,” Kate explained, feeling more than a little ashamed that he knew so little about her life when she had met his entire family. Not that the circumstances had allowed for it, but still. “I was eighteen when my father died. Eddie was twelve. I used to take care of her.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know,” he said softly, his palm still warm on her face. Kate brought her own hand up and placed it over his. 

“I didn’t want you to know,” she responded, her eyes drifting closed for a moment so she could take comfort in the way it felt to have him touching her again.

They lay like that for some time, talking quietly in bed, taking comfort in how easy it was to switch from silence to soft conversation and back. Finally, after putting up with his bad breath for over an hour, Kate rose from the bed and ordered Anthony into the bathroom, shoving her toothbrush into his hand. He had laughed at her as he brushed his teeth and then as she walked away, she loved the way he’d slapped her bum as she’d strutted to the kitchen in a t-shirt and knickers to put the kettle on.

They ate breakfast together on the sofa, little pieces of toast with marmalade and Kate’s special tea from India, her legs pressing into his until he finally set his plate down and hauled them into his lap.

“Did I say I filed for—“

“Yes,” Kate said, cutting him off, not wanting to hear that word again. Something about it was unsettling and she couldn’t explain it.

“My wife didn’t contest it,” he added, “so it should be quick.”

Reaching up, Kate ruffled his already unruly curls, having missed the way it had felt to run her fingers through his hair. There was something so sexy about him in the morning, hair a mess, wearing only boxer briefs, his skin soft and warm where they touched.

“Do your kids know?” Kate asked softly, her eyes meeting his. 

“Yes,” he whispered, letting his head drop to her shoulder, the scent of his shampoo strong as Kate buried her face in his hair. Sandalwood. “Edmund said we fought all the time and were unhappy, and since all his friend’s parents are separated, that he didn’t mind. Charlotte didn’t really understand.”

“How old are they?” Kate asked, running her fingers through his hair, but letting her hand drift down to her lap as he lifted his head to look her in the eye. 

“Neddy is ten and Charlotte’s five,” he said, blinking down at her. Kate could see the pulse start to race in his neck. “They’re with their mum today.”

“I’ve never dated anyone with kids,” Kate admitted as Anthony squeezed her thigh. She also had never dated someone so much older than her, but she rarely thought about the age gap between them and didn’t want to bring it up now. It already felt like a non-issue. 

“Neither have I,” he responded with a smile, his eyes warm. “We’ll take it slowly, see where this is going first.”

“I’m happy to do whatever you and their mother are comfortable with,” Kate said.

Nodding, Anthony looked away. “My family isn’t going to like this, us being together. Gregory especially.”

“I know,” she whispered in response, nestling into him.

“They’re barely speaking to me as it is. I haven’t even seen Greg since that morning,” Anthony admitted softly, his hand reaching out for hers and grabbing it tightly. “He’s moved in with my mum on Bruton Street and I’m back in my old flat on the square.”

“If he’s as upset as you say, it’s good that he’s not alone now,” Kate responded, feeling some comfort from the anchor of his hand clasped in hers. 

“It’s going to be really tough,” Anthony admitted, letting a little bit more of his weight press into her from the side. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

Her eyes sliding closed, Kate concentrated on the feel of his shoulder and thigh pressing into her, to the way his bare skin felt against hers. She’d never felt this way before and nodded her head against his shoulder. 

“I feel insane for it, but yes.”

Some weeks later…

Anthony ❤️: It’s official, I’m a single man!

Kate ⚫️: Congratulations!! I’m so happy for you! 🎉

Kate ⚫️: And you are most definitely not single!

Anthony ❤️: I can’t wait to celebrate with you. To see you. Come to mine after work?

Anthony ❤️: Am I a boyfriend now? 😎

Kate ⚫️: Definitely a boytoy, but promotions are available upon good behaviour. 

Anthony ❤️: Yes, ma’am. 😇

Grinning down at her phone, Kate set it down on her desk and turned back to her computer. She hadn’t seen Anthony since that day in her flat several weeks prior, when he’d stopped by drunk and after they’d spent the day together in their underwear. The vision of him eating crap pizza in his pants on her couch had been seared into her brain—in a very very good way. 

Anthony had still felt torn about seeing her before his divorce was finalised, but they had agreed that texting and nightly phone calls were a serviceable concession, both of which had been getting very steamy as of late.

Kate was practically bubbling with excitement over the fact that she would finally be getting some. It had been weeks, her longest dry spell on record, though she had technically been “seeing” someone during that time.

Perhaps, she thought, she’d stop by Siena’s and raid her closet before heading home to get ready. Or maybe she could get ready at Siena’s, she mused with a grin, so she wouldn’t have to waste a moment of potential sex time hauling herself across town.

By the time she pulled up to Anthony’s flat in Grosvenor Square, it was half six, and she was sporting one of Siena’s silk dresses. This one was dark teal, with a low neckline, spaghetti straps, and a short hemline. Over her shoulder she held her work bag, with a fresh pair of knickers in it, some deodorant, and one of Siena’s spare toothbrushes. She had high hopes for the night and didn’t think she was overstepping. 

As she rang the bell, her heart skittered in her chest. When Anthony came to the door, his hair was still wet from his shower, the little ends of the curls at his nape dripping onto the collar of his button-down shirt. It looked like it was freshly pressed, though he already had the cuffs rolled up.

His eyes darkened upon seeing her and Kate’s heart raced, taking his hand as he led her into his flat. It struck her suddenly that she’d been there before, her cheeks burned at the fact that she hadn’t connected the dots. Gregory had been living in his brother’s flat, Anthony’s , before moving back in with his mum.

Looking toward the leather couch where she’d ridden Gregory, Kate widened her eyes and then refocused them on Anthony as he walked into the kitchen. Though he wore freshly pressed black trousers, his feet were bare, and something about it was undeniably sexy.

“Put your bag down, Kate,” he said, giving her a sly half-grin. Chuckling nervously, Kate let it fall to the foot of the couch, before following him into the kitchen.

“So, this is my place,” he said, pulling her against him, “would you like a tour?”

“I’ve been here before,” she responded, her face burning as she buried it in his neck.

“Ah,” he said, his muscles tightening against her.

“I’m—I’m moving back into my house, once my ex has her new place sorted,” he added, his voice breathy as he pulled away. 

“Okay,” Kate said, feeling a bit dizzy, realising Anthony was holding out a drink for her.

“It’s iced tea,” he explained, his cheeks darkening as he held it out, complete with one giant ice cube in a crystal rock glass. “Is this too much?”

“No,” Kate said laughing, grabbing it gratefully between both hands, “this is perfect.”

She grinned up at him when she noticed he had poured one for himself and was sipping at it cautiously. 

“I used to ply women with alcohol,” he explained sheepishly, as he downed half the glass and left it on the counter. “But I happen to have take-out from that place you told me about. Can I use that to get you into bed?”

Grinning, Kate pushed past him to the brown paper bag sitting on the counter, one corner darkened from grease, probably from the pakoras. Tearing it open, the enticing aroma of local Indian food flooded her senses. 

“I used to go there all the time when I was at King’s,” she said, her eyes watering at the thought he’d put into that night. “I nursed so many hangovers with a mango lassi and samosa.”

“I know,” Anthony said quietly, drawing his arms around her. Bending forward, he brushed the hair away from her neck and kissed her shoulder, trailing his lips up her throat to her jaw.

The moment Kate leaned back into him, ready for him to take her against the kitchen counter, her stomach growled. Chuckling against her skin, Anthony pulled back and reached for the dishes that sat on the counter and grabbed two folks from the silverware drawer. 

“Want to eat at the counter?” he asked, motioning to two stools that sat along the kitchen island. Kate noticed the little kitchen table that sat between the island and the living room was strewn with what looked like patient files. 

“Yes,” she said with a smile, grabbing the plates and forks and bringing them over. She slipped her shoes off before sliding onto one of the padded stools, already feeling more at home in that space than she had been with Gregory.

As they ate, Anthony told Kate about his day, about the drama with the nurses at his practice and the gossip he’d heard from one of his physicians that moonlit at the hospital. Kate was eager for updates after Anthony had started to fill her in on the latest during their late-night phone calls. 

When the food was done, Kate brought the dishes to the sink. A moment after she set them down, Anthony pulled her into his arms, and kissed her, coaxing her mouth open immediately, his tongue touching hers with what felt like an electric jolt. He tasted like curry and hot chutney with a little taste of English tea.

As he kissed her, he led her to the couch, and Kate tried not to think of his brother as Anthony sat and she straddled him, re-engaging their kiss the moment he lifted his head. She could already feel him getting hard against her, his hands eagerly lifting her skirt and feeling the bare skin of her arse.

Pulling back, he regarded her with dark eyes. “You wore these on purpose,” he said, his voice a deep rasp, referring to her thong.

“I did,” Kate admitted easily, grinding into him as she recaptured his lips.

Then the door buzzer rang and she jolted up in a slight panic.

“Sorry, the buzzer’s bloody loud,” Anthony remarked as Kate moved off of him. “I should check and see if it’s one of my siblings.”

Standing, he looked at her, his breath still ragged as it puffed from his chest, his cock still visibly hard in his trousers. “I need a second,” he said as he turned and paced in front of the door before stopping and placing one hand on the jamb. 

A short time later, he took a breath and then pulled the door open. When Kate saw who it was, her heart sank into her stomach and she immediately popped up from the couch and straightened her dress. 

“Gregory,” Anthony practically choked out, his jaw falling slack.

Anthony’s little brother laughed when he saw Kate standing there, stepping into the apartment and resting his hands on his hips. “Can’t say I’m surprised she’s here.”

Letting out a shaky breath, Kate wrapped her arms tightly around herself, suddenly feeling cold standing barefoot in Siena’s little silk dress. 

There was a steely look in Gregory’s eye that had Kate feeling taken aback. She wanted to explain all of this to him, that she hadn’t seen Anthony for weeks, that this thing between them had just started up again. However, she knew it wouldn’t help, it wouldn’t make him feel better about what had happened at Aubrey Hall, so she fell back to the couch and pulled a pillow into her lap.

Staring at her, Gregory moved to the leather armchair opposite and sat down heavily, crossing his arms, as if to say that he wasn’t leaving.

Anthony walked quickly to the kitchen and grabbed something from the fridge, a beer bottle, and held it out to Gregory when he returned to the living room. His little brother accepted the beverage and took a slow wary sip, watching as Anthony joined Kate on the couch, though he didn’t touch her.

“Ironic to see you two sitting there,” he said between sips, his hand shaking as he lifted the bottle in the air.

“I can go,” Kate said softly, turning to Anthony. 

“Maybe it’s—“

“I want her to stay,” Gregory cut in, the harshness in his tone sending a wave of cold goosebumps across Kate’s skin.

“Anthony, do you know Kate fucked me on that couch the first night we met?” Gregory asked, his eyes hard as he looked at his brother.

Kate could see Anthony’s jaw jump at the words. “Gregory,” he said, cautioning the man that was like a son to him. 

“What will make this better?” Kate asked him, almost pleading, as her heart starting to race again.

“You guys are really doing this,” Gregory said, ignoring Kate’s question,

“We don’t want to hurt you, buddy,” Anthony said softly, his eyes sad as he regarded his brother.

“Don’t call me that,” Gregory responded, his jaw flexing, which struck Kate as being so much like Anthony. “And a little too late for that, don’t you think?”

“I really am sorry,” Kate said, her voice quivering on the last word. “I didn’t expect it to feel like this. I don’t think either of us did.”

Greg’s eyes were cold as they connected with her. It was such a juxtaposition to the light easygoing boy she had met at that club, the one that had eagerly brought her to meet his family. “You’ll never make her happy, Anthony. You know she marked me as vanilla in her phone? That she was sleeping with other people when we were together? What makes you think you can please her?”

“Greg,” Kate said, a cautioning tone in her voice. She wasn’t ashamed of her history, but she also didn’t want someone else to explain it to Anthony. She had planned to do that herself. 

Anthony didn’t speak as the silence began to stretch on. When Kate looked at him, she could see the pulse hammering in his neck and his hands clenched at his sides. She wanted him to reach out to her, hell, she wanted to be able to move her arm, to reach out to him, but she didn’t want to push him in front of his brother. 

“I want to watch you together,” Gregory said after a time, jutting his chin out as he sat up straighter, his eyes darting between Kate and Anthony.

“What—“ Anthony began to say, his brows knitting in confusion.

“Show me what I did wrong,” Gregory cut in, one hand balling into a fist where it rested on his thigh. 

Kate raised a hand up in caution. “Maybe you should—“

“Show me. Please ,” he said, cutting her off. “I want to see what I did wrong. Why I couldn't please her? You both owe me that much.”

“That won’t make it better, it won’t make you feel better,” Anthony cut in. When Kate turned to him, she could see him swallowing nervously and his teeth grinding as his jaw jumped. 

Gregory merely set his beer down on the table between them and crossed his arms over his chest.

Heart racing a staccato beat in her chest, Kate turned to Anthony and widened her eyes at him. “You should go home,” Anthony whispered, his face softening as he looked at her. “You don’t have to do this.”

“Maybe we should,” she whispered, desperate to do anything to help heal the rift between Anthony and his brother. Feeling a little insane for thinking that this could generate some goodwill between brothers, or at least be a first step in repairing their relationship.

“Are you sure?” he whispered back, his brows knitted together as he reached for her hand and squeezed it. 

“It’s okay,” she said, giving him a small smile, trying to breathe deeply to shake away the anxiety that had settled so easily in her chest.

Angling his head, Anthony looked at her with his heart in his eyes, and all Kate could think to do was lean forward and kiss him. It was a soft kiss, lips only, but it helped her relax, and relief flooded her body as she felt him soften against her.

Pulling away, Anthony spared Gregory a single glance before pushing Kate down on the couch so she lay on her back. Then he laid on top of her, his hips pressing between her legs as he rained kisses down her chest, moving further and further down toward her breasts.

She hadn’t worn a bra that day and by the time his lips pushed the neckline of the dress down and exposed her breast, she was moaning against him, already forgetting that they had an audience. Then Anthony closed his mouth around her nipple and she cried out.

When he was done with the one breast, he covered it again with the silk material, before paying attention to the other one. Lost to the sensations, Kate buried her hands in his hair and arched against him, her eyes sliding shut as the slow build of desire started to permeate her body. 

“Alright?” Anthony whispered as he pulled back, gently covering her nipple again with her dress.

“Yes,” she said, popping her eyes open and giving him a small smile. When Anthony crept down her body, she jolted in surprise, realising that Anthony was going to go down on her in front of his brother.

As much as he was fulfilling Gregory’s request, it was still a show of possession, she realised as he brushed the tiny strip of fabric that covered her to the side and placed his mouth between her legs.

It had felt like a thousand years since the last time he’d put his mouth on her on that blanket under the full moon by the lake, but it was exquisite and glorious and Kate was soon surrendering to the sensation. When Anthony ran a hand up her body and held it palm up, Kate grabbed it, and was thankful for the way his grip anchored her.

Her orgasm took her by surprise, her back arching hard into the couch, her other hand locking in Anthony’s hair as he laved on her. “Anthony,” she cried mindlessly as her body convulsed beneath him.

“It’s okay, I have you,” he said gently as he rose up and rested his body against her. 

Kate struggled to drag her eyelids open, and when she finally did, she saw his wide brown eyes staring down at her and felt his hand brush damp hairs away from her temple.

“Alright?” he whispered again, his brows knitting together.

Nodding vigorously at him, Kate arched up, grabbed his head, and pulled him down into a kiss, moaning at the taste of her arousal on his lips. 

A moment later he was reaching down to unbuckle his trousers, then pulling his pants down, his full cock sitting heavy against her, her knickers still pulled to the side, leaving her exposed under her skirt. Kate realised Anthony hadn’t wanted Gregory to see either of them naked and was doing this as discreetly as possible.

However, all thoughts fled her mind as he pushed in, guiding his erection with one hand, the other supporting his weight beside her.

“Mmm,” Kate moaned, her hands still on his face, her gaze locked with his. “It’s okay,” she whispered once he was fully seated inside of her as he allowed more of his weight to press down on her. 

“Okay,” he whispered back, moving his hips back and forth, his arms shaking under him. 

Her hands on his bum, Kate pulled him in tighter and wrapped her thighs around him, struggling to get purchase on the couch in order to thrust her hips up. 

Unsure if she could have another orgasm like this, even if Anthony could with his brother’s eyes on him, she pulled him into a kiss, hoping it could distract them like it had at the beginning.

Kate rather thought it worked, as he immediately relaxed against her, the stiffness flooding his muscles like a great exhale. 

Moaning against her mouth, he increased his pace as Kate pulled the tails of his shirt from his trousers and stuck her hands against his hot skin on his lower back.

When Anthony began to tighten and quiver against her, Kate felt a sense of relief, not wishing to seek out another climax like that. The soft way Anthony pulled back and looked into her eyes, his mouth hanging open, was enough for her she thought, his intensity and regard for her sending a searing hot wave of goosebumps across her skin.

“I’ve got you,” she whispered, rubbing his back in soothing circles as he groaned, his forehead falling against hers. She watched as his skin darkened, his hips convulsing against hers, his cock pressing into her deeply before he trembled and then let himself relax, his weight pressing into her.

As he calmed, Kate brushed her hands through his hair, her fingers straightening the hairs at the nape of his neck.

When Anthony finally pulled back, Kate felt a sense of loss as the air cooled her skin where he’d been pressed into her. Shakily, she sat up on the couch, putting her knickers back to rights under her skirt, feeling a little too abashed to look at Anthony as he zipped up his trousers. 

Sinking back into the cushions, her shoulder pressing into Anthony’s, Kate finally looked over at Gregory again. His erection stood out in relief against his taut jeans, though he didn’t touch it.

Turning to face Anthony, she met his eyes for a second, and then quickly popped up from the couch and padded to the bathroom, closing the door firmly behind her. As she closed her eyes, Anthony’s gaze was still fresh in her memory, and what she saw in it shook her. 

Concentrating on her breathing, Kate leaned against the door, the tile floor cold on her bare feet, as she wondered if they had just ruined what had barely begun. Eyes burning, she tried desperately not to cry, biting the inside of her cheek hard. With shaking hands, she cleaned herself up as best as she could, though when she looked in the mirror the person staring back at her was unrecognisable. 

There was a soft knock at the door that had her jumping away from the sink basin. “Kate?” Anthony called softly.

“Yeah,” she responded, trying to suffuse her voice with a level of normalcy, but sounding strangled and high-pitched. 

“Gregory’s gone home,” he explained, his voice distant and chillingly level. 

Swallowing, Kate drew the door open and faced him. His sad eyes stabbed at her and Kate desperately wanted to fall to the floor. “I feel like—“ she began to say.

“Can we talk about it tomorrow?” Anthony asked, placing one hand on the door jamb. Kate noticed how his hair was still mussed from her hands and how the tail of his shirt was still untucked. “I can drive you home.”

After nodding sadly at him, Kate squeezed around where he stood in the doorway, careful not to touch him as she went in search of her shoes and her bag, desperately trying not to cry. 

It was a long uncomfortable drive to her flat, Anthony not speaking a single word.

Kate had never wanted a drink so badly in her life when she woke up the next morning on her couch, Siena’s silk dress hopelessly crumpled where it was bunched up around her hips. When she’d arrived home, she’d tossed her bag in the doorway, kicked her shoes off, and fallen to the couch to finally cry. That’s where she’d fallen asleep, unable to summon the energy to rise and go to her bed. 

Looking across her flat to her trainers, Kate wondered if she could drum up the strength to pull them on and go for a run. Anything to clear the awful empty feeling in her heart. 

Then her phone chimed from the floor where she’d dropped it. Leaning over the couch, Kate squinted down at it and saw Edwina’s name before she reached for it and read the message. 

Edwina was inviting her out for tea that morning before her classes. Looking at the rest of her inbox, Kate did not fail to notice that Anthony had not texted her. Face crumpling against the couch cushions again, she rubbed her face against the rough material and shot out a response to her sister. With shaky arms, she pushed herself up, and dragging herself to her closet, she dug out a clean pair of leggings and a baggy crew neck jumper to pull on. 

Looking at herself in the mirror as she brushed her teeth, Kate wished she’d skipped the black kohl eyeliner last night because it was currently ringing her eyes and two trails of black ran in thick lines down her cheeks. 

Face freshly scrubbed, sans makeup, Kate pulled her hair into a loose low ponytail, grabbed her keys, and headed for the door. She was a little early and instead of taking the tube, she was content to take the long walk in the watery morning sunlight to the cafe near Edwina’s school. 

The walk helped clear her head, centring her before she had to face her baby sister. When she arrived, still fifteen minutes early, she was happy to see Edwina already sitting at an outdoor table with a notebook in front of her, a pen clasped loosely in her hand.

When she pulled her sister into an embrace a moment later, Kate felt a few tears leak out, realising how much she had missed Edwina’s sweet face. As they both sat, Edwina’s expression was solemn as she looked at her sister, the casual clothing, the lack of makeup, and the mess of hair already spilling from her hair elastic.

“Is everything alright, didi?” she asked after their waiter came by and took their orders.

Sighing, Kate looked away. “I started to see someone recently,” she said, giving Edwina a half smile. “Something strange happened last night and we didn’t leave things in a good place. I’m still waiting for him to call me.”

“Not Gregory?” Edwina asked, leaning back as their server placed two hot mugs on their table.

Unsure of how she could explain what had happened last night, with Gregory and Anthony, Kate shook her head. “Someone else…”

“You just went to the country with him—did you meet someone else there? Or since?” Edwina pressed, her brows low as she bent forward to blow across her steaming teacup.

“There,” Kate responded sullenly, looking down at her cup, and placing her hands around the hot ceramic.

Wrinkling her brow, Edwina stared at Kate. “Who could you have met there? One of his brothers?”

Meeting her eyes, Kate nodded. 

“I thought all of his…” she began, trailing off as her eyes went wide. “I see.”

“It was his oldest brother, Anthony,” Kate explained, her cheeks heating as she took her first cautious sip. “Gregory caught us on the last morning,” she added sadly, looking down.

“Then maybe it wasn’t meant to work out, Kate,” Edwina responded, her voice gentle. 

Shaking her head, Kate looked up at her sister sadly. “It’s not, I— I’m in love with him, bon. I’ve never felt like this before. I haven’t been with anyone else in weeks.”

“And is this Anthony in love with you?” Edwina asked gently, her eyes kind and soft. Kate had assumed Edwina would be vehemently opposed to her relationship with Anthony, especially with the way it pressed against unethical boundaries. However, she felt some relief at her sister’s gentle and non-judgemental tone. 

“I don’t know, I think so,” she said, voicing the thoughts that she was already struggling with. “We haven’t said it to each other, yet. It was too early… Before last night, I’d only seen him once since visiting the country. He’d been working things out with his family. We were waiting before we got together.”

“How is his little brother?” Edwina asked from behind her teacup. 

Sighing, Kate shook her head. She hoped, prayed, that what they had done last night had helped heal the distance between Anthony and Gregory. It had to have been worth something , especially if it broke what Kate and Anthony had shared.

In a taxi after finishing her tea with Edwina, Kate stared at her text messages and noticed that Anthony still had not reached out. Feeling a little bit more confident after seeing Eddie, Kate sent him a quick text.

Kate ⚫️: Hey, just checking in, I haven’t heard from you since last night. Are we okay?

As the taxi made its way through the heart of London, Kate stared at the little “delivered” tag below her text, willing it to flip to “read”. Her rate raced the moment it did, and then as the three dots started to flash on screen she bit the inside of her cheek in anticipation.

By the time the cab pulled up outside of Siena’s flat, the dots had disappeared. Disappointed, Kate locked her phone and climbed from the ride and approached the front steps of the multi-story building. However, her heart leapt in her chest as her phone chimed and staring at the lock screen, she felt her heart contract.

Anthony ❤️: I know things were weird. Can we talk later? I’m walking into my mum’s. I can stop by yours tonight.

It sounded a bit like he was ready to serve her with marching orders. Swallowing, Kate fired off a response and blinked rapidly as she climbed the winding central staircase up to Siena’s flat.

Kate ⚫️: Okay. See you then

The moment Siena swung her door open, Kate’s face crumpled and she fell into her friend’s arms. 

Later, as they sat on the couch and Kate's hiccoughing breaths calmed, Siena patted her hair softly. “You never cry over men,” she said softly, brushing the hair from Kate’s face.

“Not since primary school when I fell in love with my teacher,” Kate responded, wiping her cheeks though the skin under her eyes felt raw. 

“You must really love him,” Siena remarked, pulling her hand back as she settled into the couch.

Nodding at her, Kate smiled sadly. “I think I messed everything up.”

Pulling up outside of number five Bruton Street, Anthony sat still in his car and stared up at the house. He had felt out of sorts since the night before, still unsure why Gregory had decided to pop in, and then after, why he’d insisted on everything else that had happened.

Anthony felt like a fool for putting Kate in that situation, for acquiescing, for allowing that to happen. For much of it, he’d felt like he was a passenger on the ride, sitting back and watching his body move as he floated above. He hadn’t returned to reality until Kate had kissed him. 

He’d been grateful for her. And then… shaking his head, Anthony tried to dislodge the memory of his brother watching them, his eyes on Kate’s bare skin.

Besides, Anthony had seen her have sex with Gregory back in the country. She’d even had her mouth on him while Greg was in the room. All things he wasn’t proud of, but somehow this one act felt like a heavy rock in his stomach, suffused with guilt for making her think she had to do that for him. 

The tricky part was the reality of why she had done it. Anthony thought he knew, that maybe she thought it would help repair his relationship with his brother. 

Feeling dizzy, his thoughts reeling, Anthony stepped from the car and strolled up the front steps to his mother’s house before pushing through the door. Not seeing anyone on the first floor, he skipped every other step as he went up the staircase, pausing first at Hyacinth’s door before knocking gently.

The moment Hyacinth opened her bedroom door and saw Anthony, her eyes grew hard and before he could speak, she slammed it closed in his face. Wincing, Anthony stepped away, staring at the closed door and wondering if he should press further.

Deciding to give her some space, Anthony approached Gregory’s bedroom door, pausing to take a breath before knocking.

When Gregory saw him, his gaze fixed on the carpet under his feet before backing away and sitting heavily on his unmade bed, leaving the door open for Anthony.

With a relieved sigh, Anthony sat in Greg’s desk chair and rested his forearms on his thighs. He watched as Gregory fiddled with his smartwatch band, undoing and redoing the velcro repeatedly, looking so much like the little boy Anthony had raised.

“I am so sorry for hurting you,” Anthony said quietly, sitting back in the chair as he pulled in a deep draught of air. “I hope one day you can forgive me and I understand if it takes time. I just…” 

Shaking his head, Anthony stood suddenly and looked down at Gregory. “I love Kate,” Anthony said, his voice wobbling at the sudden admission, knowing it was true all the same. “This thing between her and me is going to happen… and I need you to understand, what happened last night, can never happen again.”

“I know,” Gregory said quietly, his attention darting to Anthony for a moment before moving away. “I didn’t see it before, but I do now.”

“Greg,” Anthony whispered, sitting on the bed next to him and pulling him to his side, “Truly, I am so sorry for hurting you.”

When he didn’t pull away, Anthony bit the inside of his cheek as his eyes burned.

“I know you are,” his brother said quietly before sighing and looking up at Anthony. “I tried to force it. With Kate. Being mad at you made it easier to ignore the way things actually were between us.”

Shaking him a little with his arm, Anthony pressed a kiss to his head. “You’ll find love one day,” he said, tightening his hold on his brother, “I know you will. It’ll all make more sense once you do. I speak from experience.”

“Did you ever love your wife?” Greg asked, his eyes searching Anthony’s face.

Shaking his head Anthony said, “No,” before pulling Gregory into a tight hug.

“So, Kate was the first woman you ever fell in love with?” Gregory pressed when Anthony pulled away.

“Yeah,” he responded, rubbing a hand over his heart, acutely aware that he still had to repair the damage he had done to their relationship.

“Well, don’t mess it up.”

“I don’t even want to see him! He can suck my dick! I should’ve told him that,” Hyacinth said loudly, saluting with her bottle of beer as Gregory and Lucy sat through her tirade.

“You’re kind of a shithead when you’ve been drinking,” Gregory told her, the memory from the night before flashing before his eyes, and that same burn he’d been feeling all day at the line he’d crossed. At the irreparable damage he’d caused with his anger and pain. “Besides,” he added, “you’re not being fair.”

Hyacinth shook her head at him and took a sip of her beer, though her face scrunched up as it had for the entire bottle. She didn’t like beer, but it was all their mother had in the fridge when Lucy had stopped by.

Gregory missed staying at Anthony’s flat by himself, but he had left in a rage, and now he was stuck in his tiny bedroom at his mum’s. Currently, he slept under pictures of Peppa Pig and Peter Rabbit that his mum had put up for her grandchildren. 

While he still felt justified in his rage and his hurt, he felt foolish for pushing Anthony away so harshly. His brother had been the only father Greg had ever known and he genuinely missed their conversations. Missed being able to walk across the square to Bridgerton House, to hang with his niece and nephew and talk football or about their family with Anthony. 

Shaking his head, Gregory took another sip, realising that his brother never really made errors in judgement. It shamed him a bit, and his family, to think that they had treated him so harshly for his one mistake. Moreover, Anthony loved Kate. The thought had goosebumps rising along Gregory’s arms, thinking about how Anthony had stuck with his wife for so long after her affair. Thinking about the way Anthony had looked at Kate last night and the way she mirrored his expression. 

It made it easier to forgive him for everything. 

“You have to find a way to forgive him,” Gregory remarked as he looked at his sister. Anthony was a father to her as well and he was certain the rift tore harshly at both of them.

“Have you?” she asked, her eyes suddenly sad. 

“I’m getting there,” he responded and realised that he was. Looking at Lucy, with her thick long black hair draped across her shoulders, he noticed she was nervously checking her watch. “Let me take you home, Luce.”

She looked relieved as she stood, setting her barely touched beer on Hyacinth’s desk. Gregory set his half-empty one next to hers and walked outside with her to his car.

Lucy Abernathy was beautiful and Gregory wondered how he hadn’t seen it before. Perhaps he’d disregarded her because she was younger and had always been a little girl in his eyes. She certainly wasn’t any longer. 

When she invited him up to her flat, Gregory followed her with a smile. When she kissed him as he stood awkwardly in the doorway, a strange fluttering took up residence in his belly. He followed her to her bedroom soon after, and remembering the lessons his brother had taught him the day before, he used his mouth on her first.

Heart racing in his chest, hair damp from the rain, Anthony stood in front of Kate’s flat door and tried to school his breathing. The paper take-out bag in his hands crumpled as he swapped it to his opposite hand before leaning forward to knock.

When Kate swung the door open and met his eyes with downcast ones, his heart panged in his chest. Anthony knew he shouldn’t have allowed the tension between them to draw out since the events of the evening before, but he’d needed to get his ducks in a row first. When Kate gestured him inside, Anthony took a tentative step over the threshold and held the bag out.

Recognising the logo on the side of it, Kate smiled at him and took it to the kitchen. She was wearing a t-shirt and bicycle shorts, not having bothered to dress up for him that evening. He supposed he’d deserved that, but still felt awkward in the pressed light blue oxford he’d just picked up from the cleaners, his dark trousers with the centre crease, and the leather loafers with the two pompous tassels on each one.

He knew immediately that the shoes were square and slid them off before padding to the kitchen in bare feet. 

Kate faced away from him as she took the take-out containers out of the bag, the scent of Indian food filling her little kitchenette. Anthony had gotten takeout from the same restaurant as last time, making sure to pick up all of her favourites.

“What does the black dot mean?” he asked, wincing at the knowledge that he never seemed able to start conversations like a normal human being.

When Kate turned to him with raised brows, he cleared his throat and clarified, “You put a black dot next to your name in my phone.”

“Oh,” Kate said, covering her mouth with her hand, her brows high. With a sigh, she turned toward her phone where it sat on the counter and unlocked it, pulling something up and handing it over to him.

Anthony scrolled through her address book, seeing black dots on every few contacts, with words like rough , vanilla , or kinky next to them. The realisation of what this was raised the hairs on his arms. When he got to his brother’s name, he noticed there was no dot, but it still said vanilla and untrained .

When he handed the phone back his hands were trembling.

“It’s what I did so I wouldn’t drink,” she explained, setting her phone on the counter and crossing her arms across her middle. Anthony had seen her do that at Aubrey Hall on that awful morning and then last night when Gregory had barged into his flat.

“I don’t want to share you with anyone else,” Anthony responded, biting down on the inside of his cheek. He had told her that when he was drunk a few weeks ago, that he didn’t want her seeing anyone else, but the thought still worried him. It would be so easy for her to move on from him, he was older, he had children and all this family baggage. She was young, free, and beautiful. Brilliant, too.

“I don’t want to share you, either,” Kate said softly, her shoulders sagging as she sighed in what looked like relief.

“What do you do now?” Anthony asked, looking toward her phone, “instead of calling the black dots.”

“I run,” she responded, Anthony’s eyes following hers as they darted toward the muddy trainers strewn by the front door. 

“I love you,” he confessed, as his brows lowered and he shrugged, his mouth splitting into a small smile. He didn’t want to hide it anymore and it felt good to finally say it out loud to her.

Kate’s eyes glittered, but her smile was brilliant as she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. It was a relief to hold her tightly against him as she huffed against his chest. Anthony was dizzy with it, the confession of his love and the relief that whatever had started to blossom between them still had a chance to bloom.

After a minute she pulled away and looked him in the eye, her brow wrinkling as her eyes ran across his face. “I am so sorry about last night. I was so afraid that I had ruined everything.” Her lips crumpled with the admission before she buried her face against him again.

“You didn’t,” he whispered, burying his hand in her hair and cradling her head in his palm. “I thought I had, for not stopping it.”

“You didn’t,” Kate said with a smile as she pulled back and wiped at her cheeks. “I’ve never cried over a guy before.”

Laughing, Anthony pulled her in for a kiss, feeling her tears falling against his cheeks as he pressed his lips to hers.

When she finally pulled away to breathe, she caught his gaze again. “I love you, too,” Kate said softly, one corner of her mouth curving up into a smile.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Anthony sagged forward, resting his forehead against hers. 

They stood like that for a while, gently swaying back and forth as their hearts started to calm and then beat together. That was until Anthony’s stomach growled and Kate finally pulled away chuckling. 

They ate at her old Formica table, the patent leather seats squeaking under them as they sat. Anthony tried a bite of Kate’s spicy biryani and coughed until tears started to leak from his eyes. Laughing silently, she got up to get him a glass of milk and then rubbed his back until his face started to return to its original colour.

It was such a relief to be there with her after such a trying twenty-four hours, to know that what they shared had a future, that their love could grow steadily as one. Later, they sat together on the couch and pulled up a movie, though both of them started to nod off before the first hour.

Anthony happily followed Kate to her bedroom, and when he thought they’d simply sleep, she kissed him, and he found the little bit of energy he needed to make love to her. It felt like the time by the lake a few weeks ago, though by then it felt like the country visit had happened years ago. 

As they joined, they were quiet, but the unfaltering connection between their gazes made it feel like their love was being forged in steel.

Chapter Text

“I really like your bedroom,” Anthony said, flat on his back, his voice rough from sleep as he rubbed his hands down his face. The sun had chased the rain away that morning and the golden rays streaming through her bedroom window burnished his skin in streaks of gold. 

“Where’s your phone?” Kate asked while looking at her end table and then the one next to Anthony’s side as she curled up next to him. His skin was soft and warm and she enjoyed the way he felt when she rubbed her bare legs along his.

Letting out a soft moan, Kate assumed from the contact, Anthony reached for his phone and handed it to her unlocked. “Why,” he asked, as he watched her pull her contact card up. Kate didn’t answer as she deleted the little black dot and replaced it with a tulip.

“Better?” she asked, handing his phone back and snuggling up next to him, enjoying the way his skin was warming hers.

“Much,” he said, smiling at the little tulip emoji before setting the phone down next to him and drawing his arms around her. 

Glancing toward the window, Kate thought about how she’d pleasured herself in front of it mere weeks ago, imagining Anthony staring at her from outside. What a difference a few weeks could make, she thought as she hugged him, resting her head between his chest and his chin.

“I want you to meet my kids,” Anthony said to the top of her head, his hands running in lines up and down her body. 

Pulling away, Kate propped herself up on her side and looked him in the eye. “You do?” she asked, her heart racing. They had only known each other for a month and Kate wasn’t sure when they could have said they’d officially been dating. The I love yous, meeting the kids—it felt like it was all happening too quickly.

“Yeah,” he said, brushing a lock of hair from her face, “I need to talk to my ex about it first, but yeah. Maybe in a few weeks?”

“Okay,” Kate responded, her eyes watering at the trust he already had in her, while also feeling some relief that she wouldn’t be introduced to them that weekend. Settling back down into his arms, she tapped his chest. “Will you tell me about them?”

Kate could practically feel him grinning as he reached for his phone and pulled up the ready album with Charlotte and Edmund pictures, his chest jostling Kate where she rested as he laughed and bragged about them. 

The summer was swiftly rolling to a close, school was going to start in a few weeks, and counting on her fingers, Kate reasoned that she’d been with Anthony for almost three months. This was the longest relationship she’d ever been in. 

Taking a breath, standing on the street outside of Anthony’s flat on Grosvenor Square, Kate tried to prepare herself to see his place again. After everything with Gregory, both Anthony and Kate preferred to spend their evenings together at Kate’s flat across town. However, Anthony’s ex had finally moved out of the old house across the square and today was moving day.

It felt a bit odd to Kate, to be so serious about Anthony, but to have never really spent time in his flat. Not that it would be “his flat” for much longer.

After she rang the bell, Anthony was breezy when he came to the door and let her in, explaining that he was only taking his clothes and toiletries. Almost everything in the apartment, for instance the furniture and the plates and cups in the kitchen, had been there when he’d moved back in. Anthony said he’d hoped Gregory would live there again, and looking around, Kate saw plenty of signs of the younger Bridgerton brother. There was an old Eton football team photo on the tv stand, a bottle opener magnet on the fridge that was shaped like breasts, and plenty of other items that screamed early 20s bachelor pad.

The place was decidedly not Anthony’s aesthetic. The thought made Kate realise that she was not entirely sure what Anthony’s aesthetic was, though she conceded that may also be something he was figuring out since his divorce. 

The divorce. Kate sat heavily on the plush leather couch as her heart began to race again. Looking toward the bedroom, she heard Anthony rifling through his closet with the sound of hangers squeaking on the rails. She thought it might be some time before he was ready to head out and set her bag down beside her. 

The previous two times she had been inside of the flat she hadn’t really had the opportunity to look around. Before her on the table sat several medical journals on paediatrics, plus a few video game console controllers. Those she figured belonged to the younger Bridgerton. Up on the wall behind the large flat-screen tv were family photos, several of Anthony and Gregory, and the smiles within them had her grinning.

“I’ll just be a few more minutes,” Anthony called from his bedroom, accompanied by the sound of a bag being set on a mattress and the sharp trill of a zipper. 

“Take your time,” Kate shouted back as she stood, straightened her dress, and made her way to the guest bedroom to peek her head through the ajar door. There was a bunk bed, the one on top was a pink fluffy comforter—Charlotte’s she assumed—and below a navy blue one. 

Across from the beds was a desk, strewn with construction paper, colouring books, action figures, and crayons. Grinning, Kate walked to the desk to pick up a crayon drawing, showing a stick figure with brown hair with two smaller stick figures. Anthony, Charlotte, and Edmund she thought, lifting it up. There was a cheery sun drawn in the corner, to which someone had added sunglasses in black marker. 

“Our new family portrait,” Anthony explained from the doorway. When Kate turned to look at him, he had a soft smile on his face, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Charlotte drew it for me after the divorce.”

“It’s very good,” Kate said, turning back to examine it. “I really like the chiaroscuro effect. And the shades on the sun.”

Laughing quietly, Anthony approached her from behind and wrapped her in his arms. “You can ask Charlotte to draw one of you today,” he said, his voice rumbling through her skin. 

Chills spread across Kate’s body at the thought, the reality of where their lives were going hitting her again. “Will you think less of me if I tell you I’m scared,” she asked, finding the confession easier to say when she wasn’t looking into his eyes. 

“I will not,” he whispered, tightening his arms.

“Will you pack this room up?” she asked, leaning back into him and allowing him to support her weight.

“I was thinking I’d leave it, let Gregory decide what to do,” he responded before dropping a kiss on her bare shoulder. 

“You think he’s ready to move back in?” she asked, turning to look him in the eye.

“I hope so,” he said, his eyes serious and Kate could see the subtle jump in his jaw. “I miss having him close. And maybe Hyacinth will take this room when she’s done at Oxford.”

“So, this is it,” Anthony said, jingling the house keys in his hand as they walked through the massive vestibule at the front of Bridgerton House, one of his overstuffed duffle bags hanging over his shoulder. 

Kate wanted to whistle and see if it would echo, but stopped herself, feeling as though craning her head to see the open second floor and the elaborate ceiling was reaction enough. “When you said all of your siblings had their own rooms—it all makes so much more sense now.”

“Yeah,” he responded awkwardly, before coughing. “The kitchen is belowstairs, so is a little theatre and gym, and there are some storage rooms although they used to be staff utility rooms,” he said, walking toward the grand central staircase. “That room over there is a sitting room and there are some bedrooms and a study and library behind the staircase here. My childhood bedroom is back there.”

“Is that where the kid’s rooms are?” Kate asked, taking a look around the corner and seeing a window facing the square across the street through the open study door. 

“No, there are more bedrooms upstairs, same with the primary, we liked having them up there with us,” Anthony explained, motioning to the staircase with raised brows. At Kate’s smile, he took the first step and waited until she joined him.

“Stephanie and I would let out the first floor for weddings and events,” he said, walking beside her. “It made us feel a little less guilty for living here. It was also a good excuse to keep the family mostly upstairs.”

“Huh,” was all Kate could say in response as she cautiously followed him, her arms crossed over her dress. She looked at what Anthony was wearing, a pair of linen shorts that probably cost a month’s salary, and a loose short-sleeved button-down shirt in mint green that beautifully complimented his tan. Looking down at her own summer dress that cost twenty pounds at Primark, in a cheap dark purple polyester, she suddenly felt underdressed in the face of all of this wealth.

Eying her nervously, Anthony grabbed Kate’s elbow and guided her left where the stairs split at the first landing. “There’s a family drawing room up here, the dining room, and the primary bedroom. The kid’s rooms and nursery are on the other side.”

They had a drawing room and a nursery. Kate took a breath, wondering where the priest’s hole was, considering how old the place looked.

“My ex took most of the kid’s furniture,” he explained, guiding Kate into what she assumed was the drawing room. It was beautiful, and looked very down to earth, with light blue walls and expensive artwork, but the couches, end tables, and coffee table were well used, some of the throw pillows strewn around, and family pictures cluttering the walls and surfaces. 

“We used to spend a lot of time here,” he added, bending to grab a pillow from the ground and toss it onto a couch. “Before my mum moved out, this was my family’s base of operations. And um, I think my ex took the housekeeper with her, too,” he said, his ears turning pink as he set his bag down and walked around the room. 

“It’s nice,” Kate said with a genuine smile, turning to examine a painted portrait above one of the fireplace mantels. It looked like a younger Violet whom Kate assumed was Edmund Bridgerton the first. 

“My parents,” Anthony explained, his voice soft, as he walked to stand next to Kate. “My mum couldn’t bear to take the portrait… it’s why she moved to Bruton Street—this place had too many memories of my father.”

Anthony gave Kate a nervous look before darting his eyes away. “Let me show you my room,” he said with an awkward smile, grabbing his bag and walking into the hallway. 

Sighing, eyes wide, Kate followed him into the hallway, not entirely interested in seeing the space he used to share with his wife. However, when she joined Anthony she was not quick enough to suppress the laugh that bubbled up and out of her mouth. 

The room was completely bare, save for several cardboard boxes labelled ‘Anthony’s clothing ’.

“Did I forget to mention that Steph took everything?” Anthony explained with an awkward chuckle. “You’ll have to help me pick out some new stuff this weekend.”

As it turned out that not only did Anthony not have a bed to sleep in that night, but neither did his kids. It had effectively cut through any awkwardness that Kate had felt that morning seeing the opulent and extravagant ancestral home and show of inherited wealth. Thankfully, there were two guest bedrooms set up that still had furniture, and more importantly, mattresses with bedding. 

“I’ll take them to a furniture store tomorrow and let them pick what they want,” Anthony said, showing Kate what used to be Colin and Benedict’s downstairs bedroom. He’d lovingly called the hallway “ the bachelor corridor ”, to which Kate rolled her eyes. 

“Hello?” a voice called from the vestibule and at that Anthony perked up. 

“That’s Sarah, their nanny,” he said with a grin, guiding Kate from Benedict’s childhood bedroom and into the hall. “She’s brought the kids.”

Heart fluttering in her chest, Kate took a deep breath and kept pace with Anthony, though she felt like she was about to walk into a high-profile job interview. 

“Papa,” a little girl shouted, her little feet echoing across the massive space as she ran into Anthony’s arms. With a laugh, Anthony grabbed her and twirled her around, her yellow and white gingham dress flying as they spun. 

“Charlotte is so dramatic sometimes,” the boy said to their father before Anthony put his daughter down and pulled him into a bear hug.

“I’ll be off, Mr Bridgerton,” the children’s nanny said with a smile and a wave, leaving two overnight bags on the floor before making her way to the exit. 

Nodding at her briefly, Anthony grinned up at Kate. “Guys, this is Kate, do you remember I told you about her?” he asked, ruffling Edmund’s hair, though the boy tried to brush him away.

“I am not a guy,” Charlotte said, dramatically rolling her eyes.

“Sorry, kids ,” Anthony responded good-naturedly, taking a breath. “I’d like you to meet Kate, she’s my… girlfriend.”

“Dad, I still can’t believe you have a girlfriend ,” his son said, crossing his arms, his brows raised, as if the concept of his father dating was repulsive.

“What’s a girlfriend again? A friend who’s a girl?” Charlotte asked, looking at Kate, her chestnut curls bobbing as she turned her head. “She has pretty hair.”

Clearing his throat, Anthony motioned for Kate to get closer. Realising that she’d been frozen to the spot, Kate shook herself and stepped forward, grabbing Anthony’s hand where he held it out. She blinked at Anthony for a moment before getting down on her knees in front of Charlotte.

“We’re special friends,” she said, holding her hand out. “And I’ve been really looking forward to meeting the both of you.”

Cautiously, Charlotte shook her hand. Pulling her hand away, Kate shook it in the air and dramatically swiped her brow. “Ouch, take it easy!” she said with a laugh, to which Charlotte giggled.

She took Edmund’s next, smiling up at him. 

“Adults get boyfriends and girlfriends to decide if they want to get married,” Edmund explained to his sister as Kate stood, grateful when Anthony’s arm came around her waist in a supportive embrace.

“Oh,” Charlotte responded, looking between her father and Kate. “But Papa, you just got unmarried from mummy,” she said, wrinkling her brow. 

“That’s ‘cause dad doesn’t like like mummy,” Edmund said, rolling his eyes as if to say, kids . Charlotte stared up at her brother. 

Anthony took a breath, clearly not comfortable with where the conversation was going. “Why don’t we—”

“Oh, but Papa like likes Kate?” Charlotte asked, turning to her brother for confirmation, though her father was standing right there.

“Well, duh,” Edmund said.

“We have lunch ready on the terrace,” Anthony said, reaching for Charlotte’s hand to lead her toward the back of the house. 

“But Neddy,” Charlotte said, digging her heels in to stop her father from dragging her down the hallway. “Does mummy have a like-like friend, too?”

“We’re camping out in Uncle Colin’s room?” Charlotte asked before taking another bite of her sandwich, bouncing on the padded wrought iron chair on the back terrace of Bridgerton House, where they sat facing the elaborate garden overflowing with fragrant blooms. 

“Tonight you and Edmund can share his bed,” Anthony responded, covering his mouth as he chewed. “Tomorrow we’ll go pick out new furniture.”

“Ohh, all my things were at Mum’s new house,” Edmund said, smacking his forehead.

“What about our bunk beds from your flat, papa?” Charlotte asked, her hand rooting around in the crisps on her plate while most of her attention focused on Kate. 

“Uncle Gregory is going to move back into the flat,” Anthony said, his eyes darting to Kate for a moment before refocusing on his daughter. “We’ll leave the beds there, maybe you can have a sleepover with your uncle in a few weeks.”

“Oh,” Charlotte responded with a shrug before focusing her attention back on her lunch.

“Kate,” Anthony said, squeezing her thigh under the table, “tell them about your weekend job.”

Realising she’d been witnessing the volley of conversation between father and children, Kate took a breath and nodded. “I give horseback riding lessons,” she explained to the kids, pushing her half-eaten plate away. 

“Oh, cool!” Edmund said, bouncing up in his seat before shifting to sit on his leg. 

“I love horses!” Charlotte exclaimed, tossing her sandwich down onto the plate before raising her hands. 

“Can we take lessons with Kate, papa?” Edmund asked, and Kate did not miss the way he’d said ‘ papa’ instead of ‘ dad’ . 

Turning to look at him, Kate could see Anthony’s cheeks flush as he swallowed. “Well, perhaps you can Edmund, but I have to talk to your mum about it first.”

“We start kids at six,” Kate added, squeezing his thigh. “But I think Charlotte could certainly come to see the horses.”

“Can I, papa?” Charlotte asked excitedly, her lunch forgotten as she strewed crisps across the table in her excitement.

“Of course you can, bunny,” Anthony responded affectionately. 

Later that day, unsure of her place in everything, Kate sat with Edmund in the upstairs drawing room as Anthony put Charlotte to bed. The boy was playing Pokemon on his Nintendo Switch and something about it was so much like his uncle Gregory that Kate felt goosebumps rise along her arms. 

Feeling at a loss for what to do, she stared at her phone and pulled up Instagram, realising she hadn’t checked it in ages. There were several new follow requests from multiple Bridgertons, and a little too nervous to accept, Kate ignored them, opting to see what her sister had been up to recently.

Looking up, she watched Edmund for a moment before taking a breath to speak. “When is your bedtime, Edmund?”

“Um, at eight,” he said, looking at her briefly before turning back to the game.

“Anthony—I mean, your father said you were reading the Percy Jackson series,” she responded, angling herself in her chair toward him. “Are you enjoying them?”

“Yeah,” he said, not looking at her.

“What book are you on?” she prodded. 

“Um, the fourth one,” he said, raising his game to block her from his vision.

Sighing, Kate looked away. 

“ Edmund Bridgerton ,” Anthony called from the doorway, his hands on his hips. “When someone talks to you, you look at them. Besides, you know you’re not allowed to play video games this late.”

Sighing, Edmund set the game system on his lap and switched it off. When his father approached with his hand out, Edmund hugged the Switch to his chest. 

“No, papa, I just got it back,” he whined, his brows wrinkled now, a little dimple appearing between them that was so much like Anthony’s that Kate’s heart panged. 

“Now,” Anthony said, his brows high, eyes serious.

“Fine,” Edmund said, his bottom lip quivering as he put the game system in his father’s hand.

“What do you say to Kate?” Anthony asked, holding the red and blue switch loosely in one hand. 

“I’m sorry for ignoring you,” Edmund said sullenly. 

“It’s o—,” Kate was about to say before catching herself. “Thank you, apology accepted.”

“Now get ready for bed. You can read in Uncle Ben’s room until eight.” Anthony, hands on hips, watched his son rise tiredly from the couch and stomp out of the room, his shoulders low. 

Once the boy’s footsteps could be heard echoing on the stairs, Anthony plopped down onto the couch next to Kate, his shoulder pressing heavily into hers. The way he sighed was so much like Edmund when he’d surrendered the game system that she had to laugh.

“He is so much like you,” Kate said, shifting to place a kiss on his cheek.

Anthony set the game down beside him and grabbed her hand. 

“I’m so worried I messed them up,” he confessed quietly, sinking further into the couch, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed. “Charlotte was so upset about going to bed, she almost never cries like that.”

“Meeting new people can be emotionally exhausting, for adults, but especially for children,” Kate said, her voice soothing as she shifted on the couch so she could rest her chin on his shoulder. 

“I suppose you’re the professional,” Anthony responded, giving her a weak smile, referring to her child psychotherapy program. “Might come in handy.”

“In my professional experience,” Kate said, pausing to kiss his shoulder, “unhappy marriages can do more damage to children than divorces.”

“And new girlfriends?” he asked, his voice soft. 

“We’ll all take our time,” Kate added, not wanting to cause any further strife within his family. 

“Well, the riding lessons will help, especially with Edmund,” Anthony conceded, his eyes drifting to the door where his son had stomped away.

“Well, there is one thing I should…” Kate began, her voice trailing off as she squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. At Anthony’s inquisitive look, she took a breath to continue, her heart contracting painfully in her chest. “I used to sleep with one of the other riding instructors.”

“Ah,” Anthony said, his mouth dropping open. 

“We don’t have to go if it makes you uncomfortable,” Kate added quickly, her heart beginning to race.

“It’s alright,” he said softly, putting his hand on her thigh, “as long as that person is not teaching my son.”

“I’ll be giving the lesson,” Kate reassured him, relaxing back into his shoulder. 

“Kate,” Anthony said tiredly after a time.

“Hmm?” she asked, enjoying the lazy comfort they were sharing.

“Will you tell me if we ever meet someone you’ve been with?” he asked, his voice a rumble under her cheek. “It’s just… I’d rather know.”

“Of course,” she said softly, the words drifting in the air between them.

Later that evening, when Edmund had gone into the other room to sleep beside his sister in a massive four-poster bed, Anthony brought Kate into the kitchen for a late snack. He had a bottle of sparkling apple cider, which he presented with a flourish.

“Madam?” he asked, taking out a champagne flute. 

Laughing, Kate nodded, sitting on a kitchen stool as he filled the glass with the fizzy beverage. After pouring himself one, Anthony circled the kitchen island to sit beside her. 

“With everything going on, I completely forgot I have a trip coming up,” he explained, his fingers on the stem of his glass as he spun it in a circle. 

“Oh,” Kate said, reaching to grab a pretzel from the bowl that sat between them on the counter. “Where to?”

“It’s a sailing trip. Simon chartered a yacht, from Venice to the Greek Isles and back. We’re taking the kids right before they go back to school.”

“Ah,” Kate responded, looking down at her glass, goosebumps raising along her arms at the mere expense of such a trip. 

“Well, my ex was supposed to go,” he said, turning to Kate, “but I’ve been meaning to ask if you’d like to join us. I wanted to wait until you’d met the kids before asking. You could get to know them better.”

Kate watched as his knee bounced nervously on one of the stool rungs with his hand splayed out on the granite countertop, the muscle in his bicep flexing. It sounded amazing, but the logistics, and everything, seemed so overwhelming. Kate shook her head. “Anthony that is… I can’t afford to…”

“It’s all paid for,” he added quickly, squeezing her thigh, his fingertips cold from the granite countertop.

“It sounds amazing,” she said faintly, still stunned, nodding at him. “I’ll have to check with my program, to see if I can take the time.”

“Okay,” Anthony breathed, his shoulders sagging, “okay. I just, I thought… Simon and my sister Daphne seem okay with this, with us,” he explained, hands motioning between them, “I thought it would be a good start, you getting reintroduced to my family.”

The idea of meeting Anthony’s family again made Kate’s heart drop into her stomach, her head suddenly spinning as she grabbed her glass of sparkling apple cider. 

“Are you sure this shirt is okay?” Anthony asked, looking in his rearview mirror and adjusting the collar again. He wore a navy blue oxford perfectly pressed, the sleeves not rolled up this time, and tucked into his black trousers. The little buttons holding the points of the collar were affixed and he’d even buttoned the shirt up almost all of the way. Normally he let a little chest hair show, which generally made Kate feel a bit feral, and she thought the extra done-up buttons were for the best.

“This is more than okay,” Kate said, brushing his hand away, knowing he was already wrinkling it with his fussing. She wore a short-sleeved off-white flowy blouse tucked into a pencil skirt and when she’d seen him as he’d picked her up from work, she couldn’t help but think that they both cleaned up well.

“And your mum knows how old I am?” he asked, turning to her as he turned the engine off.

Kate laughed as she opened her door, stepping out without answering him. 

“You’re supposed to let me open your door,” Anthony groused as he rose from the car, slamming his door behind him. “Your mum might be watching.”

“My mum doesn’t care if you open my door for me,” Kate whispered, grabbing his arm. 

“Does she know about the country visit?” Anthony asked quietly as they ascended the steps.

“No,” Kate hissed as she reached for the knob.

“Thank goodness,” Anthony said under his breath as they stepped over the threshold. 

“Kate!” Mary called from the living room before walking quickly to the entryway and pulling Kate into a tight embrace. Pulling away, Mary held her arms and examined her face before nodding and looking at Anthony.

“You must be Anthony,” Mary said, pulling him into a hug. “It is so nice to meet you—Kate has never brought a boyfriend home.”

“Mum,” Kate tried to complain about her mother’s comment but was quickly cut off.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs Sharma,” Anthony said, his ears burning as Mary let go of him. He was rather cute when he blushed, Kate thought.

“Please call me Mary,” her mother said.

With a sigh, Kate left them to it and walked into the living room, where her sister was bubbling with barely suppressed giggles. Pulling Edwina into a quick embrace, Kate sighed.

“Hi, I’m Edwina,” her sister said, holding her hand out as Anthony walked into the living room. Smiling, he took her hand and shook it like he was at a business meeting. There was already a curl escaping from his front fringe, hanging over his forehead rakishly, though the sexiness was slightly belied by his red ears and a flush that had spread to the back of his neck. 

“Please have a seat!” Mary said cheerily as she entered the kitchen and was out of sight for a moment. 

“It’s best to just let her get her energy out,” Edwina explained, falling back into a sofa and pulling her sister down beside her. 

Anthony’s eyes widened at Kate before sighing and sitting on the opposite sofa. Soon, Mary returned with hot mugs of tea and pastries, setting them down on the table between them before handing out the mugs and sitting beside Anthony. 

Over the next hour, Kate thought it was admirable how well he weathered Mary’s grilling, about his children, his siblings, his deceased father, his mother, and how he’d met Kate. The last question had been awkward, until Kate had cut in to say she had gone on a trip with a friend to his country house in Kent, where they’d met. She’d artfully left out the fact that he had been married at the time and that she had been dating his brother. 

Kate knew her mother would learn of it eventually but preferred to tell her in private at some future date and not over afternoon tea. Anthony seemed grateful, though there was a panicked look in his eye when Mary took a breath and continued firing off questions. 

They were interrupted at some point by a dog barking upstairs and Kate was relieved for the opportunity to escape the tension in the living room for a moment to go see her beloved corgi, Newton.  

“Kate’s father gave her Newton before he died,” Mary said as Kate went upstairs with her sister to go see the dog. “When she went off to school I kept him and he and I got quite attached, although he still loves Kate. She didn’t have the heart to take him back when she got her own place.”

“Ah,” Anthony said, smiling down at Mary Sharma, his tea growing cold in his hands. Looking at the top of the staircase, he could hear Kate talking in a soothing tone, he assumed to the dog, but could not make out any of her words. 

“I want you to know,” he said, focusing his attention back on her mother. “I love your daughter. I know we’re at different places in our lives, but I see a real future with her. I’m prepared to wait as long as she needs until she’s ready.”

“That’s good to hear,” Mary responded, with what appeared to be a genuine smile on her face. “Her studies have been important to her, and so is her career.”

Nodding, Anthony smiled at her. “Those things are important to me, too.”

“I don’t know if Kate told you this, but I’m her stepmother,” Mary said as Anthony shook his head, his brows drawing up. “I met her father when she was six after her mother had passed. Madhav was ten years my senior at the time and I was around her age. So, this doesn’t sound foreign to me at all.”

“Ah,” Anthony said for the second time, this time with a pleased smile on his face, feeling his ears burn again, the parallels making him feel a little dizzy.

“I know you’re a good man, Anthony,” Mary added, putting a hand on his arm. “My friend Agatha Danbury knows your family and she told me as much. I trust you with my daughter. And I don’t say that lightly, with everything Kate’s struggled with over the years.”

“I really appreciate that,” he said, nodding, feeling his eyes start to burn again. 

“There is one thing, though,” Mary said, her eyes wide as she looked Anthony in the eye. “My daughter is an alcoholic.”

“She told me,” Anthony responded softly, feeling his pulse start to hammer in his throat, partly with fear for the woman he had so quickly fallen in love with.

Mary shifted her hands on her mug. “Be gentle with her, Anthony. She seems tough, but she still struggles with it.”

“I will, I—I promise, the last thing I want to do is hurt her,” Anthony said emphatically, his eyes unwavering as he met Kate’s mother’s gaze, holding his body still in an attempt to convey how serious he was.

When there was a pounding on the staircase Anthony looked up, blinking rapidly and clearing his throat. That’s when he noticed Edwina on the staircase grinning down at them.

“Want to meet the dog, old man?” she asked with a laugh as a little corgi hopped excitedly down the steps, his pink tongue lolling out.

“Edwina!” Kate called with indignation, following the pup. 

“I don’t know,” Anthony said, adding a wobble to his voice as he clutched at his back, “I might need you to help me stand.”

Knowing it was a dumb joke, Anthony appreciated it when Kate’s little sister laughed.

If Anthony had known they were going to get fish and chippies at a little stall near the park, he wouldn’t have worn his new blue-grey suit. To be fair, he thought as he bit into the crunchy outer shell of a perfectly fried fish fillet, that they had originally planned to go to an exclusive restaurant in town, one that had taken him weeks to get a reservation to.

However, Kate had stood outside as they stepped out of his hired car, her hand on his as he held up his umbrella, and stared nervously ahead. She was beautiful that evening, wearing a loose flowy dress in pale blue, one that showed off her legs to full effect, but he could tell she was uncomfortable with the thought of being in such a place.

So he’d given her an out and she’d taken it. 

“I’m sorry, Anthony,” Kate said apologetically before biting down on a chip, the tips of her fingers greasy from it. Anthony wanted to pull those fingers into his mouth to help her clean them. 

“Why?” he asked, taking another bite of breaded fried fish heaven soaked in vinegar.

“I know you made that reservation ages ago,” she responded, bending to bite down on one of her fish fillets before it could crumble in her fingers. “And we didn’t exactly get dressed up to hit up a chippie.”

“Still, I got to see you in that dress,” he said, his eyes drifting to where a little slit revealed an extra scintillating inch of thigh. He’d already planned to put his mouth right there when they got home.

“Plus, you are fucking fit in that suit,” Kate responded, her voice deepening as she stepped away from their standing table to look at him. 

Anthony grinned at her, feeling his cheeks burn a bit. He loved it when she objectified him. Nothing turned him on more.

“Come to mine when we’re done?” he asked shyly, his eyes returning to his dinner in the little red plastic basket and parchment paper. “You haven’t seen my new bedroom set.”

“I see why you asked me out tonight,” Kate responded with a laugh, her mouth full of fried fish. “I’ll be so pleasant to snog later, smelling of fish and fried chips.”

“Why I ask you out every night,” Anthony clarified, his voice deepening as he stared at her, enjoying the way he was able to make her shiver.

“The way I smell of fried fish?” Kate asked with a laugh, Anthony still feeling the way her steady gaze almost made his blood sing.

“You know it,” he responded with a grin. Though he teased, his voice was suddenly deeper.

“I’m done,” Kate said quickly, tossing the rest of her dinner back into the basket and pushing it away. “You?” she asked with raised brows.

At Anthony’s sharp nod, she grabbed his hand and pulled him away. “Where’s your driver?” she asked and yanked him down the street in search of the car. 

Sitting in the back of the car, Anthony was glad he had hired a driver that evening, even though the date hadn’t gone as he’d planned. Kate was pressed into him where he sat in the centre of the backseat, his hand slowly gliding up her inner thigh. 

Desperately he wanted to press forward, to see if she wore knickers, to tease her there as they rolled down quiet London streets. However, he held back—there wasn’t a screen separating the driver from the view of them. Unfortunately, this didn’t stop his cock from hardening in his trousers, which he was barely able to conceal with his coat. 

When they finally pulled up outside of Bridgerton House, Anthony was more than relieved when Kate thrust the door open, not bothering to wait for the driver, as she stepped out. Anthony awkwardly nodded to the man before chasing her inside. 

“I want to see your room,” Kate said laughing, as she pranced through the front entryway, the grand vestibule, and then up the stairs. She wore very high stiletto heels and wobbled slightly on the first step. 

“Careful there,” Anthony said, bumping into her, his hand landing on her arse before he wantonly pressed his erection into her. 

“So, that's how it’ll be?” she asked, turned to look at him, her eyes already dark with need. Then she grabbed his tie and pulled him up the stairs, leading him directly to his room, where she let go as she wandered in.

“You like?” he asked, tearing the tie off with a hiss of silk and tossing it aside, then kicking off his shoes and socks, leaving them strewn on the floor behind him.

“Mmm,” Kate intoned, approaching the bed before pressing down into it with her hands.

Her bum was right there before his eyes, and Anthony was helpless but to approach and press himself against her again, groaning the moment he made contact.

“I don’t think so,” Kate whispered, spinning around and shoving him back. 

“Is this what you want?” Anthony asked, his heart racing as he looked at her, her cheeks were darker, her bosom pressing against her dress as she panted. He tore his suit coat off and tossed it aside before taking a step forward as her mouth dropped open, her eyes running down the length of his body, to his cock where it pressed against his trousers.

When he got close enough to touch, he hauled her against him. Dragging his hand up her dress, he pressed his palm into her chest before reaching for the neckline, and pulling it down exposing her breast. No bra. 

Mouth dropping open, Anthony pressed his lips to Kate’s, his hot breath huffing into her mouth. Reaching down to her thigh with one hand, he slid his palm up and under her skirt. Pressing his fingers into her arse crack, he felt the little strip of fabric. A thong.

“I should tear this off of you,” he said as he pulled the little string back, rubbing his fingers down the skin below it, low enough to feel her sopping wet core.

“I dare you,” she whispered, her eyes dark with challenge, her hands pressing into his chest. 

Biting down on the inside of his cheek, Anthony wrapped the little strip of fabric around her fingers and pulled until he heard it tear. Once it was free of her body, he tossed it away. 

“I was thinking of that day in the basement at Aubrey Hall,” Kate said, her lips dancing across his as Anthony pressed his erection into her, his hand massaging her arse cheek. “I wanted you to take me on that table,” she breathed, pressing into him. 

“Mmm, I did, too,” he huffed, tightening his grip. “Is that what you want now?” he asked, his dark eyes searching hers. 

“Yes,” she hissed, before kissing him and pressing her fingertips into his hair. 

Pulling her away, Anthony spun her around and held her back to his front. “You didn’t kiss me then,” he whispered darkly in her ear as he pulled her around the bed and pressed her hips into a dark brown mahogany dresser that sat against the wall. With his teeth playing along her neck and shoulder, Anthony drew the zipper down at the back of her dress, just low enough so he could pull the top down and fully expose her breasts.

Pushing her into the dresser’s surface now, Anthony rested his back against hers, his cock pressing between her arse cheeks. “Look over there,” he whispered in her ear motioning to the full-length mirror that sat against the wall facing them. “You can watch me fuck you.”

Kate whimpered in response, pressing back into him, sending a languid curl of pleasure swirling through Anthony’s body, making him feel like his very blood was alight with his need for her. 

“Is this how you want me?” he said under his breath, pulling back to unbuckle his belt and trousers, letting them fall to a heap at his ankles before kicking them away. His cock now trapped in his boxer briefs, he pulled the skirt of her dress up around her hips and pressed himself back into her. 

Dark eyes focused on the mirror, Kate moaned under him, pressing back again as she ground herself into the dresser. “Mmm, yes, daddy,” she said, her body trembling under him.

Pressing one hand onto her back, he held her against the dresser and ran his hand down her slit before pressing two fingers deep inside of her. “Fuck, Kate,” he hissed when she clamped her muscles around him. 

Pulling back, Anthony finally freed his cock from his pants and ran it down the slit of her arse, and then lower, along the wetness between her legs. He shuttered at how hot and wet she felt and how she quivered against him. 

Letting out a shuddering breath, Anthony gathered Kate’s wrists and drew them behind her back, holding them tight against her with one hand. Then he took his erection and pressed it against her core before thrusting in hard, shaking the dresser below them. He looked at her in the mirror, her breasts pressed into the mahogany, and started to thrust in and out. 

“This is what you imagined?” he asked, slamming into her arse, her thighs, in turn, pressing harder and harder into the dresser.

“Yes,” she cried, spreading her legs wider against the drawers and surging back into him roughly. 

With concerted effort, Anthony drew her back by the arms so that her chest arched up over the surface of the dresser, her breasts now visible in the mirror to their side. He thrust forward experimentally and groaned when he saw how her breasts moved as he jostled her. Kate squeezed around him then and he had a sudden urge to double over on top of her.

“Do you see what I see?” he asked, pulling her up so his lips traced against the shell of her ear as she looked into the mirror. “How amazing your tits are like this. How your eyes darken when you look at me. I love the way your pussy gets so sopping wet for me.” 

Kate whimpered below him as he kept rutting into her in short quick motions, his hands still gripping her wrists behind her back hard. Meeting her eyes in the reflection, Anthony kept up his ministrations, slamming her into the wood, growing dizzy from the way she was squeezing him from the inside. 

Wanting to see more of her, for her to see what she did to him, Anthony pulled away. With shaking hands, he undid the top row of buttons of his shirt, before tearing it over his head. Kate watched him as she sagged against the dresser, breathing deeply, her mouth hanging open. 

“I’m going to take this off,” Anthony told her, reaching for the back of her dress, undoing the rest of the zipper, and letting it fall to the carpet. “But we can leave the shoes,” he whispered in her ear as he gently pulled her to her feet. 

Almost on instinct, Kate put her arms around him, giving him a hard kiss, pressing her naked body against his. It was so drugging, Anthony almost forgot his earlier plan.

“Humor me?” he said in her ear as he walked them toward the full-length mirror. Kate chuckled darkly against him as he spun her to face it. 

Bending his knees a little bit lower, Anthony placed his cock back at her entrance from behind before pressing in with a groan. Automatically, Kate arched her back, drawing her arms up and around to grab his head for support. From that vantage point, he could see her fully in the mirror and watched his own hand slide along her hip to rest her between the legs.

“Look at yourself,” he whispered in her ear as he began to thrust into her again at an angle, grabbing her clit hard with his hand. 

Kate cried out, but her eyes snapped open, and he could tell she was looking at her own breasts and then at Anthony’s hand where he cupped her. 

“Bend over, baby,” Anthony ordered, reaching to pull her hands down and pull his cock from her cunt. Eyes still focused on the mirror, Kate bent forward, her tits hanging lower now as Anthony ran his cock along her wet slit, dragging it over her clit repeatedly. 

“Thrust back into me,” he said, his voice almost a whining beg, as he watched Kate rut her hips languidly back into his, crying out as he surged over her sensitive bud. “Good girl.” 

“I’m not going to last long,” she said, her voice sultry, turning away from the mirror to look at him. 

With trembling hands, Anthony pushed his cock back inside of her, one hand drawing around to press quick circles around her clit, just in time to feel her begin to break apart around him. “Fuck,” he groaned, thrusting into her hard as her pussy clamped around his cock. 

Reaching down, Anthony pulled her up and against his chest as he felt the aftershocks of her orgasm start to peter out. 

“Come inside me, daddy,” Kate ordered, her voice breathy, thrusting back with her hips as Anthony continued to press up into her.

“Kate,” he moaned, his breaths coming in short pants now as his arms tightened around her, feeling like his hold on reality was starting to slip.

“It’s okay,” she whispered, meeting his eyes once more in the mirror. “Let go.”

And with that, Anthony saw sparks fly across his vision as his climax hit him full force, his cum shooting into her body as he held her to him. “Kate,” he cried, his body convulsing against her.

“I have you,” she whispered, reaching back to caress his hair. 

They held each other there, swaying side to side in front of the mirror until Anthony was able to remember his name again. 

Later that night, when Anthony held Kate naked in his bed, he pressed a kiss to her shoulder and caressed her along her hip and thigh as they started to drift off.

“Was that okay?” Kate whispered, stilling the hand that was on her thigh and interlocking her fingers with his.

“Yes. It reminded me of being back in Kent,” Anthony responded, curling their joined hands up so they were locked against her breast, and pressing his bare hips into her bottom. “Do you like it better like that?” he asked, his voice rumbling through her body.

“I like it both ways,” Kate said, letting her eyes slide closed, relaxing back into him. “As long as it’s with you.”

“Me too,” he whispered, breathing deeply against her skin and pressing his lips to her bare shoulder. “Mostly, I like it when you’re turned on by me.”

Kate chuckled against him, smiling into her pillow. “I was just thinking the same thing.”

Chapter Text

“I know we’re a lot and I am grateful for you putting up with all of us,” Anthony whispered in Kate’s ear as they watched Edmund run along the boat deck to chase after Charlotte. “No running on deck!” he shouted after them before they turned a corner into the little indoor lounge area. 

“Putting up with you?” Kate asked, leaning against the wooden railing, looking out across the docks and other boats in their berths. “I’m going to the Greek Isles on a yacht with my sexy boyfriend, I think I’ll manage,” she joked. 

Anthony gave her a very sweet pleased smile, his cheeks darkening as he leaned into her, his brother-in-law and sister climbing on deck with their son Augie a moment later.

They’d met a member of the cabin crew on land, had their temperatures taken, and had a short safety briefing before climbing on board. Kate had watched as Anthony embraced Simon, his sister Daphne, and nephew Augie when they’d arrived, Charlotte and Edmund equally excited to see their extended family. Heart fluttering, Kate hung back, not expecting any attention until Anthony pulled her forward and reintroduced her to everyone.

When Daphne had taken Kate’s hand and said it was nice to see her again, there had been something disingenuous in her tone, but Kate tried to ignore it, wondering if she was reading the situation incorrectly. 

“Mr Bridgerton, Mrs Bridgerton,” a gentleman in white shorts and a white polo said, climbing on board to join them, “I’m Luca, one of the deck stewards, before departing port, we’ll meet with the captain upstairs while another steward walks the children through a muster.”

Taken completely off guard that the man assumed Kate was Anthony’s ex-wife , her heart pounded hard in her chest.

In turn, Anthony leaned forward and cleared his throat. “Call me Anthony, please, and this is Kate Sharma,” Anthony responded, reaching forward to shake the man’s hand. 

“Kate, please,” Kate said, reaching out to shake his hand, affecting a cool facade that she suddenly did not feel.

“Apologies, Anthony, Kate. I’ll see you up there,” the young man said before proceeding down the deck and climbing a short set of steps up to the helm. 

Anthony practically collapsed back against the wooden railing that separated them from the ocean. “I thought I’d straightened it all out, but they must have my ex’s name on some old documents.”

“It’s alright,” Kate said softly, wishing to let the incident go and climb up to the bridge.

“I didn’t want him to think I’m some old rich guy who just left his wife and already has a hot young girlfriend on his arm, you know?” he said offhand, his brow wrinkling.

“My love,” Kate responded, putting a hand on his chest over his t-shirt, “you are that guy.”

The yacht pulled away from the dock into calm port waters, the sails still tied down as the engine brought them into the teal blue channel beside giant hulking cruise ships. Kate stood with Edmund at a railing and watched as red brick and stucco buildings on the shore seemed to sail past them as they stood still. 

“Have you ever been to Venice before?” Kate asked, thinking back to yesterday when they’d toured the city a bit before putting the children to bed in their hotel suite. Kate hadn’t said much, happy to sit back and watch Anthony interact with his children as they walked along small cobbled city blocks and over crisscrossing canals before taking a gondola ride just before dinner. 

“No,” Edmund said softly, his gaze centred on the land swiftly drifting away. “At least, I don’t think so.”

“We sailed down the other side of the Italian coast last summer with Augie and his parents,” Anthony provided, coming to stand on Edmund’s other side. “From the French Riviera.”

“Oh yeah,” Edmund said offhandedly, his attention still focused on land. “Mum got a really bad sunburn.”

Chuckling at him, Anthony grinned at Kate. “We’ll all be sure to wear plenty of sunscreen,” Anthony said, patting his son’s shoulder.

Edmund was already so tan, his light blue t-shirt bright in contrast to his skin. Kate thought this family likely took many summer trips, an opportunity she’d never had as a child. Warmth flooded her at the thought that Anthony wanted to include her in these events now. She smiled back at him, feeling at home already on the boat.

“Where’s Charlotte?” Kate asked, happy to change her attention from the land that faced the Venetian channel to the handsome man who said he loved her.

“Inside with her sketchbook, she’s drawing Augie’s portrait,” Anthony responded, his eyes sliding closed as the sea breeze started to ruffle his hair. The salty air was bracing and Kate thought Anthony looked like a natural onboard, likely having grown up on boats like this one.

“I can’t wait to see it,” Kate said grinning, her heart already feeling light and free. She realised they had needed this vacation and was grateful she had accepted.

The moment their yacht left the calm channel and bay waters, hitting the waves choppy from a recent storm, Kate found herself leaning over the railing, trying to focus her eyes on the horizon like a cabin steward had recommended. 

“Here,” Anthony said gently, holding out a tablet of dramamine and a water bottle. 

“A moment,” Kate said, squeezing her eyes shut, feeling another wave of nausea overtake her. 

“It’s really better if you sit and put your feet up,” he said, rubbing her back in slow repetitive circles. 

Shaking her head, Kate felt the bile rise up the back of her throat, and a second later was losing her lunch overboard. “I hate throwing up,” she cried as tears streamed down her cheeks, another wave of nausea hitting her as the boat kept bobbing, her focus on the horizon bouncing as they moved.

“I am so sorry, Kate,” Anthony said with a breath, helping to pull her hair back with his free hand.

“Water,” she said, holding her hand out, her vision still blurred by her tears. Feeling the cold bottle in her hand, she uncapped it quickly and rinsed her mouth over the side of the boat. Then she drank with cautious sips, taking the nausea medication from Anthony and swallowing it down with a sigh.

Anthony was a warm solid bulk at her side and she leaned into him heavily with her eyes closed. “Let’s get you to the stern,” he said softly, still rubbing her back, “and put your feet up. It might not sound like it’ll help, but it should.”

Grateful that they had dropped anchor in a quiet inlet that evening off the coast of Italy, Kate changed for dinner within the cabin she shared with Anthony, brushing her teeth again in the en suite bathroom after another bout of nausea. She wasn’t sure how much dramamine had actually hit her bloodstream after all of the choppy water—her hands were still shaky and her stomach not happy at the thought of dinner.

Stripping down to her knickers, Kate pulled on a marigold yellow v-neck crop top with a lace-up back and matching high-waisted trousers with wide tulip legs. Siena had lent her the set, and Kate wondered, not for the first time, where she got the money to fill out her wardrobe with designer clothing. Clothing Kate had a bad habit of wrinkling beyond repair. 

There was a quiet knock on the door before it slowly slid open, Anthony’s tanned face peeking through the crack. He whistled at her in the matching set as he stepped into the room, stopping at her side to place a kiss on her bare shoulder, before moving to the dresser where the staff had unpacked for them.

“Are you feeling any better?” he asked, rifling through a stack of folded shirts before pulling out a navy blue Polo and tossing it on the dresser. Reaching for the hem of his shirt, Kate watched as he pulled it over his head and tossed it into a hamper, revealing a tantalising tanned and muscled expanse of skin and dark hair. “Kate?” he asked, as he turned and stared at her with raised brows.

Blinking at him, Kate had to smile and think back to what he had asked her. “Yes!” she said with a laugh, approaching the dresser. “A little bit. I think I’m finally keeping the nausea medication down.”

“That’s a relief,” he said, pulling the fresh shirt over his head before squeezing her arm. “I felt awful for bringing you here, just so you could turn green and get sick overboard.”

“Hopefully it won’t be so choppy tomorrow,” Kate said, stepping away from the dresser as Anthony rifled through his trousers, pulling out a white pair of Bermuda shorts. She watched as he dropped his swim trunks, pulled on fresh pants, and then drew the white shorts up his legs. 

“Like to watch, do you?” he asked, chuckling, before pulling her close and leaning in for a kiss.

“With you? Always,” Kate said happily, resting her hands on his shoulders, enjoying the way he felt so solid beneath her palms.

“I would very much like to skip dinner to stay in here with you,” he said, his voice deepening as he pressed his hips into her. “Find out what you have under this,” he said, his fingers delving under the fabric of the petal trousers until he touched the back of her thigh and drew his hand up her leg.

Stepping away with a teasing smile, Kate raised her brows, her lips quirking up into a half smile. “You’ll have to wait until tonight.”

Anthony’s jaw jumped as he adjusted himself in his shorts, his nostrils flaring as he breathed through his nose. 

“Do you need a minute?” Kate asked, standing with her hand on the doorknob, her brows raised as she waited. After he stared at her with dark eyes and let out a heavy sigh, she left him there, walking up onto the deck as she laughed.

When Anthony joined her at the dinner table later, he pulled her close, pinching her hip as he whispered in her ear, “You’ll pay for that, you tease.”

Kate’s eyes went wide as Edmund, Charlotte, and Augie stomped into the room, all dressed in fresh clothing, followed by Daphne, who looked harried as she followed behind them.

“Anthony is on children duty tonight,” she said, falling into a seat, her pretty cobalt blue mini dress spilling around her as she sat.

“Happily,” Anthony responded, grinning at his sister as he pulled Kate over to two empty chairs across the table. Simon strolled in as Charlotte, watching Kate closely, ran over and plopped down next to her.

“Hi,” she said breathlessly, kicking her legs out as she looked up at Kate.

“Hi,” Kate responded, grinning down at her teal sundress with purple flowers under a white cardigan. “I like your dress.”

“Thank you!” Charlotte said, pride in her voice, “I picked it out.”

“Well, you have good taste,” Kate responded with a nod, to which the little girl beamed. Kate felt Anthony’s hand squeeze her thigh.

By the time the first course was brought in by a steward, everyone was seated, Augie and Edmund next to each other and conspicuously quiet. 

“I think Augie’s sick of us,” Simon explained across the table, his eyes darting to his son where he sat between Edmund and Charlotte, “being an only child with just his parents for company.”

“They’re going to have more babies,” Augie supplied matter-of-fact, crossing his arms, at which Daphne laughed.

“How old are you, Augie?” Kate asked though she guessed he was somewhere in age between Charlotte and Edmund.

“Seven and a half ,” he told her emphatically, holding up seven fingers. 

By the time dessert arrived, Kate was happy to hang back and allow the conversation to roll around her, though Daphne seemed keen on peppering her with questions. 

“Why don’t you kids go enjoy your dessert in the lounge?” Daphne suggested, gesturing to the open lounge space behind a wide sliding glass door. 

Having sat through four courses, the children were keen to run away, hands laden with biscuits. 

“Not so many biscuits!” Anthony shouted after them, his eyes on their loot as he exhaled heavily. “I suppose it is vacation,” he mumbled when it was clear they hadn’t heard him. 

Grabbing her glass of wine, Daphne regarded Kate. “I must say, we were surprised to hear that you and Anthony had taken up together, after everything.”

So that's why she had sent the children away, Kate thought. Sighing, she grabbed her water glass, wishing suddenly for an ice-cold gin and tonic with a giant lime wedge.

“Daphne,” Anthony said in a cautioning tone, his hand making its way back to Kate’s thigh. 

“It’s just, it’ll be a lot for the family to get over is all,” Daphne supplied, shifting in her seat. 

Simon put a hand on her shoulder as he shook his head. “They love each other, darling.”

“Anthony, I know how important family is to you, and this will be very difficult,” she reasoned, disregarding her husband and crossing her arms across her chest. 

Kate felt faint. Anthony’s sister was arguing that they end their relationship on the first night of their trip. It did not bode well for her, or this trip being one of relaxation as she had hoped. “Maybe I should go below,” she whispered to Anthony, not wanting to be the cause of all this familial strife.

“ No ,” he hissed, tightening his hand on her leg. “I’ve begun to make amends with Gregory. We spoke recently. It’ll be tough but I love Kate and this is happening.”

There was silence between them, the only sounds were those of the waves that lapped against the hull and the wind rustling the mast and tied down sails. 

“I must admit I am surprised,” Anthony added, his voice hard. As Kate turned to look at him, she saw his jaw jumping. “After everything you endured when you started up with Simon, you think I can’t take this hardship now? Do you think me that weak?”

“It’s not just about you , Anthony!” Daphne responded, sitting up straight in her seat, the veins standing out in her throat. “Think of Kate, too. Colin and Eloise, they‘ll be hard to bring round.” Turning to look at Kate, she took a breath before continuing. “It will be difficult for you, especially after everyone saw you with Gregory.”

“That’s enough,” Anthony cut back, throwing his cloth napkin at the table over his untouched dessert.

“I love Anthony, deeply,” Kate said as he pushed his seat back, looking over to see the heated look in his eyes before turning back to Daphne. “I don’t want to bring strife to your family, I know how important you all are to him, and I’m willing to do what it takes to make sure that I’m not the cause of a rift. Even if it’ll be difficult.”

“See, darling, she’s tougher than she looks,” Simon said to his wife, reaching to take her hand. 

“If I could change the past, I would,” Kate added, her voice breaking as she spoke, but she kept her gaze fixed on Daphne. “But I can’t, so I’ll do everything I can—”

“Papa,” Charlotte said, breathless, as she hauled the sliding glass door open between the two rooms, effectively cutting Kate off.

“Yes, bunny?” Anthony asked, rising from his seat, though Kate could see his hands clenched into fists. Kate watched as Daphne took a sip of her wine and looked away.

“Can Kate read to me tonight?” Charlotte asked as she hung on the door. 

Kate watched as Daphne’s attention shifted to her niece, the hard lines of her face softening almost immediately. 

The children were staying in a berth with a single twin bed and a bunk bed. When Kate walked into their cabin, still in her mustard yellow set, Simon was sitting next to Augie in his bed, a book open on their laps. Anthony was there, too, bending to kiss Charlotte on the forehead and then rising on his toes to kiss Edmund in the top bunk where he sat with his chapter book open. Anthony gave Kate a kiss on the cheek and squeezed her arm before making his way to the deck. 

When Charlotte saw Kate, she grinned and scooched over on her bed, making room for Kate with a picture book already on her lap. Pleased that at least one other Bridgerton seemed happy for her company, Kate squeezed in and opened the book between them.

As she read softly, the dulcet tone of Simon reading to Augie brought a comforting lull to the little cabin as it rocked ever so gently where it floated anchored at sea. 

Anthony had warned Kate that Charlotte would negotiate for more books, to avoid sleep at any cost, but Kate felt her sleepy weight press into her as the little girl’s eyes drifted closed by the end of the first book. 

“They’re tired from all the excitement,” Simon said softly, disentangling himself from a sleeping Augie. 

Smiling up at him, Kate did the same, bending forward to tuck the blankets around Anthony’s sweet little girl. Putting her to bed reminded her so much of Edwina at that age that her belly fluttered. Looking up at the top bunk, Kate put a hand on Edmund’s wrist and smiled up at him. “Sleep well,” she whispered and was pleased when he gave her a sweet smile and wished her goodnight. 

Following Simon out of the cabin, Kate paused as he closed the door behind them. 

“Daphne will come ‘round,” Simon told her softly, guiding her toward the steps up to the main deck, though he stopped her there with a cautious hand. “I am intimately familiar with being an outcast in this family,” he said, his voice sober with not a trace of sarcasm. “I’m here if you ever need anyone to talk to about it.”

“Thank you,” Kate said sincerely, glad that she and Anthony had another ally who had their backs. “Anthony said you were with him, that night he finally called me, that you told him to reach out. Thank you for that, as well.”

Grinning down at her, Simon took her arm as he led her up the steps. “Glad to be of service. Bridgertons can be quite the challenge, as I’m sure you are aware.”

When they made it up on deck, Kate could see Anthony lounging against the deck rail, his eyes fixed on the glow of the lights along the Italian shoreline. 

“Plus, my godmother Agatha Danbury knows your family,” Simon added as the sea breeze began to buffet his shirt. “She told me to be kind to you.”

“And you don’t want to cross Agatha,” Kate responded, grinning, knowing what a shark the woman could be. 

“Exactly,” Simon said sardonically, before squeezing Kate’s arm and going in search of his wife.

Quietly, Kate approached Anthony where he stood at the rail, pressed her body into his back and circled her arms around his waist.

“Mmm,” Anthony intoned as he stood, pressing back into her, his one hand covering hers. In his other, he held a rock glass with what looked like bourbon, the ice clinking as he stood. “Did they give you any trouble?”

“Charlotte fell asleep after one book,” Kate said, her lips running across the side of his neck. 

“She went easy on you,” Anthony said happily as he turned, leaned against the rail, and pulled her between his legs. A cool breeze ruffled Kate’s petal trousers, raising goosebumps along her skin, causing her to huddle closer into him to share his warmth.

His attention going toward the bow, Anthony sighed. “I don’t think we’ll be doing anything special tonight,” he said, his arm wrapping around her bare midriff. When Kate followed his gaze, she saw Daphne and Simon huddled together in a pool of light at the bow, both with drinks in hand. 

“Do you mind that I have this?” Anthony asked, his brows going together, the glass curled in his hand against his chest. 

“I do not,” she responded, “I don’t want you to feel like you can’t drink around me, but I’m not going to kiss you until you’ve rinsed your mouth out.”

“Reason enough not to drink,” he said, his lips curling up into a smile as Kate rested her cheek against his. “Shall I take you below deck now, Miss Sharma?” he asked, his voice rumbling through her skin.

When Kate awoke the next morning, it was to the sun streaming through the boat’s porthole windows onto the bed she shared with Anthony. They were both naked, though Kate was below their bedsheet, Anthony had only one leg under it, the full length of his bare body pressed into where she slept on her back. 

Looking over, Kate could see the sun warming his perfectly round and immaculate arse and had a sudden urge to bite down on it like it was a muffin. Anthony sighed against her in his sleep, pressing his erection into her hip, the arm resting across her belly tightening. 

Waking up to a man in her bed had been a new experience for Kate. Before, she had generally preferred the solitude of her own bedroom after a night out, or in, as was often the case. Waking up next to Anthony, it hadn’t been something she had to consider or compromise on, she felt so warm and secure enfolded in his arms, and now it was simply an expectation.

“I love you,” she whispered against his brow, placing a soft kiss there, before gently disentangling herself from his grasp. Anthony groaned in his sleep before cuddling into her pillow and breathing deeply from its depths. 

Quickly grabbing clean knickers, one of Anthony’s t-shirts, shorts, and a pair of sandals, Kate made her way toward the galley in search of tea. When she arrived, a steward was bustling about preparing breakfast, happy to guide her toward the electric kettle and a variety of tea bags on hand.

From the corner of her eye, Kate could see Daphne standing at the entrance to the galley before cautiously stepping in. “Hi,” she said quietly, stopping at Kate’s side. 

“Good morning, would you like some tea?” Kate asked as she poured herself one.

“Yes, please,” Daphne responded. She was wearing a pair of thick-framed glasses, a loose cashmere sweater over leggings and her arms were locked behind her back until Kate handed her a steaming mug. Kate thought there was something disarming about seeing someone wearing glasses when they normally had contacts in.

“Join me on deck?” Daphne asked, brows raised. 

At Kate’s nod, Daphne led them to the stern to a set of padded seats built into the hull of the boat. 

“I find I must apologise for last night,” Daphne said sheepishly, her hands wrapped around her mug, her wedding and engagement rings glittering in the sunlight. “Simon gave me quite the scolding, reminding me of how things were when he and I first got engaged.”

“Anthony told me about some of that,” Kate responded, blowing on her mug before taking a cautious sip. “And you were not wrong, it’ll be difficult, for both of us.”

“But in the end Anthony deserves to finally be content with his life,” Daphne responded, her eyes serious. “His only joy for ten years was his children. His marriage was fraught with difficulty, and before that, our father’s death affected him deeply. His grief fundamentally changed him.”

Kate took a sip of her tea instead of responding, curious to know where this was going.

“I did not realise until I saw the two of you at the rail last night, not until I saw his smile, that it is you who will make him happy.” Daphne set her mug down on her leg and reached over to put a hand on Kate’s arm. “I glimpsed the person my brother was before our father died. I’m sorry for not seeing it before.”

“Thank you,” Kate said softly, her eyes burning as a sense of dizzying relief flooded her. 

It had been riveting, watching the crew hoist the mainsail that morning as the wind picked up and hearing the evocative sound of the wind catching the canvas as it propelled them forward. Unfortunately, Kate was unable to enjoy the sight for long. 

The wind buffeted her linen romper, blowing her hair from her low bun, as she wrapped her arms around her stomach and pressed her face into Anthony’s chest. It had started the moment the yacht had left the calm waters closer to their anchoring location, coasting into choppier sea waves. 

After losing her breakfast overboard, Kate had struggled to take a dramamine as Anthony cradled her on one of the outdoor couches, gently reminding her to look at the horizon. Currently, she held her feet up off the deck, only able to stand the awful bobbing sensation while seated like that, though her thighs were beginning to ache. 

“We’ll be in Corfu in a few hours,” Anthony soothed, rubbing her back. “Then we’ll drop anchor and spend the rest of the day at the beach.”

Kate could hear the children laughing as they ran by, only slowing when Simon called out to them from above. “That sounds wonderful,” Kate responded, her eyes squeezed shut. “I think I might go and have a lie down.”

“Drowsiness is a side effect of the medication,” Anthony remarked as Kate put her feet back on the deck, immediately pressing her face back into his chest with a sigh. 

When she stood, she was glad for his steady presence by her side as he led her down to their cabin. Anthony tucked Kate into their bed and deposited a kiss on her forehead before leaving her in the cool darkness, allowing herself to imagine that she was in a giant cradle as she rocked back and forth before falling asleep. 

When Kate woke, the boat was no longer rocking. Finally feeling steady on her feet, when she rose to look out the porthole, she could see pristine blue waters standing stark against a lush green shoreline. 

The cabin door squeaked open, drawing her attention. “Feeling better?” Anthony asked with raised brows.

Smiling, Kate nodded at him. “Are we going ashore?”

“We are, they’re getting the dinghy ready,” he explained with a smile, his voice warm as he pulled her close. “If I had known you got so sick at sea…”

“I didn’t know, either,” Kate whispered into his shoulder, content to rest against him before putting herself to rights and changing into her swimsuit. 

“Shall I give you some privacy while you change?” Anthony asked, pulling away.

“You can watch,” she said with a teasing smile, stepping away to root in one of the dresser drawers for her bikini, grinning over at Anthony as he lounged back on the bed and stared at her with dark eyes.

The group disembarked on a dinghy, taking a short tour around the island’s shore, as colourful cliffside villages, beaches, and soaring sea cliffs rolled by. It was time for lunch when they passed through the Love Canal into a quiet inlet beach in Sidari. 

The dinghy stopped close to where the water broke, allowing a steward carrying a hulking picnic basket and several towels to climb out into calm water before the rest of the party. Kate was impressed as the accompanying staff set up their beach picnic before scuttling away, promising to return to bring everyone back before dinnertime.

Lounging beside Edmund, Kate—dressed in a deep teal bikini and linen coverup—was happy to grab a pre-wrapped vegan sandwich after being unable to keep anything down all morning. Edmund, in a long sleeved rash guard and trunks, munched happily beside her, pressing into her as he chewed with a contemplative look on his face. Anthony, wearing only short swim trunks now, grinned over at Kate, sitting patiently as Charlotte perched on his lap.

“Did you know, Augie,” Simon, also only in swim trunks, remarked as he chewed looking out to where the two cliffs beyond the shore that bordered the beach created a bottleneck within the teal blue waters. “If you swim through the canal with someone you love, it’s rumoured that you’ll stay together forever.”

“Are you going to swim out with mummy?” Augie asked, looking between his parents.

“Yes,” Daphne responded quickly from her perch below an umbrella—wearing a retro-style one-piece, skin already slathered in a thick layer of sunscreen—before laughing and blushing at Simon.

“Dad, will you swim it with Kate?” Edmund asked, pressing his hot head into Kate’s arm. Anthony grinned and blushed when he met Kate’s gaze.

“What do you think?” he asked, his voice deepening, his eyes serious, a sandwich forgotten at his side.

“I think that sounds very nice,” Kate responded, feeling her cheeks heat as Anthony’s smile widened. Holding Charlotte against him with one arm, his gaze bounced away across the beach, his grin so wide it wrinkled the corners of his eyes. 

“Papa should swim it with me ,” Charlotte cut in, bringing some levity to the moment, as the four adults laughed. 

After lunch, Anthony put his arm around Kate as they sat on the shore, watching the kids splash in the calm waters as Simon and Daphne went on a leisurely swim out to the end of the canal. 

“I’ve never felt so at home with anyone other than Mary and Edwina,” Kate said, resting her head on Anthony’s shoulder. She could feel Anthony take a quick indrawn breath.

“I love being here with you and your family,” she whispered, lifting her head to look him in the eye. 

“I love having you here with us, Kate,” Anthony responded, his voice thick. “You fit in perfectly.”

Kate realised she’d have to rise from that beach towel before she started making out with him in front of everyone on the beach. Anthony raised his brows at her as she approached the water to join the kids. 

She shouted in surprise when she felt Anthony’s arms close around her, lifting her easily out of the water.

“Throw her in!” Charlotte screamed from where she floated in a children’s life jacket. Beside her, Augie giggled as Edmund cheered.

“Don’t you dare,” Kate warned, looking Anthony in the eye. He gave her an evil look before swinging his hips and tossing her across the water. She only had enough time to squeeze her nose closed before going in face first. 

When she planted her feet on the sandy seafloor and sprang up, she could hear the kids and Anthony laughing. “I’ll get you back for that,” Kate promised, before floating over to where Charlotte was splashing Augie. 

She was glad when Daphne and Simon reappeared, eyeing Anthony and wondering if he’d still want to swim to the canal with her. Simon pulled his son up and out of the water before tossing him across the surf, the boy making a happy squeal before going under. 

“I think it’s our turn,” Anthony said, wading over to Kate, the water probably came up to his hips but he floated low beside her. He grabbed Charlotte by the back of her life jacket and gently set her drifting closer to the shore. From where they sat in the water, Kate could see Daphne step up onto the beach and take up residence once more under their umbrella.

“Do you want forever with me, Kate?” Anthony asked, holding his arm out to her as if he was about to escort her to a country dance. His hair was half dry still, the ends spiking out at odd angles, as rivulets of saltwater ran down his chest, making trails in his chest hair. And yet his eyes were serious as he squatted there, holding his arm out for her.

“I do,” Kate said quietly, taking his arm, and wading deeper into the water closer to where the cliffs met. When the water was deep enough, she started to windmill paddle with her arms, as Anthony did the same. 

When they cleared the two cliff walls, reaching the bluer sea waters along the shore, Kate treaded water next to Anthony, grinning at him as if they had both passed a significant hurdle in their relationship. He pulled her close for a quick salty kiss, before turning them both toward the shore.

“Ready?” Anthony asked, his eyes still locked on hers. 

“Yes,” Kate responded, grinning slyly at him as she started to pick up speed, paddling hard toward the beach. 

Laughing behind her, Anthony swam to catch her, the splashes from his windmill stroke raining down on Kate as they raced.

That night before bed, Kate read to Charlotte again, negotiating the little girl down to two books, relieved when she started to nod off at the middle of the second one. She placed a kiss on Charlotte’s cheek and as she stood, Edmund hung over the bunk bed rail to give her a goodnight kiss. 

Grinning down at Daphne who still read to Augie, Kate closed the door quietly behind her, to join Anthony in the indoor lounge on the deck above where he shared a beer with Simon. 

“So, Kate, have we scared you away yet?” Simon said, toasting her with his beer. 

Grinning, Kate fell into Anthony’s side, pleased when he handed her a can of soda. “It got a little dicey when Anthony threw me into the sea,” Kate said, nudging him with her elbow, but then shook her head. “But no, I’m very glad I came along.”

“I am, too,” Anthony said softly, nudging her back. 

Daphne joined them a few minutes later and both couples spent the rest of the evening chatting, before Kate and Anthony departed later, happy to fall back into their bed after such a long day in the sun.

Dressed in one of Anthony’s t-shirts and a pair of knickers, Kate lounged back on their bed, watching as Anthony towelled off from his shower wearing only boxer briefs. 

“I love you, you know,” she said softly as he tossed the towel to the dresser. 

Anthony grinned at her before climbing into their bed. “It’s forever now,” he teased, bending forward to lift the cotton material from her belly, kissing his way up her skin still warm from the sun. 

As he removed his t-shirt from her body, leaving her only in her underwear, Kate thought about how much she enjoyed sharing a room with Anthony. How she wanted to live with him one day, to have this be their life, waking up together every morning and going to bed next to each other every evening.

When Anthony's mouth closed around her nipple, her thoughts turned to the present situation, to the incredibly sexy man pressing his hard cock into her thigh. 

Drawing her knickers down, Anthony pressed his mouth to her clitoris, quickly giving her her first orgasm of the evening. After, when Kate pushed his back to the headboard and began to ride him, she held his face to her chest as he gave her climax number two. Transitioning her to her knees, Anthony rode her from behind, pressing two needy fingers to her sensitive clit, bringing her over the apex a third time before spilling inside of her. 

After, Kate fell in a heap of exhaustion to the mattress and allowed Anthony to pull her to the pillows, draping her in a bedsheet before snoring gently against her back. Sometime later, unsure why she was still awake, Kate stared out the porthole at the glittering night sky, thinking about the word home, and as she drifted off, about how home wasn’t really a place.

It felt strange to step back on shore in Venice with Anthony’s family after a raucous seven days at sea in a very confusing bubble. Kate’s days had been filled with buffeting salty breezes and undulating waters that had her losing her breakfast overboard, or huddled in the blankets inside after taking a heavy dose of nausea medication. But then they’d drop anchor or the sea would calm, and Kate would feel like a welcome part of the family as the group went on shore excursions or shared a meal on board.

It had simply been the best vacation of her life, sea sickness notwithstanding. 

Not only that, but it had solidified Kate’s place in Anthony’s family, and for that, she couldn’t be more grateful, or more at ease with their relationship.

It was also a relief to be firmly on land, not having to dread the upcoming sail along the coast or the drowsy side effects of the dramamine. 

Arriving back in London, after having been in each other’s hair for seven days, Kate was more than happy when Anthony continued to invite her to stay overnight at his place, even when it was his week with the children. 

Kate was there for the temper tantrums, the nighttime bath routines, the dinners, the ouchies, the games, and the family movie nights with Simon, Daphne, and Augie, and occasionally Edwina and Mary.

It became a regular occurrence that autumn, for Anthony to drive Kate and the kids to the stables every other weekend, watching on with Charlotte on his shoulders or hanging off of the fence rail as Kate gave Edmund his riding lesson. 

When Anthony invited her to Edmund’s first football game of the season, Kate excitedly accepted and proudly cheered him on with Anthony from the bleachers. Violet Bridgerton had also attended, and Kate pretended not to hear when she told her son that she was surprised he’d allowed his girlfriend to meet his children already.

Attending Charlotte’s first ballet recital a few days later, Kate had cried as she collapsed Anthony’s hand tightly, watching on as his little girl took a bow on stage with her dance crew. Seated next to Anthony, Gregory stood to clap, astutely avoiding Kate’s eye throughout the rest of the evening. On Gregory’s other side sat Stephanie, Anthony’s ex-wife, who pretended that Kate wasn’t there—Kate thought it was for the best.

Moreover, since the trip, Anthony had been invited back into the fold by his family, to which Kate was greatly relieved. She’d known how much the distance had hurt and was happy to hear him regale her with new tales of family drama.  

The invitations had all been extended to Kate as well. To the family dinners, the birthday parties, and random events at Anthony’s sibling’s homes, but Kate had politely declined when asked. She didn’t think they were ready. She didn’t want to be the reason why Gregory might not appear or the cause of Anthony weighing into yet another argument about her.

It was the only regular thing Kate and Anthony bickered about after the kids went to bed. 

By mid-October, Kate started throwing up again like she had when at sea. Suddenly, it felt like the walls would pitch down abruptly, throwing her off balance, and sending her racing for the bathroom.

The first time had been at work, and brushing it away as a fluke, Kate hadn’t told Anthony. The next time was when they were lying in Anthony’s bed one morning, the kids were at their mother’s, and he had been peppering kisses between her breasts. 

After flying from the bed to run to his bathroom, Anthony patiently held Kate’s hair back before getting her a glass of water. 

It happened again that very same evening while Anthony was at his mother’s and Kate had gone to Mary’s to have dinner with her family. Thankfully no one had noticed and Kate had excused herself early, calling a taxi to shuttle her to a drugstore near her flat.

Five pregnancy tests later, Kate clasped her hand to her mouth and realised that not only had she been throwing up the dramamine on the boat trip, but she’d also been throwing up her pill . Blood pounding hard in her temples, she cried on the bathroom floor, shooting off a nonsensical text to Anthony about not feeling well before sleeping alone in her bed that night.

It was not that she didn’t want to have a baby. Anthony’s baby. Kate had known she wanted to be a mother since she was a little girl. She’d even put serious thoughts into baby names, recording them into her diary the week Edwina was born. The problem was that she wasn’t ready—she still didn’t have a job, though her child psychotherapy program was winding to a close, and things were still not on steady footing with Anthony’s family. 

A pregnancy would throw all of that to the wind. 

Ideally, they’d be married when this happened, and it would be a choice . Kate couldn’t stem the tears that fell that morning as her heart broke all over again with the rising sun. It took all of her energy to get ready for work and put it out of her mind, though she knew she’d have to tell him that evening. The anxiety that suffused her last few hours at the office was almost unbearable.

Kate had forgotten that Anthony had his kids that week, and upon entering the house, her heart sank as Charlotte ran at her at full throttle.

“Kate!” the little girl shouted happily, wrapping her arms around Kate’s legs. “You missed Grannie’s last night—did you know Augie has a remote control car? We drove it all around the dinner table, it got stuck on Uncle Colin’s shoelaces!”

“Oh wow, I didn’t know that,” Kate said, disentangling herself from five-year-old arms and stepping into the house. Anthony stepped up from the basement stairway, a rag in his hands. 

“Hey, you,” he said with a smile, meeting Kate halfway across the grand foyer to give her a kiss. Kate dredged him up a smile but knew it didn’t reach her eyes. “Everything okay?” he pressed, his brows drawn.

“Can we talk about it after dinner?” she asked, shifting her bag higher up on her shoulder as she leaned in to hug him tightly. 

“Okay,” he whispered into her ear, tightening his hands on her hips before pulling away and looking into her eyes with concern. “Are you sick?”

“No,” Kate whispered, squeezing his arm before following Charlotte down to the kitchen.

Thankfully, dinner was quick, with cheese toasties and tomato soup. Anthony granted Edmund an hour of video games after, sending Charlotte upstairs with him to watch. “I’ll be up to get you ready for bed in a bit, bunny,” he called after her as she padded up the stairs with her brother. 

Leaning against the counter, Anthony’s forearms flexed as he stared at Kate. She huddled on a kitchen counter stool after bringing the dirty dishes over from the little informal kitchen table. 

“Tell me what’s wrong,” Anthony said, his brows were drawn together and his lips were downturned in a small pout. “Is this why you didn’t come over last night?

Knowing he’d been on edge since the moment she put him off earlier, Kate nodded. Meeting his concerned gaze, she felt her eyes burn as she took a shuddering breath. 

“I’m pregnant,” she said quickly, knowing her face would immediately crumble as hot tears started to glide down her cheeks.

Anthony circled the kitchen island, pulling her against his chest. “How?” he asked softly, stroking her hair.

“I kept throwing up my pill,” Kate explained between hiccoughs, her voice muffled from his shirt. 

“Ah,” Anthony breathed, bending to place a kiss on her head. Kate could hear him take a shaky indrawn breath as he pulled away. “I love you, Kate, and I will love this baby,” he said, his voice thick as he blinked around glassy eyes. “But you’re young, if you’re not ready, you don’t have to do this.”

Of course, he would say that Kate thought, collapsing against him as she started to calm down. She hadn’t realised until that moment that she did in fact want to have that baby. Staring at Anthony, she thought if anything, they could get through it together. That they’d love this child. That the timing was almost never right anyway.

“I want to keep it,” she whispered, pulling back to look him in the eye. 

“Okay,” Anthony said softly as he nodded down at her. “Okay,” he repeated, running his thumbs across her cheeks to brush away any errant tears. “Okay,” he whispered, before leaning forward to kiss her, the tears on his cheeks mingling with hers. 

As the silence stretched on, Anthony’s arms secure around her, Kate pulled away, circled the counter, and started to wash their dinner dishes. 

“You don’t have to do that,” he said, following her to the sink.

“I have to do something,” she responded, her eyes on the soup pot she was currently scrubbing, though it was already clean.

Later that evening, when the kids were in bed, Kate joined Anthony in his bedroom, relieved to toss on his used t-shirt from the night before and finally lay back down again on his million thread count Egyptian cotton sheets and impossibly plush mattress. 

“I, uh,” Anthony said, his back to her as he rifled through a dresser drawer. Kate knew that particular one was mostly empty, it had been since the day he got the furniture. She had a strong suspicion he’d been saving it for her, but had been too chicken to ask.

She watched as he spun around to face her. He was in a fresh t-shirt and underwear and climbed onto the bed, resting beside her on his knees. 

“I’ve been holding onto this since our holiday,” he explained, something hidden in his fist. “But you kept getting sick and then things were going so well and I didn’t want to jinx it…”

Now Kate’s heart was racing. She sat up in bed, her back resting against the cream-coloured plush headboard. 

“Please believe me when I say I’m not doing this because you’re having my baby, I’m doing it because I love you.” Taking a deep breath, Anthony held his hand up and clasped between his fingers was a ring. It had a gold band, a circular clutch of pearls and a small central diamond. Kate’s eyes blurred as she took it in.

“Kate Sharma, will you marry me?” he asked, holding it out as he sat there on his knees. 

She wanted him. Kate Sharma wanted Anthony Bridgerton more than anything else in the world. She cried as she nodded, covering her mouth as a sob slipped out. “Yes,” she said and then had to say it again to make sure the word was clear. “ Yes .”

The ring fit her perfectly when Anthony slid it on her finger before shifting to press his back to the headboard and put his arms around her. 

“We were trying to take this slowly and I just forced us to speed this whole thing up,” Kate confessed quietly, watching Anthony run his thumb over the ring setting. “I know my timing is bad, especially with everything going on with your family.”

“It’s alright,” Anthony soothed, pulling her closer to his side. “I don’t want you to worry about it. I’ll make sure my family’s on board.”

Chapter Text

“Is this good? Do you want me to get you something for your stomach? I can pop to the shop,” Anthony said, handing Kate an ice cold glass of water where she sat on the sofa facing the big tv screen.

She’d had another bout of morning sickness that afternoon after lunch. They’d been having a lazy Saturday in at Anthony’s when she’d suddenly run to the little powder room next to the kitchen. 

“Water is all I need,” she said, lounging back and taking a cautious sip. “We’ve not been together a year and you’ve seen me spew my lunch I think one time too many.”

Chuckling, Anthony fell onto the sofa beside her, pressing his thigh up against hers, Paul Hollywood droning on in the background about how to make the perfect English pastry.

“I am a children’s doctor and have raised several babies,” he said, grabbing Kate’s blanket to cover his legs with it. “I have been barfed and shat on innumerable times. It doesn’t bother me.”

“Then you’ll be good when this one comes,” Kate responded, setting a hand on her abdomen before putting her glass down on the coffee table and leaning into him. “I distinctly remember all of Edwina’s blowouts.”

“I will happily clean up blowouts and vomit,” Anthony told her, laughing and squeezing her bare thigh under the blanket.

“Hmm,” Kate responded, cuddling into him with a tired sigh. 

“I can make you another lunch,” he said softly, bending to kiss her head. 

“Don’t you think Mary Berry was superior?” Kate remarked, resting her head on Anthony’s shoulder. “I miss her.”

“Please,” Anthony responded, huffing. “Paul Hollywood is where it’s at. I’d give my left testicle for a Paul Hollywood handshake. In fact, he’d love my cherry cobbler.”

Popping up, Kate rested her knees against Anthony’s thigh and put a hand on his shoulder, a look of shock on her face. “We will ignore the Mary Berry slander and testicle comment for a moment. Cherry cobbler? You bake?!”

“What kind of man do you take me for?” Anthony asked, indignance in his voice, though he was unable to keep his pleased smile from widening.

“I need cherry cobbler,” Kate responded, sitting back with a hand on her stomach, her voice serious. 

“You’ve just had your head in the toilet, love.” Anthony put a hand on her knee and squeezed. 

“You just asked me if I wanted you to make me another lunch. I need cherry cobbler.” Kate’s eyes were wide and serious as she stared him down.

Sighing, Anthony rose from their warm nest on the sofa. “I’ll pop over to the shop.”

“Have you given moving in together any further thought?” Anthony asked, his voice gentle as he focused on the road and shifting the gears of his Aston Martin.

Placing a hand on her abdomen, Kate felt that same familiar flutter of butterflies and nervous energy. 

She hoped her plain dark teal long sleeved dress with a high neckline and chunky jewellery would at the very least not make her stand out in any way. She had changed into six or seven different outfits getting ready for that evening, wanting to pick something that wasn’t too casual, but wasn’t too formal, either. Looking at Anthony, he was wearing a crisp white oxford under a deep purple cashmere sweater, black slacks, and a pair of brown leather loafers. 

“Things have been moving so much faster than I thought they would,” she responded, not liking how vague she was being with Anthony, but already feeling overwhelmed with their evening plans. “And I just… I don’t think everyone is ready for this.”

Taking his hand off of the gear stick, Anthony rested it on Kate’s where it sat on her lap. She turned her palm up against his and gripped his fingers hard. “The only people that matter in this are my kids, you, me, and our baby.”

‘ Our baby ’ sent a renewed shiver through Kate’s body, making her tremble beneath him. 

“Let’s see how tonight goes, Anthony,” Kate responded, feeling like she wanted to cry all of a sudden, but the last thing she wanted to do was step into Violet Bridgerton’s house already feeling fragile. “I’m already so overwhelmed.”

“I know, love,” Anthony soothed, squeezing her hand before letting go to downshift, “I know.”

A few minutes later, they were pulling up outside of Violet’s house, Anthony parallel parking handily amidst the other cars that were already filling up the sleepy side street. 

Stepping out of the vehicle, Anthony waited for Kate on the driver’s side, and then held her hand tightly as he led her up the front steps. 

“I think I need to speak with Gregory alone first,” he explained before reaching for the doorknob and stepping over the threshold. “I’ll tell him about the pregnancy and our engagement.”

Kate breathed out through pursed lips, her heart racing madly in her chest, trying to dispel the sudden sense of dizziness of all of the people that awaited them behind the front door. “Alright, that makes sense,” she responded, trying not to think of what she would do when alone in Violet Bridgerton’s living room with most of her children. 

Walking through the front door, still holding Anthony’s hand tightly, Kate peered around. To their left she could see several people chatting in the drawing room and to the right Gregory sat with Hyacinth already at the dining table. 

“Papa!” Kate heard Charlotte yell from above, before racing down the central staircase and into her father’s arms.

“Bunny,” Anthony said affectionately, holding her close. “How was your day with your grannie?” he asked, his attention shifting up the stairs to where Edmund took slow steady steps down next to Augie. 

“Good,” Charlotte said cryptically with a shrug before taking off toward the Bridgertons in the drawing room. 

“Grandma said she has all of your old toys set up in the drawing room,” Edmund supplied, trying to dodge his father’s outstretched hand, but Anthony was faster and grinned as he ruffled his son’s hair. Giving his father an amused smile, Edmund grabbed Augie’s arm and they dashed toward the other room after Charlotte. 

“I’ll follow them,” Kate said, trying to give Anthony a reassuring smile before leaving a gentle peck on his cheek and marching onto the battlefield.

“Hey, Greg,” Anthony said to his youngest brother, his heart already feeling like it was trying to beat its way out of his chest. “Can we talk?”

Hyacinth gave Anthony a salty look before stalking off toward the stairs. “Hy—” Anthony started, turning toward her with a sigh.

“She’ll come ‘round,” Gregory said, though his voice was sullen. 

“Let's go for a walk,” Anthony suggested, motioning toward the front door. At his brother’s nod, he made his way outside, holding the door for him before easily matching Gregory’s pace down the short walkway and then to the pavement that lined the street. 

“I know this won’t be easy to hear, but I wanted to be the one to tell you before everyone else. Kate and I are engaged,” Anthony said, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he shyly looked over at Gregory.

“Wow,” Gregory responded, shaking his head, his brows raised, “that was fast. Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“Well, she’s pregnant,” Anthony supplied, his lips pressing together. He knew how it sounded. How all of it sounded. “We’re going to tell the family about the engagement tonight, but we haven’t told the kids about the baby yet, so we’re holding off for now.”

Anthony had really only known about the pregnancy for a few days. While he’d been planning to propose for several weeks, he still felt dizzy at the whirlwind that was suddenly surrounding them. 

He was terrified that his family wouldn’t accept Kate or their child. The pain it would cause her—he couldn’t bear to think about it. 

“You said you love Kate,” Gregory offered, his voice thoughtful, but clear, not laced with sadness or spite or regret. 

“I do, very much,” Anthony responded, angling his head to see the contemplative look on his brother’s face.

“That’s the important part,” Gregory said, staring off into the distance. “And I know you’ll be an amazing father. I don’t know Kate that well, but I don’t think you’d fall in love with someone that would become a drain on your family.”

“Yeah,” Anthony responded softly, with a huff of air, his lips breaking into a surprised smile. 

“Everyone will come around,” Greg said, smiling up at Anthony, already sounding wiser than his twenty-one years. “Like I know Hyacinth, Colin, and maybe El will give you a tough time. I haven’t been able to get a read on Franny, but you know how she is. I think you’ve already won everyone else over, that’s half the battle. Plus, mum.”

“I know it won’t be easy,” Anthony responded, looking off ahead toward where Bruton Street ended at an intersection. “Shall we turn back?” he asked, stopping before the street ended at an intersection.

“Sure,” Gregory said, looking around them before turning to face Anthony.

“I can’t do this without my family,” Anthony added with a shrug, smiling softly down at Gregory. 

“It still feels weird,” Gregory admitted, looking up at him, “but I think you’ve done enough penance, at least with me.”

Chuckling softly, Anthony looked toward his mother’s house and bit his lip as he grinned. When they made it back to the front steps, Anthony pulled Gregory in for a hug. “I love you, buddy,” he whispered into his brother’s ear as he tightened his arms. 

“Me too,” Gregory responded, his cheeks darkening as he pulled away and skipped up the steps.

As the family passed two giant wooden salad bowls around the table, Anthony looked around, taking everyone in. They had planned to announce the engagement during the meal, but so far he had chickened out during every single lull in conversation. 

After taking some of the caesar salad, Kate’s hand shook as she passed the bowl to Anthony. He could feel his pulse hammering in his neck and tried to give her a reassuring smile, appreciating the soft one she gave in return. Although, he admitted, she looked like she wanted to throw up. 

Once everyone had their salad course and was eating quietly, Kate squeezed Anthony’s leg. 

“Now?” he whispered to her, his voice shaking with the question.

“You look like you’re about to faint,” Kate responded, intertwining her fingers with his under the tablecloth. “Best get it over with.”

He was grateful for her. She had told him she wasn’t as strong as he thought she was, but Anthony was certain she was wrong.

Taking a deep breath, Anthony tapped his water glass with his butter knife and the ringing noise was effective enough to get everyone’s attention. 

Looking across the table, Anthony smiled at his family members, his mother at the head, Simon, Daphne, Henry, Benedict, Colin, Penelope, Francesca, John, Eloise, Marina, Hyacinth, and Gregory. His children and Augie were seated at a kid’s table in the kitchen and by the childlike babble filtering through the pocket doors, it sounded like they were having a grand old time. 

“Kate and I have an announcement to make,” Anthony said, feeling Kate’s hand tighten around his. “We’re engaged.”

Swallowing, Anthony looked around the table, trying to take everyone’s reactions. There was a pause that seemed to go on forever, before Violet clapped her hands together once and smiled at him. “That’s wonderful, Anthony,” she said, though there was a strain in her voice.

At the end of the table, sitting kitty-corner to their mother, Hyacinth threw her fabric napkin on top of her salad and crossed her arms. Anthony took a breath and looked down the line. 

“Congratulations, Anthony,” he heard Daphne say, her voice genuine. 

“Yes, here here,” Simon added, lifting his glass and grinning down the table.

With a relieved sigh, Kate lifted her hand to rest on the table, the diamond and pearls sparkling under the bright crystal chandelier. 

“That’s mum’s engagement ring,” Eloise said, her voice stunned. “You gave her mum’s ring… you didn’t even use it when you proposed to Steph!”

“ Eloise ,” Anthony said, biting back the sudden burst of anger from his tone as he cleared his throat and looked down at the ring. “It’s a special—”

“It’s a priceless heirloom ,” Colin said, leaning back in his chair and shaking his head. “I can’t believe you would—”

Ready to stand up and defend his fiancé, Anthony clenched his fists and felt the sudden flush of anger start to suffuse his blood.

“That’s enough!” Violet cut in, her voice high as she stood up. Raising her wine glass, she held it up and smiled at Anthony. “To Anthony and Kate,” she said, raising her brows. When only Simon and Daphne lifted their glasses, Violet cleared her throat. “To Anthony and Kate,” she said again much louder, until everyone but Hyacinth begrudgingly lifted their drinks and said cheers.

Taking a calming breath, Anthony planted his feet on the floor, trying to keep from rising up after his mother’s gesture. He could see Kate in the corner of his eye take a nervous sip of her water before hiding her hand under the table again. Suddenly feeling guilty for not thinking of her during this exchange, Anthony placed his hand over hers. 

“Okay?” he whispered, concerned about the shaky forced smile on her face. 

Looking at him, Kate took a breath and nodded. He could see her eyes watering, so he took a deep breath staring at her and was relieved when she did the same. 

When his mum sat back down and conversation started to flow again, Eloise stared point blank at Kate, her face flat. “Have you talked about the age gap? Anthony’s what, ten, fifteen years your senior?” she asked, her elbows resting on the table. 

Kate’s mouth dropped open as she tried to respond, her brows high. Anthony could feel her hand tighten under his. 

“ Eloise ,” Anthony said again, feeling that surge of anger start to bubble inside of him again. Throwing his napkin on the table, he leaned forward to push his chair back to stand but was stopped suddenly by a hand on his arm.

“Papa, what’s an age gap?” Charlotte asked. Shaking himself, Anthony turned and looked down at her where she was hanging off of the back of his chair. 

“It’s—It’s,” Anthony began, stuttering. 

“It’s the difference between two people’s ages,” Kate cut in, smiling down at Charlotte, her face transforming from one of intense nervousness to something much more serene. The way Kate looked at his children, Anthony thought, felt like another puzzle piece snapping perfectly into place. 

“Edmund is five years older than me,” Charlotte supplied, ”five’s a lot .”

Gregory leaned back in his chair so he could look at his niece. “I’m sixteen years older than you, Charlie! That’s a whole lot.”

“Yeah, but you’re old !” she said with a laugh, before running back through the double doors that separated the kitchen from the dining room.

Smiling at Kate, Anthony was grateful when his mother changed the subject. 

He didn’t miss the way she looked over at Gregory, offering a small smile of gratitude. 

Dinner was finally over, though it sat heavily in Kate’s stomach. She wanted to leave immediately, but tried to put on a brave face as the family filtered into the drawing room while Daphne and Simon helped Violet clear the table. 

When Hyacinth stalked off again, Anthony whispered a quick apology to Kate, pressing his hand into her lower back, before chasing his youngest sister up the staircase.

Looking after him wistfully for a moment, Kate shook her head and walked toward where Colin stood speaking with Penelope. “Hi,” she said, arms locked across her chest, offering them an awkward smile. 

“Hi, we barely got to speak the last time we met,” Penelope said kindly, her dimples appearing on her cheeks when she smiled. Kate was grateful when she offered her hand, shaking it warmly. 

Turning to Colin, Kate was about to compliment the meal, but he gave her a cold look before walking away. 

“I should go…” Penelope offered weakly, before chasing after her husband. 

Feeling a little ashamed, Kate turned back toward the dining room and peeked through a crack in the pocket doors toward the massive kitchen. Two staff members, likely hired just to help with the meal, were storing food and cleaning dishes, while Colin faced Anthony in a corner where a little built in desk was located. 

Kate was about to turn and walk away when she heard Colin speak. 

“I cannot believe you gave her mum’s ring!” Colin hissed, pointing his finger at Anthony. “When I asked you for it to give to Pen, I thought you were being a prig, but giving it to her ? Greg’s girlfriend .”

Kate could see Anthony’s jaw clench from where she stood and put a hand over her mouth. She’d had no idea that the ring was valuable. It had looked old—Anthony had told her it was antique—but frankly it didn't matter. He could have offered her a decoder ring from a cereal box and she would have loved it.

“Colin,” Anthony said, shaking his head, his voice laced with barely concealed anger.

“Don’t you realise she just traded up for you,” Colin ground out, his cheeks darkening as she talked. “She’ll leave you at the first opportunity. That or cheat on you. She’s a slut .”

The word felt like a slap in the face. Blinking away tears and biting her cheek hard, Kate stepped away from the door, only hearing the anger in Anthony’s voice as he responded. Heart racing in her chest, she stumbled back into the living room.

Gregory was standing in the corner, a girl was with him, she was short and had long dark hair, pulled back in a complicated plait. Upon meeting Gregory’s eyes, he offered her a weak smile before grabbing the girl’s hand and leading her away and up the stairs. 

Looking toward the unlit fireplace, Kate watched as Charlotte and Augie were building a tower with a set of wooden blocks, giant LEGO pieces, and some toy cars. Edmund was with them, but standing back, looking like their supervisor. 

The boy looked so much like Anthony, with his short chestnut coloured curly hair, deep brown eyes, and a little dimple between his eyebrows. He met Kate’s gaze and walked over, a grin on his face.

“Grannie says it’s only a matter of time before this place is filled with my cousins,” Edmund said, plopping down onto a free sofa. With a resigned sigh, Kate sat beside him and surveyed the room.

“I am sure she’s right,” Kate responded, squeezing his knee, acutely aware that at least one more grandchild was on the way. 

“They’re not very nice sometimes,” Edmund said, looking across the room, “I don’t know why adults are like that.”

“I don’t know, either,” Kate responded, leaning over to press a kiss into his curly hair. 

“May I join this powwow?” a gentleman asked. Looking up, Kate realised it was Henry Granville, Benedict’s husband, holding a glass of red wine in one hand. 

“Please,” Kate said, motioning to the seat across from her, already feeling lighter from Edmund and Henry’s company. 

“That fort is going to fall over,” Edmund said offhandedly, craning his neck to look toward the cold hearth where Charlotte and Augie’s tower teetered precariously. 

“You’d better go help them then,” Kate said, squeezing his arm and grinning when he gave her a sweet smile before scampering off.

“I have dealt with a few scandals in my life,” Henry said, setting his wine glass down and crossing his legs. “I can relate to what you’re going through. The Bridgertons can be a tough crowd.”

“They certainly can be,” Kate said, happy to have Henry’s company. Out of the corner of her eye, Kate could see Daphne speaking to Colin, a stern look on her face. Simon stood near her, his arms crossed, looking more than a little bit out of his depth.

“Although,” she added smiling, her attention back on Benedict’s husband, “they were much warmer the first time I met them all.”

Henry laughed heartily before bending over to take a sip of his wine. “That is very true, though Gregory is the golden child. He can do no wrong. They tend to treat Anthony with a much stricter set of expectations.”

“That they do,” Simon cut in, grinning down at Kate before plopping down in the seat Edmund had vacated. “Don’t ever think you’re alone at these things, Kate.”

“Thank you,” Kate said, looking between them, her eyes burning a bit from their support. 

“The scandalous spouses club,” Henry said with a laugh. 

“Henry,” Kate said, angling her head and squinting her eyes, “I don’t believe I know what your scandal is.”

“Oh, did you not know I was married when I met Benedict? To a woman?” he responded casually before breaking into a few more chuckles.

“Ah,” Kate responded, nodding. 

“I may have to join your club,” a woman said as they joined them—Marina, Eloise’s wife—cradling her wine glass as she sat next to Henry.

“Oh, have you been naughty?” Henry asked, turning to her, his brows knitted in curiosity. 

Marina pursed her lips and seemed to be thinking. When she took a breath to speak, the group could hear Eloise griping in the corner to Daphne. “Why should I care about who Anthony’s rebounding with!” Eloise said before storming away with a scoff.

“I should go deal with that,” Marina remarked with a resigned sigh, standing and trailing after her wife. Though from the cold look Eloise gave her, things did not look well between them.

“They’ve been fighting a lot lately,” Simon said to Kate, pointing with his whiskey glass toward the door they’d walked through a moment before. “And where is Benedict this evening?” Simon asked, his attention shifting to Henry.

“I believe he’s in Violet’s office with Francesca and John,” Henry explained before sipping his wine, his brows high. “They’re hiding from the drama.”

“Smart,” Kate said, wishing she had a drink, at least a glass of water, so she had something to hold. 

“Or cowardly,” Simon supplied, looking away.

Colin’s angry words ringing in Anthony’s ears, he paced along the back hallway that led outside from the kitchen, trying to control his anger. It was cooler in that space and he hoped that the cooler air and the quiet would help calm him.

Shaking his head, Anthony wished his brother trusted his judgement. He wished he and Kate had simply been given the benefit of the doubt. At the very least, he thought, Kate hadn’t heard what Colin said. His words had been unforgivable. 

“Anthony,” his mother remarked, pushing through a door that led from the kitchen to join him in the hallway. “Is everything okay? I know tonight has been a lot.”

“I just…” he said trailing off as he shook his head. “I’m happy with Kate, things are going well, and I wish they could see that. She’s not a bad person. This drama is tough on her and I hate the effect it’s having.”

“They’ll come around,” she said gently, pulling him into a hug. With a sigh, Anthony relaxed in her embrace. As he pulled back, she held onto his arms, squeezing them reassuringly. “I’ll work on them for you.”

“Thank you,” he responded, his eyes burning as he gave her a wobbly smile. She was so rarely just mum to him, Anthony thought, feeling like sometimes he simply needed her reassurance.

“Now, I have a question, and please don’t bite my head off,” she said, finally letting go of him.

Letting out a weary sigh, Anthony locked his arms tightly behind his back. He supposed the sweet moment was gone.

“Is Kate pregnant?”

Gripping the steering wheel tightly, Anthony glanced over at Kate again before returning his attention to the road. Behind them, Charlotte was already asleep on her booster seat and Edmund’s attention was focused out the car window. 

“I’m sorry for throwing you to the wolves,” Anthony said softly, reaching over to put his hand on Kate’s thigh. He felt some reassurance when she placed her palm over his hand.

“This is what we signed up for.” Kate shifted in her seat to look at him. 

“Doesn’t have to mean I like it,” Anthony said, sighing, and pulling his hand away to downshift as he turned off of the main thoroughfare. 

“Papa, can we stay with you tonight?” Edmund asked from behind them. 

“I’m sorry, love,” Anthony responded, looking at him in the rearview mirror as he set his blinker and turned toward Stephanie’s house. “I have to take you both to your mum’s.”

Anthony’s heart squeezed hard in his chest when he saw Edmund’s face crumple. “But I want to stay with you and Kate,” he cried.

“I know, I know, I’m sorry, I’ll see you both on Monday. It’ll be alright, Neddy,” Anthony soothed, desperately wishing he could stop the car and hold his son. 

A few minutes later, while Edmund was still snuffling in the back, they pulled up to his ex’s house, the lights still bright in the front rooms. 

“I’ll run in with them, it’ll just be a minute.” Putting his hazards on, Anthony double parked in front of the house and ran around to Charlotte’s side. 

Kate watched as he unbuckled her smoothly and pulled her limp little body into his arms. She clung to him in her sleep and Anthony wished he had been able to take them home with him that evening. Behind him, Edmund followed sullenly, his backpack holding his video games in hand. 

Thankfully, Stephanie met them at the door, and took Charlotte from him as Edmund shuffled into the house. “I’ll be right back,” Anthony said quickly, spinning around to dash back to the car to grab their bags.

Feeling torn, like he always did when he dropped the kids off, Anthony dropped their bags in the foyer and gave both his kids a kiss before dashing back to the car. Thankfully, they hadn’t blocked anyone in the street, and were pulling away in due course.

Looking toward the back seat in the rearview, Anthony hoped that Edmund was settling in okay, that his sadness was just exhaustion from a busy day. “It breaks my heart leaving him like that. He’s so upset. I know he’s tired but I hate walking away.”

Kate put her hand on his thigh and squeezed. 

Heart heavy, Anthony drove on, flipping the windscreen wipers on as a light rain began to fall. The atmosphere in the car was solemn, with the patting of the rain on the windscreen and the steady pace of the wipers moving in a soothing rhythm. 

“Do you want to stay with me tonight?” Anthony asked, his gaze focused on the street as it began to glisten in the rain. “I’m exhausted, but I can drive you across town if you prefer your bed.”

“Your place is perfect,” Kate responded, her voice low. She sounded tired, too.

As they neared Grosvenor Square, traffic increased, and they seemed to hit every red light that led the way home.

“Why didn’t you tell me about the ring?” Kate asked after a time.

“I didn’t want to overwhelm you…” Anthony said, pausing as he shifted gears as a traffic light finally switched to green. “The ring is important to me, I always thought of it when I looked back on the happy times before my dad died. When I was thinking about asking you to marry me, I felt that same warmth again, and it just all seemed to snap into place.”

Looking over at her, Anthony could see Kate gazing down at the ring, the street lights flashing over it every few seconds as they drove on. “These types of things are important to me,” she said softly. “Like how much this ring means to you.”

“I’m so sorry, Kate,” Anthony said immediately, his heart aching, “for not telling you. For abandoning you with my siblings.”

Getting ready for bed felt like a slog, as if Anthony had just run an Olympic marathon and could finally settle down to sleep. Together, he and Kate pulled the throw pillows from the gigantic bed, turning it down together, each on their respective sides.

Crawling up and in, Anthony sighed at the cool feel of the soft sheets on his bare legs, shifting immediately over to pull Kate against his chest. “There’s one other thing,” he said, bending forward to kiss her forehead. “My mother guessed you’re pregnant, but I asked her to keep it mum.”

Kate nodded against his chest. “I suppose after having eight kids she can probably tell.”

“Mmm,” Anthony responded, already feeling his eyes sliding closed. The blankets, pillows, and Kate in his arms felt like heaven divine. “I know we should talk, but I’m so tired.”

“It’s okay,” Kate whispered, snuggling up against him. 

“Thank you for putting up with me. I love you so much,” he mumbled a minute before he drifted off.

Kate was exhausted. As Anthony breathed deeply beside her, she knew she wasn’t going to be able to fall asleep. Sighing, she gently disentangled herself and stole away from the bed. 

First, for an antacid in the bathroom and a glass of ice-cold water from the kitchen. Pulling on Anthony’s robe, sliding her feet into an old pair of his slippers, she padded down the stairs, and then further down to the massive kitchen. 

Glass of water in hand, she threw back the antacid tablet, and made her weary way back up the steps. Still unsure if she could fall asleep, she made her way toward the back doorway and sat heavily on the veranda steps that led down to the garden. The motion sensor flood lights lit up as Kate pulled the robe over her bare legs. 

At least it wasn’t raining any longer, she thought, as she looked up at the inky black night sky.

Although it had felt like a weight was lifted when Henry, Simon, and even Marina had sat with Kate at Violet’s, the things that Eloise and Colin had said still sat heavily on her. And she hated how Hyacinth refused to even speak to Anthony, knowing how much that hurt him. 

Resting her head on her arms, Kate tried to push away her doubts. She hated how much strife she had already brought into Anthony’s family, how it felt like she was tearing them all apart. How things would continue to become more difficult when the news of the pregnancy got out. 

If it weren’t for the baby, Kate thought there was a good chance she would have just given up after a night like that one, just packed her things and gone home. However, in a sense, she was stuck, and she hated feeling that way, too. 

They weren’t ready for this. Marriage. A baby. Talking about moving in together. 

The guilt Kate felt for bringing them to this point was enormous. 

Hot tears burned their way down her cold cheeks as Kate bit down on her arm and tried not to cry out. 

The worst part was that she desperately wanted a drink. 

She knew where the alcohol was stored, a bottle of bourbon on a drink table in the old study, several full bottles of hard stuff in a cabinet next to the stove, and a case of beer inside the fridge. There had even been a bottle of Beefeater, tonic water, and limes. She could have her cocktail of choice in a matter of minutes.

Months ago she’d have shaken these thoughts away by joining Siena at the club or calling Scott or Trent or anyone else, so she could just forget for a little while. 

However, none of it sounded enticing anymore. 

With a weary sigh, as the rain began to fall again, Kate rose shakily from the steps and rubbed her face with her sleeve. She was still hiccuping as she climbed the stairs. Reaching the door to Anthony’s bedroom, she rested her hand on the cool doorknob and tried to school her breathing.

Pushing through the door, Kate dropped the robe on the ground and climbed into bed, warming her cold skin against Anthony’s body.

“Where’d you go?” he asked sleepily, shifting to his side to pull her back tightly against his chest. 

“Go back to sleep,” she whispered, burying her face in her pillow and listening to his steady breathing as he drifted off again.

The next morning, Kate rose before Anthony, a strong suspicion that she had laid awake the entire night. Not feeling strong enough to see the sad look in his eyes, she dressed quickly and returned to her flat before going on a long punishing run. 

Another text came in from Anthony. Glancing at her phone, Kate tried to ignore the way it wrenched at her heart as she worked on updating a patient chart on her computer. 

Anthony ❤️: You were gone when I got up this morning. Everything okay?

Kate 🌷: I couldn’t sleep. Went for a run.

Anthony ❤️: Hey just checking in, want to come to mine after work for dinner?

Quickly, Kate shot off a text to her mum, asking to see if she could stop by that evening, before sending a response to Anthony. She knew she was putting off the inevitable discussion, but she needed a sounding board first. And she needed her mum. 

Kate 🌷: I’m going to have dinner with my mum tonight.

Anthony ❤️: Alright, come by after?

Heart racing in her chest, Kate typed out a quick response and hovered her finger over the send button. She couldn’t bring herself to do it. Locking her phone, she grabbed her bag and headed out. 

Newton running at Kate full force the moment she stepped into the house was the greeting she didn’t know she needed. Kneeling down, the smell of her mum’s cooking already permeating the air, Kate let Newton deposit kisses across her face as she scruffed him behind his ears. “I missed you so much my baby boy.”

“What about your mum?” Mary asked, standing in the entrance to the family room with a smile on her face. 

Rising quickly, Kate ploughed into her mother’s arms, unable to stop the tears that began to flow unbidden down her cheeks. “I’m sorry,” she cried, her breaths hiccuping already.

“Hey, hey,” Mary soothed, rubbing her back. “Did something happen with Anthony?”

“Everything is such a mess,” Kate cried as she pulled back, looking her mother in the eye. “I’ve messed it all up.”

Gently, Mary swept the tears from Kate’s cheeks and led her to the kitchen table. “Sit down,” she ordered before moving to the stove and pouring a pot of hot tea into two awaiting mugs. 

Steaming mug in hand, Kate cradled it as Mary moved about the kitchen, pulled a hot pan from the stovetop and placed it on a trivet on the table. Kate began to explain what had happened as Mary set out dishes and spooned a hearty serving of shepherd's pie onto her plate.

“I lied about how Anthony and I met,” Kate confessed, looking down at her plate before taking a cautious bite, moaning when the flavours hit her tongue—there was nothing like mum’s cooking. When she swallowed, she knew that if she laid out the entire situation, she’d have to start at the beginning. 

As they ate, Kate told her mother about dating Gregory, falling for Anthony at Aubrey Hall, about Gregory catching them, and the tense weeks that followed. She told her all about Anthony’s divorce, meeting his kids, and going to the Greek Isles. 

By the time she got to the biggest revelation both of them had finished their plates and Mary’s hand rested on Kate’s where it sat on the table. 

It had been so much easier to say the words to Anthony last week, but Kate thought when she told Mary, she’d be disappointed in her for not being more careful.

Kate could feel the tears begin to burn her eyes again and bit the inside of her cheek. Her phone chimed then from where it sat on the kitchen table, it was another text from Anthony. She could see the message appear on her lock screen. 

Anthony ❤️: Kate, is everything okay?

Flipping her phone over, Kate took a deep breath and looked at her mother. “I’m pregnant,” she said, the words breaking her resolve as a fresh round of tears began to fall.

“Oh, my baby,” Mary said, leaning forward to pull Kate into her arms. 

“And Anthony asked me to marry him,” Kate cried, her face buried in her mother’s hair. “I said yes.”

Pulling back, Mary swiped her thumb across Kate’s cheeks as Kate tried to take deep breaths. “Is this what you want?” her mother asked, her voice calm and warm.

“Yes,” Kate said, nodding, giving her a watery smile. “I love Anthony like crazy. I want to spend the rest of my life with him. I want everything.”

“If you’re happy, then I’m happy,” Mary told her, shaking her shoulders, her face splitting into a grin. “A baby?” she said, chuckling, “I can’t believe it.”

“Yes,” Kate said, unable to keep from mirroring her mother’s grin. 

“Then tell me why you’re so upset,” her mother pressed.

Sighing, Kate told her about dinner the previous evening with the Bridgertons. About the things Colin had said, the division of his family, and the pain she was the cause of.

“I feel so guilty,” Kate said, desperately trying to stop another round of tears from pouring out. “For bringing all of this strife into his life... And I really want a drink.”

There, now it was all laid out on the table, Kate thought, as she sat back in her chair and sighed. 

Mary didn’t keep alcohol in her house but it didn’t stop Kate from eying where her father used to store it in a kitchen cabinet. 

“I know Anthony loves you, too, Kate,” Mary said, grabbing her hand and holding it tightly. “You need to talk to him about all of this. And you need to go to a meeting. Tomorrow.”

Nodding at her, Kate looked down, already in a losing battle with her tears. They sat together like that for a time, the ticking of the kitchen wall clock the only sound as Mary ran her thumb over the back of Kate’s hand.

“Why don’t you go and have a lie down in your old room?” Mary asked after Kate stifled a yawn. “I know it’s early, but pregnancy can really wear you down. I’ll call you a cab later.”

Unsure if she could speak, Kate nodded at her mother and stood, falling into her embrace for a second before pulling away and dragging herself upstairs. As she lay in her old bed, Newton hopped up to join her, and his warm steady bulk pressed against her side had her drifting off almost immediately. 

Kate was rowing on the Thames when her phone rang. A moment later reality returned and she blinked away the dream, shaking the drugging pull of sleep off as her phone lit up beside her. She blinked blearily at the screen, trying to remember where she was. It was Anthony.

“Hello?” she said tiredly, beginning to remember what had happened earlier that day.

“Are you alright, Kate?” he asked, his voice breathy on the other end.

“I fell asleep,” she said, her voice thick from sleep. “I’m still at my mum’s.”

“Okay, okay,” he responded, sounding relieved. “Why don’t I come pick you up? I can bring you home if you'd rather be there… I just, I don’t want to sound clingy, but I’ve seen you every day since we’ve been back from our trip and I missed you today.”

Smiling, Kate looked up at the ceiling. It was strange to be laying there now, talking to her boyfriend—fiance, when she used to lay there and dream about some great future romance. “I miss you, too,” she said softly, settling back into the little twin bed.

“I’ll leave now,” Anthony said, though he didn’t sound in a rush to hang up.

“Okay,” she responded with a laugh, feeling lighter already. A nap and her mum had worked wonders. 

“I love you,” Anthony said amidst the sound of ruffling and then a closing car door. 

“Me too,” Kate responded. “I’ll let you drive.”

“Alright,” he said and Kate could hear him start his car in the background. 

Neither of them hung up. 

After quickly saying hello to Mary and Newton, Kate and Anthony climbed into the car and a moment later were off towards Kate’s flat. It was closer and they both felt too exhausted to drive back to Mayfair.

“Kate, I know something’s wrong,” Anthony said once they pulled onto the road.

“I heard what Colin said about me,” Kate confessed, staring out the window to the little row houses as they blew past. “I was trying to find you and was about to walk into the kitchen when he started talking.”

Kate listened as Anthony let out a deep sigh, one hand gripping the steering wheel so tightly his fingers turned white. 

“And everything with your family,” she added, putting her hand over his where it rested on the gear stick. “You keep telling me not to worry about it, but I am worried. I feel guilty about the impact our relationship has had. The animosity and the distance. I hate that it hurts you.”

Turning his hand palm up, Anthony held Kate’s hand in his grip and brought it to his lips for a kiss. 

“And,” Kate continued, her face crumpling again, not wanting to cry but unable to stop the tears as they burned her eyes. “I really want a drink and I have to go to an AA meeting. Tomorrow after work.”

“Okay,” Anthony said softly, depositing another kiss on her hand before letting go to change gears. Once it was done, he squeezed her thigh. “Let's get home so I can hold you. And I know everyone keeps saying it, but it’s true, my family will come around.”

Somehow finding a spot easily, Anthony parallel parked handily and followed Kate into her flat. He pulled her to him almost immediately once they were inside, depositing a row of kisses across her cheeks. Kate marvelled at how he already felt like home, that he was so integral to her life and her happiness. 

“I think Eloise’s marriage is over,” he said as he pulled away, his hands still on her as he gazed at her. “Something happened with Marina and I think we’re about to find out. It’s why Eloise is being so flippant and prickly. She’d be like this even if you weren’t there.”

Leading Kate toward her bedroom, Anthony kept talking. “Colin resents me, he always has,” he said, circling the bed and pulling his clothes off before sliding under the covers. “Ever since our father died and I started doing the things that he used to do. Colin hated that it was me talking to his teachers, picking him up from practice, taking care of the younger kids.”

“How old was he when your father died?” Kate asked, joining him in bed and cuddling into her pillow. 

“Fourteen, I think,” Anthony responded, his voice already sounding sleepy. “I’m going to break down Hyacinth’s walls,” he added, reaching over to place a hand on Kate’s face. “What I’m trying to say is you alone didn’t cause this. I’m guilty, too.”

“I’m sorry for not talking to you today,” Kate whispered, moving closer to him.

“And I’m sorry that you have to deal with all of this.” Caressing his thumb across on her cheek, Anthony smiled. “I was worried you were having second thoughts about everything. About us.”

“I have a bad habit of running away when I’m upset,” Kate confessed, brushing her nose up against his. 

“Then I’ll keep chasing you,” Anthony whispered, brushing a lock of hair from her face. 

The next day after work, Kate went to the same weekly AA meeting she used to attend, located in the rec room at the back of an old stone church. Sipping a tepid coffee, she listened as someone spoke about the impact their drinking had had on their family.

She didn’t get up to speak that evening, but just being a part of that community helped take the edge off. It made the next day not seem so awful. It helped put things into perspective. 

Anthony was waiting for her outside when it was over. He took her to dinner after, to an old family restaurant that was half empty on a rainy Tuesday evening. 

There, Kate told him about the first time she drank. How something that had felt like a release from exams, term papers, and relationships had turned into the thing she did to avoid dealing with her grief. About the day she’d taken her sister to a fair while already drunk and left her at a hoop tossing booth in order to share a flask with a few of the fair staff members. She hadn’t even remembered Edwina was with her until her mother called and she’d woken up drunk and half naked behind a games stall. 

She told him about how Mary had locked her out of the house for a week, not allowing her back until she had attended an AA meeting and had proof in writing. Kate told him she hadn’t had a drink since then, but still thought about drinking every single day. About how the memory of abandoning Edwina still burned heavily inside of her. 

Reaching across the wobbly table, their finished plates pushed aside, Kate took Anthony’s hand. “I was afraid that you wouldn’t love me if I told you,” she said, her breath catching in her throat.

“I love everything about you,” Anthony responded, squeezing her hand. “I hope one day I can convince you of that.”

Chapter Text

Another rejection via email. 

Kate’s stomach contracted the minute she saw the subject after pulling her little laptop out that evening while in bed with Anthony. 

Her program was due to end in a few weeks and she’d begun looking for permanent work. It was not going well, considering the fact that she was expecting. 

“Everything okay?” Anthony asked, peering over from his medical journal to Kate’s laptop. He was wearing a pair of readers at the tip of his nose that made him look like a hot professor but took them off when he looked at her.

“Just another job I didn’t get,” she responded, slamming her laptop closed before putting it down hard onto the side table with a huff.

“They can’t discriminate against you because you’re pregnant, it’s illegal,” Anthony said, setting his journal and glasses down before settling into bed beside Kate. 

“I know,” Kate replied quietly, laying down to face him and resting her cheek on her hands. “I still can’t help but feel guilty, getting a job and having to go on maternity leave in a matter of months.”

Besides, she thought, the fact was that the pregnancy still didn’t feel real. The nausea felt real, and so did the sudden exhaustion that seemed to settle over her at any time of day, but the reality of it, not so much.

“I know you don’t want to hear it,” Anthony said, putting a hand on the side of her face, “but I can support you until you’re ready.”

“Anthony.” Kate’s eyes slid shut and her chest tightened. It felt like they were going at breakneck speed on a train that she desperately wanted to get off of. 

“I know it’s a lot to accept,” he added with a huff. “But, you’ll be my wife eventually, too, and that means what’s mine is yours.”

Kate thought of Anthony’s ex wife. She didn’t know the exact circumstances of their marriage ten years prior but knew that Stephanie had lived off of Anthony’s inherited wealth for much of their marriage. Kate knew, without a doubt, that her stance would have to change, especially when it came to caring for a very expensive baby, but the idea still stung the more stubborn parts of her.

Meeting his eyes, she chewed on her lip for a moment. “People are going to say that I married you for your money.”

“I think they’re going to say that regardless,” he explained softly, leaning forward to kiss her forehead. 

“I still have my job at the stables,” she said, knowing full well that it was barely a drop in the bucket compared to what Anthony likely had. “Though,” she added with a sigh, “I’ll have to quit at some point, but we can talk to my doctor.”

“You should start wearing a mask when you muck stalls,” Anthony said using his doctor's voice, brushing Kate’s hair out of her face as he did. “With all the ammonia and bacteria in the air.”

“Okay,” Kate whispered, shifting closer to him so their knees touched. 

Anthony cleared his throat and took Kate’s hand. “I wanted to talk to you about health insurance, too.”

“Can we do that in the morning?” Kate asked, her eyes already drooping. 

“Yeah,” Anthony replied, kissing her hand before closing his eyes and settling into his pillow. 

Picking up her phone as she ran to her desk, Kate swore under her breath realising that her GP’s office had called and she’d missed it again . She’d been trying to set up her first appointment since finding out about the pregnancy but kept getting stuck playing phone tag. She wished, not for the first time, that she could just book it all online. 

The moment she looked back at her computer to continue updating a patient file, her phone chimed. 

Anthony ❤️: Babe, will you be stopping by for dinner tonight?

Grinning down at her phone, thoughts of Anthony were easily able to dispel the sudden frustration that she felt. 

Kate 🌷: Yeah, be home by six.

The text was off and away before she realised she’d typed home. She could just see the look on Anthony’s face, his eyes crinkling as he smiled down at his device. It was strange because suddenly the idea didn’t seem so scary—calling Bridgerton House home, especially if it was with Anthony and the kids.

Anthony had dinner mostly prepared by the time Kate stepped downstairs into the kitchen. He was still in shirt and tie from work as he stood before the stove, a pan sizzling on the burner. His silk tie was flung over his shoulder and Kate thought that something about it was unbearably sexy. 

Grabbing a bit of chopped carrot from a cutting board, Kate circled the marble island and munched on it as she pressed into his side. She swallowed before kissing his cheek, feeling his smile below her lips as his stubble grazed her mouth. 

It was not difficult to read him, she figured he was still thinking about the text. 

“Should be done in a bit,” he said, leaning over to kiss her, before flipping two chicken breasts to pan sear the opposite side. “Can you dump all of those veggies into the salad bowl?”

Happy to help, Kate mixed the chopped veggies into a wooden salad bowl, then tossed it up with a pair of wooden salad tongs. 

“We didn’t get a chance to talk about the insurance this morning,” Anthony said offhand, his focus still on the stove as he poked at the chicken to see if it was done.

“As I recall,” Kate replied with a laugh, “we had other things on our minds. And our mouths.”

Or rather, his face had been between her thighs when she’d woken up that morning. She could still see the wicked smile he’d given her as he coaxed her over the edge. Kate had gotten her revenge, on her knees in the shower as she took him by surprise. In the end, they had both missed breakfast and rushed out the door together.

A flush crept up from under Anthony’s collar as he gave her a hot look before switching off the gas burner. 

“I am going to sit at the head of the table and put you on the other end,” he said, his voice already thicker. “So we can talk about this.” He placed a pot lid over the pan and grabbed the salad bowl, leading her to the old well-worn kitchen table. 

Heart fluttering, ignoring his comment, Kate sat next to his seat at the head, where he’d already laid her place setting. It was her spot, she thought proudly, having sat there for family dinner every night for the last few months. It felt nice to have a spot. “I think we can behave ourselves.”

“Says you,” Anthony responded as he chuckled and served her salad with the wooden tongs. 

Thinking of the engagement announcement from just the other night amidst his family and their chaos, Kate remembered that it had happened during the salad course. She wasn’t surprised when Anthony’s face sobered as he met her eyes. She set her fork down, her stomach flipping uncomfortably.

“I’ve been on the phone with my private insurance company,” he explained as he sat. From the tone of his voice, the news did not sound good. “I can get you on my family plan but there are a few complications.”

Grabbing his hand, Kate squeezed to urge him to continue. “Out with it,” she said, not interested in allowing whatever this news was to lag on.

“Well, for one we have to be married,” he said in one quick breath, his eyes wide as he waited for her response. 

The room felt unbearably quiet then, with not even a ticking clock to break up the silence. Kate stared at him, processing what he’d just said. To be covered by his private insurer they had to be married . For the ultrasounds. For the biweekly checkups. The blood tests. The screenings. The delivery.

His private insurer probably had online booking, too, the posh pricks.

Then it hit her all at once. They’d probably have to get married soon , as in within the next few weeks. Before she let it get to her head, the anxiety already threatening to bubble like acid up her throat, she asked, “what is the other complication?”

“Well, there is also an upfront payment involved, since you’re already with child,” he explained, his voice low. 

He wasn’t saying a number. Kate knew there was likely a good reason why he was not saying a number. “No,” she said quietly, her eyelids drifting closed. She squeezed Anthony’s hand under hers, gripping him hard, feeling as though she’d fly away from the table if she let go. 

She heard him take a breath. “But I can—”

“ No ,” Kate said again, opening her eyes to meet his. “This is too much and besides, I’m not ready to get married,” she whispered, her eyes beginning to burn as her heart fluttered. 

“Ah,” Anthony huffed, slowly pulling his hand away from hers and crossing his arms.

Of course, he would assume he was the reason for her trepidation and hesitation. “Anthony, I’m twenty-five,” she said, swallowing. “I’ve never been in a serious relationship before or had children. I don’t have the experience you have. I’m also not an impulsive person. I need time . I love you. I want a future with you. But I still need time.”

“Alright,” he whispered, reaching to take her hand, his eyes glittering in the lowered kitchen lighting. “We’ll wait.”

Standing in the centre of a small muddy corral, Kate held onto a long leather lead as Edmund walked a horse in a big circle. She had him riding dressage on an English saddle, with no handholds, and she was proud of the way he instinctively sat tall on the horse. 

“That’s good, keep hold of the reins,” Kate said calmly as she turned with him, the lead loose in her hand. Edmund had a habit of panicking and letting go of the reins, but he was getting better. “You’re doing really well guiding Biscuit, I think she likes you.”

Chancing a look at Kate for only a second, Edmund grinned at her and sat taller in the saddle. As they kept making their slow circle, Kate glanced to where Anthony stood at the rail with Charlotte on his shoulders, her hands clasping his ears. 

“Papa, can I have a horse?” Kate could hear Charlotte ask as she turned away from them. Anthony’s response was unintelligible but calm and playful in a way that made goosebumps pebble along Kate’s arms. 

This was her new family . Soon they’d live together and she’d be having their newest brother or sister. It was strange how her world could change so quickly in only six months. 

The overcast day, the little droplets of rain sliding in paths down her coat, and even the chill breeze didn’t touch her. True, there were more struggles ahead, especially with Anthony’s family, but it finally felt right. It filled Kate in a way that made her realise how happy she felt. 

After Kate brought Edmund back to the barn atop Biscuit and had him help her remove the saddle and brush the mare down with a curry comb, Kate planted a kiss on Anthony’s lips while they were on the way back to his car. 

“What was that for?” he asked, a cute little smile on his lips.

“Just because,” Kate explained, kissing him again before she climbed into the passenger seat. 

Instead of stopping for lunch on the way home—Kate and Edmund still smelled like the barn—they picked up a few boxed lunches to eat together back at the house. 

“So, how was your week with mumma?” Anthony asked, setting down on a kitchen chair, staring across the table at Edmund and Charlotte as they dug into their sandwiches. 

Charlotte just shrugged before taking a bite and making a noise that wasn’t exactly an answer. 

“Did you do anything special?” Kate asked, trying not to laugh. 

This time Edmund just shrugged as he ate. An, “I dunno,” slipped out after he finished chewing. Kate wracked her brain trying to think of another way to approach the question. 

“Papa,” Charlotte said a minute later.

“Yes, bunny?” Anthony replied, his sandwich held loosely in his hand.

“When Kate has the baby will it have to go to mumma’s, too?” the little girl asked.

Kate choked on her sandwich, her eyes watering as she reached for her water glass. She felt Anthony pat her back as she tried to clear her throat. 

“Okay?” he asked softly and took his hand away when Kate nodded at him. 

“No, bunny, the baby stays with me and Kate, she’ll be our baby,” he explained, taking a sheepish bite as his cheeks warmed and he avoided Kate’s eyes. 

“It’s a girl?” Edmund perked up. “Aw, I wanted a brother.”

“We don’t know yet, Neddy, I’m just guessing,” his father replied patiently.

Kate squeezed her hand on Anthony’s thigh, smiling over at him. 

Charlotte clung to her father’s hand, hiding her face behind him as Edmund bravely shook Mary’s hand. Kate put her hand on his shoulders and led him into her mother’s living room to where Edwina was sitting on the floor with some of her old toys. 

“You’ve met Mary before,” Anthony soothed, putting his hand on Charlotte’s head. Kate grinned at him as he slowly extracted her from his side. 

“I have cookies in the kitchen,” Mary said as she got low on her knees to look Charlotte in the eyes. “And because it’s my house, my rules, you’re allowed to have one before dinner.”

That was more than enough to get Charlotte to take her hand and allow Mary to guide her toward the kitchen, where the scent of dinner was emanating. Kate’s mouth had begun watering the moment they’d walked in. 

It wasn’t long before they were digging in, all six of them squished around Mary’s little kitchen table, eating silently as the homemade chicken korma was practically inhaled. After, the kids were content to run to the living room where Newton was napping, Charlotte to play with Edwina’s old Barbies and Troll dolls, and Edmund to stare intently at his Nintendo Switch.

Standing to serve everyone tea, Mary seemed happy to continue the conversation from their last dinner together. “So,” she began, steam rising in front of her as she looked at Anthony, “how did the kids take the pregnancy news?”

Looking at Kate, Anthony reached over to take her hand before looking at Mary as she bustled about the kitchen. “Charlotte felt strongly that the baby should sleep in her bed, and they seemed more focused on if they were getting a little brother or sister, over any other concerns.”

“That’s good, especially with the dinner party last week,” Mary responded as she sat and tentatively sipped at her tea. “So…” she continued, her eyes dancing between Kate and Anthony, “have you talked about moving in together yet?”

“ I have,” Anthony said, quite loudly, as he straightened his posture. Kate rolled her eyes at him.

“I said soon ,” Kate told him, reaching over to pinch his thigh. She managed to pinch him weakly over his jeans before he grabbed her hand and held it tightly, giving her a sly half-smile and a pitiful two-eyed wink. 

“Well, what’s holding you back?” Edwina cut in, setting her mug down on the kitchen table, her brows raised in question. “Kate, your flat isn’t exactly a keeper, and we’ve all seen Anthony’s house.”

“Besides,” Anthony added, squeezing Kate’s hand again, “I’m ready.”

“We all know you’re ready,” Kate replied with a chuckle. “Anthony’s ready to set up house, get married, get matching monogrammed tea towels.”

“It’s always taken Kate a while to come around to new things,” Mary supplied, cutting in, warm brown eyes focused on Anthony. “When her father and I got together she snubbed me for two weeks. Wouldn’t come out of her room when I was at the house.”

“She’s stubborn,” Anthony replied, smiling at Kate as she rolled her eyes and shook her head. “That’s one of the things I love about her, as frustrating as it can be.”

“Stop it.” Kate laughed, trying to make light of the solemn way he was looking at her, a look that sent shivers and goosebumps across her skin. She felt her cheeks burn as it hit her all over again. This was it, Anthony was her man. She turned to him and pulled him over for a kiss, feeling his lips spread into a smile against her mouth. 

After the kiss, Anthony looked a bit sheepish but seemed happy to let the matter go as the topic of conversation changed. Around eight pm, after Edwina begged off to do homework, Kate was yawning and happy to head out at Anthony’s suggestion.

“There is one other question I have,” Mary cut in, drying her hands on a hand towel as Kate and Anthony stood. “Oh,” Mary said suddenly, her attention toward the living room.

Edmund was still sitting on the couch, focused on his game, but Charlotte was sprawled out on her stomach, fast asleep, with a purple-haired troll doll clasped in her hand, Newton napping at her side.

“She can sleep anywhere,” Kate remarked with a chuckle, leaning onto Anthony as his arm drew around her.

“It is a gift that we are all jealous of,” he replied drolly. Shaking his head, he turned back to Mary. “Sorry, you were saying?”

“Well, I know this is probably not your favourite topic of conversation, but has Kate met the children’s mum yet? Outside of the trip to Kent?”

“I have not,” Kate responded, crossing her arms over her chest. She wasn’t in love with the idea of meeting the woman who had been in the same house while she’d slept with her husband. Ex-husband.

“Since Charlotte and Edmund are her children, too, it’s probably wise.” Mary sounded reasonable, but the thought still worried Kate.

After admitting that she was probably right, Kate hugged her mother tightly as Anthony went to pick Charlotte up off of the living room carpet. He gave Mary a one-armed hug before carrying Charlotte to the car, Kate trailing behind clasping Edmund’s hand. 

Once the kids were all buckled up, Charlotte was still zonked out, her head flopped forward, as Edmund began to nod off. Anthony reached for Kate’s hand before asking, “Kate, when are you going to move in with me?”

“In a week or two?” she asked, turning to him with a smile, realising that the idea no longer felt so daunting. Her apartment was basically a massive closet now as she was never there. She practically lived with Anthony already, she reasoned, and really she just needed to clean her flat out to make it official. “I admit I wanted your family on board first, but I’m realising…”

“So, soon,” Anthony replied happily, turning to look at her a moment before turning back to the road as he smiled. “We’ll figure it out.”

They drove on in silence, the sound of the windshield wipers soothing as street lights flashed by,  their yellow artificial light gliding across the dashboard. The drive from Mary’s to Mayfair was starting to become more and more familiar.

“There is one other thing I think we should do first, though,” Kate added when she was sure Edmund was asleep in the back seat. “As much as I hate to admit it, my mother is right. I need to meet Stephanie… again. Properly.”

The next morning, watching their bed from the bathroom, Kate finished brushing her teeth, eyes trained on Anthony as he rubbed his hands over his face in an effort to wake himself up. 

After rinsing her mouth out, Kate stalked back into the room and pulled the fluffy comforter back, letting out a little sigh as the cool sheets hit her bare thighs. She felt a little whoop go through her stomach as Anthony automatically lifted his arm to allow her to rest her head on his t-shirt-clad chest.

“Time is it?” he asked, his voice a rasp and rumbling through Kate’s cheek as his hand snaked around her, setting hot on her hip under her shirt. 

“Barely six,” she replied softly, nestling closer to his body, unwilling to entertain the thought of leaving their bed.

“Have a little while until we need to wake up the kids.” Letting out another deep sleepy sigh, Anthony bent forward to kiss the top of Kate’s head. “Wanna snog?”

Pressing her elbow into Anthony’s chest, to which he let out a deep groan, she rose up to look him in the eyes. “Yes, but no talking. I am very sick of talking and we’ll be doing plenty of it at your mother’s later.”

“Sounds good to me,” Anthony agreed, raising his head to place his lips on hers.

“How about I torture you a little?” Kate whispered against his mouth, running her dry lips over his in a soft caress. 

“Thought you said no talking,” he responded, tightening his arms around her.

Chuckling against his mouth, Kate shook her head. “I torture you and the no-talking rule goes into effect now.”

Laughing in response, Anthony nodded against her mouth, before finally loosening his jaw, allowing Kate to probe into his mouth with her tongue. They lay like that for a time, exchanging sleepy wet kisses, their skin heating as they pressed together. Kate loved the pressure of his mouth and simply adored the way he kissed her like she was his entire world.

Fully aware that they only had thirty minutes or so, Kate rose onto her knees, grabbed his hands, and pressed them above his head into the pillow. Raising her brows at him, she widened her eyes and pointed at his hands, a signal for him to keep them there. 

Anthony grinned in response, though his mouth went slack as Kate pulled her t-shirt over her head. Next, she pulled the comforter back, exposing Anthony’s bare legs, drawing his pants down his body and tossing them from the bed.

Brows raised, eyes trained on his, she removed her knickers and sent them in the same direction as the pants. When Kate straddled him a moment later, Anthony’s arms immediately went around her, his warm calloused palms dragging along her hips and back, leaving little sparks of pleasure along her skin. 

He had just broken her rule, but Kate thought she’d let him get away with it. Just this once.

Already feeling wet and ready for him, Kate pressed the seam of herself to his erection and leaned forward to cradle his face, and drew Anthony into another kiss. Sliding her slit along his length, she deepened the kiss, goosebumps rising along her body as he groaned into her mouth. 

After finally pulling back, Kate traced wet lips along his jaw until her mouth was over his ear. “You’re not allowed to move,” she whispered and felt him tremble beneath her, fully aware that she had just broken her own rule. Since she’d made the rules, she felt justified in breaking them. 

A satisfied grin on her face, Kate pulled back, wrapped her fingers around Anthony’s wrists, and dragged his arms back up over his head. Kate pressed her weight into where she held him and she ground down on his cock. Moaning, Anthony pressed his hips against her to increase the pressure.

It was simply delicious, the way her cunt easily glided over his cock, the tip of him rubbing her clit with every stroke. 

A minute later, leaving one hand still locked on his wrists, Kate shifted to position him at her entrance, before breaching her barrier with the tip and slowly, ever so slowly, gliding down him. She let her eyes drift closed so could focus on the way his cock parted her, that familiar slight burn as she moved down and down until he was fully inside of her. 

Now came the torture part. Kate released his other hand and straddled him, kneeling upright. Meeting his dark eyes, she pointed toward his hands with her brows raised, telling him to leave them there. Next, she pushed into his abdomen with her palms and then wagged her finger at him, telling him to be still . 

Groaning Anthony nodded, his chest heaving as he watched her. When she reached down to finger her clit, he moaned, his body trembling beneath her. 

Stay still , her eyes said as they met his, though the stimulation of her clit made her soften as she took her pleasure. Full of him, she ground her hips down onto his cock in minuscule thrusts, just enough to seek her own pleasure. 

She rode him like that, his chest and neck darkening as he watched her, his cock hard and needy inside of her. When his hands flew down to grasp her hips, she didn’t stop him, grabbing them instead to place them over her breasts. 

Realising that she could lean against him like that, Kate let him carry her weight in his palms and continued to writhe against him, her hands pressed to his. 

So lost in the sensation of him inside of her and propping her up, Anthony seemed to realise first that she was coming and let out a low groan as Kate began to break apart on top of him. As the orgasm flowed through her body, wet and languid and hot, Kate collapsed onto Anthony’s chest, his arms coming around her tight like iron. Her hips kept grinding against him, to work the last sparks of pleasure from her cunt, until she grew still and became a trembling mess on top of him.

When Anthony flipped her over and drew her leg up to thrust into her, Kate didn’t protest, happy to watch him as he quickly approached his climax. 

Hot face pressed against hers, he groaned against her skin as he came, his hips grinding hard into her as he softly cried out.

When it was over, Anthony entirely spent and laying on top of her, Kate slowly caressed his face with her fingertips, enjoying the way he shivered in response. 

“How was that?” Kate whispered softly into his ear, his hot breaths still puffing against her shoulder.

Anthony gave a garbled response, more grunt than language. 

At number five Bruton Street, seated in Violet Bridgerton’s little breakfast nook, Kate cradled a cup of tea in a posh porcelain teacup as she stared at her future mother-in-law. Anthony was beside her, his arm on top of the booth behind Kate, looking at his mother as she poured herself a cup of tea.

“I can tell the rest of the family about the baby,” Violet said, putting the teapot down on her antique service tray before looking at Kate and Anthony. “It may help to soften the blow, before the next family dinner.”

Kate’s stomach contracted at the thought of another family dinner, though she calmed when she felt Anthony tease his thumb along her shoulder.

Swallowing, Kate looked at Anthony, his eyes not connected to anything as the wheels spun in his head. “Perhaps that’s for the best,” she said, looking at Violet again as she nodded.

“I suppose,” Anthony replied, spinning his teacup on the saucer, jostling a little squashed lemon slice with his pinky. “Although, I think some of them will still be unhappy to hear the news.”

That was a difficult concept to digest, Kate thought. She hated the strife that still surrounded Anthony and despised the idea that his family thought less of him for this. She wished there was some way she could heal the rift. 

“Well, I was more than happy to hear the news!” Violet added, her face breaking into a grin, her eyes honest and mirthful. 

Surprising herself, Kate spit out a laugh, her stomach contracting again, but in happiness this time. She watched as Anthony’s eyes crinkled and a soft smile split his lips. 

Turning to Kate, Anthony grabbed her knee, sending a shiver through her body. “Yes,” he said, “so are we.”

“It wasn’t planned,” Kate added, taking a breath, her heart racing considering who she was telling this to. “And it came as a total shock. Plus, with all the drama lately, we almost completely forgot to enjoy it.”

Cheeks darkening, still grinning and with that little dimple standing out on his cheek, Anthony looked down at his tea before turning back to his mother. “I didn’t know it could feel like this, with someone else.”

Eyes glassy all of a sudden, Violet blinked rapidly a few times as she quietly sipped at her tea. 

“Mum, there is one other thing,” he said before clearing his throat. “Kate’s moving in with me in a couple of weeks.”

“Well, that simply makes sense,” Violet replied before taking another sip of her tea. “Some of the kids may use it as a reason to continue being cross with you both,” Violet replied as she watched them. 

“Frankly, mum,” Anthony said, shaking his head, “I don’t give a damn at this point. It’s been long enough and Gregory and I have made amends.”

Heart racing at the declaration, Kate tightened her grip on his thigh. 

When Violet continued to ask about Kate’s family, her career, and future plans, Kate was pleasantly surprised. It felt nice , finally, to be able to share a calm adult conversation with Anthony’s mother. She hoped this trend would continue with his other brothers and sisters. 

“Stephanie gave up on her ambitions after Anthony’s first marriage,” Violet remarked, sitting back in the breakfast nook booth, her empty teacup in front of her. “It’s good that you don’t plan to.”

“She worked at the practice with me, mum,” Anthony replied, shifting in his seat.

“Until Edmund was born,” Violet rejoined. 

“Well, she wanted to focus on our son.” Anthony crossed his arms.

“After you hired a nanny?” Violet asked, brows high.

Sighing, Anthony rubbed a hand down his face. “I don’t resent her for that, for not wanting to work, we could afford it. Kate won’t have to work if she doesn’t wish to. And besides, you were a stay-at-home mum, if I recall correctly.”

There may have been a little more vitriol in Anthony’s last statement that was abundantly clear to Kate and likely to Violet, too.

“Alright, alright,” Violet said, raising her hands in the air for a moment. “Anthony, have you spoken to Colin since the dinner?”

Colin’s angry slut shaming words came back to Kate all of a sudden and Anthony tensed beside her. “Not since I told him off, no,” he bit out, his jaw suddenly hard. 

“I know he should be the one to reach out to you, he was in the wrong,” Violet replied in soothing tones, her eyes soft as she looked at Anthony. “But it might be good if you were to reach out first. He’s stubborn.”

“Mum.” Anthony shook his head and Kate watched as his jaw jumped. 

“Well, think about it, is all I’m saying.” Violet reached for the teapot when Hyacinth walked into the kitchen.

Her heart rate picking up again, Kate felt Anthony tense beside her as he looked at his youngest sister. “I need to talk to her,” Anthony whispered in her ear before rising from the booth and approaching Hyacinth.

Watching them, Kate couldn’t quite hear what they were saying as Anthony led Hyacinth into the next room.

“Well, I am relieved those two are finally speaking,” Violet remarked, her eyes trained on the door as well.

Following Hyacinth into their mother’s drawing room, Anthony’s heart constricted, realising just how much he missed speaking with her. When she turned to face him, her cheeks a little darker, her arms crossed over her chest, he tried to see the woman standing before him and not the little girl he’d thought of as his daughter.

“You have every right to be angry with me,” Anthony said, putting his hands on his hips, and feeling his cheeks heat. “I know you care about Gregory a great deal. I am so sorry for disappointing you. I just… I want you to know how much I love you and I’ll wait as long as you need until you’re ready.”

“Anthony,” Hyacinth responded with a huff, her voice tight as she looked away, blinking rapidly. Looking at him again, she took a breath to speak. “I don’t have any right to be angry with you! I’ve been a prig, I expected you to be perfect, you’re almost always perfect, I just, I got so angry , I’m sorry.”

When her face crumbled and tears started to fall down her cheeks in glittering trails, Anthony pulled her against his chest and held her as she cried. A minute later, sniffling, she pulled back and swiped at her cheeks as she looked up at him. 

“I talked to Gregory about everything and he said he forgave you,” she said, her eyes so wide and earnest it made Anthony feel like his heart was being tugged. His hands itched to pull her into another hug, but he held back, sure that she wasn’t done yet.

“If Gregory can forgive you,” she continued, her breath still hiccuping, “I can, too. But also you didn’t do anything to me and I feel like a spoiled twat for making you feel like you owed me anything. Besides, I really missed you, but I was too stupid and angry to realise it.”

“Hy,” Anthony said, his voice a breathy rasp as he pulled her into another tight hug, burying his face in her hair this time. He laughed quietly when the scent of strawberry kid’s shampoo hit him—he remembered using it when he gave her baths years ago. 

Pulling away, he brushed her hair over her shoulder, his face splitting into a wide grin. “Hey, you know what my greatest achievement is?”

“Your practice?” Hyacinth asked, her brow wrinkled.

“No, kiddo, all of you and my kids, you all make me so proud,” he told her, his voice thick, realising he was the one blinking away tears now.

“Anthony, I don’t want to cry again!” Hyacinth exclaimed, her hands balling into fists as a feigned angry look on her face transformed into a smile. 

“It’s true,” he told her, squeezing her arm. “Now, will you please talk to Kate? I wasn’t lying, this is going to happen, and well… we’re having a baby.”

“What?” Hyacinth asked, her lip crumpling again.

“I thought we said no more tears?” Anthony pulled her into another quick tight hug. “I hope you know that I love you so damn much and I hate that I hurt you, even if I didn’t do anything to you. I hate the rift it’s caused.”

“I love you, too, Anthony,” she said, that same familiar smile on her face. Anthony didn’t realise until that moment that his heart suddenly felt a little bit lighter. “Congratulations! And I’ll talk to her!”

“Now,” Anthony replied, rubbing his hands together and smiling down at her, “will you please start texting me the funny moving pictures again? I missed that!”

“You mean animated gifs?” Hyacinth asked as she laughed and pushed him away before following him back into the kitchen, where they joined their mum and Kate in the breakfast nook.

When Kate and Anthony left late that morning, Anthony received a text as he climbed into the car. Pulling his phone up, he looked at the dancing SpongeBob sent from Hyacinth and grinned.

Chapter Text

“Have you been inside yet?” Kate asked, leaning forward from the front seat of Anthony’s Aston Martin to look at the front of his ex-wife’s new house.

“I haven’t,” he replied softly, leaning forward as well to take it in, though he’d been by weekly to drop the children off. He held the steering wheel in a tight grip, tapping his index finger on the leather cover, making no move to unbuckle or step from the car. 

Unbuckling, Kate threw the strap aside with a clatter and watched as Anthony jumped, looking at her with wide eyes, as if he was surprised she actually wished to go inside. 

“The sooner we speak to her, the sooner we can leave,” she explained, reaching to open the door and step out, trying to hide the fact that her hands were shaking. She had to laugh as she rounded the car, realising she had mimicked the argument Anthony frequently used on his children.

“We could always reschedule,” he said, as he closed the drivers side and stood on the pavement, still looking up at the bright white facade. 

“She can’t be that scary,” Kate replied, trying to reason with him, as much as to calm him as to reduce her own anxiety. 

“You weren’t married to her for ten years,” he said sardonically, still not taking a step forward. 

“Do you think she can hear us?” Kate whispered, her eyes going wide as her heart started to race.

“Fuck.” Anthony took one last anxious breath before he stalked toward the door, took Kate’s hand, and rang the bell.

When the door swung open, Kate could hear Edmund shout from above stairs, before Stephanie gave her and Anthony a tight smile and motioned them inside. By the time they had her shoes kicked off, she could hear Charlotte screaming at her brother, her small footfalls pattering above before a door slammed. 

Trying not to flinch, Kate schooled her features as she followed Stephanie and Anthony through an expansive living room in disarray, into a large kitchen done in gleaming white marble countertops and cabinets. As they sat together on padded stools at the large central island, Kate felt like she had just been led to the principal's office. 

There was a steaming pot of tea in the centre with what looked like vintage teacups and saucers with Prussian blue pastoral characters painted on the surface. Willing her hands to not shake, Kate accepted a cup from their host, busying herself by adding a bit of milk and sugar and stirring with a small silver spoon. 

It was no use putting it off. Kate knew that she had to break the silence first—it was only right. As she took a breath to speak, she scrunched her eyes closed for a moment, trying to figure out what to call the woman. Mrs Bridgerton did not sound right, and Stephanie felt too familiar. Well, she knew which name she wanted to use less .

“Stephanie,” Kate said softly, trying to force a smile. “Is it alright if I call you Stephanie?”

“Of course,” the other woman replied, cradling her tea with both hands. Kate thought Anthony had not lifted either arm to even touch his cup after his ex had poured it.

Pursing her lips, Kate let out another anxious breath. “First I wish to apologise for what happened in Kent. It was inconsiderate and cruel and I am very sorry.”

She did truly feel awful for taking up with Anthony while his wife, at the time, was still in the very same house. Looking back, it was easy to see how careless and selfish it had been.

“It was unpleasant, to say the least,” she said, her voice level, “and thank you for saying that.”

Next to her, Kate could hear Anthony let out a pent up breath.

“I sincerely hope that you never experience what I did,” Anthony’s ex remarked, her eyes skittering around the room. “Finding out your husband had sex with another woman under your roof, learning it from his siblings after he had departed with her for the city.” Stephanie sat up straight and took a sip of her tea as if she had just told them about today’s weather report.

Though Kate did not look at Anthony, she imagined him already grinding his teeth.

“We’re both very sorry,” he said softly, his bicep flexing a moment before he rested his palm down flat on the tiled countertop.

There was a short silence as all three of them focused on their tea, Kate and Stephanie taking small sips, and Anthony merely spinning his cup upon the saucer. He looked so much like Edmund, slightly hunched over, his lips pressed into a thin line as he tried to focus his anxious energy by keeping his hands busy.

“Charlotte and Edmund are such good children,” Kate added after a time, feeling as though the silence was just as painful as their stilted conversation. “I really am appreciative that you’ve allowed me to be a part of their lives.”

When Stephanie laughed silently and looked away, Kate knew that it had been the wrong thing to say. Anthony crossed his arms and turned to his ex, clearly interested in what she had to say. 

“Anthony pays my alimony, it’s in our prenuptial agreement,” the woman explained, turning back to Kate with a cruel smile on her face. “He has the power to renegotiate it at any time.”

Anthony shook his head. “Stephanie—“

“Why would I put my livelihood at risk by trying to keep you from my children?” She finished, cutting him off. She was leaning forward, completely disregarding that he was sitting next to her. 

“I would never be so petty,” he hissed before snapping his mouth shut, his jaw jumping as he looked at her. Kate thought he was trying not to say whatever harsh words were circling around in his mind. 

His ex rolled her eyes when she looked at him for a moment. “Please, our marriage was fifty percent pettiness.” She turned back to Kate, her eyes darting to the engagement ring. “I hope you have a good lawyer, when he tries to make you sign the same deal.”

Realising their gaff, Kate hid her hand and engagement ring from the counter, though she knew it was too late. 

“We should go,” Anthony bit out, turning to Kate. Though she knew his frustration was not directed at her, his words still made her jump. 

“He doesn’t have the best judgement,” Stephanie cut in, leaning toward Kate again as Anthony scoffed. “But he’s a good father.”

Scrubbing his hands down his face, Anthony took a few deep breaths. Biting the inside of her cheek, Kate tried to do the same. She didn’t see this conversation turning civil any time soon and knew he had come to the same conclusion.

“I don’t want there to be animosity between us, Stephanie,” Anthony said as he pushed back from the counter and stood, placing his hands on his hips. “We won’t stay and try your patience, but we thought you had a right to know about the engagement. At the very least to hear it from us.”

“And, I’m pregnant,” Kate added, her heart racing so hard she could feel her pulse hammering in her neck. There was no easy way to say it—she knew after the last interchange that Stephanie would likely have the same reaction, whether it was sugar coated or not. 

After a moment of stricken silence, Stephanie laughed and shook her head. “Why am I not surprised?”

“Anthony,” Kate whispered, motioning to the empty stool in front of him. She did not want to leave like this, with fire and resentment floating in the air. It felt awful to be there, but Stephanie was Edmund and Charlotte’s mother, and that still meant something. 

Begrudging, Anthony sat, folding his arms tightly across his chest. 

Kate was trying. Anthony admired her for that, though he knew his ex better, and from experience he knew it best to let her cool off before continuing with this discussion. 

“Do you expect Anthony to provide for you? Is that what appeals to you?” his ex said after a time. 

Anthony shook his head as his eyes drifted closed. “Steph,” he said softly.

“Of course not, I plan to work,” Kate replied tightly. 

“We should probably go,” he tried again, softly this time, placing a hand on Kate’s knee and squeezing. The stress couldn’t be good for the baby. 

“Is he going to give you a job at the practice?” his ex replied quickly. “Once that baby comes he’ll sweet talk you into staying home to raise it. Just wait.”

“Alright,” Anthony cut in, standing again, pushing his stool back with a loud screech. Looking down at his fiancé, he met her fiery eyes. “We’re leaving now .”

He had no doubt that Kate could eviscerate Stephanie. She was clearly as angry as he was and her jaw was set, as if she was ready to do battle. A part of him wanted to let her loose, but the more logical part of his mind thought it better, for all involved, for everyone to cool off. 

When he led Kate to the entrance a moment later, her palm was sweaty and her hand shook in his. “Will you wait for me in the car?” He asked her softly as they opened the front door. She nodded at him with wide eyes before skipping down the steps.

“I know I hurt you, Steph,” Anthony said as he turned, feeling a foreign sense of calm come over him. Maybe, he thought, he was rising above the animosity. “But do you have to be so petty?”

“You’re living in a fantasy Anthony—albeit you always have,” she replied, her arms crossed tight under her breasts. There was a little glassiness in her eyes. “It doesn’t help that the kids are very attached to her now.”

The woman was like a hurt wild animal, lashing out at anything that approached her. “I would think that’s a good thing. We’re getting married.”

“Anthony,” she bit back, meeting his stare with wide angry eyes, “they will be devastated when this relationship inevitably fails.”

“We are having a baby,” he hissed before biting the inside of his cheek hard. Perhaps he was not rising above, he thought sardonically.

“We had two ,” she replied, pointing at his chest angrily. 

“You know what.” Anthony shook his head and let out a breath, a little laugh bubbling up from his chest. “Let’s just go back to only talking about the kids.”

Most of the drive back to Mayfair was silent. 

“Well,” Kate said softly, reaching to rest her hand on Anthony’s thigh. “That didn’t go as planned. Although, I’m not sure what I expected.”

After letting out a big huff, Anthony squeezed her hand before reaching to shift gears. “She’s hurt and lashing out.”

Kate nodded. “It can’t feel great to see your ex moving on so quickly.”

“No, I suppose not,” he conceded before returning his focus to the road.

“Hey,” she whispered a little while later as they approached Grosvenor Square. 

“Hmm,” Anthony hummed as he turned onto their street, his biceps flexing as he swung the wheel around. 

Smiling, Kate turned to look at him. “I love you.” 

Eyes crinkling, Anthony grinned for the last few seconds of the drive.

About half of Kate’s clothing was already in his walk-in closet. 

Stepping in that night, Anthony tossed his socks into the hamper and pulled off his polo, throwing it in vaguely the same direction. Beside him, Kate rested a hand on a shelf of clothing and slid down her jeans before tossing her top toward the laundry basket, and topless, stalked in front of him to grab one of his t-shirts to sleep in. 

Sometimes he wondered if she realised just how sexy she was. What the mere sight of her breasts did to him. Standing there barefoot in trousers, Anthony watched her as she stepped softly from the walk-in and then disappeared from his sight.

No, he conceded, she knew exactly what it did to him. He recalled that evening at Aubrey Hall, the second day he’d known her, when she’d stepped into the library in her little nightie and let the silk robe fall to the floor. 

Chuckling, he shook his head and tossed his trousers off, missing the hamper but truly not caring. Kate never wore those silk nighties, preferring knickers and one of his well worn t-shirts at night over anything else. It didn’t strike him until that moment that she’d worn the nightie that evening for him . 

Looking at the little shelf where a few of her undergarments were stored, he saw the lacy lavender edge of it peaking out and wondering what he had to do to get her to wear it again. He knew, he could simply ask , but what was the fun of that?

Shaking his head, he grabbed a fresh pair of pants and a t-shirt blindly, putting them on quickly before returning to the bedroom.  

“Today was kind of a shit day,” Kate said, already under the covers, a paperback novel in her hands. She’d been trying to read the same one for the last two weeks, constantly thwarted by exhaustion or by him. 

“Yeah,” he said softly as he padded across the rug toward his side of the bed, more than happy to throw the thick comforter back and climb in next to her. 

“Shit days aren’t bad when I get to come home to you,” she added, settling on her side against two thick pillows, her eyes following him as he settled in, her novel forgotten already where it fell between the sheets.

She warmed his heart when she said things like that. Outside of his kids, no one had ever looked forward to seeing him. Anthony reached for her hand, bringing it over to his pillow, he kissed it before holding her palm against his cheek. 

That lace nightie popped into his mind again. “Will you go on a holiday with me, Kate? Before you start your new job, before it’s not safe to travel?”

Kate’s eyes crinkled before her lips cracked into a smile. “That sounds wonderful,” she replied, brushing her thumb across his cheek. “Just what we need.”

“And babe,” he added, turning his head to kiss her palm. “With my family, my ex, it’s okay if you’re not ready to move in. You already have so much on your plate.”

“Anthony,” she whispered, shaking her head. “Babe, the idea of moving in with you has been the only thing getting me through this week. It’s a good thing. I refuse to look at it any other way.”

His eyes were misty when he rose up on his bent arm and invaded her side of the bed to kiss her, depositing a row of soft pecks across her cheek before lingering on her lips for a time. When he finally pulled back, he hovered over her, enraptured by the soft look on her face. 

“I can’t imagine my life without you, Anthony,” Kate whispered, placing her palm on his cheek again. “You’re already a part of me.”

Placing a hand on her stomach, Anthony let out a trembling breath and rested his face on her chest. His eyes drifted closed from the soothing beat of her heart as Kate ran gentle fingers along his scalp. 

“Will you go on a date with me before it’s my week with the kids?” he asked, his lips ghosting across her skin. His head bounced from her silent laughter.

“Are you asking me out?” she whispered, her voice high and laced with feigned shock.

“Is that a yes?” he asked.

He heard Kate sigh as her fingers began to trace a new path through his hair. “Does this mean we’re going steady?”

Lips breaking into a smile, Anthony waited for her answer.

“Of course I will, babe,” she said softly, placing her hand over his where it rested on her womb. “You might get lucky after.”

Wearing a dark charcoal grey suit, Anthony adjusted his cornflower blue tie in the entryway mirror, and tucked one errant curl back from his forehead. His heart was racing, which he knew was silly, because they were just going out. He’d literally lounged on the couch with Kate for half the day as their latest binge show had droned on in the background. 

A little date shouldn’t have made his heart race or his hands shake, but it still felt like he’d just asked his grade school crush out. 

When he heard a stair creak behind him, he spun to look for her, his jaw dropping as she slowly stepped down. She was wearing one of those silk dresses with the little slit on the side and the skinny straps. It was the kind that made his head spin because he was never sure if she was wearing any underwear, a train of thought which always seemed to devolve his brain’s higher reasoning into primal caveman urges. 

He hadn’t even noticed the shoes, impossibly tall stiletto heels and skinny straps that barely covered her red lacquered toenails. He had never wanted to suck a woman’s toe before, but something about the colour made him want to see if he could lick the bloody polish off. He imagined taking her on the sideboard in the entryway, letting her hammer those sharp heels into his arse.

“Alright?” she asked, laughing as her shoes clicked onto the wooden landing. 

Her hair was down, half on her shoulders, half running down her back. It was long enough now to just brush her nipples. Christ, just the image of it brushing her nipples…clearly, the caveman brain was taking over.

“Anthony?” Kate poked him when she made it to his side, her eyes drifting down to his tented trousers. “Are we going to make our reservation?”

He could only blink at her, his hand balling into fists in his pockets. If he wasn’t careful he’d be lifting her dress to see if she really did have knickers on. After a second, he spun around and leaned against the side board, letting out a dark laugh. “The driver’s waiting,” he managed to finally say when Kate pressed against his back.

“Then let’s go,” she whispered. “The sooner we leave…”

With a guttural groan, Anthony took her hand and opened the front door, all but dragging her to the hired car as he held the sides of his suit coat closed over his groin. After their driver swung the door open for them, Anthony’s dark thoughts swirled when he noticed that there was a privacy screen between them and the front seat. 

Mind clearly somewhere else, Anthony was surprised when the car pulled away, though he wasted no time before leaning into Kate, intent upon her lips. 

“Uh uh,” she said, putting her hand over his mouth. “You’ll mess up my lipstick.”

Growling, he placed a hand on her thigh, dragging it up and delving between her legs. “I know what won’t mess it up,” he said darkly. 

Catching his hand, Kate shook her head at him, half of her mouth quirked up in a sly smile. “I have a better idea.” She reached for his zipper fly. “Besides,” she added as she bent over his lap, “you’ll have to be a good boy if you want to see if I have any knickers on.”

A part of Anthony truly did want to argue back, however he was at a disadvantage the moment Kate grabbed his cock. He lost his higher reasoning the moment her red lips circled the tip of him and he almost lost full control when he felt her hot tongue sliding down his shaft.

It took most of his control to not fully muss her hair as she sucked on him, that red circle of her mouth moving up and down his dick as she moaned. Head pressed back into the seat cushion, Anthony’s jaw hung loose as he fought for breath, knowing full well that the image of her face in his lap would be impressed upon his mind for the rest of his life.

It would be a very good memory. 

“Kate,” he cried, finally dragging his fingers into her hair along her hot scalp, tugging as he felt his control begin to fail. When his muscles convulsed, his back bowed hard against the seat as he came, stars dancing in his vision as threads of pleasure shot through his muscles. “Fuck, Kate,” he ground out as she gently coaxed him down, sucking on him a few seconds longer than he liked, making him wait until she was ready to be done with him. 

By the time Kate had tucked him back into his trousers and stared at him darkly, her pink tongue darting out to lick his lips, they were pulling up to the restaurant. 

“God, I love you,” he said, his voice a deep rasp, as the driver opened the door. 

He hoped his legs would work when he followed Kate out of the car, but thought it would be worth it if they didn’t.

The post-coital haze sat thickly over Anthony through their first drink and appetisers, even while they ate bruschetta, little dribbles of olive oil dripping down Kate’s chin. Then, when his steak arrived and her vegan bolognese, he noticed as she began to cross and uncross her legs. A part of him imagined climbing under the table to watch, to finally know if she wore knickers or not. 

The sound of soft skin sliding against soft skin was almost too much to take as Anthony tried to concentrate on his next bite of rich juicy steak, seared to absolute perfection. The only thing that could pull his attention from one of his favourite meals was seated directly across from him. 

“Darling, is everything alright?” he asked, watching as she slid a lock of hair back over her shoulder and bent forward demurely to eat another bite. Her dress dipped a little bit lower as she leaned, showing a tantalising glimpse of her cleavage and the curve of one breast. 

Later that evening, he vowed, he’d press her into their bed and suckle her nipples until he was content. Perhaps he’d start slowly, teasing her with the tip of his tongue, before drawing her hot skin into his mouth and laving upon her. He’d tease her with his teeth after, tugging on her hair as she writhed against him, begging him to place his mouth on her sopping cunt. 

His fiancé did not often beg, but there were ways, as he had learned. 

Dark amber eyes met his and he wondered, not for the first time, if she could read his thoughts. Slowly, Kate lifted the napkin from her lap, set it on the table and rose from her seat. She stared at him for a moment with raised brows as she smoothed her dress down, and then walked toward the lady’s room as if she was stalking across the catwalk. 

Tugging on his tie, Anthony waited a moment before tossing his napkin on the table with a huff and walking toward the men’s room, before diverting at the last moment toward the dark hallway that led to the lady’s.

As he turned the corner, someone reached out and pulled him into another dark corridor. Kate pressed him into the wall, tugging his tie hard with her fist. With a growl, Anthony grabbed her wrists and spun them, so that she was pressed against the wall. He lifted her arms and joined her wrists together, holding them up with one hand. With his other, he dragged his hot palm down her body, his shadowed eyes never leaving hers. 

“Why do I have to wait,” he asked, his voice a deep and primal, “to see if you’re wearing anything under this?”

Her lips parted when he touched the inside of one thigh and dragged his hand up. When he felt nothing but wet heat, his knees shook, and he pressed her harder into the wall, dragging two fingers between wet lips, running each along her throbbing clitoris and back.

Anthony wanted to drop to his knees and devour her. He wanted to drop his trousers and slam his cock deep inside of her. He wanted to bend her over his knee and spank her. Christ, he wanted it all, the options flashing across his eyes like a slot machine ticker. 

Pressing the side of his face against hers, he let his hot breath wash across her ear. “When we get home,” he ground out, “I am going to fuck you until you see stars.”

Whimpering, Kate writhed against him, her chest bucking against his. “For now,” he added, running his tongue along the shell of her ear, “I’m going to coax you up until you’re about to come, over and over again, until you’re begging me for it.”

A door opened nearby and they both held still in the darkness, Anthony’s fingers still caressing Kate’s cunt, until the footsteps retreated away. When she started to quicken soon after, her whimpers growing more desperate, he withdrew his hand. 

“Open up,” he coaxed, holding glistening fingers up to her lips, and moaned softly when she suckled on them. When they were sufficiently wet again, he placed them back between her legs, dragging them slowly along her slit, loving the way she pressed into him with every pass. 

Unable to resist, he pushed his fingers inside of her, wet heat enveloping and contracting hard around them. He wished it was his cock as he ground against her, barely able to contain himself. Home felt like an impossible distance away, the minutes to their bed seeming like hours. 

Reluctantly, he pulled away, Kate whimpering against him as he did. When he let go of her wrists, she grabbed his tie once more. “Anthony,” she whispered, pulling him close. “Do not leave me like this.”

“Be a good girl,” he replied, leaning forward to kiss her before catching himself and pulling away. “And you can have dessert. Then maybe I’ll treat you on the ride home.”

His entire body trembled as he pulled away. She pouted at him and crossed her arms under her breasts, sending a renewed surge of lust directly to his cock. Grinding his teeth, Anthony made a b-line for the men’s room and had to recite ten hail Mary’s before he could return to their table. 

Kate was visibly cross as she finished her meal. When her dessert arrived, chocolate cake, he realised the mistake he’d made as he watched her slowly eat it, one tiny spoonful at a time. With each bite, her pink tongue darted out to lick the icing away and clean the spoon slowly. He was a dead man. 

By the time they reached their hired car, he genuinely wondered who would be begging who on the ride home. 

“Was I a good girl, daddy?” Kate asked as they car sped away from the restaurant. She was pressed to his side, her hand running up and down his upper thigh, just missing where he wanted her most to touch. Anthony’s head swam as the car swerved through traffic, though he hadn’t had any alcohol to muddle his mind, it still felt thoroughly muddled. 

When Kate took his hand and placed it on her inner thigh, he thought the ride would never end. Biting the inside of his cheek, he grazed wet skin with the edge of his finger, only gently teasing her, though he wished to dive inside of her then and there. Her eyes flared at him, but she held still, the side of her palm resting against his cock where it rested throbbing against his trousers. 

By the time they reached Grosvenor Square, he thought he might explode. As soon as the front door slammed closed, he pulled Kate to the entryway carpet and finally captured her mouth with his. She didn’t seem to mind as her tongue pressed between his teeth. 

Frantically, he untied his belt before desperately yanking his trousers and pants down with his thumb. The moment his cock was freed, he spread Kate’s legs wider, riding her dress up, so he could press himself against her core. It was deliciously wet and hot, and gave little protest as he pressed inside of her. 

“Oh god, Kate,” he said hotly against her neck, her stilettos pressing into his arse as he surged against her, the entryway rug below him already chafing his knees. 

Nails digging into his neck, Kate cried out, arching against him as her pussy all but strangled his cock. “Don’t fucking stop,” she whispered against his cheek as he ground into her against, pushing her along the carpet until her shoulders touched the hardwood floor. 

It wasn’t long before a second orgasm surged through her, so close to the first that Anthony thought he was dreaming. It was too much, as her body clamped around him, drawing him deeper inside. The room seemed to light up in a blaze as he came, his entire body stiffening against her, his blood and body felt shrouded in a wreath of fire. She was a living flame beneath him. 

It was a time before he came down, gulping air as though all oxygen had left the room, his entire body trembling against hers. He thought they’d have to sleep like that, unsure if he could ever stand again, her cunt still occasionally pulsing around his spent cock.

“I hope you like this room,” he whispered when he was sure he could speak again.

“This room,” she replied as if it was an afterthought, her voice dazed and light. Her fingertips continued to dance a trail along his neck and scalp and dimly Anthony realised he was still fully dressed, in suit coat, trousers, and loafers, though his shirt was damp and sticking to his skin like plastic wrap.

“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to move again,” he explained, pressing his face to her shoulder and closing his eyes, his cock still very much enveloped in her warmth.

This must be what heaven is like, he thought idly, before drifting off. 

“These are my favourites!” Charlotte shouted, surfacing from Kate’s closet and holding up a pair of red pumps. She was wearing a pair of bright pink leggings and a white t-shirt with a glittery unicorn on it.

Chuckling, Kate, dressed in dark purple leggings and a black hoodie, looked at her a moment before folding another dress and stuffing it into an open duffel bag. 

“Wait, no,” Charlotte added, dropping them, and crawling back under several long skirts. “These,” she cried, holding a tall violet stiletto by the heel, before popping her head back through the clothing, “ these are so pretty.”

“Will you put them in the shoe box, Charlotte?” Kate asked, pushing her clothing into the bag with her full weight before drawing the zipper closed. The little tab complained as it moved, though she was able to outwill it, and slide it closed. When she rested against it to take a breath, she heard Charlotte behind her dropping what sounded like an armful of shoes into a cardboard box.

The shoes might need a polish later but Kate conceded that she wouldn’t have been any gentler had she packed them herself. 

“An orange one!” Edmund exclaimed from the kitchen with the sound of glasses clinking each other.

“You are not getting a cat,” she could hear Anthony say, his voice laced with exasperation.

“But dad !”

She couldn’t be sure, but Kate thought it was likely the tenth time that day Edmund had asked.

“Edmund wants to name them Macaroni and Cheese,” Charlotte said, joining Kate as they walked toward her little apartment kitchen. “But I said Unicorn is a better cat name. Unicorn and…”

“ Bunny ,” Anthony cautioned, trying to focus on stacking glasses wrapped in newspaper into a box, all to be donated that afternoon. His bicep flexed under his tight navy blue polo shirt, tucked smartly into his jeans.

“Kate,” Charlotte continued, ignoring her father, “what would you name a cat?”

“Hmmm.” Kate put a finger on her chin and looked up at the ceiling. “I like Mango for a cat!” she said, meeting Charlotte’s eyes.

“Unicorn and Mango!” Charlotte exclaimed, running over to the little loveseat in front of Kate’s small tv, and picking up her sketchbook. “I’ll draw them so when we get our cats they can see—“

“Macaroni and Mango!” Edmund countered, running to join her, swerving to not run into the various boxes stacked in his path.

“No cats!” Anthony shouted, before pursing his lips, his jaw jumping in frustration. “I wish you wouldn’t encourage them,” he added quietly, looking at Kate a moment in exasperation, before finishing up with the dishware.

“What’s so wrong with a couple of cats, babe?” Kate asked, moving to join him, and running her hand up and down his back to soothe his tense muscles. 

“When wedding bookings start again, in London and at the house in Kent,” he said quietly, “who’s going to be responsible for corralling their pets and stowing them in the family room? Me, that’s who. Plus, I’ll be the one bagging up their shite.”

“Papa said a bad word!” Kate and Anthony jumped, not realising that Charlotte had come up behind them while they were talking. “And I can clean up their shite, papa.”

Anthony’s eyes slid closed for a moment before he took a breath to speak. However, whatever he was going to say was drowned out by Benedict, Henry, and Edwina walking back into the flat to pick up more boxes, explaining that Mary was waiting with the truck.

“Bunny, can you please help them carry some things down to the truck?” Anthony asked, looking down at his youngest. “And please, no more potty words, love.”

They both watched everyone grab boxes, carrying them precariously out the door, until there were only a few left. Kate was about to try to offer to help carry one of the last of her bags down—Anthony had been adamant that she not hold anything heavy—when her phone rang. 

It was an unknown number. Patting Anthony on the shoulder, she walked into her near empty bedroom to take it. 

“Hello, may I please speak with Kate Sharma?” a woman on the other line asked.

“This is her,” Kate replied, pressing the phone harder against her ear and pacing to the window. She could see her reflection in it, and tuning to her side, she checked to see if her belly stuck out. She was barely showing and still she wasn’t sure if the bump was not just last night’s curry, but Anthony had said he could see it. 

“This is Ginny Patton from Harley Therapy, we spoke the other day over Zoom,” the woman said smoothly with a smart English accent. 

“Oh yes, hi Ginny, it’s nice to hear from you!” Kate replied, her heart leaping as she stared off at nothing, hoping against hope that this was a job offer.

“Well, we can discuss the specifics later, but I have some good news,” Ginny replied happily. “We have a therapist on staff who will be off on family leave in a few weeks and are looking to fill her role temporarily. I know it’s not precisely what you were looking for, but we really enjoyed talking to you, and are hoping you would be interested in discussing the role with us.”

It was perfect. Grinning, Kate spun in a few circles as she tried to formulate a response that sounded professional. “I am very interested,” she said, breathy and half laughing, “I’d love to learn more about the role.” 

After discussing a few more specifics, they hung up, and Kate stared out the window blindly wondering if that had just happened. She had almost become resigned to not working until after the baby was born, afraid that when the time finally came it might be too late to salvage a career. 

This was perfect. 

Still laughing in disbelief, Kate padded back to the kitchen wearing a massive grin. Anthony smiled at her, his lip and brow quirked up in curiosity. “I got a job offer,” she explained, realising she was still holding her phone up to her ear. Putting it down, she ran into his arms, “I got a job offer!”

Before she knew it, her feet lifted off of the ground as Anthony spun her in a circle, peppering her face with kisses. “I am so proud of you,” he whispered against her skin, his voice airy and full of joy.

The truck had been rented to fill with donations—most of Kate’s kitchen and her old second hand furniture filled it. What was left, mostly clothes and keepsakes, were currently packed into the back of Benedict’s station wagon. 

Though Kate hadn’t spent a great deal of time with Anthony’s eldest brother, Benedict had jumped at the chance to drive Kate and the kids back to the house, while Anthony and the rest of their group drove to the charity shop. 

As they idled in traffic, Kate angled around to look at the kids in the backseat. Edmund was already enraptured by his Switch and Charlotte was happily paging through a thick art book, talking to herself under her breath. 

“I’m sorry for not being around more,” Benedict said, looking at Kate for a moment before directing his attention back to the road as traffic began to move. “I know it’s been tough on you and Anthony with all the family drama—now that Henry and I are done with his book tour, we’ll be around more.”

“We’d love to have you both over for dinner sometime,” Kate replied, smiling at him. “Anthony told me how close you are and I’d love to get to know you better.”

Benedict’s eyes crinkled as he smiled and it made Kate’s stomach muscles contract by how alike his smile was to his brother’s. “We’re so happy Anthony finally found his soul mate,” Ben said, his voice warm. “Ant was never really happy with his ex but he’s such a stubborn twat and wouldn’t listen to any of us when we tried to talk to him about it.”

Laughing, Kate covered her mouth and looked out the window, hoping the kids hadn’t heard him. Though, she conceded, it was an uncle’s prerogative to be a bad influence on his nieces and nephews. Anthony had probably already talked to him about his language, but she suspected Ben had a unique way of dealing with his brother. Or ignoring him altogether.

“And trust me,” Benedict continued, “I know Colin and El are being dramatic, but no marriage in this family has ever happened without scandal or drama. It’s the Bridgerton way.”

“I’m beginning to realise that,” Kate said and laughed.

When all of Kate’s moving boxes were placed throughout the house and her duffle bags full of clothes were in her and Anthony’s bedroom, their group was more than happy to retreat to the basement kitchen for pizza and beer. 

Mary sat at the end of the old farmhouse kitchen table with Henry, excitedly discussing one of the Real Housewives seasons. Edwina was close by, near Charlotte and Edmund, discussing their plans for their future cats, suggesting ridiculous names just to make them laugh and cringe. Anthony had given up on trying to dispel the cat conversation—Kate rather thought they’d be getting some kittens soon. 

Lounging with her legs in Anthony’s lap, she held a greasy slice of pizza in her hand as Benedict regaled her with stories from their childhood. Anthony, to his credit, only rolled his eyes when the stories didn’t paint him in a good light, his cheeks a little pink from embarrassment. Leaning forward, Kate reached for her can of soda, and was barely able to stop herself from spitting it out during a particularly ridiculous tale. 

Overall, though moving was perhaps one of her least favourite things to do, it had been a really nice day. In retrospect, she was glad Anthony had not insisted on hiring movers. 

When she thought she might explode from one too many slices, the door to the downstairs slid open. Kate, Anthony, and Ben turned to see who was walking down the steps, all three raising their brows in surprise when they realised it was Eloise. 

“Oh, shit,” Benedict said under his breath, looking at his watch. “El and I were going to catch a film tonight. I completely forgot. Eloise!”

Anthony appeared too distracted by his sister’s appearance to chastise Benedict for swearing in front of the kids. 

“Sorry, I was supposed to meet Ben on the street but he wasn’t answering his mobile,” Eloise explained when she reached the bottom step, crossing her arms across her chest and looking distinctly away from Kate. 

Kate could feel Anthony’s hands tense up on her legs. She quickly sat up, placing her feet back on the floor. 

“Would you like some pizza, Eloise?” Anthony asked. 

“No,” she replied tersely, shaking her head. “I’d like to go ,” she said flippantly to Benedict.

“ Eloise ,” Anthony cautioned her, rising from his seat. Kate could see his jaw jumping from where he sat and watched as he clasped his hands behind his back, gripping his wrist hard. 

“I’ll wait outside,” she cut back, rolling her eyes, before climbing back up the steps.

“You could at least say hello and no thank you!” Anthony shouted, stalking toward the steps. “You are being incredibly rude—mum taught you better than that!”

The room was silent. Kate was afraid to look at her mother and sister, and secretly wished she could disappear from the room. She knew Anthony was tired from moving and probably exasperated after having such a good evening suddenly ruined. 

Then, to Kate’s surprise, and likely to the surprise of everyone present, Eloise’s face crumpled as tears began to stream down her cheeks. A moment later, she buried her face in her hands and Ben stood, stepping swiftly over to her to wrap her in his arms. 

“Marina is pregnant,” she cried against Ben’s chest, loud enough for the room to hear. After a few seconds, she pulled away from Ben and looked toward Kate and Anthony. “I’m sorry, but I really don’t want to be here right now.”

Everyone was silent as Benedict led Eloise upstairs. Anthony stared up at the door for a while after it closed. 

If Marina had been sleeping with someone else, it certainly explained Eloise’s iciness toward Kate. Plus, the pregnancy. The parallels were dizzying. 

“Hey,” Kate said quietly, wrapping her arms around Anthony from behind, “you should go talk to her.” She was relieved when she felt his muscles relax. 

“I have to give Charlotte her bath,” he replied absentmindedly, his eyes still fixed on the door. 

“I can do that—go talk to Eloise. And try to listen to her.” 

Though Anthony did not feel great about leaving Kate at home with his children, he was relieved to have an open conversation with Eloise finally. After the drama over pizza, he had gone out with Benedict and El to a local pub, and their sister had laid out the whole sordid affair. 

It felt like they were finally getting somewhere. A weight was lifted from Anthony’s shoulders, one he hadn’t known he’d been carrying. 

Feeling slightly tipsy when he arrived home, he checked in on Edmund and Charlotte, who were fast asleep in their beds. Padding across the carpet runner to his room—his and Kate’s room, he thought with a grin—he opened the door slowly to a darkened room, Kate a quiet bump in the middle of the blankets. 

After brushing his teeth and changing, he slid into the bed, more than pleased that this would be a regular occurrence now. His fiancé, soon to be wife he hoped, warm and safe at home in their bed. 

“Everything okay?” Kate asked, her voice muffled by her pillow, as Anthony wrapped her in his arms from behind. 

“I dunno,” he replied softly, burying his face in her hair. “But they’re getting there.”

“That’s good.” Kate sighed and settled back against his chest. 

“Do you mind love, if I invite Eloise on our trip? Perhaps Ben and Henry, too?” he asked, not loving the idea, but thought perhaps his sister needed to get away for a bit. He’d already booked a large beach house on the Mediterranean and there was plenty of room. 

“Anthony.” Kate’s voice was low, laced with exhaustion and a little bit of annoyance. “I don’t love the idea, but I suppose she could use a vacation. And I hope she knows we will be having very loud sex.”

Chuckling tiredly against her head, Anthony nodded. “I’ll make sure she knows.”

“She’ll love that,” Kate said sardonically. “And babe…”

“Hmm?” he asked, his eyes already drifting closed. 

“It’s time to make peace with Colin. But he can’t come on our vacation.”

Chapter Text

Sniffling, her breath stuttering, another hot tear rolled down Kate’s cheek. Anthony, seated beside her in his car, reached over to rub her back and pull her closer.  

“Shh,” he soothed, angling himself to kiss the top of her head. 

Hands shaking, Kate looked at the sonogram picture of their baby one more time before slipping it into her purse. “I c-can’t,” she tried to say, “it w-wasn’t real until n-now.”

“I know,” he said softly, kissing her again. 

Taking a deep breath, Kate leaned against him, her eyes sliding closed for a moment. “I’m so happy, Anthony,” she whispered, “it just—“ her lip trembled again as her breath hitched once more.

“It’s okay, love, it’s okay,” he soothed, rubbing her back, unsure what else he could do. Every time her lip wobbled he felt like his heart was being constricted. 

“I c-can’t,” she began, huddling against him, “s-stop c-crying.”

“Shhh, it’s the hormones, love, it’s alright,” he said, feeling helpless just sitting here. 

“Did your ex c-cry a lot when she was p-pregnant?” she asked, pulling away to look at him, trying to calm the shudders wracking her chest, and wiping mindlessly at her tears.

“She did.” Anthony shook his head and couldn’t help but let out a sardonic laugh. “She was always angry with me and wouldn’t tell me why. With both pregnancies. Often in front of my family.”

“That sounds stressful, baby,” Kate replied, taking his hand, the hitching in her chest finally gone. Anthony let out a sigh of relief, having been ready to tear the car door open and stalk around to her side to haul her out and into his arms. 

“I am so happy I get to do this with you, Kate,” he said, squeezing her hand.

“And I’m happy that I get to come home to you every night,” she responded, her lips splitting in a grin, the sight lightening his heart.

“I’ll be sure to have dinner on the table every night by six o’clock, seven at the latest.” Anthony’s smile mirrored Kate’s. This was going to be so different from the last time—Anthony had had no idea what he’d been missing with his previous marriage. He shook his head ruefully. “I love you so much, Kate.”

Grinning, she leaned forward to kiss him. “And I love my house husband just as much.”

“Kate, I may just move in,” Siena said softly, shifting to lean against Kate on the plush couch. They were downstairs in the little theatre by the kitchen, bingeing Love Island, Siena with a glass of wine, Kate with sparkling water in a wine glass. 

“Now that my psychotherapy program is over, I’m here all the time,” Kate replied, setting her glass down and reaching to casually take Siena’s hand, feeling a bit chuffed when her friend interweaved their fingers. “I think I’m annoying Anthony a bit, he’d probably be happy to have you as a distraction. At least until my job starts in a few weeks.”

“Please,” Siena said as she rolled her eyes, “that man is itching to be down here with you. He’s obsessed .”

Shaking her head, in her mind, Kate could see her fiancé upstairs in his study, leaning over his desk and pile of patient records, looking toward the door every so often. “Until the refractory period is over,” she said, though her words were broken up by giggles.

“I’m not surprised, you’re insatiable. I remember having to take to my bed for a day after using that strap on. My back was in knots.” Siena took a sip of her wine before leaning forward to place it on the coffee table. When she sat back, Kate rested her head on her shoulder and laughed.

They quieted for a bit as the Love Island contestants chose who they wanted to couple up with. When Kate heard footsteps, she lifted her head to see Anthony as he rounded the couch, his hands on his hips. 

“Want to join us, love?” she asked, sitting up and patting the couch beside her. 

Anthony’s jaw jumped when he shook his head, his eyes darting to Kate and Siena’s clasped hands. “You two look quite comfortable, I’ll leave you,” he said tersely before stalking toward the kitchen.

“He alright?” Siena asked as they both rose to look at his retreating back over the couch. 

After saying she wasn’t sure, Kate rose and chased after him. When she made it into the kitchen, Anthony was pacing beside the island, his hands on his hips. 

“What has you so upset?” Kate asked gently, standing at the opening on one side of the island. 

“It didn’t seem like you wanted me there,” he said before turning and opening the fridge, though it was pretty clear he wasn’t looking for anything in particular. 

Rolling her eyes, Kate shook her head, still rooted to her spot. “Anthony, darling, Siena is not a threat to you, and I think you know that. So, please, tell me what is actually bothering you.”

There was silence as Anthony reached into the fridge for a bottle of beer, the door slamming shut as he popped it open with a church key. “Simon’s just told me that he heard Stephanie is back with Berty Fife,” he explained quietly, eyes on his beer.

Stepping closer, Kate replied, “Is Bert a bad guy? Someone you don’t want around the kids?”

Sighing, Anthony looked away, the bottle hanging loosely in one hand. “No, we used to be friends.”

It wasn’t until that moment that it hit her. “You’re jealous,” she said, stepping forward again, shifting to catch his eye. 

“That’s not—I never loved her. I don’t want her. I love you ,” he replied, eyes wide, one hand pointing at his heart.

“But…” Kate began, biting her lip as she looked around, searching for the right words. “You couldn’t make her happy,” she said, meeting his eyes, “and you’re frustrated because you think he can. Even though you didn’t really want her, feeling like you weren’t enough for her can still hurt.”

Anthony shook his head and took a long sip of his beer. “It doesn’t make any sense, Kate.”

“Our brains don’t make a lot of sense, babe,” Kate responded, reaching for his hand. 

“I’m sorry for being a twat,” he said, squeezing her hand hard, his eyes earnest and wide. 

“Only a little bit.” Kate smiled and rose up on her toes to kiss his cheek. “What to come watch with us? I know how much you like to rip on Love Island.”

“No, go have a cuddle with Siena,” he replied, lifting her hand to kiss it. “I still have to finish these bloody patient reports.”

“Okay, love you,” Kate said, letting go of him. 

“Me too,” he said as she turned to go. “Hey, Kate?”

She spun to face him again. 

“I love coming home to you,” he said, his voice warm with affection.

Grinning, Kate ducked back into the movie room and plopped back onto the couch crossing her legs, her thigh resting against Siena’s. 

“Everything alright?” Siena asked.

“Yeah,” Kate replied, her grin wide before she giggled, feeling her face heat. Sometimes Anthony said just the right thing, making her entire body feel like it was floating. 

“You two are sickening.”

“This place is so much bigger than I imagined,” Siena remarked, a glass of wine in hand as she sat on a stool at the kitchen island, her eyes drifting around the industrial style kitchen, to the couch and giant flat screen tv visible through double doors to one side, then to the open door that led to Anthony’s little workout room. “I thought I would have to curtsy when I stepped through the front door.”

Chuckling, Kate mixed sautéed vegetables that were sizzling on the stovetop. Next to them, a pot bubbled, curry—her mother’s recipe—almost ready to serve. The basmati rice was already done, hot in a covered dish on the kitchen table next to warm naan wrapped in a kitchen towel. Anthony had suggested they use the big dining table upstairs, but the delicate wood and formal place settings set Kate’s teeth on edge, for fear that she’d damage them irreparably. 

Besides, she thought, she loved Anthony’s farmhouse kitchen table, it was scratched and worn with a dark patina that only enhanced its beauty. She imagined herself and Anthony feeding their baby there once they were born amid raucous dinners with their burgeoning family. 

“I feel a little bit better knowing that the place is going to be used come spring, for weddings and conferences. They might even film some historical drama here,” Kate replied, turning off the burner, deciding the curry was done. “It’s mind boggling that only four of us—five soon—live here. Want to move in?” she joked.

“We’ll just have to make a few more babies,” Anthony teased as he came down the stairs carrying a paper bag with their dessert: fruit tarts from Connaught Pâtisserie by the park. 

Kate sputtered out a laugh, covering her mouth as her cheeks burned. She had no doubt that he’d be over the moon with her popping out a few more kids, but now was not exactly the time. Anthony narrowed his eyes at her playfully, but she shook her head as she patted her little bump. “Let’s focus on this one first.”

Once dessert was in the fridge, Anthony helped Kate put everything into serving dishes before all three sat down to eat, each passing dishes around to serve themselves. Even though there were only three of them at the table, Kate felt warm inside at the thought of having a place to share meals with friends and family.

“My days, I love your mother’s curry recipe,” Anthony said around a mouth full of food. “You make it better than her, but please god don’t tell her.”

“Kate, better be careful or he’ll have you barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen,” Siena joked before taking a bite and groaning. 

Picturing herself nine months pregnant, wearing an apron and nothing else, Kate tried not to snort. Anthony would perish if she cooked his meals like that, totally lacking the brainpower to realise he was starving to death. 

“Maybe I’ll take Anthony’s shoes away and make him my stay-at-home daddy.” Kate bumped Anthony’s knee with hers and smiled.

“God, I’d love to be a kept man,” he remarked, smirking at her. “I’ll do all the cooking and cleaning, the laundry, change the dirty nappies. I could be really domestic.”

“You would, wouldn’t you.” Laughing, Kate tried to focus on her food, her stomach still rumbling. 

The conversation flowed from there as the meal was enjoyed, Kate more than happy to take seconds when Anthony offered to serve her more. 

“So,” Siena piped up, setting her fork down with a contented sigh, “have you decided if you’ll find out whether you’re having a boy or a girl?”

As Anthony was still chewing, Kate looked across the table at her friend and shook her head. “We decided we don’t want to know, plus we don’t really want to receive colour coded gifts from everyone.”

Nodding along, Anthony finally put his fork down and sat back in his chair, patting his stomach, sticking out for an entirely different reason. 

“I had to go along with all that with my ex,” he explained, crossing his arms. “It’s a relief to not have to focus on gender, just on the fact that we’re very excited to have a baby together. Besides, good god, if I have to attend another gender reveal party, in addition to a bloody baby shower… The engagement party my mum is throwing, a stag party, then a wedding . How many parties do we really need? I barely want to leave the house as it is.”

Grinning, Kate patted his knee under the table, Anthony in turn put his foot on top of hers and pressed down lightly. She knew, in truth, that he’d grumble and moan about each event, but in the end he’d be there with bells on. Besides, if she’d actually wanted to throw a gender reveal party, he’d have made sure it happened, regardless of how he felt. 

“Wow, you really are doing this,” Siena whispered, sitting back to look at them. Kate wondered if she had a glow, she certainly felt like she did. “I remember when Kate was wanking to your instagram pics, my god was that only a few months ago?”

Coughing, Kate widened her eyes at her friend, her cheeks burning as her heart leapt. It wasn’t that she thought Anthony would be offended finding out how desperate she’d been for him before they’d even met, more that he’d hold it over her head for the rest of their lives.

“Excuse me?” Anthony asked, leaning forward in his seat and putting his elbows on the table. She could see a little mischievous grin curl his lips. 

“What?” Siena replied, holding her hands up in a placating gesture. “You didn’t know?”

“Siena!” Kate hissed, letting out an awkward laugh as she crossed her arms. Chuckling next to her, Anthony grabbed her shoulder and shook her. 

“Kate, my love,” he said as he laughed, “you wanked to my photos?”

“I am going to kill you.” Though Kate’s voice was loving, she gave Siena evil eyes. 

Her friend did not seem to care as she laughed. “She wore out her favourite vibrator! She only went to the country with your brother because of your instagram.”

“That is not true!” Kate all but shrieked, turning to Anthony who was still grinning, looking extremely pleased. 

“Oh, please,” Siena responded, still chuckling. “You literally showed me a photo of him when you bought that skimpy yellow bikini! Anthony should see our text messages, I saved the receipts!”

Hand still on her shoulder, Anthony shook Kate again before pulling her against him and kissing her head. Though he was not audibly laughing, she could still feel his chest shaking against her shoulder. 

“I am very flattered,” he told her softly, his voice deep with affection. “Although I was pretty sure I knew what you wanted when you wore the lavender nightie that evening in the library.”

“I wondered where that got off to!” Siena shrieked, narrowing her eyes at Kate. 

“Fine,” Kate huffed as she crossed her arms in frustration, though she didn’t truly feel that vexed over Siena’s comments. The way Anthony could make her feel at times—how something like this was flattering to him—he truly kept surprising her. 

“If it makes you feel any better,” he said to the top of her head before she pulled away to look him in the eye. “The second you walked through the front door I was so floored by you I didn’t hear Greg the first time he said your name. I thought you were sunlight shining in my eyes.”

Letting out a small sigh, Kate grabbed him by the chin to kiss him. 

“So…” Siena began, looking around the kitchen as they kept kissing. “I heard there are fruit tarts for dessert.”

Kate supposed she shouldn’t have sex with her fiancé on the kitchen table in front of her best friend, though Siena had seen worse and done worse to her, she was still seriously considering it when Anthony rose reluctantly to open the fridge. 

By the time the table was set with new dishes, the front door buzzed. The last time they’d had an uninvited guest, it had been Anthony’s sister, Eloise—Kate had a strong suspicion that this caller was another family member. However, she supposed, it was a good sign that they had used the bell.

After swinging the door open and seeing Francesca and John on the front step, it did not hit Anthony how long it had been since he’d seen them until Franny was in his arms and he was tearing up. 

“You didn’t see that,” he said softly to his little sister as he swiped at his cheeks and patted John hard on the shoulder. 

“All I see is a stiff upper lip,” Fran joked, pulling Anthony in for another hug.

“You never really had a proper introduction with Kate,” he said as he pulled away, already putting an arm before her to urge her toward the steps to the kitchen. “She’s downstairs, she’d love to see both of you.”

“Oh, we didn’t realise she’d be here,” Fran replied, coming to a stop as Anthony’s hand fell away. “We don’t want to intrude but we wanted to have a chat before you left for your trip. Mum said the kids were with Stephanie this week, we assumed Kate would be at hers.”

Blinking at his sister, Anthony bit the inside of his cheek. He wasn’t entirely sure what to make of his sister’s hesitance or the way John’s eyes darted about the room, anywhere but on him or his wife. 

“Kate’s moved in with me,” Anthony explained, putting his hands on his hips. “I know mum must’ve told you, we’re expecting.”

“Yes, I just thought…” Fran replied, holding her hands up. “Ant, we should really go, we don’t want to impose on your night.”

“Francesca, what the hell is going on here?” Anthony bit out, his eyes narrowing. He expected this from Colin and Eloise, but not Franny. 

“You have to meet her at some point, love,” John said quietly, putting a hand on her shoulder and meeting her eyes. “You shouldn’t be Switzerland when it comes to your family.”

“You’re not Switzerland if you’re going to outright refuse to talk to my fiancé,” Anthony cut in, softly this time, as he came around John to look his sister in the eye. “Kate is a good person,” he added quietly, his shoulders drooping, “do you really think my judgement is that bad? After everything we’ve been through?”

“No, of course not!” Francesca replied, biting her lower lip as her eyes watered, her gaze darting between husband and brother. “I’ve been an utter cow in all this, is all. I shouldn't have let Colin talk about her like he did, I should’ve been harder on Hyacinth and Eloise. All I did was sit back and watch it all happen.”

“Love, we were in Scotland.” John’s voice was soft and soothing, his hand squeezing Francesca’s shoulder. “Plus, we’ve been in and out of the doctors. It’s not your job to hold your family together.”

Doctors , Anthony thought, that was new. He opened his mouth to ask, feeling his pulse start to race. 

“We wanted to talk to you about that,” Fran explained, her eyes welling again, and as she looked at Anthony his heart lurched.

“I think you need a strawberry tart and a warm cuppa,” Anthony replied, putting his arm around his sister and guiding her toward the kitchen. “We can talk after Kate’s friend has left, alright?”

Nodding, Fran wiped at her eyes, stepped back to take John’s hand, and then followed Anthony down the steps. 

Anthony’s heart lightened when he watched Francesca give Kate a hug, telling her how sorry she was for not coming round sooner. They were both tearing up when they pulled away, though Kate was enveloped in John’s arms a moment later. Grinning, adding levity to the situation, Siena shook their hands and introduced herself. 

Once the tarts were out and everyone was seated, Anthony was relieved when Francesca immediately asked Kate about riding. He’d forgotten that his sister used to ride and show dressage, and felt a little bit the fool for not bringing it up earlier. 

After Siena’s second bottle of wine was emptied, with the help of John and Francesca, she left saying she had work that evening. 

“So, you guys are really doing this,” Franny said, turning to look at Kate and Anthony across the table, empty dessert plates and wine glasses scattered between them. 

Taking Kate’s hand, Anthony nodded at his sister, feeling his cheeks ache a bit from smiling so much. “We are really doing this,” he replied, his voice warm and deep. Kate squeezed his hand hard. 

“I have to admit I am a bit jealous.” Franny’s eyes were warm and directed at Kate as she touched her stomach. “We’ve been trying for a baby for a while now and have only just…”

When she trailed off, Anthony felt a sharp pain in his chest, and sat up. “Is everything alright?” he asked, his eyes searching his sister for any defect, anything out of the ordinary. Outside of the dark shadows around her eyes, she looked the same, if not a little sad.  

“Fran’s perfectly healthy, Anthony,” John cut in, taking his wife’s hand. “I’m the problem.”

Shaking his head, Anthony crossed his arms and thought it hurt just as much to know that there was something wrong with John, as with his sister. Kate was squeezing his thigh tightly—she was his link to the world, his anchor. 

Swallowing, John looked at Francesca for a moment and at her nod, he turned toward Kate and Anthony. “I’ve got… fertility issues.”

“We’d been trying for a few years and I thought it was me at first,” Francesca added, grabbing John’s hand. 

“Nope, it’s me.” John’s voice was dry and he ended up a tired sigh, his eyes rolling around the room. 

What did you say to someone who was struggling to conceive when you had a baby on the way and two healthy children? Anthony wondered, as he stared at them. An “I am so sorry,” fell from his lips, though he felt as though the words were insufficient. “If there’s anything I can do. Anything you need.”

“We know,” Franny replied, reaching across the table over John to grab his hand. “We never had any doubt, Anthony.”

Huffing, trying to catch his breath, Anthony fell back to the bed, his arm still trapped under Kate’s body. She let out a low laugh and scooted over to rest her head on his chest, gliding a bare leg up his thigh. She could have gone all night and he thought he was about to die, wondering where she got the energy, the ability to climax over and over again. 

Mind drifting, he thought of what his sister and John had told them earlier in the evening. It was hard not to think of his own fertility, his ability to make a baby, as it were. He’d just made another deposit… he cringed at the thought and rubbed his face.

“That bad, huh?” Kate asked, rising up upon his chest to kiss him.

“Mmm.” Lips currently busy, he let himself fall into her kiss, utterly lost in the way she could do that to him, capture him completely with her mouth. When she pulled away, dark eyes regarded him, her hand caressing the side of his head, he reached up to smooth her unruly curls.

“I feel like a bit of a twat,” he explained, his voice soft as he brushed her hair off of her shoulder. “I was just thinking about my sperm—gah, that word makes me want to shrivel up inside.”

“I know,” Kate whispered, lowering herself to rest on her side against him and pulling the linens up around them. “I hate that your sister and her husband are struggling to conceive but I feel relieved that we can, and then I want to slap myself for thinking it.”

“Please don’t,” he replied, unable to resist giving her a playful tap on the bum under the bed covers. Kate huffed a laugh, but rested her weight on him, and he happily wrapped her in his arms, never wanting to let her go.

“I chose a career with kids because…” she confessed softly, before pulling away to look at him. He shifted to his side to look her in the eyes. “I thought no one would ever love me,” she whispered, so lightly he almost couldn’t hear her. “That I’d never have a family of my own.”

“Love.” His heart broke just a little for eighteen year old Kathani Sharma, devastated over her father’s death, and brushed away a single tear that had fallen. 

After waking before dawn and arriving bleary-eyed at the airport, then passing out for the entire flight, Kate was relieved when she and Anthony were able to quickly hop into their rental car and drive the short way to their vacation home. Seeing it against pristine blue skies was a treat—plus they were the first to arrive and had the first pick of the rooms.

Shaking her head, Kate crossed her arms and walked across their rental’s living room, flip flops clapping on the tile floor as she looked out of double glass sliding doors. Behind her, she heard Anthony grunt and then a thud—their bags presumably falling to the floor. He had insisted on carrying them all himself from their rental car. 

When his arms came around her from behind, some of her frustration at his stubbornness drained away.

“What exactly did you pack?” he teased, his breath warming the side of her neck.

“Stop it,” she replied, elbowing him lightly. “You could have at least let me carry my backpack.”

“Please, you’re already carrying enough.” One of Anthony’s hands came up to stroke across her belly. Once it had popped, it really had grown quickly. Kate couldn’t believe that they were already at twenty weeks—the halfway mark. 

“You’re being overprotective,” she replied, her voice singsong.

“In this, you will not win,” Anthony said soberly before kissing her shoulder. 

Spinning quickly in his arms, Kate surprised Anthony enough that he took a step back, which she took full advantage of, placing her lips on his and running her tongue along the seam of his mouth. When he caught on, one of his hands clutched her arse tightly. “Ben and Henry will be here soon,” he warned, but didn’t pull away. 

Grinning against his mouth, Kate reached down and made contact with his groin, eliciting a throaty moan. 

A moment later, hands on his shoulders, Kate pushed him back. “I won’t get my way?” she teased, brows raised. Then she grabbed her backpack and ran for the stairs, assuming that’s where the rooms were located. Anthony growled under his breath before she heard him take chase after her.

That evening, the Cyprian lights along the coast glittered beside dots from nearby ships sailing through the Mediterranean. Seated on an outdoor loveseat before a blazing outdoor firepit, Kate shifted to rest her folded legs against Anthony, pulling their shared wool blanket up over her arms. In the cool night air, he felt almost as warm as the fire. 

Across from them, Benedict sat in sweats, his legs crossed demurely as he sipped from a glass of red wine. Behind them, Henry, glass in hand, closed the sliding glass door and joined Ben on the opposite loveseat. He sighed happily as he pulled a blanket up around himself and his husband.

“It really is quite beautiful here,” Henry remarked, turning to take in the glittering shoreline. 

Shifting to look at Anthony, Kate couldn’t help but smile as he watched his brother take Henry’s hand. The sight sent goosebumps flaring across her skin—the way Anthony took joy in his family’s happiness was one of his best qualities. 

“I think you’re twice as big as the last time we saw you, Kate,” Benedict remarked before taking a sip of his wine. “How do you feel?”

“Thankfully not as nauseous as the first trimester,” she replied dryly, trying to ignore the twice as big comment before reaching for her glass of sparkling water on a side table. 

“Has Anthony’s baby fever been activated yet?” Henry joked.

“Stop,” Anthony cut in, shifting against Kate. 

“What, you go crazy every time,” Ben laughed, a delighted look on his face. Any opportunity to embarrass Anthony in front of her, he seemed more than happy to take. 

“Maybe a little,” Kate said softly, turning to bus a kiss on Anthony’s cheek. “He won’t even let me carry my purse.”

“I let you carry your purse.” Anthony’s voice was slightly sour of annoyance, though it contained just enough of a good-hearted undertone that seemed to encourage more teasing. 

“Before Edmund was born, he built a ramp over the marble steps at Bridgerton House,” Benedict said, before breaking up into a fit of laughter, having to put his wine down before clutching his chest. “Right at the front door. Stephanie was incensed.”

“That was for our guests!” Anthony argued, sitting up straighter in his seat. Kate could see his jaw jumping now.

“Sure it was,” Ben teased, seemingly able to press all of the right buttons.

“There isn’t a ramp now,” Kate said, turning to look at him.

“It—it’s movable,” he said softly, reaching down to squeeze her thigh. 

“Which he moved ,” Ben said, using air quotes, “after Edmund was born.”

“Alright, alright.” Anthony rubbed a hand down his face. 

“Though I sense Kate is a force to be reckoned with,” Ben added, before reaching for his wine glass.

“You have no idea,” Anthony replied, his voice thick as he looked down at her, his hand gliding a little bit higher on her thigh. Kate grabbed his knuckles and squeezed, pursing her lips as she looked at him. 

“It must be nice, though,” Henry said a few minutes later as a log in the fire let out a loud pop, red sparks shooting up in the inky black sky dotted with stars. “To be able to make a baby, I mean.”

His comment sobered the conversation, Kate and Anthony both looked down, though under the blanket he put his hand on her belly. 

“We’ve been exploring our options,” Benedict said a moment later, after meeting Henry’s eyes. “We’ve been thinking about using a surrogate.”

Anthony smiled as he looked back up at them. “You should do it, you would be excellent fathers.”

Kate watched Ben swipe a finger under his eye before leaning back against Henry and resting his head on his shoulder. The sight of them sent a happy swoop through her stomach. A minute later, Kate’s attention drifted off as she looked up at the night sky, chills running down her body when she realised that she hadn’t seen the stars since their trip to Greece. When they’d conceived . 

“You know,” Henry said, watching them, “I wasn’t there when Edmund was born, but I remember Anthony was besotted with Charlotte and happy with Steph, at least when we saw you in the hospital. What I’m trying to say is that what I’m seeing now is different.”

The words floated between them as the breeze picked up, seeming to bring the echo of them off and into the heavens. 

“It feels different,” Anthony said, his voice soft and reverent. 

Benedict wiped his eyes again. 

After doing a quick unpacking into the wardrobe that lined their bed, Anthony quickly changed into his standard tee and pants, as Kate stood staring at her pile of clothes. For the last few weeks her breasts had grown too sensitive to go without support and she’d taken to wearing a nursing bra her mother had helped her find. It had been two weeks but she still wasn’t used to wearing it and was more than ready to take it off.

Quickly peeking at Anthony reading in bed, she figured his attention wasn’t actually on his book as she finally unclasped the bra and let it slide to the floor. After rubbing at the lines it had left in her skin, she grabbed an old cotton camisole with a shelf bra and pulled it on, though it did not cover her entire belly, and her breasts were fit to burst out of it.  

After quickly shucking her trousers, she joined Anthony in bed, whose focus was most certainly not on his novel. When he rolled to face her, she heard the book thud to the floor and had to let out a soft laugh.

“You know,” he said, his voice already thick from arousal, “this is sexier than the most expensive lingerie.” He wagged his finger in a circle, pointing toward her cami and knickers. Looking down, she could see the clear outline of her nipple under the stretched cotton and realised that was what he’d been staring at as she climbed into bed.

Before she had a chance to come up with something to say in response, Anthony bent over her, and started depositing kisses on the exposed part of her belly. She contented herself by resting against her pillow and running her fingers in circles through his hair. When he inched up her camisole so that it bunched under her breasts, she did not object, loving the way his soft kisses felt against taut skin.

He had been like this lately, extra affectionate over the changes to her body from the pregnancy. She’d barely been able to keep him off of her the night before they departed for Cyprus—so they could get up for their early morning flight. To be fair, he had kept her well satisfied over the last few weeks.

“Baby, can I take this off?” Anthony asked, shaking her from her thoughts and mindless stroking of his hair. His thumbs were already tucked under the edge of the top, pressing into her breasts. At her nod, he grinned, and pulled it over Kate’s head when she raised her arms. 

“Fuck,” he groaned, burying his face between her breasts.

“You like them like this?” Kate teased, fairly certain that he would like her breasts whatever size or shape they were.

“My love,” he replied, pulling back and depositing a quick kiss on her lips, “they’ve changed. Your nipples are bigger and darker, and when I tease them...”

To demonstrate, he bent forward and gently drew her nipple into his mouth, after which Kate moaned, thrusting her hips up as much as she could. 

“See?” he said after he raised his head, a satisfied smile on his face. 

“Okay,” Kate whispered, and chuckled as she pushed his head back down to her opposite nipple. 

They really had grown quite big, from an A-cup to a C in what felt like a few short weeks. Though expected, it had still come as a shock. Any further thought was dispelled when Anthony teased her nipple against his tongue, swirling it around the areola before pulling it into his mouth and laving on it. He let out a low sultry moan, the sound vibrating through her body. 

Clearly the man was aroused and yet seemed as though he truly had no idea the effect he had on her body. He was working her up so much that she was soon squirming below him, ready for him to touch her elsewhere. She knew without checking that her knickers were absolutely drenched. 

“Fuck, I can smell you,” Anthony hissed, hot breath bathing her breasts as he pulled back. “You’re so wet for me, baby,” he said as he reached down and caressed her between the legs. 

Even though Kate tried to push him down by the shoulders, he chuckled and shook his head at her, before placing his mouth back on one of her nipples. Though, probably thinking he was being generous, he feathered his fingers over the wet gusset of her underwear. 

Trying to move things along, Kate reached for his pants, and stuck her fingers under the elastic to try to push them down. When Anthony stopped her, he looked at her with black eyes and shook his head. “Let me do everything tonight?”

Sighing, pretending to be put out, Kate nodded and withdrew her hand, though she groaned when she realised he had gone back to laving on her nipple and barely teasing her core. The moment she tried to press her centre into his hand, he pulled it away. He had her absolutely squirming and desperate for him.

When Anthony rose to his knees, his erection was barely contained in his boxer briefs, the head clearly outlined in the cotton. 

“Baby, you are so wet your knickers are practically see-through.” After letting out a half-sigh half-groan, he shucked her knickers and tossed them from the bed. As he moved to position himself between her legs, they heard a moan from the other room. Benedict and Henry.

When Anthony’s gaze met her’s, they both chuckled, Kate covering her mouth with her hands. Crouching over her, he reached for his phone on the side table, quickly pulled up some jazz, and turned up the volume before putting it back. 

“They’ll have to deal, because we’re not stopping,” Anthony said to her, before crouching between her legs and moaning, Kate’s throaty laugh echoing through the room. “God, you’re beautiful,” he said to her core as he spread her lips with his thumbs. 

When he placed his tongue on her a moment later, Kate couldn’t help but cry out, a jolt of pleasure surprising her from the moment he’d made contact. 

“You’re like a ripe peach,” Anthony said against her skin, his voice shaky and reverent, almost like he was starting to lose it. “You even taste different. Fuck me, Kate,”

“That’s the id—,” Kate tried to say before letting out a low moan as he ran his tongue along her clit once more, two fingers eagerly parting her.

Anthony was playing her like his instrument, him the accomplished musician. He did it so well that there were stars in her eyes a moment before she broke apart against his mouth. Writhing against him, she arched her back painfully, her muscles contorting as pleasure flooded her body. When she came down, Anthony was kissing her core softly, his finger’s still deep inside her. 

“You squeezed my fingers so fucking tight, baby,” he said, his voice deep and muffled by her body. 

Hands shaking, Kate released her death grip on the sheets and reached for his head, trying to pull him back up by the hair. “Love.”

He had too much power over her because her hands relaxed as he started to work her back up with his fingers, his insistent tongue back on her clit. She could hear him swallowing and panting against her, his cheek stubble starting to rub her thighs raw as he mindlessly moved. It was almost like he was high.

“Love,” she tried again, pulling on his hair, fully aware that her legs were already shaking, that another orgasm was on the horizon. She didn’t want to ride the next one without him inside of her. “Up. Now. Please.”

It didn’t take much arguing and he was kind enough to shuck his tee and pants before laying at her side and moving to shift her hips so they could make love on their sides. 

“On top,” Kate whined. She grabbed his ears to pull him into a kiss and tasted herself on his lips. “ Please .” They wouldn’t be able to do it missionary for much longer and she happened to like missionary, especially when she could feel Anthony’s weight pressing against her. 

When his only response was a grunt, Kate figured he didn’t have much brain function left. Eyes squeezed closed, he shifted over her, resting most of his weight on one bent trembling arm, holding himself away from pressing into her womb. With the other hand, he held his cock, teasing it along her seam. It was obvious—he was close.

When he pushed in, they moaned together, Kate from the relief at finally being joined him again, although his pace was excruciating. Soon, he withdrew the tip, running himself along her wet slit once more, before entering her again, a little farther this time. He did it a few more times until Kate dug her nails into his shoulders and, taking the hint, entered her fully. 

Maybe it was the haze of her last orgasm or the way he was acting, but Kate suddenly felt overcome, feeling him inside her while she carried his baby. Grabbing his head, she pressed his forehead to hers until he opened his eyes. “It’s me, you, and our baby,” she whispered, rubbing her thumbs over his cheeks, hoping he understood. 

“Kate,” he replied softly, her name ending on a soft sigh, before he kissed her and began to move his hips, in and out, working her up again.

“You’re so sexy, baby,” he whined against her mouth, grabbing her thigh so he could get deeper inside of her. “I won’t last long. God, you have no idea.”

“I have some,” she replied as she clung to him, her mouth open, breath hot as it mingled with his. 

“I wanna come inside you.” His words were mindless now, flying out of him as he approached his peak. 

“You’re already inside me, my love,” Kate teased, trying to soothe him by running her fingers through his hair.

“You on top,” he grunted and pulled out, collapsing onto his back. “So I can see all of you.”

By the time he looked at her with dark half-wild eyes and said please, she was rising up onto her knees. Straddling him, she held him against her entrance and slid down easily, feeling her body part again to fit to him. 

Hands on her hips, Anthony met Kate’s slow pace, his eyes raking across her body. “You are so fucking gorgeous,” he said. “The sight of my dick going in and out of your pussy. Your big belly pressing against me. Your swollen breasts, your nipples. Baby, I can’t stand it.”

Anthony placed his hands over her breasts, squeezing her nipples as she moaned and rode him. 

“Your mouth is filthy tonight,” Kate said, starting to feel breathless. She leaned forward to rest more of her weight on him, pressing her belly into his stomach so she could grind her clit against him. Rolling her hips, she closed her eyes and bowed her back—her next climax was so close and she was single-mindedly chasing it now.

“Kate, my love…” he began to say, his hips moving in concert with hers, though he was unable to finish the sentence before crying out, his fingers digging into her hips, slamming into Kate as she came. She could feel his muscles tighten under her hands as she writhed against him, her entire body shaking, a fiery wave of sparks burning across her skin and feeling as though they were infusing every bone and muscle. 

Using her last bit of strength, Kate shifted to lay beside him as she huffed for air, Anthony panting along with her. Some time later, when her skin began to cool, she rested her hand on his chest, able to still feel his racing heart under her palm. “Are you still there, love?”

“Uhhuh,” he grunted, placing his hand over hers. “Coming… back down.”

When Kate tried to pull her hand away, he clasped it against his chest. “Where you going?” he asked, though he didn’t seem to have the energy to turn his head and look at her. 

“To get cleaned up,” Kate replied, laughing. She pushed herself up on bent arms in order to look down at him and meet his eyes. 

“I’ll go,” he said, though he made no effort to move. “And take a shower.”

“I’ll join you.”

“Do you want me to survive this trip?”

Chapter Text

From the bed, Anthony could hear the front door open and a female voice call out, before hearing another set of feet race down the stairs. “Eloise is here,” he whispered to Kate, though she didn’t stir from where she laid in his arms, her back to his front. 

After depositing a kiss on Kate’s bare shoulder Anthony gently disentangled himself and climbed from the bed in the darkness, quietly opening the closet to grab some joggers. After pulling them on in the hallway, he made his way downstairs to see Eloise talking quietly to Benedict. 

“Sister,” Anthony said warmly, pulling her into his arms, though she went stiffly and patted his back awkwardly until he stepped away. “How are you?”

“Hanging in there,” she said, looking about the dimly lit house. Anthony could see shadows under her eyes and wondered if she’d been sleeping much over the last few weeks. “I haven’t made any decisions yet.”

“Marina still wants to stay together?” Ben asked, leaning against the kitchen counter that lined the entryway. His hair was rumpled, as were his pyjamas, and he looked half asleep but was calm and sober as he stared at Eloise. 

Eloise nodded, blinking rapidly, before looking away. She crossed her arms tightly across her chest and huffed as Anthony and Ben watched her silently.

“Is she still seeing him?” Anthony whispered, though he cringed at the question the second it left his lips, it not being the right time or place for such heaviness.

Eloise shook her head, her eyes falling on the sofa in the nearby living room, before circling it and sitting down. Anthony followed, his bare feet padding across cold tile, though he stood in front of the windows that faced the shore line. Benedict followed, sitting easily beside El and grabbing her hand.

“She says she only calls him to talk about the baby,” she explained when she was ready, “but I don’t really trust her.” Eloise shrugged, keeping her eyes focused on nothing.

Sure that this wasn’t over, Anthony crossed his arms in the chill evening air, the rooms below having already cooled a great deal since the early spring sun had practically baked them before sunset. He’d be relieved to climb back into the warm bed with Kate later.

“We were talking about having kids,” Eloise said after some time. 

“Do you think she…” Benedict trailed off. 

“ No ,” Eloise replied, her voice terse, “it was an extremely stupid mistake. She says.”

Then it dawned on Anthony. He had much more in common with his sister than she realised. “You’re thinking of staying for the baby.”

Eloise nodded, her eyes darting to his for a second before moving away again.

Heart racing now, Anthony wondered how much his sister actually wanted to hear from him, considering how cold their relationship had been of late. However, he’d been in a similar situation, and knew he had unique experience, that he could give her advice if she was open to it.

“I did that twice,” he admitted quietly, coming to kneel before where she sat on the couch in order to look her in the eye. “I was content in some ways I suppose, to a point, I’ve always loved my kids and I wouldn’t change anything.”

“But?” she asked so quietly he almost didn’t hear her.

Heart in his throat, Anthony shook his head and tried to come up with the right words. He didn’t want to set her off and wanted her to understand that he simply wanted to be there for her. 

“I’ll support you El, with whatever you decide,” he explained. “As your brother, but also financially and you’ll always have a place to stay. I’ve been on both sides of this—I know you don’t want to hear about…” Anthony cleared his throat. “Back then, I stayed for the children, but I knew something was off, for years, but I didn’t really get it until I was able to step away and look at it from a distance.”

‘ And I’m terrified of the damage it’s done to my kids ,’ he thought, but couldn’t bring himself to voice the words. 

“I can’t even fathom looking at it,” Eloise whispered. Anthony could tell she was struggling to keep it together and squeezed her knee. She needed sleep, it was too late for serious conversations.

“Take your time, as long as you need,” he said as Benedict wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a half hug.

“We love you, El,” Benefit added softly, kissing the side of her head. 

“I’ve been a real arsehole to you, Anthony,” Eloise said sardonically, her voice surprisingly even now. “For a long time. And to Kate. You should hate me.”

Sighing, Anthony shook his head. There were a lot of bridges they still needed to cross, a lot about the past they needed to resolve, and he did not miss the fact that what she said wasn’t an apology. In truth, he wanted it for Kate, more than himself. 

“I’m compartmentalising right now,” he replied, though it wasn’t entirely true. He knew this wasn’t fair to Kate. “You have a lot on your plate and our issues can wait. For now.”

When they stood, Benedict let out a low grunt and squeezed Anthony’s shoulder, giving him a look that communicated more than words. He figured he’d get an earful in the morning. 

Soon after, Anthony was more than relieved to climb back into bed with Kate, warming himself by wrapping his arms around her once more. 

“Eloise?” Kate asked quietly, her voice rough from sleep.

“Yes,” he whispered, lifting his head to kiss her shoulder. “We can talk in the morning, you need your sleep.”

Kate let out a deep sigh and pulled his arm tightly against her chest. He thought she’d drifted off when she whispered, “how far along is Marina?”

“Twelve weeks, I think,” he mumbled.

“Eloise is going to stay with her,” Kate said, matter of fact, her tone not going up in question. 

“I think so,” he whispered, shifting to press his hips tightly against hers. “How did you guess?”

“She’s your sister,” Kate whispered before he felt her relax in his arms. 

After a cold and rainy winter, it felt glorious for Anthony to step outside in swim trunks and feel the warm sun on his bare chest. It also did not hurt that his fiancé was five months pregnant and wearing a bikini. He tried not to look too closely at her, his thoughts having a tendency to go dark when he stared too long.

Beside Kate in a lounge chair sat Eloise, slathered in sunscreen and ensconced under an umbrella with a paperback. On Kate’s other side Henry lounged on a towel on his stomach with his head resting on his arms—Anthony thought he’d already fallen asleep in the warm sun. 

After leaving a quick kiss on the top of Kate’s head, Anthony trudged through the sand toward the water’s edge as salt water licked at the shore, the chill water touching his toes. Next to him, Benedict gave Anthony a wide crooked grin before he ran in, shouting as the cold water hit his skin. Laughing, Anthony ran after him. 

When cold water hit his balls he took a sharp indrawn breath before diving in and shouting under the water. When he came back up, he could just barely touch the bottom with his toes and he did not see Benedict. A second later, there was a loud splash beside him, and then he felt his brother’s cold fingers on his shoulders before he was pushed back under the water. 

Quickly, Anthony held his breath and pressed his chest to the sand before popping back up and grabbing Benedict in an attempt to dunk him in revenge. By the time they were both coughing up salt water, both sat back on their heels in shallowed water, finally used to the water temperature and happy to sit in the sun and take a break.

“It was really nice, what you said to El last night, Ant,” Ben said, the waves washing around them, gulls calling in the distance. 

“But?” Anthony asked, their whispered conversation from the evening before coming back to mind. He had meant to talk to Kate after about the offer he’d made to Eloise, but she had been so close to falling back asleep and he didn’t want to disturb her.

“You shouldn’t sacrifice your own peace for Eloise,” Benedict supplied, reaching up to brush wet hair from his forehead.

Anthony looked out across the surf to where Eloise, Kate, and Henry sat. Kate had her eyes closed, her face angled toward the sun. Eloise was furiously typing on her phone, her book forgotten on her lap.

“I didn’t want to confront her about her recent behaviour last night, she looked exhausted,” Anthony said, staring at his sister, her brow furrowed and lips pursed.

Ben sighed. “Eloise has been dealing with this for months, Anthony. I don’t think there will ever be a right time. You’re going to have to have a real conversation with her soon, and with Colin.”

After splashing water across his face, Anthony scrubbed at his eyes, trying to ignore the way his chest burned from this conversation. “I don’t want to hurt them, Ben,” he said quietly, unable to meet his brother’s eyes.

Laughing quietly, Ben said, “Sometimes lessons hurt, brother. I know that better than anyone. So do you.”

Shaking his head, Anthony let out a pent up breath. He took another breath to speak but didn’t get the words out before Benedict dunked him again. He figured they were done talking when he swam under the water to pull his brother’s legs out from under him.

Next to Kate, Henry rolled to his back and let out a low chuckle as Anthony pulled Benedict below the water’s surface. Kate grinned, she loved being able to watch her future husband laugh and play in the water, enjoying the sight of him letting go. 

When the boys finally came out of the water they were shivering, their skin pebbling in goosebumps. Anthony wrapped himself in a towel and pulled Kate from her lounger, before pulling her back against his wet lap. She let out a squeak in protest but relented and decided to lounge against his cold skin, enjoying the way Anthony’s hot breath washed across the side of her face.

After, once Benedict and Anthony had warmed up sufficiently, they said they were ravenous, and the group shared a picnic lunch of sandwiches and greasy crisps, with cheap beers and bottled water. There was something about sandwiches and crisps on the beach that was absolutely divine, Kate enjoying pickles, spinach, tomato, and vegan mayo on slightly soggy fluffy white bread more than she ever had before. 

By the time they were trekking back to their rental, ready to start preparing dinner, Kate felt incredibly sated from such a pleasant day at the beach. Eloise had been cordial, if not friendly, and Ben and Henry had made her feel like a member of the family. There was still a hint of dread—Kate felt as though she was waiting for the other shoe to drop, though she was trying to ignore it.

After being shooed from the kitchen, Kate was content to sit back with a glass of water and watch Anthony and Benedict make chaos in the kitchen. Eloise had stepped away minutes prior to have a tersely worded phone conversation in her room on the first floor. Henry sat at the table beside Kate with a glass of red wine, giving a play by play as they watched a heated argument and pans slamming between brothers in the kitchen.

At one point, she laughed so hard at Henry’s commentary that she had to rush to the bathroom before almost wetting herself. It truly had been a wonderful day. 

At dinner, Eloise let out a sigh when she realised she had to sit beside Kate, all of the other chairs being spoken for. Eyes cutting to Kate’s, Eloise gave sullen one or two word responses to her questions. It was easy to ignore Anthony’s sister’s ambivalence with the warm grasp of Anthony’s hand on her thigh.

When Anthony tried to press his sister for more information, for literal small talk, it became clear that she wasn’t interested in talking. Kate figured Eloise’s social battery was probably out and was content to ignore her and sit back, letting the raucous conversation between Ben, Henry, and Anthony wash over her. 

Kate had to admit to herself that dysfunction was a part of family, and with that realisation, she was happy to conclude that the trip so far had been a success. 

When she thought of the surprise she had planned for Anthony that evening, her heart beat a little faster in her chest, wondering if she was brave enough to follow through. Sensing a change in her mood, Anthony narrowed his eyes at her for a second, before diving back into a debate with Henry.

Later that evening, Kate and Anthony joined Henry and Benedict by the fire pit again.  When Kate yawned for the third time, Anthony announced that it was time for them to go to bed. As they ascended the stairs, Kate’s nerves ramped up again. 

In their room, Kate left Anthony in his pants on their bed, as she grabbed a bag and closed herself in the bathroom. Looking at the shock of yellow material in the bag, she took a calming breath and got undressed. After slipping the spandex on, doing her best to cover her nipples with the scant material, she stepped out before she had a chance to have second thoughts.

Anthony was wearing his readers with the same paperback novel in his hands as the night before, though it fell to his lap when he reached up to slowly pull his glasses down as his jaw dropped.

“Do you remember this?” Kate asked, as she approached the bed awkwardly and put her knee on the mattress. 

“That’s the…” Anthony said breathlessly, his eyes glazing over. 

It was the same yellow bikini from their family weekend in Kent when they’d first met. The one Kate had worn when Anthony had spanked her over the rough wooden table in the basement while his family lounged outside by the pool. However, now it was absolutely indecent, the bottoms sitting scandalously low under her womb. The top had already been skimpy before, but now it only just covered her nipples and left nothing to the imagination. She had barely been able to get the ties together. 

“Fuck,” Anthony breathed, swallowing and reaching out to put a trembling hand on her hip.

“You wanted to fuck me then,” Kate whispered, running her nails through his hair on the side of his head. When she put her knee next to him and bent to kiss him, she heard a loud crack. When she jumped back, Anthony’s reader’s sat next to him, split into two pieces. “I’m—“

“I don’t even care,” Anthony said, laughing, as he swept them off the bed. “I don’t need them to see you.”

Petting the side of his face, Kate smiled. “Let me make it up to you.”

Anthony’s brow quirked, half of his mouth turning up in a mischievous smile. Grabbing his hand, Kate pulled him up to his feet, and then, holding onto his arm, lowered herself to her knees. 

“Baby,” Anthony whispered, looking down at her, one hand cupping her cheek.

“Mr Bridgerton,” Kate replied, widening her eyes up at him. “I hope your wife doesn’t find out about this.”

She pulled his pants down so they pooled around his ankles. “Miss Sharma,” Anthony hissed as Kate took his half-mast cock in her mouth, sucking on it immediately and grasping it with her lips as she pulled back.

“My boyfriend is not as good as you,” Kate added, before making another pass. She felt Anthony shudder against her as his cock hardened in her mouth. 

“Your boyfriend has no idea,” he ground out, both hands on her head now, his hips jolting as she ran her tongue along his hard shaft. “You—,” he began, shuddering, his words catching in his throat. “You wore this suit on purpose, in front of my family, in front of me.”

“Mmm,” Kate moaned after taking him in her mouth again, pulling him deeper as she swallowed him. “I wanted you to look at me,” she whispered, laving on the tip, her pussy pulsing, unable to keep from dragging one of her hands below it to rub her aching clitoris. 

“Fucking tease,” Anthony said, his voice deep, his fingers digging into her hair before he grabbed a handful and pulled gently. 

“It worked,” she whispered, her eyes meeting his, his eyes darkening as he pushed his cock back into her mouth.

Hissing, Anthony jutted his hips in small movements as she worked him, taking him in deeply, before pulling back and running her tongue along his shaft and laving at the tip. His fingers intertwined in her hair, sharp noises coming from the back of his throat, as she moaned around his shaft. 

“Did you fantasise about this?” Kate whispered, pulling back to meet his eyes, pulling damp fingers from her suit to hold him before sucking on him again.

“Punishing you,” he replied under his breath, his words quickly drowned out by a groan, as Kate moved her mouth over him even faster. “Lifting that fucking nightie up and pounding into you over my dad’s desk,” he said, his voice breathy. 

“I wanted you to,” Kate said softly, pulling away, and wiping her chin, her hand still working him. When she pulled him back into her mouth, she felt a fluttering under her tongue, and by the way Anthony was breathing, she knew he was close.

“Where do you want to come, baby?” she asked against his cock. 

“Your—,” he stuttered, his fingers trembling in her hair, “on your pussy.”

Kate felt his fingers dig into her arm before she was hauled to her feet. Anthony rested his forehead against hers and pulled the front of her bikini out, exposing her cunt. She worked him with her hand, pointing his cock at her slit, until he was shuddering and crying out right before hot white threads of come soaked her skin and the gusset of her bikini. 

Supporting his weight for a minute, Kate breathed heavily against him, her cunt still aching for contact. She knew once Anthony came to, he’d make sure she was satisfied. 

It wasn’t long before he was turning her toward their bed and pushing her onto it. Kate laid on her side facing away from him and Anthony crawled in to hold her from behind. Next, his fingers skimmed her waist, sliding across her hip until his hand was on her lower abdomen, and then below her bikini bottom.

“I wanted to fuck you in front of my family,” he ground out, his hot breath bathing her skin. His fingers glided through his own release and her arousal before immediately grinding over her clit. Kate convulsed against him, her hips bucking against his. 

“I wanted to grab you from that fucking lounger with my brother,” he added, his voice a deep lustful rasp. “After you put your fingers over your tit in front of me, tear this fucking bikini off of you, and fuck you so hard you saw stars.”

Whimpering, Kate trembled against him, his fingers making unrelenting circles around her clit.

“I wanted them all to see,” he groused, thrusting his hips against her, “my ex, everyone, what you fucking do to me.”

“Anthony,” Kate cried, her eyes squeezed shut, her fingernails digging into his arms, his muscles hard as he punished her clit. She was writhing against him, her back arching, her hips bucking as he held her there. 

“Come for me, baby,” he whispered, pressing his body more firmly against her, his fingers frantic now. 

That was all it took. Kate felt like fire was flaring across her skin, heat encircling her core, Anthony’s fingers still working her gently as her arousal mellowed, turning into a warm flood as her body relaxed against his. 

Huffing against her neck, Anthony’s hand trembled as he withdrew it from her bikini, holding her tightly as she came down, her eyes immediately drooping as she started to fade from consciousness.

For Kate, sometimes there was nothing like being thoroughly and truly pleasured before being pulled into a hot bath with her fiance, then pulling on cosy pyjamas and falling asleep in his arms. By the time the windows lightened with the sun, she was fairly certain that she never wanted to leave that bed, especially with Anthony still asleep beside her. 

Face lax, his long eyelashes rested against his skin, his chest rising and falling in slow even breaths. Her mother once said that when men slept, they looked like the boys they used to be. Feeling her heart skip a beat, Kate watched him, imagining the little boy she’d seen in pictures, so happy and carefree. She made a mental note to ask Violet about home videos before the wedding.

It wasn’t long before he was stirring, his calm face transforming into a soft happy smile when he saw her as he opened his eyes. There it was again, that warm, happy feeling in her chest, the disbelief that this man loved her no longer as large as it once was. 

“Hi,” he whispered, groaning as he rose to kiss her forehead. 

“I love you,” Kate replied, grabbing his hand. Anthony’s soft chuckles shook their bed. 

After leaning forward to kiss her again, he said, “I am so glad we did this.”

“Mmm.” Kate shifted over to snuggle against him, her head tucked under his chin. She felt a rush of warmth when his arms encircled around her. “I really like spending time with Ben and Henry.”

“I’m so glad,” he replied, his lips moving against her head. “Eloise was almost pleasant.”

“Is that normal?” Kate asked softly. Anthony was silent for a moment.

“She’s usually sarcastic and a little ambivalent, likes her alone time, but kind. The Marina situation hasn’t made for a pleasant year.” Anthony shifted against her, his back cracking as he moved. 

“That scares me,” Kate whispered, hooked her arm up to wrap around him and hold him tightly. “I hope we’re never in that position. Not the infidelity I mean, but so angry with each other we’re both unable to have a calm conversation.”

“I know.” Anthony was quiet for a minute after speaking. Kate wondered if he was thinking about his ex. Pulling away, Kate’s eyes met his as she relaxed against the same pillow. He took a breath to speak, then said, “Kate, I…”

Lifting her hand to pet his cheek, Kate said, “what is it?” Though her stomach contracted from a small spike of nerves. 

“I told Eloise that she could stay with us if she needs a place to stay, and that I could support her financially,” he explained, his hand making a lazy trail down her arm. 

Kate blinked at him in surprise. “You invited her to live with us,” she said, trailing off, her voice sounding calmer than she felt as her heart started to race. 

“If they decide to separate,” Anthony explained calmly, as if that was the point of contention.

“Did you make decisions like this without talking to Stephanie?” Kate asked before biting her lip. There was a part of her that wanted to avoid this confrontation, to just let it go, but another part said no. She wasn’t sure which part to listen to, but decided to wade in nonetheless. 

“I…” Anthony cleared his throat. “Yes, she was always ambivalent.”

Unable to continue this conversation nestled against him on her side, Kate sat up, pulling the sheet up to cover her breasts. “We’re not married, I know, but I’m going to be your partner,” she said, looking across the room at the picture windows facing the shore line, before turning to look at him as he still laid back against the pillows. “I need to be involved in these decisions.”

Raising himself up onto his bent arms, Anthony shook his head. “I’m sorry, I hadn’t considered…”

“You invited her into our home,” Kate replied, louder than she’d intended, feeling a traitorous burn behind her eyes. “Knowing full well how she feels about me.”

“I’d find her a flat,” Anthony reasoned, rising to lean against the headboard. 

“That’s not the point,” Kate cut back, her hands shaking now. 

Looking around the room, she climbed from the bed, stepped over the yellow bikini strewn on the floor, and stalked to their closet to grab a camisole and knickers. As she pulled them on, facing away from him, she blinked away tears as the reality of the situation hit her. It felt as though he was putting his family before her . Before their baby. 

Anthony stayed in bed and watched her, his mouth hanging open. “I’m sorry, Kate I—“

“I don’t feel like a priority,” she said, cutting him off, trying desperately to keep her voice from becoming tear strained. “You invited Eloise on our vacation without asking me.”

Shaking her head, Kate tucked her hair behind her ears and grabbed a pair of soft lounge pants and a t-shirt. As she pulled them on her hands shook. “Now I’m wondering…,” she added, trailing off as she faced the door. 

Now more events were flashing before her eyes. The drama from dinner weeks ago, his family’s reaction to the engagement, him abandoning her there to talk to Hyacinth and Gregory. Was that also a symptom of Anthony’s issue?

“Wondering what?” Anthony asked, his voice stricken. Kate could hear him toss the covers back. 

“Am I ever going to be first?” Kate asked, spinning to face him, her vision blurred by tears. Shaking her head, she reached for the door knob. 

“You already are, Kate!” Anthony replied as he rose from the bed and stalked naked to the door where she stood. 

“I’m going to make breakfast,” she said quietly and turned the knob. Anthony reached out to hold it closed with his hand.

“Let’s talk about this.” His eyes were sad and confused as he stared at her, his brows drawn, chest heaving as he waited for her to speak. 

“Was I even on your mind when you told her that she could stay with us?” she asked in a whispered hiss.

“Of course you were,” he said, voice impassioned, his other hand grabbing her arm. 

“And yet you made the decision without me,” she stated and looked away. 

Anthony didn’t respond, just stood there holding her arm. Eyes sliding closed, Kate sighed and put her hand on his cheek. 

Old adages sounded off in her panicked mind: some people said men don’t change, that you can’t change them, shouldn’t even try. Was this a sticking point—would it always happen? It wasn’t a breaking point, she reminded herself, they’d been happy since they started to date, they hadn’t had a disagreement like this before. But would he ever make her his priority? Really? Kate shook her head.

Still feeling utterly confused, she caressed his cheek with her thumb. “Please just think about it,” she whispered, all of the words she knew she should say tangled up in her mind. “I’m hungry.”

Nodding sadly at her, a stricken look on his face, Anthony stepped aside and let her open the door. Stepping away from him physically hurt, but at that moment, it felt like the right thing to do.

‘The first pancake always burns.’ Mary’s words played in Kate’s mind as she ladled batter onto a hot oiled frying pan, watching as little bubbles started to rise toward the centre of the batter. Looking toward the staircase, she wondered when Anthony would come down, she could hear him walking around upstairs. She wondered what she’d say—what he would say.

When she smelled something burning, she cursed under her breath and flipped the pancake, the top ringed in black char. Her mother was always right, she thought, as she hit the switch to turn on the kettle. 

On the counter sat a bowl of freshly cut fruit that she’d just finished chopping, the motion of the knife against the cutting board had been soothing. 

Finally getting into a steady rhythm, the rest of the pancakes came out perfectly fluffy and unburned. Snacking on one, Kate placed a tray of them in the oven to keep warm when Eloise walked into the kitchen and slammed her phone down on the counter. She looked exhausted and had dark circles ringing her eyes.

“Can I put a breakfast plate together for you?” Kate asked, reaching for a stack of plates from a cabinet as the tea kettle beeped. She thought, maybe now was the time to finally get past whatever animosity Eloise felt for her. They could talk over tea, like she had with Daphne. “Perhaps a cup of tea?”

Kate watched as Eloise’s jaw jumped and her lips pursed, angry audible puffs of hair coming from her nose. Kate’s heart rate notched up as she set the dishes down gently. 

“I want nothing from you,” Eloise hissed, turning to Kate, her eyes hard. 

Shaking her head in disbelief, Kate crossed her arms. It wasn’t even eight am—how could she have woken up and already been so angry?

“God,” Eloise said loudly, placing both hands on either side of her head. “I can’t believe they all forgave you!” she shouted, pointing her finger at Kate. “That you actually fucking stayed!”

Laughing now, Eloise circled the kitchen. “You even got pregnant, what a shock!”

“Eloise,” Kate said, shaking her head, “that’s not…”

“You haven’t even set a wedding date yet, have you?” Eloise spit out. “I hope to God Anthony makes you sign a prenup.”

Anger flooded Kate. She wasn’t worried about Anthony, or harming his relationship with his family, none of the concerns she’d felt so acutely months ago. All she felt was rage at a woman who was acting like a stuck up arsehole. Whatever this argument was, whatever was behind it, she realised it didn’t even matter. She didn’t care anymore.

Giving Eloise one last cold look, Kate poured herself a cup of tea and walked toward the staircase. That’s when Anthony finally came down, fully dressed, his hair wet from a shower, a look of rage on his face. He’d heard. He squeezed her arm before circling her and stepping into the kitchenette. 

Eloise was shaking and crying, her arms crossed as she looked out a window at the infinity pool out back as it reflected a pristine blue sky.

“What the hell, Eloise?” he asked, fists planted firmly on his hips as he bit the inside of his cheek, trying to keep from screaming every profanity in the dictionary at her. Trying to keep from throttling her. When she didn’t say anything, he shook his head. “Just because you’re in pain, you don’t have the right to be a sour bitch because of your own personal drama.”

Spinning to face him, Eloise pointed at her chest. “Why should I be nice to Kate? I’ll just be nice to the next one!”

Anthony’s face contorted in a look of confusion as he stared at her. “We’re getting married, Eloise! Having a baby, together!”

Letting out a shuddering breath, Benedict’s words echoed in his mind, and Anthony decided it was time to tell her how he truly felt. How her angry words to Kate were extremely rude and bordering on unforgivable. How it felt incredibly painful that his sister couldn’t trust his judgement.

Christ, even if her dislike for Kate was for an understandable reason, Eloise had still been taught to treat everyone with kindness. Or so he thought.

“Are you sure it’s even yours?” Eloise asked, frowning at him, her hands on her hips. 

A silent rage overtook Anthony, his vision going red. Chest rising and falling quickly, he turned toward the stairs. “Pack your things,” he said, shifting to look her in the eyes and point at her with an angry finger. “I don’t want you here. I don’t want to talk to you. I don’t want you on my vacation. Get the fuck out.”

Looking up the steps, Anthony didn’t think he could face Kate with a quiet rage still permeating his blood, making his pulse pound hotly in his temples. Teeth grinding, he walked quickly through the sliding glass doors to the patio and stalked across to a railing that faced the shoreline. Grabbing it with shaking hands, he desperately tried to catch his breath and cool his blood. 

It said much about his state of mind that he didn’t realise Ben was standing beside him until he looked to his left. Anthony’s eyes drifted closed when his brother rubbed his back. 

“Are you okay?” Ben asked softly. He was only wearing his pants, feet bare, his hair a mess from sleep.

“Getting there,” Anthony ground out, blinking away the sting of tears as he stared unseeing at the sea. He pushed away from the railing and spun around, resting his back against it as he looked up at the room he shared with Kate. “I need to talk to Kate, I just…”

Anthony put his hand over his heart to feel it racing below his palm.

“It’s alright, take a minute to catch your breath,” Ben said, his voice low in a soothing tone.

“She thinks I’m putting our family before her,” Anthony said quietly, seeing Kate walk in front of the window for a moment before stepping through the bathroom door. 

Benedict looked up at Kate and sighed. Anthony turned to face him. “Am I?” Anthony asked, pointing at his chest, although he already knew the answer. 

Arms crossed, Benedict nodded at him, his lips quirked into a small sad smile. Anthony rubbed his hands roughly down his face. 

When Anthony finally made it back upstairs, Kate was dressed for the day, but crying silently in an armchair that faced the picture windows. The sight of her broke his heart.

“Baby,” he said softly, falling to his knees before her and putting his hands on her thighs. “I know I haven’t been handling this entire situation well,” he said, his eyes clouding with tears. It wasn’t even nine in the morning and he was already emotionally exhausted. 

Kate grabbed his hand and the mere contact had his eyes sliding shut and his head falling forward to rest on her legs. “Ever since my father died, I got into the habit of putting my family before myself. Never asking for anything,” he explained.

When he looked up at her, he felt a hot tear glide down his cheek. “They took our father’s death so hard, I always let Colin and Eloise get away with everything. I know it’s an unhealthy habit.”

Taking her clasped hand, Anthony brought it up against his lips. “I promise to consider you always,” he said, meeting her eyes. “I’m going to be better. You and our children are my priority. I want you to be my partner . In everything.”

With her other hand, Kate put her hand on the side of Anthony’s face and wiped away his tears. “That’s all I wanted,” she whispered, her breath hiccoughing as she cried. 

Rising up, Anthony pulled Kate into an embrace, immediately feeling a weight lifted from his shoulders. 

Pulling back, he kissed the wetness from her cheeks. “Spend the day with me? Just you and me?” he asked quietly, her hand still clasped tightly in his and pressed against his chest. 

Nodding, Kate’s eyes drifted close and, leaning against him, let him support her weight. 

Chapter Text

Seated on the top of a wooden rail, Eloise watched her brother and fiance together in the distance as they walked along the beach, both barefoot and stepping through the surf. Anthony was saying something rapidly to Kate, his face split in a wide delighted grin, as Kate clung to him and held her belly as she laughed. The sight of them made Eloise’s stomach contract.

Anthony really was happy with Kate. Eloise wasn’t an idiot, but the worst part was that she’d known it from the beginning—there was some not-small part of her that didn’t want him to have it. After ten years of marriage and two children, he wasn’t supposed to start over, to find love with someone else. 

The thought made her chest tighten. She wondered if that was what Marina shared with George. 

Their conversation the night before had torn her heart out all over again. Eloise had learned that when Marina told George she was pregnant, he’d begged off almost immediately, and she had only just told Eloise. It felt like Marina had only stayed with Eloise because George wasn’t ready to be a parent—the fact that she hadn’t told Eloise for months only solidified it in her mind.

Face crumbling, Eloise cried into her hands again. She didn’t deserve happiness, she told herself, she didn’t deserve to have a loving family. She felt like nothing, like the dirt under her wife’s shoe. If she had been a better wife, a better partner, this wouldn’t have happened.

Would Marina have left her for George if he’d offered? Eloise thought yes. It hurt like hell to be someone’s second choice. Watching Anthony and Kate in the distance, Eloise bit the inside of her cheek hard enough to draw blood. 

In the end, it made her wonder, why the hell did Marina want to stay with her? Eloise thought that that was the reason why she personally hadn’t filed for divorce yet. Eloise was afraid to be alone again.

“I can stay and be a mum,” she said to herself, fingernails digging into the railing, the Cyprian breeze blowing her bangs from her forehead. 

‘ You need therapy, Eloise. I love you, but you need help ,’ Marina had said last night.

“I don’t fucking need therapy,” Eloise said to no one, as she sat and watched  her brother flaunt his new perfect life. 

A car honked behind her, making her jump. Standing from the wooden railing, Eloise turned to find her brother, Benedict, in Anthony’s rental. 

“You slipped out, I said I’d take you to the airport,” Ben said, his eyes darting to the rollaway suitcase beside her. With a tired sigh—when Eloise did not move—his lips pressed into a thin flat line, Ben turned off the engine, got out, and tossed her suitcase in the boot. 

When he opened the passenger side door, he motioned her inside. Feeling anger bubble up inside of her again, Eloise fell into the seat and slammed the door, before sitting stiffly with her arms crossed. 

A minute later, they were off. It was silent in the car as Ben navigated his way through the little beach side village. “What the hell, El,” he said after a time, his eyes darting to look at Eloise for a second, his brows low. 

“I didn’t mean for it to come out like that,” she said, leaning her arm on the door, her gaze on the landscape as it rolled by. “I’d just had an argument with Marina.”

“You owe the both of them an apology,” Benedict replied, his jaw jumping. “If Anthony will ever talk to you again.”

“I know,” she said quietly, unwilling to look at him. She knew she was acting like a petulant teenager, but she also didn’t really care. 

Benedict sighed and shook his head, his hands gripping the wheel tightly. “Why can’t you let Anthony be happy? And what the fuck, sniping like that at a pregnant woman?”

The same intense unbearable rush of feelings swelled inside of her again. All Eloise could do was face the window as hot tears rolled down her cheeks. Quietly, she wept. She knew she’d hurt Anthony and Kate, she knew it was wrong, and yet she couldn’t stop herself. It was fucked, but she was also so angry with Anthony for making her feel this way. For trying to fix this, like he always did.

“You know he did everything after dad died, right?” Benedict asked, eyes on the road, a dejected sad look on his face. “He didn’t even give himself room to grieve. He tried so hard to fill the gaping hole in our family.”

“I never wanted him to do that!” she cried, her breath catching. “I’m not like the younger ones, I remember dad, I never needed a replacement!”

Benedict only laughed, which made the burning pit in her stomach turn acrid. “Yes. You did. We all did.”

Shaking her head, Eloise pursed her lips. Fuck Benedict, too, for making her feel this way. He was supposed to be her ally in their fucked up family. “Kate,” she spit out, “is just a—“

“Stop it!” Benedict shouted, slamming his palm on the steering wheel, his face flushed. “Kate is not Marina! And Anthony is not George Crane!”

Turning to Benedict, Eloise angrily wiped at her tears. “How would you feel if Henry’s ex-wife suddenly showed up and—!“

“Eloise, do you realise just how much you’ve made this about you and no one else?” Benedict asked, the anger seeming to drain out of him in a moment. Now, he simply sounded sad and defeated. “You’re in pain, so we all have to be. Anthony invited you on his fucking vacation for Christ’s sake and you act like a cow to the woman he loves? Can you even hear yourself?”

Blood rushing in her ears, Eloise turned to look out the car window, though she couldn’t say if she looked at sea or land, her vision too blurred from angry tears. 

“Just,” Benedict said quietly, a little bit more kindly, “you have a lot to think about. To work on. And apologise for.”

“I know,” she said softly, wiping her shirtsleeve down her wet cheeks. 

After everything that happened that day, Kate was tired. She had been half awake through lunch and more than happy to climb into bed after Anthony suggested it. 

Sleepy, about to drift off, she watched Anthony pause in the doorway facing Benedict. 

“She’s at the airport,” Kate heard Benedict tell Anthony before patting his shoulder. “I think I got through to her on the way.”

Anthony shook his head. “I don’t think I even care,” he said tiredly, rubbing his hands roughly down his face. 

“Yeah,” Ben said softly. 

After that, Kate drifted off. 

She dreamt of drifting on warm sea waves, pastel clouds of light shining around her. It was so peaceful, she was a little disappointed when she woke up, what felt like a minute later, though it must have been hours. 

That evening, Kate, Anthony, Benedict, and Henry all felt worn out, agreeing that a quiet night in was exactly what they needed. Henry cooked this time as Kate and Anthony talked about their wedding with Ben at the kitchen table.

Warm bubbles of contentment seemed to rise up through Kate’s body at the reminder that she and Anthony were getting married . 

“I thought that everything had to be perfect first,” Kate said, taking Anthony’s hand under the table. “But it’s our wedding, it’s not about everyone else.”

Anthony kissed the side of her head. 

“I think Violet Bridgerton might disagree,” Benedict joked, leaning back in his chair with a glass of wine in hand. 

“Is it unhinged?” Anthony asked, looking at Kate, though she thought the question was for Benedict. “To get married exactly one year after we met? Considering the circumstances—everyone is already planning to be at Aubrey Hall that weekend.”

When Benedict laughed, Kate couldn’t help but chuckle along. “Absolutely,” Ben said, “But I don’t know, there is also a hint of poetic justice.”

“I think it’s brilliant,” Henry said, coming around the table to put a steaming dish of pasta on a trivet at the centre of the table. It smelled divine. “This is what I call kitchen sink pasta, the rest of our tomatoes, spinach, onions, Kate’s vegan parmesan cheese, and a lion’s share of garlic.”

Mouth watering, Kate felt her stomach rumble. “This is amazing, Henry,” she said as he began to fill each dish with a generous helping.

“Will you invite Colin and Eloise? To your wedding?” Henry asked before he sat and grabbed his fork, spinning the stem between his fingers. 

Kate could see Anthony clench his jaw and shake his head.

 “Undecided,” she said softly, more than willing to be the one to start eating. 

Ignoring the moment of drama, Kate had had such a wonderful time on their trip, that when it was time to leave she had found herself in tears. 

“We’ll come back someday,” Anthony had said reassuringly, squeezing her hand, as they drove toward the airport. 

“We have to go to India next,” Kate had replied, looking out the window, her hand on her belly. “After the baby’s born.”

The baby kicked, startling Kate from her memories. Rubbing where she had felt the kick, she returned her attention to the book she and Charlotte were reading together on the drawing room sofa. 

“Kate,” Charlotte said after they read the last page, though she stayed pressed to Kate’s side. 

“Mmhmm.” Kate bent to kiss the top of her head, surrounded suddenly by the scent of strawberry kids shampoo. 

“What is the baby gonna call you?” She asked, fidgeting with the book jacket, bending the corner up and down. “Some of my friends at school don’t call their mummas mumma.”

“I called my mumma, amma , and my papa, appa ,” Kate explained as Charlotte looked up at her. “I want the baby to call me amma.”

“Okay,” Charlotte said, sitting quietly and seeming to think to herself. After a breath, she turned to Kate. “Amma, I’m gonna help Edmund with his pirate ship.” 

She smiled sheepishly up at Kate for a second, before jumping from the sofa and joining Edmund by the hearth where he was working on a LEGO set. 

Staring at her, Kate blinked, feeling suddenly warm, her eyes burning. Charlotte looked at her tentatively, before looking down at the LEGOs strewn across the floor. 

Rising on unsteady legs, Kate padded across the carpet toward the kids, careful not to jab her knee on an errant LEGO as she lowered herself to the floor. “I love the both of you so much,” she said, feeling tears spill down her cheeks as she pulled Charlotte into a hug and kissed the top of her head again. 

“Love you, too,” Edmund said absentmindedly as he grabbed a piece and attached it to the bare base of a ship. 

“Yeah,” Charlotte added, although her face suddenly crumpled. Kate held her against her side until the moment passed, though they were still sitting together when Anthony strolled into the drawing room. When he saw Kate and Charlotte together, a warm smile broke across his face.

“Hello, my loves,” he said, crouching down beside them. “Uncle Gregory and Uncle Colin are on their way over.”

At the sound of Colin’s name, Kate cut her eyes to his, and he shrugged. “They just called, Colin was helping Greg settle back into the flat, and asked if they could come across the square for an ale.”

“And an apology?” Kate asked, watching him closely. 

Anthony shrugged and offered Kate’s his hand, groaning loudly as he helped her stand. She swatted him playfully in response, eliciting a laugh. She had a good feeling about the day, and already she felt  lighter seeing the happy look on Anthony’s face. 

“Mind if I go and speak to Colin alone?” Anthony asked as they walked down the main staircase together, the children racing ahead of them. “It’ll be you, the kids, and Gregory. I think Colin will want to talk to you after.”

“That’s fine,” Kate replied, grabbing his hand to reassure him. When they turned the corner on the staircase landing, Colin and Gregory were hugging the kids at the bottom of the steps. Kate’s breath caught when she saw them—it had been weeks since that fraught family dinner. 

“Hey,” Colin said softly, approaching them, his eyes connecting with Kate’s belly before he reached out to shake Anthony’s hand and then Kate’s. “I’m sorry for not coming by sooner,” he said, eyes moving between her and Anthony and back. “I know there’s a lot to say—I want to make things right.”

Letting go of Anthony’s hand, Kate patted him on the chest before stepping around Colin, and motioning Gregory and the kids towards the steps that lead down to the kitchen. Giving Anthony one last wide-eyed look, she followed them down the steps.

“Uncle Gregory,” Edmund said excitedly as he hopped down the steps. “We’re going to get cats! Two!”

Laughing, Kate shook her head, joining them at the kitchen table. 

“Two cats?” he asked, grinning, and looking at Kate for confirmation. She shook her head and then shrugged, fairly certain that Anthony’s children could talk him into anything, and it wouldn’t be long before he caved. 

“Amma says she likes Mango for a name and I quite agree,” Charlotte said, her cheeks turning pink as she looked at Kate and then back at Gregory. Kate felt a warm pang in her chest at Charlotte’s casual use of the word.

“We fought about names a lot ,” Edmund added, laughing, taking a seat at the kitchen table next to his sister.

“But we both like Pumpkin for the other cat!” Charlotte supplied, rising in her seat to sit on her legs. 

“Are they going to be orange cats?” Gregory asked, looking between the two children, as he took Anthony’s seat at the head of the table.

“Why do they have to be orange?” Charlotte had a confused look on her face, scrunching her little brow. 

“Mangoes are orange!” Edmund explained. “So are pumpkins.”

“Duh,” Charlotte said, slapping her forehead. 

Kate wiped at her eyes to brush away the tears that had formed from laughing. 

“Mind if I message the family group chat about this?” Gregory asked, leaning toward Kate. “Take bets on how long it’ll take Anthony to break?”

It was then that Kate lost it, laughing so hard that she had to excuse herself to run to the loo. 

When she returned, Gregory had taken out Uno to play with the children. Charlotte was still up on her knees, resting on her arms on the table with her cards fanned out. Shaking his head, Gregory gently put his hand on her cards and pushed them toward her chest, informing her that everyone could see them.

“Want to play?” Gregory asked when Kate approached the table, pushing a hand of cards toward her vacant seat. 

“Want to get destroyed?” Kate joked, sitting as primly and looking at her cards. 

After Edmund won the first round, Kate gently elbowed Gregory. “How are things with Lucy?” she asked.

“Ah, we just broke up,” Gregory told her as he put a reverse card down, skipping Kate and giving the play to Charlotte. “She’s moving to America, for grad school.  She’s already flown there to stay with her aunt and uncle for the summer. She didn’t want to do long distance.”

Unsure of what to say, Kate played a take two to Edmund, who groaned, took his cards and then looked at his sister. 

“I’m okay,” Gregory said softly, shrugging, his eyes fixed on his cards. “Lucy helped me process everything. After… you know, but honestly, losing Lucy feels—. It’s not pleasant. But we still talk all the time, so who knows what’ll happen.”

“I’m sorry, Gregory,” she said softly, bumping his shoulder with hers. 

“You don’t need to apologise again, Kate,” Gregory replied. Kate could see his cheeks darken.

“I meant, I’m sorry about the breakup,” she said gently, smiling at him. 

“Ah.” Gregory’s blush deepened as Charlotte gave him a wild draw four, for which he feigned great annoyance, making her giggle.

They played on, eventually Gregory pretended that he didn’t have a yellow card or a five, allowing Charlotte to win after she’d unwittingly flashed her hand at him again. She stood on her chair in triumph, pumping her fist as she cheered. “I win, I win! I never win!”

“Okay, okay,” Kate cautioned her, laughing, as Charlotte sheepishly stepped down. Edmund rolled his eyes and shook his head like an annoyed older brother. Grinning, Gregory shuffled and dealt another round.

“Um, Kate…” Gregory said after a while, trailing off. Looking at him, Kate noticed his ears had turned pink. She smiled, thinking he looked just like Anthony. “There’s one thing Luce and I talked about at length, she was really mad at me about it. And she was right.”

Swallowing, Gregory played a card and scratched his neck. “I said some really insensitive things about you, when everything was going down, and I’m really really sorry. I shouldn’t have,” he bent toward Kate and whispered, “I slut-shamed you.”

“Papa always tells us to apologise,” Charlotte informed them, sorting her cards in her hand, revealing them all to the table again.

“Especially when we fight,” Edmund added, slamming a draw two down on the card stack and grinning at his sister when she groaned. 

Pulling Gregory into a half-hug, Kate squeezed him. “You’re forgiven.”

Looking down at her cards, but not really seeing them, Kate felt a rush of pride. It was strange, to suddenly feel proud of him, with a healthy dose of sisterly affection. It was similar to how she felt about Edwina. Shaking her head, she grinned, realising that she was about to gain a whole slew of brothers and sisters.

When Edmund won the next round, Gregory threw his cards down. “Let’s go play something I can win,” Gregory said as he pushed away from the table.

When they went to set up the Switch and Mario Kart in the next room, Kate laughed at him and shook her head. He hadn’t come close to beating her the last time they’d played.

After Kate won their first Grand Prix undefeated, Charlotte hooted for Kate, calling out, “Girls beat boys! Girls are better than boys! Right Kate—Amma?”

Grinning up at her, Kate high fived her, trying not to cry again, and said, “That’s right, bunny.”

Although the back deck of Bridgerton House in April was not as warm as Cyprus was in March, the sun was actually shining, which meant it was more than pleasant for London.

They sat together at a wrought iron table, not bothering to get the cushions and opting to sit on the cold bare seats. “Kate heard what you called her,” Anthony told him softly, looking at Colin as he watched him quietly. “She was really upset and hurt.”

“I’m so sorry, Anthony,” Colin said solemnly, his eyes wide as he looked at Anthony. “I told Penelope what happened after and she practically walloped me. I was just…”

Colin said up straighter and took a breath. “I always do that to you, I push back, ever since dad died and mum let go. Ever since you were in charge. Penelope told me I needed to get my shit together.”

“You need to apologise to Kate,” Anthony told him, unsure if he was entirely ready to forgive him. Kate had been so upset after that family dinner—the memory of it still made his stomach tie up in knots.

“I know, and I will, after this,” Colin said. 

“It really felt like you hated me, back then,” Anthony said softly, remembering the time a sixteen year old Colin had slammed his bedroom door in Anthony’s face, after a particularly bad conference with his school teacher. 

Shrugging, Colin looked away, a frown on his face. “I kind of did.” Sighing, he turned back and said, “And I’m sorry for that, too.”

“You were in a lot of pain,” Anthony conceded softly, reaching out to squeeze his shoulder. 

“Yeah, Anthony,” Colin replied, his voice louder now, “but so were you!”

He stood and stalked away from Anthony along the terrace, taking a breath before stalking back. “Listen, I said some really insensitive things to you when everything was going down, and I’m really really sorry. Your relationship, what happened with Greg, wasn’t any of my business! I should have trusted you.”

By the end of his rant, Colin was red-faced and his eyes were glassy.

“Alright,” Anthony said as he stood, his hands out. “It’s alright, I forgive you, it’s alright.”

Taking a step forward, Anthony pulled his little brother into his arms and held him tightly. “I love you, Colin,” he said as he pulled back. “Now, will you please go talk to Kate?”

Wiping wetness from his cheeks and sniffling, Colin nodded before they went back into the house.

After all was said and done, apologies were made and accepted, and hugs were doled out. The three brothers shared an ale before dinner, and Colin volunteered to help Anthony cook the meal. Gregory also offered to assist, though it was clear he was mostly getting in the way, even though Anthony didn’t have the heart to tell him that.

Kate sat quietly and listened to them, grinning every now and again at their antics, more than happy to join in when prompted by Colin and Greg. It had made Anthony’s heart feel whole to have them all together again.

When  his brothers left, Kate sat at the kitchen table with Edmund to help him with his maths homework. After kissing them both on the tops of their heads, Anthony had taken on bath and bed duty with Charlotte. 

“I really liked having Uncle Colin and Gregory for dinner, papa,” Charlotte said from where she knelt in her pyjamas on her bed, her favourite stuffed bunny, Bun-bun, clasped in her arms. When Bun-bun’s ear had fallen off the year prior, Anthony had taken his suture kit out and carefully sewed it back on, and it still had thick white suture threads showing.

“I think they also really enjoyed spending time with you,” Anthony replied, holding a boxed set of Paddington Bear books. “Did you want to start these?” he asked, trying to dig his finger behind the first one to pull it out. 

“Uncle Gregory said they were his favourite,” Charlotte said, nodding vigorously, before climbing under the covers of her bed with Bun-bun. 

For a second, Anthony saw a little boy with chestnut curls and the sweetest dimples under a Blues Clues comforter, and grinned. “We used to read them every night, until Greg could recite them from memory.”

The first book in hand, Anthony lounged against the pillows next to Charlotte with his arm around her, and opened it to the first page, hearing the brand new book spine crackle. He took a breath to start but stopped when she put her hand over the words. 

“Papa,” she said quietly. “Was Uncle Gregory and Uncle Colin mad at me and Neddy?”

“Why would you think that?” Anthony asked, tightening his arm around her.

“They never came to visit,” she said quietly, her eyes on the book, “not since for a while.”

Letting out an unsteady breath, Anthony kissed the top of her head. “No, bunny, they were mad at me .”

Charlotte turned to look up at her. “But why?”

Sighing, Anthony looked away for a minute, trying to respond in a way she’d understand. “They were cross with me for leaving mumma. And I think it was hard for them to see me and Kate together.”

“Oh,” she said, looking away, and locking her hands together in her lap. “But I coulda told them it would be okay, ‘cause Neddy and I love amma and mumma like-likes mister Bert.”

Hugging her tightly to his side, Anthony bent over again to kiss the top of her head, blinking away the sudden burn of tears. If only they could all see the world through Charlotte’s eyes. Clearing his throat, he looked down at the first page of the book. 

“You know, bunny,” he said, “I’ve been talking to Kate about having a day, just you and me, before the baby comes. What do you think about that?”

“Just us?” Charlotte asked excitedly. “Can I ride a horse, papa? And can we go to the doll store? And get ice cream? Can I take Bun-bun?”

Laughing, Anthony nodded. “Whatever you want to do, you can set the itinerary.” 

“We can show Bun-bun the bunnies at the pet shop,” she said, tapping her fingers on the book. “And the orange kittens!”

After a few more enthusiastic requests, Anthony promised to write them all down and began to read. When Charlotte fell asleep against him twenty minutes later, he gently disentangled himself and tucked her in before going in search of Edmund and Kate.

“It’s almost eight o’clock, Neddy,” Anthony said, looking up from his book toward the ancient ormolu clock on the drawing room mantle.

Beside Kate on the opposite sofa, Edmund, already in his pyjamas, sighed, and put his book down. “Um, Kate,” he said, while looking at the carpet and digging his toe into the rough wool.

“Yeah?” Kate replied, bending over to look him in the eye.

“Will you read with me tonight before I go to sleep?” he asked, finally looking at her bashfully with wide solemn eyes.  

Suddenly unable to talk, Kate nodded at him, and allowed Edmund to help her rise from the sofa. When she turned to Anthony, he was grinning down at his book. Blinking away tears, she walked with Edmund down the hall to his bedroom.

The little boy’s bedroom had white walls, but a massive rug shaped like a dinosaur covered most of the old wooden flooring. On one wall was a large glowing solar system art piece, against another was his desk, covered in action figures, scraps of paper, and random books. The full sized bed was made and together they removed the copious stuffed animals. 

“We get in together,” Edmund informed Kate, pulling the covers back and climbing in. 

Feeling a rush, her face split into an impossibly wide smile, Kate joined him. When Edmund cuddled against her, she put her arm around him. 

“I’m reading The Mysterious Benedict Society,” he explained, holding up the soft cover. “Uncle Ben thought it was funny when he got it for me, but it’s actually really good.”

The cover was yellow and there was a large Victorian house emblazoned on the cover.

“Where I’m at, there’s these four smart kids who’re going on a spy mission there,” he explained, pointing to the house, “they just started.”

“Okay,” Kate said as he opened up the book to an early chapter where his bookmark was placed.

“Dad always reads the first chapter and then I do the next one,” he said, pointing to the page. “You can read this one.”

After depositing a kiss in his chestnut curls, Kate began to read. When it was Edmund’s turn, she was genuinely surprised at how well he read aloud, slow and steady, sounding out the longer words and not needing to ask for help. Though he did ask a few times what a word meant.

“We usually only do two,” he said to her when he finished his chapter, shifting to lay down beside her. 

“Well,” Kate replied, looking down and brushing some of his curls from his forehead, “you can keep reading if you want, I won’t tell your papa.”

The way Edmund smiled sweetly up at her sent a pang through her heart.

“Um, Kate,” Edmund said, after grabbing a stuffed fox from the floor to hug.

“Yeah?” Kate asked, sliding to lay down beside him. 

Absent-mindedly, he reached out and put his hand on her belly. “Um,” he began, tapping his fingers lightly. 

Kate took his hand in hers. “It’s okay,” she whispered, “you can tell me anything.”

Wide brown eyes regarded her. “What does amma mean?” he asked in a whisper.

Heart racing, Kate took a breath, before saying, “It’s Tamil for mumma.”

“Oh,” he replied, looking at their hands. “I feel kinda weird calling you Kate.”

“You can call me whatever you want, Neddy,” she replied, her voice shaking.

“S’okay if I call you amma, too?” he asked, looking up at her with pleading eyes, as if she’d say no.

Barely able to speak, Kate bit back a sob and nodded. “Yes,” she said, reaching over to stroke his cheek. 

“Okay,” Edmund said tiredly, pulling his blanket over his shoulder and pressing his stuffed fox under his chin. “G’night, Amma, love you.”

Kate didn’t really remember leaving his room when she found herself in the hallway. There was a buzzing in her ears as she made her way to the staircase and descended it. 

Had it really only been six months since she’d met Anthony’s kids? Feeling completely dazed, wondering how she’d gotten here in less than a year—though unable to conceive the thought of not having them in her life—she circled the stairs and turned to Anthony’s study.

Sitting next to the sole lit lamp and bathed in golden light, he had his readers on and was typing something into his laptop. His specs were held together at the bridge by masking tape, as he hadn’t had time to get a new pair since Cyprus. There was something very rogue-ish about him wearing broken frames. 

Wordlessly, Kate squeezed his shoulder and pushed him back, his arms coming around her automatically as she sat lowered herself onto his lap. Anthony’s happy sigh almost did her in.

“Did Edmund call you amma?” he asked quietly after he took his glasses off, squeezing her tightly with one arm, and with the other, making soothing strokes down her body. 

Unable to talk, Kate could only nod from where she rested her head on his shoulder. 

“We talked about it earlier,” he explained, “they asked what they could call you and I told them to ask you. They wanted it to be a surprise.”

Unable to hold the deluge back, Kate fell to pieces in his arms.

After rearranging the sofas and tea tables in the drawing room, Kate scuttled downstairs quickly to answer the doorbell. When she saw Marina on the other side, she smiled and drew her into a hug, though it was awkward, each of them heavily pregnant.

“Thank you for arriving early,” Kate said, grabbing her arm and leading her toward the staircase that led to the kitchen. “Can you help me get the tea trays ready? We can have Henry and Simon carry them upstairs after they arrive.”

“I’d love to,” Marina replied, following Kate down the stairs. “So, Kate, how is the new job going?”

Pausing mid-step, Kate turned to look at Marina, a smile on her face. “I love it, working from home is wonderful, and everyone on the team has been so supportive. I’ll miss everyone when my contract is over—especially the children.”

“Hopefully they’ll extend you an offer after your maternity leave,” Marina said as they reached the bottom. 

“That would be amazing,” Kate told her, grinning as she rounded the kitchen island, warmth spreading through her. It was odd to suddenly find herself with everything she had dreamed of—her own family, a loving partner, and a career, as though it all happened when she wasn’t looking.

It was certainly strange for her to feel so happy all of a sudden, after things had gotten rocky in Cyprus. It felt like her and Anthony had blinked and all of a sudden they were content. Still, she was trying to ignore the odd feeling she’d developed over the years, the expectation that something bad would happen, bringing her down to rock bottom again. 

Popping the kettle on, Kate motioned toward a few pastry containers that sat in front of two tea silvers trays holding several porcelain dishes. She had dug the tee trays out of the silver closet , still in disbelief that such a thing existed. 

“Now that the family knows your news,” Kate said, looking at Marina’s belly, “I guess I wanted to tell you that I know what you’re going through, with the Bridgertons.”

“Because we both cheated on one?” Marina asked sardonically.

Wondering if she’d mistepped, Kate looked at her with wide eyes. When Marina laughed, Kate let out a sigh, reaching to place a few pastries onto a porcelain plate. 

“There is that,” Kate said. “I mean to say, you’re welcome here any time, Marina. I know the circumstances are… fraught, but I’m here if you need someone to talk to. Your wife already hates me—I never thought there would be a silver lining to that.”

“Plus, our babies are both due around the same time,” Marina supplied, filling another porcelain dish.

“Yes.” Kate smiled her at, realising she genuinely liked Marina. “How are things with the father?” she asked.

“George is…” Marina began, taking a breath. “He’s in the military, about to be deployed again, and he said he’s not ready for this.”

“I’m sorry, I know you must have conflicting feelings about that. Would you have…” Kate began, but didn’t think she could voice the question aloud: ‘Would you have left Eloise?’ She felt a little bit like a hypocrite, but hoped Marina understood. 

Marina looked at her and appeared deep in thought. “If he wanted to actually be with me, and Eloise kept on like this, I think she would’ve pushed me into his arms. I don’t know if he and I would have made it, considering he’s gone more than he’s here, but I can see myself wanting to be with someone who isn’t constantly put out by my every action.”

“I’m sorry, Marina, I know it’s difficult, especially being pregnant.” Kate‘s heart dropped again over this entire situation—though she tried not to think of Eloise she knew it was hard on both of them.

“The good news is,” Marina added, forcing a smile, “George’s sister does want to be involved.”

They worked quietly plating pastries as Marina’s words hung in the air. When Kate put the pastry boxes aside, Marina continued, “The truth is, I may not be in the scandalous spouses club for much longer. Please don’t tell anyone, but El and I are going to have a trial separation. I think… I can see now that it was never going to work. Even though she was the one who argued against it, she’s lost complete trust in me, and rightly so. I can’t see us working our way back from that.”

“Is that what you want?” Kate asked softly, stepping over to lean against the counter in front of Marina.

Marina shook her head sadly. “No and I don’t know why I did it, the cheating. Eloise and I had gotten into a fight, I stormed out and I just… the second I ran into George in his military fatigues at the pub I knew what would happen.”

Even though Kate couldn’t imagine herself in that situation with Anthony, she nodded along. “I’m glad you have George’s sister, at least,” Kate said, unsure of what else there was to say.

Nodding, all of the pastries plated, Marina looked at Kate. 

“I’m curious, after everything that happened in Cyprus,” Kate said, “About Eloise. What was her relationship with Anthony like before his divorce? Anthony rarely talks about it.”

Crossing her arms, Marina looked off into the distance. “It was very surface level,” she said. “He and El never had a lot in common, although Anthony always attended her special events. And she would never hesitate to call him when she got in trouble—was too drunk at the bar, her faucet was leaky, whatever. Regardless of what he was doing, he’d take care of it, pick her up, call a plumber, etcetera.”

Acts of service, Kate thought and smiled. One of Anthony’s love languages—even though he often took it too far. 

“What are Eloise’s love languages,” Kate asked.

Smiling at her, Marina’s cheeks dimpled. “Quality time, definitely,” she explained, her voice softening. “When we tried therapy a few years ago, she had been getting better at the ones I needed. Compliments, touch. But of course, that’s all over now.”

“It’s a lot to deal with,” Kate said softly before she heard the front door open. A minute later, Henry and Simon quickly descended the basement stairs, their footfalls soft on the plush carpet runner.

“Things have been too heavy,” Marina said after she and Kate greeted them. “I need some fun.”

Simon grabbed a tiny chocolate biscuit and popped it into his mouth, letting out a low groan, after saying sorry with his mouth full. Shaking his head at Simon, Henry looked toward the kitchen table. Edmund’s Uno deck was still sitting there. 

“Well,” Henry said, picking up the cards, “this looks like fun.”

Later, Kate found herself, for the second time that week, laughing so hard at Uno that she had to dash to the powder room.

One lazy Saturday morning, the day after dropping the kids off at Stephanie’s, Kate and Anthony were more than content to while their time away warm in bed. 

“I love my kids,” Anthony said, his chest pressed to Kate’s back, his lips gliding across her neck, “but it’s nice to not have to worry about getting them up, getting them fed, making sure their bums are clean, breaking up the fight over the last waffle.”

“Making sure their bums are clean?” Kate asked, huffing into her pillow. She grabbed Anthoy’s hand and clasped it tightly to her chest. 

“You have to check,” Anthony explained, his voice dry. “They’re better at it, now. Edmund used to forget and I’d find him squirming in his chair, sticking his hand down there.”

“A dad can always tell,” Kate joked, laughing against him, “if their kid has a dirty bum.”

“I suppose it’s not so crazy after you’ve been changing their dirty nappies for years.” 

“How do you feel about doing that all over again?” Kate asked, turning in his arms so she could look at him. He smiled down at her and glided his hand atop her belly, the tips of his fingers grazing where her belly button had popped out. 

“Maybe it’s the years of little to no sleep,” he replied, his voice warm with affection. “They’ve compromised my higher reasoning, or maybe it’s my memory that’s shot, but I’m really excited.”

“Good,” Kate whispered, placing her hand on his cheek before rising to kiss him. 

Pressing their clasped hands to his chest, Anthony took a breath to speak. “The future Mrs. Bridgerton,” he said with a chuckle when she narrowed her eyes at him, “how about I make you breakfast.”

“That would be wonderful,” she said, “the future Mr. Sharma.”

Anthony was laughing when he threw his legs over the side of the mattress and got up, his bare bottom stark white compared to the warm golden tan that spanned the rest of his body. 

Later, as they were munching on the last of the toast, Anthony brought a green folder over to the table from the counter, his cheeks flushed. He was dressed in pants and an old ratty navy robe, the top hanging open, showing Kate a tempting strip of dark curly chest hair.

Kate, in knickers and Anthony’s oversized jumper from Oxford, tucked her leg beneath her and looked at him with her brow wrinkled in curiosity.

“I received your cards yesterday,” Anthony said, opening the folder, and pulling two credit cards out. One was a green bank card and the other a black American Express made of metal, not plastic. “This is for the family account and the other is my—our credit account—I put all of our big purchases on it.”

Kate had never seen a black Amex, only heard about them, always unsure if they actually existed. Her name was emblazoned on the front and her fingers trembled when she slid it over to look at it closely. Her eyes widened when Anthony laid out two bank statements. 

“This is our family account,” he explained, pointing at the balance. “My income goes in here, and this is my trust fund, it’s attached. I put all of our expenses, bills, payments, here. All of the other stuff, household repairs, our kids’ and my sibling’s trust funds, tuition, that comes from the estate account.”

When he slid over a statement from the estate account, she had to count the number of digits three times before she was sure she saw the true value. “I try to look at this as not belonging to me,” he continued. “Daphne and I manage our investments and such with our financial advisor. My father already had all of the trust funds established when he passed—and the tuition funds. I’ve only had to establish them for Edmund and Charlotte, and we’ll do them for the baby.”

“Anthony,” Kate asked, feeling slightly dazed from seeing such a number existed. She felt a little sheepish, she’d seen the houses, the cars, the way his siblings lived, but she had never even put thought to how that had all been possible. “You don’t need to put me on this,” she explained, pointing at the estate balance with a shaky hand.

“You already are,” he replied, squeezing her thigh tightly under the table. He was looking down at the papers, but blinking rapidly and had to swallow once before talking. “After my father passed in the car accident,” he explained, clearing his throat, “I wasn’t on any of it, it was all my mum, and she had to sign it all over to me before she went and got treatment… I know I have a lot to explain.”

He squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed them hard with the tips of his fingers. “I think she resented me,” he said, turning to her, his face a little paler, eyes downturned. “I want to make sure everyone is protected, if anything happens to us. Colin and Daphne are on it and Edmund will be when he turns eighteen.”

They sat quietly for a minute as Anthony breathed deeply. Kate pulled his hand into her lap and squeezed it. A black Amex and two bank accounts larger than she’d ever seen in her life, it was a lot to take in. 

“Um, I…” she began, trying to get her thoughts in order, holding the heavy metal Amex in her other hand, marvelling at how cool and solid it felt. There was a subtle buzzing in her ears and a distinct lack of thoughts. She felt like she’d just sat down for an exam she hadn’t studied for.

“I’ll give you some time,” Anthony said softly, caressing the top of her hand with his thumb. “Why don’t I draw you a bath?”

“This is really happening,” Kate whispered, looking across the table. 

“Like I said in Cyprus,” he said, “I want you to be my partner. In every way.”

“Will you please be nice to her?” Kate asked, her voice laced with exasperation, as she waved her hand at Anthony in the driver’s seat. 

“I’m being nice,” he replied, frustration clear in the strain of his voice, his knuckles going white on the steering wheel. 

Shaking her head, Kate touched the light tan dashboard, patting it like it was her baby. “It’ll be okay, he’s nice after you get to know him.”

“You are unbelievable,” he said before laughing. 

“She can hear you,” Kate cut back.

“It’s a car , love.” Turning off of the highway, Anthony started down an empty country road. “We’re almost there.”

They were in fact sitting in Kate’s new car, just picked up from the dealership the day before. Kate, not having driven since she lived at her mum’s, was still getting used to being in the driver’s seat. She had resisted at first, offering to take Anthony’s current car, and him getting a new one, but he’d refused and laughed at her. 

He had all but dragged her to the dealership and she thought sticker shock alone would have kept her from agreeing to any of them, however the moment she’d sat in this one, she was a goner. It was a silver hybrid Audi Q4 SUV with a buttery soft light leather interior. Anthony had revealed later that he’d hoped she’d like that one specifically, because it had the best crash rating out of the cars they’d looked at.

Kate had thought about teasing him, having done such thorough car research in advance, but he had been so serious when he’d said it, that she had kissed him instead. She had a feeling it had something to do with his father dying in a car accident, but they had been at the dealership, and she didn’t want to push him. 

They were on their way to Aubrey Hall, for Kate’s birthday, and for the anniversary of the death of Edmund Bridgerton. A few of his family members and the kids were due in a few days, and Violet in particular wished to discuss wedding details for family weekend the following month. 

The family accounts came to mind again as Anthony slowed behind an ancient Volvo station wagon with a silver-haired woman in the driver’s seat. The other day he had said that Colin and Daphne had had access to the estate account—pointedly leaving Benedict off. 

“Babe,” Kate said, disturbing the silence in the car as a pastoral scene rolled by. 

“Hmm?” he replied, looking at her for a moment.

“Why isn’t Benedict on the estate account?” she asked softly.

Anthony sighed, his hands tightening on the wheel. “When he turned twenty-five and was able to access his trust fund, he ran into some trouble.”

Sitting quietly, Kate watched Anthony, his eyes locked on the car in front of them. “Some trouble” sounded like more than just some. 

“Neddy was only a few weeks old and my ex and I were fighting a lot,” he said quietly, “I lost track of Ben…”

They came upon an intersection, the woman in front going straight after stopping at a light, and Anthony flipped the blinker to turn right. “I made him agree to go rehab, but it didn’t take,” he explained after time. “And then again and again, but thank god the third time did. In the end, when all was said and done, his trust fund was gone.”

A lake appeared on the passenger side of the road and Kate looked out at family homes with docks moored close to the shore, a few folks outside doing yard work, getting ready for the summer season. 

“He had gone into the estate account at some point,” Anthony said, “our advisor called me immediately and we took care of it, but after that, it was tough to trust him. In the end he told me he was happy to not have that responsibility and wanted to be kept off it.”

“Ah.” Kate reached out to squeeze his thigh and he immediately grabbed her hand—Kate’s new SUV was an automatic and there was no frequent shifting. It meant they could hold hands while he drove, which had come as a nice surprise. 

“Benedict shouldn’t have gotten his trust fund all at once,” he said some time later, clearly lost in thought. “I won’t make that mistake again. Kate, I want our kids to go to uni and to work, I don’t want them to think they can just skate by in life—not that my family does. But I’ve seen what money can do to people and I really want to protect our children from it.”

“Me too,” she said softly, eyes back on the road, “me too.”

Chapter Text

After parking in the large front gravel lot at Aubrey Hall, when Anthony turned the engine off neither he nor Kate moved from their seats. Though Kate could only see a few windows and the grey facade covered in wisteria, the sight of it gave her chills. She hasn’t been back since that scandalous weekend when both of their lives had changed forever.

“Do you think of your father when you’re here?” she asked, not taking her eyes off of the big house. 

Anthony took a moment to respond, and even when he did, all he said was, “Yes.”

When Kate undid her seatbelt, Anthony turned to look at her. “When I was with you last summer, I wasn’t thinking about his passing, mostly because I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”

A laugh escaped Kate’s lips, and her eyes went wide as she covered her mouth—Anthony narrowed his eyes at her. She knew he had been serious when he spoke but the truth was, he’d been ravenous for her. “Baby,” she said gently, patting his hand, “you couldn’t stop thinking about how much you wanted to take my clothes off.”

Chuckling, Anthony fell against the seat back. “I was trying to be romantic.”

Laughing with him, Kate had to squeeze her legs together to keep from losing it right in her shiny new car. “I love you, but I have to wee.”

When Kate opened her eyes in the morning, she could see Anthony on his side watching her, his head propped up on his bent arm. His hair was sticking up in all directions, the finger trails she’d left in it from the night before still visible.

“How’d you sleep?” he asked, bending over to press a kiss to her forehead. His breath smelled minty—she wondered how long he’d been awake.

“Mmm,” was all Kate could say, stretching her back before pressing her cheek further into her pillow. 

“Happy Birthday, love,” Anthony said, grinning, just as her eyes were about to drift shut. From under the covers, he dangled a necklace before her eyes. It had a gold chain and a large square cut emerald on a simple setting. Kate was suddenly very awake. 

Blinking at him, Kate’s mouth fell open. “Anthony,” she breathed, pushing herself up to sit against the headboard. With shaky hands, she took it when he held it out to her. 

“You didn’t need to get me anything,” she said, though her focus was on the large gem and how it reflected the morning sun. It must have cost a fortune, her stomach tightened at the thought. “You’re spoiling me, Anthony. A car, a new phone—“

“Those are necessities, love,” he said gently before rising to sit beside her and look at the necklace. “I didn’t want your birthday gift to be a necessity.”

“Well, it’s beautiful,” she said softly, knowing she didn’t have much fight inside of her. The necklace was beautiful.

“I thought,” Anthony began, taking a breath, “I know you’re planning to wear your amma’s emerald bangles on our wedding day, I thought it could match.”

Pressing her lips together, Kate’s chin wobbled as her vision blurred. Closing the necklace into a locked fist, she scooted over to give Anthony a kiss. 

“Want to try it on?” he asked when she pulled away.

“Perhaps I should put a shirt on first,” Kate replied, looking down at her bare breasts.

“Now, why would you do that?” Anthony asked, his voice deeper. Kate’s hand went weak as he took the gem from her palm.

Bending forward, Kate lifted her hair and felt his hand on her neck, then the cold gem settling between her breasts. “There,” he said against her skin, only shifting to look at her as she leaned back against the headboard.

“Does it suit me?” she asked, fingering the gem where it rested right above her breastbone. Shyly meeting his eyes, a soft gasp escaped her lips when she noticed his pupils had blown wide, his wide hungry eyes indecently staring at her chest. 

Groaning, Anthony leaned forward and kissed the side of Kate’s jaw, before peppering kisses down her neck. Clinging to him, Kate felt goosebumps pebble across her skin when his tongue followed the trail of the gold chain down to her breasts. 

“Fancy a bath with me?” he asked, his voice a rumble.

“I would, yes,” Kate said, running her hand up his bare arm. 

“Want to sit on my cock in the tub?” Grinning mischievously at her, he slid out of bed, his heavy erection hanging low as he stood. He had to have been hiding that since before she woke up.

Letting out a low laugh, Kate allowed him to pull her out of bed and lead her toward the tub.

The claw foot tub was deep and Kate’s hair laid in wet ropes over Anthony’s shoulder. He was inside of her, his arms clinging to the walls of the tub, hers over his, her nails digging into the tops of his hands. Trembling beneath her, Anthony tried to hold onto his composure. 

The water was hot and sloshed as she moved her thigh and unwittingly stimulated him. Flexing his lower abdominals, he was able to subtly move his cock, sliding it against her g-spot and eliciting a low sultry moan. The fucking necklace he’d bought her still resting between her breasts, making him want to eat her, all of her. 

“What do you want for your birthday?” he asked, his voice low and animalistic. Kate writhed against him, her nose nuzzling his cheek mindlessly. “Want me to keep you on the edge until lunch? Or make you come over and over?”

When she didn’t answer, he extracted one of his hands from her grip, and lowered it into the water. He teased his finger along her slit, keeping it as far from her clit as he could. Her cunt gripped him hard and he had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from crying out. 

“The edge, baby,” he whispered in her ear, before stroking her again as she cried, “or come over and over?”

“Something new. The edge,” she whined, pressing against him, her hips grinding back into him. 

“Can you be a good girl in the bath?” He asked, his lips gliding across the edge of her ear as he stroked her again, this time farther from her core. Kate whined and mindlessly nuzzled his jaw. “Will you listen to your daddy?”

The whimper she made in response made his balls tighten and he had to grip the edge of the tub hard to keep himself from thrusting hard up into her.

“Tell me you’ll be a good girl,” he said with a growl, the fingers that had been teasing her now biting into her thigh.

“I’ll be a good girl, daddy,” she whined, digging her nails deeper into his skin. 

“Then hold still on daddy’s cock,” he replied, grabbing her free hand and locking it against her chest. In response, she flexed her muscles, squeezing him inside of her, her back arching and relaxing against him. 

“N-naughty girl,” he said darkly in her ear, his voice stuttering. Sliding his hand up her body, he grasped her breast fully, keeping his grip gentle. Fuck, he thought, the weight of her heavy taut breast in his palm felt glorious, making him ravenous for her all the more. 

“Ah!” Kate put her hand over his—her breasts were tender, she’d told him, but he couldn’t spank her in this position for her naughtiness.

“Does it hurt too much to keep going?” he asked quietly, loosening his grip.

“No,” she whispered, and moaned when he tightened his fingers. When she contracted her muscles around his cock again, he squeezed her breast harder, pushing her body against his chest.

“You like that?” he asked, flexing pelvic muscles again and jolting his cock inside of her. 

“Anthony,” she whined, trembling on top of him. 

“Your daddy asked you a question,” he whispered hotly in her ear, his fingers under the water digging into her thigh and dragging a trail down her leg to her slit until he covered it with his palm.

“Y-yes,” she cried when he stimulated her clit, jolting against him as he began to massage her once more. His finger tip made a long trail between her legs, fondling where his cock nestled inside her, and then back up. Even though his hands were shaking, his cock throbbing inside of her, he took his time. With the tip of one finger, he teased her clitoris straight on in a tight little circle and Kate whimpered, her muscles tightening as she went stiff and then soft against his body.

“That’s a good girl,” he whispered, removing his fingers once more and ignoring her little whine of protest. After a minute, he did it again, reaching down to stroke his cock, before dragging his fingers in long lines up and down her slit.

He worked her up over and over again in the tub, until he was more than ready to slam into her and come. When the water turned luke-warm he reluctantly pulled the tub drain, pulled out with a long groan, and gently pushed her forward so he could stand, and then dragged her up with a great rush of water. 

Still standing in the tub, Kate clung to his shoulders, her legs trembling against him. Grabbing a towel from a nearby stool, he quickly patted it down her body and then his, before stepping out and bending to lift her into his arms.

“Anthony!” Kate protested, her arms quickly circling him tightly, fingertips digging hard into his shoulders. 

“I have you, love,” he grunted, tightening his arms, suddenly afraid of what would happen if he were to drop her. 

When he gently set her down, still damp, upon their bed her new emerald necklace rested in the damp hollow at the base of her throat. The sight of it only ramped up his need for her. 

When he touched her core, kneeling over her, she jolted. Her flesh was pink and swollen and still damp from the bath, the skin hot, her cunt gripping him hard when he dipped two fingers inside of her. 

“Want daddy’s cock?” he asked, positioning himself between her legs, and teasing her clit with the head of his dick. 

“Please, please, daddy,” she begged, arching her back as she spread her legs wider for him. 

Swallowing, Anthony’s hand trembled when he placed the tip at her entrance again and pushed into her warm, wet, depths. She practically clamped around him, drawing him in deeper, and he had to contract his muscles hard to keep from falling onto her bodily. 

“Remember, you can’t come until daddy says,” he grunted, pushing himself in to the hilt, until his thighs pressed to hers. Grabbing her legs, he pressed them up, raising her hips, his fingers pressing into her skin. 

Kate, eyes only slits now, nodded vigorously up at him until her head was moving from side to side against a pillow, her hands clasping the pillow case so tightly that it was bowing under her. 

He held himself still, though it took real effort with the vision of her splayed before him, with her thighs pressed against the sides of her belly, her back arched, her eyes dark and sultry, his cock buried deep inside her. Letting go of one thigh, he ran this thumb along her clit, making her buck against him and cry out. 

“Daddy, please,” she cried, her eyes screwed shut now. “Please fuck me so hard.”

“No,” he replied, his thumb only teasing her lightly, watching as her little swollen clit moved as he massaged it from the side. 

Since he’d known her, she’d squirted onto him a few times, usually after he’d given her multiple orgasms in a row. He wondered if he could edge her into squirting all over him, the thought making him groan as he thrust into her subtly. 

Christ, she was tight, her muscles clamping down on him whenever he so much as shifted a millimetre. He’d take this memory of her like this with him after, bringing it up every time he was not with her and needed a wank. 

“You don’t know what you do to daddy, baby,” he complained, dragging the pad of his thumb hard up her clit again, Kate in turn jolting her hips and trembling against him. “Fuck, it won’t take much to come you come, will it?”

Apparently unable to think, Kate shook her head against the pillow, her eyes tightly shut, mouth hanging open as she panted. 

Experimentally, he teased his thumb against the tip of her clit again, making her cry out. When he took his thumb away, she opened her eyes and gave him a withering stare. Laughing darkly now, he did it again, circling the tip of his thumb against her and making her body jolt and spasm around his cock, before stopping. 

Next, he put pressure on it, sliding it up and along her, eliciting a long low keening whimper. When he stopped moving, merely pressing it down, she shook her hips, trying to make friction, to repeat the sensation. 

“How long can I make it last?” he asked, his voice a deep rasp, his fingers teasing the base of his cock and the lips of her pussy. “What noises will you make for me, baby?”

Pushing her thighs back hard again, he pressed his hips into her until she called his name, placing her hands over his and digging her nails into his skin. 

“Do you think if you’re naughty I’ll let you come sooner?” he asked, taking her wrists and pressed them down beside her against the mattress. “I’ll just make you beg longer.”

When Kate squeezed her muscles around his cock, he grunted and grabbed her breast. “Naughty, naughty,” he chided, pinching her nipple and pulling. Kate cried out in protest, arching her back and thrusting her hips down, sending another jolt of need through his cock. 

“Maybe I won’t let you come at all,” he rasped, pinching her nipple again and rolling it between his finger tips.

The dark stare Kate gave him was withering, her brows low, her lips pursed. “Then I’ll never suck your cock again,” she said, her voice husky and hard. 

“Threatening daddy?” he asked, pursing his lips and thrusting his hips hard enough to push her higher up on the bed. 

“I want to come, daddy,” she whined, gripping his arm as she writhed against his cock again, fucking him as he sat still and groaned, paralysed for a moment as she squeezed him. 

Unsure what he could do now, but still wanting to drag it out, Anthony placed his thumb against her clit once more, pressing in. “Naughty, naughty girl,” he ground out, removing his thumb, then pressing it again, giving her just a bit of stimulation, then pulling away.

“But I want you to come inside me,” she complained, eyes wide and pleading. 

“Christ,” he ground out, stimulating her again, running the pad and thumb along her slit again and again until she was panting, her hands gripping the bed linens below her so tightly he thought she may rip them. 

Fuck, he thought as he teased her, he really wanted her to squirt on him. When she was close, he pulled away, the feel of her cunt squeezing him like an insistent vice. The moisture glistening on her skin wasn’t from the bath any longer—they’d have to bathe again after this. Maybe he’d torture her clit again in the shower. 

“Daddy, please,” she whined, her entire body trembling now, jolting against him when he made a few more unforgiving circles over her. “I don’t—I think—I can’t—.”

When he did it again, after her mindless words petered out, he felt a hot rush of liquid as she squirted onto him. Almost unable to bear it, ready to come so hard inside of her, he stimulated her again and she squirted once more all over him.

“Oh, baby,” he cried out, his entire body trembling. “Can you—can you—.”

When he jolted his hips against her, she did it again. “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” was all Anthony could say, as he leaned forward and began to thrust into her.

“Anthony!” Kate cried, reaching up to cling to him, her entire body convulsing as she finally began to come. He thought she’d jolt off of the bed, so he held her arms tightly, still thrusting into her as his world exploded.

Her pussy was like a vice, clamping around him so tightly that he saw stars, that his mind was momentarily somewhere else, in another world, another place, somewhere drifting as fire blazed across his body. Leaning heavy on his arms now, pressing into the mattress, he didn’t remember letting go of Kate’s wrists as he spasmed against her body, his cock still sparking mildly painful aftershocks, each one drawing a deep cry from his throat. And somehow, Kate’s pussy was still pulsing around him, pulling him inside her, even though less each time, each contraction sent more and more sparks burning through his muscles.

When he withdrew his cock from her, he felt one last jolt of pain-laced pleasure, before he collapsed beside her. Kate was still convulsing in small jolts as she cried, her hips still mindlessly digging into the mattress. When he reached forward to touch her clit, she shouted, gripping his hand so hard he thought she might have broken it.

“Enough,” she cried, jolting against his hand. When he withdrew, her hand was still on his wrist, and he could feel her trembling as her eyes drifted closed. 

It was only then that Anthony realised that their mattress was absolutely soaked. He wondered if she’d squirted more while they were coming and hadn’t noticed. It was a shame—the mattress was brand new, just acquired by his property manager. Even so, if it wasn’t salvageable, it had been worth it. 

And yet, maybe it was salvageable and maybe it would always smell like Kate now. 

When Kate had finally been able to rise from the bed, her legs had trembled beneath her. Her cunt was still swollen, so much so that she could acutely feel it between her thighs. And it throbbed, a little shock of pain going off with every step, but it had been more than worth it. She probably would not have risen from their bed if she hadn’t been so hungry—completely shocked when they made it down to the kitchen that it was well past one in the afternoon.

Wearing only a robe barely covering her belly, Kate sat heavily in a kitchen chair, her bare feet pressed against cool tile, as she fingered the massive square cut emerald still hanging between her breasts. 

Anthony was still naked—it was her birthday after all—and bustling around the kitchen to make her a sandwich. 

At Aubrey Hall, the kitchen had been added in the last fifty years, on the main floor in the northern facing rooms that were once a library. It didn’t get direct sunlight, but it was still bright, a nice, cool, welcoming environment to relax in after being thoroughly fucked by her future husband.

When he placed a veggie sandwich in front of her, after adding several greasy crisps to it as she liked, she’d torn into it, losing sense of time as she ate. When she was done, and leaned back in her chair with a satisfied sigh, she didn’t realise Anthony was close until his fingers touched her core.

Kate cried out in surprise, grabbing his hand, but not pulling it away. He merely held his fingers there and sharp sparks of pain-laced pleasure reverberated from her pussy. 

“Still sore?” he asked, eyes dark as he watched her. Looking down, his cock was still soft, but it didn’t matter, it had been clear to her from the beginning that he got off on her getting off.

“Is that a rhetorical question?” she replied, reluctantly pulling his hand away when it started to hurt more than anything else. 

“I wonder if I could make you squirt on the kitchen floor,” he teased, his fingers biting into her thigh again. 

“I can’t believe I…” she began to say, losing her breath for a minute at the memory of the way the strange rush of fluid had felt as it left her body, so hot it had practically burned her sensitive flesh. He’d gotten her to do it over and over again. It had been amazing but she wasn’t sure she’d survive a second attempt on the same day.

“You are the sexiest woman I’ve ever met,” he said, eyes dark again, voice taking on that same rakish rasp that made her go crazy, her mouth already watering even though she didn’t think her body could take any more sex for at least a few hours. 

“I’ve never…” she trailed off, feeling her cheeks burn. It was silly, she knew, to feel embarrassed to talk about squirting out loud, after he’d seen every inch of her body, teased every inch with his tongue. “I mean,” she added, shaking her head, “not like that.”

“It is going to be my life’s mission to make you do that again,” he joked, leaning back in his seat as he watched her, fondling his cock gently. 

“Ha ha,” she said, rolling her eyes. “You can’t possibly be ready for round two.”

“No,” he replied, his cheeks heating, though he kept his hand on his dick. 

“I had Fred arrange for our room and the nursery to be repainted,” Anthony said, opening the door to reveal butter yellow walls, an ancient but beautiful white rattan crib, with a mobile that must have been from the early 1900s, with paper stylized fairies dangling as they moved in a gentle draft. 

“Oh, Anthony,” Kate replied, her voice breathy as she stepped onto the soft seafoam green carpet. Stopping at the side of the crib, she ran her fingers along the white painted edge, her eyes watering. “Did your parents have this when you were a baby?”

Coming up behind her, Anthony wrapped her in his arms and kissed her shoulder. Since they were alone for the entire day, Kate was only wearing an oversized tee from a golf tournament and knickers, and Anthony in something similar, an Oxford uni tee and pants. It had been an extremely nice and relaxing day and Kate was so happy they’d decided to go to Aubrey Hall together for her birthday.

“Yeah,” he said, his voice warm. He reached around her to lift the mattress, revealing a crib board with maybe two dozen names written on it. “These are all the babies that have used this one, including my father and his siblings.”

“Oh my days,” Kate whispered, leaning forward to read the names. Edmund senior, Billie, and their siblings were there, so were several of Anthony’s cousins, and all of his siblings, followed by Edmund II, Augie, and Charlotte. A warm flush flooded her body as hot tears spilled down her cheeks. 

“It’ll have our baby next,” Anthony replied, his arms tightening around her. “Madhav,” he whispered, Kate’s father’s name, “or Chandra,” her mother’s. They had agreed on it only recently and the memory made the rush of happy tears continue. 

“Bridgerton,” she whispered, turning in his arms. His eyes were watering as she pressed her damp cheek to his. “Madhav Bridgerton or Chandra Bridgerton.”

Pulling back, Anthony gripped her hand hard and looked into her eyes. “Are you sure?”

They’d discussed at length whether Kate would change her name and whether they’d use Anthony’s names for any future children. He had been more than open to using Sharma for their children, even joked about changing his name. In the end, Kate had realised that she wanted to share the same name as Edmund and Charlotte, so she’d decided only recently on changing hers.

“I’m sure,” she cried, hugging him tightly as her breath caught in her throat. “I want all of us to have the same name, you, me, Neddy, Charlotte, our baby—babies.”

“Love,” Anthony replied, his arms tight around her as he rested his face against her hair.

Kate and Anthony had shared an amazing birthday weekend alone at Aubrey Hall, followed by a few quiet, calm days working from home during the day and making love at night. Then, as the sun hid behind the clouds on a quiet Friday afternoon, so did the pall of Edmund Bridgerton I’s passing shadow the estate. 

After welcoming Violet, Hyacinth, Anthony’s kids, Daphne, Simon, Colin, and Penelope, and a nice relaxing dinner in the kitchen, Kate had slept beside a scarily quiet Anthony. Normally, Kate would have initiated intimacy, but he’d looked near to tears, so she’d held him against her breast, petting his hair until he fell asleep.

In the morning, she’d awoken to find him staring up at the ceiling. “Did you sleep at all?” she whispered. 

“Some,” he said quietly, turning his head to look at her for a second. He took her hand, holding it tightly against his chest as he laid on his back.

“How did he die, Anthony?” Kate whispered, curling up against his side. “If you’re not ready to tell me, I understand.”

She’d told him how her father died. A terrifying stroke that had left him bedridden, only to watch him deteriorate after further strokes racked his body, landing him in the hospital, unrecognisable and unresponsive until Mary finally agreed to let him go and turn off life support. Kate had hated her for that after, refused to talk to her, focusing on Edwina, and looking back, she was fairly certain her mother hadn’t even noticed, so lost in her grief.

That’s when the drinking had started. 

Anthony had tried to tell her about the car accident, whispering late at night, the words barely audible, but he always clammed up, his throat tightening as he fought to breath.

As he took a breath to speak, she could tell he was calm, eerily calm, even though sadness radiated off of him. “I was driving,” he said, his face crumpling as his breathing hitched and his calmness fled his body. “Dad was in the passenger seat, mum behind me.”

For a moment, he cried, fighting to breathe. Kate rubbed his chest and whispered soothing words. “You don’t have to tell me, love.”

“I want to,” he replied, his voice half-solemn, half-devastated. “I want you to know. Know everything before you marry me.”

As if she would change her mind, Kate thought, pushing up on her arm to kiss his cheek. “Nothing you say could make me love you less,” she whispered against his skin, before settling back down onto her pillow. 

“But I killed him,” he cried, curling up on his side and tightening his arms around her. “I didn’t look, when we turned. I killed him.”

“Oh, Anthony,” she replied, wrapping him tightly in her arms.

“We were hit by a lorry,” he whispered, his breath hitching. “When I came to, he was bleeding out, his leg was trapped, there was blood everywhere. Mum was passed out in the back. The lorry driver was—was slumped against the wheel.”

Anthony took several long deep breaths until his every exhale stopped shuddering. “He looked at me and he knew , there wasn’t much time. He said he loved me and then mum woke up, she screamed, pleaded with him not to go, but then he was gone.”

“My love,” Kate said softly, running her hand down his face and peppering mindless kisses in his hair. 

“I had to pull her out,” he whispered, “the way she screamed at me. She said such awful things. How she wished I—,” he stopped abruptly and shook his head.

“Hush now,” Kate said, massaging his neck with her fingertips, wishing like hell that she could take his pain away. Thinking she’d love to throttle Violet. 

As she waited for him to continue, the clock on the mantle ticked away, the wooden floors creaking downstairs as the family began to wake up and outside, a raven cawed. 

“I had to tell them all, the kids,” he finally said, voice barely audible, disturbing the silence, still pressed against her. “The doctors had sedated mum—she was eight months pregnant.”

Rising up on her arm, Kate wiped his tears away, gently caressing under his eyes and down his cheeks. She didn’t think it was possible but she thought she only loved him more for being so vulnerable with her. “You didn’t kill your father,” she whispered, her voice strong and unwavering as she met his eyes. “You didn’t.”

“Kate,” he replied, his eyes sliding shut as he shook his head.

“Look at me,” she hissed, holding the sides of his face, stopping him from moving.

“You didn’t kill him,” she said again, eyes wide. Heartbroken that he had carried this for all these years and angry with his family for letting him believe it. “You didn’t.”

When he nodded, she feathered his face with light kisses, and then laid on her side to pet his hair, and run gentle hands down his neck and shoulders. The sun had fully lightened their windows when he fell asleep again, pressed to her side.

Later, when he woke again, as they dressed he told her what happened to his mother after his father’s passing, the distraction of dressing helping ebb the stream of grief. On the way to the kitchen for a late breakfast, he pointed to the bathroom where it happened and said he could never go in there again, and held Kate’s hand as they made their way down the stairs. 

Sitting on the old bench by his father’s grave, Anthony let his head fall back as a light drizzle dotted his face. “I wish you could meet her,” he said to no one, the breeze stirring nearby branches, leaves rustling as the rain storm died down.

When footsteps crunched across grass and the seat beside him creaked, he knew it wasn’t Kate who had joined him. He could suddenly hear an echo of his mother’s scream in his head and the jarring sound of metal scraping violently against metal. 

He felt his mother’s hand on his leg and finally sat up, giving her a small sad smile. 

“Anthony, my darling,” she said, shaking his leg. All he could do was stare at her, afraid of an inevitable breakdown like the one that morning while in bed with Kate. “Neddy almost crashed into me in the hallway earlier, running so fast after Augie with socks on, slipping on the hardwood floors.”

The wind seemed to pick up as she spoke and Anthony took a deep quelling breath of air, waiting for where this was going.

“You used to do that, with Benedict,” she added, smiling at Edmund Bridgerton’s memorial stone. “Run through the halls with socks on, seeing how far you could slide, your laughter bouncing off of the walls. It made your father so happy to hear it, even after I told him I worried one of you would break a bone. He said you’d learn.”

Her breath hitched and she withdrew her hand. “We were so happy, for so long,” she whispered and then sighed. “I forgot what that felt like, almost as if it had never happened. When you needed me the most I… I’m so sorry, Anthony, for never saying how sorry I was.”

The things she said to him minutes after his father died echoed through his mind. It was his fault, his fault, his fault. He never learned. Never listened. 

The wrong person had died.

“It wasn’t my fault,” he whispered, finding Kate’s insistence had settled deep inside of his heart, forcing him to look at the eighteen year old version of himself from a distance. He was just a kid. It had been a four way stop. The lorry never stopped.

“No, love,” she whispered sharply, “it never was.”

Nodding at her, he felt his eyes begin to burn, and he thought perhaps he could cry in front of his mother because maybe the rain would mask his grief. He wished she’d told him that years ago. 

“Anthony, you saved my life,” she said next, her hand back on his knee. This time he took hers, gripping her fingers tightly in his, her wedding band biting into his palm. That sight of her that day was burned into his memory, when she’d tried to take her life in the bathtub. All the blood, her skin so pale. He shuddered.

“You got me the help I needed,” she added, leaning back and pulling their joined hands to her lap. “I—I never thanked you for that. I was so humiliated, you saw me naked, you—you held me when I begged you to let me go. I was mortified after, I couldn’t look at it in my mind, let alone discuss it with you.”

Anthony let go of her grip to bend over and bury his face in his hands. “You hated me, when you returned home.”

“I signed it all away to you, Anthony, the houses, guardianship, the money,” she whispered. He could hear the seat creak under her, though he didn’t move, his breath puffed out between his fingers. “It painted you in a whole new light… I—I resented you. For keeping it together… For living.”

Her words hit him like a physical blow, bringing it all up again. That burning pit of agony in his stomach when his mother would rain affection on Benedict and the others, but only to spare him a glance. That first Christmas, when she’d spoiled the children rotten and only giving Anthony money for his school books, money he didn’t need. The resentment in her eyes when he would go to Colin’s teacher conferences and did Daphne’s hair for her recital. 

It had gotten better over the years but the fact that she never talked about it had made the wound only half-heal, the rest festering away. Anthony always wondered if he’d get closure or if she would take it all to her grave. 

“Where is all of this coming from?” he asked suddenly, turning to face her and meeting her gaze. 

“I’ve been in therapy again,” she whispered, reaching for his hand, though his fingers were stiff against hers. “My therapist has been encouraging me to talk to you. I know I was awful to you my darling, that you deserved so much better from me, and I am so so sorry.”

All Anthony could do was watch her, her eyes earnest, her skin pale and face pinched. He believed her, but it had been formative— ingrained— the way she’d treated him, it wasn’t something she could ever take back or fix. “I don’t know how to forgive you,” he whispered, swallowing. 

“I understand,” she replied, reaching forward to swipe her thumb across his cheek. He’d been crying. 

“I became a doctor because you scared me so deeply and I didn’t know how to help you,” he told her, sitting up again and leaning against the bench back. “I needed to know how to save people. You and dad.”

“Oh, Anthony.” She reached up to place her hand on his cheek for a moment. 

To his great surprise, after Anthony left his mother on the bench, the sun had peeked through the clouds. His heart felt light as he cut through a field of tall grass toward the house, the sound of his feet cutting through the thick stalks soothing as he marched at steady pace.

When he saw Kate cutting across the lawn in a floral sundress and sweater, he smiled, his heart warming like it always did when he saw her. 

“I know you said you didn’t want company on your walk,” she said, catching her breath as she reached him, automatically reaching for his hands. “But I saw you cutting across the field from the house and the kids were screaming and I thought I’d meet you on your way back.”

After talking with his mother, Anthony felt like his ability to conjure the right words had temporarily left him. Kate deserved the right words. Instead of talking, he pulled her into his arms, her womb pressing into his stomach and her arms circling his neck. Allowing his face to fall to the bare join of her shoulder and neck, he took several deep breaths. Kate pet the back of his head, her fingernails dragging against his scalp, over and over.

“Did you talk to your mum?” she whispered, her lips dancing across his ear. All Anthony could do was nod. 

When she pushed him back, he went easily. Kate put her hands on either side of his face and met his eyes. Christ, he thought, he loved her so much, the depths of his love seeming to never end.

“I love you for how you took care of your family, despite your mother,” she whispered, standing up on her toes to kiss his cheek. “I love you for how you take care of your siblings and your children.” Kiss. “I love you for never giving up, no matter what life throws at you.” Kiss. “I love how deeply you love me.” Kiss.

When she finished her voice was wobbly and her eyes were overflowing with tears. Huffing, unable to speak, Anthony bent forward and kissed her, pulling her tightly against him.

“I can’t wait to be your wife,” she whispered when she pulled away to breathe. “I can’t wait to have your baby.”

“Kate,” he said, the word a hoarse rasp, before kissing her again.

Later, after they trudged back to the house together, Kate huffing beside him, his children ran into his arms screaming, “Papa!” as they slammed into him. 

“I love you both so much,” he whispered from his knees when he pulled back, brushing Charlotte’s riotous curly hair over her shoulder, and squeezing Edmund’s bony shoulder. He couldn’t help it when his eyes filled and a solitary tear rolled down his cheek. He could feel Kate squeeze his shoulder from above. 

“Papa, don’t cry,” Charlotte said solemnly, falling into his arms again and allowing him to carry her weight. He let out an, oof , when Neddy piled on, too.

“He misses his papa,” Neddy whispered, scrawny arms digging into Anthony’s shoulders.

When the kids ran off, chasing Augie into the drawing room, Anthony rose and pulled Kate to his side. 

“Talking helps, huh?” he said, and though his voice was light, his emotions were still raw. He was afraid of breaking down again in front of the rest of his family. Besides, he’d had more than enough weeping for one day. 

“We have certainly talked a lot today,” Kate replied, squeezing his side.

“Feel any differently?” he asked, turning to look at her, her love declaration earlier sending a hot volley of goosebumps pebbling across his skin.

“Only that now I love you more.”

During the night, Kate had rolled away, facing the opposite wall, as Anthony dozed on his back, staring up at the ceiling. He just wished for the day to be over, knowing that once he was on the other side, he’d be able to breathe again. He took a breath, feeling it trapped in his chest for a moment before shuddering and letting out another shaky breath. With his hand over his heart, his next exhale seemed to leave a pit of emptiness inside of him.

On the edges of his body, like the burning embers of a piece of paper held over a candle, a sense of panic began to spread from his limbs toward his heart. Hand over heart still, he tried to breathe deeply, to focus on each breath, to extend it like his therapist used to say, but it didn’t work. Emptiness and panic. It seemed as though the night would never end.

“Love,” Kate whispered, rolling over, the blankets shifting as she moved to his side. “Anthony?” she put her hand over his and squeezed. “Shh, it’s alright, I’m here.”

His breath shuddered from his chest and he began to shake. He didn’t want Kate to see this. He didn’t want her to have to take care of him. 

“It’s alright,” she soothed again, rising up to rub her hand over his chest. “Just breathe.”

He could see her in the light of a nearly full moon. After swallowing, he stared at her and tried, mimicking the way her chest rose and fell, how she pursed her lips as she exhaled. 

The moon bathed her skin and loose hair in silver, the shiny locks hanging over her shoulders. She was wearing one of those cotton camisoles supporting her heavy bosom, the fabric stretched taut over their baby. She was beautiful, so beautiful, he thought as he breathed, finally, finally able to catch his breath.

“Kate,” he whispered, reaching up to touch her cheek. “Please kiss me,” he pleaded, his hand trembling against her skin. There was still that terrifying emptiness inside of him and he needed her to fill it. 

When she leaned forward, her heavy breasts pressed into him, and he immediately opened his mouth and licked her lips. As if on auto-pilot, her jaw fell open, and he could feel her tongue press against his.

“Are you sure?” she whispered, though she didn’t break their kiss. 

“I need to feel you,” was all he could say, unable to explain how he felt, like the night had torn him open. He was desperate for her, he needed to be inside her, to be one, to feel her pressing into him, their baby between them, to feel her break apart all around him.

Seeming to understand, she pulled him from his pants and stroked him, already stiff for her. Only for her. She stared down at him as his cock filled fully, watched his face as if there was a story there, dancing across his skin.

When he was ready, she rose over him, and pulling her underwear to one side, slid her wetness along his shaft, pressing it into his body. Anthony moaned in his throat, bucking his hips up against her, squeezing his cock between them, making Kate shudder.

When she rose up on her knees, he thought she looked divine in the moonlight, her hair turning silver. He gripped her thighs hard when she placed him at her entrance, and with a languid sigh, her body slowly swallowed his length.

“Ahh,” Anthony cried, desperately trying to lock his hips until she was used to him pressing into her, until they fit perfectly together. 

When it was done and he was fully enveloped, she writhed, flexing her lower back and rolling her hips over his. 

“Is this what you wanted?” she asked quietly, repeating the motion.

Swallowing, Anthony put his hands on her hips, helping her grind against him. 

“Always,” he whispered, “oh god, always Kate, always you.”

His legs were trembling, his back arching up and down to surge his hips into her. 

“I would live here,” he told her, his voice tight, “inside of you. Happily. I wish I could always be inside you.”

Kate whimpered and fell forward, catching herself with her hands pressed against his chest, holding still. Anthony kneaded her hips, before sliding his hands to her breasts, feeling the weight of them in his palms. 

Grinding his hips against hers again made her shift, joining him in the motion. 

“Come for me, baby,” he whispered, picking up his pace, desperate to feel her shatter against him. “Come for me, I want to feel you.”

“Anthony,” she cried, reaching for his face as she rode him, moaning, already coming untethered, so close to her apex.

When she stilled upon him, her cunt clamped hard around him, making him cry out. She sat there, body stiff, her back arched, as she shook and cried his name again. 

“There you go,” he whispered, petting her arms, her thighs, her belly, his cock still enveloped and full. “There you are.”

 “Your turn,” she replied, watching him. 

Anthony realised that this was what he wanted. Like the other day. He just wanted to be inside of her for as long as he could. He guided her up and off him, gently pushing her to her side. Then he lay behind her, his chest pressing into her back, and pushed in again, sliding in easily this time. 

When he laid still, Kate sighed and stretched against him.

“Is this what you want?” she whispered, reaching up to grab his shoulder. 

“Mmhmm,” was the only sound he could make as he held her close. 

He watched as she drifted off and started dreaming, still holding him welcome in her body. He thought he’d watch her until the sun rose, but was helpless when the drugging pull of sleep lured him into unconsciousness.

Chapter Text

Aubrey Hall was an old Georgian mansion—and it had the distinct lack of balconies to prove it. Violet Bridgerton, used to staring for hours at pastoral country landscapes, had insisted that a wooden creaking swing seat was precisely what every veranda and porch needed. Which is why the back veranda, made with Italian marble and massive stone balustrades, had two wooden swinging porch seats that creaked, desperately in need of oil.

The one time Edmund senior had dared oil them, when Anthony was ten, Violet had been livid, telling him that the creaking sound was a part of the experience. It had taken two years and one particularly wet winter to bring the sound back. Anthony could remember the smile on his mother’s face that summer when she sat with her cup of tea and pushed off, hearing the distinct creak. 

In the awful years later, after his father had passed, Anthony had thought of oiling the two swinging seats just to vex his mother. However, he didn’t have the heart as it seemed like the porch swings were the only things that seemed to give her a modicum of peace.

Now, he got to share one with Kate, and it was odd because of the sense of peace he felt, his bum on hard weathered grey wood, his fiancé pressed to his side. Today, the day after the anniversary of his father’s passing, was supposed to feel like the day after a raucous night out. A hangover from drowning in feelings of regret and self-recrimination. 

“This is nice,” Colin said, seated next to Penelope in a padded wrought iron seat across the veranda, a steaming cup of tea in hand. Pen was sitting on her leg, turned toward the view of the back fields, her mug untouched on the coffee table. 

Kate was wearing another floral sundress, this one light and fluttering in the morning breeze. Every time they swung, the skirt would flutter around her legs. It was mesmerising to watch. 

Until recently, she had been wearing silk and linen dresses, scandalously short and tight. He hadn’t learned until recently that most of those garments belonged to Siena. After giving her the new Amex, Anthony had only allowed himself to peek once at the statement, only to find that she’s spent a conservative sum at a few clothing shops. He wondered if she was finding her own style now. 

“I love it here,” Kate said softly, smiling across at Penelope who grinned at her before turning back to the view. 

It was early enough for there to still be low mists hanging over the grass, the sun’s rays visible as they broke through the trees. 

“The swings are kind of messing with the vibe,” Hyacinth said from another wrought iron seat, narrowing her eyes at her mother peacefully swinging across from her. Next to Violet sat Daphne, the tip of her shoe on the marble veranda floor, setting the pace for their swing. 

“You’ll grow to appreciate it,” was all her mother said, not even looking at her youngest as she took a sip from her mug held tightly in both hands. 

“So,” Colin said, clearing his throat, after emptying his teacup into his mouth. “Has anyone heard from El lately?”

Anthony scoffed and looked away, rolling his eyes. Eloise’s window to apologise was long gone. What she had said to Kate, about Kate, was unforgivable. As if hearing his thoughts, Kate squeezed his arm. 

“She called me after she and Marina decided to split,” Daphne said, raising her voice to be heard across the veranda. “Simon and I helped her move her things.”

It used to be that Anthony was the one she would have called. It was confusing now because he felt a little put out that she hadn’t called him to ask for help. He wouldn’t have answered her call, but that had been his one role in her life. He felt his cheeks heat as he tried to work it all out in his head. 

“Has she reached out, Anthony?” Violet asked, leaning over to look at him. 

Meeting her eyes for a second, his gaze flickered away. “No,” he said softly, refusing to admit that it hurt that she hadn't. It made it seem like she actually believed all of the things she had said. He let out an unsteady breath, but smiled down at Kate when she sat up straighter and kissed his shoulder. 

“You should reach out to her,” his mother added, still looking at him, her brow slightly wrinkled as if she was worried about him. 

Shaking his head, Anthony forced himself to look at her. “Mum,” he said, letting out a soft sardonic laugh, “she massively overstepped. The things she’s said about Kate…”

He felt Kate squeeze his arm again and look at him. Looking at her, he watched as she raised her eyebrows, as if to say that his mother was right, but not wishing to voice it in front of his family. He sighed and looked away. 

“Eloise is a paradox,” his mother added, shaking her head. “We could’ve all been better when it came to her—she grew up too fast and yet there are parts of her that are still so young . Anthony, I learned the hard way, when your child runs away from you, you have to chase them.”

Again, Anthony scoffed and shook his head. “She’s not my child, mum.”

“And yet, in a sense, she is,” his mother replied, her voice serious. 

“I just want to be her brother,” he said, his voice a bit more wobbly than he would have liked. 

“Anthony,” Daphne cut in, exasperation clear in her tone of voice. “You are so much more than that, to all of us.”

“She’s right,” Colin added.

“Yep,” chimed in Hyacinth.

Eyes suddenly burning, Anthony bit the inside of his cheek and stared at his untouched cup of tea. 

“It’s just a few nights,” Kate said, laughing, as she squeezed Anthony’s hand. They were standing on the door jamb of Aubrey Hall, her new car already packed in the front drive. He was going to take it with him back to the city.  

“We should’ve done them together,” he said, not for the first time, staring down at her, his hand still clasped tightly in hers. 

“You have to go back for work. And please, you, Ben, and Colin, and the rest of them, don’t want to sit and have tea for a stag and hen party, while us ladies talk about the size of our guy’s penises,” Kate joked, shoving his chest lightly.

“God, do women really talk about all that?” he asked, his face all scrunched up.

“Please,” she added with a scoff, “you win that contest every time, love.”

When his ears turned red and his lip curled with that little mischievous smile, Kate felt a few small happy flutters in her chest. 

“I hope to god my mum doesn’t hear that,” he told her, still completely scandalised. 

“Your mum will be in the country with Agatha Danbury and my mum, remember? And love, it’s not like I want to spend a night without you, either.” 

“Are you really alright with me drinking tonight?” he asked, caressing the top of her hand with his thumb.

“Yes,” she replied, her voice serious though she smiled at him, “get as drunk as you wish and call me, you were so adorable the last time. Just, make sure there’s someone sober with you, driving, making sure everyone is okay.”

“Yes, yes,” he replied, sighing, “Hyacinth isn’t drinking and promised to take as many embarrassing photos as possible, for future blackmail apparently.”

Putting his hand on her womb, Anthony sighed again. Kate was eight months pregnant now, the wedding taking place the following weekend. She knew he was worried she’d go into labour early. 

“It’s a two hour drive,” she gently reminded him, putting her hand over his. “If anything should happen, no matter how small, I’ll call you.”

“And if I’m drunk?” he asked, letting out a sad laugh.

“I’ll have Hyacinth dunk your head in a bucket of ice water,” Kate replied, “sober you up real quick.”

“Okay,” he whispered, resting his forehead against hers, his breath shaky as he exhaled. “Alright.”

“I’ll see you the day before the wedding,” Kate replied, just as softly, a smile breaking across her face again at the reminder.

“My wife,” he said, squeezing her one last time and kissing her long and hard, before stepping away. 

When he was finally in the car, she stood on the front steps and watched him drive off. By the time she closed the front door, she had a new text from him.

Anthony ❤️: I already miss you.

He made her heart feel so full. Smiling, like a teenage girl with her first crush, she practically skipped to the kitchen where Daphne and Edwina were prepping for the hen party.

“See, this way we all get a comfy chair and a fuzzy blanket,” Edwina explained to Kate, standing next to her in the drawing room, where they had rearranged all the sofas and armchairs around one of the fireplaces, each with a fuzzy patterned blanket draped across it.

“I was only joking when I said I wanted cocoa and fuzzy blankets,” Kate replied, holding her sister’s arm. There were also end tables by all the seats, with coasters set out for their hot drinks. 

“There’s also a tea service and a kettle set up over there, so plenty of hot bevvies,” Edwina added, turning Kate around to look at the bigger tea table, already holding covered dishes with bite sized treats, and an array of teas and cocoas. 

“I love this,” Kate said, her eyes burning, as she tried to catch her breath and keep from outright weeping. She’d been doing a lot of that lately and her eyes were already sore from her last crying jag when her mother and sister had appeared that morning. 

“Okay, I need you to stop,” Edwina joked, pulling away to straighten up the tea table. “Anthony gave me a list of things to do when you start crying, by the way.”

That stopped the tears. Rolling her eyes, Kate fell into a chair by the tea table. “Did he actually write down a list? He would, with little tick marks next to each line, too.”

“‘Em,” Edwina replied, her eyes darting away. “Oh, no, you know, just like—. It wasn’t. It’s good. Joking, I’m joking.”

Staring at her sister as she fiddled with the random dishes, Kate held her hand out, giving her wide-eyed serious look. “Hand it over. Now.”

Rolling her eyes, Edwina pulled a folded up note from her jeans pocket and slapped it into Kate’s hand.

Eyeing the first item on the list, Kate rolled her eyes. “Whatever you do, don’t show Kate,” Kate read aloud, huffing, “he doesn’t know how bad you are at keeping a secret. And the next one, draw a bath, you ticked off.”

“Well, you’ve been taking them every day, it was easy to simply suggest it,” Edwina said in a whiny tone.

“Sternly say stop,” Kate read.

“It worked, didn’t it?” Edwina replied, lightening her tone.

“Say you’ll call Anthony,” Kate said, laughing now. “As if that’ll help.”

“You know he’s worried about you,” Edwina responded with her hand out, reaching toward the note. When her fingers wrapped around the top, Kate held on.

“I know,” Kate admitted with a sigh, letting go. Before Kate could mention the next one, offer her a snack , the doorbell rang. She pushed down on the table to stand.

“Now don’t get up!” Edwina said, rather a bit loudly. “Or, better yet, get up and pick a seat, you get first dibs!”

By the time she finished speaking, Edwina was out the door, her footsteps creaking along the wooden floors toward the front of the house.

When Siena appeared a few minutes later, Kate felt her eyes burning again as she embraced her friend. “I haven’t seen you in far too long,” she said as she pulled back. When she turned, Edwina was holding up a dish of crudités with raised brow.

“I swear to god, Edwina,” Kate growled, before talking toward a chair and sitting with crossed arms.

“Well, it worked, didn’t it,” she could hear from behind her.

Later, when everyone was there, Daphne, Marina, Siena, Frannie, Penelope—a last minute invite—and Henry, they all settled together in front of the fire, hot drinks in hand. Though Henry had opted for red wine, which he’d brought for himself. 

Kate felt warm at the sight of them all, as well as secretly pleased that Marina and Siena were hitting it off, especially after she suggested they share a sofa. 

“Oh, Kate,” Marina said, leaning forward to look around Siena at Kate. “Is it alright if I bring a plus one to the wedding? I’d like to bring Phillipa Crane, but I understand if you don’t have room.”

“Of course,” Kate replied, smiling at her. “Are you and Phillipa...” she asked, with her eyebrows raised in question.

“Oh, god no!” Marina said, laughing, “I don’t get that vibe, I think she might be straight.”

“Bully for me then,” Kate could hear Siena say under her breath next to her. 

Sitting back in her chair, Kate watched the crackling fire, her fingers running across the soft fuzzy blanket Edwina had given her. It was covered with the word bride , written in multiple fonts. It was cheesy as hell, something she never would have purchased for herself, but thought that this week was probably the one time she’d enjoy the tackiness of it.

“Let’s play a game,” she heard Siena announce, standing up. Everyone stopped chatting to turn to her as she held her teacup up. Kate knew she’d poured some Bailey’s in it earlier. “I’m going to start counting from one up, take a sip if it’s lesser or equal to your weekly sex count.”

Groaning, Kate buried her face in her hands. She was sitting with not one, but two of Anthony’s sisters. This was going to be awkward .

“I’ll admit, I’m curious,” Penelope piped up, her cheeks turning pink. 

“What do you count as sex?” Daphne asked.

“Everything sexual, really,” Siena said, turning to her. “P in the V of course—or P in the bum—but also oral, fingering, frotting, humping, you know, the standards. No orgasms required.”

Kate thought about how Anthony had fallen asleep with his erection inside of her the other night, the memory sending a riot of butterflies careening through her belly. 

“Okay, ready?” Siena asked as she sat down and pulled her blanket back onto her lap. When everyone nodded, she began to count. “One,” she said, and everyone sipped except for Marina and Edwina, Edwina rather proudly exclaiming that she was a virgin.

“We’ll fix that, darling,” Siena said to Marina, before she started to count again. 

When she got to five, Penelope and Franny stopped drinking, though Penelope was overtaken with giggles. At seven, after Daphne, Kate, Siena, and Henry took a sip, Siena let out a low sound of excitement. “Now it’s getting good,” she said.

Siena herself stopped sipping at nine, and said, “What? I get tired!”

At twelve, Daphne and Henry stopped sipping, Daphne hid her face behind her hands, while Henry exclaimed that he and Ben were very busy men.

“Thirteen.” Kate took a sip, everyone watching her.

“Fourteen,” Siena said, brows raised. Kate sipped. 

“Fifteen?” Kate shrugged and sipped again.

“Sixteen??” She had to look away after taking her next sip.

“Seventeen?”

Kate only laughed and said, “Sixteen and a half .”

“Even now?!” Siena asked quite loudly. 

Cheeks burning, Kate nodded. “Especially now.”

“I don’t know why I’m so surprised,” Siena replied.

“I can’t believe my brother is that randy,” Daphne supplied, sitting back in her seat in shock.

“Oh please,” Siena cut back, turning to her. “That is all Kate.”

“Okay, okay enough about my sister!” Edwina squeaked when she cut in.

Pointedly ignoring Kate’s sister, Siena turned toward her friend and mouthed, “how big?”

They’d already gone that far, she thought, so she raised her fingers and held them about twenty centimetres apart. Then made a circle with her thumb and pointer finger, not quite joining them together.

Siena was wide eyed, her jaw falling open. 

The room was quiet. It appeared their conversation wasn’t as private as she’d thought. “It was tough to get used to it at first!”

From the look on Henry’s face, a sly smile, eyes pointed at the ceiling, it was clear Ben was of similar endowment. 

“I wonder if they’re all like that,” Penelope joked, her cheeks going from pink to red as the rest of the woman made a high “ooooh” sound. 

Then it was quiet. And everyone turned to Kate. For a second she was unsure why, until it dawned on her. Gregory.

Siena’s eyes were wide, brows high, and she was nodding, her hands pressed together as if in prayer. Looking at the others there, Kate noticed Daphne and Fran were both covering their ears, though they were both laughing. 

This wasn’t going to end, she thought, so she looked away and shook her head, before burying her face in her hands. 

“Aw, poor Gregory,” Penelope said.

“Lucy seemed happy with what he had,” Marina added.

“Alright, change of subject!” Daphne cut in, standing up. “I’ve had enough of my brother’s willies… Okay, I know how that sounded.” She fell back into her seat and covered her face.

“We never had this conversation!” Kate called out, knowing if Anthony ever found out about it, he’d absolutely lose his shit. The man couldn’t say the word penis without looking around the room and then whispering the word as quietly as he could with wide eyes.

“Poor Kate,” Siena joked when the laughter died down. “Biggest dick on the eastern seaboard and he’s sticking it in you at least twice a day. No wonder you’re knocked up.”

As the laughter continued, Kate excused herself to use the loo before she lost control of her bladder on a two hundred year old armchair.

Standing in her closet with Edwina, she could hear the other women in her bedroom chattering with each other.

“I think mum had it like this,” Edwina said, wrapping a dupatta around Kate’s shoulder, before securing it with a gold band under her breasts. Coming around her sister to look at her from the front, she grinned. “Yes, yes this is like the picture you showed me.”

Turning to the mirror, Kate got teary eyed as she looked at her wedding saree. It was orange, green and gold, the choli was bright orange and stopped right above her belly, and the gagra, green, was floor length, sitting scandalously low below her womb. The dupatta was green and gold and was wrapped around her body, covering much of her bare skin, only showing a glimpse of pregnant belly from one side. 

“Even without your hair done up, Kate, you’re stunning,” Edwina said, giving her sister a hug before opening the door and announcing to everyone that Kate was coming out.

Stepping out to see friends and family, when they all screamed and cried out how beautiful she was, her eyes were burning again and threatening to spill over. 

“Anthony is absolutely going to lose his mind,” Daphne commented, her eyes also misty. 

“Aright!” Kate said, waving her hands in the air in front of her face. “If you keep being so kind I’ll cry and make a mess before my wedding! Please stop!”

“Well, you’re certainly going to get fucked really good on your wedding night,” Siena said dryly, smiling at Kate. The comment helped lighten the mood as everyone laughed.  

Turning toward the full length mirror by the closet door, she twisted this way and that. She’d chosen the short blouse mostly for Anthony, knowing how he’d react. It was her mother’s suggestion to drape the dupatta like it was, so he didn’t immediately drag her off from the altar. 

When the room quieted, Kate turned to notice Eloise Bridgerton standing in the doorway, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. 

“ Eloise ,” Daphne whispered, loud enough for everyone to hear. 

“If I could talk to Kate for a minute,” she said quietly. Her eyes connected with Marina’s for a moment before they both looked away.

“El, I’m not sure—,” Franny began to say.

“It’s alright,” Kate cut in, letting her eyes drift closed for a second, “we need to have a chat. Will you give us a few minutes? And Eddie, can you come back in a bit to help me change?”

“You’re sure?” Edwina asked, standing, her finger slipping into her jean pocket where she’d stuffed Anthony’s note. 

“I’m sure,” Kate said softly, and watched as everyone filed out, no one looking at Eloise except for her sisters and Henry, who stopped to whisper something in her ear. Eloise nodded vigorously until everyone was gone.

“You have five minutes,” Kate said, turning to look at herself in the mirror again, trying to act ambivalent. Why was she even there, she wondered, after everything. It absolutely galled Kate that she was shaking from a quiet rage—in the last few weeks she’d gotten zen about the entire situation. She truly didn’t care what Eloise thought anymore, but still, a part of her wanted this rift to heal for Anthony’s sake. 

“I know what a massive cunt I’ve been,” Eloise said, stepping into the room. She was worrying the threads at the wrist of her sweater, Kate could see where it was unravelling. “I—I decided not to stay with Marina,” she added, though Kate was unsure why she felt the need to explain herself.

“It was too painful and I was turning into someone I wasn’t proud of,” she continued, stepping closer. Kate turned to look at her, her lips pressed into a thin line. “I thought I wanted to stay for the baby, but I’m not sure anymore—that I want to be a mum.”

Eloise looked around the room and sighed. “I am fucking horrible at this,” she whispered under her breath, before looking at Kate again. “I’ve been in therapy.”

She turned and then smacked herself on the forehead. “I’m sorry!” she practically shouted as she turned back. “Fuck, I’m sorry, I mean to say I’m sorry, not for saying fuck, but for all the other stuff. For being a stuck up arse, for screaming at you, for all of that.”

She huffed and then her shoulders sank, her eyes focused on her shoes. “Dr. Smith said I’ll lose my family if I don’t stop behaving like this. She even told me I was being a cow. I mean, not that word specifically, but you get the idea. And I am actually sorry, I know you and Anthony are a real thing, I’ve known it for a long time, I guess I just wanted to hurt him.”

When she started to tear up, Kate crossed her arms and looked away, letting Eloise gather herself. 

“I don’t expect you to forgive me,” she added a minute later, her voice steadier. “But you deserve an apology. I’m going to talk to Anthony—I know he’s busy tonight, but I’ll tell him how sorry I am and that I love him and that it’s always been hard to say that.”

“And that you appreciate everything he does for you,” Kate added gently.

“Yes, that too.” Eloise’s arms were still crossed tightly over her chest, but she finally took a breath and relaxed, letting her arms fall to her sides. 

“Eloise,” Kate said as El turned to go. “Anthony only ever wanted you to be happy. I don’t think he needed you to say thank you or I love you, but still I think you took him for granted. And I know he loves you. If he can get past this, he’ll be on your side again.”

Eloise nodded, blinking rapidly.

“But my god, Eloise,” Kate added, raising her voice. “This is your last chance. If you hurt Anthony like that again, it’s over between us. I know Anthony will go to great lengths for all of you and let you all take advantage as much as you want. But he has me now and I’m going to protect him from all of your bullshit. I swear to god if anything like this ever happens again, I won’t stand for it.”

Quietly shaking with rage now, Kate crossed her arms over her belly and dug her nails into her skin to try to quell it. “Am I clear?” she asked, her tone laced with anger.

“Yes,” Eloise said quietly.

“Okay,” Kate replied, turning back to the mirror, still gripping herself hard. “Now, I think you should leave.”

After Edwina helped Kate change out of her saree, they walked down the stairs arm in arm.

“I can’t believe this is your life now,” Kate’s little sister said quietly, looking around the foyer, eyes bouncing between ancient art pieces that probably cost more than a house. 

“I’m right there with you,” Kate remarked when they reached the first floor. As they kept walking toward the drawing room, Edwina grinned suddenly and Kate elbowed her to get her to talk.

“I just,” Edwina began, shaking her head, “do you remember when you were maybe fifteen and I told you I wanted to be a farmer and grow jelly beans and raise kittens or some nonsense like that?”

Chuckling, Kate nodded.

“When I asked you what you wanted,” Edwina continued, “you said something like you wanted to be a kindergarten teacher, but also marry someone really handsome and have five kids. Three girls and two boys. I think you even had names all picked out.” 

Feeling her face heat, Kate shook her head. They were standing by the back veranda entrance, looking through the doorway into the drawing room where most of the group had returned. Though, Kate noted, Marina and Siena were conspicuously missing.

“I gave up on all of that,” Kate said softly. “Even after appa died, when things got better, I didn’t look back and ask myself if I still wanted that. I’m not sure if I ever stopped to think about what I wanted.”

Noticing movement outside, Kate looked toward the door, and could see Francesca’s long auburn hair shining in the exterior lights as she leaned on the balustrade. 

“Bon,” Kate whispered, looking back at her sister. “Do you know what you want?”

“Outside of you and mum being happy?” Edwina asked, squeezing her arm. “I’m still not sure but I’ve been trying to figure it out.”

When Kate’s eyes watered she grabbed her sister’s hand. “Don’t you dare take that list out.”

“Too late,” Edwina joked, grinning, “I already memorised it.”

Kate rolled her eyes and shook her head. “You and Anthony have a lot more in common than you think. I’m going to talk to Francesca, I’ll meet you in there in a bit.”

As she turned to leave, Edwina called out to her. “Didi?”

Edwina had Anthony’s list in her hand. Kate raised her brows and crossed her arms.

“Item number 10,” Edwina read out, holding it up and smirking, “if all else fails, you can argue about the list.”

When Kate tried to snatch it out of her hands, Edwina held it away while laughing and ran into the other room. 

Taking a breath to help clear her thoughts, Kate pushed through the door to join Francesca outside. Since the sun had set, the air was quite cool, although dressing and walking downstairs had made Kate feel overheated, so it was a welcome relief. 

“Hey, Francesca,” Kate said, standing beside her and leaning her hip on the balustrade. “Is everything alright?”

Franny’s smile was watery when she finally looked at Kate. “I’m pregnant,” she whispered, shrugging.

“That’s great news!” Kate replied, pulling her in for a quick hug. “John must be over the moon.”

When Francesca guffawed and looked away, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, Kate felt like something hard fell into the pit of her stomach. 

“It’s not John’s baby,” Franny whispered, before she broke down, weeping into her hands. Unsure of what to say, Kate pulled her into her arms and let her cry on her shoulder.

“Shhh,” Kate soothed, rubbing her hand down Franny’s back and petting her hair away from her face.

When Franny pulled back, she stayed close, her hands on Kate’s arms. “In retrospect, it was all so foolish. I knew Michael was in love with me when John and I started seeing each other. He never stopped, apparently.”

“It’s Michael’s?” Kate whispered, taking her hand, unsure of what to think.

Franny nodded and then shook her head. “It was John’s idea.”

“What?” Kate asked, wrinkling her brow. “You and Michael?”

“John asked him to… donate, so we could have a baby,” Franny explained, clearing her throat. “It feels so dumb now, wanting to “keep it in the family”. But John was so sensitive about using a stranger’s… donation.”

“And Michael agreed?” Kate asked.

“No,” Frannie cut back, letting out a sad laugh. “He told John, the only way he’d do it, was the old fashioned way. I think he said it because he thought John would refuse to entertain the idea.”

“My god,” Kate whispered. 

“The most unbelievable part,” Franny cried, “was that John came home and asked me to sleep with Michael.”

“So you did it,” Kate supplied, feeling completely stunned, trying to imagine a situation in which Anthony would ask her to do something like that. It would destroy him, but he’d probably suggest it if she desperately wanted to have a baby, just to make her happy. Maybe John was like Anthony, willing to sacrifice his own happiness for the people he loved. 

When Franny nodded, she looked away, and cleared her throat. “I agreed to meet him, Michael, at his flat. I didn’t think I’d be able to go through with it. But then he kissed me and all these feelings muddled my thoughts and I kept telling myself, John said it was okay, you can enjoy this, John is fine with it.”

Kate rubbed her back, unsure of what she could say now, fairly certain that Franny wasn’t done.

“And we had to do it again,” Franny whispered, looking back at Kate. “To be sure. John was so cold. But I kept going back, saying it was only until I got pregnant, even though I enjoyed it and hated myself for it. I drew it out every time, knowing my husband wouldn’t be able to look at me when I got home.”

“Oh, Franny,” Kate replied, squeezing her hand hard. 

“When the test came out positive, Michael confessed his feelings, but said he wouldn’t do anything to hurt his cousin.” Franny scoffed, taking a deep breath. “As if what we’d been doing hadn’t already hurt him deeply.”

“Are your feelings for Michael stronger than for John?” Kate asked softly. 

“I don’t know, it’s confusing,” Franny explained, shaking her head. “John has been so distant since it happened and Michael—he said he wants to be with me but he won’t get in John’s way. That it’s too painful to stay. He’s considering going back to his job in India. The worst part is I can’t bear the thought of losing either of them.”

“Gah.” Kate sighed. “Why are men such massive idiots?”

Franny laughed, but it was lighter this time, and the sight lightened Kate’s heart. “They’re whinier than babies.”

“I know one thing,” Kate whispered, squeezing her hand. “You’re going to love this baby, no matter what happens with either of them. And Franny, you’re allowed to choose yourself.”

Nodding, Franny fell into her arms again.

With a wide, goofy grin on his face, Benedict grabbed Anthony’s shoulder hard and shook him so vigorously that Anthony had to grab the bar top to keep from toppling off his stool. However, his brother’s excitement was infectious and he was unable to stop himself from mirroring his smile.

“I am so excited for you, Ant,” Ben said, putting his arm around Anthony’s shoulders and leaning on him. “Kate is wonderful. And she showed up right when you needed her.”

Chuckling on the other side of Ben, Gregory took a sip from his bottle of beer, his brows raised. 

“Thanks for being here, buddy,” Anthony said to Gregory, reaching over to squeeze his arm quickly. 

“I’m happy for you, brother,” Gregory replied, smiling at Anthony, his dimples showing. “Although, I still say we could have come here without the tuxedos.”

“Hey, don’t mock my club’s dress code,” Simon cut in, reaching around Benedict to deposit a basket of steaming hot fries on the bar top. He was dressed like the waitstaff, in roaring 20s style cutaway tails, whereas the rest of the guys wore the standard 007 style tux.

“Tell that to Hyacinth,” Gregory replied, rolling his eyes and motioning toward the door in the back that led to the kitchen. On a metal stool next to it, Hyacinth was wearing a t-shirt and jeans, hunched over and staring at her mobile. 

“Have you ever told Hy no?” Simon asked Gregory, who shrugged and had to hold on to the bar when Colin reached over and tried to shove him off his stool. “Besides,” Simon added, “she’s your sober driver. Be nice.”

Anthony only laughed, looking away before taking another sip of his beer.

“Oh, shit,” Benedict said, facing the front entrance. Turning, Anthony watched as Bert Fife strolled in wearing a tuxedo and shades, though he smoothly took the shades off and tucked them in his coat as he approached Anthony and the other guys. 

“It’s alright.” Anthony held his hand up in a quelling gesture. “I invited him.”

When he stood and held his hand out to Bert, his old friend took it and squeezed extremely tight as he shook it. “Bridgerton,” Bert said and then nodded at the other men. 

“Hiya, I’m John Stirling, Francesca’s husband,” John said, peeking out from behind Anthony, before stepping around him and sticking his hand out.

Taking his hand, Bert said, “Hiya, I’m Berty Fife, sleeping with Anthony’s ex.”

Unwittingly, Anthony’s beer went down the wrong pipe, and he lost track of the conversation as he bent over the bar and tried to breath as he coughed. 

When he recovered himself and was leaning against the bar wiping his eyes, Bert tapped his shoulder. “Hey Bridge, can we speak in private for a minute?”

“Yeah,” Anthony said, his voice strained. He’d invited Bert to his stag party after talking to Kate at length about the past, having been suddenly overtaken by the spirit of forgiveness. Now that he was looking at the man, he wasn’t sure he was feeling so forgiving.

Regardless, they found a quiet corner together away from the brass band. 

“I love Stephanie, I always have,” Bert said as soon as they were alone. “I just wanted you to know I’m serious about her.”

For a moment, Anthony felt bad for his old friend, knowing full well that Stephanie hadn’t had feelings for him back then, and he was unsure if that would ever change. Which, to be fair, may not be true, she may have said that to keep their marriage together after a moment of frustration and weakness. 

“Berty, you always said you don’t want kids,” Anthony replied, pressing his lips together. He distinctly remembered seeing Bert holding twelve month old Edmund away from his body after Violet had insisted he hold the baby. 

“I know,” Bert replied, sighing, “but your kids are a good lot. They’re smart and can hold a conversation. And they don’t constantly have sticky hands like my sister’s.”

“They’re good kids,” Anthony agreed, giving himself a second to think by chugging down half of his beer. He knew Bert Fife was a good guy, outside of sleeping with a married woman. He’d always been an ally at school and a staunch friend after graduation—it had been painful to lose his friendship. And if Bert truly was his friend again… wasn’t it only fair that he knew what his ex said about him?

Anthony let out a deep breath. “Steph always said she didn’t love you. No offence.”

Perhaps not the best way to word it he thought, but at least it was out there.

When Bert rolled his eyes, Anthony decided to let it go. “She said the same about you. No offence.”

Squeezing his eyes shut, Anthony couldn’t help but laugh at himself for a moment. The man had a point. “Touché,” Anthony said. “Berty, as long as my kids are happy, I’m happy. You do anything to hurt them, I’ll hurt you.”

“Understood,” Bert said and nodded, motioning toward the other guys, and at Anthony’s nod, walked back to the bar with him. 

Later, after Simon ordered a round of shots lovingly called blow jobs, Benedict held Anthony’s arms behind his back as they forced him to bend over and take the shot by putting his mouth around the glass and then tilting it into his mouth. When he was done, his friends cheered raucously, each taking their shot with their hands, to which Anthony gave them all the finger. 

“Good job convincing her to marry you before the baby arrives,” a red faced John joked, patting Anthony on the shoulder as he giggled drunkenly. 

“I don’t think I could convince her to do anything,” Anthony replied, though his cheeks darkened when the other guys laughed. 

As John ordered another shot, Simon put his arm around Anthony and bent to whisper in his ear. “I bet you’re enjoying all that pregnant pussy.” Although, unfortunately, Simon’s whisper was like an air horn, making Ben, Bert, and Colin laugh, while Greg sputtered his beer. 

“I don’t think I could do it,” John chimed in after drinking down a finger of whisky. “I’d be afraid my bell end would give the baby a black eye!”

Anthony grimaced and looked down at his drink.

“You have no idea, Johnny,” Simon said, a delighted look on his face. “No fucking idea. Women go cock crazy when they’re pregnant.”

“Are we really talking about this?” Anthony asked, his pulse racing in his neck. “In front of my brothers?”

“I won’t lie,” Colin added, laughing and red faced, though not as much as John, “I’m curious! Especially since Pen and I don’t plan on having kids.”

“I need another shot if this conversation is going to continue,” Anthony groused, signalling the bartender. 

Everyone paused and watched him as he downed his shot, Benedict chuckled silently, his chest bouncing. After he put the glass down, they kept staring. 

“For fuck’s sake, Kate is going to kill me,” Anthony said, chasing the shot with his beer. To their credit, everyone was still waiting for him to elaborate. 

Shaking his head, Anthony chugged his beer and slammed it down on the bar. “For the love of… I can’t keep up with her! She wants me all the time. I’ve only been able to tire her out once since she got pregnant and that took hours!“

When the bartender plopped another beer in front of him, he grabbed it immediately and started to fiddle with the label. “They smell different… taste…” It was like he could suddenly smell her, it made him all the more ravenous for her, wondering how long it would take to drive at breakneck speed for Kent. “That’s all I’m going to say.”

Feeling his ears burn, Anthony was sure they were bright red when Benedict giggled and shook him again. As the conversation broke up into multiple topics, Anthony watched as John took another shot.

“Take it easy, Johnny,” Anthony said, patting his back gently. “You’re way ahead of us.”

“I might not be around much longer, Ant,” he said drunkenly, wobbling on his stool.

“What the hell does that mean?” Anthony asked, steadying him with a hand on his arm.

When John started to cry, Anthony looked around awkwardly for help, before patting his back. Everyone else had decided to move to the other side of the bar. Cowards. 

“I love Franny so much,” John cried, sniffling and wiping his nose on his jacket. “But I really fucked up and every time I look at her I think about what happened.”

Shaking his head, Anthony stared at John, trying to figure out what he was saying. When he took a breath to speak, John spoke first.

“I am such an idiot, Anthony! I didn’t think, shit my mum always said I don’t use my brain!” John wobbled on his seat again until Anthony pushed him against the bar. 

“You have to tell me what happened John,” Anthony said, bending over to talk to him quietly.

Finally, John told him about Francesca and Michael, how she was finally pregnant, but now his heart was shattered. 

“I knew Michael was in love with her,” John confessed, wiping the tears from his cheeks. “That’s why I asked him, I knew he’d want to. But now she’s going to have Michael’s baby and I… I don’t know if I can love the baby.”

Blinking down at the bar and biting the inside of his cheek, the only thing Anthony wanted to do was drag John out to the street by the collar, wallop him, and then throw him into a ditch. “First of all,” he ground out, having to pause to sip his beer and take a breath, “you are a fucking idiot. And I’d break your nose if I knew my sister wouldn’t screech at me for it.”

Looking to where Simon was joking with Ben and Bert, Anthony wanted to get up and join them, but he hadn’t said his piece. “But trust me,” he said to John who was slumped on the bar now, bending over to talk into his ear. “You can, if you decide to stay, you‘ll love that baby. Kate loves my kids so so much.”

His head swam when he sat up straight, he thought perhaps he was drunker than he realised.

Still crying, John shook his head against the bar top. “John, I’m going to call you a cab home. Sleep it off and be thankful that Fran’s in Kent with Kate.”

“I’ll take him,” Bert piped up from behind them. “I’ve been thinking it’s time to head out and I haven’t had anything to drink.”

Turning, Anthony stared up at Bert and let out a breath. “Thank you,” he said, shaking his old friend’s hand, before going to join the rest of the guys where they stood and watched the band. 

When he got there, Simon walked up with a tray of shots, as the other guys shouted, “Shots, shots, shots!” while Anthony downed two of them. 

“I just love Kate soooo much,” Anthony proclaimed from where he lay in the back seat of Hyacinth’s car. In the passenger side seat in the front, Simon laughed. Hyacinth gave him a withering stare and turned the radio up.

“Isn’t she beautiful?” Anthony asked, shouting over the music. He pushed himself up into a seated position and leaned toward the front. “Don’t you think I’m so lucky? I love her so much!”

“We know, Ant, we know,” Simon replied drunkenly, patting his shoulder, before reaching to turn down the radio. Hyacinth cursed at him. 

“Hey, you love Daphne,” Anthony added, pointing at Simon. “You’re here ‘cause you love my sisser. Sisher. Siiiistter. Sitter?”

When he started to giggle, he fell back to the seat.

“Sister!” Simon replied, annunciating, as he bent around the seat to look at Anthony in the back. “Hey I’m nod a sisser lover,” Simon joked, cracking himself up. “You have a sissers, sisser lover.”

“Will you two shut the fuck up?” Hyacinth shouted, her hands still at 10 and 2 as they rolled down a dark country road. “I promised to drive you to Kent if you would try to bloody sleep on the way there. And drink more water!”

Giggling, Anthony clutched his heart. “I think we made her mad. But I love you Hysynth! I love my sisser!”

Simon giggled at the word “sisser”, falling back into his seat and wiping tears from his eyes. 

“I can’t wait to see Kate,” Anthony said softly, leaning his head against the window and sighing. “She said I’m cute when I’m drunk. She’s so cute. Don’t you think she’s so cute? Do you know we’re getting married?”

When he saw Aubrey Hall appear through the window, he let out a shout. “That was so fast Hy, I hope you didn speed!”

“That was the longest drive of my life, Anthony,” she replied as she parked. Angrily, she pulled her keys out of the ignition and got out, slamming the door, leaving Simon and Anthony in the car.

“I guess we’re on our own,” Simon said as he laughed. 

“I wanna see Kate.” Anthony fiddled with the door handle for a few seconds before he found the latch and was able to open it. 

When he got to his feet, Simon was by his side. 

“I hope they didn’t talk about my penis,” he told Simon, whispering the word penis . 

“Women are obsessed with penises,” Simon told him as they approached the door, hearing a few giggles as they opened it wide. 

“Oh shit, Kate’s probably sleeping,” Anthony said when they stepped in and looked around the corner before venturing toward the drawing room. 

When Simon saw Daphne, he stalked across the room and fell at her feet, resting his face in her thighs. She looked a bit put out but then rolled her eyes when she saw Anthony, who was about to ask where his wife was, before he felt a hand on his arm.

“Anthony?” Kate asked from behind him. 

“Kate!” he said happily, spinning and pulling her into his arms. She was so cute in her sweats with her hair braided to the side. “I missed you so much, baby. You’re so pretty.”

“He would not stop saying how much he loooooves you, Kate,” Simon said loudly from the other side of the room.

“He’s your problem now,” Hyacinth said as she stomped through the drawing room from the kitchen, holding a bottle of water, and pushing past them to head for the stairs. “I’m going to bed! G’night!”

Buck naked, completely and utterly soused, Anthony laid diagonally across their bed, resting his head on his arms with a drunken smile on his face. He had tried to take his clothes off earlier, accidentally pulling his pants down with his trousers and laughing. When Kate had hung his tux up on the proper hangers, he’d proclaimed how much he appreciated her. 

“Baby, you’re so drunk,” Kate said, circling the bed in a tee and knickers, after turning the lights off on his side. It had been an ordeal , getting him to brush his teeth, drink some water, then brush his teeth a second time after he stuck his head in the toilet to barf.

“I didn wanna spend the night wiffout you baby,” he said, his voice muffled by his arms.

Kneeling on the bed, Kate combed his hair with her fingers. It was a mess, like the rest of him. “Love, now you have to get back into the city for work the day after tomorrow, and we don’t have a car here.”

“Ehh, I’ll go back wiff Hy or have a taxi,” he said, rolling over to look at her. “I love you. Our baby, too. So so so much. So much. We’re getting married!“

Laughing, Kate bent down to kiss him. “Love you too, baby,” she whispered against his mouth.

Pulling back, she tugged the covers down the bed from under him, although he didn’t seem interested in moving. “About the list you gave Edwina,” she said as she climbed in.

“Kaaate,” he whined, crawling up to join her under the linens. “Don’t be mad I wrote it ‘cause I love you and don’t like it when you cry.“

Kate rolled her eyes and huffed. When he said it like that, it was difficult to stay mad at him. 

Chapter Text

Leaning against the headboard, naked—even though the door was wide open—legs splayed, Anthony looked as if he’d been raked over the coals as he rubbed his eyes hard with his palms. Holding two hot cups of tea, Kate stepped through the door, gave him a look, and then kicked the door closed behind her. 

“Here,” she said, holding his cup out by the handle. When he hissed at the hot porcelain, she rolled her eyes and circled the bed. “Hyacinth already left,” she added, setting her teacup down on her side table before climbing up onto the bed.

”Shit,” Anthony groused, then took a sip, and cried out from the temperature. 

“Daphne told me she’ll take Simon back to the city tomorrow,” Kate said a moment later, before grabbing her teacup and blowing over the hot liquid to cool it. 

“I need to be at the practice at eight am,” Anthony replied, his voice a rough scratch. He took another cautious sip and then cleared his throat again. 

“Well,” Kate said, looking at him with wide eyes, before returning her focus to her tea. “There is one other option, over spending hundreds of quid on a cab.”

”If you’re going to tell me to bike to London…” Anthony began staring at Kate, his jaw tight. 

“Worse,” Kate told him, her brows high. “Eloise drove here.”

When his eyes slid shut and he looked away, Kate scuttled closer to his side. “She came by last night to apologise. I told her to leave after, but then later Daphne caught her trying to sleep in her car. She’s in her old room—she’s been hiding. But she did say she wants to talk to you.”

”Love, it’s a two hour drive,” Anthony replied, his jaw tight. “I think Ben’s old bike is in the stables.”

“Stop it,” Kate chided him, pushing his shoulder, forcing him to steady his mug with two hands to keep from spilling tea onto his bare thighs. “You’ll go with Eloise and have a chat.”

”Kate,” he ground out, his jaw still working. “No one has ever talked to me or someone I loved like that. She’s my sister for fuck’s sake. We deserved at least a modicum of respect.”

“I know,” she said softly, leaning against him, “but I’ve been thinking about what your mum said. Didn’t you ever say awful things to your mum and dad? Things you regretted? But you did it because you were in pain and needed to hurt someone?”

”Maybe when I was sixteen,” Anthony replied, his eyes raised contemplatively. “But I was sixteen. And I felt like shit immediately and apologised the next day. I still don’t get why you’re okay with this.”

”I’m conflicted,” she explained, feeling a rush of emotions—sadness and anger for Anthony, frustration that she hadn’t been given the benefit of the doubt, annoyance that Eloise had decided her hen party was a good time to visit, vexation that she still cared about this entire ordeal when she’d tried to simply let it go. “I don’t even know if forgiveness is on the table for you or me. But I know you love your sister and I know she wants to make amends, and she’s trying .”

The rush of emotions rose up into her throat, making her think of the day she’d gotten drunk and abandoned Edwina at the carnival. After Mary had cussed her out, Kate had seriously thought about abandoning them, to go her own way, so she could drink as much as she wanted and wallow in her own self-pity. She’d almost done it, too. She’d been outside her mate’s door, there was a party raging inside, when she decided to try to stop drinking, for Mary and Edwina. 

“I know from experience,” she said quietly, “that trying to be better is harder than giving into the darker side of yourself, especially when you’re in pain.”

Though she was looking down at the duvet, she heard Anthony thunk his mug on his side table, before she felt him pull her against him and kiss the top of her head. “Okay,” he whispered, breathing into her hair, “I’ll go with her back to London. I don’t know if I’ll be able to forgive her, but I’ll go.”

”That’s all I’m asking.”

They were on the threshold again. Saying goodbye, for the second time. The thought made Anthony’s stomach turn in knots, instantly regretting the third crumpet he’d eaten that morning. 

“I didn’t realise I’d have to say goodbye again. I hate saying goodbye,” he complained, brushing Kate’s hair over her shoulder as he stared into her eyes. 

“We should become Irish, just do Irish goodbyes,” she joked, going up on her toes to kiss his cheek. “I could go back to London with you,” she added, voice sober, when she pulled back. 

“It’s okay,” he said softly, caressing her cheek, “I’ll be okay. I know you wanted to help the mums get everything set up. But please Kate, take it easy, don’t push yourself. Don’t lift anything heavy.“

”I promise,” she replied, her eyes getting glassy before she closed them and pressed the side of her head to his. 

“Take a bath every day,” he whispered into her hair, “Call me from the bath. Video call me.”

She huffed against him, digging her fingers into his shoulders. “Will you please go, I don’t want to cry.”

”If you cry, love, I can’t leave,” he joked gently, running his hand down her hair.  “Why the hell did I agree to work this week.”

”Because,” Kate said, pulling back and looking him in the eye, “you’ll be out for two weeks for our honeymoon and then for more when the baby comes.”

There she went, using logic on him. He smiled down at her. “Right. I should sell the practice. I can arrange it today.”

”Go,” she said as she laughed, pushing lightly at his chest.

”Do I really have to go with Eloise?” he whined, holding onto her tightly and not letting her push him away from her. 

When her eyes slid closed and she nodded, she relaxed against him. “Just remember what your mum said,” she whispered, “okay?”

Turning to look at the Subaru station wagon idling in the driveway, Eloise half hanging out of the driver’s side window, Anthony could tell his sister was exasperated but knew she wouldn’t say anything. She had a lot of humble pie to eat. 

“I love you,” he said, looking back at Kate, before bending down to kiss her. He breathed deeply against her mouth until her lips opened, her jaw going wide as he stuck his tongue on her mouth and moaned. 

Behind him, he could hear Eloise curse under her breath, and had to laugh. 

“I love you,” Kate said when she pulled away. “Now go,” she added as she pushed him away and slapped his bum. “Just a few more days, love!”

Giving Eloise a sober look, Anthony circled the car and climbed in, closing the door a little too firmly and buckling his seatbelt. When Eloise sped away, he watched Kate standing at the front entrance as she got smaller until she disappeared. 

It was a few miles before either of them said anything, but they were able to work it out before they got to London. 

Sex over FaceTime was just not the same, Anthony thought, as he finally got off the main road and turned toward Kent. In the back seat, his kids were having a conversation, though he had tuned them out to listen to a podcast. 

“Sometimes you’re so daft, Charlie,” Edmund griped loudly from behind him, letting out a loud scoff, and then focusing back on his video game. 

“Hey,” Anthony called, looking at his son for a minute, who was red faced and close to tears. 

“That’s not nice, Neddy,” Charlotte added, her voice already tearstained. A moment later she hiccoughed and began to cry in earnest. 

“What did you do, Edmund?” Anthony asked, looking at his son in the rear view mirror. They were so close to Aubrey Hall, of course they’d get strung out in the last half hour and start sniping at each other. “Bunny, please don’t cry, I’m sure it’s not so bad.”

“I just wanted to know why mummy and Bertie won’t be at the wedding!” she cried, swiping at her cheeks. “Mummy didn’t say!”

”Because mummy doesn’t like dad, dummy!” Edmund shouted, raising his hand emphatically. 

“Why?” Charlotte replied, her face scrunched up as she struggled to breath, tears still flowing down her cheeks.

”Hey, hey, hey,” Anthony tried to cut in, waving his hand at them. “That’s not true, Neddy, and don’t call your sister names. Mummy and I like each other just fine, so please stop.”

”But why isn’t she coming, papa?” Charlotte cried, her words broken up by hiccups. 

“Well,” Anthony explained, looking at her in the rear view mirror, “it’s awkward, because we used to be married. If mummy ever gets married again, I won’t go to the wedding with you, because it’s just not done, love.”

”Why—why—why din’t anyone s-say?” she asked, still frowning as she tried to catch her breath, though he could tell she was calming down. 

“I forgot to, bunny, it’s my fault, alright?” Anthony explained, finally able to see Aubrey Hall in the distance and breathing a sigh of relief. ”Neddy, say you’re sorry.”

”Dad!” Edmund cut back, letting his game fall to his lap, though he still held onto it. 

“You know better than to call people names! Especially your sister, apologise,” Anthony yelled, gripping the steering wheel hard, suddenly panting angry breaths. He watched in the rear view as Edmund’s chin wrinkled and his eyes watered. ”Edmund.”

”Sorry,” Edmund said as he started to cry, though he was looking out the window. 

“Look at her when you apologise.” Anthony was at the end of his rope.

“It was a stupid question!” Edmund shouted, throwing his game down on the floor. 

“Okay, you’re getting a timeout when we get to the house,” Anthony cut back, meeting Edmund’s eyes in the mirror. “And no more Switch this weekend.”

“This is stupid,” Edmund said under his breath, crossing his arms angrily.

”What the hell has gotten into you?” Anthony asked, shaking his head as he pulled into an empty spot in front of the house and turned off the engine. 

Before Anthony could open the driver’s side door, Edmund threw the door on his side open and ran for the house, not bothering to shut it. 

“Edmund!” Anthony shouted as he got out. 

Grinding his teeth, when he was able to collect himself, he went to open the trunk. A moment later, Charlotte got out of the car and ploughed into him. Anthony’s knees popped as he lowered himself to the ground to wrap her in his arms. “Are you alright, bunny?” he asked, kissing her head and rubbing her back.

Charlotte nodded against him, her breath still hitching a little bit. ”He’s not gonna have his Switch for a while, is he,” she said softly watching her father as he grabbed their bags. 

“Yes. Do you know what that was about?” Anthony asked her as they started to walk toward the house. 

She merely shrugged, then ran toward her gran when Violet opened the front door. His mum gave him a questioning look as she picked up Charlotte to hug her.

”I saw Edmund run upstairs crying,” she said. 

“Okay,” Anthony replied, setting the bags down by the front entrance. “Is Kate…?”

”I think I saw her go for a walk with Edwina a few minutes ago,” Violet said, smiling at him. When Violet lowered Charlotte to the floor she immediately took off to find Augie. 

Aiming to make a bee-line for the second floor, Anthony was waylaid by a few family members wishing to hug him. By the time he made it up the stairs, Eloise was walking down the hall from her old bedroom.

”Have you seen Neddy?” he asked, planning to check the kid’s room first. 

“He sprinted up to the third floor,” she said, turning toward the old servant's stair at the end of the hall. “I said hello but he didn’t even look at me. Is everything okay?”

“I’m not sure,” he replied, giving her a tight smile, still feeling awkward around her, as he made his way to the third floor. 

They had opened it up recently for the weekend, not having had a guest in recent history who had wished to use it. When he made it to the top of the steps, it smelled of lanolin and lemon, and sunlight was streaming through a window midway down the hall. When he was a kid, after Daphne was born, he got used to hiding away up there for hours—every time he crested the top step he thought about his old grey Gameboy and the Tetris theme song. 

Anthony walked slowly down the hall, looking into each bedroom that had recently had the dust covers removed. When he came to the end, to a fairly large guest room with two twin beds and a window facing east, he saw a pair of red trainers peeking out from behind a curtain. 

“Neddy,” he called softly and heard a sniffle in response. 

“I’m not in here,” his son said after Anthony took a few steps in. 

Letting out a tired sigh, Anthony lowered himself to the floor next to the curtain, cringing when his joints popped. 

“Your body makes a lot of noises,” a tiny voice said from behind the curtain. 

“Will you tell me why you’re so upset?” Anthony asked, pulling the corner back to look at Edmund’s tear-stained face. “Did I do something, love?”

When Edmund shrugged, he felt his heart skip a beat. 

“What did I do?” Anthony asked quietly, grabbing Edmund’s knee and squeezing it tightly.

”You’re gonna…” he started to say as the tears started to flow again. “Gonna get married and have a baby and forget about us and leave us at mummy’s.”

When he buried his face in his hands, Anthony’s heart broke. “Hey,” Anthony soothed, pulling Edmund to his side. “Shhh, that’s not true, I could never forget about you and Charlotte. What made you think that?”

”A boy at school said his daddy has a new family and he doesn’t see him any more ever since his parents got a divorce,” Edmund explained, breath shuddering. “He said you’d do that to me and Charlie.”

Burying his face in feather soft chestnut curls, Anthony kissed the top of Edmund’s head several times. “That is simply not true, Neddy. I love you both so much and I can’t imagine my life without you. You’re going to be a wonderful big brother, and Kate loves you too. She wants you with us just like I do. She told me she’s going to change her name to Bridgerton because of you and your sister.”

Hiccuping, Edmund lifted his head and looked at his father. “Really?”

”Yeah, really,” Anthony said. “It’ll be tough when the baby comes, babies need a lot of attention, do you remember when Charlotte was born? But we still want you with us. Besides, the baby will need you to teach her things.”

Edmund nodded against Anthony’s shoulder. 

”Now, will you please go and apologise to your sister,” Anthony asked after a minute, shaking his shoulder. 

Nodding again, Edmund chewed the inside of his cheek. “I’m sorry for yelling at you papa.”

They sat there together for a few more minutes, Anthony with his arm around him as Edmund caught his breath. When they finally went downstairs Edmund ran off toward the sound of Augie and Charlotte loudly chatting. 

Looking around the room, Anthony took a breath, and looked for his future wife to no avail. When he saw Edwina step through the back door, he grabbed her arm to keep her from walking away. “Edwina, do you know where Kate—“

”Hi to you, too. She went upstairs to find you,” Edwina said, cutting him off, smiling and rolling her eyes before strolling away. 

“For fuck’s sake,” Anthoy said under his breath, a little seed of frustration burning inside of him as he turned to skip back up the steps. The seed grew bigger when Kate wasn’t in their bedroom or in any of the rooms he checked. 

When he made it back downstairs, he was ready to scream. He even took a breath to shout her name when she finally stepped through the door from the library and saw him. Without saying a word, his animal brain taking over, he stalked over to her, pulled her against him by gripping both of her arms tightly and kissing her hard on the mouth. 

The world ceased to exist for a little while as he tasted her tongue—she’d been drinking chai—until he finally heard a sharp whistle and pulled away. His cheeks flamed when he turned and saw Benedict laughing from the front entrance. Letting out an angry huff, Anthony dragged Kate back into the library and slammed the door.

”I swear to god,” he said as he looked at her. The second she opened her mouth to talk, he pulled her into another kiss. ” Fuck , I missed you,” he muttered against her mouth.

”Anthony,” she sighed, clinging to him, her tongue more insistent than his.

”Were you hiding from me?” He asked, pulling away for a second to breathe, before resuming their kiss. “You have me on that location app, I know you looked up where I—“

Kate put her hand over his mouth to keep him from talking—it was the first time he noticed the henna art covering her hands. “Please just shut up and put your dick in me,” she hissed, digging her fingers into his biceps and dragging him toward the desk, all thoughts of henna flying from his mind. “I don’t care where you do it but I’m going to lose it if you don’t do it soon.”

He watched as she frantically pulled down her leggings and her knickers and then raised her brows at him. Jumping into action, Anthony pushed her onto his father’s desk. Her leggings were still around her ankles and with a growl, he ripped them off and tore at his jeans. When he pulled his cock out, she was already lying back, her legs spread wide.

”Fuck,” he hissed, smelling the musky tang of her arousal before looking down at her sopping core. With trembling hands, he placed the head of his cock at her entrance and shuddered, afraid he’d ejaculate if he moved too quickly. “Kate,” he ground out as he pushed in, pressing her thighs down as he moved his hips forward.

He almost lost it right there when she sighed and relaxed against the desk, her hands holding her breasts as she watched him. When he was in as far as he could go, he placed her legs on his shoulders and leaned forward until his palms met cool lacquered wood. Her belly pressed hot against his stomach and he made sure to not squish her too tightly. Kate whimpered below him and scrabbled to hold onto his neck, dragging her nails along his skin.

”You’ll leave a mark,” he said darkly, his voice thicker than it was a minute ago. 

“Then people will know you’re mine,” she replied, her pupils blown wide, her mouth hanging open as she stared at him. 

Anthony was quite comfortable there, leaning against her, his cock throbbing inside of her warmth, though he knew Kate would insist he move soon. When she squeezed her muscles around him he groaned at her, his knees shaking as he tried to control himself. “Love,” he whispered, squeezing his eyes shut. 

“Please fuck me,” she whispered, shifting her hips to coax him into moving.

”I don’t know if I can,” he replied, his climax was so close, closer than it had ever been at this stage.

”You can eat me out after,” she reasoned, squeezing him again, her lips curled in a mischievous smile. 

Chuckling darkly, he began to move, groaning with every centimetre out and back in. “Fuck, I missed you,” he said as he thrust his hips, faster now, to the sound of Kate crying out. He found he only had to move a little bit, just enough to almost pull his cock out, before only sliding in a small amount. It seemed like as long as he moved, she was clamping around him and moaning under him.

”Come inside me,” she cried, still clinging to him. “Come inside me. Come inside me.”

”Alright,” he hissed, thrusting again, “alright.”

When she squeezed him again, he pressed in harder as he called her name, his lower body shaking, his knees almost buckling as he came inside of her. 

As he was catching his breath, still inside her, he could feel Kate shifting her hips, trying to get any kind of friction to her core. “Okay,” he whispered, finally pulling out and laying on his side upon the desk, only vaguely hearing a few things tumble off. “I’ve got you.”

Sliding his hand down her belly, he filled her with two fingers and massaged her clitoris with his thumb. Turning her head to watch him, she whined as he began to thrust in and out of her hard with his hand. He knew they were making a mess, his seed and her wetness splashing down onto the desk and the wood floor, but he didn’t care because the feel of her and the sounds she was making were absolutely sinful. 

When he felt her gush against his palm he almost blacked out on the desk, his insides quivering, making him wish he could get his dick hard again for her. But he didn’t stop, wet noises echoing across the room, supported by her cries, until she broke against his hand, another gush accompanying her climax. 

Careful not to dirty her shirt, Anthony withdrew his hand and pulled her against him, loving the way her hot breaths wet his neck. “I missed you,” she whispered, crying and clinging to him, “I missed you. I missed you.”

”Hush, love,” he whispered, peppering kisses across her sweaty temple and forehead. “Me too, me too.”

The desk was digging painfully into his hip and her legs were hanging loose off of the edge, but he tried to ignore their awkward position to hold her, just another minute before he’d allow reality to sink in.

”Love you,” he whispered against her skin, holding her tight. “Tomorrow,” he added when she kept saying she loved him, over and over again. “I’ll marry you tomorrow.”

Later, when Anthony finally pushed himself to his legs, he almost slipped on the slick flooring, going a little pink at the realisation of the mess they’d created. Unfortunately, Kate’s leggings and knickers on the floor were soiled. So was the crotch of his jeans and the bottom of her jumper. 

It had been worth it. Though he didn’t love having to text his sister to bring them fresh clothes, nor the look on his Daphne’s face as she’d handed them over through a crack in the door. He was never going to live this down. 

Thankfully there was an ancient pack of wet wipes in the desk drawer and they were able to clean up, just enough so that they could escape upstairs together and hop in the shower. 

After they got out together and lay naked on the bed, Anthony petted Kate’s belly, and was finally able to admire the intricate swirling henna artwork on her hands and feet. He kissed the stylized AB on her palm, reality setting in that they’d be getting married in less than 24 hours.

Kate smiled and met his eyes. “We get two weeks together to be like this,” she said, petting his cheek.

”To lie in bed together and be naked?” he asked, his grin making his eyes crinkle, happy butterflies fluttering in his stomach.

”Yes,” she whispered, leaning forward to kiss him, and then laughed. “They are never going to go into the library again, your siblings.”

”That’s fine by me,” he replied, his voice deep and happy. He hoped the library smelled like her, too. “We can do that again after they leave if you want.”

“So, they finally appear,” Daphne joked, sitting in the drawing room in a dress and holding a glass of water. Simon, seated next to his wife, cracked up and held his chest as he fell back against the sofa. 

“Dad,” Neddy said from where he sat next to Mary, “you and Amma took a long time saying hello.”

Feeling his cheeks heat, Anthony cleared his throat and led Kate to a seat at the tea table. “We had a lot to talk about, Neddy,” Kate said. She was chuckling, too, but he didn’t find it funny. 

Edmund had his Switch in his lap and Anthony sighed, he’d meant to take it away but had completely lost all coherent thought when he’d finally seen Kate. Afraid to make a scene, also knowing that after tomorrow he wouldn’t see his son for two weeks, he decided to let it go. 

By the time Anthony got himself a cocktail and Kate a sparkling water, their family was rising and moving into the dining room for dinner. The children were left to their own devices with a kids meal set up in the drawing room, more than happy to eat and chat with no adult supervision.

In the dining room, Anthony was seated at the head—his mother informed him—and to his left sat Kate. At the other end she’d placed Simon. The rest of their family sat in between, just barely fitting with the table extended as far as it could go. He wondered what they’d do when the kids got old enough to dine with them, or when Gregory and Hyacinth finally had partners.

Looking at Kate beside him was like looking at the sun. She was wearing a black sleeveless floor length dress with a very deep vee at the front, every inch of her breasts cupped scandalously by the stretchy material. Between her breasts nestled the emerald he’d given her and it made him want to replace it with his mouth.

When she stared at him darkly, his cheeks heated, and he had to adjust his trousers under the table. He was wearing a crisp white oxford with a light cotton jumper and was already sweating. 

“Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?” he asked, his voice thick, the sounds from their family members fading away as he watched her.

”Yes,” she replied, smiling at him, before reaching over to put her hand on his. “Many times.”

”Well you are. Stunning, captivating, hot,” he said, his voice deepening. 

“You’re not so bad yourself, love.” Kate squeezed his hand tightly and shifted her eyes across the table and back, as if to say, careful. 

Huffing out a few short puffs of laughter, he shook his head and tore his eyes away. 

“Hey, Kate,” Colin called from across the table as two hired servers walked out of the kitchen with their first course. “Gregory tells me you’re pretty decent at Mario Kart but I think I could beat you. Up for a challenge later?”

Anthony grinned as Kate laughed and shook her head. “You’ll regret those words, brother.”

“Will someone please tell me what a Mario kart is?” Agatha Danbury asked from where she was seated next to Mary. 

“It’s a kid’s video game,” Edwina explained, rolling her eyes. 

“Hey!” Gregory cut in, looking seriously offended. 

“You’re only saying that Edwina, because you lost every time we played,” Kate supplied, grinning at her sister. “Even to Charlotte, which is a feat.”

”That’s my niece you’re talking about!” Daphne objected, though her focus was on chopping up her salad. When an errant tomato slice landed on her plate, she looked up and gave Hyacinth an angry look.

”I didn’t do it!” Hy objected, holding her fork and knife up.

”Children,” Violet shouted, exasperated, which didn’t stop Gregory from flinging a tomato slice at Anthony. 

“You’ll regret that,” Anthony said, eyeing his little brother, although he picked up the slice and ate it. 

When the next tomato slice, from where Anthony couldn’t tell, landed on Mary Sharma’s dress, everyone went quiet and stared. Anthony’s jaw dropped when she picked it up and threw it at Agatha Danbury, laughing. 

“I’m going to put salt in your wine, Mary!” Agatha shrieked, but refused to toss any food, instead actually eating her salad. 

Laughing now, unable to eat, Anthony sat back in his chair and watched his mother throw her hands up, giving up on trying to stop her children from creating chaos. When he felt a hand on his knee, he looked over at Kate.

”I love your family,” she said, grinning at him, as she chewed. 

“Colin Bridgerton,” Violet shrieked a moment later and Anthony wasn’t surprised that she’d decided to weigh back in, though he hadn’t seen what set her off. “If you don’t stop, I swear I’ll start asking you again when you’re going to give me grandchildren.”

Penelope threw her head back and groaned and Colin put his hands up to ward off his mother. “Please don’t, I’m sorry mum, we can’t take it from you and Portia. Besides, I’m sure Anthony and Kate are going to pop out a few more, that should make you happy.”

The thought of a few more kids made Anthony feel old, so he stared across the table with wide eyes. Outside of a few completely unserious jokes, he and Kate hadn’t talked about having more children yet. When he turned to look at her, she was grinning down at her salad. Her expression made his heart race. 

“You don’t—I mean—we haven’t—do you—Kate?” He was stuttering and sweating and the sly look she gave him didn’t instil confidence.

“I like seeing you sweat,” she joked, reaching over to pull him into a quick kiss, which made him blush when everyone started to hoot at them. “Let’s talk about it after this one is born,” she added, squeezing his chin before letting go. 

It was a relief when the next course came out, though Anthony looked forward to the chocolate mousse later so he could watch Kate eat it. 

Feet up on Anthony’s lap, Kate groaned when he dug his thumb into her arch. “You know you didn’t even have to wear shoes, we never left the house,” he joked, though he seemed perfectly happy to rub her feet in front of the rest of his family.

”The shoes went with the outfit, babe,” she explained, trying to kick him gently, though he was too strong and refused to let go of her foot. 

“Hey, Kate,” Hyacinth said, walking across the drawing room with a tablet in her hands. When Kate tried to pull her feet from Anthony, he held on with a mischievous grin on his face, but eventually allowed her to pull away in order to sit up. 

“What’s up, Hy?” Kate asked, thinking about the conversation they’d had weeks ago at Violet’s. Since then, Hyacinth had added Kate to a group chat with her and Gregory, and they regularly dispensed family gossip and the best gif reactions. Anthony regularly reminded her not to believe anything they said, but always looked uncomfortable when she’d say they texted her and then refused to tell him what embarrassing childhood story they’d shared. 

“I know this is kind of dumb,” Hyacinth said, kneeling next to Kate and putting her arms on the sofa arm next to her. “And like everyone else bought you gifts, I felt like you were probably set so Lucy helped me make this.”

Hitting the power button on the tablet, she pulled up the photo app, and showed Kate a picture of Anthony as a kid and then swiped to the right, to show Kate how she’d photoshopped Kate as a child next to him. It looked like they were on the swings together, looking at each other. Kate wasn’t sure she even had a picture of herself on a swing. “We’re going to print it and frame it for you.”

Covering her mouth, Kate’s eyes watered, and she tried not to weep, although was helpless to stop the stream of tears as they spilled down her cheeks. 

“Hey, hey,” Anthony said, a sense of alarm in his voice. “It’s okay.”

“I’m sorry!” Hyacinth whispered, looking as if she was in a mild panic.

“N-No,” Kate cried, already hiccuping and stuttering, “I l-love it! Everything m-makes me c-cry now.”

“We just have to be very careful with what we say,” Anthony soothed, already rubbing Kate’s back.

“Right, I didn’t think,” Hyacinth said as she rose up to pull Kate into a hug. “I’m sorry for making you cry.”

”It-it’s okay,” Kate told her, already hyperventilating, “it was sweet!”

“Baby, take a breath,” Anthony said softly, now vigorously rubbing her back.

Hyacinth looked ready to cry herself. “Anthony—?”

“It’s okay Hy, it was sweet, thank you,” he told her, shaking his head. 

After Hyacinth stepped away, Mary appeared, kneeling in front of Kate as she tried to calm down, though her breath kept hitching. “Anthony, I think I’ve got this one,” Mary said gently, smiling up at her daughter.

He seemed relieved when he stood and she took his seat, though Kate could tell it was difficult for him to walk away from her like that.

”I’m okay,” Kate told him, meeting his eyes, still catching her breath. “Really.”

He nodded sharply at her and walked to the other side of the drawing room where she couldn’t see him.

“Mama,” Kate said softly, when Mary pushed Kate’s head down to her shoulder. 

“Anthony really looks like a little boy with his hand caught in the candy jar sometimes,” Mary joked, making Kate laugh. She put her palm on Kate’s womb and they both watched as she moved her hand in slow circles, Mary’s engagement and wedding rings sparkling in the mix of electric and candle light.

“You’ll be a grannie, soon,” Kate whispered, feeling the baby shift. 

“Mmm.” As Mary breathed, her chest rose and fell, the sound reverberating through Kate’s body. It was soothing, as was the sound of her mother’s heart beat beneath her ear. 

It felt like Mary had something to say, so Kate waited, though she finally felt calm. 

“I love you so much, Kate,” Mary whispered, kissing her head. “I always thought of you as my own—and cherished your amma for bearing you, making you into the little girl I met all those years ago.”

Kate’s eyes began to water again at the thought of her amma. It was unfair that her amma and appa couldn’t be there for her wedding and for the birth of their first grandchild. Over the last few weeks she had tried not to dwell on it too much, the pain and grief feeling almost too big to bear.  

“I am grateful you’re here, mum,” Kate whispered, shifting closer to Mary. 

She could hear Mary’s breath hitch. “Me too, I’m so glad I got to be your mum,” she said before stopping to sigh. “Your appa would be so proud of you, how far you’ve come,” she whispered, “I can see the proud look on his face…”

Her mother was crying now in earnest and Kate clung to her hand hard, breathing out through pursed lips, trying not to break down again. 

“I wished to tell you that,” Mary whispered when she was able to gather herself. “And how much I love you and am proud of you. How excited I am to meet my grandchild and see you as a mother.”

Circling her arms around Mary, Kate clung to her for a time. 

After Mary stepped away, before anyone else could have another heart to heart with her, Kate snuck away and into the darkened library, sinking into the old leather desk chair to catch her breath. The leather was cold to the touch and felt amazing against her skin. 

She reflected on how exhilarating it felt to be welcomed as a part of the family. Kate remembered how devastating it had felt, after she’d discovered she was pregnant, to be treated so awfully at Violet’s family dinner last year. She’d almost given up and left Anthony, thinking she probably would have, if it were not for the baby they were now so close to having.

If she had left, she would have missed out on all of this. Seven new brothers and sisters, their spouses, and Violet. She already loved them all so dearly. Not only that, but she loved the drama and the chaos, she loved that Francesca felt comfortable talking to her about her problems, that Colin didn’t hesitate to tease her, that Hyacinth had put so much thought into her gift. 

Petting her belly, Kate let fresh hot tears glide down her cheeks, thinking about how lucky the baby already was. 

In a few minutes, she told herself, she’d dry her eyes and find Anthony, there was no sense in making him worry again. 

“Kate?”

Looking up, Kate noticed Daphne standing in the doorway. She closed the door gently behind her with a soft click. “Are you alright?” she asked, approaching the desk. 

Kate nodded, smiling. “I’m so happy, but everything seems to make me cry, and it always freaks Anthony out.”

After letting out a little sigh and wrinkling her nose, Daphne sat on the edge of the desk, though she pulled her hands away after setting them down momentarily. She still looked unsure if she should be sitting there, but focused intently on Kate and grabbed her shoulder. “I remember that feeling, when I was expecting Augie. The hormones made me half-mad. Simon called me a succubus at one point and I absolutely lost it on him. He was careful with his tongue after that.”

“A what!?” Kate asked, laughing loudly. 

“Simon acts so smooth,” Daphne explained, laughing, “but get a drop of liquor in him and he cusses up a storm, says the most scandalous things.”

”Is that why you kept refilling his wine glass tonight?” Kate asked her, still giggling. 

“Noticed that, huh?” she replied, crossing her arms and looking across the library. “He’s already made Agatha whap him with her cane.”

”Anyway,” Daphne said after a time. “I should get back, but I wanted to tell you that I’m so happy you’re joining our family. I used to worry about Anthony and now it’s such a relief to know that you have his back, and he yours.”

”Daphne,” Kate replied as she pushed hard on the chair armrests to stand in order to give Daphne a hug. “I’m happy to have you as a sister.”

Kate let out a soft sigh as she climbed into bed, her bare legs hitting the cool sheets. She was on Anthony’s side and next to her, Edwina, dressed in sweats, got in and laid against Kate’s pillow. 

“Didn’t want me to desecrate his side?” Edwina joked, shifting to sink into the pillow and pulling the linens up over her shoulder. 

“He gets so sweaty at night,” Kate explained seriously, though she sank her nose into his pillow and inhaled, breathing in his scent. 

“As I remember,” Edwina replied, “so do you.”

”Yes, but I am your sister,” Kate told her, petting her fingers down her cheeks, “and you worship me so.”

“And I’m not sick in the head,” Edwina said, laughing when Kate shoved her shoulder. 

Putting an arm around Edwina and pulling her close, Kate kissed her head. “I know we haven’t lived together for years,” she said softly, “but I’ll miss having you so close. I won’t be around the corner from mum’s anymore.”

“All the way over in the foreign land of Mayfair.” Edwina tried to make her tone light, but Kate could tell she agreed.

”Anthony and I talked about inviting you to stay with us,” Kate added, pressing her forehead to Edwina’s. “The offer is open, if you ever need a place to go.”

“Thank you, didi.” 

“I love you always, bon.” Kate kissed her head again.

“I know.” 

When the door swung, Kate didn’t bother to lift her head and see who it was. 

“Should I sleep elsewhere tonight?” Anthony asked from the foot of the bed.

When Edwina laughed and rose, Kate pushed up on her arms to sit against the headboard. “No, no!” Edwina said, “I am not sleeping next to a pregnant woman who gets up every hour to pee.”

”Thanks a lot.” Kate rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

”Well,” Anthony said to her, smiling, “I like sleeping next to you.”

When Kate grinned back she felt that same sense of warmth she always did when he looked at her. It was a marvel, really, the way he looked at her.

”Okay, bye!” Edwina said loudly, jumping from the bed and making for the door.

“I would be on that bed now for a snog if I hadn’t been drinking tonight,” Anthony told her after the door clicked shut. “Think you can wait a minute while I brush my teeth?”

“I’ll try!” Kate shouted at his back as he entered the bathroom.

When he was done, and stripped down to his pants, he climbed into Kate’s side and pulled her into his arms so her head rested on his chest. “We switching sides?” He asked the top of her head.

”I’ve been sleeping on yours, I forgot,” she told him, shifting against him to get comfortable. He made a low humming noise in response that reverberated through her body. 

“I missed you so much, Kate,” he said softly, “I don’t like sleeping alone. Not since I met you.”

”Neither do I,” she agreed. “I didn’t have anyone to get my maternity pillow just right, to tuck the blankets around me, and keep my back warm. Or eat me out.”

Her head bounced as Anthony laughed.

“I thought I told Colin to do some of that,” he joked. 

“He’s not as good at servicing your wife,” she replied, poking him. 

“My wife,” he said softly, squeezing her hard against him.

”I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep tonight,” she whispered, placing a soft kiss on his chest, before resting back on her ear and listening to his heart beat.

”You need your sleep, love,” he said gently. “I know you haven’t been sleeping well lately.”

He was going into dad mode, she thought, as she let her eyes drift closed. “I’m going to be your wife .”

She could practically feel him grinning. She was more than happy to fall asleep there, but squeaked when he tried to shift her off of him. 

“I have my husbandly duty to perform,” he told her darkly as she moved to her pillow, narrowing her eyes at him. “Eating my wife out.”

Kate laughed when he threw the blankets back, then sighed happily when he removed her underwear. After she came—it didn’t take long—he gently shifted her to her side and entered her from behind.

When he didn’t move, Kate held his arm tightly to her chest, listening to his breathing until she was sure he was asleep.

Chapter Text

Humming from the back of her throat, Kate watched her belly tighten as she lay naked in bed. Anthony’s chest was warm at her back, he was propped up on his arm and had his hand on her belly.

“Deep breath,” he whispered, caressing her skin. “It’ll pass.”

A few seconds later, like he said, the contraction stopped and the tightness went away. 

“Sex can trigger them,” Anthony said, in reference to the practice contraction, as he relaxed onto his pillow behind her.

Humming again, this time from happiness instead of discomfort, Kate rolled over and felt a little whoop in her stomach when Anthony quickly shifted to pull her against his side. 

“I have a feeling that’ll be happening a lot today,” she whispered as she snuggled against his bare chest.

”Sex?” he asked, laughing at his own joke and jostling Kate. 

Smiling, Kate whapped him gently on the chest, but was unable to pull her hand away, as Anthony was quick to grab it and hold it above his heart.

”Kate will you…,” he began to say, after a stretch of silence.

”I’ll take it easy today,” she soothed, trying not to sound too exasperated with him for bringing it up again. “It’s our wedding day,” she whispered, kissing his chest, “you’re not supposed to worry today.”

”According to Colin,” Anthony replied, letting out a tired sigh, “my name is Anthony Worrywort Bridgerton.”

”Well, that’s not very nice.” Kate kissed his chest again. “Remember to breathe today, love.”

“Will you beat him up for me?” he asked and Kate could hear the smile in his voice.

”After the wedding,” she told him, laughing. “It’ll ruin the pictures if he has a black eye.”

“Hey,” he whispered, pushing at her with his shoulder. “C’mere.”

Letting out a low groan, Kate pushed away in order to rest her head on the pillow on top of her hands, her insides warming at the sight of his sleepy brown eyes and slow blink as he watched her. Her eyes drifted closed when he placed his warm palm on her cheek.

”Have I told you,” he said, his voice a deep rasp, “how much I love you?”

When Kate’s eyes popped open, her lips parted in a grin, and she leaned forward to kiss him. “I think so,” she whispered against his lips, “but tell me again.”

“I love you,” he said as he kissed her. “Bigger than the moon.”

Giggling, Kate’s eyes popped open. “Bigger than the moon?”

Looking bashful, Anthony’s smile was sweet and small. “Neddy said it to me once.”

Chin wrinkling, Kate’s eyes watered from the mental image of what she thought six year old Edmund had looked like, with his little boy voice telling his father how much he loved him. “That’s adorable.”

”He’s a sweet kid.” Anthony swept gentle fingers over Kate’s brow, his thumb dragging along her temple and pushing her hair behind her ear. 

“I love you bigger than the moon, too,” she whispered. 

“Yeah?” he asked softly, rising to feather kisses across her face.

”Yeah,” Kate replied, content to hold onto him, enjoying the feel of his lips on her skin.

”How did I get to be so lucky?” he asked, his breath hitching. 

“I’m the lucky one.”

Edwina, the loving kid sister that she was, had purchased Kate a white Juicy Couture velour sweatsuit with “bride” emblazoned across the left chest and across the bum in glittery gold thread. The top was not made for a pregnant belly, so Kate had to leave it unzipped, the rest of her covered by a white cotton camisole. 

Unsure how she felt about having writing on her bum like an early 2000s MTV Teen Mom, Kate shook her head and stepped away from her mirror. 

“It suits you!” Edwina said, giggling, from where she sat on Kate’s bed. 

Only giving her sister a look with a flat face, Kate shook her head again and grabbed a large pink rectangular box and made for the door. She knew Edwina was close behind by her laugh when she saw Kate’s bum. 

“You’re lucky I’m excited about Charlotte’s gift,” Kate told her, “and am too distracted with getting married to wallop you.”

”You love it and you love me,” Edwina replied, looping her arm through Kate’s as they walked down the hall toward an old sitting room on the second floor. She could hear the sound of metal on china and women chatting—her heart skipped a beat as they approached the door.

The room quieted when they crossed the threshold. Inside, Violet was getting her hair styled by a woman she’d hired to assist the bridal party and Mary was nearby in her dressing gown with a teacup and saucer in her hands. On a settee, Hyacinth sat with her foot on the cushion, Daphne in front of her painting her sister’s toe nails, and Charlotte in her tight pyjamas watching with rapt attention. Francesca was in the back with Siena, huddled close and whispering. 

Marina, Eloise, and Marina’s plus one were notably absent and Kate tried not to dwell on what that meant.

“Amma!” Charlotte called when she noticed Kate, popping up from where she had been kneeling by the settee. “You’re so pretty today.”

Grinning down at the six-year-old, Kate waved her over to an open sofa by the door. “You are, too. C’mere Charlie.”

Heart racing happily, when Charlotte scrambled over and onto the sofa, Kate handed her the doll box. “This,” Kate explained, tapping the front, “is an American Girl Doll. I picked her out for you.”

”You got me a doll?” Charlotte asked excitedly, looking through the plastic window at the doll’s face. 

“Her name is Kavi Sharma,” Kate explained, still grinning, “I didn’t name her—she came with it.”

There was a sense of awe on Charlotte’s face as she opened the box and looked down at the doll, with brown skin and eyes, and long dark brown hair. Her hair was long and wavy, some of it pinned up behind her ears. She was wearing a pink brocade choli and lehenga skirt, and a pink mesh dupatta with gold trim.

”I precut the wires holding her in,” Kate explained as Charlotte lifted Kavi out of the box. Together, they took off the doll’s hair net, her long silky hair unfurling down her back.

”I love her,” Charlotte whispered, her eyes still fixed on the doll’s face. 

“I’m so glad,” Kate replied, putting her arm around Charlotte and tugging her against her side. “It’s from me and papa. We wanted to give you something special today, since we’ll be gone for a few weeks.”

”Thank you,” the little girl said, looking up at Kate as her eyes began to water. 

“Hey, hey,” Kate soothed, kissing her forehead, rubbing Charlotte’s arm until the threat of tears was gone. “Why don’t you go and thank papa? He’s with the guys taking breakfast outside. Then come back and we can do your hair like Kavi’s.”

Seemingly unable to speak, Charlotte stroked her hand down the doll’s hair and nodded, before hopping down and running for the door. 

As she was staring at the door, heart happy, Daphne tapped Kate’s shoulder. “This is from Anthony,” she explained, handing Kate a framed photo face down.

Narrowing her eyes at her sister in law, Kate spun it around and had to clutch her side while she laughed, afraid she’d suddenly go into labour from surprise. It was a silver picture frame and the photo was the one Kate had been obsessed with in Gregory’s instagram, of Anthony throwing young Greg into the pool at Aubrey Hall. 

There was no way she could explain it to the women who were staring at her, so she just said she really loved the photo, setting it gently next to her on a side table.

In front of Anthony, the coffee table on the veranda was full of empty plates and teacups, with crumbs and bits of pastries leftover. On his lap sat Charlotte in her pyjamas, her new doll clasped in her arms. 

“I’m so happy that you like her, bunny,” Anthony said into her ear, grinning down at the doll as Charlotte brushed Kavi’s hair with her fingers. 

“I love Kavi so much, papa,” she whispered, kissing the doll’s head. “I’ll take very good care of her.”

”I know you will, love.” 

When Charlotte popped down to go back inside, Anthony watched her hold the doll to her chest as she ran through the door. A second later, Edmund stepped through, in a graphic t-shirt and his pants, his hair chaotic, one side still flat from sleep. 

Letting out a soft laugh, when his son passed by his chair, toward a buffet table covered in pastries, Anthony grabbed him round the middle and hauled him into his lap. “Did you just roll out of bed, Neddy?”

Kissing the side of his hot head, Anthony tried to ignore the sharp smell of sweaty boy. 

“Daaad,” his son said, carrying the syllable out in exasperation. Unable to help himself, Anthony laughed and started to rain kisses down on his son’s face and head. 

Though Edmund was laughing and smiling, he was also half-heartedly trying to squirm away. He stopped fighting when Anthony wrapped him tightly in his arms. 

“Love you,” Anthony said softly, kissing his cheek.

”Me too, dad.” Edmund relaxed and stared owlishly up at his father. Anthony had a momentary vision of Neddy as a baby, with his solemn and wise brown eyes, and it felt like his heart skipped a beat. 

“I have something for you,” Anthony explained a few seconds later, finally loosening his hold on his son and bending over to grab a small box off of the table.

Sitting on Anthony’s lap, his legs hanging over the sides of his father’s, Edmund took the box and opened it, its hinges creaking. It was an analog watch and they both stared down at the silver and glass chrome and leather band. It was sized for a child, the watch face half as big as the one Anthony’s father had given him.

“One day,” Anthony said into his ear, rocking Neddy on his lap, “I am going to give you my father’s watch, your grandfather’s. Until then, I want you to practise taking good care of this one.”

”Papa, this is so cool,” Edmund said softly, pulling the watch from the box and letting the container fall to the marble floor. Together, they put it on Neddy’s small wrist. 

“Kate helped me pick it out—it’s from her and me,” Anthony replied, holding Edmund’s wrist as the glass face of the watch sparkled in the sunlight. 

“Thank you, papa,” he said, though his focus was entirely on the watch. 

“Thank Kate later, okay?” Anthony replied. “Now, you need to go have a shower.”

After groaning, Edmund hopped down and walked into the house, tripping over the door jamb as he stared at his watch. “Take the watch off before you get in!” Anthony shouted to the door.

Later, when Anthony finally rose from his seat on the veranda, he left his brothers there and trudged up to Benedict’s in order to get ready and shower. He had been told explicitly not to go into his own room, or to even step down that hallway, though he couldn't help but take a peek, his heart falling when he didn’t see Kate in the hallway. 

Stepping into Ben’s room, the first thing he saw was a vase spilling over with pink tulips centred on a tea table. In the middle was a small card with his name on it. Grinning, Anthony plucked the note out and ripped it open. 

The flowers were from Kate. She’d written, “I know we said no gifts, but men deserve flowers, don’t you think? These are my favourites. I love you bigger than the moon. —K“ 

The happy flutter of butterflies in his stomach had his head spinning. Later, when Anthony was finished dressing, he pinned a pink tulip to his lapel. 

It had been almost unbearable to stand up at the altar with Kate, mostly because Anthony’s mind wouldn’t stop reeling from the striking vision of her in her saree, with her emerald jewellery and hair intricately braided down her back. Being able to see a hint of her bare belly under her shawl had made him want to drag her back to the house, to tell their families to stuff it, because he had a need . It did not help that he thought Kate would only laugh and pretend to protest. 

When they sat down afterwards for an early dinner, his head wasn’t much better, his focus like a busy bee touching down on a flower for a second before fluttering away to something else. 

They were married and his wife was unbearably hot. 

His mother had asked him something and all he heard was a ringing in his ears. All he could remember of the moment was Kate laughing, taking his hand, and mumbling a response, though he could not recall what it was.

“You looked so handsome today,” Kate said, bringing Anthony’s thoughts back to their bed where she was lying pressed to his side. 

Even though he was still almost fully dressed, Anthony couldn’t even recall what he’d put on that morning. He had to stare down at his trousers for a second to remember. Right, dark trousers, a light pink shirt, unbuttoned at the top and no tie—Kate’s request—and a matching sports coat. Staring at his bare toes, he realised he had no idea where the coat had gone, nor his shoes and socks. He hadn’t even had a drop to drink—he felt drunk off of Kate.

Breathing deeply, he tightened his arms around her. Her shawl was draped over the bed rail and her bare belly pressed into him. Her skirt—ghagra she’d said—was so low on her hips that he could see the crease at her thigh that disappeared below the waistband. At least, he thought, it was appropriate now to think about the crease of her thigh.

”You were unbelievably sexy,” he told her, his voice thick. 

“I got that,” Kate replied, laughing, “when the officiant had to keep repeating your vows for you.”

”I couldn’t help it,” he told her, kissing her head, careful to avoid the red dot he’d pressed to her forehead by her centre part. He was surprised he’d been able to centre his thumb, his hands had been shaking so badly. 

“I know,” Kate whispered. “Don’t you think Charlotte made the cutest flower girl?”

In his mind’s eye, Anthony could see her in her magenta dress with a high waist and giant bow at the front, stingy with the rose petals from her little wicker basket, then he pictured her later when he’d danced with her, her little patent leather shoes on top of his leather ones. “The cutest. And she carried her new doll with her everywhere, introducing her to everyone.”

“Hi, this is Kavi Sharma, don’t you think she’s so pretty?” Kate quoted Charlotte. “She doesn’t understand how adorable she is.”

”No, she doesn’t. Neither does Edmund, although he’d get mad if heard us call him cute,” Anthony replied warmly, chuckling. Edmund had worn a charcoal suit and pink shirt like his father, except with a magenta bow tie. He had been a good sport carrying the pink pillow with the rings tied to it, although Anthony had caught a grimace at one point. 

“I know, his bow tie! His little suit! And he kept looking at his new watch,” Kate’s voice was high as she shook against him, her cheek pressed to his shoulder when she shifted to look up at him. 

More of the ceremony and reception was coming back to him now. “Did you see Eloise with Marina’s friend?”

They had been sitting together after the ceremony, clustered close, and Marina’s friend’s cheeks had been rosy. 

“Philippa Crane?” Kate asked, nodding. “I won’t even begin to try to dissect that—Marina told me she thinks Phillippa is straight. I just hope they’re all happy.”

”Me too,” he replied, squeezing her briefly. “Didn’t you say Marina and your friend Siena got on?”

”They may still.” Kate looked contemplative. “But Siena said Marina was still hung up on Eloise. So, who knows. I did notice the distinct lack of John and Michael Stirling.” 

“All I care about is the fact that Franny seems to be doing well,” Anthony replied. 

“Me too,” Kate whispered. “Hey, baby?”

”Hmm.” Anthony craned his neck to look down at her.

”Were you Eloise?” she asked. When he stared at her unsure what she was talking about, she blinked and tried again. “I mean, if you compare you, me, etcetera, to Eloise’s situation.”

”No,” he replied with a tired sigh. “My ex was Eloise, I was Marina, you were George.”

Kate huffed. “How’d it feel to be Marina?”

Head spinning a little, Anthony was starting to lose the thread of their conversation. “Well, the comparison doesn’t really work, I don’t want my ex—I, you… this is confusing.”

After being quiet in his arms for a bit, Kate hummed. “Who do you think Franny will choose? John, Michael, neither… both?”

The possibility that his sister could continue to take up with both men had Anthony’s head spinning again. Part of him wanted to dive from their bed to find John just so he could punch him, already regretting that he hadn’t done it at his stag party. 

“You’re having a mild panic over the thought of her being with both of them, aren’t you?” Kate asked, rising up so she could look into his eyes, one corner of her mouth quirked up.

Warm amber eyes watched him and it was easy for Anthony to sink into them again and let his body relax. “I would… adjust.”

The cogs were clearly still spinning in her mind as she looked away and pursed her lips. “Since Michael is the father, perhaps we should get to know him.”

”If he hasn’t already run away to India,” Anthony cut back, grinding his teeth for a second. Maybe he needed to break Michael’s nose.

“Coward,” Kate whispered. “But it makes me think, Franny might end up choosing neither. They’re acting a bit like self-centred pricks—making it all about their feelings, not caring for Francesca’s. It should be about her and what she wants, and the baby. John put her in that situation and Michael went along with it because he was in love with her.“

“She’d be well within her rights,” Anthony replied, running his hand up the arm that was currently pressing into his chest. ”I would never run away from you,” he told her solemnly.

“I know,” she whispered, meeting his gaze again.

“Wife,” he hissed, one arm tightening around her bare skin under her blouse to pull her higher up his body.

“Husband,” she whispered as her eyes slid shut and she kissed him. 

“Can we do it like this, first?” Anthony asked against her mouth before moving her to her side so he could spoon her from behind.

“Like this?” Kate replied, hanging onto the arm that was wrapped around her belly.

“In this,” he added, running his tongue along her ear, his hand gliding up her belly to her breast, grabbing her fully through the material. Her nipple was already hard and he could feel the imprint of it against his palm. 

“I have a surprise for you under my skirt,” Kate said huskily as he pressed his erection against her, the little points of friction making him desperate to be inside her. 

The brocaded skirt crinkled as Anthony drew it up her body, his trembling hand gliding across satiny soft skin, from knee to inner thigh. He didn’t have the patience for foreplay, placing his palm directly on top of her.

Her skin was entirely bare and impossibly soft. Letting out an uneven breath, he glided his fingers over her labia, marvelling at how soft and smooth her skin was. “My surprise?” he whispered, unable to stop himself from stroking her over and over again, her velvety soft skin sending shivers through his body. 

”Part one,” she explained, her voice deep as she bowed against him, reaching down to press his fingers harder against her core. When he finally split her lips with his middle finger, she jolted against him, crying out. 

“I must have you,” he whispered hotly against her skin, reaching down with one hand to undo his belt and trousers, hastily pushing his pants down to free his cock. Kate’s long skirt bunched between them, Anthony groaned from annoyance, wondering if they should have just gotten naked first.

When Kate’s arm skirted around her back to the top of the skirt, he realised what he she was doing. “Just take it off,” she said, reaching for where the waistband was secured at her back. With trembling, awkward fingers, Anthony untied it and slid it down her hips before kicking it away.

Now she was naked from under her bust down. The sight of supple skin against his pink shirt and dark trousers, his cock resting between her cheeks, was almost too erotic for words.

”My god you are gorgeous,” he said hotly, lifting her thigh and pressing his cock between her legs along her hot and already sopping core. Kate’s bangles sang as she raised her arm to place her hand on his shoulder and rolled her hips into him suggestively.

With one last pass along her core, his cock slick now, he pressed the head to her entrance with his fingers and then thrust his hips, pushing in a few inches. Kate immediately clenched around him and he tightened his lower arm across her breasts in reflex. 

“I bet I can make you come first,” he whispered in her ear, putting his upper arm between her legs and massaging the impossibly smooth and slick skin around her clit.

”If you do, I’ll just come again,” Kate joked, then sputtered as Anthony cracked up, her chest heaving against his arm. His laughter turned into a low cry as he slammed his hips home, making Kate dig her nails into his skin as she held on.

Sweat bathed his skin as he kept thrusting, his fingers circling her clitoris, Kate writhing hard against his chest, her pressing digging into his skin. His shirt was sticking to his chest and sweat was pooling in his pants, but he could barely feel it, he was so focused on the way his wife squeezed so tightly around him. The way she felt in his arms, like home, like a partner. It was mind-blowing to think that he was hers as much as she was his. 

“Baby, lift your leg,” he said, breathless, grabbing her thigh and pulling it into the air, spreading her legs further for him. When she whimpered, he pulled it back, his fingers digging into her skin. 

“Touch me,” she hissed, taking the hand on her thigh and directing it back down to her slit, guiding his fingers around her clit in languid, sure strokes. When Kate held her own thigh up, he almost lost it immediately, just from the vision of her spread on her side for him. “That’s it, baby.”

”Ungh,” Anthony cried, slamming his hips home again and pushing her up the pillow. She was getting close. Rising up on his arm, he looked at her face, her eyes were squeezed tight, her breasts heaving against her blouse, belly high and tight, her thighs driving back into him as he moved. Renewing his assault on her clit, he circled it harder, his hips thrusting as she began to clamp around him even tighter. “Fuck.”

He was directing this show, he thought, as he watched her lips part and her brow wrinkle as her orgasm began to overtake her. As her cunt clamped around him, Anthony half fell on top of her, his chest resting on her arm and shoulder, as he jutted his hips frantically, trying to chase her, half to climax just from the sight of her.

”Come for your wife ,” Kate hissed, pressing her fingers against his hand, stopping the movement over her clit, but jutting her hips back in time with him. 

Hearing wife was really all it took. Anthony’s vision went blurry as he shouted, pumping into her mindlessly as hot seed shot out of him, filling her. She was his, he thought, sparks of pleasure still soaking his body, and he was hers, as the last aftershocks of her orgasm squeezed him. 

Falling to his back, Anthony stared up at the ceiling and huffed for breath, unsure where all the oxygen went. Time seemed to skip a beat as Kate was all of a sudden above him, unbuttoning his sweat soaked shirt and then removing his pants and trousers.

When the cool air hit his skin he let out an ah and Kate smiled down at him. Lord, she was a vision, his eyes grazing her bright orange top, belly, and… He blinked at her, his eyes connecting with the skin above her cunt. Written in henna, in scrawling script, was his name sprawling from hip bone to hip bone.

“The second part of your gift,” she explained, running her fingers over it. ”Maybe it was the pregnancy hormones, but I didn’t think about what our OB would say when I go into labour. Unless I go full term, it may have faded by then.”

Anthony’s answering chuckles were deep, his grin growing to match hers. “Knowing our luck, the baby will arrive early.”

”Mmm,” Kate hummed, laying beside him, her hands pressed together under her cheek. 

“Should I take this off?” he asked, fingering her top. “So our naked honeymoon can officially begin?”

”If you can sit up,” Kate teased, reaching behind herself for the laces that were tied tight on the back of her blouse. 

Rolling to his side and pushing up on his arms, Anthony looked over her shoulder. “I’ll manage,” he said, reaching for the laces, happy when the bow came free easily. When it was finally separated from Kate’s skin and tossed aside, she let out a grateful sound. “The vision of you in that saree, with your eight months belly bare, your hands and your feet in henna, the look in your eyes, it will be with me always.”

As Anthony settled back onto his side, Kate put her hand on his cheek, her bangles clinking together as she moved. “I can put it on again, Mr. Kathani Bridgerton,” she whispered, giggling.

“Alright, Mrs. Kathani Bridgerton,” he replied hotly. 

The naked honeymoon had been wonderful. Kate thought perhaps the most relaxing days of her life—minus the Braxton Hicks contractions, peeing all the time, not being able to get comfortable in bed, always being hungry yet feeling full, and not being able to take a deep breath. Other than that, it was amazing.

And there had been lots of sex. They easily surpassed the 16.5 weekly sex number Kate had told the other woman at the hen party. It was a new record, even taking her previous experience into account. 

Plus, the mental image of Anthony sunbathing naked by the pool would be forever burned into her mind. He had been trying to even out his tan, his bum and hips looking stark white in the sunlight compared to the rest of his skin. She’d also remembered giggling at him as he rubbed sunscreen onto his penis, until he told her she needed to put it on her nipples and around her labia. 

“Trust me,” he had said, eyes serious, “you don’t want to get a burn down there.”

It had been truly a glorious time. Having the pool and lake had been an added bonus, being able to soak in water at a whim was such a relief for the pregnancy. Plus, it helped considering how hot it was getting. 

“I love our naked honeymoon,” Anthony said, shaking Kate from her contented thoughts. They were seated on padded wrought iron chairs by the pool, each only wearing sunglasses, the smell of coconut sunscreen strong as it floated in the air.

”We should have one every summer,” Kate said, letting out a languid sigh as he massaged her foot. 

“I had to cancel two weddings for this,” Anthony told her sheepishly, avoiding her eyes. 

“You did what?” Kate asked, her jaw dropping. “Here?”

”This place is booked up for the next few years. We have to get our family visits scheduled way in advance,” he explained, working his thumb hard along her arch, making her moan, and the pulse between her legs start thumping. 

“What did the couples do? Who couldn’t get married this weekend??” Kate asked, trying to sit up, though Anthony wouldn’t relinquish her foot. 

“They‘ve known about it for months, love,” he explained calmly. “We offered them a partial refund and the use of Bridgerton House in Mayfair, or a full refund. Both couples decided to get married in London.”

”Well, that’s good to hear,” Kate replied, relaxing back into her seat. “You could have led with that.”

”Mmhmm,” he hummed, tickling her sole, making her kick out as she squealed. 

Later, when Kate suggested a naked picnic dinner in the drawing room, Anthony had paled, saying the thought of his bare penis in the same room as his mother’s portrait made him want to shrivel up inside. Ignoring the fact that they’d had sex multiple times under the painted likeness of Edmund Bridgerton the first, Kate suggested a picnic in the foyer in front of the grand staircase. 

“I can seriously say I have never been naked in the foyer,” Anthony said to her, grabbing a grape from the plate balanced on Kate’s belly.

”Where in this house have you been naked?” she asked as she chewed on a block of cheddar cheese—they also had not been interested in cooking that evening and were munching on random ingredients from the kitchen. “Pre-nakeymoon I mean,” she added, giggling at her own joke.

“Pre-nakeymoon,” Anthony said, making a wet pfft sound before giggling along with her. “Ehm,” he started a few seconds later, clearing his throat, “well, in the primary bedroom. I won’t count bathrooms. Does our little jaunt to the basement last summer count?”

”Hmm,” Kate hummed, “I suppose, since you had no top and your cock was out.”

Anthony snorted, grabbing another grape from their shared plate. “Then the basement.” He chewed contemplatively. “My old room, which is where Gregory stays now.”

Kate cleared her throat, her eyes going wide at the realisation that she had also been naked in that room. 

“Don’t start,” Anthony said to her, shaking his head, though he was smiling. “And Ben’s room, once.”

”What, I need an explanation,” Kate cut in, pushing to sit up from where she had been laying down, making the plate begin to teeter. Anthony steadied it until she stopped moving. She stared at him with high eyebrows. “Are you talking about when you got ready for the wedding? Or with someone?”

Letting out an awkward cough, Anthony looked down the hallway, as if there was anything there. ”Ben’s girlfriend, Jo,” he said in a cough, then turned back to her and smiled, as if nothing had happened.

Kate’s jaw dropped. “Are you telling me,” she began, grabbing the plate and setting it beside her so she could sit all the way up. “You have cuckolded not one but two of your brothers?”

“They weren’t married!” he cut back, holding his hands up and laughing. “Besides, I was like twenty-two when I was with Jo!”

“You were married when it was you and me!” she screeched, reaching forward to slap his chest lightly, though that tactic almost never worked because Anthony grabbed her hand before she could pull it back.

”That means you cuckolded my ex,” he explained, laughing.

”Stop trying to change the subject, I need to know more about Jo,” Kate demanded, trying to push him back.

”Love, darling, light of my life,” Anthony replied, getting closer to her. “Did you know my brother is gay?”

”Anthony, love of my life,” she replied, slapping his cheek lightly, “cheeky little bastard, you had sex with Ben’s girlfriend in his room when you were twenty-two. Was he in the closet? Was Jo his beard? Why in his room!?”

“Because,” he replied, pulling her closer so he could deposit loud smacking kisses on her cheeks, “Ben was having sex with his crush, ex star of the Eton lacrosse team, in my room.”

”This still doesn’t explain anything,” Kate told him, giggling, trying to get away from more of his wet kisses. 

“I was also naked once in the tools shed,” he said, the last few words obscured by laughter. 

”Now that,” Kate replied, “I do not want to know more about.”

It was two in the morning. 

After rising from bed because of an insistent bladder and a baby whose head seemed to be bearing down on it as if it were a pillow, Kate stood in the dim light of the en suite bathroom and watched Anthony breathing deeply in their bed. 

Earlier they had argued if bed clothes counted as clothes-clothes, but had decided unanimously that they did not. Kate smiled, their conversations had descended into the utmost silliness in the last few days, and she couldn’t be happier. 

She had spent every waking hour with Anthony for over a week—she should have been ready to get her teeth pulled or desperate for some alone time to recharge. However, she wasn’t. Her urge to be by his side, even when he was just doing a number two in the bathroom, was immense. Not that she wanted to be there for his number twos, to be fair.

Her belly tightened as another Braxton Hicks contraction came on and Kate had to bend over in shock at the sudden pain that made her knees begin to buckle. When she put her hand on her belly, she felt the bottom tighten hard below her palm and realised the practice contractions had never felt like this. 

“Anthony,” she ground out, trying to breath through it, unable to move from where she was standing. When a gush of fluid spilled down her legs, Kate was fairly certain she knew what was happening.

”Kate?” Anthony said tiredly from the bed, pushing himself up and staring at her. 

“I think,” she ground out, all her weight on the door jamb now, still trying to breath through it, “it’s time.”

By the time he’d jumped to her side and grabbed her arm, it had started to peter out. Letting out a sigh of relief, she didn’t hear Anthony as he said something, directing her toward their bed to lay on her side.

”My waters broke,” she told him as she laid down.

”Shit,” he said under his breath, turning on the bathroom light to see the amniotic fluid that had splashed onto the bathroom tile. 

”You’re in active labour,” he told her, tearing the dresser open and rooting through his clothes. “We have to head back to London.”

He was pulling his pants up as he approached the bed. “I’m going to run to my car and grab my medical bag for my stethoscope,” he said, taking her hand and kissing it. “I’ll be back in just a minute.”

”Please don’t go,” she cried, feeling a sense of panic start to well up inside of her. 

“Here,” Anthony said, returning to her side and handing her her phone. “I’ll call you, I’ll keep talking as I run downstairs, alright?”

When Kate nodded, biting back her tears, he dialled her and waited for her to answer before running out the door. 

“Alright, love?” his tinny voice came through the line.

”Alright,” she said softly, rubbing her belly, feeling it start to tense up again. “Ant—,” she cried, another contraction coming on hard and stealing her voice.

”Okay, it’s okay, take a breath, I have my bag, pant baby, in and out, in, out,” he soothed, out of breath, his voice shaking as he ran. 

“Mmm,” she groaned, dropping her phone on the floor to grab the sheets, her pillow, anything. 

“Keep breathing,” he said, his small voice coming from the floor, until she heard footsteps in the hall and Anthony still telling her to breathe as he dashed into their bedroom and flipped the lights on. 

”Two minutes from the last one.” His voice was laced with panic. Kate couldn’t look at him, squeezing her eyes shut as it kept going, the sound of his rooting through his medical bag grating on her nerves. 

When he pressed the cold head of a stethoscope to her belly, she tried to brush him away. Everything was mindless for a minute, the world swirling around her, until she felt Anthony squeeze her hand tightly, grounding her in their bedroom.

When the contraction finally ended, Kate felt like she could breathe easily again. “Don’t we have to go?” she asked weakly, slumped on her side in the bed, watching Anthony dash into the bathroom and return with a stack of towels.

”They’re too fast,” he told her, gently positioning her on top of a towel. “I’m going to call an ambulance, but I don’t think they’ll get here in time.”

”Anthony,” Kate cried, her heart starting to race faster. He was saying he’d deliver the baby at home. In their bed. With no epidural. 

“Don’t panic my love,” he said, grabbing her hand again and squeezing it hard. “You can do this, you can do anything, you’re a fighter. Let’s get you positioned.”

With his help, Kate was propped up, her back against several pillows, her legs spread for Anthony crouching between her thighs. He took her hand, holding it on her belly as he dialled 999. His voice was calm as he talked to the dispatcher, but Kate could tell he was worried—his face was tight and his hand was trembling. 

When he told the woman on the phone how much she was dilated, Kate’s legs began to shake. When he hung up with the dispatcher, she screeched in protest.

”They know I’m a doctor,” he soothed, rubbing her belly, “I’m to call if anything worrisome should happen. But I have you love, you can do this.”

”Anthony,” she cried, tears streaming down her cheeks as she panted. “I don’t—“

Moaning deep in her throat, Kate felt the next contraction tighten her belly, like a heavy cramp almost crushing in severity. Anthony was talking, his words echoing but meaningless for a moment, until his urging her to breath came through. She began taking short panting breaths like he instructed. 

When it passed, she relaxed against the pillow. “I’m naked,” she whispered, catching her breath. “You’re in your pants. The paramedics.”

Seeming to realise what she was talking about, the stethoscope pressed to her belly, Anthony swore under his breath and dashed about, pulling on a random inside out t-shirt and joggers. He was able to help Kate into a tank top before the next one hit. 

Unsure how much time had passed, Kate held Anthony’s hand as he coached her through, trying not to think what giving birth at home without an OB meant. The following contractions came quickly, leaving her very little time in between them to catch her breath.

“Anthony,” she ground out, her legs trembling uncontrollably when she felt the sudden sensation that she needed to push. To push through a painful stretching and burning, almost like she was about to be torn in half. ”I want to push.”

”Push, baby,” he replied, holding her thighs with gloved hands. “Push!”

Crying, screaming, soaked to her skin, her entire body on fire, Kate pushed, calling out as she was lanced with unimaginable pain. The contraction ebbed for a moment, giving her precious time to catch her breath.

”That’s it love, I can see the head, we’re nearly there,” Anthony told her, his voice tearstained. She could see tracks of tears glistening on his face. “On the next one, we’re going to push again. Alright? Push through it, don’t stop.”

When it came, she pushed with everything she had, wailing, the pain immense, she felt a tearing and then there was a great release of pressure. She couldn’t tell what was happening as she sagged against the pillows, until she heard a cry and Anthony held their wailing baby up, wrapped in a towel.

”We have a son,” he cried, leaning forward with trembling hands to place him on Kate’s chest, the umbilical cord still connecting him to his mother. Their baby had a head full of curly hair, pressed to his head like a cap, and dark brown curious eyes that were just opening up.

As they admired him, two paramedics strolled through the door carrying medical bags, though Kate barely noticed them.

It was all blurry after that. Anthony cutting the cord. Being helped onto a gurney, getting strapped in with their baby on her chest, riding through sleepy streets, Anthony with his hand on hers over their son. He kept telling her she’d been amazing and all she’d been able to do was cry, staring down at their mewling baby in wonder. 

“He’s ours,” she whispered when they were in the hospital, after he latched onto her breast for the very first time. Anthony’s hand almost completely encompassed the baby’s little head of downy hair, before he leaned forward to kiss it. 

“Ours,” he replied, kissing Kate. “Madhav,” he added, the softest smile on his face as he looked at their son, his eyes getting glassy again.

”Madhav Bridgerton,” Kate amended, letting out a contented sigh, “I love you bigger than the moon.”