A/N: Hi everyone! Here is the next instalment :) It is bittersweet to say the least. Let me know what you think.
As always, I only own Iris and her interactions - everything familiar belongs to Shonda (as this follows the Netflix series).
Iris fled the room, feeling an abundance of emotion well up in her. All she knew, was that she could not be in public when it erupted.
She could feel herself trembling as she bypassed a lavishly dressed lounge and slid into a darkened drawing room, leaving the door ajar for a sliver of light to illuminate her way. Her hands shook as she gently pressed down on the skirts of her frock, sucking in breaths and trying not to panic as Anthony's distracted gaze swam before her very eyes again, looking, always looking for his perfect, precious Sienna.
Iris could feel tears beginning to swell at the corner of her eyes and she quickly approached the window looking down into the gardens below, hearing footsteps approaching and praying they would pass her hiding space completely.
Sadly, it was not to be, and the object of her heartache soon stood beside her. "Iris," he breathed softly, aware of what a scandal just them being found alone together would cause, "Please do not run from me," he whispered, turning her to face him fully.
His features crumpled in anguish at the sadness eking from her face. Iris held her tears at bay as she studied his face, her brow furrowed. "I could never run from you, Anthony," she breathed out, eyes glued to his so he could see the truth in her face, "I thought you knew by now," she added, seeing the confusion on his face, "I thought you knew how I felt about you, so when you looked at her, I felt so..so...unwanted, I had to flee."
Anthony shook his head at her explanation and took her chin in his hand, keeping her gaze on him. "I was merely surprised by her presence, I hadn't thought she would be here. And you are most certainly not unwanted, Iris. With all your talk of thinking I knew, I wonder how much you have noticed. You have been important to my family for years, but most recently I have begun to find you important to me, and I have something very important I wish to speak with you about..." he trailed off staring at her.
"Lord Bridgerton, I do think I am quite in love with you," Iris breathed, eyes widening dramatically as she registered her confession, and as she pulled back, mortified, a warm smile ensconced Anthony's face. He caught her wrist, pulled her back to him and landed a kiss on her mouth, silencing her and irrevocably claiming her heart all in one swift movement.
They came apart soon enough, Iris's face a beautiful shade of rose and Anthony's full of joy, as he clasped her hands. "My Lady," he said, standing a more respectable space from her, "I will not dishonour you further, until I have asked you the appropriate question, and you give me the appropriate answer," he nodded as though to brace himself, when a pale gown caught Iris's attention fleeing into the darkness of the garden.
Frowning, Iris shook her head and pointed for her companion to see. Anthony turned and watched as his friend followed his sister into the dark walk.
"Honestly, after Berbrooke, why would she willingly wander in the dark again," Anthony griped, as he took Iris's arm, tucked it into the crook of his arm and led Iris to the front doors of the Manse.
Just stepping onto the entrance stones of the property, Iris found Daphne's diamond necklace glinting on the balustrade in the moonlight. She lifted it, and slipped it into her brothers pocket as he gestured her back into the party.
Nodding once, silently accepting that her conversation with Lord Bridgerton was over for the time being, Iris moved back indoors, standing next to Lady Bridgerton quietly. Lady Bridgerton noted the pink flush of her cheeks but kindly said nothing, as she drank another flute of champagne.
Moments later, Anthony re entered the room, with a pale Daphne and approached them. Iris hadn't noticed Colin approach either.
"Our sister has a headache, I am taking her home, see to our mother," Anthony ordered firmly. Grasping her shawl tighter, Iris nodded once, "I should also like to retire, I am overtired this evening, it seems," she responded.
Anthony nodded once and both led Daphne to the carriage. Once home, Iris sent Rose up to help Daphne undress and turned to Anthony as he sent the carriage back to the party, ready for when the Dowager Viscountess was ready to return.
Iris, having been led to the study, turned and smiled at Anthony tiredly, her features falling when she noted the seriousness on his face.
"What is it?" she asked approaching him. He took her hands and kissed her fiercely. Iris gasped as he clutched her to him, so tightly, as though she might disappear at any moment. Desire coursed through her, but also fear, Anthony was a gentleman and had never broken decorum thus. She pushed against his shoulders and stepped back, gasping for air.
"Iris," he called softly, as she looked up at him, "I apologise, I would never take advantage of you, this evening has been peculiar...to say the least," he turned then and leaned on the desk, seemingly in pain as he stared at the ceiling.
Iris stepped forward, catching his attention as she reached for him, fingers gently sliding along his sleeve, "what ever has happened?" she asked him.
"I was preparing to ask you to marry me tonight," he said, watching as she froze, eyes wide staring at him.
He nodded once, taking her soft hand in his, sliding the glove from her fingers, kissing them as the naked skin beneath was exposed, enjoying the catching of her breath as he did, "Or if I couldn't manage the courage to outright ask, I would have at least declared an intent," he whispered, gently moving some hair from Iris's face, and then his countenance changed, anger clouding his handsome face, "but then I caught Hastings with his hands on my sister, and when challenged, he refused to marry her!" he exclaimed.
Iris gently shushed him, hoping to calm him, when his words stilled her movements.
"Anthony, what did you do?" she begged, Anthony kissed her hand again and stared at the wall of his study as he flatly announced "I have called him out. If he will not marry Daphne after defiling her innocence then he is a villain!"
Iris covered her mouth to stifle a sob from escaping as the gravity of his statement landed in the now deathly silent room.
They spoke for another hour, before Anthony advised her to retire. He caught her wrist again before she departed, his serious countenance causing her to wait patiently, "Iris, however tomorrow goes, you will be taken care of," he said. Tears again sprang to her eyes and she shook her head sadly, "you could die at dawn, or be banished," she whispered, turning her face into his hand, "Neither option would cure my feelings for you Anthony, and both options would leave me parted from you," she finished, her voice catching on a sob.
"How long have you carried your feelings for me, Iris?" Anthony asked her, tipping her face up to look at his. Iris laughed, an embarrassed pink colouring her cheeks, "a while," she confessed. Anthony sighed, and led her to the door of her room, before leaving a lingering kiss to her knuckles and departing her sight.
As Anthony descended the stairs again, he sighed, seeing his sister awaiting him.
"You cannot duel the Duke!" she exclaimed, "it is illegal, to name but one reason," she cried, gesturing to her brother who approached her and led her away from the stairs where her voice would carry. "You could both be arrested," she continued, lowering her voice and glancing around, "let alone killed!" Daphne turned to look over her shoulder, wondering where her friend was, when Anthony raised an eyebrow at her game.
"Iris has retired, she was exhausted, and you may not disturb her until tomorrow," he ordered firmly.
"There must be another way," Daphne pleaded. Anthony shook her head, his patience waning thin, "what would you have me do?" he demanded, dumping his jacket on the chaise beside them as he approached the door to his study again, his sister following, "I do not take this decision lightly, sister, but this is the way things are handled amongst gentlemen."
He raised his hands in surrender as though that was the end of the argument. "If it were to become known," he began softly, but his sister interrupted, "I could live with that!" she touched his arm, placatingly, but Anthony, even more agitated held up a hand to halt her.
"It is more than just your honour at stake, Daphne, it is your sisters' too, the entire family name, and Iris's - you have no idea what your turn about the garden interrupted this evening," he sneered at the end, eyes clouding with anger, and finally Daphne understood.
"You were going to propose to Iris," she breathed, horror dawning on her features, "well you mustn't duel now, Anthony!" she exclaimed.
Anthony shook his head, "there are three situations, sister, one: your encounter comes out and Iris's reputation, along with all of ours is ruined, and I would not allow that to happen to her or our family when they have done no wrong. Two: we duel and I die – this would mean satisfaction has been met, maybe not in the way I wanted, but all will have been sorted and all can go on, but and three: we duel and I kill the duke, which will mean my exile. None of these circumstances can allow Iris and I to be together and we both are grieving what could have been. Do you see now, sister?" he snapped at her.
Catching Benedict's eye as his brother approached, Anthony gestured to his study, "you and I need to talk," Anthony pleaded, ushering him into the study.
Turning to face his sister, he frowned and ordered her to bed before shutting the door in her face.