It was decided the next day to have a picnic, so the household found themselves spread across the lawn, amusing themselves as they saw fit.
"It's just so frustrating!" Francesca was complaining as she sat on a blanket with Kate and Anthony.
"I completely understand." Kate replied comfortingly. "I often have problems with traditional fingerings due to how small my hands are. I'd be happy to look over it with you to see if we can devise a work around."
"I would appreciate any help you can give." The younger woman said. "I've been working on this for weeks and I'm ready to set fire to the sheet music!"
"Please do so outside, if you cannot resist the urge." Anthony told her dryly.
"Oh, so you're saying I shouldn't burn the house down?" Francesca shot back sarcastically. "Thank you, brother. What would I do without your sage advice?"
"I liked you better when you couldn't talk back." Anthony told her with a playful glare.
"Please, everyone knows I'm your favorite." She told him primly before sticking her tongue out at him and turning back to a laughing Kate. "Do you play pianoforte as well, Miss Sharma?"
"I am proficient only in my mind, unfortunately." The other woman replied with a rueful smile. "I understand the theory and the proper technique, but it all falls apart during the practical application. I'm afraid I just don't have the talent for it that my sister does. She's a wonderful player. I much prefer the sitar, anyway."
"I've read of those, but I've never heard one played." Francesca said. "Did you bring one with you?"
"No, I was forced to leave it behind when we left India. Truthfully, while I enjoy playing, I was not the best you could hear. There were players at court who could move people to tears. I am told, though, that our music sounds very odd to English ears, so I'm not sure how much you would have enjoyed it."
"I'm sure I would have loved it. I always enjoy new music."
The sound of a baby's cry cut through the air and Anthony glanced over to where Daphne was trying to soothe Auggie.
"Excuse me a moment." He murmured to Kate and his sister before getting to his feet.
Daphne was still trying to settle her son when large hands suddenly plucked him out of her grasp.
"Are you kidnapping my child, Bridgerton?" Simon asked as Anthony settled Auggie in his arms.
"I am saving him from his boring, evil mama and papa." The Viscount said, making a face at his nephew that made the little boy giggle. "Isn't that right, little one? Do you want to spend the day with your uncle, who is clearly better company? Yes? Brilliant!"
Daphne shook her head fondly as she watched her brother take her son back to the blanket where Kate sat. The other woman instantly took the child from Anthony, moving to lean him against her legs as he sat next to them.
"Your Grace?"
Daphne pulled herself back to the conversation she had been having with Edwina.
"I'm so sorry, Miss Edwina." She said, smiling at the young woman. "I was woolgathering."
"That's quite alright." Edwina said demurely, taking a sip of her tea.
"Does your sister desire children?" the Duchess asked, her eyes straying back to Anthony as he made faces at her son over Kate's shoulder.
"I do not believe so, your Grace." The younger woman replied. "She's only ever spoken of being a wonderful aunt to my future children. I am sure, though, that she would do her duty if she were to ever marry. Kate basically helped Mama raise me after Appa died."
Daphne nodded thoughtfully as Edwina returned to the topic of the coming guests. Meanwhile, Anthony smiled as Auggie reached up to grab Kate's hair. She gently untangled his fingers and blew a gentle raspberry into his palm, making the small child giggle.
Francesca had abandoned them for Eloise, so it was just them with Auggie. Anthony was grateful to his sister, because it let him have the freedom to simply watch Kate play with his nephew. The sight was one that filled him with a sense of rightness, but it occurred to him that he didn't even know her opinions on children. It had seemed so important with the other debutantes, but he hadn't even thought to ask her.
"How many children do you want?"
She glanced back at him with an arched brow.
"You presume I want any, my Lord."
Anthony knew by now when she was teasing him, so he sneered playfully at her.
"I presume that someone who is so clearly wonderful with children might want at least one of her own." He shot back, making her glare back just as playfully.
She turned back to Auggie, but he could tell she was considering his question, so he let her be.
"I've never given it much thought before." She said slowly. "It didn't seem likely for me, given my prospects. I was content to be the favorite aunt to Edwina's children, but…" She trailed off.
"But…" he prompted after a moment.
"Yes." She whispered, her eyes meeting his. "I think, with the right man, I would want a child with my whole heart."
The happiness in her eyes warmed his very soul.
"And you, my Lord?"
His eyes strayed back to Auggie and Kate marveled at the softness in his expression.
"I have functionally been a father to my youngest siblings since I was eighteen. And I've always known it was my duty to provide an heir, but I must admit that, no matter what my marriage might have been, I always wanted children of my own."
"I think three would be a good number."
Anthony looked back at her and was delighted to find she was blushing.
"I was rather thinking four would be the perfect number." He told her archly.
"When you give birth to them, you can decide on the number, my Lord." Kate shot back in the same tone.
Auggie, who felt the adults had been spending too little time paying attention to him, let out a happy shriek. Kate leaned over and nuzzled his stomach, making the little boy laugh and Anthony grin.
"I'd be willing to negotiate." He told her.
"How magnanimous." She said dryly.
"I thought so." He leaned back on his elbows, so he was stretched out next to her. "I am a very generous lord."
"And oh, so humble."
"I'm so glad we agree, Miss Sharma."
"We agree on nothing, Lord Bridgerton."
"Hmm." He murmured, the look in his eyes making her blood thrum. "I think we agree on somethings."
"Oh, and what is that?" she asked, keeping her voice steady by sheer force of will.
Anthony sat up and leaned close to her under the guise of playing with Auggie.
"We agree that one day we will adore any children we might have, preferably four."
The look in his eyes was almost enough to make her forget herself, but Auggie giggled, breaking the spell.
"I suppose we do agree on that." She conceded, returning her attention to the child in her lap. "Though I cannot speak for you, but I shall only be loving three children."
"For shame, Miss Sharma!" he exclaimed with mock severity. "How could you deny a mother's love to one of your children?"
"You are an infuriating man, my Lord." She said with a sigh.
"Yes, I am." He agreed easily. "See, again we agree."
He leaned back again, content to watch Kate lavish affection on his nephew and letting his mind wander to when the child in her lap might be theirs. His gaze wandered over his family spread across the lawn and let a peace he hadn't felt in years wash over him. His eyes made their way back to Kate and he smiled.
This was where they belonged.
Dinner that night was a joyful affair. Anthony was in his usual spot at the head of the table, with Kate at his right and Daphne to his left, Simon on the other side of his wife.
"I hope you're enjoying your time at Aubrey Hall, Kate." His sister said warmly.
"I am." Kate told her happily. "Your home is lovely. I can't imagine how you bear to leave it."
"It is a trial." Daphne agreed. "Though we must have you to visit at Clyvedon. I believe you would adore it. We've been meaning to host a family party, but there just hasn't been time. I would love to show you my home!"
Kate smiled as she glanced at Anthony, who was glaring at his sister.
"I am sure I would be happy to accept any invitation you might extend." She told the Duchess diplomatically. "I'm sure Clyvedon is beautiful."
"It is large." Simon said dryly. "I'm not sure I'd go so far as beautiful." Daphne turned to glare at her husband, who simply raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you going to try to tell me that you prefer Clyvedon to Aubrey Hall, my love? Familial loyalty is all well and good, but it is impolite to lie so blatantly to our friends."
"Hmph." His wife replied with as much dignity as she could muster before turning back to Kate. "Either way, I do find I prefer the country to Town, don't you agree?"
"I have always enjoyed the peace of the country." Kate agreed. "Bombay, the city I left, was even more hectic than London. I would spend all winter longing for the court's annual removal to the Summer Palace. Father was allowed to bring us with him, and it was always a treat to escape to the peace of the wide-open fields."
"I'm sure that was much more peaceful than Aubrey Hall with my entire family in residence." Anthony quipped dryly.
"You clearly have never resided with a royal court." Kate shot back with a smirk. "This positively idyllic."
"That is a horrifying thought." Simon said, laughing.
"While I may not have had seven siblings, I assure you Edwina and I were a fairly consistent source of stress for my father and Lady Mary." Kate told them, leaning closer and dropping her voice. "They once arrived in the throne room to find us being scolded right alongside the Raja by the Maharaja. I thought Mary might actually kill us when we arrived at home."
"How did you escape punishment?" Daphne asked as the men laughed.
"I didn't, I took the blame." Kate replied with a shrug. "My father was lenient with me and it was worth it to make sure that Edwina didn't suffer any consequences for something that, in reality, had been the Raja's fault. He was always getting us in some kind of trouble."
"You really were close with the prince, weren't you?" Daphne marveled.
"Raja." Kate corrected, not unkindly, and smiling at the scowl on Anthony's face at the mention of the other man. "As I told your brother the other day, my mother was a favorite of the Maharaja, and that favoritism granted me quite a bit of latitude. I probably had more freedom growing up than I should have due to the Maharaja's influence."
"What did he think of your trip here?" Simon asked.
"He was not in favor of it." Kate admitted. "He would have preferred I remain in India, but he understood that I needed to support my sister. Nothing is more important to me than Edwina's happiness and he knew that, so he gave his blessing eventually."
"A devotion to family is something I am sure others here can understand perfectly." Daphne said, smirking at her brother. "I've already given you plenty of examples of Anthony's…devotion to our family's honor."
Simon choked on his wine and stared at Anthony questioningly. His friend just nodded wearily.
"I asked you to control her." He told the other man with a defeated air.
"And I told you that you asked the impossible." Simon shot back.
"You two do realize I am sitting right here?" Daphne demanded and Anthony glared at her.
"No killing your siblings." Kate interjected blandly as he opened his mouth.
Daphne and Simon watched with interest as Anthony turned his glare on Kate. There was a moment of silence as Kate held his eyes and took a sip of her drink. After a moment, he sighed.
"Fine."
Kate shook her head fondly as he seemed to sulk.
"Anthony's been threatening to kill me in my sleep since we were children." Daphne assured her. "No one takes his threats seriously."
"It is a serious threat!" he protested.
"Of course it is, brother dear."
There was a crash from further down the table and they all turned to see that Benedict had knocked over his wine glass and was currently sitting with his face clasped between his hands.
"I rather think her Grace may be the least of your concerns tonight." Kate said with a giggle as Violet scolded her second born.
"Colin." Anthony hissed. "What is going on?"
The third born winced from where he sat on the other side of Simon.
"Everything is fine, brother!" he rushed to assure the first born as Benedict giggled next to him.
"I highly doubt that!"
Kate reached over and gently put her hand over his. Anthony's eyes met hers and he nodded with a sigh. She smiled and squeezed his fingers gently before letting go.
"Perhaps it is time for a toast?" Lady Danbury suggested.
"A good idea!" Lady Violet agreed instantly. "To cheer our guests…" her voice dropped to a mutter, but could still be heard, "or to tend to other pressing matters."
Kate blushed and Anthony glared at his mother as Daphne rubbed her temples.
"A toast, yes." He reluctantly agreed, getting to his feet.
He looked down and met Kate's eyes. It took barely a moment for him to read what she was thinking, and he resisted the urge to sigh. Despite their time together, she still wasn't ready. If he asked now, he knew she'd say no and he could not put her on the spot like that, so he took a deep breath and smiled softly at her.
Kate knew the moment he decided to not ask and breathed a sigh of relief, returning his smile gratefully.
"My sincere gratitude to the Sharmas for joining us this week." He said to the rest of the table, smiling brightly. "It has been splendid having you here to witness what is now my second annual loss at Pall Mall. Not to be repeated, I assure you, despite Miss Sharma's underhanded theft of my mallet." The table laughed and Kate relaxed. "It has been a privilege to have our guests here for this week of relaxation and I hope you are suitably rested, as no one throws a Country Party quite like my mother." Violet glared playfully at her son as the others laughed again. "That being said, I look forward to the Pall Mall rematch next year, where, I assure you, I will win." He raised his glass. "To the pleasant days ahead."
The others repeated his toast and he sat back down, his eyes finding Kate's immediately. She smiled a soft thank you and he returned it with a nod. There was another loud giggle from Benedict and Anthony sighed, making Kate laugh.
"I can't kill him?"
"No, my Lord."
"Too bad."
Kate just laughed.
Kate was in love with him.
That was the only thought she had after dinner as she readied herself for bed. They had both known what his mother and Lady Danbury had been hoping for him to ask and her heart had seized at the thought.
She loved him, she knew she did, but she wasn't ready. She just wasn't ready.
Her eyes wandered to the lilies on her bedside table, mixed with tulips today, and she sighed.
She loved him and she was fairly confident that he loved her, apparently enough to wait for her to be ready, which only made her love him more.
Her maid finally left, and she sat down on the bed heavily with a sigh.
She wanted to be ready. She wanted with all of her being to just say yes, she truly did, but when she thought of saying it, the words froze in her throat. This was not how her life was supposed to go. She had had years to come to terms with the idea that she would remain alone and now everyone expected her to abandon that in the space of a month! She had been fine with the direction of her life, embraced it even! She had valued her freedom after years of handling her family's affairs, of answering to no one and nothing except the duty she owned to Mary and Edwina. It had never once occurred to her that there might be a man out there who would appreciate her independent streak, rather than try to stifle it. That there might be a man who considered her an equal and would let her stand at his side, rather than a step behind.
Anthony listened to her. He considered her opinion and let her argue with him, enjoyed it even! His family seemed to accept her, just as she was, and she knew in her heart that he would take care of hers with the same care and devotion he gave to his own.
She wanted to marry him.
The door opened suddenly, making her jump in surprise, and Edwina came barging in.
"Your rooms really are better than mine." She said almost petulantly before throwing herself down next to Kate. "You must know you did nothing wrong."
Kate started, staring at her sister in confusion.
"I didn't think I did." She said slowly. "Wha – "
"The rest of the ton will arrive tomorrow." Edwina continued as if Kate hadn't spoken. "Surely if the Viscount were to propose, he would have done it by now, so we must regroup. Surely there must be one amongst the ton you approve of for me, so we must endeavor to find him this week."
"Bon – "
"I'm just glad Lord Bridgerton never set his sights on me. I can only imagine the wrath you would have called forth had he acted so inconsistently towards me."
"He's not – "
"But you don't need to fear. I shall behave myself with him and, when I marry, I shall take care of you and mama. We need never speak to Lord Bridgerton again."
"Edwina – "
"I am the Diamond of the Season and I will take care of everything. All will be well, despite this disappointment with the Viscount, I assure you. I love you, Didi."
She pressed a kiss to Kate's cheek before flouncing back out of the room, leaving a stunned Kate in her wake.
"I love you too, Bon." Kate called as the door swung shut, laughing incredulously at the display she had just witnessed.
She shook her head and climbed under the covers. There would be plenty of time to correct her sister tomorrow.
If Anthony didn't already love Kate, the sight of her astride Isis, riding across his family's ancestral lands probably would have done it for him. As it was, it just made him love her more.
He stood back as she stopped, allowing a footman to assist her down and handing off the reigns.
"Good morning, my Lord Bridgerton." She said with a cheeky smile as she approached. "Shouldn't you be inside, preparing for your guests' imminent arrival?"
"I decided to check on my current guests first." He replied, removing a tulip from where he held it behind his back and presenting it to her. "Good morning, Miss Sharma."
She took it with a shy smile.
"Your gardener is going to kill you if you keep removing flowers from his hard work." She said, nodding to where he had obviously picked the flower from.
"I'll blame Hyacinth and no one will by any the wiser."
Kate laughed and accepted the arm he held out. They walked in silence for a moment before Anthony made them stop.
"I hope you were not distressed last night." He told her softly. "We both know what my mother was hinting at, but I don't want you to think I didn't – " He broke off and took a steadying breath. "I have hope that, one day, you will be ready for me to ask that particular question, but I understand that you are not yet. It's alright, I'm willing to wait for you to be ready. I just don't want you to be unsure of my intentions."
"I am not." She told him, smiling warmly. "It means more than you can ever know that you are willing to wait until I can whole heartedly give you the answer we both desire. It's just…" she trailed off with a sigh of frustration. "I have thought for so long that my life would only go in one direction that I am now having trouble trusting its new direction. It has nothing to do with you, only with my own fears. I am trying to accept that it can go in another direction, but I cannot give you my answer until I am sure that my fears will not hurt you, even accidently. I couldn't bear it."
Anthony brought her hand to his lips, kissing it softly.
"Take all the time you need." He told her. "I will be here when you are ready."
Kate reached up and placed her hand on his cheek, smiling as he leaned into her touch. His hand grasped hers, holding it in place, as his eyes burned into hers, making her blood thrum with the desire she saw there. She gently caressed his cheek with her thumb for a moment before slowly pulling away. He reluctantly let her go and she smiled before turning to start back to the house.
Suddenly, Anthony grabbed her arm almost painfully, making her stop.
"Do not move."
Kate turned back to look at him.
"Stand still, damn it!"
Kate froze. Anthony, who had looked at her with such tenderness just moments ago, was looking at her with absolute panic written on his face as he stared at her chest. She followed his eyeline and realized exactly what was causing his terror.
A bee had landed on her lapel.
"Don't move." He pleaded and she did as asked.
She would have done anything in that moment to remove the look on his face of absolute terror. Anything to help him. They stayed like that, locked in place, until, finally, the bee flew away.
"Did it sting you?" he demanded, and Kate could tell his panic was taking over as his breath came quicker. "Can you breathe?"
"I'm fine, my Lord." She tried to assure him, but she could tell he wasn't hearing her words.
She took his hand and pressed it against her chest so he could feel her breathing, feel her heartbeat.
"I can breathe. And so can you."
His eyes were still wild, so she took her hand and pressed it to his chest above his heart.
"Anthony, breathe."
His eyes fluttered close and he reached up to grab her hand as he leaned his forehead against hers.
"I can breathe, I'm not going anywhere." She murmured. "I'm fine. It didn't sting me. We're both fine. Just breathe."
He seemed to be regaining control as she continued to murmur reassurances and his eyes opened, meeting hers.
"It didn't sting you?" he asked softly, sounding younger than she had ever heard him before. She shook her head, not pulling away from him. "You're okay?"
"I am." She assured him. "And so are you."
Her hand slid up his chest to the back of his neck, holding him in place as his breathing continued to calm.
"It was a bee." He pointed out weakly.
"I know." Anthony tried to look away, but he held him in place, keeping her eyes locked on his. "I know."
For a moment, Anthony looked terrified again before he sighed and closed his eyes again. When he opened them, the warmth from earlier had returned. He gently caressed the patch of skin right above the bodice of her dress, leaving a trail of fire behind, and Kate instinctively tightened her fingers at the nape of his neck.
"Kate."
There was a sound of a carriage arriving and they sprang apart.
"Go." Kate told him as he glanced around. "I'll return to the house."
He nodded, giving her a sheepish smile, and headed deeper into the gardens. Kate took a deep breath, steadying herself, before continuing up the path, back to the house.