Anthony was around the age of fourteen and had just returned from Eton for his summer vacation when he realised something strange about his father. After a few days, he finally asked.

"Father, why do you always return home so early? None of my friends fathers do like you do. In fact, Berbrook told us there were times his father would return home late at night."

Edmund Bridgerton smiled in understanding as he tried his best to answer in a way that would help him in the future. "There are different kinds of men in this world, my son. Some men are always unsatisfied with their lives, and that's why they find reason to stay away from their homes."

Anthony thought hard and then stared at his father. "But you are not like those men?

"Yes, son, but I have nothing to do with that. You see, I am so happy with my life and with my family that I or a man like me could not stay away from home. We are satisfied with our lives, and a man who is happy and satisfied in his life will always find reason to return home, to return to his family and son. I hope one day you also find your reasons to return home."

After his father died, for a while Anthony thought he would have fallen into that unsatisfied men's category. He did not realise it right away, but slowly he started finding reasons to delay his return home.

Call it a delay session in parliament, a late meeting with solicitors, a gathering at White's, or him spending nights at Brothel. At that time, he began to make excuses after excuses to stay away from his home.

But the moment he realised his true category was the moment he left Bridgerton House completely to live in his private lodgings, and no matter how much his mother or family were disappointed with this decision, he was committed to using this reason to stay away from his home.

But now, a month after his marriage, the meaning of home has changed, or maybe he is a changed man nowadays.

Instead of finding reasons for staying away, Anthony is now looking for reasons to return home.

At Whites, his friends tried to stop him, and he made a reason. "Sorry, but I am too tired from the parliament session; maybe next time."

He made excuses when someone tried to hold him back at the end of the parliament session. "Bridgerton, come let us discuss the new bill at my home."

"Sorry, Lord Helsbee, but I have promised Hastings I will meet him in white for a drink."

One time, he pathetically made excuses. "Sorry, Hastings, but I am not feeling well."

It seems his friend understood what he was doing as he loudly played along. "Alright, Bridgerton, you better head home and rest, and maybe I should leave too."

Thanking his friend, Anthony rushed towards his carriage and was instructed to take him straight home.

"Where is Lady Bridgerton?" He inquires to Emily as soon as he enters.

"My lord, she went for tea at Bridgerton House, and a message came earlier for you to join them at home for dinner."

Anthony quickly read the message himself and smiled as he left once again.

The trip was short, but as he entered the drawing room and watched a lovely scene where his wife was beating Benedict in a game of chess, he realised something: home has a new meaning for him; home is where his wife is, and that is enough reason for him to return home.

A few days later, Anthony and Kate were enjoying tea in their drawing room when a footman announced the arrival of his sister.

"Good day, Bridgerton's and Anthony. I am surprised to find you here; aren't you normally spending your afternoon at White's?"

His ear turned red while Kate frowned at Daphne. "Did he? That's strange; ever since we got married, I think he has visited that club briefly two or three times."

"Well, mother always says marriage changed men's old habits." Daphne says this while smirking at her brother.

"My dear sister, what are you doing here, disturbing our afternoon?"

"Anthony!" His wife chided him before turning to his sister. "Do not mind your brother; you know you are always welcome in this house."

"I know, although I admit us sisters and Gregory did not visit this house when it was used to be Anthony's bachelor lodgings."

"Daphne!" Anthony warned, and his sister huffed. "Alright! Alright! Fine, I will tell you my real reason. Kate, you and your grumpy husband are officially invited to Hastings Ball."

Anthony watched as Kate took an invitation from his sister and read the card.

"Another ball, sister; I bet it will be more lavish than the last one."

"It will be, and even more grander; you know, now that Simon has accepted his titles, more families have joined our inner circle; families that I was not even aware of were part of the ton."

"What do you mean?" Kate asked, and Anthony could not help but notice shock in her voice. "I thought I met all the families at our wedding celebrations."

At this, Daphne begins to laugh. "Oh Kate, like you, I also thought that people we are acquainted with were the only ones who created the ton, but after I married Simon, I realised how wrong I was. Families that we know are only half of the nobility in England or even Europe. Do you know there are many old families that have retired to live in their country state? Some have even moved to another country. That's why this ball will be even grander because guests from all over England and some parts of Europe are arriving to attend this ball."

His wife smiles and nods her head. "In that case, I am eagerly looking forward to attending your ball."

While Daphne soon delved into other topics, Anthony could not help but notice how hopeful Kate suddenly looked, and in that moment he was reminded of his own promise that he needed to fulfil for his wife.

The morning of the ball, Anthony arrived at Bridgerton House and luckily found his mother alone in the drawing room. "Morning, mother, where is everyone else?"

"Good morning, son, and as for your siblings, Benedict is visiting some friends; Colin took Hyacinth and Gregory for ice, and Francesca and Eloise were taken away by Daphne to make them presentable for her ball."

"That's great. Um, mother, there is something I need to ask you."

Violet put her embroidery down as her son settled beside her. "What do you need to ask about?"

"Mother, do you know any family with the name Heston? It's just that this man is a friend of Kate's father and visited the late Lord Ronald when he visited India. Since my wife knows no one here and she only knew this gentleman by his name, she was hoping I could find him for her so she could get acquainted with her father's friend."

"Someone who knows her father personally, you mean?" His mother asks kindly, as she understands his wife's feelings.

"Let me think, Heston, Heston, I do not know why this name sounds so familiar."

Anthony watched as his mother stood up and started pacing while trying to remember. "I believe you have not met anyone called Heston in the ton."

"No, mother, I made some inquiries to my close friends, but they do not know of this man."

"I remember hearing this name, but I could not recall from where. I guess it was one of those old families that retired from the country."

His mother trailed off as if she remembered something. "Oh! I remember it now!"

"What?" Anthony asked excitedly as she settled down.

"I only heard this name once because it happened long ago, right after Daphne was born. You see, since I was pregnant with your sister during that season, your father and I did not participate in the London season, and we decided to stay at Aubrey Hall, but for some reason your father had to return to London for some urgent business, and when he returned, he brought news about a great scandal."

"Scandal, what scandal, and what has it to do with this Heston?"

"I am coming to it." His mother told him patiently. "You see, while Edmund was there, a scandal broke out. Lord Heston was a fifty-year-old marquis whose wife died without leaving him any children. So he joined the London season, but instead of searching for a widow or spinster, he began to fancy Queen's Diamond. A girl of seventeen years old."

"What?!" Anthony looked shocked because here he was at the age of 29, feeling disgusted to bed a young girl, and this man twice his age was ready to marry a young girl good enough to be his daughter.

"According to Edmund, everything was set and a contract was made, but on the day of the wedding, the bride never showed up. It turned out she ran away from the country because she was romantically involved with some common man. Edmund believes both families were thoroughly humiliated, and they left the town the same day, never to be seen or heard again."

Anthony did not know how to feel about this story or this person, but finally he understood why no one knows about him because people of this Ton are fickle, and when they tend to forget a recent scandal after a new scandal takeover to take old scandal place, then who will remember this scandal that occurred twenty years ago?

Anthony, along with his wife and family, arrived at his sister's house earlier than other guests.

Daphne and Simon greeted them as hosts, and Anthony was taken aback by two beautiful girls standing beside his sister. "Excuse me, but who are these pretty ladies?"

One girl giggled while another huffed irritably, "Ha! Ha, marriage made you a jokester."

"No seriously, who are you, Ms." Benedict asks while others control their snickers. "You sound awfully like our sister."

"I am your sister, you moron!' Eloise snapped.

"Ah! There she is! Daff, you really changed our sister drastically." Colin says, making everyone laugh as Eloise stomps foot on his feet.

"Now boys, stop teasing your sister." Kate chided. "What must His Grace be thinking about your manners?"

"Nothing." Simon assured her. "Trust me, sister; I have been more used to their antics than you are."

After that, they went inside, and soon afterwards, the guests began to arrive.

Daphne was right about the guest list because there were many people Anthony was seeing for the first time in his life.

"Oh, look, that's Baron Rushmore." His mother exclaimed delightedly. "He was my papa's closest friend, and I have not seen him since I was a mere child."

Anthony watched as his mother left to greet an old family friend, and then he noticed the same longing in his wife's eyes. "Do not worry, darling; I am sure you will find your father's friend here."

"I hope that too."

Anthony tried to smile, but somehow he felt uneasy about this man, who was associated with a scandal. (Something he did not mention to his wife.)

Maybe after all these years had passed, this man changed along the way.

"Lord and Lady Bridgerton. How is our young couple faring?"

Both of them curtsied as the Queen arrived with Lady Danbury.

"Lady Bridgerton, our queen, just wager with me. I think you will give us good news within the first year of your marriage, while His Majesty thinks you both will wait a year to enjoy your wedding bliss."

"Tell her that my chances of winning are higher than hers." Queen insists on making everyone laugh.

Anthony can see Kate fidgeting nervously at this question, so to ease her worries, Anthony brought her closer in his arms. "Well, Your Majesty, as much as my mother, like Lady Danbury, must wish we gave you all our good news, I think in this case His Majesty has guessed accurately."

"Ha! Ha! I knew it! Pay up, Lady Danbury."

"Not yet; sometimes unexpected surprises also occur, especially when Bridgerton's are involved, am I right, Violet?"

"Oh, absolutely. At first, Edmund and I also decided to wait, but then, eleven months into our marriage, Anthony was born."

Now it was Anthony's turn to fidget, but thankfully Daphne called everyone for the first dance.

They watched as the Duke of Hastings and his Duchess first started the dance.

"May I have this dance?" Anthony asked and watched his beautiful wife softly place her hand in his.

The music was a sweet symphony, but nothing could make this moment more sweet as Anthony dances with Kate. Especially today when his wife looked so beautiful in her blush pink gown , wearing Bridgerton tiara of glittering pink stones.

Like their first dance, the moment their dance began, it felt like there were just two of them in the room and no one else mattered but them.

In one turn, he circled his wife around the floor, and now they were dancing with her body flushed against his chest as they stood in a lover's embrace.

"Are you happy with me?" He suddenly found himself asking this question before he could stop himself and heard his wife gasp at this Surprising question.

"What kind of question is this, my lord? Why would I be unhappy with you or our marriage?"

In the next step, he turns his wife to face him and has his arms encircled around her waist. "That is not the answer I was seeking. Please, Kate, tell me how you truly feel. Are you happy in this marriage? Are you truly happy with me?"

Her face suddenly fell as she let out a small whisper. "My happiness does not matter."

"It matters to me, Kate; you matter to me." Anthony told his wife passionately, making her gasp.

"Anthony? What are you saying?"

"I am saying that this marriage is not just an arrangement for me anymore. I am saying that my feelings for you have developed since the day I first saw you in that port. I am saying that I..."

"The dance is over, my Lord." Kate curtsied like other girls do to their partners, and instead of bowing like other gentlemen, Anthony was breathing hard and staring at his wife intensely.

He was about to take her hand and lead her somewhere to finish this important conversation when suddenly Daphne joined them. "Brother, are you going to ask your hostess for the next dance?"

Anthony blinked, but before he could make excuses, his wife smiled at his sister. "It will be his honour; now excuse me, but suddenly I am feeling parched."

With that, she left, and Daphne took her place as the next dance began.

"Calm down, brother. I think some respite is much needed. Everyone just witnessed the intensity of your dance."

Anthony took deep breaths as he inquired. "Was I being that obvious?"

Daphne gave him a kind smile, as she assured her brother. "No one could blame you; it's clear how smitten you are with your wife, and beside, Bridgerton's are famous for our passion."

At that, Anthony laughed, and thankfully soon the dance ended.

He led his sister out of the dance floor when they suddenly noticed a familiar face speaking with his wife.

"Is that Thomas Dorset? Your friend from Oxford."

Anthony did not bother to reply, as the next second they were both rushing towards Kate when suddenly Thomas grabbed her.

"Sir, I do not know who you are! Please let me go."

"Why are you doing this to me? Do you have any idea how happy I was to see you again?"

"Unhand my wife!" Anthony suddenly yelled as he made him leave Kate's wrist.

Dorset looked shocked as he stared from him to his wife. "Bridgerton? Why are you calling this woman your wife? Is this some sort of joke? Wait a minute, did she become your mistress after arriving here, and you married her for some reason?"

At that moment, Anthony saw red as he punched Dorset hard in the face. "How dare you speak about my lady wife like that!?"

"Lady!" He laughed, and it was clear that he was in his cups because then he started speaking nonsense. "Since when did you become a lady, Kathani?"

Anthony turned but saw his wife shivering in terror as she shook her head. "I do not know this man."

"You don't know me; you don't recognise the man who wants to marry you, Kathani?!"

Dorset screamed as he once again tried to grab his wife, but this time Anthony was not alone as Benedict and Colin pushed him back.

Kate began to cry, and as much as Anthony wanted to hurt him, his wife needed him more.

Luckily, Simon arrived on time as he instructed his footman. "Take this man away and throw him out of my house!"

As Colin said Benedict handed him over to Simon's footman, Dorset started pleading. "Believe me, Hastings, this woman is not a lady!"

"Silence!" Anthony roared as Simon grabbed Dorset's collar. "You drunk fuck, you are drunk and confused and thought my sister-in-law was some woman from your past, but if I ever see you near my family again, you will wish you never laid an eye on any woman in your life."

With that, the footman dragged Dorset away as Simon and Daphne began to apologise. "I am so sorry, Kate."

"Kate, are you alright?"

But his wife was shivering as she clung to his body as she tearfully whispered. "Please take me home."

So without worrying about any scandal or anyone's feelings, Viscount Anthony Bridgerton left his sister Ball in the middle with his distressed wife, whose wellbeing meant more to him than anything else in this world.