A/N: The races remain as they are. It was perfection. But later on...

CHAPTER - 19 - HIGH FLYER

Anthony Bridgerton successfully tamed the shrew, for now at least. As fate worked out, he got Lumley out of the way and joined Miss Edwina at the ascot. Miss Edwina seemed impressed with this, it seemed, for the conversation was going well. And how good it felt, to Vex Miss Sharma as she sat beside him, uncomfortable that she could not interrupt him and Miss Edwina. "Lord Lumley seems to have got lost on his journey back from the lemonade stand", she inserted to no one in particular. Anthony knew well enough that it was directed at him, but chose to ignore her words.

"I am happy to search for him", mused Dorset from the other side. Oh if he leaves, then Kate Sharma will certainly find one or other reason to take Miss Edwina away, worried Anthony. But she took care of it herself.

"It was the viscount who insisted on refreshments", she chimed cruelly. "Perhaps he might go", she said as she turned to him. He couldn't ignore her anymore.

"With the race set to begin?", he chuckled.

Miss Edwina interjected, "Which one is your pick, My Lord?"

Ah, this was his chance, he could very well show Miss Edwina how well he knew of these fun activities that the ton enjoyed.

"Nectar," he pointed to a brown horse. "Well-bred, highly trained, and well favored," he added. Nectar would win.

But Kate's scoff triggered nothing but irritation inside of him. "Nectar? Really?", she said.

"Yes", he replied. That is all he would entertain her. "I have a feeling about him", he said, turning to Miss Edwina, who smiled in response. But Kate Sharma scoffs again.

"A feeling?"

"Pardon me?" he asked. Now he needed to know what was so disapproving of his choice of a racehorse. Anthony's bets were well thought and verified. Nectar had won many of the previous races over the course of winter. And, might he add, he wins his best most of the times.

"You simply chose the horse everyone else has chosen. Quite a 'feeling'," came her quick-witted remark.

"I made a strategic bet," he barked back.

The woman laughed in his face. "Oh, so you have considered your horse's temperament, as well as the conditions of the track, in order to properly assess its true potential?" she questioned.

Somewhere, Miss Edwina chimed, "It is suddenly rather warm, is it not?". Lumley will soon come with her lemonade, thought Anthony as he continued defending his choice.

"Nectar is a prize steed", he told Miss Sharma.

"Perhaps we should find a little more shade", came Dorset from the other side. What is the matter with the him now?

"Nectar ran well at Doncaster, but that was a firmer course", Miss Sharma began one-upping him. "The weather was much cooler. Thus his size was an advantage. Today the track is soft and it's hot, meaning he will struggle to make a headway, overheat and slow down during the final leg, giving High-flyer - a much swifter, lighter, cooler horse, the victory", she finished, with much pride might he add. While Miss Edwina sighed at her sister in resignation, Dorset on the other hand, hung his head down to laugh nimbly.

But Anthony could not help but think in silence. Everything that Miss Sharma said right now was true. Doncaster was a firmer course, and Nectar was a larger horse. Cool-weather over the winter would certainly help him gain momentum and kick off the ground, given he was much stronger than other horses. He would also not weigh heavily on the ground or sink into it. But the weather was still fine. It was not the peak of summer yet. Nectar would still have a good chance of winning. But Anthony could not say anything about Highflyer. He had not asked around about him, so he could do nothing but go off based on the information Miss Sharma had obtained about him. She had thought quite a lot before placing her bet.

"You think too much about it," he said looking away. He could give credit where it is due.

"And you too little," she snapped back looking the other way.

That very moment, Lord Lumley came back with two glasses of Lemonade.

"My apologies for the delay", he mused as he handed over one glass to Miss Edwina, and bent over to give another to Miss Sharma.

"Not to worry. Lord Bridegrton and Miss Sharma were keeping us entertained", chimed Dorset from the other end. However, his voice carried a hint of resignation as well. Not that he has ever made a good bet like Anthony does frequently.

"I'm simply thankful that the race has not started yet", Lumley said, as he tried to scoot into the stands. But Anthony was not going to leave his spot. Now that he was seated beside Miss Edwina, he would make the most of it.

"There is plenty of room, My Lord", Kate smiled at Lumley. Of course she would use every opportunity to ensure he does not get to speak with Miss Edwina. But there was nothing to do than move a bit, in order to adjust Lumley on the other side of Miss Edwina.

Soon, a blow of trumpet signaled that the race was about to begin. Everyone who was distracted, quickly assembled on the stand and the bell tolled to signal the start. The race had begun.

As soon as the flag went down, jockeys rushed their horses to make headway on the ground for the first lap of the three. And Nectar was leading the rest.

"Come on, that's it Nectar", he yelled out.

"Come now, Highflyer!", Kate joined as if on cue, and stood up on the stand.

The horses began with their second lap. "Yes!" Anthony chimed as Nectar led the second lap as well. There is no way he would not win.

"Steady… Steady, steady", came her voice in front of him, as she kept her eyes focused on her pick. But as soon as the third lap began, her voice started to become louder. Anthony slowly began to notice why. The horses in tow of Nectar were slowly being taken over by another horse. A Black one, somewhat smaller than the rest of them. High-flyer was now closing up on Nectar. Even the crowd exclaimed in surprise, for it seemed as if most people had bet on Nectar.

"Come on, Nectar", bellowed Anthony once more.

"Highflyer, come on…" began Kate Sharma, but soon hung all propriety and began whistling. Anthony looked at her stunned, as she looked on, never letting her eyes off her picked steed. She was enjoying this wholeheartedly. But only a few yards were remaining on the third and final lap. Nectar could surely still win, thought Anthony.

"Should we separate them?" came Dorset's voice from somewhere.

"It's all in good spirit", he thought he heard Miss Edwina in a worrisome tone somewhere over Miss Sharma's whistling.

"I am having so much fun", screeched Lumley.

Highflyer picked up his speed and came neck to neck with Nectar. "Nooooo," yelled Anthony, while Kate shook, screaming and screeching. "Yessss. Come on. Oh yes yes yes yesssss", she pitched as the final moment neared. This would end terribly. He would never hear the end of this. Highflyer overtook Nectar and ran for a mere minute and crossed the finish line.

Anthony lost his bet, yet somehow felt as if he was pushed off a cliff. Miss Sharma was bellowing in delight of her win.

"I must say, I have never bested a viscount before", she said, as Lumley handed her the amount she had won. "Beating you feels the same as any other win, but.. Somehow it smells sweeter." Anthony looked at her bewildered.

He would never hear the end of this.

"Kate, does Nectar not remind you of the beloved horse I used to adore?" chimed Miss Edwina, still in a worrisome tone. Anthony immediately understood she was trying to diffuse the tense situation. "Do you remember the one?" she asked, and Miss Sharma nodded in attention.

Anthony took the well-presented opportunity. "Oh, take my arm. I shall take you down to see him", he said, before looking back at Miss Sharma and walking away. Lumley however followed the duo, but Anthony could manage him. Yet, his sweet victory lied in the fact that Miss Sharma could not stop him now. She might have won the bet, but she shall not waylay his plans.

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It seemed as if Viscount Anthony Bridgerton was born to make her life miserable. Every time she found a way to foil his plans, he dug out another way to court Edwina. Now, he took advantage of the fact that she had been too swept up in her own victory, to convince Edwina to walk with him quickly. And before she could do anything, Edwina was swept up in his charms.

However, she could not sulk now. She had to walk behind them, keeping her gentle distance yet keep the Viscount on his toes. Maybe she could gently lead herself and Mr. Dorset that way, and the gentleman would not even notice.

Yet the same gentleman quickly interrupted them. "Miss Sharma, I must ask," he said, prompting Kate's attention.

"Why do you jab at Lord Bridgerton so?" he asked curiously. "He clearly does not like to lose."

Kate wished she could scoff out loud, as if. However, she chose a more polite tone. "If the Viscount is serious about courting my sister, is it not my duty to try his mettle?" She smiled sweetly.

Mr. Dorset raised an eyebrow, "Angering him is certainly no way I think."

Well, that did not work as well as she thought it would, so time to be honest then. "I do not believe he is the right man for my sister, Mr. Dorset", she said clearly. If the gentleman in front of her thought that it was much too direct, she could live with that.

"I thought he was caring," Mr. Dorset began, "the way he paid attention to Miss Edwina's words and even had lumley bring him lemonade."

"All of that is something he simply does to charm her" she put forth. "She does not see what he is truly like," words fell out of her lips as she looked away.

"Well, he might have swiftly led Lord Lumley out of his way, but that does not make him a bad man", Dorset persuaded. That was enough to bring her back with a ferocity unseen before.

"Is that what you think he was?" her voice hit higher notes, mildly revealing the anger that was blossoming within her heart. "That he was clever?"

Dorset's eyebrows furrowed in response. Not a reaction Kate was expecting. Was this man truly unknown to what he was implying or was he too dense to understand the significance of his own words?

"No. I meant, I only think it takes a courageous man to go after what he wants," he placed, somehow completely in the dark about how furious Kate was.

"It is also the mark of a true gentleman to be honest, would you not agree?" she flipped another question. That seemed to have an effect. Dorset hummed noncommittally and fell into silence as his eyes moved away from Kate and locked onto something afar as he thought. Maybe she could nudge him further sooner than later.

"Lord Bridgerton has done nothing but lie to crawl out of his wrongdoings, and plot to find easy ways to charm my sister." Kate added deftly. "I only wish to keep her safe."

Mr. Dorset stood alert. "What has he done?" he worried.

Kate took a deep breath. Could she actually tell Mr. Dorset of Anthony's misgivings? He seemed like an honest man from what she could make out so far, and how Lady Danbury had introduced him to Kate. But she could not help feel like she was tattling on Lord Brigerton to anyone and everyone who could hear. However, Dorset's eyes were still glued to her showing his genuine concern towards her, and it did not seem pointless in telling him what she overheard. Surely, not all men are like the Viscount Bridgerton?

"I overheard him once," she began, "He was proclaiming his list of requirements for a wife as someone lists off those for chattel. No where among those was love listed", she replied carefully.

Dorset seemed somewhat relieved at the answer. Perhaps he has imagined Lord Brigerton wanting to duel with her or spreading mistruths about her in the ton. And how easy would it have been if that was the case. There would be no one who would support the obnoxious lord then.

"And you take issue with this because?" Mr. Dorset prompted.

Kate sighed. "Many might disagree with me Mr. Dorset but I believe us women are not wrong in looking for a love match. Lord Bridgerton cannot offer that to my sister", she said in response. "Why, I shall be surprised he finds chattel with that list of his. A wife is a far cry", she said as she looked away again.

The gentleman laughed in response. "Well, he might come to love her. Is that not what happened Last season with the Duke of Hastings?"

"What?" Kate's words were laced with confusion with regards to many things all at once. She knew that name held significance but why? And how did Mr. Dorset come to know of it if he only came to London? Alas, she could not put a finger on either one instantly and all of these questions muddled in her mind as quickly as they came on.

"People change, Miss Sharma", Mr. Dorset chimed. "Do you not think so?"

Kate took a deep breath. "I do not believe that someone who has never believed in love can fall in love, Mr. Dorset", she said as she rolled her eyes. Only the next few words that fell out of her companion's mouth school her to the core.

And then, Mr. Dorset spoke seven words that shook Kate to the core.

"He used to, when he was younger."

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A/N : Are you ready for it? The significant changes that do this series one better.