Testing Audio -DK Principessa Chapter 2: Call you mine, a 13 to life fanfic

Call You Mine

ynnej2198

Summary:

When Penelope Featherington stumbles upon Anthony Bridgerton in the garden after the Feathertington ball, his life changes irrevocably.

The one with the Regency fake marriage trope you never asked for but are getting anyway.

WARNING: This is a Pen/Anthony story. If you can't fathom them with anyone but their canon spouses, then DO NOT read this story because it is NOT for you. Please do us all a favor and scroll right by it without clicking. Only registered users may leave comments and any hateful or abusive comments will be reported as spam.

Notes:

When I originally started this story, it was supposed to be the "What if?" scenario from Courting Scandal where Anthony and Penelope actually slept together after the ball as he insinuated to Dundas in Ch 10. The only problem was that those two crazy kids wouldn't cooperate with me and fall into some "I just had my heart torn open and want to forget about it" sex. However, they did lead me down a path I've been trying to get their modern counterparts to do for weeks to no avail. Somehow, I think this one ended up being far more fun than that would have been largely because it is set in the past.

I'm likely going to earn my kHate here, but that's okay. I get it even when I don't earn it, so what's the difference? For any Pen & Anthony plot to work, Kate has to not be in the picture either through never meeting him, breaking his heart (or vice versa), or dying. Diehard Kanthony fans who troll this tag don't like any of those options and call it bashing with a hefty helping of racism every time. I call it writing non-canon fanfiction according to my vision the way the writers of the show call it "adapting" the book plots. (If they can gender-swap Michael Stirling, I can make Kate go bye-bye.) And, frankly, after re-reading The Viscount Who Loved Me for the first time in 20 years, if I was a superfan, I'd be sending my hate where it deserves to go: Shonda Rhimes and CVD. IMHO, those two screwed over Kanthony and their fans far worse than I ever could in my fanfiction. In that travesty of a season, they took away everything that made Book!Kanthony rootable and lovable as a couple in order to drag out drama with Edwina that no one asked for or wanted. It's honestly a true testament to Jonny and Simone's superior acting skills that S2 even turned out remotely watchable.

But, I digress. Read and enjoy (unless you're a Kanthony troll without an open mind).

The title of this fic is inspired by Call You Mine by the Chainsmokers because the very first time I heard it on the boardwalk in Ocean City, MD this summer, I knew I needed to use it for them. Because, damn, these lines are *chef's kiss:

"Think about what you believe in now

Am I someone you cannot live without?

'Cause I know I don't wanna live without you"

WARNING: This story is explicit, so please proceed in reading it with that in mind. I have a lot of twists planned. Giving chapter warnings may give them away. I'll give them when I feel they are warranted, but otherwise, you're on your own. Usually skipping to the next ~z~ will get you out of territory you don't want to be.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Chapter 1: A Chance Encounter

Chapter Text

call you mine

He supposed that he should have anticipated that Kate would turn down his proposal, but Anthony honestly never had. After the dance they'd shared, he believed she wanted what he did so Anthony followed her out into the Featherington garden and confessed his love. When Kate admitted to reciprocating his feelings, Anthony felt as if his heart was going to burst with happiness and he had immediately gone on to ask her to marry him. However, when he did so, Kate's smile disappeared and she stepped back from him before shaking her head, swiping at the tears leaking from her eyes, and running away.

Anthony's heart urged him to pursue her, but his legs wouldn't move. He covered his face with his hands as he worked to school his emotions before losing the battle, dropping them, and screaming into the night, grateful for the noise of the fireworks shielding him. Anthony sank to the grass in defeat and cried.

He let his silent tears flow unencumbered until he heard the soft crunch of grass nearby and a startled, feminine, "Oh!". Anthony hastily swiped at the wetness on his face and looked over his shoulder to see Penelope Featherington standing behind him. She was wearing yet another yellow gown and had her hair in an elegant updo with a tiny yellow feather poking out of it. It was hard to see with only the moonlight and the fireworks as illumination, but it looked like she had tear streaks running down her face, too. Upon seeing him, Penelope curtsied, sniffled, and said, "Do forgive the intrusion, Lord Bridgerton. My apologies for disturbing you."

Without waiting for an answer, Eloise's friend turned around and began walking back the way she came. She would have continued if he hadn't blurted, "Stay," and stopped her in her tracks.

~z~

Penelope slowly turned around and cocked her head. Face full of confusion, she asked, "What?"

Anthony pivoted in the grass so he could see her and pointed to the patch next to him. "You seem to be in distress, Miss Featherington. I thought perhaps you desire the quiet as much as I do."

Penelope's eyes darted back and forth across the lawn. "I really should not, but thank you for the offer, my lord."

Anthony winced at her use of his title and encouraged her to call him by his name. "After all, we are practically family, are we not?" he added in a purposefully light tone.

Unfortunately, his attempt at levity had the opposite effect he desired and her face became a stony mask he'd never seen on her before. "We are not family, Lord Bridgerton, and we never will be," she hissed vehemently before turning to her right and breaking into a run, heading deeper into the family's gardens.

Now honestly concerned for her well-being, Anthony hopped to his feet and gave chase until he found her sitting on the ground in a small alcove in the back corner of the garden. She was resting in the grass leaning against a stone bench with her knees pulled up to her chest sobbing uncontrollably.

Having four sisters, Anthony recognized a female emotional breakdown when he saw one and quickly sat down next to her and pulled her into his arms like he would have any of them. Penelope stiffened at first and tried to pull back, but his embrace was tight and grip unrelenting, so she eventually gave in and clung to him as she cried.

~z~

Once Penelope's wails has become whimpers, Anthony whispered, "What happened, Penelope?"

His sister's friend pulled back slightly to look into his eyes. She worked her throat and said, "Eloise and I had a fight."

He wanted to say, is that all , but held his tongue because it seemed like she wanted to share more, but was drumming up the courage to do so. Instead, he prompted, "And?"

Penelope closed her eyes, grimaced, and shook her head as if whatever she needed to say was painful. "And Colin disparaged me in front of his mates."

Anthony felt anger seeping into his bones as he recalled seeing Penelope fleeing from the back yard amidst male laughter as he searched for Kate earlier. "What did he say?" Anthony asked in a tone that broke no argument.

Penelope, eyes closed tightly, shook her head again, frantically this time, as if she couldn't bear to remember. It was only when Anthony commanded, "Tell me," in a low, menacing voice that she complied. Softly, she whispered, "Are you mad? I would never dream of courting Penelope Featherington. Not in your wildest fantasies, Fife," in a mocking tone.

Anthony's blood boiled at his brother's carelessness as whatever dam holding Penelope's emotions in check burst. "I never asked him to court me! But I didn't think he could be so cruel as to mock me like that. And after telling me not an hour earlier that I was special to him and he'd always look out for me?!" Suddenly Penelope pulled away from his embrace, which had loosened once her diatribe started. She slapped a hand on the ground and launched herself upward. The girl swiped at her tears angrily and began pacing. "Even if he doesn't love me the way I love him, it's still no excuse to belittle me like that. Not after everything I've done for him at the cost to myself and my entire bloody family! But, no, instead of being grateful that he could even go to Greece because I saved him from being cuckolded by my cousin, he comes home and insults me by proclaiming that I don't even count as a woman. And, Eloise, don't even get me started on her …"

Anthony tuned out the rest of Penelope's venomous diatribe on his siblings as he struggled to comprehend the meaning of her words.

She'd stopped Colin's marriage? How? Brain working overtime, Anthony pulled himself up from the ground slowly and sat on the bench. As he watched Penelope pace and mutter to herself, he realized that she was not the girl he thought he knew.

The way she carried herself, the words she used, the manner in which she spoke. None of it pointed to a naive debutante like his sister (who, for all her worldly words, was extremely sheltered), but instead to a woman who had seen and heard far more than anyone realized.

In that moment it hit him like a lightning bolt from the sky: Penelope was Lady Whistledown.

~z~

"And then when I dare to defend myself, clapping back at her for her inability to do anything but talk, she has the audacity to call me an insipid wallflower?" Penelope ranted. "It's not like I chose this. Any of this. It's the role they've all relegated me to, so what choice do I have? Why not capitalize on it?"

After asking the question, Penelope went silent, stopped pacing, and stared at him. Anthony saw the moment when she realized everything she'd revealed because she gulped and went pale as a ghost. Anthony had to give it to her, for she regained her composure quickly, though. "Do forgive my outburst, Lord Bridgerton. It is late and I am tired. I shall leave you to your evening. Feel free to stay as long as you like. No one will disturb you."

Penelope was about to walk away when Anthony, who'd been sitting on the bench with his elbows on his knees, straightened. He clasped his hands together in front of him on his lap and said, "There is nothing to forgive. However, I was hoping you would answer a question for me before you go?"

Penelope's brows furrowed in confusion, but she nodded, so Anthony asked, "Why did you never write about me and Kate?"

~z~

"I do not know what you are implying, my lord, but …"

Anthony held up a hand for her to stop speaking. "Please don't insult my intelligence, Penelope. I know you are Lady Whistledown."

She reeled back. "How?"

"You mentioned earlier about saving my brother from being cuckolded. It was the timely arrival of Lady Whistledown's Society Papers detailing Marina's scheme that ultimately stopped his elopement. So, I'll ask again: Why didn't you write about me and Kate? You had to know there was something developing between us given your access to the family."

Penelope sighed and came closer. She asked, "May I?" and sat down when he nodded. "Honestly, it was because I could tell you were struggling with your feelings and I didn't want to make it worse. I had to report on the wedding because it would have been suspicious for me not to, but beyond that, I felt that whatever happened was none of my business."

"I appreciate that. Thank you."

Pen glanced over at him. "I expected I would end the season announcing your engagement." When he frowned and shook his head, she pivoted and said, "But instead, I shall be detailing my ruination."

"You are hardly ruined, Penelope," Anthony tried to reassure her.

"Everyone heard him, Anthony. Between that and Cousin Jack's ruby mine scheme, I have no hope of ever marrying. I'll die a spinster who's never even been kissed."

"Surely you exaggerate," Anthony retorted automatically, not believing that someone as pleasant as Penelope wouldn't find a husband.

In response she scoffed and gave him a pitying look. Penelope looked at her lap and shook her head the way one does in disbelief. Then she put her hands on the bench beside her dress and used them to push herself off of it slowly, as if she was exhausted. Penelope then turned toward him and said, "For all your worldly attributes, you are as naive as your sister," before dipping her head in deference to his rank and bidding him a good night.

For some reason, the pity and the words rankled him, so he stood and grasped her upper arm between her gloves and sleeve. "How so?"

"You are a man and therefore have the luxury of marrying for any reason you choose any time you choose it. Women like me, however, have to marry whoever deems us worthy enough. Just like cattle at auction, my value goes down with each perceived flaw until, eventually, I am not worth anything. Between my lack of dowry, my father's suspicious death, Marina's scandal, Colin's words, and Cousin Jack's theft, I'm damaged goods. A man would either have to be a fool or desperate to choose me when he could have someone like Edwina instead. Tell me, my lord, is any gentleman you know foolish or desperate enough to take me on?"

She must have seen the answer written on his face because she pulled away and stalked back toward the house without another word.

Chapter 2: Interlude: Lady Whistledown's Society Papers

Summary:

When Penelope Featherington stumbles upon Anthony Bridgerton in the garden after the Feathertington ball, his life changes irrevocably.

The one with the Regency fake marriage trope you never asked for but are getting anyway.

Notes:

Lady Whistledown makes a suggestion. Will Anthony heed it?

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Dearest Gentle Reader,

I had hoped to close out the season with the happy news of an engagement between the elder Miss Sharma and Viscount Bridgerton after their romantic dance at the Featherington ball; however, I am sad to report that such tidings were not meant to be. This author learned last night that both Miss Sharmas and their mother are headed to Prussia at the behest of the Queen to meet her dear nephew, Frederich. While Miss Sharma (the elder) seemed rather upset by the development, she dutifully followed her mother and sister out of the Featherington garden and toward her future without looking back. Given that the viscount has brothers who could man the estate for him, I cannot help but wonder whether he will give chase? Wouldn't it be delightful to return next season to greet the new Lord and Lady Bridgerton at the first ball?

I said brothers (plural) but probably should have said brother (singular), as word has reached me that the third Bridgerton brother is heading off on another adventure this off-season. One must wonder, though, whether he has a desire to see the world or if he is simply trying to escape his family, as I am certain his mother is considering taking him over her knee for his callous words regarding his "friend", Miss Penelope Featherington, last night. He may have never intended to court the insipid wallflower, but did he have to announce it for all and sundry to hear?

Speaking of the Featherington family, it has reached this author's ears that the new Baron Featherington fled into the night like the common thief he is, leaving both his gun cabinet and fiancé behind. The Dowager Baroness is nothing if not resourceful, but this situation seems like an insurmountable obstacle to overcome. I suppose it is a good thing, then, that she only has to worry about marrying off one daughter instead of two next season now that the youngest Featherington has retired to the country indefinitely to provide companionship to her dear sickly aunt. Perhaps it is for the best, considering a man would have to either be desperate or a fool (or both) to marry the woman Colin Bridgerton wouldn't court "in his wildest fantasies" anyway.

Yours truly,

Lady Whistledown

Notes:

Next: Anthony makes a decision about his future

Chapter 3: Giving Chase

Summary:

When Penelope Featherington stumbles upon Anthony Bridgerton in the garden after the Feathertington ball, his life changes irrevocably.

The one with the Regency fake marriage trope you never asked for but are getting anyway.

Notes:

Anthony makes plans, but they don't work out the way he anticipated.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Anthony ushered Benedict into his study and motioned for him to sit down before closing and locking the door behind them. He went to the sideboard and poured them each a drink before sitting behind his desk and sliding one over to his brother. Benedict drank, but didn't speak, still largely giving him the silent treatment after learning about Anthony's donation to the Academy.

Anthony took a sip to steel himself before saying, "I know that I am not your favorite person right now, but I need your help."

Benedict's brow shot up and he stopped the glass halfway to his lips. "With what?"

"I would like your assistance managing the estate while I am gone."

His brother put the glass down and leaned forward. "Gone? Gone where?" he asked confusedly.

"Prussia."

~z~

Despite his initial misgivings the night of the ball over chasing after Kate, Anthony had followed Penelope's advice in Whistledown and followed her to Prussia. To say that she was shocked to see him was an understatement. Once again, Anthony laid it all on the line. He confessed his love and vowed to do anything she wanted to prove his devotion to her.

They began a courtship under the watchful eye of her mother. At first, things went well. They went out with Edwina and Prince Frederich often, as well as alone with proper chaperones, and found themselves as enamored as ever. However, Kate seemed reluctant to commit to a future together, as whenever he got close to bringing up marriage, she would pull away and redirect the conversation.

After a few weeks, Edwina became engaged to the Prince, having fallen madly in love with him, and Anthony thought that would be the catalyst for Kate to finally agree to marry him and return to England. (Her sister being happily settled had been her motivation for their entire season in London, after all.) However, she remained strangely reticent to move forward and their relationship began to slowly fall apart as Anthony struggled to understand what was going through her mind.

The day after Edwina's wedding, Lady Mary advised Kate that she planned to stay in Prussia and take occasional trips back to India to visit her husband's family. Anthony had been ecstatic to hear this news, as it meant that Kate would not have to worry about her mother being alone (though he would have been happy to host her in London), and proposed again that evening as they walked (still properly chaperoned) in the moonlit palace gardens.

However, when he got down on one knee with a ring he'd had specially commissioned for her and asked her (once again) to be his wife, she declined, citing no desire to go back to London and deal with the pressures of being a viscountess in the Ton when she could live a happy, unencumbered life in Prussia with her mother and sister.

At that point, Anthony gave up. The title was an accident of his birth, but it was his, for better or worse. He couldn't renounce it and Kate refused to come back to London with him.

So, what else could he do but leave?

~z~

Anthony had to leave Prussia, as being in proximity to Kate without having her by his side was a special kind of torture. However, he did not desire to rejoin his family at Aubrey Hall either. They would ask questions he did not wish to answer and try to get him to discuss his feelings so they could support him. He supposed he could go to Bridgerton House, but then someone would see him and his presence in Town would get back to his family and he'd end up being in the very position he was avoiding by not going to Aubrey Hall in the first place. Anthony briefly considered finding Colin and joining him on his travels, but he was still quite vexed with his brother over his treatment of Penelope. However, he did write to him to see if he knew any information on Penelope's sickly aunt's location.

~z~

Brother,

I was surprised to receive a letter from you while you are in Prussia wooing our future viscountess. Your efforts are going well, I hope.

My travels have been quite exciting. I've been to over eight cities so far and cannot wait to visit more. I assume you got my full updated itinerary from Benedict, who is eagerly anticipating your return, as your letter was waiting here for me in Paris when I arrived.

To answer your question, my attempts to contact Penelope at her Aunt Petunia's home in Cornwall have been unsuccessful thus far. While the letters have not been returned unopened, they have gone unanswered. I can only assume from her lack of response that she does not wish to speak with me. Thus, I will attempt to apologize in person for my behavior once the season starts.

I look forward to seeing you back in London and welcoming our new sister into the family.

Your brother,

Colin

Notes:

Anthony takes a detour before returning to London

Will add notes later.

Chapter 4: Surprise

Summary:

When Penelope Featherington stumbles upon Anthony Bridgerton in the garden after the Feathertington ball, his life changes irrevocably.

The one with the Regency fake marriage trope you never asked for but are getting anyway.

Notes:

Anthony shows up unexpectedly in Cornwall, much to Penelope's surprise

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

When all was said and done, it was rather easy to bypass London completely and end up on Penelope's aunt's porch in Cornwall. Penelope had been even more surprised than Kate to see him on her stoop when she opened the door, staring wide-eyed and gaping like a fish at the sight. Dressed in a simple mint green muslin day dress with her hair loose, Penelope whispered his name with awe before glancing back inside the house nervously and stepping outside, closing the door softly behind her. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I know my presence is a surprise and I do not mean to intrude, but I was hoping we could talk?"

Penelope studied him for a moment before nodding and motioning to precede her down the porch steps. Once they were on the ground in front of the house, Penelope stepped past him and led him around to the back. "My aunt is napping inside and she is a very light sleeper. We can talk in the garden."

"Don't you need a chaperone?" Anthony asked when they reached the back yard.

Penelope glanced over her shoulder and gave him the same pitying look she had the night of the ball. "Spinsters do not need chaperones, my lord."

The words, "You are not a spinster," were out of his mouth before he could stop himself, causing Penelope to stop abruptly. She turned to face him and raised her arms to her sides and waved them around at the scenery. "I am a wallflower with no prospects who has been shipped off to the country to play companion to her sickly aunt. What else would you call that?"

Anthony put his hands up in front of him defensively and said, "I apologize. I did not mean to offend you. It is merely odd to think of you as on the shelf when you are so young."

Penelope dropped her hands and relaxed. "Then it is a good thing you will not have to think of me at all once we part, is it not, Lord Bridgerton?" Miss Featherington didn't wait for a reply. Instead she walked to a small wooden bench nestled in the corner of the lawn and sat down. She motioned for him to join her and asked, "So what is it you wished to speak with me about?"

Anthony sat down next to her and ran a hand through his hair nervously before saying. "I followed your advice and chased after Kate."

"I assume by your presence here that it did not go well?"

"No. She turned me down. Again. She is happy in Prussia and didn't want to leave the peace she found there to be my viscountess and deal with all that entails."

Anthony was surprised when Penelope reached out and patted him on the arm. "I am sorry, Anthony. Truly. I had hoped for a different outcome."

"Thank you, Penelope."

The two of them sat in silence for a few minutes, her small un-gloved hand still on his coat comfortingly, until the back door to the cottage opened and her aunt popped her head out to call for her. At the noise, Penelope startled and jumped up off the bench. She walked briskly over to her aunt and grasped her around the shoulders. "What are you doing out here, Aunt Petunia? I thought you were napping."

The elderly lady, who would have been the spitting image of Penelope when she was younger, scoffed at her coddling and said, "I woke up and couldn't find you, so I checked the place you always seem to be." She elderly woman eyed Anthony shrewdly and added, "Though I must admit that I expected you to be out here reading. Alone."

Penelope blanched and looked between him and her aunt. She opened her mouth to speak a few times, but no sound came out. He had seen Penelope not speak many times, but he'd never seen her speechless before and it was quite amusing that a little old lady could do that to her.

Petunia wrapped a hand around Penelope's waist and pulled her into her before stage whispering. "Given the look of him, I can understand why you were keen to keep him to yourself while you could, but you cannot hide your husband away from me forever dear."

Anthony's brow quirked at the word husband but he remained silent as he waited to see what Penelope would say. "Oh, no… That is… I…. He…" she sputtered, waving her free hand between them.

Suddenly, Petunia straightened to her full height, which was probably only an inch or two taller than her niece, and stared Penelope in the eye. "This is the young man who has been writing you those love letters from the continent as you await his return from war so that you can reunite and start your life together as husband and wife, is it not?"

Anthony fought the urge to smile at Penelope's predicament. Clearly she'd told her aunt a hell of a lie to justify all of Colin's apology letters. However, when Penelope closed her eyes and worked her throat, Anthony realized how deeply hurt she still was by his brother's careless words. To add injury to insult, Colin had been incredibly selfish in inundating her with inappropriate correspondence she had no way to explain; so, Anthony did the only thing he could think of to help. He stepped forward, took Petunia's wrinkled hand in his, and said, "Yes, it is." He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. "Tony Ledger. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, ma'am."

Notes:

Next: Pen and Anthony scramble to cover their tracks with Aunt Petunia

Notes:

And "Tony Ledger" enters the chat. As you know, I don't write with any outlines. This was a complete, utter, accident. But, I swear, it was the best one I've ever made. Who is "Tony" when he is free of all his responsibilities? I think he'd be a lot closer to his siblings as far as attitude, mannerisms, and mischief than he is due to his title. Him rescuing Pen from herself, especially when Colin and Eloise both contributed to her situation completely tracks for me. Anthony Bridgerton is nothing if not a good actor. He's been "acting" since his father died. He can pull off the ruse. But can Pen?

Pen's side of things will be explained in the next chapter. But, if you want a preview, just think back to S3E4 and Pen's feelings on love and romance and it will explain the WHY of it all completely. And we all know she is just as good of an actor as Anthony given Whistledown. But, she is also prideful and independent (because she has to be). Will she accept his help?

Get ready for some really fun romantic comedy. There will be little to no drama and angst. This is all fluff and fun as they build a relationship based on pure honesty - with each other at least.

Chapter 5: Little White Lie

Summary:

When Penelope Featherington stumbles upon Anthony Bridgerton in the garden after the Feathertington ball, his life changes irrevocably.

The one with the Regency fake marriage trope you never asked for but are getting anyway.

Notes:

The road to hell is paved with good intentions

Sorry these chapters are so short. This was supposed to be a one-shot posted upon completion, so now I have to find places to break it up.

Fair warning: The end is written, but the middle isn't. I have maybe two more pre-written "chapters" before there will be a lull. I'm going to apologize in advance for that and beg your understanding as I write the middle. This is what I get for being impatient in my desire to share these stories with you.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Upon making his acquaintance, Petunia, who Anthony learned was actually Penelope's great-aunt (her mother's mother's sister), fawned all over him. She immediately left her dear Penny's side to capture his arm and usher him into the cottage, which was miniscule by Bridgerton standards, and sat him at the kitchen table. Stating that he must be famished after such a long journey, Petunia flittered around the kitchen. With her niece's help, she prepared tea and sandwiches for the three of them as Anthony looked on.

After they'd eaten and Anthony spent the evening regaling Petunia with tales from his journey back from Prussia, Penelope helped her aunt up to bed. When she returned downstairs, she whisper-shouted, "What the hell was that?"

Anthony stood up, removed his coat, and threw it across the back of the settee. He rolled up his sleeves and said, "I don't know. It just seemed like the right thing to do in the moment."

"Really?" Penelope asked with skepticism.

"You're the one who spun that yarn about Colin's letters being from your husband. Couldn't you have simply said they were from Eloise?" Anthony retorted.

"No. I couldn't." Penelope came down the last step and walked over to an armchair near the fire. She sank down onto it and sighed tiredly. "Eloise has written to me here before. Petunia knows her handwriting. Plus, I told my aunt the reason I came to help her is because your sister and I grew apart. It would have been odd to attribute the influx of letters to her."

Anthony crossed the room and sat in the armchair across from her, but remained silent. "Colin has excellent penmanship, but it is still male penmanship. Auntie knows I don't have any brothers and, despite her easygoing personality, is a traditionalist. If she'd known they were from an unmarried man who is not my relative, she would have told mother even though they don't get along."

"And Colin would once again be trapped into a marriage by a Featherington," Anthony finished, knowing there was no way Portia would ever let Colin escape the parson's noose with the proof of impropriety those letters provided.

Penelope nodded. "He clearly doesn't think of me that way. He's allowing his guilt to override his common sense. So I had to come up with something to playcate her."

"But a husband?"

Penelope blew out a breath. "Aunt Petunia is a romantic at heart. Since mother went to Ireland with Prudence and I came here with Rae, I told her that he and I eloped before I got here and that my husband and I were waiting until he was home from the front to tell everyone." She looked down at her clasped hands and rubbed them together nervously. "I figured she'd pass away without ever learning the truth and I'd be back in London with no one the wiser."

"Until I showed up."

"Until you showed up."

Notes:

Next: Anthony and Pen make an agreement only to realize they didn't consider all the variables.

Pen is a hopeless romantic, so I think she'd impulsively come up with a story to explain away Colin's letters. Despite how much he hurt her, his happiness is still paramount. And being caught in a "loveless" marriage with her would not make him happy. So, enter fake husband who will be conveniently out of the country. Is it far-fetched? Yes. But Pen is a very convincing liar given her practice.

Anthony is a mess, but he is honorable when it comes down to it. He knows Colin fucked up, first with the words and then the letters, so it makes sense to me that he'd try to fix it, at least in my mind. I'm using his distraction and heartbreak as the reason why he dove in at all. He's really trying to avoid going home and facing his mother without Kate on his arm.

Chapter 6: Only One Bed

Summary:

When Penelope Featherington stumbles upon Anthony Bridgerton in the garden after the Feathertington ball, his life changes irrevocably.

The one with the Regency fake marriage trope you never asked for but are getting anyway.

Notes:

Anthony and Penelope come to an understanding.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

"How long does your aunt have?" Anthony asked Penelope.

She shrugged. "We are not certain. The physicians have estimated three months at most."

"But she seems so healthy."

"Today was a good day," Penelope stated with a loving half-smile before turning morose and adding, "Most days are not. It is why Rae is staying in the village instead of here and there is no live-in staff. My aunt is a proud woman who doesn't want anyone to see her wither away."

"Even you?"

"If she had her way, yes. But I am far too stubborn to be dissuaded."

Anthony chuckled quietly at that. "Somehow that doesn't surprise me."

~z~

"You cannot be serious," Penelope replied, dumbfounded.

"But I am."

"You're willing to pretend to be my husband for three months so that my aunt, a woman you barely know, can die happy?"

He nodded in the affirmative.

"Have you gone mad?"

~z~

Anthony leaned forward and rested his elbows on his thighs. He clasped his hands together and pinned Penelope with his stare. "If I return home right now, I just might. I need some time away to get my head on straight without intrusive questions and well-meaning but suffocating support from my family. And you're in this mess because of my brother, so let me help get you out of it."

Penelope studied him for a few moments and then said, "Alright. If that's what you want."

"It is."

~z~

Anthony saw Penelope bite her lip as they entered her bedroom. She took a look at the bed and then glanced back at him. "I suppose we didn't think this through."

Anthony dropped his travel bag on the floor next to his feet. "Don't worry, Pen, I can be a gentleman as long as you can be a lady," he said nonchalantly as he loosened his cravat to prepare for bed.

~z~

"Will you stop squirming!" Anthony hissed at Penelope next to him, who couldn't seem to lay still. "I'm trying to sleep."

Pen huffed. "Unlike you, Tony," she said through gritted teeth, "I am not used to sleeping with other people in my bed. So, excuse me if it takes some time for me to adjust to having you here."

Anthony turned his head toward her and cracked an eyelid open. When he saw she was staring straight up at the ceiling with her arms crossed tightly under her bosom, Anthony shifted his weight to the shoulder nearest her and used his opposite hand to reach out, grasp her wrist, and yank. The force caused her to roll onto her side. Anthony leveraged her discombobulation at his familiarity to slide his arms around her body and pull her close. "Just relax," he whispered as he tangled his fingers in her hair and gently maneuvered her face into the hollow of his neck and shoulder, "and go to sleep."

Notes:

Next: Their cover may be blown before it even truly starts.

There are more than two bedrooms in the cottage, but why would "Tony" need to use one if he is really married to Pen? He may be a gentleman but he is also a lord. Viscount Bridgerton is not sleeping on the floor for three months. (Nor the settee, as they're hell on his back.)

Chapter 7: A Morning Surprise

Summary:

When Penelope Featherington stumbles upon Anthony Bridgerton in the garden after the Feathertington ball, his life changes irrevocably.

The one with the Regency fake marriage trope you never asked for but are getting anyway.

Notes:

An unexpected guest threatens Anthony's plans (and his anatomy)

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

In his semi-conscious state, Anthony heard the bedroom door open and a female voice say, "Good morning, miss," just before the curtains flew open and light inundated the room. Once that happened, there was an unladylike scream from the intruder that had Penelope throwing the covers off of her and running. Anthony cracked his eyes open against the light to see his "wife" holding a hand over her maid's mouth, making frantic shushing motions, and trying to explain the situation in hushed tones.

Anthony sat up in the bed and removed what was left of the covers so he could swing his legs over and put his feet on the floor. He absently scratched his stomach (he hated sleeping in his itchy clothing) as he watched the two women have a silent but tense conversation. When Penelope, fully covered in her nightgown, removed her hand from her maid's mouth, the girl kept quiet and studied him. Anthony stood up and returned the stare, daring her with his eyes to say anything. At first, she seemed to shrink away, but then she came closer to him and held her ground. She broke eye contact briefly to glance down at his crotch threateningly and then looked back up and pasted a smile on her face and said, "Good morning, Mr. Ledger. I do hope your journey was pleasant. Your wife has missed you terribly these last few months," in a sickly sweet voice.

As Penelope looked on, horrified, at her maid's impertinence, Anthony cleared his throat. "It was, thank you. And I have missed her, too."

"As I'm sure you have missed the rest of your family, what with being away for so long. Perhaps they could come to visit soon so that you might be reacquainted."

Anthony heard Penelope hiss a mortified "Rae!" but ignored it. "I will reunite with my family in due course, but, for now, my priority is Mrs. Ledger and ensuring her every happiness during this difficult time."

"See that it stays that way, sir, and you and I will get along splendidly." Rae then turned away from him and addressed Penelope directly. "Let's get you dressed for the day, yes, so that we can start on the chores?"

Anthony was figuratively dismissed as the two women chose a simple lilac day dress Pen could wear without stays and disappeared behind the dressing screen, which just happened to be sitting near the window where daylight was seeping in.

Anthony should have averted his eyes from her silhouette as she changed, but he didn't.

~z~

When Rae left (with one last death glare in his direction), Penelope apologized for her behavior. "She is just very protective of me and not a fan of the Bridgerton family after what happened at mama's ball. I'll talk to her."

"No, leave it. I'm glad you have someone in your corner, Pen."

"Pen?"

"Well, yes. Your Aunt will think it strange if we don't refer to each other informally, won't she?"

Pen's mouth shifted into a little half-smile before she walked to the door. "I'll leave you to freshen up and change, Tony."

Once she was gone, Anthony sank back down to the bed and buried his face in his hands. What the fuck had he gotten himself into?

Notes:

Next: Anthony unpacks and settles in.

Notes:

Rae is totally blackmailing him because she's cool like that. "Tony" had better watch his p's and q's or the jig will be up.

This is pretty much all I have written for this section. Everything else is at the end. Next update will take some time. Bear with me. I hate having too many WIPs so I may switch back to Off the Wall to finish that up quickly. We shall see where the inspiration strikes.

Hope you're enjoying reading the story as much as I do writing it.

Random question: If modern Anthony had a tattoo, what would it be?

Chapter 8: Sugar Mama

Summary:

When Penelope Featherington stumbles upon Anthony Bridgerton in the garden after the Feathertington ball, his life changes irrevocably.

The one with the Regency fake marriage trope you never asked for but are getting anyway.

Notes:

Enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

While Pen and Rae assisted Petunia with chores, Anthony unpacked his travel bag and what he could of his trunk in Pen's room. When he did so, he came across the betrothal ring he'd had made for Kate. It reminded him that Pen needed a ring if they were going to continue this ruse.

~z~

When Anthony entered the kitchen, Pen and Rae were hard at work cleaning while Petunia sat at the table and watched them. Today the elderly lady looked exhausted and gaunt, the complete opposite from when he last saw her.

Knowing she was watching, though, he walked up to Penelope, put a hand on her shoulder, and kissed her quickly on the top of the head in greeting (much to Rae's chagrin). "I thought I might head into the village this morning for a few things I need, if you ladies don't mind."

Pen turned around to face him and assessed him. She frowned slightly and then grabbed his wrist and started pulling him into the other room with her. As they left, she raised her voice and replied, "I think that's a wonderful idea, darling. Come with me and I'll give you directions as well as a list of items I need, too."

Once they were in the sitting room and out of earshot of the kitchen's occupants, Pen reached into her apron pocket and pulled out a stack of banknotes. "Take this and get yourself some simpler clothes while you're there."

Anthony had dressed in his usual attire this morning, sans coat. "What's wrong with this?"

"You look like a peer, not a soldier," she replied as she lifted his hand and placed the notes in his palm.

"I can pay for whatever I need myself, Pen. I have the money."

"Not unless you want your family to figure out you're here and not in Prussia, you don't."

"I can't take your money, Penelope. What if you need it?"

In response, Pen smirked and said, "Take it. There's plenty more where that came from."

~z~

While in the village, Anthony purchased several changes of clothing as well as a black leather traveling coat and a work hat to shield his face from the sun.

It was evident from the condition of Petunia's home, that it had been neglected for some time, especially the grounds and stables, so Anthony figured he'd spend some of his stay in Cornwall making himself useful.

He was actually looking forward to being outside again and tending to the grounds and horses, which was something he hadn't been able to do since before his father died. Once Edmund was gone, it was My Lord this and My Lord that and everyone suddenly did everything for him. He could barely take a piss on his own let alone care for the horses or pick vegetables.

But it wasn't as if he had the time to do those things anymore anyway, as every moment of every day was suddenly accounted for either meetings, paperwork, and "fatherly" duties Anthony had never asked for or wanted. It was one thing to be groomed to become Viscount Bridgerton someday but quite another to be him, especially when Anthony was mourning his father's loss. He had to be the strong one because there had been no other option. His mother was crumbling under the weight of her grief, so his siblings were looking to him to lead. If he crumbled too, where would that leave the family? Their legacy?

Anthony thought he'd feel some measure of relief from his responsibility while in Prussia, but he didn't. There was an innate urgency lurking under the surface pushing him to secure Kate's hand so that he could return to his life. But, here in Cornwall, Anthony felt no such emotion. His duties were there in the recesses of his mind, but he wasn't in a rush to get back to them.

What did that mean?

~z~

Anthony made it a point to stop by the blacksmith on the way back to Petunia's to see if he had any rings available. There were not many to choose from and they all were far below what he had planned to give Kate, but they were perfect for Penelope in their simplicity.

Anthony chose a bronze cast knot ring that he believed would be Penelope's size and wouldn't interfere with the chores she did on a daily basis. He couldn't wait to return home and give it to her, along with some wildflowers he picked up along the way.

Notes:

Anthony's planning to work outside. A lot. In the warm weather. (In case you needed something to look forward to today.)

Needed some light and fluffy fun, so I switched back to this.

Chapter 9: The Gauntlet

Summary:

When Penelope Featherington stumbles upon Anthony Bridgerton in the garden after the Feathertington ball, his life changes irrevocably.

The one with the Regency fake marriage trope you never asked for but are getting anyway.

Notes:

Rae throws down the gauntlet. Will Anthony pick it up?

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

When Anthony returned to Petunia's, he could hear Penelope's voice coming from the sitting room in a consistent flow, so he assumed she was reading to her aunt. Anthony dropped his purchases on the kitchen table, shrugged off his coat, and hung it along with his hat on a peg by the door. Then, he pulled a cup out of the cupboard and poured some water from the pitcher on the counter into it before placing the wildflowers he'd picked inside. Once he was certain they wouldn't fall over, he scooped up his belongings and made his way to the bedroom.

When Anthony entered, however, he stopped short at the sight of Rae bustling around dusting the furniture. Not wanting to scare her, he cleared his throat and issued a greeting. "Rae."

She paused at the sound of his voice and looked up. "Mister Ledger," she greeted sarcastically before figuratively dismissing him and going back about her business.

Anthony crossed the room and laid his new clothing on the bed. He was about to leave when she spoke up. "Are you planning to put those away, sir?" Rae asked. "Because I am not your maid. I am Miss Penelope's."

Anthony looked between the clothing and the maid and sighed. Instead of putting the clothes away, however, he walked to the door and closed it until it was only open a crack. "Do you have a problem with me?" Anthony asked the woman. "Because if you do, then let us clear the air now so that we can peacefully coexist over the next few months."

The maid crossed her arms, duster still in hand, and eyed him skeptically. "May I speak freely, my lord?"

Surprised at the use of his honorific, Anthony nodded.

Rae took a deep breath and said, "I know that you think you are helping, but you aren't. If you truly are the gentleman you claim to be, then you would make up an excuse and go home before you become yet another Bridgerton to hurt her."

"I'm not going to hurt, Pen," Anthony defended, inexplicably affronted by the maid's insinuation. She raised her eyebrow at him haughtily, the same way he usually did his siblings, and huffed. Then she went over to Penelope's trunk, opened the lid, and rifled through it. When she found what she was looking for, she dropped the feather duster on the ground and used both hands to pick something up.

Rae straightened and turned to him holding stacks of letters bound together with yellow ribbon. She tossed them onto the middle of the bed and said, "I'd never dream of courting Penelope Featherington. Not in your wildest fantasies, Fife," in an imitation of Colin's voice before pointing to the letters as if they were poisonous.

Anthony moved toward the bed and picked up a bundle. He knew they were from Colin by the handwriting. He ran a thumb down the side of the stack and estimated at least thirty letters in it, based on his extensive experience with piles of correspondence. (It took years, but Anthony could now tell how many letters he had to reply to just by eyeing the size of the stack on his desk.) There were five other ones of similar size on the duvet. "These are all from him?"

Rae nodded. "Last year, she received post from him nearly every day. The letters mostly asked after her health and shared his travels. However, he consistently compared the sunset to her hair, the ocean to her eyes, and waxed on and on about how much she'd love it wherever he was." The maid drew a ragged breath, as if she was trying to rein in her temper, and continued, "This year, he has done nothing but state how everything he sees reminds him of her and continuously beg her to respond to him."

As Anthony's blood began to boil over Colin's actions, Rae asked, "If he isn't courting her, what is he doing? Because there is no reason on Earth he should be writing to her that frequently unless she is actually his sister. Your brother has been leading her on and breaking her heart over and over again and, forgive me, my lord, but I'll be damned if I allow you to do the same thing."

Rae picked up the bundles of letters and reached out her hand for the one he was holding. When he gave it to her, she stated, "Penelope is not, nor will she ever be, your sister, regardless of whether you think of her that way. You have the power to destroy her and what's left of her reputation if you stay. So, unless you believe that you could marry Penelope one day, Lord Bridgerton, you need to leave and you need to do it now."

With that, she turned away from him, put the letters away, and strode from the room, closing the door with an ominous click behind her.

Notes:

Next: Anthony has some thinking to do.

Part of the reason I stopped updating this story was because I didn't know where to take it. Then I thought of this chapter and knew I had to write it.

Colin's letters were totally inappropriate for the time period and Anthony is going to find out just how untoward his brother was with his "friend" while also making a HUGE decision about his future.

I did not intend for the story to go in this direction, but that's what the muse wants me to do. So, we will see how it plays out.

Chapter 10: Source Material

Summary:

When Penelope Featherington stumbles upon Anthony Bridgerton in the garden after the Feathertington ball, his life changes irrevocably.

The one with the Regency fake marriage trope you never asked for but are getting anyway.

Notes:

Anthony reels from Rae's revelation.

Some of my favorite stories were updated in recent days. Since I got such a wonderful gift, I'm bestowing one on all of you in return. Enjoy!

P.S. I teared up a little when I wrote this. Maybe have a tissue handy.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Anthony stood by the bed, stunned, for quite a while after Rae left. He eyed the trunk across the room and fought the urge to stride over there, rip open the lid, and read every single letter Colin ever wrote Penelope to see if he'd need to duel his own brother over the young woman's honor.

He should never have been writing to her. Period. An unmarried man and woman corresponding was simply not done unless they were formally courting. And even that was playing with fire.

If anyone had gotten wind of Colin writing to Penelope, Anthony could have creatively explained away a few letters as well-wishes between good acquaintances given Penelope's friendship with Eloise. But over one hundred letters? If discovered, they would have had Colin down the aisle in a heartbeat whether he liked it or not.

Anthony had been so distracted, first with his heartbreak over Siena and then with his entanglement with the Sharma sisters, that he'd completely missed the signs of his brother's inappropriate behavior toward the youngest Featherington. It was probably a blessing in disguise, though, because if he'd had even an inkling of what was going on, he would have had to act.

Before the Featherington ball, Anthony would have made Colin marry Penelope without a moment's hesitation.

Now, though, he wasn't so sure.

And that scared the shit out of him.

~z~

Anthony was laying on the bed fully clothed when he heard a knock on the door. The knob rattled and it started to open before it stopped suddenly. He heard Penelope's muffled voice ask, "Tony? Are you well?"

Anthony sighed. "Fine, Pen," he replied even though he, well, wasn't. "You may come in."

The doorknob rattled again and she popped her head and shoulders in the room between the door and the jam. Anthony couldn't help but smile when he saw her face. She looked completely disheveled from her earlier cleaning, with her hair pulled back in a loose ponytail that had tendrils escaping, but also more serene than he'd ever seen her. "Sorry to bother you," Penelope apologized sheepishly, "But dinner will be ready soon and I need to freshen up first."

Anthony wondered why she was telling him that until he realized he needed to leave so she could do whatever it is that women did to freshen up. He quickly sat up and threw his legs over the side of the bed. "Apologies. I did not realize how late it was." Anthony stood and turned to face Penelope, who had fully entered the room.

"It's no problem, Anthony. I figured you needed the rest, so I told Auntie to leave you be this afternoon. But, I warn you, she has demanded your presence at dinner, for she wants to hear more exciting tales of your travels."

Anthony blew out a breath. "Then I'm sure to disappoint her, as I have traveled very little in my life." He smiled self-deprecatingly and said, "But if she wants tales of being chained to a desk for days on end or fighting the urge to sleep while pompous windbags drone on in Parliament, then I'm the man for the job."

Penelope didn't crack a smile like he thought she would at his joke. Instead, she crooked her head to the side and studied him. Then she walked over to her trunk, bent over, and rifled through it just as Rae had done. Penelope gave him a spectacular view of her derrière until she stood up and pivoted to face him holding a stack of Colin's letters. She looked down at the letters and back up at him before holding them out for him to take. "Here."

Anthony played dumb, not wanting her to know Rae had broken her trust in an effort to protect her. "What are these?" he asked as he took them from her hand, trying and failing to ignore the tingle he felt in his fingertips when his fingers brushed hers.

"They're letters. From Colin." Pen sighed softly, both wistfully and dejectedly. "Perhaps you can use them as source material to entertain Auntie at dinner."

Anthony felt deeply honored that she would entrust him with her letters, but the thought of reading them now that he had the opportunity felt wrong somehow. "I cannot read your private correspondence, Penelope."

In response, Pen dropped her hand and backed away. She averted her eyes for a moment and worked her throat before catching his gaze again. "Yes, you can. They're just words on parchment. They don't mean anything."

"Pen…," Anthony started, but she turned away before he could finish, probably so he would not see her cry. Back to him, Pen dismissed him. "You can read them in the guest room while I prepare for dinner. When you're done, throw them in the fire. I don't need them anymore."

Notes:

Next: Anthony reads Colin's letters.

(I'm sure you can anticipate his reaction.)

As we move forward, remember that Anthony is an unreliable narrator. He's going to take responsibility for things that aren't his fault and make assumptions based on others' behavior that may or may not be true. This will affect the decisions he makes throughout the rest of the story. Are the things he believes to be true really true? Perhaps. Or perhaps not. But it's going to be an interesting journey for "Tony" as he tries to reconcile the Viscount with the man.

Chapter 11: Cake

Summary:

When Penelope Featherington stumbles upon Anthony Bridgerton in the garden after the Feathertington ball, his life changes irrevocably.

The one with the Regency fake marriage trope you never asked for but are getting anyway.

Notes:

Anthony reads Colin's letters.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

After one letter, Anthony was annoyed.

After two, he was angry.

After three, he was fit to be tied.

After four, he was furious enough to murder Colin in cold blood and step over his body without a backward glance.

There was nothing inappropriate in the letters per se but they were far too familiar to be construed as anything but love letters.

He addressed her as Pen.

He stated that he hoped she was well and that he eagerly anticipated her responses.

He compared her body parts to sights he saw (primarily her eyes and hair, but there was an occasional reference to her skin, too).

He always mentioned wondering what she would think of people he met on his journey and how much he thought she would enjoy traveling there, too.

He closed with Yours, Colin every time.

~z~

Colin was lucky he was thousands of miles away or he would be a dead man, if not literally, than certainly figuratively.

He had ruined a woman with words alone, a feat Anthony had never achieved despite his status as a Rake.

Bodies were one thing. Hearts another.

You never went after the heart.

A woman defiled in body alone could recover fairly quickly and forge a new life for herself if you weren't prepared to do the honorable thing.

But a woman with a broken heart, well, that was another story. Otherwise the phrase Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned would not exist.

~z~

Whether his brother was in deep denial about his feelings for Penelope or completely oblivious of his untoward behavior was irrelevant.

Pen's instructions to burn the letters made Anthony believe that she was so deeply hurt by the way he treated her that she would be unlikely to accept Colin's suit even if he woke up tomorrow and realized what a colossal fool he'd been.

So, where did that leave him?

Anthony could turn tail and run as Rae requested or he could stay in Cornwall and uphold his promise to Pen.

If he stayed, he needed to be prepared to marry her.

But was he? Especially so soon after his parting with Kate?

The reality was that Anthony needed a wife and Kate was no longer an option.

If he had to marry someone other than her, Anthony would prefer to have it be someone that he at least liked.

And he liked Penelope.

What if, just this once, he could have his cake and eat it, too?

Notes:

Next: Anthony decides he wants to have his cake and eat it, too. Perhaps over and over again.

Notes:

I used to scoff when authors would say "the characters wouldn't let me" but the more I write, the more I find it to be true. First, Anthony and Pen were supposed to fuck away their problems in the garden, but they just wouldn't do it. Then, Tony and Penny were supposed to fall in love over three months during a fluffy rom-com meet-cute and get married at the end (or almost the end, which is written and is not changing). Now, Rae and Tony just blew that plan to complete shit in forcing the issue of whether HE would marry Pen. Since, apparently, the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else, we can add sexy to my light and fluffy note from yesterday. You will not want to miss the next chapter. It's partially written and chock full of irony that will have anyone still salty over Colin's careless comment pretty satisfied (in more ways than one).

If the original quesition when I set out to write this story was "How does Anthony break the #1 tenet of being a gentleman when he has no intention of marriage?" It now becomes "How many possible ways can Anthony break the #1 tenet of being a gentleman when he has every intention of marriage?"

P.S. We know for a fact that Pen would eventually cave and accept Colin's suit. But Anthony doesn't. Hence: unreliable narrator.

P.P.S. Comments truly do fuel the muse. I woke up to 24 and was giddy. It made my morning. So, thank you! I continue to see some new names, too. So, double thank you.

Chapter 12: Mess

Summary:

When Penelope Featherington stumbles upon Anthony Bridgerton in the garden after the Feathertington ball, his life changes irrevocably.

The one with the Regency fake marriage trope you never asked for but are getting anyway.

Notes:

Anthony cleans up Colin's mess.

(And makes one of his own.)

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The thought of Penelope as cake he could eat had his body reacting in an unexpected way, so Anthony shifted in his seat.

The movement jostled the ring box in his pants pocket and prompted him to dig it out with one hand as he held Colin's open letters with the other.

Anthony crossed an ankle over his knee and rested the letters on his lap as he opened the ring box to examine it.

When he saw it at the blacksmith's, he knew it was meant to be hers and he'd been almost giddy at the chance to be the one to put it on her finger despite the fact that they hardly knew each other.

Was that a sign?

~z~

Anthony was so engrossed in the ring, that he was startled by Pen's entrance into the room and jumped a mile high when she asked,"Are you ready to go downstairs?"

The quick motion upended the letters on his lap and caused them to fall on the floor. Embarrassed, Anthony kneeled down to pick them up, dropping the ring on the carpet next to him.

Penelope's skirts swished as she walked toward him and bunched around her legs as she joined him on the floor. Her hands randomly grabbed a few pieces of parchment, but stopped when they bumped the box.

Pen released the papers and picked up the ring. She admired it for a moment before passing it back to him. "It's beautiful," she stated. Then quietly added, "Miss Sharma is a fool," before returning to her task.

She was leaning across the floor to pick up a letter that had fluttered away from the others when Anthony replied, "It's for you. Not Kate."

Penelope froze, hand in midair, and turned her head to face him. "What?"

Anthony sat back on his haunches and took the ring out of the box. "I bought it today in the village. I thought you should have a ring if we were going to pull off this ruse."

She mimicked him and eyed the ring adoringly. Pen started to reach for it, but stopped herself. "That's for me? Really?" she asked, eyes glassy with unshed tears.

Anthony nodded and the tears she'd been holding back burst forth. Pen covered her nose and mouth with her hand in an attempt to stifle her emotions.

Anthony cleared his throat and asked, "What if it wasn't a ruse?"

Pen went motionless except for the tears leaking from her eyes at his question and stared at him wide-eyed.

"What if we got married for real?" Anthony pitched, heart racing like a jackrabbit.

~z~

"You really have gone mad," Pen replied, sniffling, as she rapidly shook her head in denial. "That's a preposterous idea."

"Why?" Anthony asked.

Pen scoffed and said, "Because men like you don't marry women like me," in a tone that implied he was a simpleton.

"Women like you? What's that supposed to mean?" Anthony was vexed by her casual dismissal of his proposal and needed to get to the bottom of it.

Penelope waved a hand in front of herself. "I am a stone heavier than I ought to be, nearly a foot shorter than you, and have garish hair and far too many freckles." Pen clucked her tongue and shook her head again before bending back down to gather the letters. She leaned on one hand while picking them up with the other, giving him an unimpeded view down her dress. Anthony momentarily forgot his vexation as he admired her full, supple breasts dangling there. But his attention snapped back, however, when she went on to say, "I am no lithe beauty worthy of being your viscountess. And in three months, you'll return to London where you belong and realize there are far better options amidst the new crop of debutantes than me. Miss Malhotra perhaps?"

"Miss Malhotra?" Anthony asked, stunned. Not by Penelope's words, but by the rage they induced within him. Who had completely eradicated her self-esteem? Her mother with her criticism? Colin with his contradictory treatment? Or the entire Ton with its blatant disregard?

Pen stopped what she was doing and looked up at him through the loose tendrils of hair that had escaped her ponytail and fallen into her eyes. As she blew at them to get them out of the way, Anthony was awestruck by her ethereal beauty. "Yes," Pen continued. "Or perhaps Miss Stowell? She is classically beautiful with blonde hair and blue eyes, well-educated, and amiable. She would make a lovely Viscountess Bridgerton, don't you think?"

"No," Anthony answered unequivocally, bending down with his hands on Colin's now crumpled letters to meet her gaze head-on.

"No?" Penelope asked skeptically before chuckling and dropping her eyes back to her letters. "Oh, well. I am certain someone will catch your eye this season. Miss…"

Anthony cut her off when he reached out and cupped her chin with one hand and angled her face so she could see him. "Penelope."

"Yes?" she asked nervously, breath shallow and eyelids fluttering.

"Shut up," he responded before crashing his lips onto to hers.

Notes:

Next: An interlude you don't want to miss.

You'll probably never believe this chapter was an accident. But it was.

Anthony was supposed to read the letters, brood, and go down to dinner but Penelope messed up his plans.

How much do you think Colin would suffer knowing his brother was making out with his "friend" on top of the letters he sent?

IRONY

This story is literally a living, breathing thing. The trajectory changes with every new chapter. The upcoming interlude takes some liberties with canon but will be hugely satisfying. (No, not that way. Get your mind out of the gutter.)

Chapter 13: Interlude: Flowers

Summary:

When Penelope Featherington stumbles upon Anthony Bridgerton in the garden after the Feathertington ball, his life changes irrevocably.

The one with the Regency fake marriage trope you never asked for but are getting anyway.

Notes:

I have no impulse control, so here you go.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Dearest Vivi -

I hope this letter finds you well. It has been too long since we have seen each other. I was remiss for not writing before now to extend my condolences on the loss of your precious Edmund. He was a good man, much like my Tony, and I was sorry to hear of his death.

I admit that when I first contemplated writing this letter a few days ago, it was to implore you to take your third one to task for his far too familiar fraternization with my great-niece. (I have enclosed one of his letters so that you may see for yourself how forward he has been with a woman he claims not to be courting.) I had planned to write to demand that you and your eldest drag him here by the ear if necessary so that he could make an honest woman of my Penny. However, it turns out that such drastic action will not be necessary, as young Anthony did me the favor of appearing here himself out of the blue yesterday to do just that. Were you aware that a friendship existed between your firstborn and my little wallflower? I certainly was not. You could have knocked me over with a feather when I stumbled upon them with their heads (and other body parts) together on my small garden bench. I expect they shall be married within the month given the look of them.

I assume you are shocked by this turn of events, so allow me to explain. It seems that Penny has as romantic of an imagination as you do, for she weaved a rather entertaining tale of a fake soldier husband to explain away Colin's letters since she could not attribute them to Eloise. (A quick and easy lie, I assume, in light of that cousin of hers on her father's side falling for that soldier boy.) You can imagine her surprise when the viscount stepped up to pretend to be him upon my untimely arrival and the two rather convincingly faked being husband and wife all night. (Yes, Vivi, all night.)

I certainly hope you do not object to adding Penny to your family because it is going to happen one way or another. I, myself, find that I am pleased that she will find her happiness with my dear Tony's namesake. Truly, Vivi, you must get better at sharing Ledger family history with your children. The fact that your son didn't know that telling me his name was Tony Ledger would be a dead giveaway of his true identity is beyond the pale. What would your uncle say, darling?

You need not reply to this letter because I am not certain I will be here to receive it. I am dying and the physicians say I only have a few months left, which is why Penny has come to stay with me. Having your son here is an unexpected boon, as I can die knowing my niece is being cared for and loved the way your uncle loved and cared for me. While I am sure you would say he is the spitting image of Edmund, I only see Tony when I look at him.

Your honorary (and favorite) aunt,

Tunie

Notes:

Cliffhanger Friday.

What will happen next? Your guess is as good as mine.

All I know is I wanted Auntie to have a more active role and to give Violet (nickname pronounced v-eye v-eye with the long "i") a break. I've been kinda harsh with her when it comes to Anthony in the last few stories. So, I thought, why not have her know Petunia through her father's family? She had a life before Edmund and that should be explored. I made up an "Uncle Tony" who lived in Cornwall and was with Petunia until he died young. I imagined Petunia as a spinster originally, but perhaps she's a widow. Or, maybe, they were just "dance partners".

The long and short of it is that Petunia is playing her own game and neither Anthony nor Pen know it. Let the chaos reign!

This will be the last update for a bit. I have nothing else written, but this story is my focus. Comments truly do fuel my muse like nothing else. Thank you for reading and commenting. It makes my day.

Chapter 14: Good God

Summary:

When Penelope Featherington stumbles upon Anthony Bridgerton in the garden after the Feathertington ball, his life changes irrevocably.

The one with the Regency fake marriage trope you never asked for but are getting anyway.

Notes:

Before the Interlude, Anthony shut Penelope up. Now what?

Chapter title dedicated to caramelitodemieel.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

call you mine

Good God, Anthony thought, the moment Penelope began to kiss him back. At first she'd been too stunned to do anything, but Anthony knew just what to do to coax her out of her stupor and get her to respond to the pressure of his lips on hers. If he was thinking rationally, he would have been gentler, given that this was probably her first kiss, but his ability to think rationally left his brain as his blood rushed southward.

When Penelope opened her mouth, Anthony took it as the opportunity to slip inside and taste her. She was passive as he explored her until their tongues met. Then, she sparked to life and parried his every thrust until they were battling for dominance. Penelope relaxed into the kiss as she gained confidence in their back-and-forth and linked her arms around his neck, plastering herself against his body. Unable to resist, Anthony wrapped his free arm around her back and moved his other hand from her chin to the back of her head so that he could lock her in place to devour her like the most decadent dessert he'd ever had.

When a whimper escaped her throat, Anthony growled and released her lips to latch onto her neck, giving them both a chance to breathe. His grip on her hair was firm as he tilted her chin upward to give him better access. Penelope moaned and dig her nails into the nape of his neck as he nipped, licked, and sucked at her silky skin.

"Oh, God," Pen panted, breathless. "What is happening?" she asked, voice tinged with a mix of curiosity and awe.

"Hell if I know," he whispered gravelly, lifting his lips from her neck to nuzzle his nose just under his jawline, eliciting shivers from her body.

Pen whimpered and unwound her hands to slide them up his neck. As he breathed her in, she settled her fingers on his temples and her thumbs under his jaw and pulled him up to face her. Anthony expected Penelope to halt whatever was happening between them, but she did the opposite and pulled him to her, attacking his lips with a vigor that surprised him. It felt like she needed him the way she needed air to breathe and he couldn't help but melt into it and allow her to take control.

Anthony was in the process of dropping the hand that was tangled in her hair to the neckline of her gown when he heard a throat clear by the doorway. Though the sound was quiet, it had the effect of a gunshot and successfully stopped their kiss. Anthony was chagrined by being caught in such a compromising position with Penelope despite their fake marriage and immediately separated himself from her, automatically straightening her mussed hair as he did so. When he looked over, he saw Rae standing in the doorway with a clenched fist that belied her pleasant expression. "I apologize for the interruption, Miss," she said, addressing Penelope directly and ignoring him, "But your aunt is eager for you to join her downstairs for dinner."

The maid smiled at Penelope as she retreated, but gave him a glare on her way out that would put the fear of God in most men. Anthony, back on his haunches since their interruption, put a hand on the floor and used it to help him push himself into a standing position and then held out a hand to Penelope, who took it and allowed him to help her up.

They stood there, hands joined, for a few moments until Pen said, "We should go downstairs."

"We should," Anthony agreed.

Pen nodded and moved to drop his hand and step away, but Anthony stopped her. "And, after, we will talk," he declared.

Notes:

Next: Anthony and Pen talk.

Sorry this is so short. Didn't have much time to write today. But it was super productive in planning the aftermath of their kiss. I heard a song randomly that had the perfect line and it gave me clear direction on where to go next. I am super excited to write the next part.

Thank you all for the comments on the Interlude. They made my day. Glad I can still surprise you. And they really do motivate me to keep writing.

Hopefully, I'll have another update for you soon.

Chapter 15: Dance

Summary:

When Penelope Featherington stumbles upon Anthony Bridgerton in the garden after the Feathertington ball, his life changes irrevocably.

The one with the Regency fake marriage trope you never asked for but are getting anyway.

Notes:

I'm not happy with this, but I think you'll enjoy it either way.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Anthony waited for Penelope at the kitchen table while she assisted her aunt in preparing for bed upstairs. He was nursing a scotch as he continued reliving the intense kiss they'd shared earlier. He liked the girl, sure, but he never expected to feel so much desire for her and the fact that he did had him off-kilter more than when he'd been longing for Kate.

Kate Sharma was traditionally beautiful so physical attraction to her was natural. However, Anthony had been drawn to her because of her personality. Kate didn't kowtow to him. She was arguably the only person who ever had the gumption to challenge him openly besides his family in years. Whenever she said, my lord, it was with haughty disdain, not reverent deference. It had been intellectually arousing to be opposed like that, especially by someone who could give as good as she got.

Had that been part of the appeal? The push-and-pull as they each tried to best the other? Because once that was gone in Prussia, as well as the forbidden nature of their liaison, it was as if they'd been doused in a bucket of cold water that extinguished the sparks between them.

With Penelope, there was a constant back-and-forth, too. But it didn't feel like a competition like it had with Kate.

Instead, it felt like a dance where they were each pushing and pulling, but only to lead the other person somewhere they would arrive together.

And that was strangely comforting.

~z~

Anthony was pulled from his thoughts by Rae once again clearing her throat. He looked up from his scotch and was relieved to see the distinct lack of a scowl on her face. "Rae."

"Mister Ledger," she responded with a hint of sarcasm, but included the same head nod that she had used this morning when she addressed him by his honorific.

"Are you heading back to the village?" Anthony asked, mostly in a desire to keep the idle chatter going so he wouldn't have to answer the questions he knew she'd have about the kiss she'd walked in on.

"Yes, sir." Rae answered as she walked toward the door where her cloak was hanging. However, before she got there, she stopped next to him at the table and put her hand in her apron pocket. He blew out a ragged breath when she pulled out the ring box he'd forgotten upstairs and put it down in front of him.

Anthony went to reach for it, but she held it firmly in her fingers, which forced him to look up at her. Rae had a brow raised in question, so Anthony nodded, holding eye contact while he did so. The maid must've been satisfied with whatever she saw in his eyes because she slid the box across the table until it was by his fingertips.

Then she smirked and pulled a piece of parchment out of her other apron pocket and tossed it next to the ring before leaving without another word.

Anthony picked up the ring box with one hand and held it in his palm while he used his thumb and forefinger to hold the folded parchment.

When he unfolded it with his other hand and read the first line, Anthony gasped.

The topic of rakes has, of course, been discussed previously in this column and This Author has come to the conclusion that there are rakes, and there are Rakes.

Notes:

Next: Anthony and Penelope talk.

Wanted to get this out for you all today! Working on future chapters now. I am not sure about an update tomorrow. I have a full day. But keep your eyes peeled anyway. You might be surprised.

Link to full text of Rake column, for those of you who don't have the book: https//r/BridgertonNetflix/s/0Q8jUXzvAX

The inspiration for the ring Anthony bought:

https//listing/1182072471/bronze-cast-knot-ring-knot-working?gpla=1 =1&

Stay positive and spread love, not hate (especially over fictional characters).

Remember comments fuel the muse and keep me motivated.

In that vein, I ask you if you'd prefer this story to stay rated "Mature" or veer into "Explicit" now that Rae (the MVP she is) has filled Anthony's head with ideas. Let me know!

Chapter 16: Capital-R Rake

Summary:

When Penelope Featherington stumbles upon Anthony Bridgerton in the garden after the Feathertington ball, his life changes irrevocably.

The one with the Regency fake marriage trope you never asked for but are getting anyway.

Notes:

My kids fell asleep early, so here you go.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Anthony gaped at the old, slightly crumpled Whistledown pamphlet as it dawned on him that Penelope had written it.

Penelope had labeled him a Rake.

Penelope was Lady Whistledown.

Penelope had singled him out for that column.

Why?

Was it simply a matter of opportunity given the foreknowledge she likely had of his intention to marry?

Or, was there more to it?

Had she heard whispers of his exploits through the gossip mill and wondered about him?

Anthony was aware Penelope held some sort of tendre for Colin given how deeply hurt she'd been by his dismissal as a marital prospect, but had she still been attracted to Anthony despite that?

Although she'd been a regular visitor in his home for years, they'd hardly ever interacted. Anthony couldn't remember exchanging much more than pleasantries with the redhead in all the time he'd known her prior to her family's ball.

Rae was correct.

Penelope was indeed not his sister.

Anthony had never thought of her that way.

So it was fortunate that her column made it clear she didn't think of him as a brother either.

~z~

Anthony had just folded the column back up and tucked it along with the ring into his trouser pocket when Penelope returned.

"Hi," she greeted quietly from the doorway as she wrung her hands together.

Anthony stood so fast that the chair legs skidded against the hardwood floor. He drummed his fingers on the table and returned the greeting. "Hello."

Penelope looked down at her hands, where she was flexing her fingers over and over, and worked her throat.

Anthony, for his part, continued drumming his fingers with one hand as his other fiddled with the items in his pocket. He looked down at his half-drank scotch and wished he'd finished it before attempting this conversation. When the silence between them became deafening, Anthony cleared his throat and opened his mouth to speak.

But Penelope beat him to the punch by saying, "You need to leave." Though the words were rushed, her voice was calm and steady as she continued. "We will tell Auntie you were only home on a short leave and had to return to the front. She will be upset, but ultimately understand. If you do not want to go to Aubrey Hall or London, there is always Bath." Penelope smiled fondly and stated "I am certain Francesca would love some one-on-one time with you before her debut," prior to nodding once to punctuate her sentence, turning around, and heading into the sitting room without a backward glance.

The drumming Anthony had been doing with his fingers abruptly stopped as he processed both her declaration and dismissal. His incredulity turned to vexation. Who did she think she was? More importantly, who the bloody hell did she think he was?

He wasn't some patsy who would be ordered around at whim. He was Viscount Anthony Bridgerton. He did the ordering, not the other way around.

If Penelope Featherington thought she was leading whatever dance they found themselves in, she was sorely mistaken.

Notes:

Next: Anthony gets his groove back.

Anthony pondered Pen writing that column here just like Heaven's z Anthony did there. He's got her number.

Was going for post-kiss awkwardness, but it didn't last because Pen and Anthony are not Pen and Colin. She's gonna be herself and he won't back down. Hehe.

Story will most likely end up being rated Explicit to be safe, but will probably land somewhere between Mature and Explicit. I'll provide chapter warnings where necessary.

Comments = Treats in the form of updates!

Chapter 17: Right Kind of Wrong

Summary:

When Penelope Featherington stumbles upon Anthony Bridgerton in the garden after the Feathertington ball, his life changes irrevocably.

The one with the Regency fake marriage trope you never asked for but are getting anyway.

Notes:

Anthony gets his groove back in a big way.

Update one of two for today because

I have the patience of a 5 yo with pixie sticks when it comes to sharing these chapters with you.

But I have nothing else written after the next update so you'll have to re-read it a few times while you wait for another one.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Anthony took several deep breaths to get his temper under control. He had learned from his mistakes with Kate, believe it or not, and he knew he needed to go in there with a level head.

If Penelope was pulling away, it was likely because she was scared of whatever was happening between them. If he was scared of the intensity of their kiss, it made sense that she would be, too. Probably more so, due to her lack of experience in relations between men and women.

But the reality of the situation was that neither of them could retreat.

It would be like closing the barn door long after the horse escaped.

He'd spent last night in her bed.

Honor demanded they marry.

But nothing said they had to be miserable about it.

~z~

By the time Anthony appeared in the sitting room where Penelope was reading a book on the settee by the fire, he was much calmer. Until she said, "You can go ahead and retire. You need your rest for the trip to Bath. I am not tired, so I'm going to stay here and read," without even sparing him a glance, that is.

Agitated, Anthony clenched a fist with one hand while he ran the other through his hair in frustration and then shoved it in his pocket, where it encountered the ring box and Penelope's old Whistledown column.

Feeling those two items together made him realize that, perhaps, he didn't need to be one or the other.

Whenever he leaned into his Rake persona, built as a way to deal with the burden of the expectations heaped upon him, Anthony let his family down.

Repressing it in favor of the gentlemanly one, however, let him down. His determination to hold onto his honor had cost him the woman he loved.

Anthony was done chasing the right things that felt wrong.

It was time to finally be himself, whoever that man was.

So, he squared his shoulders and walked over to the settee. When he got there, Anthony unclenched his fist and swiped the book from Penelope's hands to get her attention.

As she squeaked in protest, Anthony dropped it on the floor and pulled his other hand out of his pocket. Then, he bent over and cupped Penelope's face in his hands. "I'm not tired either," he declared before lowering his lips to hers and capturing them in a searing kiss.

Notes:

Next: Who is Anthony Bridgerton, the man? Find out next.

My Apple Music recommended I Don't Want To Wait by David Guetta and OneRepublic for my treadmill playlist and this line got me in the feels when I listened to it:

"I've been chasin' so long

Every right that feels wrong

Rather be with you instead"

Anthony has been two separate people since Edmund died. The man who he might have been and the one he had to become. He's been warring against himself and coping terribly in the process. He's decided to just fuck it all and be himself - a little bit rake and a little bit gentleman.

Now that he is "in alignment" thanks to the ridiculous situation he found himself in, he's going full speed ahead. It's too late to close the barn door anyway.

Comments are my love language

Chapter 18: Choices

Summary:

When Penelope Featherington stumbles upon Anthony Bridgerton in the garden after the Feathertington ball, his life changes irrevocably.

The one with the Regency fake marriage trope you never asked for but are getting anyway.

Notes:

Anthony and Pen make life-altering decisions.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The first time Anthony kissed her, the intensity of the experience threw him for a loop as much as it had her. This time, however, Anthony was prepared. He knew what to expect, so he wasn't surprised by what he felt when their lips met.

Penelope was, though. Her affronted squeaks turned into whimpers as she struggled to process the onslaught of emotion and arousal she was feeling.

When Penelope opened her mouth to gasp her surprise, conveniently breathing his name in the process, he plundered it. Anthony knew the right amount of pain to mix in with pleasure in his assault on her senses to have Penelope wanting to sell her soul to the devil for more.

Once the whimpers became mewls, he released her lips, dropped his hands from her face, and stood back up to his full height. When he did so, he took a small step back and held out his hand.

"Come to bed, Penelope."

~z~

Penelope looked up at him, flushed and breathing rapidly, for seconds that felt like hours as she processed the offer he was making.

She was an intelligent woman who understood what he was implying with his words. She bit her lip nervously as her dilated eyes moved rapidly from side to side in thought.

Penelope knew as well as he did that their fate was sealed the moment he stepped forward to introduce himself to her aunt as her husband.

But he needed her to make a choice.

If she turned him down tonight, Anthony would leave tomorrow and set his sights on courting her in London when she inevitably returned.

If she didn't, he'd show her just how satisfied she could be in their marriage right here and now.

~z~

Penelope's hand shook as she reached up and entwined her fingers in his.

Anthony immediately used the grip she gave him to pull her up from the settee and into his body.

Penelope landed with a small oof and rested her free hand on his chest to steady herself, but managed to never break eye contact in the process.

When she was steady, Anthony leaned down to give her a chaste kiss on her temple as he fished the ring out of his pocket.

Reluctantly, he let go of her hand to open the box and pull the ring out of its cushion. Then he returned the box to his pants pocket and held the ring up to her. Anthony grasped her left hand and lifted it between them and said:

"I, Anthony Bridgerton, take thee Penelope Feathertington, to my wedded Wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I plight thee my troth."

Penelope gaped and widened her eyes at his vow. Tears leaked from her eyes as he slid the ring onto her finger. When he was done, Anthony raised it to his lips and kissed her hand reverently where it lay. Penelope sniffled, gave him a watery smile and replied:

"I, Penelope Featherington take thee, Anthony Bridgerton, to my wedded Husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, cherish, and to obey, till death us do part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I give thee my troth."

Anthony felt a sense of peace wash over him from both her words and the sincerity behind them that he hadn't experienced in years. He chuckled lightly, feeling free from the shackles of duty for the first time since his father passed away.

He was the viscount. That wouldn't change. But he sensed in his gut that everything else had.

Anthony blew out a relieved breath and smiled.

"Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate," he whispered, dropping her hand, wrapping his arms around her body, and crushing his lips to hers for the first time as her husband.

Notes:

Next: Anthony rocks Penelope's world. (Or maybe she rocks his.)

This moment right here is what I was leading to when I picked this story back up. Can you believe it's the first time I've written a Penthony wedding (unofficial though it may be)?

Now they celebrate.

As you can imagine, the story rating will change. But don't let that affect your reading habits or locations. You do you. Just make sure your bosses aren't reading over your shoulders.

There's still plenty of story left.

Chapter 19: Weak in the Knees

Summary:

When Penelope Featherington stumbles upon Anthony Bridgerton in the garden after the Feathertington ball, his life changes irrevocably.

The one with the Regency fake marriage trope you never asked for but are getting anyway.

Notes:

Anthony makes Penelope weak in tbe knees as their wedding night commences.

Warning: Rating is changing to explicit. Keep that in mind when you check out new chapters. I will leave reading new installments to your discretion. See story endnote below.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

As his tongue invaded Penelope's mouth for the third time today, Anthony gave himself permission to indulge in their kiss in ways he hadn't earlier. Since Penelope's aunt had looked downright knackered when she went to bed and Rae had gone back to the village, it was just the two of them and they were unlikely to be interrupted. So, why not enjoy what was now his?

He had impulsively pledged himself to her as he placed her wedding ring on her finger, having memorized the vows when he was betrothed to Edwina. And Penelope had voluntarily offered her own vow to him. As far as Anthony was concerned, they were married in the eyes of the Lord and that was good enough for him to treat her as he would his wife from tonight on. The legalities would work themselves out in time.

For now, the only thing Anthony wanted to focus on was the feel of Penelope's body against his as she struggled to understand the sensations she was experiencing. Anthony felt her knees go weak when he broke the kiss and began suckling on the juncture between her neck and collarbone, so he tightened his grip with one arm while his other hand pulled down the sleeve of her gown to expose more of her creamy skin to his ministrations and then brushed her nipple through the material of her evening gown, which was nothing more than a fancy day dress in London.

Anthony groaned when he yanked the bodice down and her entire breast popped out. He sent a silent prayer of gratitude to the man upstairs for her lack of stays and immediately began feasting on her until she was writhing in his arms from pleasure.

Penelope nearly crushed his skull with how hard she gripped his head to hold it to her body. When he bit her nipple, she keened and pressed her hips into his seeking more contact. She tried to whisper his full name, but she was struggling to breathe and all he caught was the desperate, "Tony," that came out.

Anthony stopped what he was doing at her use of the nickname he'd adopted for himself and shook off her grip to lift his head and look at her. Penelope's lips were parted and swollen, cheeks were flushed, and hair was completely disheveled. In the glow of the firelight, he could see the remnants of the tracks her tears had left, as well as the beginnings of love bites he'd marked her with. Awed, Anthony worked his throat and begged, "Say it again." He punctuated his plea with a hip thrust that brought their torsos together.

Penelope, who'd gripped his biceps when he thrusted, ran her hands up his arms to his neck and linked them there. She stood on the tips of her toes and pressed herself against him, moaning when her peaked nipple came in contact with the cloth of his jacket, whispered "Tony" when her lips were a hair's breadth from his, and then kissed him.

What Penelope lacked in experience, she made up in fervor. Upon making contact, she bit his bottom lip, making him open his mouth with a groan, and then slid her tongue in to explore him. Anthony tried to remain passive as his wife satiated her curiosity, but found he could not do so. He needed to have an active role in their relations and quickly began battling her tongue for dominance as his hands locked her in place flush against his body and then traveled south to rest on her full bottom. Anthony kneaded her ass cheeks and pressed her against his straining erection. The contact wasn't enough, though, so Anthony abruptly broke the kiss and let go. She looked confused and hurt until he used his right hand to grasp her left one and inclined his head toward the stairs. "Come."

~z~

The trip upstairs was silent except for the sound of their footsteps. At the top, though, Penelope hesitated by her aunt's closed door, so Anthony paused. He tucked her breast back into her bodice and pulled her into a hug before whispering, "Check on her, Penny. I'll be waiting for you when you're done."

When Anthony released her to step back and head toward their bedroom, Pen caught him by the wrist and squeezed it before mouthing, "Thank you."

Anthony was loath to separate from her now that he had her, but realized that she wouldn't be able to keep her mind on them if she was worried about Petunia. Plus, he thought perhaps she might need a minute to process everything that happened between them in such a short time.

Anthony walked away from his wife and ensconced himself in their room only to chuckle at what he saw. There was a cracking fire in Penelope's small fireplace, the curtains were drawn, and the bed was turned down with fresh sheets on it. (He only knew that because the ones on her bed the night before were yellow and this set was light blue.)

Rae was a lot of things, but subtle wasn't one of them.

~z~

Anthony undressed down to his shirtsleeves, trousers, and bare feet and padded over to the bed. He placed the empty ring box and old Whistledown column in the nightstand drawer on his side and laid on the bed to wait for Penelope to return.

Even as his mind raced with a list of things he needed to do, including requesting a special license and planning a ceremony to renew their vows in Petunia's presence, Anthony's body relaxed and he began succumbing to the exhaustion that had been plaguing him for years.

How long had it been since he rested? Anthony wondered as his eyes drifted closed.

Notes:

Next: Anthony wakes up.

Have you seen the pics of Jonny and Nicola from the Emmy's?

If not, here's a screenshot: https/drive./file/d/1mT8pgxWOM2IoQuvoBH0eoDMLTbkmuwKx/view?usp=drivesdk

Chapter 20: Domestic Bliss

Summary:

When Penelope Featherington stumbles upon Anthony Bridgerton in the garden after the Feathertington ball, his life changes irrevocably.

The one with the Regency fake marriage trope you never asked for but are getting anyway.

Notes:

Anthony wakes up and gets a surprise.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Anthony snorted himself awake and was startled by his surroundings until he remembered he was in Cornwall with Penelope and her aunt. When he noticed the fire was crackling and the sky was dark beneath the drawn curtains, he let out a relieved exhale. However, his relief was short-lived when he noticed a heavy blanket draped over his body. Anthony furrowed a brow and turned his head to Penelope's side of the bed and saw it was partially unmade and rumpled.

Confused, Anthony swung his legs over the bed and bolted upright. He closed his eyes to fight off a wave of dizziness and then opened them to glance around the room. He was surprised to find a pitcher of water, bowl, washcloth, and his shaving kit laid out on a small breakfast table in the corner. Draped over one of the chairs next to it was a clean pair of navy trousers and a white shirt.

Taking the hint, Anthony washed up, shaved, and changed before exiting their chamber and making a stop at the room designated as the water closet to relieve himself before heading downstairs.

~z~

The floorboards of the stairs squeaked under Anthony's feet as he descended them. He paused at the bottom and cracked a smile as he heard Penelope laugh boisterously in the kitchen. Assuming that's where Petunia was, too, Anthony headed in that direction and was pleasantly surprised to find Petunia, Penelope, and Rae sitting at the table playing poker. "Room for one more?" Anthony asked as he sidled up to his wife and squeezed her shoulder affectionately.

"See. I told you he was alive," Penelope remarked to her companions playfully before tilting her head to look at him with a mischievous smile.

"Well, we couldn't help but wonder, my dear, when we saw neither hide nor hair of him for nearly a day," Petunia stated.

He'd slept for a day?

"Well, after all that activity on the front, I'm certain Mr. Ledger was rather worn out," the maid contributed, surprisingly with a teasing smirk on her face. "Clearly, he needed some rest."

"Yes, Auntie, not everyone is as sprightly as you." Pen reached across the table and grasped her aunt's hand in a gesture of affection as she said it.

Petunia smiled at her great-niece and pulled her hand away. She then held it in the air with her index finger out and admonished, "What did I tell you about being cheeky with me, Penelope Ann?" in a stern voice that reminded him of himself.

Anthony thought Pen was in trouble until the three women burst into laughter, contagiously causing him to join in.

~z~

A quarter-hour later, Rae slapped her cards onto the table and said, "I'm out," before collecting her pot and pushing the chair back to stand up. "If I don't leave now, I'll never make it back in time to meet Mr. Sharpe at the assembly."

Pen, who Anthony was sitting across from, said, "Tell Theo I said hello," with a sly smile.

Theo? Who the fuck was that?

Rae rolled her eyes and blew out a breath before grabbing her cloak and breezing out the door.

~z~

"You two should attend the assembly tonight," Petunia suggested as soon as the maid was gone.

"Auntie," Penelope replied exasperatedly.

The old woman looked between him and his wife before pinning Pen with a stare and saying, "Now that your husband is here, I thought you'd be excited to show him off."

"I am. Of course," his wife hastened to agree. "But I simply worry about leaving you alone for so long."

"I shall be fine, darling. Go. Enjoy each other's company."

Anthony didn't miss the twinkle in Petunia's eye as she said the last part.

Notes:

Next: Tony and Penny go out in public for the first time.

Before Anthony chains Pen to the bed, he's gonna buy her dinner. He's a gentleman like that.

Shoutout to EmmyKate88 and All the Things You Are. If you haven't read it, you should.

Chapter 21: Spark-ling

Summary:

When Penelope Featherington stumbles upon Anthony Bridgerton in the garden after the Feathertington ball, his life changes irrevocably.

The one with the Regency fake marriage trope you never asked for but are getting anyway.

Notes:

Date night

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Anthony stayed with Petunia while Penelope went upstairs to change and regaled her with tales of "his" travels abroad while he waited for her return. Anthony surprised himself with how much information he recalled from both Colin's letters to Pen and his endless blathering about his toil across the Mediterranean last year. Petunia was well-entertained by the descriptions and was laughing wholeheartedly at a joke Anthony had shared when Penelope re-entered the room dressed in a blue ombré day dress with puffy sleeves. Her hair was tied into a ponytail and secured with a ribbon that doubled as a headband. It cascaded down one side of her shoulder, ending by her elbow, over which a shawl was leisurely draped.

Anthony couldn't help but gape as she entered the room. "Wow," he breathed, unbidden, as he took in her appearance. "You look beautiful."

Pen blushed and said, "Thank you," as she held out a navy coat he'd purchased, as well as one of the grey waistcoats and white cravats he brought from London. "The assembly tonight is informal but not that informal," his wife teased when he picked them up off her arm.

Anthony rolled his eyes at her remark, donning his garments at the same time. Without a mirror, though, it was difficult to tie his cravat correctly. Penelope, seeing his struggle, walked over to him and offered to help.

Anthony locked eyes with her while she worked and the rest of the world fell away. All he could concentrate on was the weight of her stare, the feel of her hands on his body, and the sparks igniting between them.

He was about to lean down and kiss her when she abruptly pulled back and blurred, "Done," with a blush.

~z~

Anthony headed toward the stables when they exited the cottage, but Penelope stopped him since the village was only a short walk down the road.

"We are not walking in the dark, Penelope."

"Why not? It's a beautiful summer night?"

"We have no light. You might trip."

"If I do, you'll be there to catch me," Pen stated as she looped her arm in his and smiled up at him

Anthony glanced down at her and returned her smile.

~z~

When they arrived at the center of the village, where the assembly was being held, both Anthony and Pen stopped in their tracks to gawk at the sight. A wooden dance floor had been laid in the square and was surrounded by hundreds of lanterns and candles, reminding Anthony a little of Vauxhall. The big difference, however, was that there were individuals in attendance from all walks of life. Although the working class seemed to make up most of the attendees, there were people there from his class, which was evident from their manner of dress - just that much nicer than everyone else's. Even dressed down as they were compared to London, he and his wife were still clearly a station above.

The types of attendees weren't the only thing different than in London. Penelope was, too.

Here, it seemed, she was the Diamond.

Everyone who was, apparently, anyone knew and greeted Penelope Featherington.

In less than a half hour, his wife had likely spoken to more people than she'd talked to in the entirety of last season in London.

It was astounding to see.

Notes:

Next: Anthony sees a new side to Penelope at the assembly.

I know nothing about assemblies in Regency England and researching them would delay chapters, so use your imagination.

I'm writing as much as I can in my free time. Just have a full week. If I had impulse control, I'd be writing these chapters while posting the ones you already read. But I don't, so you have to wait. Sorry!

But I promise it will be worth it.

Chapter 22: House of Cards

Summary:

When Penelope Featherington stumbles upon Anthony Bridgerton in the garden after the Feathertington ball, his life changes irrevocably.

The one with the Regency fake marriage trope you never asked for but are getting anyway.

Notes:

Surprises abound at the assembly

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The other realization Anthony had as he escorted Penelope around the assembly was just how good of a liar his wife was. Whenever someone called her Miss Featherington, she quickly but gently corrected them by introducing him as her husband, Mr. Ledger without giving away a single tell. In some cases, she left it at that and in others, she weaved a tale of whirlwind romance and elopement so extraordinary that it boggled his mind. It made him understand how she could have hid her identity as Lady Whistledown so well for so long.

~z~

Anthony was just about to ask Pen to dance when they came face to face with Penelope's maid, Rae, and her companion, who Anthony assumed was Theo Sharpe.

However, unlike everyone else they stopped to converse with, Mr. Sharpe visibly stiffened when he saw him. Even Penelope's smooth talking couldn't get him to relax and Anthony couldn't figure out why he was reacting so negatively to his presence.

Did he and Penelope have some sort of attachment? Or, at least, him to her?

Anthony's frustration with the situation mounted when Penelope hinted that Mr. Sharpe should dance with her. He didn't do so, though, and continued side-eying Anthony until Rae elbowed him in the ribs. Then he worked his throat, pasted on a smile, and invited Anthony's wife to dance.

As the two of them took their positions in the center of the dance floor, Anthony tried desperately to fight the urge to cut the man's hands off.

~z~

Anthony clenched his fist as Mr. Sharpe led Pen through the steps of a country dance that had her in his arms for a ridiculously nordinate amount of time.

Although Anthony could see a strained smile on his wife's face as the two conversed, there was a familiarity between them that grated on his nerves. How well did they know each other? Why was she acting so familiar with him?

"He knows who you really are and she's trying to convince him to keep the secret," Rae offered quietly from next to him.

"What?!" Anthony whispered harshly, heart beginning to race and stomach dropping. He looked at the young man and studied him, but could not place him. "How?"

"Mr. Sharpe, Theo, was a printer's assistant in London who was fired from his job after one too many visits from your sister."

"My sister? What would Daphne be doing visiting a printer?" Anthony asked, confused.

"Not Her Grace," Rae clarified. "Eloise."

Upon hearing Eloise's name, the heart that had been racing stopped. What the hell was his unwed sister doing visiting a print shop? Multiple times?

Rae, intuitive as she was, anticipated his question. "Theo," she said with an incline of her head toward him, "worked for the printer who used to publish Lady Whistledown's Society Papers."

With those words, everything suddenly made sense. Eloise had put herself and others in danger while engaged in the relentless pursuit of her goal to unmask Whistledown. Because his sister was blind to the consequences of her actions, Penelope had written about Eloise associating with political radicals to save her from a mess of her own making.

And, once again, he had been too distracted by the mess with Kate and Edwina to notice what was going on right under his nose.

Anthony turned to face Rae and commanded. "Tell me what you know."

~z~

When Anthony murdered Colin for his untoward behavior toward Penelope, he would make sure Eloise was buried next to him.

After hearing the extent of the mess that Penelope had cleaned up for the Bridgerton family, Anthony was livid, which was actually a rare occurrence for him. And, with his intense anger came a level of clarity he hadn't expected.

It was all his fault.

In taking on the burdens of the viscountancy, he'd sheltered his siblings from the harsh realities of life that he faced every day. They were always one bad decision away from ruin, yet none of them realized it because he was too protective.

Anthony sheltered them from the things he faced because he wanted them to live the dreams he never could. And he cleared their paths of obstacles for the same reasons. But at what cost?

His family was a rarity in the Ton. They loved each other. But, while he loved them, he also loved the family in a way they never would. It was his life's work. His legacy. He would die for it. If he had to, Anthony would kill to protect it.

His siblings, though, didn't have the same loyalty to the family that he did because they didn't truly understand what it meant to be a Bridgerton.

When he returned to London, that would all change. Their days of flittering about without a care in the world about how their actions affected the family were over.

Notes:

Next: Will Anthony get to dance with his wife?

It's been a little hectic. May need to be a little patient with me the next few days. Family and work stuff is taking most of my attention and brainpower. I'll try to update as soon as I can.

Chapter 23: Thunder

Summary:

When Penelope Featherington stumbles upon Anthony Bridgerton in the garden after the Feathertington ball, his life changes irrevocably.

The one with the Regency fake marriage trope you never asked for but are getting anyway.

Notes:

Mother Nature hates Anthony's guts.

Or does she?

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

A much more relaxed Theo brought Penelope back to Anthony's side. The man still seemed unsure of him, but managed to offer a nod and a quiet, "Mr. Ledger," in greeting. Grateful for how Theo had protected Eloise from both the Bow Street runners and herself, Anthony extended a hand and said, "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Sharpe."

Theo's eyes widened slightly at his extended hand and he glanced warily between Pen and Rae before working his throat and reaching out to shake it. Quietly, Anthony stated, "If you ever need anything, please let me know. My family is in your debt."

Upon hearing those words, Anthony saw the tension seep out of Theo's body. A half-smile formed on his lips as he said, "Thank you, mi-, um, sir."

Anthony smiled back. "You're welcome."

~z~

After Theo and Rae excused themselves, Anthony escorted Penelope to the dance floor himself. They were seconds into their first dance as husband and wife when the wind started gusting and the sky opened up into a torrential downpour.

Anthony didn't know why he was surprised by the sudden rainstorm given that they were in England, but the weather had been so pleasant lately that it lulled him into a false sense of security, he supposed.

As the downpour hit them, the assembly attendees scrambled to seek shelter. Penelope froze in her spot and looked heavenward. She closed her eyes and shook her head in exasperation, clearly feeling the same way he was about this turn of events.

Suddenly, Penelope broke her hold, opened her eyes, and reached down to take her slippers off. Then she pinned him with her gaze and shouted, "Race you home," before taking off like one of the lightning bolts slicing through the sky above.

Anthony stood there, dumbfounded, for a few seconds before breaking into a run and chasing her.

~z~

Anthony caught up with Pen pretty quickly given how long his strides were, but gave her the illusion he was still chasing her. Every time he'd come close, he'd fake a stumble or being out of breath just so she would look over her shoulder and laugh at him.

Penelope's hair was plastered to her scalp and dripping water onto her face and her once-pristine blue dress and shawl were soaking wet and splattered with mud. But her eyes were sparkling with mischief and her face was brighter than the sun with the smile that radiated from it every time she graced him with a backward glance.

She was a mess. But she was his mess.

~z~

Anthony finally "caught" Pen just outside Aunt Petunia's cottage, which was dark except for the faintest flickers light from fires burning in the hearths visible through the windows.

Anthony wrapped his arms around Pen's waist and shouted, "Got you!" victoriously.

Instead of the stomp on the foot he expected, his wife craned her neck to look up at him with dilated eyes. She covered his arms with her own and squeezed his hands as she said, "Yes. You do," in a breathy voice.

With those three words, the dam that had been keeping Anthony's desire in check burst. He let out a low growl, pulled one arm out from under hers to grip her chin with his thumb and forefinger, and captured her lips with his.

Notes:

Next: Anthony doesn't want Pen to catch a chill in her wet clothing.

Special throwback in this chapter to Moving On and the yumminess that is a soaking wet Anthony Bridgerton kissing a drenched Pen in the rain.

Stay tuned. You're going to have a very nice weekend. I accept comments as tips.

Chapter 24: Gentleman

Summary:

When Penelope Featherington stumbles upon Anthony Bridgerton in the garden after the Feathertington ball, his life changes irrevocably.

The one with the Regency fake marriage trope you never asked for but are getting anyway.

Notes:

Anthony ensures Pen doesn't get a chill.

I couldn't sleep, so, I edited this for you.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The moment Anthony made contact with her lips, Penelope moaned and shifted in his arms so she could grasp the back of his head with her hand. Anthony groaned at the feel of her nails digging into his scalp and lost what little control he had left.

Abruptly, he let go of her chin so that he could grip her waist with both hands and turn her to face him. Penelope, having quickly memorized the steps of this dance between them, pressed herself against the front of his body and pushed her hips forward while her free hand linked around his neck. His wife gave as good as she got, returning every lick and nip he bestowed on her tenfold.

Before he knew it, he was walking her backwards up the front walkway. Instead of breaking their kiss, though, he used his hands to inch up her skirts slightly and placed pressure on her ass cheeks to get her to jump up and lock her legs around his waist. Once she was secure, Anthony shifted her weight to one arm so that he could open and close the door without waking Petunia.

He then carried his wife up the stairs to their bedroom.

~z~

Anthony automatically walked them over to the rug in front of the fire that was nestled between an armchair and end table and a plush chaise lounge.

He dropped to one knee in front of the chaise and sat his wife on it, breaking their kiss in the process. Penelope whimpered in protest and lurched forward to reclaim his lips, but he stopped her.

Anthony backed away and stood up, leaving Pen sitting there flushed and heaving. He bent down and pulled his trouser legs up one at a time so that he could take off his muddy boots and socks and walk them to the door, dodging the tracks he'd already left with his bare feet.

Anthony ran a hand through his hair a few times to get some of the water out of it and shucked his coat, waistcoat, and cravat and dropped them on the floor in a sodden heap. His wet shirt soon followed, as did his pants, which elicited a harsh intake of breath from the direction of the settee.

Heedless of his nudity, Anthony padded over to the bed where Penelope's nightwear was laid out and picked up her dressing gown as well as a scarf that was laying on her vanity. As he passed by the mirror, Anthony caught Penelope looking at him with a mix of wonder and arousal, so he made a point of smirking as he caught her eye.

Penelope blushed and dropped her gaze from his, suddenly embarrassed at ogling him. "I don't mind if you look, baby," Anthony stated, heading back in her direction. Once he was in front of her again, he dropped the robe and towel on the seat next to her and clasped her hand to help her up. "In fact, I prefer it."

~z~

Anthony was certain his wife was on the verge of swooning over his remark, so he grasped the nape of her neck with his other hand and pulled her close.

Penelope was shivering, whether out of desire or chill, Anthony didn't know. But, either way, her dress needed to come off, so Anthony let go of her hand and neck to wrap his arms around her. Penelope's breath hitched as he carefully opened the buttons one-by-one, thankfully unimpeded by the shawl she'd left on the chaise.

It didn't take much effort for Anthony to slide the sleeves from her shoulders and drop the bodice to the floor, where the gown pooled at her feet. He groaned when he saw Penelope standing there in a simple corset that laced in the front, pantaloons, and whisper-thin stockings. Instinctively, she went to cover the breasts that were spilling out by crossing her arms, but he stopped her with a gravelly, "Don't."

She did as he bade and dropped her arms, but looked uncomfortable as she did so. To help relax her, Anthony closed the distance between them and massaged her neck and shoulders for a few moments. As the tension in her muscles began dispersing, he slowly moved his hands outward and down until he was massaging the top of her breasts. Anthony pulled them out of the corset with his hands and swiped at her peaked nipples with his thumbs before unlacing the infernal thing. Fortunately, his years of practice enabled him to unlace it with one hand while still showing her breasts proper attention with the other.

Penelope gripped his biceps for dear life as the sensations she was feeling began to overwhelm her. Anthony took an inordinate amount of pride in the fact that he could unravel her so thoroughly with just a touch and was eager to show her how much more pleasure awaited her.

~z~

Anthony made quick, but sensual, work of Pen's remaining clothing. Had the thigh-high stockings she was wearing not been wet, he would have loved to pleasure her with them on. But Penelope's health was paramount, even in this moment, so he regretfully tossed them over his shoulder.

Finished, Anthony stood up after undressing her and leaned over toward the dressing gown. However, before he could pick it up, Penelope's hand shot out and stopped him. She looked him in the eye and whispered a "No," that shocked him to his core.

In the short time he'd spent with her here in Cornwall, Anthony learned Penelope was no simpering miss. But when she pushed him backward until he was forced to sit in the armchair and stood stark-naked in front of him while she removed the blue scarf from her hair, as well as the ribbon holding it in the ponytail, he realized he had no idea how brazen she actually was.

When Pen ran her hands through her wet hair and rang the water out of it before letting it fall loosely down her back and then preceded to straddle his lap, pin him with her heatedevery stare, and speak a quiet but forceful, "Tell me what to do," in the process, it dawned on Anthony just how fucking lucky he was that men in London were goddamn bloody shallow fools.

Notes:

Next: Anthony is very good at telling people what to do.

My advice for the next few chapters is to note the rating and act accordingly.

Shoutout to all the amazing authors who influenced this scene.

Chapter 25: Prints

Summary:

When Penelope Featherington stumbles upon Anthony Bridgerton in the garden after the Feathertington ball, his life changes irrevocably.

The one with the Regency fake marriage trope you never asked for but are getting anyway.

Notes:

Anthony tells Pen what to do.

And then he shows her what he does exceptionally well.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

"Touch me," Anthony ground out as he tried his damndest to remain still rather than grab his virgin wife and impale her on his aching cock the way he wanted to.

"Where?" Pen asked, furrowing a brow.

"Anywhere," he replied through clenched teeth.

Pen let out a subtle hum as she lifted one of her hands from his shoulders where she'd placed them after climbing on top of him and ran it through his wet hair. His wife tilted her head and poked her tongue out as she skimmed her fingers down his hairline, over his ear, and over his jaw. Anthony blew out short ragged breaths, praying to God above that he wouldn't spill himself like a green lad when she traced his kiss-swollen lips with her thumb before moving her hand down his neck to his chest. The fucking temptress then circled each of his nipples with a featherlight touch of her fingers, causing Anthony to grip the arms of the chair so hard that he was certain the wood would crack. She must have gotten what she wanted out of his reaction because she did it again and then snickered when he rolled his eyes and threw his head back so hard that it hit the wooden rail of the seat back.

Anthony didn't mind the pain, though, because it proved the moment was really happening and he wasn't just imagining Penelope Featherington teasing him within an inch of his control. However, when her hand brushed his cock, Anthony stiffened and grabbed her hand roughly. "Not there," he commanded, lifting his head and opening his eyes. "Or this will be over before it starts."

~z~

Pen seemed confused by his statement, so Anthony diverted her attention by asking, "May I touch you?" rather than have to come up with a lecture on the birds and the bees while all of his blood was diverted from his brain.

When Penelope nodded, Anthony retraced her steps, mimicking all of her actions from earlier. However, when he traced her nipples with his fingers, she gasped and stiffened where she was hovering slightly above him. Anthony felt drops of wetness leak from her cunt as her breaths became shallow and her skin flushed from his ministrations. He did it again, got the same reaction, and smirked as his hands traveled southward. They brushed the sides of her breasts, down her torso, stopping to knead her stomach roll, and over her hips to her ass.

Penelope was pushing on his chest and squeezing his shoulder as she fought the urge to move. Anthony knew she could easily release some of the tension building in her by dropping a few inches and rubbing herself against him, but, devil that he was, he neglected it in favor of watching her squirm.

His fingers flowed down her thighs on the outside, which caused her muscles to twitch. Was she ticklish? He couldn't wait to find out. But, right now, he was focused on the journey up the inside of her thighs, as the closer he got to her center, the more his wife tried to close her legs to stifle the arousal literally dripping out of her.

Anthony wouldn't let her though. Instead, he widened his legs in the chair, trapped her knees between his thighs and the fabric lining between the cushion and the wooden rails he'd almost cracked. Once she was immobile, Anthony rested one hand on her inner thigh just below her core while he moved the other up to her breast.

Anthony cupped and kneaded the whole thing before circling the nipple and pinching and pulling on it forcefully enough to make her groan and involuntarily push her hips forward. Anthony chuckled lightly and latched his lips onto the other one, making Pen keen and squirm when he mimicked the motions he was making with his hand using his mouth.

Pen immediately moved her hands to his head and squeezed it in a vice-like grip to keep it there. A litany of sounds escaped her lips as he pushed her to the brink. Anthony waited, though, until she was struggling to stay upright before he touched her where he knew she craved it.

The moment Anthony felt Penelope's knees begin to give out, he went in for the kill and moved his free hand from her thigh to her quim. One trace of his index finger up and down her folds had her exploding from sensory overload.

Penelope let out a scream and sank onto his lap, drenching it with her cum in the process.

Notes:

Next: Anthony continues to demonstrate his expertise as a Rake.

Chapter brought to you by Britney and BSB's Matches.

"Oh, if they dusted me for prints

They'd find you all over me, all you all over me (all over me)

Nothing ever quite felt like this

A fire is killing me

The good kind of killing me

Like playing with matches, matches, matches

This might leave some damage, damage, damage

The good kind of damage, damage, damage

Like playing with matches, matches, matches"

You're welcome.

Chapter 26: Hold On

Summary:

When Penelope Featherington stumbles upon Anthony Bridgerton in the garden after the Feathertington ball, his life changes irrevocably.

The one with the Regency fake marriage trope you never asked for but are getting anyway.

Notes:

Anthony shows Penelope that he earned that nickname.

CW: NSFW! Listen to me this once, will ya? You all know what's about to happen.

My intimacy scene comfort zone is so far in the rearview mirror that I can't see it anymore. I hope I did their "wedding night" justice.

I was gonna make this two separate chapters but cruel and unusual punishment is unconstitutional here in the US.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

When Anthony stroked his wife's pussy, he also bit down on one nipple as he pinched her other one. He knew without a doubt that the combination of pain and pleasure would send her over the edge and was vindicated when it did so. Anthony lifted his head from her breast when her grip slackened and the scream tore from her throat as her knees buckled. He momentarily worried about her aunt hearing them, but pushed it out of his mind. As far as Petunia was concerned, they were married, so them having sex should not be a surprise.

Penelope dropped onto his lap after her climax, coating Anthony's cock and lap with her juices. Anthony reveled in the proof his prowess even as he struggled to retain control of his body with a soft, wet, and primed cunt right there for the taking. If Pen wasn't a virgin, he'd already be inside her, but she was, so he'd have to wait until she was ready.

Penelope's hands were draped over his shoulders and her forehead was laying against his chest. Anthony could feel the little puffs of breath tickle his hair there as his wife tried to regulate her breathing. He never gave her the chance to do so, though, because he started to stroke her folds again with the hand that was trapped between their bodies.

"Tony," Pen whispered raggedly, hips starting to move of their own accord. "Please."

Anthony tucked his chin to his neck so his mouth was level with her ear. He ghosted his lips along the lobe, eliciting a shiver, and replied, "Please, what, Penny?" before licking the shell.

"I - I do not know," she pouted, grinding down on his hand and wrapping her arms around his neck instinctively to hold on.

"That's fine, baby. I do," Anthony advised gravelly right before inserting his index finger into her channel.

Penelope's head popped back up at the invasion and she gasped, "Oh, God."

Anthony couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped his lips at her reaction. He joked, "You can call me that anytime," before shifting his free hand from the side of her breast to the back of her head. Anthony gripped her damp hair tightly and tugged just enough to lift her chin and bare her neck to him so that he could lean forward and latch onto it as his middle finger joined his other one inside her. Penelope briefly stiffened at the unexpected action, but was quickly distracted by his love bites and slow licks.

When his wife's hips started undulating in earnest, Anthony drew back. He removed his fingers from her cunt and trailed them up the front of her body while holding her immobile. Penelope tried to look at what he was doing, but Anthony wouldn't loosen his grip on her hair enough for her to look down - only to eye level. Anthony pinned her with his stare as he circled the swollen areola of each breast with his slick fingers, making his wife mewl and flutter her eyelashes rapidly at the sensations she was feeling.

With her still watching him, Anthony brought his two fingers to his mouth and licked them, unabashedly slurping the fruits of his labor. Penelope's eyes widened and she worked her throat in surprise, but didn't speak. (Or, more likely, couldn't speak with the fucking havoc he was purposefully raining on her senses.)

Anthony released his digits with a pop and brushed them over her parted lips slowly prior to dropping the hand to her hip. "Do you trust me?" he asked, letting go of her hair so that his hand could join the other one at her waist.

Pen's eyes shifted from side to side as she studied him, but went still when she replied, "Yes."

"Then do exactly what I say, alright?"

Pen nodded once and offered a weak, "Uhm, hmm," in response.

Anthony gripped her hips and forced her to raise her body up off of his lap. He planted his feet firmly on the floor, shifted his hips downward so they aligned with hers, and rested his shoulder blades against the back of the armchair. He lowered her until the tip of his cock brushed her folds, which caused them both to groan, and said, "Grab my cock and line it up with your hole."

Penelope blushed at his instructions and looked an adorable combination of wary and mortified, but did as she was told.

"Now, sink down onto me until you feel resistance," he ground out through clenched teeth.

She furrowed her brow, but tightened her grip on him (was she trying to kill him?!) and sank down incrementally onto his aching member until he was at her maidenhead. Anthony briefly closed his eyes, which were on the verge of crossing from pleasure, to ground himself before opening them and saying, "Good job, baby. Now, let go, put your hands on my shoulders, and hold on tight."

She did as he said and then asked, "Now what?"

"Kiss me like I've been gone at war for months and have just returned home to you."

One corner of Pen's mouth turned up in a mischievous smile at his ask before she leaned forward, pressed her heavenly breasts against his chest, and attacked his mouth with her own. The second her tongue invaded his mouth, Anthony thrust upward.

~z~

When Anthony tore through her hymen, Penelope whimpered in pain, bit his tongue, and dug her nails into his shoulders. Anthony expected her to break the kiss, but she didn't. His wife continued to kiss him like she was starving and he was food until her body relaxed and her hips moved minutely, indicating to Anthony that the pain was subsiding.

"What now?" Penelope mumbled into the kiss breathlessly.

"Relax and hold on," Anthony replied against her lips, using his death grip on her hips to guide her upward as he moved down.

~z~

Anthony was embarrassingly quick to come, but his wife didn't seem to mind given the contented sigh that emanated from where her head was resting on his shoulder hidden by hair that was now damp from sweat rather than rain.

Anthony rubbed her back gently with one hand while the other wiped beads of sweat from his own forehead. Still buried inside her, he could feel their combined cum dripping out of her pussy. But Anthony was a selfish bastard who gave himself permission to milk this event for all it was worth since he never allowed himself to come inside a woman before tonight.

He had come close a few times with Siena, but she was a perfectionist who demanded her own satisfaction before he could find his. She was his mistress, not his whore, she had said, and therefore wouldn't be treated like one. Thus, he'd often found himself delaying his own gratification before pulling out and spilling all over the sheets.

Anthony's control had been hanging on by a thread the entire time he'd been in the gazebo with Kate. She was so worried throughout their encounter about the possibility of a baby, however, that Anthony opted to make her happy in other ways. Anthony held off on his own release and focused on pleasing her with his hands and mouth, figuring they'd have plenty of time to do things right together later. But later never came.

Anthony would never waste a moment of time with Penelope, especially if she was going to be this responsive throughout their marriage. He planned to take full advantage of every moment he got with her to bask in her warmth and show her pleasure she's never known.

They both deserved it.

Notes:

Next: Will Penelope still be there when Anthony wakes up?

Well, how was it? Did Anthony demonstrate his ability appropriately? I was really trying to lean into the Rakish skills here so it got way spicier than I imagined it would.

As I said above, this was a double update. Don't get spoiled and expect this chapter length in the future, k?

Re Past Lovers:

Siena was his mistress, not his whore. She may have been at his beck and call, but she wasn't up for being used. Girl is badass.

The showrunners deliberately did not show penetrative sex between Anthony and Kate. I'm taking liberty with the fade-to-black to say she balked at the last minute because worried for the future. She didn't want to trap him OR screw up her life more than it was. Kate was also badass that way.

Re the setting:

I wanted it to be the rug, but it got muddy. Couldn't use the settee for obvious reasons. So, the chair it was. There's plenty of time to break in the bed later.

Chapter 27: Interlude: Spare Me

Summary:

When Penelope Featherington stumbles upon Anthony Bridgerton in the garden after the Feathertington ball, his life changes irrevocably.

The one with the Regency fake marriage trope you never asked for but are getting anyway.

Notes:

Taking a break from the action to check in on Benedict.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Meanwhile at Aubrey Hall

Of all the ways Benedict Bridgerton thought he might die, drowning in a sea of paperwork had never been on his list as a possibility.

But, here he was, 147 days after Anthony's departure, barely keeping his head above water.

From the moment Anthony stepped into the carriage all those months ago, Ben had been thrust into the role of viscount-by-proxy. As such, nearly every minute of every day was accounted for. Although he wasn't addressed as "My Lord" when people spoke to him, Benedict noticed a distinct difference in their attitude and demeanor. The "Sir," that followed a yes and as you wish was much more respectful than it ever had been before.

Due to the length of his expected absence, Anthony had informed the Crown of his impending trip and given full control of the estate management to Benedict so that he could immediately step in if something happened to him, he became incapacitated, or was unreachable. Just before he boarded, Anthony gave him the paperwork, told him to keep it in a safe place, and hugged him as if he'd never see him again.

At first Benedict had thought the hug was simply because his brother would miss him, but now he realized it was because Anthony knew the Benedict he came home to wouldn't be the one he left.

Benedict no longer lamented the fact that he wasn't inspired to paint simply because he didn't have the time to do so. If he wasn't replying to correspondence or working on the ledgers, he was in meetings with the family solicitor or Anthony's steward. Anything the steward couldn't handle at the tenant properties, Benedict had to take care of. He'd spent more time on horseback in the last five months than he had in the last five years.

His family took up what little free time he did have. How Colin could take so much time when he wasn't even in the country was mind-boggling, but it was happening. He received a letter from his brother at least once a week informing him of his desired itinerary, so Benedict had to make sure that there were adequate funds available to him and pre-arrange whatever arrangements he could on his behalf.

Violet no longer spoke to him like his mother usually did. Instead, she honored him with the deference she'd always given his brother as head of the house. Although she handled all the household decisions, the final say on everything fell to him because he controlled the purse strings. Conversely, she was also quick to criticize him and compare him to father and brother. Her offhand, "Your brother always -" or "Your father would have -" remarks were grating on his nerves and Benedict was going to snap if she didn't cease the comparisons soon.

He supposed there was a unique irony in her raising him to be a strong, independent-thinking man like his father and then turning around and constantly cutting him down when he failed to measure up. Benedict had never aspired to be like Edmund, not like Anthony had, but he could see the benefit of emulating his dead father if it meant getting his mother off his back.

But the hardest adjustment was with Eloise, Gregory, and Hyacinth. Benedict could no longer simply be their brother. He was their boss and pseudo-father. He found his temper getting shorter and shorter every time he asked them to do something and they refused or outright challenged his authority.

For example, when he told Eloise there was no way under the sun that Cressida Cowper would be residing in Aubrey Hall this summer for any period of time (lest he find himself leg-shackled to the insufferable, scheming chit), Eloise laughed and went to write her an invitation anyway. Benedict had actually needed to grasp her by the wrist and shout, "I said NO, Eloise," to get her attention. His, "I am the head of this house and you will abide by my wishes," had gone over like a lead balloon and the "Yes, sir," that followed had been filled with more venom than Benedict had ever heard from his sister.

His youngest siblings were both the easiest and hardest to adjust to the new, albeit temporary, reality. Easy because he could still mostly be himself when he was with them, but hard because they now looked at him the same way they looked at Anthony - warily. They had both noticed the change in his temperment since Anthony left and seemed to always be worried about angering or disappointing him. Benedict hated seeing that, as it colored every interaction they had. (He had never managed to pilfer so many chocolate macarons from them in his life.)

Benedict had finally made it through the stack of correspondence on his desk when he came across a letter that had been partially shoved under a nearby ledger accidentally. It was in Anthony's handwriting, so Benedict tore into it with a mixture of anticipation and dread.

Dated two weeks ago (two weeks?!), it said:

Dearest brother,

I hope this letter finds you well.

My time here in Prussia did not work out the way I anticipated, so I will be leaving as soon as I can make arrangements to do so.

However, I am not coming home. At least, not right now. I need time to process everything and figure out what comes next for me.

I plan to take advantage of this opportunity to see some of the world as I make my way home. (I know you have your hands full with Colin, so do not worry about me. I will take care of everything on my own behalf.)

I should be home by the time Parliament starts, but, if I am not, you will need to sit in my stead until I return. (A general schedule is below for your reference to help you plan your days accordingly.) Mother can handle Francesca's presentation if need be. Although I am disheartened at the prospect of missing it, I think she will understand my need for quiet right now.

I will write again as soon as I can. Stay safe.

But, more importantly, stay calm. Lean into your routine instead of railing against it. You'll be much more content that way.

Trust me.

Your brother,

Anthony

When Benedict looked down at the parliamentary schedule Anthony included at the bottom of his letter, he grabbed his glass of whiskey, downed what was left of it in one gulp, stood up and threw it into the fireplace.

He got an intense sense of satisfaction when it shattered.

Notes:

Next: No clue. Nothing is written. And I may let this story rest for a bit. I don't know. I'll keep you posted.

Poor Ben is going nuts already and it's only been a few months. No wonder he ends up at loose ends in S3. I hope they explore some of this in S4 but I don't think they will.

Notice that Anthony said "content" not "happy".

Chapter 28: Wonderland

Summary:

When Penelope Featherington stumbles upon Anthony Bridgerton in the garden after the Feathertington ball, his life changes irrevocably.

The one with the Regency fake marriage trope you never asked for but are getting anyway.

Notes:

I'm back with a new cover and new chapter.

You can see the cover here: /a/OerTG4t

And the chapter is below, much like Anthony's hands .

This is a long one (just like something else of Anthony's), so don't get spoiled.

Heed the rating. They're on their honeymoon.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

call you mine

Time had no meaning for Anthony in Cornwall. He had no duties or responsibilities besides caring for Penelope and Petunia.

The sun rose. The sun set. But neither one made a difference to him.

He came and went as he pleased.

He engaged in activities he enjoyed.

And, mostly, he slept.

It was bliss.

~z~

Anthony sat, coatless and barefoot, against the base of the old willow tree he'd found by a nearby lake shortly after his arrival in Cornwall. His plain white work shirt was askew at the neckline where Penelope was suckling on his collarbone and his trousers were undone, enabling his wife to ride him with ease beneath the bunched up skirts of her lilac muslin day dress. He could feel the scratch of the bark on his back as her hands pushed against his pecs, but the pain barely phased him because he was too distracted by the pleasure thrumming through his body.

Penelope, who was an exceptionally quick study when it came to the carnal side of their relationship, had him panting for breath and shaking as she used his body unapologetically to experiment toward triggering her own release. She changed the tempo and rhythm of her undulations at her will, leaving him gasping and straining to hold off his climax time and time again. After the fourth time he'd been close to coming and denied his release with a last-minute angle shift and breathy chuckle against his neck, Anthony growled, "Penny."

His frustration elicited a chuckle from her lips that tickled his skin and made Anthony groan. In response, Penelope diverted her attention to his jaw line, which was covered in stubble. She grazed it with her cheek and whispered,"Perhaps this would go faster if you participated instead of just sitting there, Tony."

"Oh, really?" he asked sarcastically as he moved his hands from where they were resting on his waist to the breasts that were sticking out of her lowered bodice. Anthony cupped them both and swiped his now-calloused thumbs over her pebbled nipples. The motion caused her to moan wantonly and throw her head back, revealing the whisker burns and love bites he'd left on the delicate skin of her throat.

Anthony latched onto it and suckled, feeling the vibration of her hum of agreement as he did so. Reluctantly, he released the seal after a few seconds, lest he get scolded by Rae (again) for giving her extra work to make Penelope presentable for polite company, and switched to kisses and gentle nips. "Tell me what you want, baby," Anthony demanded against her neck as he increased the pace of his thumbs' teasing motions.

Abruptly, Penelope stopped moving and yanked his head away from her to catch his eye and demand that he fuck her. Hard.

~z~

If they had Olympic medals for self-control, Anthony would have won a gold one for not coming on the spot. He might have done so if he wasn't so determined to make her climax with his cock instead of his hands and mouth. In an ironic twist of fate, he'd managed to marry the only woman alive who would never be able to be completely satisfied by the Gentleman's slow, tender lovemaking. They found out pretty quickly once they started sleeping together that Pen needed the Rake to take her hard and fast when she desired to shatter from penetrative sex.

More than happy to regain control of their sunrise encounter, Anthony wrapped his arms around her and pivoted them so that Pen's back was on the blanket they'd laid out and he was on top of her. He felt the thud and whoosh of breath as they landed and apologized after making sure she was well.

Pen, who was still holding onto his face, laughed and widened her legs so that he could fit comfortably between them. "Actions speak louder than words, darling," she teased as he tucked one knee beneath him for leverage to thrust, "so show me just how sorry you are."

Anthony rolled his eyes, let out a breath, and got to work.

~z~

Having achieved his mission, Anthony, laid on his back on the blanket and watched the sun rise over Cornwall once more. He pulled Penelope, who was dozing with her stomach tucked against his side and her chin on his chest, closer and squeezed. She sighed and automatically burrowed deeper into his body, content and replete in his arms.

His arms.

Not Viscount Bridgerton's arms.

~z~

Once the sun started to shine over them, Anthony nudged his wife awake with a few gentle shakes and a pinch on the butt. Pen groaned and slapped him on the stomach where her hand was resting. "Five more minutes," she mumbled.

"Petunia will be waking soon, baby. We have to go," Anthony replied. He was just as reluctant to leave their hideaway as she was, but they both wanted as much time as possible with Auntie, who was beginning to decline noticeably now.

His words shocked Pen out of her drowsiness and she abruptly sat up, which gave Anthony a spectacular view of the breasts that were still hanging out of her bodice. He reflexively leaned up on his elbow and pulled one into his mouth. Penelope's mewl of pleasure convinced him that they could spare five more minutes and had his free hand automatically traveling into her ruched up skirts to find her bare pussy, which was sticky from their cum and also gloriously wet again.

When his fingers stroked her, she grabbed his head with her free hand to keep it where it was and undulated her hips toward him in a silent plea to continue. Anthony bit down on her nipple to let her know he got the message and quickened his pace while deepening the pressure on her clit. Penelope whimpered and abruptly let go of his head to shift her hand to his cock, which was still hanging out but was (regrettably) only half hard due to the lack of recovery time. His wife growled in disappointment and began avidly pumping and squeezing to get him to attention.

Once he was the way she liked him best, she leaned down and kissed the top of his head. Then she toppled him over, shooed his hand away, and impaled herself on him.

"How did we end up back where we started?" Anthony asked with a chuckle.

"It's all your fault," she joked as she grabbed his hand, wet with her juices, and sucked each digit into her mouth to clean off.

"My fault?" he choked, barely able to get words out while seeing her lick herself off of him as her tits bounced rhythmically with her undulations.

Penelope released his digit from her mouth and said, "If you would keep your magical hands to yourself," she mock-admonished with a nip of the finger still at her lips, "we wouldn't be in this predicament."

Anthony winced at the truth of that statement. "Fair enough," he admitted aloud. Then he growled playfully, launched himself upward, pulled his hand away from her, and captured her lips with his own.

Notes:

Next: Antbony and Pen return home from their sunrise "ride" to find a surprising visitor.

The honeymoon is over, bitches.

Let chaos reign as Violet LEDGER enters the chat.

Did you miss me?

More importantly, would you believe this chapter was an accident?

Anthony Bridgerton does not like being told what to do, even by me. Dude was supposed to get up and go. Instead, he got busy. Again.

Is Pen brazen? Yes. But she's had an undisclosed number of sunrise rides to build her confidence with a man who encourages her sexual awakening. So, I much like Daphne and Simon in S1, it tracks for me.

Chapter 29: Whoa

Summary:

When Penelope Featherington stumbles upon Anthony Bridgerton in the garden after the Feathertington ball, his life changes irrevocably.

The one with the Regency fake marriage trope you never asked for but are getting anyway.

Notes:

Anthony and Pen return to the cottage and Anthony gets a surprise.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

call you mine

Their extra five minutes turned into twenty-five and the sun was well in the sky by the time Anthony and Penelope had straightened their clothing, packed their belongings, and emerged from their cocoon under the willow tree.

Despite their tardiness, Anthony did not push Phoenix, his new stallion, beyond a trot. Petunia knew they went for a ride every morning, so he was not worried about her being alarmed by their absence. He just hated the look of knowing haughtiness she gave him whenever they returned disheveled from their morning excursions.

But, Anthony was in a superiorly good mood after getting his wife off twice with his cock, so he wanted to take his time getting them back.

The fact that he got to feel Pen's ass against his crotch and rest his hand on her breast as he held onto her so she wouldn't fall off the horse just happened to be a bonus.

~z~

When they returned to the cottage using the back entrance to the property, Anthony pointed Phoenix to the stables. He helped Penelope dismount and then did so himself.

As usual, Pen sat on their blanket on a nearby hay bale and watched him work. He stole glances at her as he settled Phoenix in for the day and noticed a faraway look on her face, but didn't disturb her from her thoughts until he was finished.

After calling her name three times, she still didn't look over at him, so Anthony stepped into her line of sight, leaned down with one hand on his knee, and snapped his fingers in front of her. When she startled out of her trance, Anthony asked, "Where did you go just now?"

"What?" Pen asked dazedly, blinking her remarkably long, beautiful eyelashes in the process.

Anthony placed his free hand on his knee, too, and shifted slightly to face her head-on. "You seemed to be lost in thought. Are you quite well?"

"Never better," his wife responded, surprising him as she reached up and pulled him into a kiss. Most of her kisses outside of their marital bed were tentative, gentle, or languid. This one, however, was possessive and feral, as if she was consuming him. Her grip on his face caused Anthony to lose his balance and crash into her. He tried his best to break his fall with his hands, but he couldn't and they ended up toppling over the bale she was sitting on onto the fresh straw on the floor beneath.

Once again, she landed with a thud and whoosh of breath as his weight settled on top of her. However, unlike earlier, Anthony quickly rose onto his hands and knees above her so that he wouldn't crush her into the floor with his weight. His eyes rapidly scanned his wife's body for injuries as he blurted, "Baby. I'm so sorry. Are you hurt?"

Penelope shook her head, but didn't speak. Instead she stared deeply into his eyes until he couldn't take the scrutiny anymore and he started to squirm uncomfortably.

"What?" Anthony asked as old insecurities from his childhood bubbled up from the recesses of his mind and had him questioning everything about their current interaction. He was unnerved by her stare and her lack of response reminded him how his father had acted from time to time during their lessons on running the viscountancy. Edmund had been a loving father, but he was a stern taskmaster when it came to the estate and often had Anthony writhing like a bug under a microscope whenever he pinned him with a similar one.

Not wanting to delve into painful memories best left in the past, Anthony broke eye contact and started to pull away, but Penelope held him firm with a fierce grip on his biceps and quietly asked him to look at her again. When he did, she released her hold on his arms and cupped his cheeks in her hands. Then she worked her throat and whispered, "I love you."

Notes:

Next: Anthony reacts to Pen's confession.

What can I say? They have minds of their own.

Patience is a virtue.

Chapter 30: High

Summary:

When Penelope Featherington stumbles upon Anthony Bridgerton in the garden after the Feathertington ball, his life changes irrevocably.

The one with the Regency fake marriage trope you never asked for but are getting anyway.

Notes:

Anthony reacts to Pen's confession.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

call you mine

Anthony's brain seemed to shut down at Penelope's confession of love because, by his recollection, one minute she was staring lovingly into his eyes giving him words he didn't realize he had longed to hear from her and the next she had dropped her hands from his face and was scrambling to slide up and out from under his body.

Pen had just about extricated herself from his embrace when he registered her nervous, "You know what? Forget I said anything." Penelope cleared her throat and turned her body to the side. "I should get inside," she said as she rushed onto her hands and knees so that she could stand. "Auntie is probably worried sick."

However she didn't get that far. Anthony grasped her lovely stocking-free ankle to still her movement and crawled toward her. Once he was surrounding her, his front to her back, Anthony crushed Pen against him, dipped his head to her ear, and whispered, "I love you, too."

Penelope turned her head to face him over he shoulder. "What?" his wife asked incredulously.

Anthony pulled back just enough so that he could look at her and repeated himself. "I love you, too, Pen. I don't know when it happened or how, but I just know that I do. " He worked his throat and nuzzled her temple with his cheek. "It took you saying it first to get me to realize it."

Penelope averted her eyes momentarily and then looked back at him again. "You're not just saying it because I did, are you?"

Anthony scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Do I strike you as the type of person who says things they don't mean just to make people feel better?"

Pen chuckled and said, "No."

"Well, there you go," Anthony replied, punctuating his words with a breast squeeze and hip thrust.

Penelope moaned at the contact, making his cock stir to life again and his mind urge him to take her right there on the floor like an animal. But she was his wife, not a whore, and she deserved better than fornication on a dirty stable floor. Plus, Penelope was probably sore from their earlier encounters, so he shouldn't push her right now.

So, even though Anthony was high on adrenaline from their mutual love confessions and randy as a buck, he released his grip on her breast and began to back away, rationalizing to himself that they'd have a lifetime to experiment with this position in far more comfortable locations.

Penelope, however, held his hand to her chest and backed into his erection. "Do it," she commanded, glancing over his shoulder heatedly. "I want you to."

~z~

To illustrate her point, Penelope used her grip on his hand to make it pull her tit from her bodice and knead it as it dangled in the air. Then she reached down and lifted each knee so that she could pull her skirts out from under her and yanked them up her thighs to reveal her bare ass.

She backed into his trouser-clad cock once her skirts were resting at her waist and moaned wantonly before forcing his hand off her breast and bucking him off her back. His wife eyed him impatiently from over her shoulder with hooded eyes as he sat back on his haunches.

Anthony wasted no time opening his trousers and shoving them down his thighs. "Lean down on your elbows," he ordered as he spread her knees wide to open her quim to him. Anthony kneaded his wife's ass cheeks roughly, digging into the muscle beneath them and then reached between her legs to swipe through her folds. Penelope's hips jerked at the contact and wetness gushed from her center onto his fingers. "Fuck, baby," Anthony ground out, as he extricated his hand and lined his cock up with her vagina. "You're gonna be the death of me."

When he thrust inside so hard that Penelope slid forward slightly on the straw-covered dirt, she gasped and retorted, "But what a way to go," in a strangled voice.

Anthony bit out a sharp, unexpected laugh at that and gripped her hips to hold her steady as he fucked her. Once he found a rhythm that was bruising but not painful, Anthony leaned forward slightly and slid one of his hands to her clit and began circling it with his fingers the way she liked.

He heard his wife groan from where her head was tucked between her elbows and wished he could see her tit swinging with their motion. "Pen," Anthony called through gritted teeth.

"Hmm," she replied without lifting her head.

"You're gonna have to help yourself this time baby. Pull your other tittie out and play with them both for me, will you?"

Penelope briefly lifted her head and looked back. Her pupils were fully blown out and her forehead had a sheen of sweat. "What?" she asked dazedly.

"I can't reach. Plus, my hands are full," Anthony explained gravelly. He punctuated his sentence with a squeeze of her hip and a tap of her clit.

"Oh," she mouthed before nodding and turning her head so she could lay it back down in the cradle of her arms. However, she made no move to free the other one from its confines. Instead, she pushed her ass up toward him and her chest downward so that her free breast scratched against the straw.

The change in angle had him groaning and her keening as her pussy began to flutter around him.

"Harder," she urged.

When he hesitated, she gasped a broken, "Please," that convinced him. Unable to deny her, Anthony bent over his wife and whispered, "Anything for you, baby," before pulling his hand from her clit and returning it to her hips as he sat back up.

Anthony used his hold to pull her back into him as he pushed into her at a pace and depth he'd only ever used on whores before.

Three thrusts later, she shattered with a muffled scream, drenching him in her juices and milking his cock with her spasms, making Anthony follow closely behind with the most powerful orgasm of his life.

~z~

Fucking Penelope on the stable floor after exchanging love confessions had been the most erotic moment of Anthony's life, but also the dirtiest. Literally.

By the time they were done, their clothes were both disheveled and full of dirt stains and their hair, Pen's especially, had pieces of straw embedded in it.

"You're a mess again," Anthony mused as they walked through the yard to the back door of the cottage hand-in-hand.

When they got there, Penelope turned the knob and pushed the door open, but leaned in the jam instead of going inside. She grasped the lapels of his shirt and pulled him down to her. When their lips were a hair's breadth apart, Penelope whispered, "Then I suppose you ought to clean me up."

Excited at the prospect of bathing his wife, Anthony growled and plundered her lips with his, pulling her against him with one hand while leaning his other against the jam above her head for balance.

He had just elicited a guttural moan from her throat and was about to shift them so that he could walk her through the house and up the stairs when he heard a throat clear.

Correction. Her throat clear.

Just like the night of their first kiss, the sound registered in his mind like a gunshot and separated him from his flushed, panting wife.

Anthony turned toward Penelope's maid, exasperated at her interference, and was shocked to see two other people besides Rae staring at him from the kitchen table where all three were seated breaking their fast.

One was Petunia, who eyed him the same way that he imagined a lion did its prey just before going for the throat.

And the other was his mother, who looked like the cat who ate the canary at the sight before her.

Notes:

Next: Chaos reigns as Anthony struggles to comprehend why Violet is in Petunia's kitchen.

So, yeah, that kitchen scene has been in my head since I decided to have Violet and Petunia know each other. The love confessions and the sex, well those were complete surprises. In most of my stories, Pen recalls the moment she fell in love with him (just like she did with Colin) while Anthony falls and is completely oblivious to the fact until it is pointed out. (Something he has in common with Colin)

This Penelope is channeling a little bit of Dirty Law's Pen in needing some extra spice in her love life to be satisfied. Not all women get off on gentle lovemaking so it's been fun to explore how Anthony's rakish side can come in handy (pun intended) in his marriage.

I'm warning you now that the following arc is going to be chaotic and funny, but also angsty and poignant. Anthony is on a journey of self-discovery. It will not all be smooth sailing. The man has a boatload of trauma to process. But I plan to keep the angst light so that this story remains fluffy because we all need fluff in our lives in 2024.

Remember that Anthony is an unreliable narrator. What he believes in a moment may not be what is actually happening. Give the man some grace.

I am writing the next chapter. I don't know when I'll finish. But I will post it as soon as I do.

Chapter 31: Maelstrom

Summary:

When Penelope Featherington stumbles upon Anthony Bridgerton in the garden after the Feathertington ball, his life changes irrevocably.

The one with the Regency fake marriage trope you never asked for but are getting anyway.

Notes:

Anthony reacts to his mother's presence in Cornwall.

CW: Angst ahoy. Mind the tags. Anthony has a boatload of trauma to process and Violet is the personification of that, whether she deserves to be or not. This story has become a journey of self-discovery for our viscount. Any journey like that has both ups and downs., so give the man some grace. Remember that he is an unreliable narrator.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

call you mine

Anthony's heart was pounding in his ears at the sight of his mother in Petunia's kitchen. "Mother?"

"Hello, son," his mother replied with a smirk.

Hearing Anthony speak must have broken Pen from the romantic haze of their kiss because he heard a shocked, "Lady Bridgerton!" come from his wife's mouth.

Anthony side-eyed Rae angrily, assuming she was responsible for his mother's presence, but the woman held her hands up in surrender and shook her head to indicate she had nothing to do with it.

Violet broke her eye contact with Anthony and smiled at Penelope warmly before standing and helping Petunia up. The two women rounded the table and walked over to them, Auntie leaning on her arm for the journey. "She is here because of me, not Rae," Petunia clarified. "I wrote to her the day after you arrived."

Penelope gasped and reflexively clutched onto his hand. Anthony furrowed his brow. "What? How?" he asked confusedly, gaze bouncing between the two women who very clearly knew each other.

At his question, Auntie stepped forward and said, "Allow me to introduce myself properly, young man. My full name is Petunia Hughes Ledger, widow of Tony Ledger. Your uncle."

~z~

Anthony felt as if his world was tilting on its axis. The pulse in his ears became thunderous and he struggled to breath as thoughts of betrayal began swirling in his head. Petunia had known the whole time who he really was? Penelope had lied to him about her aunt's connection to his family? Why hadn't she warned him? Was she so desperate to marry that she would stoop to deceit just to trap a Bridgerton into marriage? Could he ever believe a word she said again?

Anthony ripped his hand from Penelope's and clutched at his chest, willing his racing heart to settle and his lungs to expand. But it was no use. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't think.

So he did the only thing he could.

Anthony fled.

~z~

Anthony pivoted away from the kitchen and ran out the back door as fast as his feet would carry him. He heard shouting behind him, but he paid it no mind, desperate to flee the scene and regain the sense of the peace he had found in Cornwall.

When he reached the stone bench where he sat with Penelope the first day, he sank down into the grass in front of it. Anthony pulled his knees to his chest and rested his elbows on them. Burying his face in the open space, Anthony scrunched his eyes closed and tried to breathe slowly in and out of his mouth.

He was finally happy.

But, of course, it was too good to be true.

Deep down, Anthony knew happiness wasn't in the cards for him and his mother showing up out of the blue proved it.

How could he be so stupid?

Anthony's mind began to race again, reminding him of the crushing expectations that awaited him back in London, negating his efforts to calm his body.

He could feel his emotions spiraling out of control, sending him back into the abyss he'd worked hard the last few months to climb out of. Anthony started to see spots behind his eyes and his body began to shiver, causing goosebumps and a cold sweat.

Anthony was caught in a maelstrom he couldn't escape.

Maybe, he thought, he didn't want to.

What if, this time, he allowed it to drown him?

Surely then he'd find peace. Wouldn't he?

Notes:

Next: Anthony is drowning. Will he save himself or get a helping hand?

You asked for CHAOS and you got it.

Buckle up.

It's going to be a rough ride over the next few chapters for our boy (and not in a good way).

Chapter 32: Balm

Summary:

When Penelope Featherington stumbles upon Anthony Bridgerton in the garden after the Feathertington ball, his life changes irrevocably.

The one with the Regency fake marriage trope you never asked for but are getting anyway.

Notes:

Anthony gets some help to overcome his panic attack.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

call you mine

There was buzzing. So much buzzing all around him. When Anthony couldn't take the noise anymore, he rested his head on his knees and moved his elbows onto them so that he could cover his ears.

Unfortunately, that did nothing to help. Between the thunder pounding on the inside and the buzzing on the outside, Anthony was completely overwhelmed.

He buried his head as far as he could into his knees, pressed on his ears until the buzzing was muffled, and tried to draw in deep breaths as he attempted to shake his thoughts from his head. He repeated, "No, no, no," on a loop, grimacing the entire time.

His body had just started shaking as violently as his head when he was knocked over from the side and a set of familiar arms enveloped him in their embrace, immediately calming his racing heart.

She whispered comforting words to him and pulled him into her body proactively. Her soft, "Shh, shh, shh," overtook his "No, no, no," almost immediately and Anthony could feel the tension beginning to leave his body. He was still curled into a fetal position, but his muscles began to relax and his breathing slowed noticeably.

Her hands moved from around his torso to his chest and the back of his head. One brushed his hair comfortingly while the other rested over his heart. The feel of her knees against his back and her stomach against his bicep on one side and the grass on his other grounded him and pulled him back into the present.

Anthony took a deep breath, inhaling a familiar scent that reassured him he was safe, and let it out slowly. He flexed his fingers and buried them into the grass. Anthony focused on the feel of the dirt under his fingertips for a moment before pushing off and using the leverage it gave him to turn to his other side.

She backed up slightly to give him space to pivot, but never released her hold on him. Once he was facing her, she moved her one hand from his heart to his bicep and swiped the thumb of her other one over his forehead, smoothing out the furrow there.

Anthony relaxed his face, fluttered his eyelids, and then opened them to stare at the love of his life.

She was everything to him.

He would die for her. He'd kill for her.

Their love, he realized, transcended time and space.

It was unconditional and permanent.

Anthony smiled at her and reached up with his free hand to wipe away her tears with the pad of his own thumb as his palm cupped her cheek.

She sniffed, smiled back, and pushed her cheek into his palm, relishing his touch.

Anthony used his grip on her face to pull her down to him and wrapped her in his arms. He buried his face into the crook of her neck, unconcerned with how precariously she was perched on her knees. Anthony chuckled when she lost her balance and fell into him, giggling through her tears.

Then he heard it. His favorite word in the world.

"Papa."

The word, never uttered in company and scarcely between them even when alone over the last few years, was a balm to his wounded soul.

She was born the day Anthony Bridgerton died.

So, of course she'd be here on the day he fought to live again.

"Cinnie."

Notes:

Next: Anthony reconnects with his family.

Did you cry? I did.

This arc will explore Anthony's relationships with his family as he seeks to merge the viscount with the man.

Chapter 33: Family

Summary:

When Penelope Featherington stumbles upon Anthony Bridgerton in the garden after the Feathertington ball, his life changes irrevocably.

The one with the Regency fake marriage trope you never asked for but are getting anyway.

Notes:

Anthony reconnects with his family.

Here you go.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

call you mine

Anthony wasn't aware of how long he laid in the grass holding the light of his life in his arms, but every moment he did so helped him regain his equilibrium. Eventually, Hyacinth began squirming and he let her go.

She sat back up on her knees and smiled before standing up and holding out a hand to him. Anthony rolled onto his hands and knees and pushed himself up until he was in a proposal position before taking it. He allowed his sister to pull him the rest of the way and then yanked her into his body for another hug. "I missed you, Cinnie," he whispered.

"I missed you too, papa," Hyacinth replied. "It hasn't been the same with you at home."

"I'm sorry I left."

"I'm not."

Anthony loosened his grip and backed away slightly. Hyacinth shook her head and bit her lip, seemingly unsure if she should say anything else. "Why, Hy?"

"Because you needed to know."

Anthony nodded, surprised once more at his sister's astuteness when it came to people.

Hyacinth's watery smile broadened and she brought him down to her so she could hug him tightly again. This time, however, her body was thrumming with barely-restrained excitement. "And now you're marrying Penelope!" Hyacinth exclaimed, literally jumping up and down in his arms.

Oh, God. Penelope.

Anthony reached up and unwound his sister's arms from his neck, which caused her to frown until he shifted to face the house and pulled her into his side protectively.

Anthony, heart in his stomach, scanned the lawn, but didn't see her standing with Petunia and his mother.

"Where is she?" he asked the two women.

"She went back inside with Rae once Hyacinth got you settled," Violet replied. "She didn't say why, but I assume it was to freshen up."

The words freshen up were accompanied by a look that meant he was likely in for a tongue lashing regarding his behavior.

Anthony flinched involuntarily. "Right." He squeezed Hyacinth's bicep and released her. "I should do the same."

Anthony nodded curtly at his mother and aunt-by-marriage and began to head toward the cottage.

"Anthony…" Violet began, but he cut her off with a hand in the air.

Channeling the Viscount for the first time since his arrival, Anthony squared his shoulders, let out a brusque, "Later," and walked away.

Notes:

Anthony seeks out his wife.

Chapter 34: Aftermath

Summary:

When Penelope Featherington stumbles upon Anthony Bridgerton in the garden after the Feathertington ball, his life changes irrevocably.

The one with the Regency fake marriage trope you never asked for but are getting anyway.

Notes:

Anthony and Pen come face to face.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

call you mine

Anthony entered their bedchamber without knocking and found a red-eyed Penelope sitting at her vanity with Rae behind her carefully picking pieces of straw out of her tangled mass of curls.

He caught his wife's eye in the mirror and held her gaze. Her breath hitched and her body tensed at the sight of him. Her hands, which had been laying idle on the top of the wood, quickly clasped together nervously. "Would you give us a minute, Rae?" Pen asked her maid quietly.

Rae nodded and smoothed out her mistress' hair. She turned to leave and headed toward him. When she met him at the door, she whispered, "She didn't know."

Rae attempted to side-step him, but couldn't because his large frame was blocking the doorway. "Did you?" Anthony asked.

Rae worked her throat, but maintained eye contact. "Only that a letter was sent to your mother, not about anything else."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Rae looked over her shoulder at Penelope. "It wasn't my place."

"I find that hard to believe." He lowered his voice and added, "Considering how much you've meddled thus far."

Rae averted her eyes, chagrined, but quickly returned her attention to him. She stepped forward and said, "Once that letter went out, I knew the two of you were living on borrowed time. I did what I had to do to help ensure her happiness and I won't apologize for it."

The corner of Anthony's lips curled upward despite his frustration at being blindsided. He replied, "I would never expect you to," and stepped aside so that Rae could pass. When she was just outside the door, however, he stopped her with a light touch on the shoulder. "But I do expect you to show me the same loyalty once you are my housekeeper."

Rae raised a brow. "What?"

"You are planning to return to London with us, are you not?"

Rae blinked a few times. "Yes, my lord. I just assumed…"

"That you would remain a lady's maid forever?"

Rae nodded.

"Loyalty like yours is hard to find. Rest assured that it will be rewarded when the time comes," Anthony reassured Rae. He glanced over his shoulder and caught Penelope staring at them through the mirror curiously. "But, right now, I must attend to my wife."

"Shall I have a bath readied?"

"Yes."

~z~

Anthony watched Rae retreat down the hallway. When she was out of sight, he closed and locked the door and turned to face his wife, who had risen from her bench and turned to face him. "I didn't know," Penelope stated. "I swear." She wrung her hands as she spoke but did not break their eye contact.

"I believe you," Anthony replied, stepping closer to her.

"You do?" she asked with disbelief in her voice.

Anthony took her hands in his once he was close enough and rubbed them gently to smooth out the tension. "Yes. You don't lie." When she looked at him skeptically, Anthony clarified, "Not to me. Not since that night."

"No," Pen replied with a shake of her head.

Anthony brought their joined hands to his lips and kissed them. "I love you, Penny."

"I love you, Tony."

~z~

Anthony sat behind Penelope in the copper tub that was bolted to the floor of the room designated as the water closet. Steam was rising from the hot water Rae had trudged up the stairs and enveloping them in a cocoon of warmth. Anthony gently washed his wife's body with a soapy washcloth as she rested her head on his shoulder. "What are we going to do now?" she asked, shifting slightly to look up at him.

Anthony sighed. "I do not know. But we will figure it out."

Penelope pulled a hand out of the water and reached up to cup his cheek. "We will," she affirmed. "Together."

He smiled down at her. "Together."

~z~

Anthony scooted Penelope forward in the tub so that he could pull his knees toward him and stand. He stepped out of the water carefully and reached for one of the towels Rae had left on a nearby chair. Holding it up in front of him, he said, "You coming?"

Pen smirked and leaned over the edge of the tub. She peeked under the towel and said, "Apparently not," in a teasing voice.

Anthony snorted and shook his head. "You are insatiable, you know that?"

Penelope stood up, making his mouth water at the sight of her naked, dripping body, and replied, "Whose fault is that?"

~z~

There was no hope for Penelope's hair. The straw was so deeply embedded in it that it would probably take Rae hours to get it out, so Anthony helped his wife wrap it into a loose bun at the nape of her neck after she dressed in a dark pink muslin day dress.

"Ready?" she asked once Anthony had dressed himself in a clean work shirt, trousers, and boots.

Anthony took her hand and squeezed. "As ready as I can be," he responded.

Notes:

Next: Anthony wants answers.

Thanks for the feedback on the last chapter. I appreciate it.

Generally speaking, I err on the side of shorter chapters. I have entire stories that are less words than some other authors' chapters. But, I do recognize that the last few have been extra short. They seem longer on my Google Doc than they end up actually being, so I didn't realize it until it was pointed out. Now that the major surprises are out of the way (I think), they should be a little longer. Thank you for bearing with me. I hope you will continue to do so as we continue on this wild and crazy journey with Penthony.

Chapter 35: Interlude: A Penny for Your Thoughts

Summary:

When Penelope Featherington stumbles upon Anthony Bridgerton in the garden after the Feathertington ball, his life changes irrevocably.

The one with the Regency fake marriage trope you never asked for but are getting anyway.

Notes:

Penelope feels inspired and shares a pivotal moment with her husband.

Chapter Notes:

1. There are parts of this chapter not in "Regency Speak". That is intentional. Penelope's poem is based on the lyrics of IDGAF by Dua Lipa. It's the perfect "fuck off Colin and Eloise" song, so let's chalk it up to Pen being a woman ahead of her time and artistic liberty. K?

2. Whenever consent is not explicit, it is implicit. Implicit consent is dubious by nature. Thus, a dubious consent warning exists for this chapter. Even if Pen is 100% okay with what happens, she doesn't always say so. Warning exists to be safe.

3. This chapter is LONG as fuck. It's the only POV you will get from Pen, so I made it worth it. Don't get spoiled. Future chapters will not be 3,500 words if you want the story finished in this century.

Enjoy. (Just not at work. Or where little eyes can read your screen, k?)

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

call you mine

SOMETIME BEFORE VIOLET AND HYACINTH SHOW UP

You write me, all friendly, telling me how much you miss me

That's funny, I guess you've read my column

Well, I'm too busy for your business, go find someone who wants to listen

Because if you think I was born yesterday, you have got me wrong

So I cut you off, I don't need your love

'Cause I already cried enough

I've been done, I've been movin' on

Since we said goodbye

I cut you off, I don't need your love

So you can try all you want

Your time is up, I'll tell you why

You say you're sorry, but it's too late now

So save it, stay gone, shut up

Because if you think I care about that now

Well, Colin, I don't give a -

Penelope poked her tongue between her lips and licked them as her quill flew across the page in the dim candlelight, feeling inspired to write again for the first time since her departure from London. Anthony was asleep in their bed after a long day of work outside, but Penelope was too restless to sleep. She paused momentarily from writing and put the quill down to page to the end of her journal where she'd tucked the letter she received from Colin earlier today. She pulled it out and stared at the unopened parchment. Part of her wanted to read it. She was morbidly curious like that. But the other part of her - the one that was rapidly falling hard for his brother - didn't.

As the days since Anthony's arrival turned into weeks, Penelope found herself missing his siblings' companionship less and less. Having him in her life was the best of both worlds. Anthony had all of Colin's kindness and charm and more than enough of Eloise's spirit and intellect to fill the void they'd left.

And wasn't that a crazy thought?

She didn't need them.

Would she love to make amends for Anthony's sake?

Yes.

But Penelope didn't feel compelled to do it for hers.

Not anymore.

She had grown so much in Cornwall.

Penelope Featherington was a woman now. Not just because of some silly right of passage physically, but in spite of it.

It took leaving London to realize that she'd clung to Lady Whistledown so fiercely because the very people she'd used her alter ego to protect had actually contributed to her fear of speaking up as herself.

She didn't want to risk losing them, so she'd stifled her own voice to please them.

How ironic was that?

Pen chuckled to herself and shook her head. She placed the letter back on her desk and resumed writing.

I remember that evening when I caught my best friend sneakin'

She blamed it all on my deceit

So, I made my decision 'cause she made her bed, sleep in it

Play the victim and blame my position, I'm through, I'm done -

With Anthony, she didn't need to hide any part of herself.

He supported and encouraged her without reservation or condition and, because of that, she was flourishing.

With him by her side, Pen was able to drop all of her defenses.

She didn't have to dwell in the shadows because she could stand in the light.

Thinking of Anthony made her look over her shoulder toward the bed. Surprisingly, though, he wasn't asleep when she spotted him. He was reclining on his pillows against the headboard, hands tucked behind his head, staring at her intently.

Catching his eye so unexpectedly made her startle so violently that she dropped the quill onto the desk and grasped her chest. "Bloody hell, Anthony," Pen gasped. "You scared the daylights out of me."

"Sorry," he replied, sitting up and revealing his naked torso to her gaze as the sheet dropped indecently low on his lap. He leaned forward and tucked one leg in as he moved the other out from under the sheet to place on the floor for balance.

Her eyes reflexively traveled to his bare, muscular thigh and she had to stifle a whimper at the sight. Her husband smirked at her reaction, but didn't tease her as she expected. Instead, he asked, "What are you doing?"

She looked down to her journal, one he'd bought her at the bookshop in the village, and then back up to him. Smiling, Pen answered, "Writing."

Anthony raised a brow. "Really?" he asked, astonished.

Pen shifted on the bench so she could see him fully. "I couldn't sleep, so I sat down with the journal you got me and just started writing whatever popped into my head."

"Is Lady Whistledown coming out of retirement?"

Pen scrunched her nose. "No. I don't think so. I have my own life now. I don't much care what everyone else is doing."

Anthony chuckled at that, but then grew serious. "So what did you write about?"

"Truth?"

His eyes widened slightly at her question, but he nodded. "Always."

Penelope grabbed the journal and unopened letter and padded over to the bed. She stopped in front of Anthony and sat down, mimicking his pose. Of course, this forced her nightgown to ride up her thighs and distracted her husband.

Penelope playfully swatted his knee. This time, it was Anthony who was startled. When he returned his gaze to her face (after a brief stopover at her breasts) she smirked at him. Anthony smiled sheepishly, cleared his throat, and held out his hand. Penelope passed the journal to him and watched his eyes move as he read.

She twisted Colin's unopened letter in her hands while she waited for him to finish. She could tell when he read her silly poem because his lips curled up and also when he got to her insights about his siblings because they turned back down.

Anthony was quiet when he finished reading, which unsettled her. "Tony. Say something. Please," she pleaded.

He closed the journal and took a deep breath before looking up at her and saying, "I'm sorry." He shook his head as if he was clearing out cobwebs in his head and went on to say, "I knew they hurt you, but I never realized how much until this moment. And I should have, Penny. So, I am sorry."

Penelope scooted closer to him and put her hand in his. She squeezed it in comfort and replied, "You have nothing to be sorry for. You are not responsible for your siblings' actions. I never held any of that against you. I hope you know that."

He leaned forward and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear with his free hand. "I know. But it doesn't make me any less sorry you are hurting."

Pen felt her eyes begin to water and swiped at them. "Thank you," she replied, sniffling. "It hurts less now. Because of you."

Anthony tried to smile, but it looked like more of a grimace. When he loosened his grip on their joined hands and began to pull away, she got confused. "What's wrong?"

He offered her another not-quite-smile and averted his eyes. Then he straightened himself up and fiddled with the journal on his lap, making a show of closing it and securing it with the string around the cover. "Nothing," he remarked absently when he handed it back to her. "We should get some sleep."

Penelope could feel his defenses beginning to erect, so she dropped the journal and letter on the bed between them and gripped his wrist. "Please do not lie to me," she implored, locking eyes with him.

He squirmed a little under her gaze, but eventually caved and took a breath before speaking. "I was wondering if...If you might feel more content now because I've filled the void left by my siblings. Am I simply a patch for the holes they left in your life?"

Pen felt her heart break for him in that moment and quickly scrambled to pull him into her arms. She had his face securely between her hands when she stated, "No. Not at all." She leveraged herself up more securely on her knee and foot and leaned in close. "If anything, they were patches for you. Colin has your charm and kindness. Eloise your spirit and intellect." She gently rubbed his hairline at his temples with her thumbs. "All the things I love about them, Anthony, they got from you ."

Anthony's eyes became glassy and silent tears started running down his face at her heartfelt speech, so Penelope kissed them away. Then she nuzzled his nose and pressed her lips to his tenderly. At first he didn't respond and Penelope second-guessed herself. Had she ruined the relationship they'd worked hard to build since his arrival in Cornwall? She immediately tensed and pulled back, hoping to search his eyes for the truth.

But, sadly, no truth was evident there because they were closed. Anthony's breathing was shallow and his fists were clenched on his lap. Penelope watched, perplexed, as his Adam's apple bobbed. " Tony?" she whispered worriedly. It was her Hail Mary. A last-ditch effort to figure out what he was thinking before she really started to worry.

However, worry, it seemed, was unnecessary, because in the blink of an eye, the tautness left his body and he yanked her into him and crushed his lips to hers in a searing, all-consuming kiss.

The motion threw Penelope off-balance and she crashed into him so hard that she knocked him back onto the mattress. They were both stunned by the fall, eliciting breathless oof's against each other's lips, but her husband didn't allow it to waylay him for long because he locked his arms around her tightly and continued to devour her until she literally couldn't breathe.

Anthony effortlessly rolled them over so that she was on the bed and he was half on top of her before releasing her lips. Immediately afterward, he ghosted them over her cheekbone and temple. When he reached her ear, he nuzzled the shell with his nose and whispered, "Let me love you tonight, Penelope," in the voice that always melted her resistance like butter.

Penelope reached up and held a hand to the back of his head as he began to trail whisper-light kisses along her jawline and down her neck. The desperate, " Please ," that reverberated against her skin as he did so broke what little resolve she had and she nodded her assent.

The nod was all Anthony needed to forge ahead with his mission. Surprisingly, he made no attempt to remove her nightgown. Instead, he ruched the material up her legs with one hand and used the other to trace lazy circles on the exposed skin by her collarbone as he braced his weight with his elbow. Anthony lifted his head and looked her in the eyes with dilated pupils. "You are so beautiful," he whispered.

She must have gotten a doubtful look on her face because Anthony abandoned his mission to lift her gown and brought his thumb and forefinger to her chin, where he held her immobile at an angle where she was forced to look at him. "You are, Penelope. Both inside and out. And I am the luckiest man in the world to get to bask in it every day." He punctuated his words with a kiss that had her toes curling and her pussy dripping.

He knew it, too, because, as soon as he pulled away, he released her chin, brushed a stray tendril of hair out of her face, and trailed his hand down her body and under her skirt to her core, where she was aching for him. Penelope reflexively opened her legs to give him unimpeded access and wasn't disappointed when he immediately swiped a knuckle up and down her folds. Her breathing grew shallow as Anthony teased her clit with taps, circles, and strokes that had her reflexively attempting to close her legs. Her husband smiled wolfishly and lifted his top leg over hers to hold it in place. He leaned down and licked her ear canal before orderIng her to lift her other leg in the air, bend it at the knee, and hold it at her chest in a whisper that tickled against the sensitive skin and made her shiver with desire.

" Fuh-ck ," she murmured when his fingers entered her wide-open channel and pressed on the spot he always knew how to find. The feel of his digits invading her plus the overwhelming sensations from his thumb working her clit had her back arching and her fingers digging into her knee painfully.

"Tony. I can't ," she whined softly, spying him through hooded eyes. "It's too much."

"Yes, baby, you can," Anthony reassured her, not letting up on his ministrations. He broke eye contact with her to suckle her nipple through the muslin of her nightdress. The feeling of the rough, wet material against her skin on top of everything else was enough to send her over the edge. She tensed and broke with a soundless scream, dropping her leg and clinging to the sheets with a white-knuckle grip.

A soft, "That's my girl," left Anthony's lips as he kissed his way up her body from her breast to her mouth. When he got there, his tongue invaded her the same way his fingers were and began stroking her fire anew. Instead of fading, the flutters of her pussy from her orgasm intensified, making Penelope stiffen in his arms as renewed desire flowed through her veins like lava. He was wrong. She was the lucky one. To have the most considerate, kind, and caring man in the world as her husband and get all of this as a bonus? Who knew that the claptrap around reformed Rakes was true?

Hmm. Maybe Daphne.

A giggle escaped her lips at the thought of sitting down to tea with her Duchess sister-in-law and asking her if His Grace is as good in bed as her own husband.

Anthony pulled away from her lips and asked, "What's so funny?"

She shook her head in an effort to get him to drop it. "Nothing. Don't worry about it," Pen replied breathlessly, already climbing toward another orgasm.

He stopped what he was doing and gave her the same stare she'd seen him give Eloise when she was trying to wriggle out of explaining herself to him. So, Pen blew out a breath and reluctantly said, "I was thinking of tea with your sister."

He raised a brow. "Tea? With my sister?" Anthony twisted his fingers in her pussy, making her gasp and added, " Now ?" Her devilish husband tapped her clit and inquired, "Why would you do that?"

"Because… Ah! … I wondered… if she would confirm… that reformed Rakes…make the best husbands," Pen managed to say between shallow breaths brought on by Anthony's magic hands. (Because they had to be in order to wring this much pleasure from her body.)

Said pleasure ceased, however, when the curious smile on Anthony's face morphed into a pained grimace. He groaned, removed his hand from inside her, and mumbled, " Fuck ," under his breath. When he rolled away muttering, "Well, there goes that," Pen was confused, so she closed her legs, turned toward him, and perched on her elbow.

Anthony was laying on his back with the palms of his hands covering his eyes and a frown on his face. She reached out and laid a hand on his stomach, prompting him to uncover and open one eye. "Did you have to bring my sister into this?" Anthony whined.

Pen's brow furrowed in confusion at his agitation.

Anthony opened his other eye and tilted his head to look at her fully. "She's my little sister, Pen. I don't like to think about what she does with my best friend if I can help it." He glanced down at his now soft member, still covered by the thin sheet. " Especially at a time like this," he added with a grimace.

"Oh! Oh, God. I'm sorry, Anthony. I didn't even think about it," Pen apologized before breaking into a giggle fit over his brotherly horror at the thought of Daphne and Simon together the same way they were. "Bringing them up wasn't intentional. His Grace is just the only other Rake I know personally."

"Let's keep it that way," Anthony all but growled.

Pen reeled back, surprised by the vehemence of his response. Was he jealous?

"Why?" she asked, testing the waters. "Are you afraid one will come to steal me away?" He had to know by now that she only had eyes for him, didn't he? The thought of doing this with anyone else was repulsive to her.

Anthony's frown grew deeper and his stare more intense at her words, as if he was puzzling something out in his mind. Pen was about to lean in and apologize for baiting him when he pounced.

Anthony ripped the sheet off of him and pushed her back onto the bed with his body so fast that the air whooshed out of her. She didn't get a chance to catch her breath because his mouth immediately plundered hers the way she imagined a pirate would plunder a treasure chest full of gold. His tongue explored every cavity of her mouth before tangling with hers in sinful pleasure. He held her there, against the bed with his weight on top of her literally devouring her, until she began to struggle for breath. When it was apparent she couldn't breathe, he pulled back from her lips with a non-too-gentle nip that had her moaning in a hurts so good way and immediately latched onto her earlobe. Once again his breath tickled when he whispered, " You're mine, Penelope ," in a feral, possessive voice. " Mine ."

The second mine was accompanied by a swift invasion of his fingers back into her center, which was still wet from her earlier almost-orgasm. (Who was she kidding? It was always moist when he was near her now. Embarrassingly so.) The motion had her grunting unintentionally and moaning as her hips rose to meet his digits. She tried to whisper his name, but it just came out as ragged breaths thanks to his fingers fucking her toward madness using every technique he knew heightened her arousal.

However, he stopped when she was on the edge of cumming, leaving her sweaty, panting, and writhing for release. " Fucking hell, Anthony ," she ground out through gritted teeth. "Why did you stop?"

Anthony, who'd been watching her face intently the whole time twisted his fingers inside of her until they hit that spot and whispered a harsh, commanding, " Tell me ."

" Tell you what? " Pen replied, breathless and unable to think logically with all her nerves on fire.

Anthony swiped her clit and withdrew his hand. She felt him use his damp fingers to shift her legs so he could settle between her thighs and line himself up at her entrance. He swiped his member up and down her opening tantalizingly and then pushed inside infinitesimally. " Tell me you're mine ," Anthony commanded roughly in the Viscount voice she hadn't heard him use since London.

Penelope could tell how much effort it was taking for him to hold back by the stiffness of his body, the clench of his jaw, and the steel in his eyes as he stared down at her expectantly. She ignored the emptiness that ached inside her core to reach up and cup his face. She traced her thumbs along his hairline where beads of sweat had formed in his effort to stay still and declared, "I'm yours." She pulled him down to her lips for an intense kiss as he slammed home and Penelope mewled against his lips, allowing herself a moment to marvel in the feeling of completeness he brought every time he filled her. However, before he could move, she wrapped her legs around his waist to trap him against her body. Penelope used the grip she had on his head to pull him off her lips and hold him still inches away from her face. She stared him down and stated, "But only if you're mine, Anthony Bridgerton."

His eyes shifted back and forth as he searched hers for something. Then the corners of his mouth turned up in a grin and he replied, "I am. Now and forever."

Penelope returned his smile, feeling happier than she ever had before, and craned her neck to kiss him. It was a gentle, lingering kiss full of promise. "Good," she whispered against his lips. "Now finish what you started, husband."

When Penelope unwrapped her legs and planted her feet on the bed, Anthony shifted his own to gather the leverage he needed to pull out and thrust back in. "As you wish, wife."

Notes:

Next: We pick up where we left off.

Anybody need a fan?

I can't promise when the next update will be. Please subscribe and stay tuned. I'm working on the new chapter, but have been getting a little sidetracked with one-shots and collaborations (that will be posted soon, I believe).

This chapter is dedicated to EmmyKate88, my Penthony fanfiction soulmate. Avid readers of hers will be able to spot her line. And, if you can't, then it's proof we really do share a brain when it comes to writing Penthony.

Chapter 36: Out for a Stroll

Summary:

When Penelope Featherington stumbles upon Anthony Bridgerton in the garden after the Feathertington ball, his life changes irrevocably.

The one with the Regency fake marriage trope you never asked for but are getting anyway.

Notes:

Anthony and Violet reconnect.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

call you mine

"I am sorry to have surprised you the way I did, dearest," his mother said from next to him on the pathway leading down to the garden bench where Pen had taken him on his first day in Cornwall. "But there was no time to send word ahead."

Anthony raised a brow in her direction, but said nothing. It had been months since the letter went out. There had been time. She just didn't do it.

Violet stopped in her tracks and faced him. "She sent the letter to London. I only received it at Aubrey Hall a few weeks ago."

Ah. That made sense. Any correspondence his mother sent would most likely have arrived at the same time she did. "And Hyacinth?" he asked.

His mother blew out an exasperated breath and mumbled, "She blackmailed me."

Anthony snorted and shook his head. He reached out, grabbed his mother's hand, and pulled her into him. He effortlessly tucked her arm into his and pulled her close. "I really must hear how little Cinnie got the best of you when none of us ever could."

His mother used her free hand to slap him on the chest and then leaned in to tell him as they resumed their walk.

~z~

Sitting shoulder to shoulder on the bench, Anthony swiped at the tears of mirth leaking from his eyes as his mother told him how his little sister blackmailed her way into the carriage to Cornwall.

She was laughing, too, and, in that moment, Anthony realized just how long it had been since they laughed - truly laughed - together. Years, most definitely. Possibly even more than a decade.

Violet must have had the same thought because she sobered and looked at him wistfully. She angled her body toward him and reached up to cup his cheek in her hand. "It's good to see you laughing again, Anthony."

He leaned into her touch and placed a hand over hers. "It feels good to laugh again," he confessed honestly.

"You seem happy."

"That's because I am."

~z~

Upon hearing he was happy, his mother launched herself into his arms and gave him a crushing hug. She was murmuring into his ear, but Anthony had a hard time making out the words due to her loud and frequent sniffles.

He reflexively wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into him, holding her close while she cried. Anthony rocked her back and forth until her tears of joy subsided and she loosened her grip.

His mother pulled out of his hold and immediately wiped her eyes and swiped at her nose. She dug into the reticule that was sitting next to her and pulled out a handkerchief and some letters. She handed him the letters and then blew her nose as he examined them.

One was the letter Auntie sent.

One was Colin's.

And one was from the Archbishop.

~z~

"I wanted to hand deliver the bottom one." Violet pointed to his special license and added. "I thought you might be eager to receive it."

"I am. Thank you, Mother," he replied, as he opened and examined his marriage license closely.

"I expect you will be marrying as soon as possible given what I witnessed earlier?"

Anthony worked his throat and looked up. His mother's tone was curious but the look she was giving him was one he'd seen many times before - mostly when he'd been caught doing something he wasn't supposed to.

He could feel a flush creeping up his face at her scrutiny. Why was he reacting like this? He was an adult long past the age of being parented, let alone scolded. Nevertheless, Anthony answered with a nervous, "Ehrm… Yes."

She put her hands over his and squeezed. "Then I am happy to be here to celebrate with you."

~z~

Anthony shared a smile with Violet, but then grew serious. He shuffled the letters in his hand until Colin's was on top. He held it up and asked, "Did you read this?"

Her happy, open expression immediately closed off. She nodded once and answered, "I did."

"What do you want to do about it?"

Violet smirked. "Leave it to me, son."

Anthony wanted to question her, but thought better of it when he saw the look in her eyes.

She was furious.

And he rather thought whatever punishment he planned