A/N : I always seem to be late. Thank you for appreciating the last chapter. I hope this one entertains you as well.

CHAPTER - 22 - ACTIONS NOT WORDS

Lady Danbury's plan for a soiree was perfect. Only if it lasted the way she had intended it to, thought Kate, looking at the dias set up at the northern end of the downstairs gallery. Gentlemen, who had been invited to recite poetry, ensured that Lady Danbury's plans for the evening spectacularly turned into some sort of circus.

Kate began to recall the evening, which had sincerely begun as a poetry recital, turned into something that it was now. First, a gentleman came to recite a portion of some Shakespeare play. Then another gentleman came ahead with a flute, such a poor playing on his part that Kate had to stifle laughter forcefully. Edwina, though alert, was looking on with interest from the first row. Another gentleman came to play the cymbals! Then came a gentleman who lit a paper on fire and pulled out a rose. A magic trick of some kind. Edwina was surely impressed with that. And now, another gentleman came ahead to perform the Scottish dance. Well, at least it is the men who are making fools of themselves this time, thought Kate as she looked on.

"Was this your idea?" asked a young girl who stood by her side.

Kate identified her to be Miss Bridgerton but responded anyway. "I wish I could take credit, but no. Lady Danbury encouraged a poetry reading. The men, thanks to their spirit and competition, concocted the rest of this farce on their own."

"Of course they did," she said hopelessly.

The gentleman soon finished dancing, and Lady Danbury seemed delighted to announce the next person. Lord Lumley. For the third time. He seemed to be quite taken with Edwina.

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"...
'And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet so eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent
A mind at peace with all below
A heart whose love is innocent", finished Lord Lumley.

Maybe he is just taken with Byron, wondered Kate. But nevertheless, Edwina was impressed. And that was all that mattered currently. As Lady Danbury announced another, Miss Bridgerton chimed again. "I hope Byron has run out of poems already."

Kate laughed at the insinuation. "You are the Viscount's sister, yes?"

"One of them. Eloise. But do not hold it against me."

"On no. The viscount being your relation almost makes me think better of him."

"We should certainly not give him too much credit, now, should we?" she laughed.

Kate soon observed that Edwina was growing weary as she, not once or twice, but three times, looked towards the lemonade stand. It seemed as if Lady Danbury took note of the same as she put a stop to whoever was singing rather dully and announced the next gentleman. Edwina took advantage of the moment and quickly left to have a glass of lemonade. The gentleman who ascended the dais seemed to be a magician of some sort. But instead of matches and flowers, he had a rope with a disc attached to it. As he rolled the rope and swung it, the disc rotated with it. Suddenly the man held the rope vertically, and the disc went up. Maybe this was the magic trick, for the disc should have fallen down, Kate wondered. Perhaps this was some new magic trick.

Soon Kate realized that the disbelief was not hers alone, and Miss Eloise Bridgerton by her side was equally confused by what was happening. "What?" she exclaimed and leaned forward to gain a better view of the disc.

"I believe this was supposed to be some sort of magic trick as well," Kate added helpfully.

"It is not a very good one, is it?" she said. Kate decided that she definitely liked Miss Bridgerton who continued speaking everything that was on her mind. "With all the education these men get at university, is this what they end up doing? Huh."

Kate laughed at that.

"Now, why would I marry one of them?" she shook in disbelief.

"Isn't marriage something every woman wants?" came Edwina's voice suddenly. But before Kate could respond to it thoughtfully, Eloise voiced her thoughts on the matter in an instant as if the words were dancing on the tip of her tongue and itched to be written into the air.

"No, it's what we are told to do, is it not? It is as if we cannot do anything we want unless we become spinsters", she shrugged. However, she seemed to realize that she spoke of something unspeakable immediately.

"My apologies, Miss Sharma, I didn't mean -" Eloise began, but Kate put an end to it right away. The girl was speaking the truth.

"You do not have to apologize, Miss Bridgerton; there is truth in what you said," she nodded.

Just as Eloise was about to respond, Edwina questioned, "What is it that you want then?"

"Oh. No one ever asked me that", she said as Edwina looked on for an answer. "I know that I do not want to get married. But no one will let me figure it out", she sulked. "Maybe I should like to go to university as well and definitely do better than this lot. But I don't have a choice, do I?" she finished.

Edwina looked up at Kate, not knowing what to say. But Eloise did not seem to need a response. "What is it that you want?" she asked Edwina.

"To be married", her sister replied quickly.

Eloise's face fell momentarily as if she seemed to have been expecting something else as an answer, but she went along with it anyway. "At least you know that it is something that you want," she stressed. "Now you just have to wade through this lot Lady Danbury invited here," she completed, eliciting a laugh out of Kate. Yet somehow, Edwina did not laugh.

Kate's attention came back to the quagmire of a soiree she wanted to escape. Though she did have to sit through ridiculous performances, at least she found out who was sincere enough towards Edwina. But Kate was definitely glad it was over as Lady Danbury began to give her closing words for the evening, and Kate walked to stand beside her, only for a certain voice to put her en gardé again.

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Anthony only had to bribe the doorman with a few pounds, and he was allowed to enter the Danbury residence. Miss Sharma's tactics would not hold him from retaliating in his own ways. As Anthony began walking through the corridor, an unmistakable authoritative voice fell over his ears.

"Gentlemen, thank you for the most splendid display of your talents this evening," resounded Lady Danbury's voice, and Anthony rushed in before she could finish thanking everyone for coming.

"-A memorable occasion, to be sure."

"Pardon me, Lady Danbury," Anthony interrupted, holding his head high. Although he kept his eyes focused on the dragon, out of the corner of his eye he could also see Miss Sharma furious over his appearance this evening.

"Lord Bridgerton," Lady Danbury exclaimed. "I did not expect you."

Anthony took this chance to advance towards the matriarch and stand right in front of Kate Sharma, who, by the looks of it, was the one responsible for his lack of invitation. Her fury was palpable, yet the look of disbelief on her face was worth the risk.

"Yes, Lady Danbury. I seem to have fallen off the guest list," he muttered, turning to look at Kate and giving her a sly smile which he was sure only infuriated her further. Only, he laughed it off for society's sake. But now it was time to charm the dragon herself.

"Though surely you would never deny a young man you've known for nine and twenty years the pleasure of your company?" he grinned. Lady Danbury raised an eyebrow as her lips curled with amusement. "And neither would your footman at the front door," he added just for Kate Sharma. She certainly needed to know how far he was willing to go to get what he wanted.

With a playful tilt of her head, Lady Danbury watched Anthony with a mix of surprise and admiration, impressed by his audacity. But before she could allow him to take the stage, Miss Sharma spoke in her stead yet again.

"Apologies, My Lord," she sneered ever so sweetly, "you appear to be late again. The evening was just reaching a conclusion."

Anthony suppressed a chuckle as his eyes gleamed with hidden mischief. He was prepared to defeat her today at any cost.

"Surely Miss Edwina has time for one more?" He turned to look at the woman in question, who was just about willing to give him one last chance yesterday.

Miss Edwina took the bait within a moment and looked at Lady Danbury, putting her in charge once more. And just to hammer the nail into the coffin, he added, "I spent all evening crafting something. An original. Would you like to hear it?" He offered Miss Edwina. "Would everyone like to hear it?" he asked the crowd. And that was all. As everyone responded with a resounding yes, Anthony could not be more sure that he was the victor in this game of wits that Kate Sharma had unwillingly dragged him into, as Lady Danbury nodded in agreement with him.

"Of course, Lord Bridgerton," she said. "Go on then," added Lady Danbury, taking a few steps back and pulling Kate with her. Anthony stepped up the dais and pulled out the parchment with the words Benedict recounted.

"What is it to truly admire a woman?" he began, in his best impression of Benedict, as he met Miss Edwina's eyes.

She smiled. A good sign.

"To look at her and feel inspiration," he continued reading out loud. Albeit this was something he did not want to feel and was surely never going to feel, it was simply a poem meant to entice women.

"To delight in her beauty," he said, looking towards the audience. Any part of a good speech was to be directed towards the spectators as well.

"So much that all your defenses crumble", he said, and then he caught her eye.

Miss Sharma. Looking at him. In disbelief. And the world suddenly felt empty and still. Dishonest, she had called him.

"That you will willingly take on any pain, any burden for her…" he recited mindlessly, unable to take his eyes off her as eyes kept calling him the same thing, 'A dishonest man'. She was unwaveringly obstinate in her defiance of him. An immovable object on his way to his goal. But somehow, her disbelief forced him to look away.

"To honor her with your-" he caught his mothers' eyes, disappointment filling them up to the brim. 'Could you blame her?' she had said, 'There is a lesson here somewhere for you', she was sure.

"To honor her.." he began, but something within him made him look at Miss Sharma once more. 'You are a dishonest man,' came her words resounding in his ears once more, shaking him to his core. What was he doing?

He crumpled up the parchment immediately and threw it into the fire behind him. Honorable, that was what his father had taught him. And he would be honest about who he was. His father was never wrong, and he would still have the diamond as his viscountess with the truth.

"My apologies. I cannot do this," he said looking at Edwina, who looked at him with confusion. "These words are not mine, and I shall not claim them as mine anymore. Truth be told, I'm not - -" he sighed. He did not know how to begin, let alone not knowing how to proceed.

Edwina looked on. But he did not have the nerve to meet his mother's eyes, or Miss Sharma's, for a fact. Because he was being dishonest even if he did not intend to cause anyone any harm, and he would correct it. There was no prepared speech or planned game now. There could only be the truth.

"I am not a man of poetry," he began again. "Words of flattery are certainly beautiful and sweet, but they are hollow unless accompanied by actions. That's what my father told me once. So, Miss Edwina, I do not wish to stand here and pretend to be someone I am not. Someone who wants the very same things as you because I most likely do not. I may not be able to offer the display of passion that you truly deserve, but I assure you when it comes to action and duty, I shall not be found lacking. And I hope this speaks louder than any pretty words ever can. If you would like to give me a chance, that is," He said, bowed, and walked away.

The crowds fell into a hushed murmur as soon as he stepped off the dais, and Lady Danbury quickly took it upon herself to thank her guests as Anthony made his way towards the lemonade table where his mother stood. There was a certain question in his mother's eyes. Knowing her, Anthony would not be surprised that she would consider this a positive change in him. Yet Anthony felt it would have been better if he knew more about his own change. However, before his mother could say anything, Miss Edwina's voice fell upon his ears.

"Lord Bridgerton," she began. "Thank you for the kind words." There was a certain smile on her face, but he was not sure what it represented anymore. Minutes ago, he would have inferred it as her being placated by his words and him winning the London season, sure to be walking away with a diamond for a Viscountess. But now, he could only find himself repeating his apology honestly.

"Miss Edwina. Once again, I sincerely apologize for what transpired at the races. It was not my intention to do so", he said and waited for her to speak.

"Thank you, My Lord. Although I do not wish to speak on behalf of my sister, I am sure she will see the truth sooner rather than later."

"I hope my openness is better suited. I trust it would help you to choose wisely," he said.

She politely nodded and offered him a lemonade. Only then did Anthony feel he could release the breath he had held in for so long. And finally, he looked behind Miss Edwina towards Miss Sharma. Only, this time it was not rage that clouded her eyes, but something entirely else. A devastated expression cast her face, and Anthony somehow understood all of her at once but then nothing at all the next moment.

Suddenly, she turned around and left the drawing room, even crashing into the footman bringing in letters. Her defeat was something that Anthony would have liked to see very much a few minutes ago, a sign of him winning, but somehow it sparked no joy within him, as if he was the one that had lost something.

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A/N: Edwina-Eloise-Kate friendship. Can I count you in?