15. Chapter 15

"I'm going to kill your brother."

Any charged atmosphere between them had dissipated as Kate and Anthony trudged through the woods in search of their balls. They had been at it for ten minutes and had found nothing.

"You are welcome to do so." Anthony replied, roughly pushing aside a branch. "But I would point out that you began this."

"I beg your pardon?" Kate stopped dead to stare at him.

"You did hit my ball into the woods first." He pointed out.

"After you sent my ball in the opposite direction on the second turn!" She shot back incredulously. "If anyone began this, it was you, my Lord."

"Well, you best hope this does not hand victory to my brothers, or we shall never hear the end of it." Anthony told her.

"While you would be magnanimous in victory, I am sure." She scoffed.

"Just as you would be." He returned, making her laugh.

They continued a while longer in silence before –

"Oh!"

Kate drew Anthony's attention to where their balls lay in a boggy patch of the woods.

"Dash it!"

Given his brother's propensity for cursing in front of her, Kate found Anthony's mild curse rather charming as they made their way over, considering their options.

"We could pluck them out." Kate suggested. "No one would be the wiser."

"But I would know." Anthony saw her quirked eyebrow and sighed. "Despite what my siblings would have you believe; I do not cheat at Pall Mall…much."

Kate laughed, making him smile brightly.

"Not much is about as much as I believe I can expect from a Bridgerton when it comes to this game." She told him. "But I am glad to see your honor remains somewhat intact."

"That, and the fact that I suspect you'd loudly advertise my cheating the moment I stepped out of line."

"I'm not so sure." She replied, thoughtfully considering their balls. "I really want your brother to lose."

They both silently contemplated the situation.

"Well, I suppose there's nothing for it, then."

Kate lifted her skirts and started towards the balls, but Anthony stopped her with a hand on her arm.

"If you're not opposed to a miniscule amount of cheating, I can go and hit both balls out of the muck." He told her. "My word of honor, I'll hit them bot to the same spot. I just feel my boots are better equipped to handle the mud than your slippers."

Kate glanced down at her delicate pink shoes and conceded the point.

"And we never speak of this indiscretion outside of the woods."

Her eyes met his and she suddenly regretted using the word 'indiscretion' while he still had hold of her arm and was looking at her the way he was. His thumb burned where it stroked her skin and Kate was fairly certain she was going to die if he didn't move away.

The need to kiss her was becoming unbearable. Anthony was holding on to his honor by his fingertips, but he would not kiss her because if he kissed her, he would never stop kissing her. He may be a rake, but he was not going to tumble her in the woods while his family played nearby.

She deserved better. They deserved better.

With great difficultly, Anthony made himself release her and stepped away. He almost groaned as her eyes met his and he fancied he could see his desire reflected back at him.

This was unbearable.

He quickly cleared his throat and made himself focus on the task. She was right, there was nothing for it. He stepped into the bog and tried valiantly to not wince as the mud squelched around his shoes.

"Are you concerned about dirtying those fine boots, my Lord?" Kate called, making him glare at her over his shoulder.

"Do not worry about my fine boots." He shot back, making her giggle.

He managed to make it to their balls and made quick work of launching them to dry ground. Pleased with the result, he turned back only to sink further into the mud. Every step forward became more difficult until he was practically stuck. He had reached the edge of the mud and he angrily gave an almighty yank of his leg, realizing at the last moment that he had over compensated as he started to pitch forward. Kate was close enough to reach out to try to steady him, but unfortunately not close enough to do anything but get caught up as he fell. Anthony had enough presence of mind to twist as they fell so she at least landed on him and not vice versa.

There was a moment of stillness while Anthony tried to think of anything other than the fact that her body was on top of his when he heard her giggle.

"It is not amusing." He told her strictly.

"I did not say it was." She replied, schooling her features into a serious expression which lasted all of three seconds before she gave way to peals of laughter.

Anthony joined her laughter, reluctantly allowing her to roll away from him as they sat up.

"Very graceful, my Lord."

"Once again, you're the one who led us down this path."

"I believe that was you on the second turn."

"Peace." He laughed, holding up his hands.

"Peace." She agreed, smiling at him.

Kate blushed as his smile turned soft.

"Are you enjoying your time here?"

"I am." She assured him. "Your family has been incredibly kind. Thank you for inviting me, inviting us."

"As much as I enjoy your mother and sister's company, you are the one I truly wanted here." He told her seriously. "I wanted to show you my home."

"I adore it, my Lord." She replied, just as seriously. "I can think of few places I have enjoyed more."

"More than a royal palace?" he asked slyly.

"Well," she gave him a slow smile that made his heart stutter, "the royal palace did not have a Viscount intent on vexing me."

"Does that raise or lower Aubrey Hall in your esteem?"

Kate laughed.

"It makes the royal palace seem dreadfully boring in comparison!"

"Perfect."

He got to his feet and offered her a hand up. When she took it, he couldn't help but notice how perfectly it fit in his. Everything about her fit him perfectly. He squeezed her hand gently, making her smile once more, before turning back to their balls.

Which was when he realized where they were.

Kate was saying something, he knew that, but he couldn't hear her. Every instinct was telling him to run, that he couldn't stay here. He never wanted to be here. He needed to go. He couldn't be here, couldn't be here with her, couldn't let her see –

"My Lord?"

Anthony turned his head and he saw her.

And he could breathe again.

If anyone could understand this place and what it did to him, she could. She always seemed to understand him.

He held out his hand and Kate took it without hesitation, if with a bit of confusion. He led her around the tree, and he heard her sharply inhale as she read the words on the stone.

8th Viscount

Edmund Bridgerton

Who died May 1803

"I didn't realize we'd strayed so close." He said softly after a moment. "I try not to come here if I can help it."

Kate stepped closer to his side, reaching up to wrap her other arm around the one she already held, trying to lend what strength she could.

"He died here at Aubrey Hall." Anthony continued. "From a bee sting, if you can imagine. It's why we moved to London full time. There were too many memories here."

Kate was silent for a moment.

"I can never decide if it's better to lose someone quickly, when there's no time to say goodbye, or slowly, when all there is to do is say goodbye." She said finally. "Appa was sick for so long, it felt a piece of me was dying every day alongside him…but I cannot imagine what it would have been like to lose him in a second. I am so very sorry that you had to experience it. I wish with all my heart that you hadn't."

"You told me you used to dream of a love match." He said slowly. "This is why I never did, why I actively fought against it. I couldn't fathom doing to my wife what my father did to my mother by leaving. I was content to never love and never allow myself to be loved, that way my death could never cause anyone pain."

"And now?" she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.

He turned to look at her and she almost gasped at the emotion swimming in his eyes.

"Now I see a future where I used to see none. One I desperately want."

Kate clearly wanted to say something, and Anthony waited with bated breath to find out what it was.

"So, I take it there will be no more duels, then?"

Anthony started.

"Daphne told me." She explained at his surprised look before rushing to continue. "I know I have no right to ask it of you, but I would hope that you would never risk your life so senselessly again."

Anthony took her hand and lifted it to press a kiss to her knuckles.

"You have every right." He told her, his eyes never leaving hers. "And I swear it. No more duels."

Kate swallowed thickly and nodded before wrapping her arm around his again and leaning her head against his shoulder as they turned back to his father's grave. They stood that way, in silence, for a few moments.

"Would you like to cut out?" she asked softly. "I can make your excuses to the other and you can either remain here or return to the house."

It struck Anthony that for the first time, in Kate, he would have a partner. Someone who would always be on his side, who would keep his secrets, and help him without hesitation.

He had never truly had that before.

"And allow Colin his victory?" he replied finally with an arched eyebrow. "I think not, Miss Sharma. Not after everything I went through to get our balls out of the muck. I fear my boots will never be the same."

Kate just laughed and it brought him joy to hear it in this place of supreme sadness.

"Very well." She pulled away, but kept her fingers entwined with his. "Let us go defeat your brother."

He let her pull him away from his father's grave and back to the game. Back to his family.

With her.

Kate and Anthony had somehow managed to catch up with the rest of the family.

How wasn't important.

Neither was the fair amount of colluding that had happened along the way.

Anthony had pulled ahead of Kate fairly quickly, but that was fine by her. She was content to simply wait for her turn.

"Watch out!"

Kate stepped to the side just as a blue ball landed next to hers. A blue ball belonging to one Colin Bridgerton.

"Lovely to see you, Mr. Bridgerton!" she called as the third eldest Bridgerton trudged towards her. "It is a wonderful day for sport, is it not?"

"Miss Sharma." He greeted her warily.

"That is bad luck, sir." She continued, unfazed, as she looked down to where his ball lay next to hers. "I wonder how you could have ended up back here…with me."

"Your turn, Miss Sharma!"

Colin turned to look at a grinning Anthony, who had just hit his ball back down the hill, and back to a smiling Kate.

"You two planned this!"

"I am shocked that you would accuse a lady of cheating, Mr. Bridgerton. Shocked!" she replied innocently.

"The only way to ruin my game is to ruin your own." He pointed out.

"But I am so far behind, it hardly matters." She said with a shake of her head. "A fact you saw to."

They had gathered an audience as those of the Bridgerton bloodline smelled blood in the water and came to watch the show.

"You could still come in second or third." Colin tried.

"I think that's rather unlikely, don't you?"

"You don't want to do this, Miss Sharma!"

Kate glanced back to Anthony, who was grinning at her like she was the most perfect person he had ever seen and turned back to Colin.

"Oh, I do. I really, really do."

With that, she drew back her mallet and smacked her ball with every bit of force in her. It went careening in to his with a stunning amount of force and sent Colin's ball hurtling even further down the hill…

Right into the lake.

Kate gave an unladylike shout and began jumping up and down as the ball disappeared into the water.

"Well done, Kate!" Eloise cheered, making Colin glower at her.

"I do believe you've proved yourself worthy of the mallet of death." Benedict added with an easy grin.

Anthony moved to her side, smirking at her brother before leaning down to whisper to her.

"I did say you would do well at Pall Mall."

She just knocked her shoulder into his with a grin.

"They cheated!" Colin protested, waving his arm at them. "Surely you must all see they cheated!"

"A rather stunning conclusion to the game." Simon commented as he joined them. "Are you sure you're not a Bridgerton in disguise?"

"It's not over yet." Daphne pointed out.

Her husband gave her an amused look.

"To continue play now seems rather anticlimactic, don't you think?"

"They cheated!"

Everyone ignored Colin.

"Very well," Eloise said, "I move we end the game and declare Kate the winner."

"I was so far behind!" the woman in question protested.

"And they cheated!"

"Nevertheless," Anthony said, blatantly ignoring his younger brother, "any true afficionado of Pall Mall understand that sending one's enemy's ball into the lake is far more important than actually sending one's own ball through the wickets." He gave Colin a wicked grin. "Which makes Miss Sharma our winner. Does anyone disagree?"

Colin looked close to violence.

"Chin up, Col." Anthony said, stepping forward and lowering his voice so only Colin and Kate could hear him. "You were the one who said you wanted Miss Sharma to spend her summers at Aubrey Hall."

Kate blushed as Colin shook his head ruefully.

"Excellent!" Benedict announced. "In that case, Kate is our winner and Colin our loser."

Kate laughed as Colin crossed his arms petulantly.

"Well, someone has to lose." He brother told him. "It's tradition."

"It's true." Daphne agreed. "We're a bloodthirsty lot, but we do follow tradition."

"You're all mad in the head is what you are."

Simon grunted as his wife elbowed him in the stomach.

"Do you think someone should retrieve the ball?" Kate asked, trying to see where it had landed. "I wouldn't want to be the cause of another lost mallet."

"I'll find it." Colin said with a huff. "It couldn't have rolled too deep."

"Good man!" Anthony said, clapping Colin on the shoulder, before turning back to Kate with his arm held out. "Shall we, Miss Sharma?"

Kate grinned brightly.

"Of course, Lord Bridgerton."

She took his arm and they led the others back to the house.

Colin returned a little while later, very wet to the amusement of the others, but in possession of one blue Pall Mall ball.