5. Chapter 5

Ch. 5:

This wasn't happening. This shouldn't be happening. This could not be happening.

Kate followed the steps of the dance as they led her away from Lord Bridgerton. Why was he dancing with her? Everyone knew he was looking for a wife. Edwina was the Diamond. He should be dancing with her. Not that Kate would ever let her dear sister marry someone like Anthony Bridgerton, but still, he should be dancing with her. He should not be dancing with the spinster, plain older sister.

"You look serious, Miss Sharma."

Her eyes jerked up to meet his and grew irrationally annoyed by the happiness in them.

"I'm just trying to puzzle out your motives, my Lord." She replied shortly.

"My motives for what, Miss Sharma?" he asked, smirking.

"For dancing with me, of course. The only thing I can figure is you are attempting to get close to me because Edwina has declared that she will not wed without my approval. And if that is the case, you should just be honest so that I can quickly inform you that I will never let someone such as you marry my sister, and we can be done with it."

Anthony marveled at her speech.

"You know, other women line up to dance with me." He told her with a laugh.

"So I've read." Kate muttered and his eyes lit up.

"Is that where you've heard all this about my so-called reputation?" he asked. "The estimable Lady Whistledown. I'd rather like to strangle that woman."

"I find her rather intelligent and quite on the mark." Kate replied primly.

"You would." He shot back, his smile softening the bite of the words.

"If you are attempting to gain my sister's favor through me, you're not doing a very good job." She told him, spinning away from him.

"That is a valid point." Anthony replied, pulling her back. "But as that's not what I'm attempting to do, I think I'll continue on. I can't seem to help myself from provoking you. You do something to me, Miss Sharma."

Kate swallowed hard.

"If you are not trying to curry favor with Edwina, why did you ask me to dance?"

Anthony paused dancing for a moment, looking down at her those damnable warm eyes.

"I simply wanted to dance with you."

Without missing a step, he launched them back into the dance and she let him lead her. As the dance continued, Kate's mind whirled as well.

"I didn't take you for someone who just did things they wanted to do." She said as he once again pulled her back to him.

"Isn't that all a rake does?" Anthony shot back.

"I suppose." Kate agreed. "But you also have a reputation for doing what's best for your family, for doing your duty, at least according to other sources."

"And what other sources are these?" he asked, curious.

"Your sister has very interesting things to say about you, as does your brother." Kate told him, smirking.

Anthony scowled.

"I really must remember to muzzle all of them." He told her. "The lot of them are far too much trouble when left to their own devices."

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean, my Lord." She replied, giving him her own smirk. "I find them extremely educational."

Anthony now worried exactly what tales his siblings had been carrying. Before he could question her further, the dance came to an end and he was forced to return the curtsy she gave with a bow. She started to move away, but he surprised her by grabbing her hand and tucking it into the crux of his arm.

Knowing there was no way to pull away without making a scene, Kate allowed him to escort her over to where Mary stood with Lady Danbury and Lady Bridgerton.

"You look lovely tonight, Miss Sharma." Lady Bridgerton told her. "Doesn't she, Anthony?"

"She does, mother." Anthony agreed smoothly. "Shall I fetch you ladies some lemonade?"

"Only if you know what's good for you, boy." Danbury told him. "Off you go."

Kate sighed in relief as Anthony walked away only to be pinned down by the stares of the three matrons.

"You looked lovely out there, Kate." Mary told her gently. "You and Lord Bridgerton seemed to enjoy your dance."

"Mary." Her stepdaughter hissed, horrified.

"What?" she replied innocently. "I'm just saying it's nice to see you having fun."

"I have plenty of fun." Kate shot back petulantly. "I do not need Lord Bridgerton's pity."

"My son may do a lot of things," Violet told her with a scoff, "but he does not dance with ladies out of pity, unless I force him and I assure you I had no hand in this instance."

"What do you have your hand in now, mother?"

The women all turned to see Anthony balancing three lemonades while Benedict and Eloise trailed after him with two glasses each.

"I was saying I had nothing to do with Eloise's lovely comment to the Queen earlier." Lady Bridgerton covered quickly to Kate's relief. "But that I'm sure she was relieved when Her Majesty named Edwina the Diamond."

"Was I ever." Eloise replied, turning to look where Edwina was once again dancing. "I believe I would have rather died than deal with that lot."

"Eloise." Violet sighed despairingly.

"What?" her daughter shot back. "It's the truth!"

"I'm just glad Eloise wasn't named for Anthony's sake." Benedict quipped. "I don't think we could have taken another year of that."

"Last year was a trial." Violet agreed, making Anthony scowl.

"I would remind you, mother, that your daughter is married to a Duke, who happens to be one of my oldest friends." He told her.

"No thanks to you." Benedict muttered into his glass.

Anthony turned his glare at his brother, who just smiled serenely back, making Kate giggle. Anthony glanced at her and his glare softened.

"Fine, I admit I was not the most help last season." He relented. "But, as I am sure Miss Sharma can sympathize with, I just wanted the best for Daphne. She will get her own chance at separating the wheat from the chaff and I'm sure she will do admirably."

Kate stared in shock at his compliment for a moment before clearing her throat.

"Thank you, my Lord." She murmured.

"And if any get too troublesome, I'm sure you can always sic Anthony on them." Benedict told her. "Just hide the pistols first."

"Benedict!" both his brother and mother exclaimed, to the confusion of the Sharma women.

"What?" he exclaimed.

Anthony glared at his brother fiercely, while Violet just shook her head. Benedict chose to turn to Kate, ignoring them both.

"Miss Sharma, will you honor me with a dance?"

"Didn't you suffer enough injuries last time?" she asked, smiling brightly.

Benedict just held out his hand, wiggling his fingers. She just shook her head and took his hand, letting him lead her out to the floor.

"Come on, Eloise." They heard Anthony say and Kate glanced back to see him taking an unwilling Eloise's hand. "You have to dance at least one dance."

"But why?" his sister complained as she followed him unwillingly.

"Because I say so."

"I dislike you intensely."

"If you dance it will make mother happy."

"Not good enough."

"I'll buy you that new journal you were looking at."

"And a new quill."

"Deal."

Kate met Benedict's eyes and just barely kept from laughing as the other two siblings joined the line.

"Are they always like that?" she asked as the music began.

She promptly stepped on his foot and winced.

"Good to see you're still in form, Miss Sharma." Benedict said with a pained laugh. "And Eloise is always like that. Anthony doesn't usually indulge her. He must be in a good mood."

Kate inexplicably blushed and looked anywhere other than the second born Bridgerton, which caused her to step on him once more.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered, mortified.

The dance traded partners and she was once again in Anthony's arms.

"Is there a reason you're trying to maim my brother?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "Not that I don't applaud the effort, it's just people usually wait awhile before they decide to physically harm him."

"I told you I wasn't a strong dancer." Kate hissed.

"We don't seem to have any problems."

Kate would have frozen at that thought if he hadn't spun her out to return her to Benedict at that moment. She caught his eye as he passed, and he gave her a lazy grin.

"Your brother is infuriating." She told Benedict as soon as had her again.

"I am well aware." He agreed wholeheartedly. "You only have to dance with him. Imagine what it's like to live with him."

Kate's mind started to wander in that direction and she ruthlessly crushed it.

"I'd rather not." She said aloud. "I don't need the nightmares."

Benedict laughed and spun her to the next man in line. As he smiled at her, Kate realized it was the latest of Edwina's suitors and almost groaned.

"Are you having a pleasant evening, Miss Sharma?"

Kate honestly had no idea what this one's name was, so she just smiled blandly.

"I am, sir."

"Your sister is so utterly charming." The man continued, paying no heed to what she had replied. "I hope you are amenable to my calling on her tomorrow?"

"That is up to Edwina." Kate told him strictly. "My sister is her own woman and would not be pleased to know people were making plans for her without her knowledge."

The man had the decency to blush. The dance switched partners again and she was back with Anthony.

"Balfour is an idiot." He told her quietly. "And he's a cheat at cards, but he's mostly harmless."

Kate bristled at the information.

"I think I can pick out the idiots for myself, my Lord."

Anthony just smiled.

"I'm absolutely sure you can. After all, you're dancing with me and not him."

"Actually, my Lord," Kate said primly, "I think you'll find I'm dancing with your brother."

The music changed again and she went back to Benedict with a laugh.

"I take it back, then!" Anthony called, also laughing.

"Great, now there are two of you laughing at my expense." Benedict complained without any rancor.

"Never at your expense, Mr. Bridgerton." Kate assured him. "At your brother's? As often as I am able."

"Miss Sharma, I believe you are shaping up to be my favorite friend this Season." He told her with a grin.

"As are you, Mr. Bridgerton." She replied with a matching grin.

The music came to a close and she took his arm with a grin as he led her back to the others. As they arrived, Kate glanced back to see Anthony press a kiss to the top of Eloise's head before allowing her to scurry off. He looked back and caught Kate watching, giving her a wink. Something inside her tightened and she forced herself to turn back to the conversation happening around her. As Edwina rejoined the group, beaming, Anthony slipped into the group at her side, making her hyper aware of him.

"Miss Edwina, do you have any dances left?" he asked during a lull in the conversation. "I don't imagine your sister would appreciate it if I was remiss in my duty to congratulate you on your new status."

Kate glared at him as Edwina giggled.

"I only have my last, my Lord." She told him.

"Perfect." Anthony replied, grinning as he wrote his name on the dance card at her wrist. "I shall collect you then."

The musicians indicated they were ready again and the next of Edwina's suitors came to collect her.

"Well, Miss Sharma?"

Kate, along with everyone else in their party, turned to stare at Anthony, who was once again holding his hand out to her.

"We've already danced once!" she exclaimed, forgetting their audience in her shock.

"Yes, we have." He replied patiently. "But as I have promised my last dance to your sister, this is the only one left."

Kate just stared at him.

"Kate." Mary hissed, shaking her out of her shock.

Anthony just grinned as she took his hand, glaring.

She had been so hoping to avoid being in Lady Whistledown.

~.~

"…and while Miss Edwina Sharma is undoubtedly the Diamond of the Season, she seems to have been rather upstaged by the elder Miss Sharma, who inexplicably danced two dances with Lord Anthony Bridgerton, the previously mentioned rake with a capital R who is in search of a wife this Season. We had all assumed he would make his play for the Diamond like all of the other men of the ton, but he clearly has found something more enticing in the nearly on the shelf sister. I assure you, my eyes (like most of the ton) will be on Miss Kate Sharma until I figure out exactly what that something is!"

Kate growled and threw the pamphlet in the fire, ignoring the giggling of her sister and the soft smile of Mary.

She was going to kill him.