Wait and see

"So we must actually dance? Oh I did not know that should be involved. Perhaps I have changed my mind on my decision now!" Dramatically, Benedict throws his head back against the settee and my lap, which causes me to roll my eyes but giggle a little. As Anthony strolls in and practically throws himself against his seat, Benedict turns to look at me. "I suppose it shall give me an excuse to have my hands all over you in front of the ton."

"Oh, is that right?" I glance down at him, using that moment to stroke across his face and raise an eyebrow. "And why must you wait until the ball tonight to do so? It is not as though I have any virtue left to ruin, Bennie."

"Oh, you have nicknames now?" Anthony let's out a long grunt as he slams his newspaper closed. "And since when is this a thing? The pair of you?"

"Since when must we tell you of all that happens, Viscount? Last I did check, you did not appear to care of my whereabouts unless it was hiding upstairs in your apartment whilst you had another woman on your table." I offer him the sweetest and most forced smile I possibly can, raising a gentle eyebrow. "Shall we leave, Bennie? I am feeling as though we are not so welcome here."

"You are feeling that? Good, because that is exactly how I should like you to feel. Out of my living room, the pair of you." Anthony scowls, pulling his paper back open with so much force that it tears straight in two. "Now see what you have done?"

"I am quite unsure as to how we could possibly be blamed for that, brother." Benedict does rise to his feet, though, and stand behind me with both hands resting on my hips. I see that Anthony glances down to them but does not say a word of it, rather just furrowing his brow and returning his attention to his torn paper. "I suppose we must leave. And where does my lady wish to go?"

"She does not mind whatsoever." I lean gently back against his body, smiling slightly. "You always speak of your art and yet I have never witnessed it myself. I wish you to prove that you are the talented artist you claim to be!"

"Oh. I may have some trouble with that, I am quite sure I have heavily talked up my skills... but I am happy to show my lady either way. We shall go to the park and we shall sit by the river and I shall show you."

"Sounds perfect." The older brother narrows his eyes slightly as we leave the room.

"He seemed something, definitely angry, unsure if it was jealousy... do you truly wish to see my art?" He does not remove his hands from my body even as we leave the room, functioning off the notion that 'Anthony has eyes and ears everywhere'. I am sure it is simply because he wishes to keep his hands on me at all times.

"Of course I wish to see your art, do not be such a fool. You pick up whatever you shall need and I shall stay here for a moment whilst you do so." We agree quickly and he marches up the stairs with haste to find whatever it is he is looking for. It does not surprise me that I am joined by Anthony as soon as Benedict is gone. "Oh, good afternoon, Viscount Anthony."

"Is there any reason in particular you have decided you shall play with Benedict? If it is some feeble attempt to prove to me that I have been a fool or to make me jealous or such, I shall not allow it. I know of Siena's attempts with Simon as well, the two of you are... what? Plotting against me like children? I am aware that you deem what I did was wrong-"

"Oh? I deem it so? You mean to tell me that you do not see an issue with a man inviting a lady to his house and proceeding to ask her to hide upstairs whilst he fucks an opera singer on the table?" I growl, finding that I am losing my patience and my temper as quick as I have seen him do so. "Do not be so outrageous. You are as everyone warned me, a rake, through and through. Benedict is not a rake, he should never do something such as this to me and I do not doubt that for a moment."

"Oh, so now you are in love with him!" His nostrils flare and he throws his arms upwards in outrage as he exclaims.

"I did not say such. Now why shall you not simply admit you are wrong, Anthony? That what you did was cruel and unfair and that you were wrong to have done so." I narrow my eyes at him as his face grows more and more red and closer to the colour of a beetroot with every passing second.

"I shall not say anything of the kind.  Continue your game with my brother, Siena may do so with Simon, I do not care. Listen, I simply do not care."

I am about to continue but that is when Benedict walks down the stairs, offering me a handsome smile. "My lady, gorgeous lady. Are you ready to accompany me to the park?" He has a large book tucked underneath his arm, two glasses delicately balanced within his fingers, with the other hand grasping a bottle of some kind of pink liquid.

"I am more than ready. Let me assist you, you look like you have come from a circus to be balancing all of those things!" I rush to him, taking the bottle and investigating it for a moment. "I feel I do not even wish to ask what this is-"

I speak as he speaks at the same time. "You do not even wish to know what that is-"

"Well." I smile, also retrieving one of the glasses from his hand. "I suppose I shall simply have to wait and see."

author's note

I'm CREASING that since I decided last night to change this from solely Anthony based, it's literally gained nearly 2k overnight! We really just all over here hating Anthony huh

Much love and thank you for continuing with me! I know where I think this is going to go now, and I hope you're ready for some explosive drama, and maybe a happy ending if you're lucky!

All my love,

Ruby x