The Sinful Kiss • Anthony Bridgerton

• Chapter Fifteen •

That night, the siblings of Hastings entered the ball together - with Katherine's arm hooked with Simon's. As soon as her eyes caugh sight of the Viscount, she immediately made her way over towards him with the Duke in tow but before she could get a word out, her brother had beat her to it.

"Might we have a word, Bridgerton?" The Duke asked.

The Viscount looked from Katherine towards his best friend and silently nodded his head before following him outside.

Once they had reached a safe distance away from the building, Simon swung himself around and punched Anthony, making him fall to the ground as he held his now-throbbing jaw.

"You are to stay away from her.." The Duke instructed as he stared down at his fallen friend.

"I cannot do that.." The eldest Bridgerton responded as he began to push himself up off the ground.

"I hoped that what Berbrooke spoke of was lies!" Simon yelled. "But when she called you 'Anthony', I knew.. You bedded my sister."

Anthony stared at his best friend with a pleading expression. "Hastings, I love your sister.."

"You will stay away from her." Simon warned as he took a menacing step forward. "Or so help me, Bridgerton!"

"Simon! Have you gone mad?!" Katherine yelled as she ran towards the two men, noticing that her lover rubbed his jaw. "How could you?!"

As she moved towards Anthony, Simon grabbed hold of her and pulled her away. "You are to never see him." He instructed. "Now, come. You are making a scene."

The Viscount glared as his best friend began pulling his lover along with him, only to see that she had shoved her brother off her.

"I love him." Katherine said as tears began to slide down her cheeks. She turned towards Anthony who stared at her, almost as if he wondered if he had heard her correctly. "I love you." She repeated to him.

"I love you.." He responded breathlessly.

Gritting his teeth, Simon took hold of his sister's arm once more. "We will find you a worthy suitor." He said and began to tug at her arm.

The young lady pushed her brother off her as her eyes narrowed into a glare. "Your vow to father has nothing to do with my womb." She responded and made her way over to Anthony, who had spat some blood out into his handkerchief.

She wrapped her arms around her lover, making sure that he was alright before she shifted her gaze onto Simon once more. "If you worry so much about my virtue, that was taken before Anthony." She said as tears began to flood her dark brown eyes. "So yes, you protect me from the man I love, who has never hurt me in anyway.. But you could not protect me from father and his wealthy friends!"

Simon stared at her as his tense demeanour became filled with dread all while a new voice filled the night air.

"What on earth is going on out here?" Lady Danbury asked staring between Katherine and the two gentlemen. When silence ensued, she arched an eyebrow. "Well?" She questioned.

"Nothing, Lady Danbury.." Simon replied stiffly before he turned his gaze toward the older woman. "Did you know what my father had done to her?" He asked.

Lady Danbury shifted her gaze from the eldest to the youngest of the Hastings siblings before she settled them onto the eldest once more. "Yes, I did." She answered.

The Duke looked at his maternal figure in disbelief. "And no one cared to mention this to me?" He questioned. "As head of this family--"

"Head of this family?" Katherine repeated. "You left me with that monster!" She exclaimed.

Simon looked at his sister as a frown graced his features. "Katherine, I had no choice.." He said.

The young lady held her hand up in dismissal, silencing her brother from further commentary. "Excuse me, I'm taking the man I love away from this." She said and helped Anthony inside, leaving Simon to stare after them - especially his little sister - with guilt in his eyes.

Once the couple had stepped back inside, Katherine gently took the handkerchief from Anthony and gently began to wipe the blood from his mouth.

He had no doubtedly cut his lip open with his teeth when Simon had punched him across the jaw with such force.

The Viscount winced softly. "Careful.." He said softly. "It still hurts.."

"I'm sorry.." She responded as a frown graced her features.

He shook his head gently. "It is not your fault." He replied.

"But it is.." She said. "I should have thought ahead.. I should have never let it slip on how familiar we are.."

"No." He said sternly. "I do not blame you.. I am okay."

Katherine stared up at him with guilt in her eyes but eventually began to nod her head slowly before she wiped his lips from their red stains gently. "It seems I am always nursing you.." She stated softly, earning a chuckle from Anthony in return.

She looked up at him with a small smile. "Shall we leave?" She asked.

"We do not have to but we can if that is what you wish." He replied.

"I think you need a cold cloth on that jaw if you do not want it to bruise.." She responded.

She gently placed a cold cloth against Anthony's jaw, immediately resulting in a slight wince from him.

"I'm sorry.." Katherine apologised with a frown.

The Viscount gave her a soft smile, reassuring her that he was alright. "It's okay." He said.

But her frown persisted as she stared at him.

"Don't.." He scolded gently. "Do not blame yourself."

The young lady merely nodded her head in silence which had caused for a frown to settle across Anthony's features.

"Darling.." He called to her.

"Yes?.." She answered quietly.

"Please, do not blame yourself." He said

She shook her head with a slight smile. "It is not that.." She replied. "Get some rest, my love. I should be heading home."

The eldest Bridgerton's frown deepened with concern. "Katherine, is something wrong?" He asked.

"No.." She responded a little too quickly as she stood from the bed.

"Darling, talk to me.." He pleaded, standing from the bed as he watched her put her cloak on.

"Nothing is wrong." The dark haired girl insisted, but Anthony knew better as he assessed her silently.

She was in too much of a hurry to get away from him. Had he done or said something to upset her?

"Good evening.." She greeted, pulling her hood over her head before she left his apartment completely, leaving the Viscount to ponder his thoughts.