Unexpected romance / Benedict&Anthony

I do not understand you

The ball that evening is uneventful, the excitement of the day happening at the park and so it is almost as though everyone is far too exhausted for anything more to occur. It is at the Bridgerton home the next day that anything more is discussed.

I did not sleep well, I shall admit. I know that Benedict and Colin mean only to tease me but perhaps they were right, and what if they were so? I had lay in bed and I could not rid myself of all thoughts of Anthony Bridgerton. His face plagued my mind, I was remembering when he danced with me, his hands resting on my bare back, his forearms as he removes his jacket. It gave me butterflies in my stomach. I had realised that perhaps I did not hate him as much as I thought I did. Perhaps it was that I did not hate him at all. 

"You are here once again." Anthony looks down at me as I am sat on the floor. "Why is it that you are always here?"

"It is because of you, my lord. I cannot be away from you or I am afraid I shall become sick. I am ever so obsessed with you, you hold my every thought! Oh! Anthony! Viscount!" I mock him, which just makes him pull a face at me, before he takes a seat in his usual chair. Of course, all I say is true but if I ensure I say it in a mocking tone then he shall never know. I turn my head away from him before he begins to remove his jacket, I wish to actually be able to concentrate today. "Where is Daphne? With the duke I presume?"

"I believe it may be Lord Weaver today, actually." Benedict answers me, sat behind me on the settee. "Delilah, would you tilt your head slightly upwards for me? Only for a moment?'

"Oh?" I do so, tilting it back so that I might see what it is he is sketching. As I see, I am outraged, squealing and moving my head back down. "You are disgusting!"

"They are not yours! I merely needed a little inspiration!" He exclaims and jumps back, clutching the book to his chest so that I may not snatch it from him no matter how hard I try.

"You are lucky your mother is not in the room!" I tut at him, pulling my hands across my chest and shaking my head. "Well you have made me feel conscious now, I hope you are happy."

"Not at all. In fact, I feel rather heartbroken now."

"You are disgusting. Truly. And anyway, where is Colin? Should he not be here and bothering me as well?"

"He now has eyes for Marina Thompson. That means I have less competition now, hm?" He laughs a little and closes his sketchbook. He glances from myself to his older brother before forcing a fake yawn and marching towards the door. "Anyway! I find myself rather tired. I shall perhaps see the two of you at the ball this evening. Farewell!" He does not say anymore before the door behind him clicks shut.

I am alone in the room with Anthony. That is all I could think of yesterday, being alone in a room with Anthony. I knew there was no possible way he was thinking the same thing and so I had to refrain from doing or saying anything incriminating. "Your sister seemed to have many callers last night. Which of them shall you consider?"

"As long as Simon is continuing to fascinate her, I am unsure that she shall consider anyone else at all." I do not look at him but I hear the chair creak and so I am aware he has moved. And I feel his presence behind me, so he has sat where Benedict was earlier sat. "Perhaps I must let that little infatuation run its course before she shall listen to me whatsoever."

"Perhaps."

"You have nothing more to say on the matter? I do not believe I have ever heard you say so little. Are you quite unwell?"

"Oh, and I am the one who believes myself to be witty? You are quite hilarious, viscount." The concentration to stop myself from breathing heavily as I can feel his own breath on the back of my neck is tiring. It takes everything I have to not allow it to effect me whatsoever. "T-truly. Your talents do not lie in being the head of the family, so they must lie in being such a droll conversationalist."

"You say as though you do not speak with me more than any other. You have not spoken or danced with a single other lord. I only wondered if there should be a reason for such a decision."

For one of the first times in my life, I do not know what to say. "You wish for me to dance and speak with other lords?"

"I encourage you to do so, in fact. Anyone should think that you were interested in myself otherwise and that clearly is not true." I feel a hand resting on my shoulder and I cannot stop my breath from hitching. "Or perhaps it is?"

"And now you are teasing me? I do believe that my brother has lost his title of the king of the rakes since that sentence alone wins the prize." I stand and move back away from him, watching as he stays comfortable on the sofa, his arms stretched across the back with those sleeves rolled up, his chest widened, a smug look on his face. "I do not understand you."

"And I do not understand you."

There is a moment of silence. "Well I am glad we are on the same page."

"As am I."

Another moment of silence. "I..."

"I have an apartment. In another part of town. It is not far from here but it is far enough from here. Should you wish to visit out of waking hours then I should not deny such a request." He watches me for a moment, his eye contact more intense than it has ever been, smirking slightly as he sees I am squirming.

"I... I shall bear it in mind."