The Sinful Kiss • Anthony Bridgerton

• Chapter Forty-Two •

Anthony raced towards Hastings House on horseback and quickly dismounted as soon as he had arrived, not even waiting for the steed to come to a complete stop.

He ran inside and pushed past anyone and everyone to get to her bedroom as quickly as possible.

He stood in front of the closed door and knocked softly as feelings of nervousness took over his being; he was scared to see her.

What would he say? How does he even begin to make her feel better?

"You may enter." A soft voice interrupted his thoughts from the opposite end of the door.

Hers..

He would be lying if he said that he didn't miss her voice when he missed absolutely everything about her.

He turned on the doorknob and took a deep breath as if he was heading towards space where oxygen was nothing.

He silently stepped inside her bedroom where his heart instantly shattered as he stared at the young lady before him.

Her, once, shiney, black curls were now dull and unkempt, her cheeks stained with the tears that she had cried, her nose red and the lips that held the most beautiful of smiles was now non-existent.

She was broken, clinging onto a baby blanket and the sight alone just broke him into even more pieces.

Her lost eyes met his and her expression quickly turned from an emotional wreck to emotionless and completely unreadable.

"Why are you here?" She asked as she stood up.

The Viscount noticed that she had not slept in days from the dark rings under her eyes.

"I came to see you.." He replied after silently examining his lover.

"I am fine." She responded quickly, perhaps a little too quickly.

She persisted in holding her strong form but it appeared as if she would break at any given moment.

"Please, Katherine.." He pleaded. "Let me in.." He whispered, taking a slow and cautious step closer.

He desparately wanted to be there for her.

That was when her walls came crashing down as she flung her arms around his neck as she buried her face into his chest. Her soft, heartbroken sobs was enough for him to know that she was far from alright. Tears flooded his brown gaze as he held her close.

The couple stood there in silence, taking comfort in each other's arms as they mourned for the loss of their child with nothing but soft sobbing filling the air around them.

He held a glass of bourbon, staring at the dancing flames that burned bright in the fireplace as a new hope of rekindling his relationship with his beloved filled his entire being.

But there were burning questions in the back of his mind even though he was filled with hope..

Could they possibly be together once more? Or would this be the end for them?

He brought the glass to his lips but suddenly stopped before he had set it down on the table.

He needed to know where he stood and quickly left for Hastings House.

At Hastings House, Katherine packed the last of her belongings into her suitcase as her mind wished for the thoughts of Anthony to disappear.

How could she possibly leave when her heart lives with him?

Yet, she was somewhat grateful to be leaving this house. The walls were grim and filled with sadness that suffocated all the happy memories and she couldn't possibly stay here with all this heartbreak.

She did not realise that she had silently began crying until her vision became blurred by the tears as she had gotten lost in her thoughts, not even taking note of the commotion downstairs.

"Viscount Bridgerton, you cannot--"

"I need to see her." Anthony said, cutting Jeffries off in mid-sentence, pleading with the older man.

"Let him see her." Anna spoke up, hoping that he could help her mistress. She knew how much Katherine missed him and just how much she needed him.

Sending a grateful smile towards the handmaiden, the Viscount raced up the staircase and towards the young lady's bedroom where he knocked on the door.

"Enter." Her voice said softly from the opposite end of the door.

He entered the bedroom and stared at his lover before shifting them to the suitcases. It broke his heart to know that she was still leaving.

"Katherine.." He called to her.

She turned her gaze towards him with that same strong demeanour that she had shown earlier. "Viscount Bridgerton." She said.

The formalities had stung him. Had the months that they have shared meant that little?

"I cannot stay away from you.." He stated.

But she shook her head, not wanting to hear any of it. "Stop." She said.

"You say that it is because of me but I refuse to believe that, that is the honest reason." He paused. "I cannot accept it, Katherine. You say that you have left me because I was 'happy to ruin you', when I had told you that I would never want that for you. I love you and no man in their right mind would be happy to ruin his beloved's name if he loves her that much.."

She stared at him silently.

"I have driven myself insane with every possible reason as to why you had suddenly ended things just after we had resolved the incident with my brother.." He continued. "Was I not good enough for you? Was I not man enough? Did you not want me anymore?" He asked as tears formed in his brown eyes, not wishing to hear any of those answers.

"Anthony--" She started but quickly corrected herself. "Viscount Bridgerton. I do not love you." She said.

She tried to convince him that it was true but perhaps she was failing to convince herself.

"I refuse to believe that." Anthony responded, shaking his head lightly. "You love me, Katherine! Every moment shared between us cannot be a lie. Every kiss cannot be a lie. Our vow to be honest cannot be in vain."

The fresh tears that she had fought to hold back, fell freely. He was right..

She did love him.

And perhaps the truth was the only option.

"I do love you, Anthony." She said, reaching up to rest her hand against his cheek as those words felt like a warm embrace around his heart.

She swallowed thickly, glancing briefly at the ground before she met his gaze once more.

"It was Siena.."