Only Hope | Anthony Bridgeton

Tension

"If you have come in here to chastise me, please don't." Anthony requested in a groan after he had turned to look at the Bentley woman standing in the doorway. 

"I came in here to check on you." Abigail said, her voice remaining calm. She had some experience with angry emotions, and the best way to extinguish the fire was typically to keep a level head. "You seem rather upset, I'd simply like to make sure you don't do anything irrational." 

"Well of course I'm upset," He began to pace the lengths of the library. "That horrid man made an attempt on my sister!" 

"Mhm." She acknowledged and leaned against the door frame with her arms crossed.

"Wait a moment, you act as if you knew." He stopped pacing to look her in the eye. 

"I did know." She responded, keeping her even keel.

"How could you not tell me?! Or convince Daphne to tell me?" He questioned, frustratedly 

"I suggested that," Abigail defended. "She was convinced you wouldn't believe her."

"How could she think such a thing?" He breathed out, still seething. 

"Well, I could follow her logic considering your willingness to take over her life and ignore her wishes." 

"Abigail--"

"Your intentions are honorable, Anthony," She cut him off. "You wish to protect your sister, but have you ever stopped for a moment to consider that men will act very differently in front of you than they will in front of us." Abandoning logic, she began to feel growingly frustrated with his consistent oblivion. 

"Tell me the truth, if Daphne had come to you, and told you what happened, would you have believed her? Or did you only accept the veracity of those claims because the Duke said them ?" She stepped further into the room.

"How dare you." He stepped forward as well, his voice in a forced calm. "You do not know me, Abigail. I protect my family, they come above all else!" 

"Oh sure, you protect them but you don't listen to them. You will never know what it is like to walk through mine nor Daphne's shoes, so don't pretend for one minute you were acting in her best interests!" She spoke sternly, on the verge of shouting. 

"How dare you!" They were practically face to face now. "I want the best for my sister, I care what happens to her! I care what happens to you!" 

It was that last sentence that halted conversation. That, and the fact that they both became aware of how close they were to each other. They both looked with fury into each other's eyes.
Soon, however, the fury melted away and all that was left was passion. Each of their eyes flicking towards each other's lips, they both wanted to give in so badly. Their breathing was heavy and their eyes both shared a yearning for one another. Yet still, Abigail intervened before anything went too far from recovery. 

"I- um" She cleared her throat and stepped a half foot back. Anthony's arm moved to catch her's, to stop her, but it stopped itself, only raised slightly above his side. "I spoke out of turn." 

"As did I." Anthony responded. 

He could feel the sinking feeling in his chest, although it could be for a multitude of reasons. For the feelings he felt for the woman before him, for the lack of remembrance of Sienna, or for the regret that things had stopped when they did. He wouldn't admit it, but he suspected it was the latter. 

"We- um. We shouldn't even be in here alone." She looked around the room, truly taking in her surroundings. 

"No." He said, as if he just realized this. 

"Dear God, okay." Her hand reached up and touched her forehead, as if this would make her think of a solution. "I'm going back into the ballroom first, you... wait here. And don't follow me in right away." With one last fleeting glance at him, she exited the room. 

Leaving the eldest Bridgerton to stare at the spot she had just vacated, a million thoughts rambling through his head.

(Ok that took forever, but I hope you liked it! New chapter coming soon!)