"The green, green dress what a pleasure to unwrap,"
All Elizabeth wanted was to fall in love and all Anthony wanted was to never fall in love. So what happens when their mutual hatred grows into something else entirely.
Started : 26/04/22
Finished :...
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vii. the skyline falls as I try to make sense of it all
ELIZABETH STOOD IN HER bedroom, unsure of what to do as she thought about the situation.
She wasn't going to let Anthony just die because of some silly duel with Simon. She wasn't going to let it.
She shook her head, getting changed into riding gear before sneaking out of her own house.
She got onto her horse, a nice white horse that her mother had gotten her, and rode towards where the duel was.
When she got there, the sun had risen and she could see Benedict and Anthony getting off of their horses and standing in an empty field.
She stopped the horse, hiding in the shadows for a bit before she decided to rush towards him.
"Anthony," She calls out as she hops off her horse, her hood coming off in the gentle summer wind.
Him and Benedict turned around, looking in shock at the girl as she stormed over.
"Ada, you shouldn't be here," he said, approaching her.
His heart was pounding as he realsied that he had gotten her involved, something he wished wouldn't happen.
"You're a fool," Elizabeth argued, "You're going to die for your honour and for what, people will still shun your family knowing you dueled,"
He leaned closer and with him being this close, she realised how tall he really was.
She poked a finger into his chest, "Don't do it, if not for Daphne then for all of your family," she begged.
Benedict watched at the two bickered back and forth, their voices raised as they got closer and closer with every word.
He placed a hand on her cheek, "I'm going to kiss you now," he whispered and she didn't interject, just allowed his lips to meet hers.
She pulled away, gasping for breath. It was her first kiss and it had been with Anthony Bridgerton. But she didn't care. She leapt in again, their lips meeting with a burning passion as he dipped her slightly, pulling her into his body.
Elizabeth pushed him off of her, her hand going to her lips as she realised the consequences of her actions.
"If I die-" he began.
"You're not going to die," she promised, still holding onto his hand, "Promise me,"
"If I shoot Simon, he will die; I will be shunned from society, I can't have you having bared witness to that," he said.
"Then I'll come with you," Elizabeth said, placing her free hand on his cheek, "We both know you couldn't make it out there alone,"
"You will leave, I will not drag you down with me," he said, his words getting caught in his throat as he still held her hand in his.
He wanted to run away with the headstrong and beautiful girl in front of him, but it wouldn't work out for either of them. She deserved someone better than him.
"I hate you," she spat out, pulling her hand away from his.
"I hate you too," Anthony whispered as he brushed a strand of her brown hair behind her ear before he turned to his brother, "You don't let her get anywhere near to this,"
"Bastard!" She yelled out, Benedict placing a hand on her shoulder.
He could see how his brother felt for the girl, and it all showed in a moment that could have been his last. But he knew both were too stubborn to pursue it any further.
She watched them greet each other, Simon's second examining the gun before nodding, both men standing back to back.
Anthony took one last look at the girl before facing forward, both men taking ten paces before turning around to look at one another. He held his gun pointing at Simon, Simon's pointed at the sky.
She shook her head, taking a step forward before Benedict grabbed her by the waist, holding her back before she could get in front of the fighting.
Elizabeth let out a sob before she heard the sounds of a horse. She turned around as much as she could with Benedict restraining her to see Daphnes familair white horse.
"Anthony, your sister, she's here," she exclaimed, hoping he could hear her over the blood rushing in his ears.
He shot just as she yelled that and Daphne rushed in between on her horse, falling as the gunshot scared the horse, knocking her off.
Both men rush to her, Benedict and Elizabeth following suit. Everyone let out a sigh of relief as Daphne sat up, brushing the mud off of her dress.
"I am perfectly well you idiots," she said, looking at them.
"What are you playing at?" Anthony asked, his tone angry.
"Says the man who just shot at me," she stated. Elizabeth held her hand out, helping the girl up, "I require a moment with the Duke,"
"Daphne-" Anthony started but she cut him off.
"You give her a moment you halfwit," Elizabeth said to him, a fire in her eyes that the man had never seen before.
She nodded at Daphne as the girl walked off with the Duke. They watched the conversation between the two.
"Ada," Anthony said as he placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her.
"Don't touch me," She shook his hand off, stepping away from him as she folded her arms across her chest.
He sighed, trying to ignore the burning feeling behind his eyes, "We must resume before someone should find us," he said to Simon as the time began to drag.
"There will be no need to resume, the Duke and I are to be married," Daphne said, turning to her brothers and Elizabeth.
