Work Text:
Sight
The sun shining down on Aubrey Hall, the sound of laughter filling his ears as he stepped out of the study. Hyacinth and Gregory chasing one another through the front foyer. Their mother shouted after them, “please! Stop running!”
Anthony smiled as he walked down the staircase, down to reach his mother. “How is it that they always seem to have energy in the morning?” She asks him, linking her arm with his.
“That is a question no one has the answer to.” The pair starts to head out of the front doors when a carriage begins pulling up. “Are we expecting a guest?” Anthony asks his mother, the two of them watching the footmen open the carriage door, helping a woman step out.
“Lady Bridgerton!” you smile at the woman, her expression matching yours.
“Darling! So good of you to join us.” Violet lets go of her son, walking towards you and pulling you in for a hug.
Anthony watches the exchange between his mother and the woman. You seemed familiar but he couldn’t quite place where from. Judging by the way you were being held by his mother, you had to be a close relation to the Bridgertons.
“Anthony, surely you must remember miss y/n; Lady l/n’s daughter. She and Daphne were attached at the hip as children.” she smiled, reintroducing you to Anthony.
“Yes, of course.” he extends his hand, you set yours in his before taking a small curtsy. “It is nice to see you, Lord Bridgerton.” you give the man a small smile.
“And you, miss y/n.” he lets go of your hand.
Anthony does remember you and Daphne as children. Granted, he didn’t remember much, he did remember the shared whispers and giggles from the two of you, arms linked as you skipped down the halls of their home in the ton. Your mother, Lady l/n, was good friends with his mother so you were around quite a bit.
You weren’t exactly someone Anthony paid much attention to back then; he was distracted by his viscount duties, as he is now but with the desire to marry now and you reappearing in their lives, it seems you were now the focus of all his attention.
You had grown into a beautiful young lady, mannered and kind, a sweet heart and clearly educated. Anthony was intrigued and who was he to say no to his own interests?
“Y/n will be staying with us until her parents return from overseas. It would be unwise to leave a young lady unaccompanied in such a big house. It shall be a grand few weeks, isn’t that right?” Violet links arms with you, walking towards the steps with you.
You nod, “it always is. They’ll be returning after my sister has her baby.” you tell her.
“You must tell me about your travels, how is your sister settling in ?” she holds you to a conversation, Anthony watches as you walk into Aubrey Hall with the older woman.
You glance back at the viscount once more, your smile makes his heart skip a beat.
Lord Bridgerton has got himself in for a fascinating few weeks.
—
Sound
It’s too early, far too early for there to be any sort of noise. The corridors of Aubrey Hall should be quiet for at least another few hours or so he thought.
Anthony rolls over, pulling the pillow off his head only to find the curtains drawn back and the sunlight pouring into the room. He groans as he sits up, pulling himself out of the bed. The window in his room had been cracked open by whoever had opened the blinds.
There’s a faint giggle, he’s unsure as to where it’s coming from but it’s the sweetest sound he’s ever heard. The sound stops and he takes a breath, walking towards the window when the giggling starts again.
Anthony pushes the window open further, scanning the yard to find the source of the sound because surely it was not coming from inside.
The giggling comes to an abrupt stop once again and his heart sinks momentarily. He pinpoints you and Gregory in the yard, the two of you chasing each other around, running in circles with Auggie sitting in the middle of the grass.
Anthony watches from the window as you pick up the little boy around, smiling at him when you tickle his side as the boy squirms in your arms. “Gregory, perhaps we should head in to get ready to break fast?”
“I believe that mother is getting ready, shall I take Auggie in?” he asks, playing with the little boy’s hand. “I’ll bring him in a few moments, go on.” you smiled at the boy, watching as he ran off towards the door.
Auggie leans his head on your shoulder, you press a gentle kiss to his forehead as you pace the yard a few more times, rocking him gently and humming a lullaby to him.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star
How I wonder what you are
Up above the world so high
Like a diamond in the sky
Twinkle, twinkle, little star
How I wonder what you are
Anthony watched from the window, smiling at the sight below. He’d be lying if he said it didn’t make his heart flutter.
“Going for a morning stroll, miss y/n?” Anthony calls from the window, startling you. Your hand pressed to your chest, letting out a breath. “My lord, you scared me.” You call out to him.
“Forgive me, that was not my intention.” He smiles at you, leaning on the ledge of the window and you can’t help but stare at his bare chest. You look away when your eyes meet his gaze, blushing at the fact that he caught you.
“No apology is necessary, my lord. It is I that should be apologizing, I hope I did not wake up. Auggie was fussing and I thought it would be nice to let Daphne and Simon sleep in.”
“And Gregory? He too was fussing?” Anthony teases, eyes trialing from your face down to the nightgown you had on, the top for your chest barely sticking out over the white fabric.
He was a gentleman and it’s improper to be looking at you in such a manner.
He couldn’t help himself, you were beautiful and everything about you pulled him to you; your smile, your kind heart, your love for your family and his, your voice and especially, your laugh.
The same giggle slipped past your lips, the man smiling at the sound that makes his heart flutter again.
“Gregory was already awake, he and Auggie were already together when I found them. The fresh air would do us all some good.”
“It worked.” he nods towards you and you turn to see the little boy asleep in your arms. “Perhaps you could hand him over to his mother and join us to break fast ?”
“Yes, of course.” You smiled, giving him a curt nod before walking towards the steps of Aubrey Hall. Anthony watched until you disappeared around the corner.
—
Smell
The man across the table smiled at you, his eyes shifting between you and the man who sat at the head of the table. “That’s rather sweet, would you not say so?” Benedict nudged Daphne before she followed his gaze.
“Yes, quite sweet.” She hums with a smile. Your brows furrow, looking over at the siblings. “May I ask what you two find so sweet?”
“It seems you and the viscount are matching.” Benedict says before taking a sip of his wine.
“Matching ?” Anthony asks his brother, looking towards you momentarily. The obvious similarity in colour was too much to deny and yet; “we are not matching, if you think so, it is purely coincidental.” he says.
You hum, looking at Anthony. “The viscount is right, we do not match.”
Benedict turns in his seat, looking at his young sister. “I am not crazy, am I Daph ? They are matching, it is obvious.”
“Y/n, why don’t you stand next to Anthony? Perhaps we’ll have a better grasp on the colour.” she glances at Benedict, there’s a wicked glint in her eyes but you push the sudden urge to ask why away.
“If you insist.” you say, “I do.” she replies.
Anthony has said nothing, sitting there while he watches the usual dinner time madness unfold. His eyes are glued to you as you get up, shifting the few steps to now stand beside him, your hand brushing away the few wrinkles from the skirt.
“I do think they are quite similar. Anthony, could you stand ?” Anthony rolls his eyes, “brother, is this truly necessary ? We are in the middle of dinner if you are unaware.”
“If I cannot differ two colours, how could I truly call myself an artist, brother?”
Anthony sighs, downing the rest of the wine in his glass before setting it down and standing. You were a few inches away from Anthony when Benedict leans over to Daphne, whispering something to her as the pair share a laugh and she nods. Benedict motions for the two of you to step closer together with his hands and you both hesitantly take a step towards one another.
Benedict’s eyes study the two articles of clothing; a navy blue dress with silver threading and embroidery and a navy blue vest with hints of silver along the buttons.
Anthony takes that moment to look towards you; your eyes glued to Benedict, your hair framing the edges of your face, your chest rising and falling with each breath - breathe Anthony breathe.
He takes a breath, the overwhelming scent of honey and rose washing over him. There’s the smallest hint of a smile playing on his lips, his eyes flutter shut for the slightest of seconds to enjoy the smell.
“I concur! They are identical!” Benedict declares, his eyes on his eldest brother. There’s a smirk on the second Bridgerton, he seemed to be the only one that noticed the way the viscount acted around you.
“If you say so, Mr. Bridgerton” you hum, pulling Anthony out of his trance. He clears his throat, “can we return to dinner?”
“Of course; did you hear what we are having for dessert ?” Benedict says casually, gaze shifting between you and Anthony.
“What is it?”
“Honey loaf.” Benedict smiles, knowing that’s exactly what Anthony was thinking about moments ago.
Once again, Benedict is the only one that notices how Anthony slyly looks towards you. “I know we are all aware of your fondness for the sweetness.” and this time, it is you that looks in the direction of the viscount.
—
Touch
You were speaking to Daphne about the upcoming ball Violet would be hosting when Colin steps out of his room. “Sister, miss y/n.” he nods, smiling at you both before joining in on your conversation.
“Colin,” you call before he turns to face you, your hands reaching to fix the lapels of his jacket. Colin reaches behind, pulling the pin from your hair. It wasn’t until you felt your hair unravel and lay across your back that you registered what happened.
Colin takes off running down the hallway. You stand there for a moment, debating if you should chase after him before you go running after him.
“Be careful!” Daphne shouts, giggling between words.
Since the two of you were children, you were close to her siblings; they regarded you as if you were their sibling as well, you were around just as much as the rest of them were.
She admired the way you just fit in with them, teasing her brothers as if they were your own or how you were always there to lend a helping hand when necessary. You weren’t one to shy away from getting your hands dirty, even if it wasn’t considered appropriate.
Daphne watched as you chased Colin around the hallway, looping back around the staircase which Colin ran down, straight passed Anthony who you ended up colliding with when you ran down the stairs.
Your hand pressed to his chest to soften the impact, his hand resting on your lower back.”My lord, forgive me. I did not see you there.” you look up at the man, your chest practically pressed to his.
Anthony gives you a small smile. “No need to apologize. Can I ask why you are running?”
“Colin stole my hair pin. I was simply trying to get it back.”
Anthony hums, his hand still resting upon your back. His eyes study your face, admiring how your hair laid across your back; it was rare that he ever got to see your hair like that.
Now that he’s thinking about it, he’s never seen your hair down. Instinctively, Anthony reaches to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear and his hand rests against your cheek, cupping it as his thumbs brushed against the soft skin.
Colin is behind the two of you, he had come back in after he realized you weren’t chasing him.
“Brother,” Anthony calls, “give miss y/n her hair pin.” His eyes were on you, the two of you seemed to forget that the outside world existed at that moment.
Colin huffs, handing the pin back to you and you smile at him. “Thank you, Colin.” he hums, eyeing you and Anthony. His hand is still cupping your cheek with your own pressed to his chest. Colin’s brows pull together at the sight, a slight smirk playing on his lips as he walks off.
“Might I go fix my hair ?” you whisper, looking back up at Anthony.
He blinks a few times, taking a step back before clearing his throat. “Of course.”
You smile at the man before turning towards the stairs, heading up to meet Daphne at the top and link arms with her as the two of you giggle off in the direction of your room but not before you get one more glance at the viscount.
—-
Taste
The ball was well underway, Aubrey Hall filled with the families of the ton and as much as you loved seeing everyone, you were feeling a bit restless. A bit of fresh air would do you good, you thought to yourself as you slipped out the doors and into the yard.
The orchestra can be heard well into the garden as all the windows are opened. You take a seat on the bench facing the hedges, letting out a heavy sigh before smoothing the skirt of your dress.
The sound of footsteps coming from behind you causes you to turn, coming face to face with Anthony. “I hope I am not disturbing you.” he says quietly, stopping a few feet away from you.
“Would you like to join me, my lord?” you ask him, shifting to the other end of the bench, making space for him.
Anthony walks over, taking a seat beside you. “May I ask why you are out here alone?”
“I needed a bit of air, that’s all. It’s quite stifling in there.” you hum, eyes directed at your lap as you fiddled with a bead on your dress. Anthony noticed the sadness on your face, it was clear that an evening filled with happy families wasn’t what you needed at this moment.
“Missing your family ?” he asks and you nod. “I received a letter from my mother this morning, my sister has had her baby; a boy. Coincidentally she has named him Anthony.” you look at the man beside you, a smile appears on his lips.
“Is that so? I shall have to join you when you visit.” he says, looking over at you. “To meet my name sake.” he nudges you, a playful smile on his face.
You nod, sighing as you stared off into the distance. “What’s gotten you so down?” he asks you, shifting on the bench so he’s now facing you.
“It’s nothing, my lord-” he reaches for your hand, “please, call me Anthony. You’ve known me long enough.”
“You call me miss y/n”
“Because it is the proper term.” “And my lord is the proper term.” You hum, smiling at him.
Anthony chuckles, rolling his eyes. “You’re quite stubborn; you are aware, yes?”
“So I’ve been told.”
Anthony smiles, his hand resting on yours as the two of you stare at each other. He stands, hand held out in front of you. “May I have this dance, y/n?” he drops the title in front, earning him a smile that made his heart flutter for what felt like the millionth time over the last few weeks.
“You may, Anthony.” you stand, resting your hand in his. Anthony pulls you close to him, his free hand resting on your upper back as he spins you around. He stops for a moment, leaning to hoist you up. “Anthony!” you laughed, your hands resting on his shoulders.
You look down at the man and this was the first time you really noticed how handsome the viscount was. Surely, you knew he was an attractive man seeing that all the mamas of the ton want him for their daughters but in the moonlight, you could truly see his beauty.
The way his cheeks dimpled when he smiled, how his eyes crinkled from the joy or how truly brown his eyes were.
He was about to set you back down but instead, he took a moment to admire you. Your hair framing your face or how your cheeks grew red whenever he was around you, how you slyly looked away when he looked at you.
Anthony knew he loved you. He knew it from the moment he saw you step off that carriage. You carried this aura that couldn’t be put into words by the greatest scholar.
He set you back down, the two of you standing with your hands on his shoulders and his on your back. “Do you know how improper it would be if someone were to see us like this ? We would have to be married.” you whispered to him.
“Perhaps we should give them something to talk about, it would ensure our union.” he teases, his brown eyes meeting yours.
You can feel your cheeks heating up and he could most definitely see how red they were. “My lord, we cannot-” “Why not?” he interrupts you before continuing. “I am a viscount, they dare not say anything to me.”
“Not to you, but I will be ruined. Unable to marry.”
“Did you truly think I would leave you as such ? I would- I will marry you, y/n.”
“I cannot ask that of you.”
“You did not. I am asking you,” Anthony’s hand reaches for yours as he takes a step back. The viscount drops to a knee and it feels as if your heart dropped to your stomach.
“Miss y/n,” he smiles, “I have always admired you- your beauty and grace, the way you find yourself perfectly in the chaos of our family. You are everything I have always dreamt of.” he reaches into his pocket, his brows furrowed before letting out a sigh.
“It seems I have forgotten the ring but will you marry me?” he asks, your eyes teary as you laugh.
“Of course, yes.” you smile at him through momentary tears before he stands. Anthony’s hands cup your cheeks, leaning in. “Seeing that we are to be wed, am I allowed to kiss you?”
You’re blushing again, nodding. Anthony closes the gap between the two of you with a short, sweet kiss. His forehead rests against yours, “you taste of strawberries.” he whispers, making you giggle. “That is what I last ate.”
Anthony pulls you a little closer, your hand resting against his chest. “I promise I do have a ring for you.”
“Ring or not, I’d still marry you."