Work Text:
Anthony is rushing to a drawing room. These days he is rarely late for breakfast. Usually, he wakes up with his wife, cuddles for a bit, and goes for breakfast together. If he had heard a year ago about mornings like this, he wouldn’t have believed it could be his future. Now it’s his favorite part of the day. But today was different, he had to wake up early to take care of urgent lodgers, which made him late.
Anthony enters a drawing room which is already filled with all his family. His eyes spot Kate immediately. “Sorry, I am late. I had to take care of an urgent business”. He walks directly to his wife who is sitting at the table with his mum and 3 youngest siblings. Anthony leans and hugs Kate around her belly. She looks wonderful as ever, Anthony thinks. She is wearing two most important colors: Bridgerton blue and Indian red. “And I am sorry you had to wake up alone”. Kate turns to Anthony and kisses him. “The flowers were beautiful, they made me miss you just a little bit less”. Anthony hugs his wife tighter and kisses her again.
“Aaah you are insufferable. I remember last year when love was out of the question. Now we have to endure this every day” Eloise intervenes from the other side of the room where she is reading a book on the couch. Anthony was so focused on Kate, that he didn’t notice his younger sister and Colin were in the room. “I wish for all of you to find the love that Anthony and Kate have,” as always Violet shares her happiness about son's choice. Although the road to it wasn’t easy, she is happy they made the right decision in the end.
“I think it was my Pall Mall skills that made Anthony change his opinion about Kate and love. We still haven’t heard a story on how you two fell into the dirt". Kate raises her head to Anthony, who is standing behind her with his hands on her shoulders and grins. Pall Mall was one of the reasons she fell for this man. She could not call it a breaking point, but she enjoyed their game and falling to the dirt with him. “What matters is that I won the last game at our last stay at Aubrey Hall. Also I showed your brother a few hunting tips and now he is much better”. Kate enjoys every moment with her husband, especially when she wins.
Anthony leans, kisses his wife on the cheek, and strolls to the tea table. “Let me remind you, my dear wife, that I needed to teach you how to hold a gun.” Kate stands and walks to Anthony. Both of them grin, as they know the feelings the lesson raised for them. Anthony takes a teapot with chai tea and fills the cup for Kate. Then he takes a second teacup and fills English tea for himself. He tried chai tea a few times, but it’s not his favorite. Kate takes her cup and teases Anthony “I know how to hold a gun. You were only searching for a reason to hug me.” He hugs his viscountess with one hand, keeping his tea in another hand “It’s good that I don’t need to search for reasons when you are my wife”. Kate grins and kisses him. “But for clarification, you were holding the gun incorrectly, my dear”.
“All I remember is how you too were holding each other at Hearts and Flower ball.” Daphne enters a room and conversation. Anthony forgot that she promised to visit them. “Or rather how close you were, especially after a dance.” Daphne caught them together in his office. If she had entered a few seconds later, he would have kissed Kate. He wanted her so badly at that moment. His head tried to deny it, but deeply in his heart, he knew what he felt for her. “What happened after a dance?” Gregory rises from his place and looks at his eldest brother. “Sadly, I cannot attend anything and I don’t know what happened.” Anthony doesn’t want to talk to his brother about his inappropriate actions and ignores the question.
Daphne sits near her mom in the chair where Kate was sitting. “Let’s just hope you will be better at your choices than your older brother.” Daphne does not miss an opportunity to tease her brother. “I think I made great choices, especially the last one I made last season”. Anthony and Kate walk to the second couch and get comfortable on it, Kate leans on Anthony’s body. “You are lucky because I made last-minute changes about my trip to India. You and your lovely eyes practically forced me to accept your proposal.” Kate takes Anthony’s hand and plays with his fingers. This playfulness and teasing are their daily companion. “I am really glad you made that choice.” “Me too” Anthony raises her hand to his lips and kisses it.
“How will I be able to find someone as good for me as Anthony found for himself?” Francesca expresses her doubts loudly. The first season for her is hard, she is shy and balls make her uncomfortable. Violet tries to calm her daughter “Oh my darling, I believe everyone can find a love match. It’s only a matter of looking closely for it. Your brother and Kate tried to fight it and in the end, they weren’t able to resist it. You will be able to find it too.” Her words calm Francesca. She stands from the table and goes directly to her pianoforte.
“If only, your groom won’t flee away from your wedding” Colin jokes about Anthony’s attempt to marry Edwina. “And now Edwina is a Princess and I have to suffer with this man.” By this time, Kate knows it’s best to make fun of this situation and not to worry about the past. She is happy and in love with her husband and his family. “You don’t look like you're suffering. Am I wrong?” Hyacinth asked with confusion in her words. “No, Hyacinth. I am not suffering. I am totally in love with your brother and you all. I am happy to be part of this family”. “And we are really glad you joined, Kate,” Daphne adds. “Especially me,” Anthony agrees with his sister.
Kate only dreamt about love like this. She never imagined that she would be able to have it. Now she enjoys every moment. Anthony and his family are the best things that could ever happen to her. Mornings like this are her favorite, everyone bickering and smiling all the time. Kate came to England to ensure her freedom, but got much better - love of her life - Anthony.