chapter forty five - a proper kiss

After reading her letter, Aurora returned to the chair in which she had previously been seated with a thoughtful expression.

“Are you alright, my lady? You look...” Anthony trailed off, uncertain of how to finish the sentence.

Aurora glanced up at him a little confused.

“Pardon? Oh! Yes I am quite alright. Only, my brother’s letter gave me pause for thought.”

Anthony’s ears perked up at her comment. “May I read it?”

“No!”

Indeed, she was not particularly pleased at the idea of her new husband reading Julius’ other comments.

“No, it is private correspondence.”

The viscount stared at her for a moment, uncertain of what to make of her response. Finally, he chose the simplest option and sat down on the edge of his desk beside Aurora.

“My brother speaks of an Indian Princess, from one of the princely states I presume. There appears to be something of a... connection being made between Alexander and the girl. Perhaps, we might use this to our advantage. You could secure a trade between yourself and the royal family. Surely there is something of profit that we could...” Aurora trailed off, uncertain where to go with her plan and fearful that she was talking incomprehensible nonsense.

Looking up at Anthony, she found him watching her with a most peculiar expression.

“Go on?”

She blushed deeply, “oh I’m er, I’m finished?”

He looked at her incredulously.

“But you were in the middle of a sentence?”

“I know. I’m quite remarkable like that.” Neither of them could help the grin that spread across their faces.

“I think perhaps this conversation can wait. There is no particular pressure upon us at present. I do wish to consider it but perhaps there are less... corrupt ways of making money. Besides, I do not wish to use your brother’s romance for my own advantages,” he pondered.

Aurora was delighted. In having released him from his seemingly unnecessary partnership with the East India Company, her husband appeared to have returned to his old self again. She appreciated this. His former penchant for silence had really been getting on her nerves.

She foolishly chose to speak her mind and was midway through complaining about his locking her away in the East Wing when she was stopped.

“Aurora?”

“Yes?”

He put a single finger up to his lips in response and Aurora immediately understood his intention.

He wanted her to be quiet.

“Come here,” the Viscount’s voice had suddenly taken on a much gentler and deeper tone. Aurora founder herself unable to resist as her feet walked toward him.

She stopped just in front of his position on the desk and looked into his eyes. She quickly found herself unable to sever the connection

Rising from his seated position on the edge of the desk, he edged slightly closer so that the two were practically touching chests.

“Now, I do believe we were interrupted earlier,” he whispered into the shell of her ear.

Aurora could not help it, a shiver ran up and down her back causing her to subconsciously lean in closer to his warmth.

Yes. She liked this change in him very much.

“Indeed?”

“Mmmn,” he hummed, “if I recall correctly I was going to talk to your about that gift you bestowed me with this morning.”

A flirtatious smirk made its way onto Aurora’s face, “Is that so? Well, I do not believe I remember offering you any gifts this morning.”

The viscount slowly moved his lips from beside Aurora’s ear to just above her own.

“Perhaps I should refresh your memory, my lady?” He whispered.

“Perhaps you should.”

No sooner had she spoken than Anthony swooped down to press a soft kiss upon the side of her lips, exactly as she had done not four hours earlier.

Pulling away, she saw a fire in his eyes that only made him more attractive.

Glancing in her eyes to determine her reaction. Anthony Bridgestone could not help but smile at the blush rising up underneath his wife’s rouge. It was a sight he could most certainly get used to.

“May I?” His voice came out coarse and low.

A brief expression of confusion graced Aurora’s features. “May you what?”

Pressing his forehead against her’s, he caught hold of her deep chocolate eyes.

“May I kiss you?”

“Gnk.”

At the unnatural sound, Anthony pulled away and frowned, placing one arm around her waist and the other gently holding her elbow.

“I don’t have to - if that’s not what you want?”

“It is,” she demanded.

At her defiant response, Anthony surged forward again and caught her lips him his. This elicited a sharp gasp from her at the forge in feeling. It made his heart swell in satisfaction.

The experience lasted for several minutes and, upon its conclusion, Aurora began to gasp for air. Her lack of experience (that is to say none at all) had not exactly prepared her well.

“Goodness, I didn’t know that was what you were meant to do.”

Anthony could not help himself, he had to laugh at his wife’s innocence.

Wife.

Yes, she was starting to truly become his wife now. The word sprang forth a river of images in his mind of Aurora and his family, of Aurora bearing his children and teaching them all her vast knowledge.

It was a beautiful scene. Until he remembered his father. He could not break Aurora’s heart like his own father had to his mother. He could not leave his children to grow up without someone to look up to.

And he did not have long left. By his calculations, the Bridgerton curse was getting worse each generation as his ancestors became less and less long lived.

The smile dropped from his face at the thought of having to leave Aurora alone one day.

She noticed the change immediately and questioned if he was unwell.

“No, no, not at all,” his smile returned, though this time it was a little forced.

She did not believe him, however, for now she was quite content to live in the moment and question him further at a later date. Nothing, it seemed, could spoil her first kiss.

*****

Dear readers,

I would like to address something quickly which is getting a little annoying. Several people having been correcting my use of the word ‘teazing’ in the comments, among other examples. Whilst I appreciate your correction of my grammar (and sometimes I do indeed make mistakes due to autocorrect), in instances such as these it is neither correct nor necessary.

My writing style uses the same language as Austen and therefore there are several words which are not spelt how one might regularly see in modern literature. This is a purposeful device that I am using in order to enhance the world being presented and remain accurate to literature of the time.

I hope this clears up my reasoning for this use of language. I'm sure it must have been confusing for those who haven't read novels from this era!

I hope this does not put you off reading my book or commenting. I enjoy reading your comments - although perhaps not the negative ones - however, I really did feel a need to point this out.

In other news, my essay exploring ‘the historical importance of women and their duties within the Sumerian Empire’ won second place at an essay writing competition yesterday. I was particularly pleased considering I did not think it to be worthy of such high praise.

I hope you’re all well and enjoyed the chapter! They finally kissed! Also this book hit 200,000 reads which is really quite a lot! Thank you!

On a final note, I have now decided that lockdown in a house with five siblings is not the life I want to lead anymore and I think I might just ban them all from my room permanently.

Yours truly,

Valentina