The Ungodly Hour~Anthony Bridgerton

part VI: ask her to dance

Songs:
Summer Sun- Hooverphonic
The Divine Chord- The Avalanches, MGMT, Johnny Marr
Entropy- Grimes & Bleachers

The carriage ride home was drenched in silence as the Bridgerton family traveled back to the manor. Eloise, Benedict, Colin, and Anthony all traveled together in an unusually tense manner all looking nonchalantly out the windows in no direction at all. Except for Anthony who was staring at the palms of his hands replaying the scene over and over again in his mind wondering if he should have followed his instinct to grab her hand, not letting her leave him, as he had once left her. 

A long overdue snort broke the tension, as Eloise could no longer contain her laughter. A  crescendo of giggles by the Bridgerton siblings followed. All but Anthony who was still entranced by the lines of his hands.

"What the good heavens is going on?" Eloise said between confused fits of laughter. "When was the last time any of us even thought of Caroline Kensington?"

Her name resonated within Anthony bouncing off the walls of his rib cage. 

"I'm sure some more recently than others..." Colin mumbled under his breath. Anthony's head shot up at him and Benedict scolded Colin with a jesting elbow to the ribs. 

"What?" cried Colin grabbing his side. "Well? Are you ever going to explain the ordeal we just witnessed?"

Anthony did nothing but avert his eyes and leaned back into the cushioned bench, looking at the passing landscape. Feeling dejected, humiliated, and most of all entirely out of control of everything. 

"Oh Anthony! Whatever are you going to do at Lady Danbury's Ball tonight? It will be a most exciting ordeal now, I suppose!" Eloise teased. 

Anthony didn't answer keeping his position of looking out the window with a scowl. 

"Well," Benedict paused. "You could simply ask her to dance!"

"Oh yes, Anthony! You must ask her to dance!" Colin said smiling. 

It was enough. Despite his public outburst of heartbreak, he did not wish for his inner turmoil to become a family affair. Rage bubbled within him as he watched his siblings so casually discuss the most excruciatingly painful and mortifying moment of his life as if it was last weekend's gossip. 

"Stop the carriage!" Anthony yelled out, hoping it was enough. "STOP, the carriage!" He was impatient and the footmen relinquished. His siblings were shocked as Anthony exited the carriage in a huff. "I will walk back to my bachelor quarters and prepare for Lady Danbury's Ball there alone. I will be back to escort you at 6 o'clock, sister. Good day."

x

"Why are you not preparing for the ball?" Lady Heathman strolled into Caroline's guest-chamber unannounced. 

Caroline felt she had just entered her chambers. She was still dressed in her gown from the presentation and had laid back on her bed, finally taking in the beautiful room that overwhelmed her and the racing thoughts within her mind. 

Caroline perked up, hands on the mattress, "there's a ball too?" she asked voice swelling with aggravation. 

"Yes, you will be escorted by the Baron again, I am afraid neither the Lord nor I can attend we have– business."

Caroline just shook her head not bothering to care about their complexities of Grosvenor square life any longer. Instead leaning back on the bed to look up at the meditative pastel moldings lining the ceiling. She traced her eyes along the intricate white detailing as if searching for the end of a maze and it helped clear her mind of Anthony and his egregiousness.