If you were to ask anyone in the ton about the Lady with a Fan, even an errand boy could give you an answer. That's the name Anastasia Bridgerton had built for herself to protect her family after their father's passing. As the oldest sister and twin...
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Nicholas smiled teasingly at the sight of the girl, "You took quite some time my lady. Is work so swamped?".
"Well, any normal person would not suspect the noise to be a man throwing rocks at her window", The girl shot back, "Speaking of which, does the North permit gentlemen to climb walls and throw rocks at a lady's window so late at night?".
"Well, I suppose we make an exception for the beauties".
"Though I am quite flattered, it appears the north isn't as safe as it claims to be".
"Oh, you wound me".
Anastasia couldn't help but chuckle as she leaned over the railing, amused by his answer. Nicholas found himself smiling as well. Her simple joy turned into music when it reached his ears. He rather enjoyed making her laugh, something he never expected to feel when he first arrived in London.
The girl gazed at the man, "So? what do you need?".
His lips quirked up ever so slightly at the question, mirth filling his eyes at her carefree gestures. Arms locked behind his back as he leaned forward, the man gazed up at the girl.
"Do I need a reason to visit a beautiful maiden?".
"Well, I expect one when the gentleman shows up underneath my portico".
He chuckled at her words, eyes lingering on her a little longer than they should have.
An oddly pleasant silence coated the night, as the two held eye contact almost too comfortably. Nicholas always did find her blue eyes so mesmerizing. Her lashes would flutter upward every time they encountered to gaze at him, eyes large and round with a seductiveness he could never look away from. He did not believe she knew of her effect, and the thought poured bottles of frustration down his throat.
Did she look at other men that way? Did they gaze into her blue eyes just as often before?
Thoughts too possessive to be friendly continued drifting through his mind as if they had been locked into place by a spell only she could cast.
The man would have looked away, he should have looked away, but he couldn't. Just a second of contact with her beautiful blue eyes turned away every thought that could ever pass. He truly doubted if the lady was perhaps an enchantress.
Trust he knew well how dishonourable it was to come here tonight. He half expected the girl to usher him away. Yet he could not stop himself. The yearning he felt for her company every time they parted ways was unhealthy no matter how he thought of it. A walk to clear his mind turned into standing outside her gates as if waiting for her to come out and greet him.
It was absurd really. He knew that the Bridgertons had all gone to the ball tonight at the insistence of Lady Danbury. He had gazed through the gates with little to no expectation, so you could imagine his surprise when he saw the candlelight flickering on the third floor. Now, there certainly was a chance for it to have been a maid, but Nicholas knew the minute he saw the shadow of her frame.
