[1] 𝙎𝙋𝙀𝘼𝙆 𝙉𝙊𝙒 | Bridgerton ✓

17

"STOP DOING THAT"

"Doing what?" He stuffed his chest as he walked through the field and the tents with her.

"Doing that victorious smile as if you had won a race." Bellatrix rolled her eyes.

"Well, but I didn win, didn't I?" Anthony Bridgertom smirked as he continuously showed off his fiancé.

It was a scorching day, and people were taking boats, promenading and joining events. It was the first time that Bellatrix was seen with Anthony Bridgerton in public since their engagement news. People were excited to see them, take a peak or just bump into the astonishing couple. Whenever they passed by there would be rumous, gasps and smiles of admiration.

Bella rolled her eyes at the attention, her mind was rather conflicted over Benedict to even think about those people. But Anthony, he lived for it. He liked to be watched since he was a bachelor, but being able to pull off a princess just as gorgeous, outstanding, smart and elegant as her, he felt like the fucking winner of the season, of all seasons.

The Bridgerton family was also preseng all scattered around the field, that included Benedict, who watched intently as Bellatrix passed by.

"Brother" Anthony nodded to him as as they passed by, and the artist did the same.

Her glance met Benedict's for an instant before she passed by him, her pinky finger lifting up as he did the same, almost touching, igniting the suffering flames that consumed them both.

Cleared her throat, trying to ignore the hidden feelings stuck in her chest, persisting to prolongue that pain as Anthony helped her get into the boat, so everybody could acknowledge them as the perfect recently engaged couple.

"Do we really need to do this?" Bella scoffed as she watched the other people taking a stroll by the tents.

She watched as Anthony grabbed both paddles and with no effort began to conduce the boat off the shore into the lake. His muscles hidden beneath the well built suit, buy tight enough to notice their shape and strentgh. The thought made her swallow dry, unaware of her botherness.

"Although we are forced to marry, we need to convince them we are in fact in love, your highness." He says with great satisfaction as he noticed her blank stare at his arms and wide shoulders. "Besides, what is the problem about having a day by the lake? The sky is very much clear and pleasing." He gave that crooked smile that always maneged to get into her nerves.

She rolls her eyes with annoyance, trying not to let the fresh breeze of the perfect day alter her mood. She did not dare look at the shores, or the people by the tents, where Benedict was. His eyes were stuck to her image, burning, glued, and even more when he noticed his brother's smile to the princess.

Suddenly the viscount thre a paddle to her. "What?!" She reacted angry. "What is this?!"

"Are you going to help me or what?" He raised an eyebrow in teasing.

"Are you really asking a member of royalty to row a boat?" Bellatrix reacted in shock.

"I am asking my fiancé to simply help me." He smirked. "Or are you too weak to move some paddles?"

She clenched her jaw. "I can perfectly lift a paddle. But do not expect me to become a maid once we marry."

"I never dreamed of it." He shook his head. "The quite opposite, I shall treat you as you deserve, and expect only to share many moments with you." He chuckled. "Such a this." He then rowed the boat fastly making the boat tilt and spin.

"Hey!" She laughed. "You're going to make us fall!"

Ypu better move those arms then, princess!" He mocked.