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A week of marriage had taught Kate many things. One, her and Anthony would not spend their days arguing ALL the time. Two, yes he may have been a rake in his past, and she was now benefiting it. Three, marriage suited her more than she could have ever imagined.

They were still honeymooning and on tour away from London, and it had been magical. She had always thought Anthony a physical man, and marriage had proven her right. His words on their wedding night still came back to her. It made her smile in the rented room, while she looked at the hot bath.

Anthony had gone out to see about travel arrangements, and Kate was about to take a bath. Lowering her robe she walked toward the bath and carefully stepped one leg in and finding her balance before stepping the other leg in. Pausing there to let her skin get adjusted to the heat, she was just about to settle in the water when hands came around her, and a clothed chest rested on her naked back. Gasping, she turned her head to look over her shoulder. "Anthony!"

There was limited reasons a man invited the a whole family to his Viscountial Estate. LIMITED! In fact, Kate could only think of ONE! He was not having a party, he invited them to get under her skin and she knew it! He knew it! He knew she knew it! She knew he knew that she knew it! She HATED that he knew she knew it! Smug bloody rat that he was!

Over the past few months of knowing Anthony Bridgerton, he and Kate had formed a sort of unique . . . . challenge. On one hand, they bickered and fought all the time--and on the other he had been her first kiss. He had touched her and awoken something inside of her.

AND HE WAS NOT WAKING ANYTHING UP IN EDWINA!

Kate had looked EVERY WHERE! She knew he would have a ring somewhere if he planned to propose to Edwina without her blessing. She had been sneaking out of her room during times (a lot of it at night) and looking for it. She would stop this game of his before it went too far! How dare he kiss and touch her and then wed her sister!

Kate held her baby and walked slowly around the room, a soft wordless song on her lips. She loved her daughter. How many times had she teased Anthony about having a daughter--that it was his job to give her one. She had teased him with their second son, and by the time she grew with child for a third time, she had teased him endlessly about it.

Hearing footsteps behind her, she turned to smile at her her husband. Seeing Benedict there made her smile turn sad. Oh yes. Sometimes--just for a moment--she forgot that she was a widow, and not a wife.

Blinking down at her daughter she fought the tears that wanted to come. "I miss moments like this more than anything." Seven months and it still killed her a little bit every day. Anthony had gone with a friend to look into inventing in a shipping yard. They were meant to take a ship out to see how it worked, and how the workers were treated. The ship went down in a unseen storm six months before their daughter was born. While a few men had been found in the waters, most of the 50 other men were never found.

She knew that his words would have made sense if this impossible thing with his elder brother made sense in it'self--but it did not. It defied reason, and she was not even sure that she could explain it to herself! Yet, in a way it made the most sense. She felt kindness toward Benedict, and a ease of being around him--but there was not this adventure and awareness that tingled within her when he was near.

She wished there was. It would be so easy to be his wife. There would be a life of comfort and friendship. Yet she knew that she could not wed one brother, while dreaming of the other at night. It would lack in fairness to everyone.

"It was a moment." She explained, "one that I had not seen coming so could have hardly warned you of." Her voice was soft, trying to keep anyone from hurting more. "Yet one that I think changes things." While there had never been a promise, or a formal question asked: "I can not marry you. It would not be fair to you." Or her. Or perhaps even his annoying older brother who was conveniently missing from this conversation. "I know it was what your brother intended, yet I do think he could have foresaw this."

Kate had wanted to avoid Bridgerton and Bridgertons but as she could not, avoiding the ONE Bridgerton would be enough! She tried to go to the hall--but he walked out into the hall. So she did what any sane person would do, and walked into the nearest door! Which was smart for less then a minute when HE FOLLOWED HER in to the room. Or well, not followed her, but entered in it too!

Not wanting to explain herself, she had ducked under the desk. Hiding there she had nearly panicked until he saw her--then she felt actual panic! Anthony thankfully did NOT give her away and instead sent the singer away without so much as a kiss. (Smug thought!)

Then she heard his voice! OH! The arrogance! Of course he would think this was about him! It wasn't! It was about avoiding him! That was really very different! Crawling out from under the desk, she popped her head up over it, while standing on her knees. "I was not!" She insisted! Pushing up to a stand, she kept the desk between them. "It was an accident!"

Anthony took her hand, and Kate knew the worst was about to come. She gripped it, trying to focus on the heat from his hand, or the fact that he would not leave her, or even his words from before--anything--to try and not think about what the doctor was about to do. Anything!

She could feel the hands on her leg, and she braced for it, tightening her grip on Anthony's hand, and holding her breath. They turned her leg and she felt green and ill with pain--but it was nothing compared to what would come next. The pain, a sharp stabbing of pain that was somehow loud with sound and feeling, took over her body for a few moments. She had meant to hold her breath, but instead a painful scream broke from her lips for a moment, before it slide away, and she was left breathing rapidly.

Anthony said that the people liked her too, and Kate hoped so. She had not ever imagined being the lady of anything of this size with farmers and tenets. It was over whelming to say the least, but she was trying every day to be of help and use. The complement made her smile. A complement from Anthony always made her smile.

"I would love to plant in the garden, but I fear ruining your mother's wonderful work. I shall have to find flowers that will compliment the flowers and fauna she has." Kate was still holding her husband's arm, and seemingly forgetting the mistake of the girl. Anthony did not seem to act unnatural. Perhaps because he was always so vicarious the root did nothing to him.

Since they were on the topic, Kate looked up at her husband and let her face rest on his shoulder. "Did you know the time you brought me flowers while trying to court Edwina was the first time I have received flowers from a man?" Edwina was so beautiful and saught after that Kate had just accepted that Edwina was the beautiful one and she was . . . well, not. However she was the practical one.