The pure sunlight bathed the land below in a bold honey glow, piercing it's warming streaks of sharp light through the ever soft shade of cornflower blue, that enriched the early afternoon sky. The air was clear, as you inhaled a deep breath into your expanding lungs. The weather was rather warm and tainted with the very hint of summer heat, balmy in the way that you could feel the next season beginning to seep it's way into the current spring affair.

The scenery of Hyde Park bloomed to life in an endless sweep of rich hues of deep emerald and lighter chartreuse. The grass fully sprouted in every direction, lending a certain earthy aroma to the softly blowing breeze. The trees budded and bloomed with the shading leaves that canopied the land below, creating a beautiful landscape that seemed to stretch for mere miles beyond. Birds chirped as though they themselves were remarking on the beauty of the newfound weather and the sight of the lively park, but you were much more taken by the sound of the company you found yourself immersed within.

Daphne Bridgerton, one of your dearest friends in all of London, had invited you along when her mother had announced a family picnic in the park that afternoon. Despite your initial decline of such an invitation, she wouldn't take no for an answer and practically dragged you to Hyde Park with her own two hands. Now, as you sat within their beautiful display of a makeshift canopy tent, crafted of stunning fabrics that seemed to bloom color as the flowers along the distant path did, you were thankful for her headstrong actions.

For the weather felt wonderful as the gentle breeze washed over your skin, clinging to the peony pink material of your flowing frock, spreading warmth against your skin below the lightweight fabric. The environment was a breath of fresh air, after being stuck indoors for days on end by your mother's requests, her endless endeavors this season to keep you ready at all times for any callers that may come by seeking your acquittance. But there was something about being outdoors, submerged in the beautiful nature around you in the bright glow of sunshine, that lightened the weight that perpetually sat in the pit of your chest.

Daphne hadn't needed to worry about callers, suitors, gentlemen looking to her as she'd been crowed the Diamond of the season. You watched the sparks flying between her and The Duke of Hastings at each and every event they found themselves in the same attendance, even here, she found herself in his company as they began to prepare to promenade. But even as you wished love and happiness for your dearest friend, it didn't ease the worries of your own future as you found yourself with very few callers, and even less that you would ever consider marrying. But there was something about joining the Bridgerton bunch on the warmest day you'd seen in nearly a week, in the stunning surroundings of Hyde Park, that made the fearful thoughts of your future fizzle away as though the worries became tangled within the blowing breeze.

The sweet singsong echo of your name drew your attention, as your eyes turned from their keen gaze upon young Gregory and Hyacinth Bridgerton's laughter fueled games, to Daphne who made her way towards you. The sun shone down upon her, making the embellishments amongst her silken periwinkle blue fabric glimmer softly in the fresh light. She approached you with a wide smile gracing her lips, as you watched Simon Basset linger on the edge of the sidewalk as Lady Danbury caught sight of him.

"You ought to come with us!"

Daphne's voice was always the same, filled with a sweetness and kindness that didn't alter no matter who she spoke to. Her tone was always strong and seemingly always sure, and in times when you found your own timidness beginning to overcast, she stepped in for you.

"I believe I'd feel rather foolish straying behind the two of you by myself." You responded politely, peering up at her through your lashes as you sat in the chair beside her older brother Benedict. Although, you really didn't strive to become the third wheel straying a feet or two behind them, in truth, you much rather preferred the relaxation in the shade of the tent rather than parade amongst the peering eyes of the ton.

"Nonsense!" She exclaimed as her eyes departed your shared gaze, looking over your shoulder as something caught her eyes behind you. "Anthony would be delighted to accompany you! Wouldn't you brother?"

Her call was rather loud, as she made sure her words travelled far enough to reach Anthony Bridgerton's ears as he stood amongst the perimeter of the tent beside his younger siblings. As soon as her words entered the calm atmosphere almost as though a bullet hurdling through, you felt your cheeks flush a blistering red. Embarrassment ran through your veins, as you listened to Anthony's boots carry him, as though you were more mortification than human in that very moment.

"Without a doubt sister." Anthony Bridgerton, being the Viscount since the passing of his father and the eldest sibling of the Bridgerton family, always knew when to be polite. He knew when to be gracious to a host, accommodating to those he met amongst an event, but above all he knew when to show rightful manners. It was never more evident than in that moment, when although he sneered the words to his sister like they were dripping in invisible venom, his tone was kept light enough to persuade anyone from thinking otherwise. Unless they knew him of course, for as you slowly brought yourself to your feet, you couldn't miss the smile Benedict was trying but failing to cover with the back of his hand.

Being close with the Bridgerton family, having grown up in the same age range as Daphne and Colin, you grew relatively comfortable with the family's company and you felt you knew each member quite well. But when it came to Anthony Bridgerton, you couldn't say you knew him well, you couldn't even quite say you knew him in the slightest sense of the word. He was an enigma, you realized over time. For his exterior, his demeanor towards those around him, was vastly different than the stories told in the printing of Lady Whistledown and in the remarks made of his family. There seemed to be two sides to the Viscount who held more responsibility than any one man would want to inherit at a young age. A side that he wore for the ton, a mask or a charade he displayed when out amongst others, and a side that he allowed his family to see. But as the years passed since your first initial meeting of the Bridgerton family, you couldn't help but believe that Anthony had a third side, a hidden part of himself that he didn't allow anyone to see, perhaps at times, even himself.

The sun shone brightly down against your shoulders, feeling for the first time since departing that morning, the yearn for the bonnet your mother urged for but you dreaded, suddenly appeared. As the afternoon expanded, the warmth of the sunshine emboldened, but as you began to walk the path a few strides behind Daphne and The Duke, you knew the heat overwhelming your being was not entirely the sun to blame. For as your arm locked within Anthony Bridgerton's firm gasp, the muscle of his biceps concealed beneath the black fabric of his tail coat, you knew it was his company that sparked the anxiety to spread like a burning wildfire beneath your skin. It wasn't that Anthony himself made you uncomfortable, he was rather a likable human being you were sure. He had a wit about him that was ever present when in the company of his trying siblings, a laugh and accompanied smile you witnessed as he played with the young ones earlier that afternoon, a politeness that although was usually forced, held a sincerity beneath the surface just enough so to spot. He was also attractive in a way you hated to admit, but ultimately, couldn't deny the allure of his handsome features.

Anthony himself, wasn't the problem, but rather the intimidating presence that exuded from him as though his own rays of light. Perhaps it would have been less daunting if you'd spent more time in his company, but as you concentrated on each breath that funneled its way through your lungs, you realized there would always be something rather intimidating about him. For it was his nature, a confidence that sometimes displayed itself as a righteous arrogance, beamed from him in every word he spoke and in every stance he stood.

Your eyelashes fluttered furiously, tapping wildly like hummingbird wings against the very base of your cheekbones, as your attention darted ever so slowly to the side. Capturing a brief glance at Anthony through the corner of your eye, watching as he stared straight ahead at his sister walking in stride with The Duke and you couldn't miss the tension ever present in the lines across his softly tanned skin. Although the silence never bothered you before, especially when placed in such a vivid environment that needed no such conversation, you felt yourself itching for one. For the quiet that settled over the two of you, like a dense cloud, made your anxiety grow. Blinking your attention away from his face, leaving behind the perfectly sculpted sight of his facial features that only made his presence that much more intimidating, you cleared your throat in the softest breath.

"It is such a lovely day out, isn't it? Much needed after such dreadfully rainy days we've had as of late."

Your words were dull and although they were easy enough to pierce through the void of silence, they made every inch of yourself cringe inwardly at the sound of your voice. But even as you were sure Anthony thought the same of your lackluster remark of the weather around you, he didn't say anything. Instead, he responded in his own simple and polite choice of words.

"Indeed, I dare say it is beginning to feel like spring again, perhaps a rather large touch of summer too."

His tone was light, the sound of his voice as it always appeared to be. Low and gravelly in the lightest touch at the base of his throat, and yet, his words always seemed to flow like the smooth pour of bourbon. Effortless in nature as he spoke every word with a confident conviction, even when they were merely returning remarks about the pleasant weather. You hadn't conversed with Anthony much in the past, only a few greetings and pleasantries here and there, but as you walked beside him now, you realized you might be inclined to listen to the sound of his intoxicating voice forever.

"Do you participate in these often My Lord, family picnics in the park?"

Anthony's stance straightened as he readied his response, a slight tip of his head to the side as your own turned to face him. Your eyes falling over the expression worn across his delicately crafted features. For although his demeanor was lighter today while surrounded by his family's company, there was tension within the lines of his face that he simply couldn't hide. They were always there you realized, each time you saw him, whether in the form of a furrowed brow, a turned downward curl of his lips or a rather stressed expression making it seem as though he always moved in a rush against the clock.

"Often enough when the weather permits, I suppose. My mother enjoys the time we're all together, and she is quite fond of the ones in which we are nearly forced upon our best behaviors when out in the public eye."

There was an undertone of humor that enriched his explanation, and you couldn't hide the soft smile from slowly expanding across your lips. "You on your best behavior? I've yet to see such a sight, your Lordship."

Watching his eyes that hadn't looked at you since you both joined the others promenading across the path, you watched as the very edges of his lips curled upward into the softest semblance of a smile as the faint lines in the corner of his eye bunched with the change in expression.

"It is a rarity indeed," Anthony mused lowly, hiding away his brief look of amusement before his head finally turned and his eyes fell upon your already present gaze. "and you? What do you think of the picnic?"

Anthony's eyes were breathtaking to say the least. For it felt as though, when his orbs of deep brown that seemed to shimmer with more amber honey than any other shade, he saw deeper than your surface. As though his eyes not only looked intently into the caverns of your own awaiting gaze, but beyond. Past your expressions, past your skin and straight into the concealed parts of your heart, perhaps, even your soul. It was a sensation locked within the briefest of glances poised by his steady eyes, knocking the air from your lungs as he stared so boldly and unaware, as though it was a gift he hadn't the knowledge he possessed.

"Oh, it's quite lovely." You reply with a small smile, hoping that you hadn't taken too long to respond in the seconds that passed. For although Anthony's eyes made you feel as though you were tripping over your own feet, as his sight was finally attuned to your presence beside him, you found that you were captivated by the beauty of them as well. A stark contrast to a man so intimidating, full of authority and tension. For his eyes were light, a mesmerizing swirl of whisky that pulled you in. "However, I must admit, I find I'm most taken by the sight of such closeness and love shared amongst your siblings. My sisters and I hardly hug, much less laugh and joke as yours endeavor to do."

You watched the expression gracing Anthony's face slowly shift, a softness expanding within the lines and there was a sense of adoration that couldn't be missed. His lips curled upwards again and his head nodded along to your words, before his lips parted to share his own. "My parents raised us well, they wanted us to know the value of such friendship and loyalty found amongst siblings. I believe they did well."

"Although they have given me a wrinkle or two my skin could certainly do without, and enough stress to weaken my heart, I'm unsure what my life would look like without them."

You couldn't help but smile wistfully at his words, for even as they warmed your heart at their overwhelming endearment and sincerity, they made you wish for the type of sibling relationships Anthony held dearly. For the entire afternoon, and much of the late morning, you watched as all eight Bridgerton siblings romped with one another. For even as they were dressed in their very best, minding their words in the surrounding eyes of the ton, it was as though it hadn't impacted them in the slightest. For you watched young Gregory and Hyacinth chase after each other, until Lady Bridgerton commanded them to stop, and the way the eldest in the family stooped to their height and played games with them. From the eldest to the littlest Bridgerton, there was a closeness and a love, unlike any you'd ever witnessed to be genuine. It was endearing, to watch as Colin jested and Benedict quipped witty comebacks, as Eloise was lost in her own world and yet still right there with the rest of her family, and the sight of the little ones having not the slightest worry in the world, playing games with the man who held them all.

"You love your family very fiercely." It wasn't a question, for it begged no response. You rather spoke the words in the form of a remark, an exhale of evident devotion that was simply a fact of life. For it was. You could see in every ounce of Anthony Bridgerton's character, even when he obscured his true thoughts and emotions from that of others, that the love he held for his family trumped all else in the world and in his very own life. The life that seemed scattered and reckless at times, stressed and tired, with the stories from his siblings in mumbled passing and the writings of Lady Whistledown herself, painted a picture of the man that you knew enough to know held grains of truth to the words. But despite the rakish ways of the man walking beside you, nothing would ever impact his devotion to his family.

"I do." Anthony responded almost immediately, with a stern nod of his head.

Turning your head, as Anthony's eyes had departed your steady gaze with his response, you looked up ahead. The path stretching for miles beyond, disappearing into the horizon of soft honey sunshine and rich green foliage, as blurs of bright pastels from flowing frocks brushing past painted along the cement trail. Your eyes fell upon Daphne's frame, as she strolled alongside Simon Basset, and even as her back faced you, the soft sound of her laughter fluttered against the blowing breeze.

"Then I'm rather inclined to believe you're quite taken with the Duke's courting of your sister," Your head turns to your left, as you return your gaze upon Anthony's broad shoulders and sparkling eyes. "as it must make matters much simpler for you, knowing the man himself."

Innocent words flowing from your parted lips in a simple breath, as your eyes had seen the clear sparks of connection flickering between the couple strides ahead of you, made Anthony tense as though you'd spoken of an impending threat. For the veins in his neck tightened as you watched the edge of his jaw clench, a disgruntled scoff escaping him with an emphatic shake of his head.

"Knowing His Grace is precisely the reason why it makes matters worse." Anthony counters in low voice, a disgruntled tone saturating his words. "I know him better than Daphne or very well anyone in London for that matter. He has no plans to settle down, take a wife. And so, as he continues to toy with my sister, playing this charade for the ton whom he shares not a single care for, having the knowledge that he will never marry, I rather admit my self control is far greater than I have given myself credit for."

Anthony's eyes hadn't once met your own, as you watched the contempt for one of his closest friends radiate off of him as though flickering flames of a burning fire. The tension soared through his entire body, for you could feel the tightness in his muscles beneath the lock of your arm through his own. His eyes were focused on the couple strolling ahead, and as you watched Anthony's expressions, feeling as though he may combust out of pure anger right there beside you, or perhaps do something rash if his sister was to laugh one more time with the Duke beside her, you spoke up. Quickly changing the topic and twisting the conversation around to give him something new to think about, something for him to talk about.

"And you, My Lord? What are your views on the matter of matrimony?"

You hadn't been completely confident that Anthony would take the bait, that your question would be strong enough to pull him from his seething thoughts, but as his deep swirling eyes looked to the side as his head turned in your direction, you knew you'd kept his raising rage at bay for the time being.

Anthony's lips were silent as he looked at you closely, making you feel self-conscious for a mere moment as he studied you as though taking in every aspect of your face. His deep set brows furrowed faintly before they began to arch upwards, as the very edge of his stilled lips curled into a concealed but mirthful smirk. "Are you proposing to me, Miss?"