For a moment, he watched her in silence, not brave enough to disturb the peace she'd appeared to have found herself in. For as long as he had known her, Aurelia had been constantly high-strung. Every little detail of her life had been planned out for her, by herself and her family, and she never shifted off course, not even by an inch. Each movement, each word, each smile was a strategic move for her to reach what every young woman of the ton was destined for. She never got to be herself.

For the first time since she'd returned from Italy, Anthony was witness to a genuine smile spreading across her face as she landed on a book that had sparked a happy memory from her childhood. She couldn't resist but pull it from the shelf and scan the pages to search for her favourite quotes and illustrations. A couple of hundred pages in she paused, laughing to herself about the words written down. Anthony almost hated to distract her.

Almost.

"I wasn't aware you'd finally manage to reach the same reading level as a child," He couldn't resist taunting her.

Aurelia almost jumped, but was able to disguise her surprise with an irritated eye roll. Snapping the book shut, she replied, "Don't worry, you'll catch up soon." Though he may have startled her, she was not shocked in the least to find him leaning against the doorframe, with his hands shoved into his trouser pockets, radiating his usually smug charm.

He let out an amused huff, unable to control the small smirk tugging at his lips. "I assume there is a reason for your impromptu midnight visit?"

"There is," She stated firmly, aiming to keep an ounce of composure. She'd been so sure of her plan on the way over, nothing was going to stray her away from it. Yet, with him standing in front of her, nerves had managed to seep their way in. She was starting to have doubts. "I wanted to say thank you. For your help. With Athos." Her words came out jolted and stiff, as if she'd forgotten how to speak. "And to see if you were..." Her confidence wavered, but she managed to push through, "to see if you had returned safely."

Anthony straightened up at her words, sensing a genuine concern for his well-being. Aurelia had never cared about it before, he was taken aback by her sudden change of heart. 

"No one else would have done what you did tonight," She continued, unable to lift her gaze off the floor, "my brother...nephew is back with his family because of you. We owe you a great debt."

"You owe me nothing," He said, his voice soft and reserved, a way Aurelia had never imagined he could sound. "I'm just glad Athos is safe."

Aurelia nodded her head, unsure what else to say. She should leave. She was going to. Barging into the Bridgerton house in the middle of the night was a terrible idea, she cursed herself for even thinking of it.

Too embarrassed to mutter her goodbyes, she strode towards the door to make a speedy exit. Panicked, and in no rush for her to leave, he stopped her with a polite request. "Can I get you something to drink?"

For a moment, Aurelia stared at him in shock. "A drink?"

"To celebrate," He clarified, fumbling for excuses in his head, "the return of your brother...nephew."

She knew she was supposed to say 'no'. No respectable lady of the ton would accept the offer on Anthony Bridgerton's based on his reputation alone. The scandal one drink could cause would be catastrophic - in the middle of the night no less. If she had half a brain she would refuse.

Then again, Aurelia had no concern for the opinions of the Lords and Ladies with sticks up their behinds, nor did she plan on having just a single drink. She was going to give London something to really talk about.

"A drink sounds lovely," She agreed.

-----

Anthony watched as Aurelia poured her third drink of the night, unable to tear his gaze from her eyes. There was something about them that seemed different that night, there was a certain sparkle that he'd never seen before. Of course, he'd seen them when they shimmered with rage, he was often on the receiving end of that, but tonight there was curiosity - like she knew about something he didn't. Whether it was the candle-lit room, or the moonlight shining through the window, he wasn't going to question her on it. He much preferred this to the stare full of anger.

"I was shocked by how easy it was for me to get in tonight," Aurelia confessed to him, leaning back on the sofa. If anyone were to walk into the room and catch sight of an unmarried man and woman sitting so close on the sofa that their legs touched, London society would descend into chaos. "I thought your butler would have put up more of a fight to keep me out."

"You're a lady of the ton, he couldn't keep you out," He replied.

"No, my mother is. I'm Miss Aurelia Bradford, a daughter of a Lord and Lady," She reminded him, before taking a sip of her drink. "Though, as Viscount, I'm sure you have given him strict orders to let anyone woman though."

He laughed, trying not to take offence.

"I didn't mean it like that," She cringed, scrunching up her face in embarrassment. "I just meant, that he..." Her head fell into her hands, "Nevermind. No matter how I word it, it is going to sound insulting."

"You're a family friend, Aurelia," He clarified. "My father made it a rule that our door is always open to our friends. However, I don't think he will have accounted for someone turning up in the middle of the night. You will have just shocked him."

"I wouldn't be surprised," She admitted, "I was rather abrupt."

"I will apologise to him on your behalf in the morning," 

It suddenly struck Aurelia how easy the conversation was going, a whole hour had passed another neither of them had raised their voices at each other once. That must be a new world record. She was in awe of the side of him she'd never seen before, not even as children, it was refreshing to witness.

The revelation had not surpassed Anthony either. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," She nodded, trying not to let the sudden serious shift in his tone concern her.

"Why are you here, Aurelia?"

Her body went stiff and her eyes doubled in size. "I already told you. I came to thank you for helping me rescue Athos."

"Yes, you did that," He said, "but you're still here."

Perhaps she jumped the gun too quickly on believing she could have a civil conversation with Anthony Bridgerton. "I can leave if you want me to."

"I don't want you to leave," He replied, "I just want to know what we are doing here."

His eyes were locked onto her own, and even when she tried to tear her gaze away he wouldn't let her. It was unsettling in a sense, not to make her uncomfortable, but to hold her attention so she couldn't possibly think of anything else. 

The stare alone had the power to draw out the truth.

"We are talking," She informed him, pretending to ignore the tightening in her chest. She couldn't help but wonder if Anthony had noticed the sudden change in her breath, once relaxed now short and shallow.

"Anything else?" He questioned, taking her glass out of her hand and placing both their drinks on the table. She watched him closely, shocked by the casual nature of his movement. He'd been with women, this she knew, but she'd had no idea someone could be so blase about the act.

Keeping hold of her nerve, she asked, "What did you have in mind?"

Anthony wasn't stupid. He'd picked up on the true reason for Aurelia's visit within minutes of finding her in the library, but he knew she was too proud to outright ask for what she desired. Even he had to admit, a midnight visit from Aurelia Bradford seemed impossible only a few nights ago - maybe breaking into a house changed a person's morals.

With his eyes firmly locked on her, as if they were drilling into her very soul, he replied, "It is entirely up to you, Miss Bradford."

She hated how he was shifting the blame on her for what was about to happen next, but even that wasn't enough to stop her.

Pushing herself onto her knees, she tucked her legs underneath her, leaving her gaze glued to Anthony's own. Anthony remained still, biting back the smug grin threatening to appear on his lips, as Aurelia crawled forwards to sit on his lap. His eyes flickered over her features as she drew closer, her face hovering inches above his own, Aurelia watching every micro-movement of his face closely, searching for a hint of a trap.

She couldn't find any. He wanted this as much as she did.

"It's your move, Viscount Bridgerton," She whispered, her breath sliding across his face sending shivers down his spine, enough to rid him of all self-control.

He surrendered all his willpower to her.

Wrapping her arms around her waist, he pulled their bodies tight, and pressed his lips to hers.