Hidden Within The Flowers

Chapter 6

Anthony was sitting in his study looking over some paperwork when he noticed his mother enter the room cautiously. "You were a reasonable mother until your eldest daughter came of age." He spoke with a harsh tone. 

"Anthony..." Violet tried to say as she entered the room further, but was cut off by her frustrated son,

"This matchmaking scheme you rather transparently concocted with Lady Danbury, it will not work." He said firmly as he looked up at his mother for the first time since she entered the room. 

"I can think of worse matches for Daphne than a Duke," Violet said with a bit of a sassy undertone in her voice. "I believe the two of you to be friends." 

"We are good friends." Anthony was tired of his mother's antics, "Which is why I know that he has absolutely no intention of marrying." 

"You must understand that all men make that assertion. Your... your father even-" But she was cut off again by an upset Anthony,

"Do not bring father into this." He said hastily "Even if he were in want of a wife, you most certainly wouldn't want the Duke anywhere near Daphne." Violet let out a little scoff in disbelief, 

"I am fully subscribed to the belief that reformed rakes make the very best of husbands." She said in a matter-of-fact tone. 

"He will not make her happy!" Anthony raised his voice. Violet's expression turned to a stunned one at her son's sudden outburst, "Daphne deserves better. And I know you think that you are solving the problem, but you are not, and that is all I should say on the matter." He finished with a definitive statement, but Lady Bridgerton wasn't done yet, 

"The Duke will be joining us as our guest at Vauxhall tomorrow evening," She spoke uneasily, not sure of Anthony's reaction, "I admit, it was not easy to convince him to come." Anthony sighed in frustration at his mother,

"You overstep." He declared. Violet became flustered and defensive, 

"She is my eldest daughter." She said irked by her son's ways,

"She is my responsibility, as are you." The Viscount stated. Lady Bridgerton scoffed at his words, 

"Responsibility?" She asked with a slight laugh,

"Do not make this more difficult than it already is," He warned his mother, but she was through with his arguing. 

"I wish to know something, Anthony," She said in a tone that he knew meant he was on her last nerves, "Tonight when you leave this study that you continue to keep at your family home, are you to return to your bachelor lodgings across the square, or will you pay a visit to a certain soprano that you tend to in an apartment that you pay for across town?" Anthony's eyes shot up to his mother's at her words and glared at her. "Relying on your younger brothers to one day do the job that you cannot." Anthony's eyes softened as he realized the truth in her words, "You like to speak of responsibility. My Dear son!" Violet shook her head in bewilderment at his hypocrisy. "Of duty? Pray tell, what you should know of it?" Lady Bridgerton's tone softened as she began the next part of her speech, "I sit with her every day in that drawing-room. Do you know what I see? A young woman who is terrified because she knows of what kind of life, what kind of future awaits her should you continue to get in her way!" Anthony scoffed and shook his head at his mother's words "If your father were still here, Daphne would have already been matched. The man would've made an arrangement with an old friend. The man would've done what was necessary, and here you are refusing to even marry. I invite a perfectly acceptable Lady over, and you chase her away," Violet moved her hands around as she spoke to further emphasize her point, "So you must ask yourself, are you merely an older brother, or are you the man of this house?"  Violet stared at her son as he focused his attention on his hands. Violet walked out of the room angrily without a response from her son. Anthony watched his mother leave with glassy eyes and knew her words to be true.