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Bridgergirls Chat
Eloise: i found the perfect girl to set anthony up with!
Daphne: Doubtful
Eloise: no! it’s perfect
Eloise: my roommate’s sister, she’s also an older sibling who’s waaaaaayyy too overprotective.
Eloise: think about how much freedom we’d have if anthony was busy with his own life instead of meddling in ours
Daphne: Ohh compelling point
Daphne: I do want him to be happy too
Hyacinth🌺🌺: Do you think Anthony would date my art teacher? She’s very nice and pretty
Eloise: just because ur happy and in love doesnt meant everyone else needs 2 be
Daphne: Do you want my help or not?
Franny: Anthony is already dating someone
Eloise: no he’s not
Daphne: He would have told us right?
Daphne: Franny?
Francesca Bridgerton may not have been the prettiest of her siblings or the one you’d notice right away when you walked into a room. But that was okay. Because in a family of loud personalities Franny had one skill they all didn’t: observing. Sure her siblings took up all the fucking space in every room, with everyone fawning over them or invested in their lasted drama, but Franny was the one who walked away with the secrets. And that’s how she knew Anthony was dating someone.
It started with small changes, when he came home on the weekends to visit her, Gregory, H, and mom he started smiling more. Anthony never smiled, at least not when he was anywhere near the Ton: Francesca privately suspected he was much more fun in London, fewer ghosts. But as soon as he stepped foot in the Bridgerton household he was all business, trying to be a semi-fatherly figure for three siblings who had no memories of their dad, trying to keep mother from investing money in some hair-brained scheme that a lady in the salon told her about, and just generally trying too hard.
But in May he started smiling. Two weeks later he brought Franny the prettiest bouquet of peonies and told her how much he loved her. She was fairly certain that he was dying. But he took H out for ice cream, spent an hour with Gergory playing video games, was nice to mom at dinner- well nice for Anthony.
He started wearing cologne and making sure his hair was nice. He came for his weekends at home on Fridays and seemed hesitant to leave. He’d go for long walks, even though everyone knew Anthony hated walking. And that’s when Franny realized, Anthony had a girlfriend and more than that she lived in town.
Eloise: Is anthony dating someone?
Ben🎨: Doubtful
Eloise: franny said he was
Ben🎨:: ask Colin
Eloise: u think he’d tell colin over u? cold
Ben🎨:: No dumbass, they live together
Eloise: Colllllllllllinnnnnnnnnn
Eloise: My favorite brother
Colin(dumbass): That’s such a fucking lie, we all know it’s Ben
Colin(dumbass): What do you want
Eloise: anthony, single right?
Colin(dumbass): Unclear
Eloise: WHAAATT
Colin(dumbass): He’s been gone a lot
Eloise: ewwwww do not need to know
Colin(dumbass): No meant for like days at a time, usually thurs-sat
Colin(dumbass): comes back smelling like floral shampoo
Eloise Bridgerton was pissed about many things. The overall patriarchal system that governed the world, best friend lusting after her brother Colin a little too hard, global warming, her mom’s obsession with setting her up (she thought coming out would end that one but nooooo), rising cigarette prices, but mostly the fact that Anthony apparently had a fucking girlfriend and still was a giant pain in the ass.
This was her plan, he just needed something else to take his attention off her. He already has six other siblings, a law firm, and their parents’ estate to manage. How hard could it be? Clearly, this girlfriend wasn’t demanding enough. She would set him up with Eddie’s sister if it killed her.
Bridgergirls Chat
Eloise: so anthony somehow got a girlfriend before i did?!?!
Franny: Told you
Daphne: What?
Eloise: colin said he’s spending time at a women’s place
Eloise: but he’s been just as overbearing as usual
Eloise: ugh
Eloise: well i still think we should set him up w/ eddie’s sister
Eloise: she calls eddie every day
Franny: That’s nice! Also I thought this was about Anthony being happy
Eloise: u dont know that he’s happy
Franny: Yes I do
Daphne: Well now we need to figure out who it is
Hyacinth🌺🌺: I wish it was my art teacher
Eloise: focus people, we need to break them up
Anthony Bridgerton: Pick you up at 7 on thursday?
Kate the Menace: Ugh, you know I hate eating that late
Anthony: I know but I couldn’t get an earlier train
Kate the Menace: I still can’t believe you voluntarily take the train. What a weirdo :)
Anthony: It’s peaceful! Believe me if you grew up with 7 siblings you’d like the quiet car too
Kate the Menace: Fair.
Anthony: I miss you
Kate the Menace: me too
Kate the Menace: I could come to London, I just have to get up so early for school
Anthony: No I hate the idea of you taking the train at 5 am by yourself. Plus I live with my brother remember.
Kate the Menace: I would drive silly :)
Kate the Menace: Oh that’s right, Colin who is 4 years younger than you and works for a travel magazine? Not Ben who’s 2 years younger and is a artist?
Anthony: Very impressive Ms. Sharma
Kate the Menace: ewww no that’s what my students call me
Anthony: shit sorry :/
Kate the Menace: I’m afraid you’ve killed the mood forever
Anthony: Oh don’t worry. Give me five minutes on thursday. I’ll revive it
Anthony met Kate Sharma in perhaps the least romantic setting of all time. An elementary school gym. Hyacinth had an art show that he was dreading. Really nine-year-olds aren’t artists. Besides he already went to waaaaay too many art shows of Benedict’s. Not to be elitist but if it wasn’t in the Louvre or the Tate Anthony didn’t want to see it. But he loved his sister so he was here in a suit, thoroughly not enjoying himself. And then he saw her.