Chapter Text
The winter sun hung low in the sky, casting pale golden light over the sprawling public gardens where Kate and Anthony were out for a stroll with Newton. Melting frost clung to the edges of the hedgerows, glittering like scattered diamonds. The pathways buzzed with visitors—families, couples, and groups of friends meandering through the neatly trimmed rows of the hedge maze.
Kate glanced over her shoulder at Anthony, her gloved hands clasped behind her back, eyes dancing with mischief. Newton trotted at her heels, his ears perked and tail wagging in delight. “Are you certain you want to follow us into the maze, my love?”
Anthony smirked, hands tucked into the pockets of his coat as he followed her. “I’m not about to let you wander off alone. Who knows what sort of trouble you and that dog might stir up?”
Kate turned slightly, her smile wide and teasing. “Perhaps it’s you who’ll find yourself in trouble.”
Before he could reply, she darted into the entrance of the hedge maze, her laughter trailing behind her like a ribbon on the wind. Newton barked excitedly and charged after her, his little paws scrabbling for purchase on the gravel as he followed his mistress into the winding pathways.
“Kate!” Anthony called, already grinning as he lengthened his stride and followed them into the narrow, twisting paths.
The hedges loomed tall, dense, and shadowed, muting the sounds of the world outside. Every turn led Anthony deeper into the maze, the sound of Kate’s soft laughter and Newton’s eager barks echoing faintly ahead of him.
“You’re terrible at hiding, you know,” he called, turning another corner.
“You’ve yet to find me!” Kate’s voice floated back to him, playful and distant.
Anthony’s grin widened as he followed the sound of her voice—and Newton’s increasingly frantic barks. The little corgi wasn’t exactly a master of stealth.
Finally, he rounded a corner and stumbled into a quiet dead-end tucked against the farthest wall of the garden. There, nestled in a cozy alcove where the hedges arched above to create a natural canopy, stood Kate.
She leaned lightly against the stone wall, cheeks pink from the cold and her brief sprint, her hair tousled where it peeked out from her bonnet. At her feet, Newton barked once more before plopping down with an air of triumph, his stubby tail wagging as though he’d won a great prize.
“Well,” she said breathlessly, her voice light with laughter, “you’ve caught us. What are you going to do with me now, my love?”
Anthony’s breath caught as he stared at her, the golden light filtering through the hedges casting her face in soft shadows. Slowly, he stepped forward, his gloved hand rising to cup her cheek.
“God, Kate,” he murmured, his voice low and rough. “Do you have any idea what you do to me?”
Kate’s smile softened, her own gloved hand coming up to rest over his. “I think I have some idea.”
Anthony leaned down and kissed her, firm and desperate, as if the weight of his love for her couldn’t be contained in any other way. Kate melted into him, her arms looping around his neck as she pressed herself closer, letting him pull her into his orbit. The air around them stilled, the world narrowing until there was only the heat of his mouth on hers, the press of his body against her own, and the frantic beat of their shared heartbeat.
Newton sniffed along the edge of the hedges, his ears twitching as if he’d caught wind of something far more interesting than his owners' embrace.
Anthony’s hands slid down to her waist, pulling her closer still as the kiss deepened. But it wasn’t enough—not nearly enough. He fumbled with the ties of her cloak, letting it fall to the frost-dusted ground. His gloved fingers bunched the heavy layers of her skirts, gathering them with an urgency that made Kate gasp softly into his mouth.
Anthony pulled back, his forehead resting lightly against hers. His breath came in sharp bursts, visible in the cool air. “We shouldn’t,” he said hoarsely, his voice trembling slightly. “Not here.”
Kate’s lips were swollen from his kiss, her dark eyes heavy with want as she looked up at him. “Tell me to stop,” he rasped, his hands still tangled in her skirts. “Tell me to stop, Kate.”
She shook her head, her voice barely above a whisper. “Don’t you dare.”
It was all the permission he needed.
Anthony kissed her again, more desperate this time, as he pressed her gently against the cool stone wall. Kate’s fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer, her soft sighs swallowed by his mouth. For a long, breathless moment, all was forgotten under the heat of their bodies.
But then—Newton barked. Loudly. It was followed immediately by the unmistakable sound of tiny paws scrambling away at speed.
Kate broke away, her eyes wide. “Oh no.”
Anthony let out a groan, his forehead dropping to rest briefly against hers before he pulled back entirely. “That blasted dog.”
Newton barked again, the sound growing fainter.
“We should—” Kate began, pulling her cloak off the ground and fastening it around her neck again.
“Yes. Before he unravels the entire social fabric of this garden.” Anthony stepped back, running a hand down his face before grabbing Kate’s hand and tugging her down the path.
They hurried through the maze, calling for Newton as they turned corner after corner.
“Newton!” Kate called, her voice half-panicked, half-exasperated. “Come back here this instant!”
“Newton!” Anthony barked out, his voice sharper. “I swear, I will send that beast back home in his own carriage—”
They rounded another corner and found Newton at last, tail wagging furiously as he barked at a startled elderly couple who had been quietly enjoying a bench tucked away in the maze. The woman clutched her bonnet in one hand, her eyes wide, while the man gave Newton an incredulous look.
“Newton!” Kate exclaimed, swooping down to scoop the mischievous corgi into her arms. “You naughty little creature.”
Anthony approached the flustered couple with a sheepish expression. “My sincerest apologies. He’s usually—well, no, actually, he’s never well-behaved, but we try.”
The man let out a dry chuckle, and the woman gave Newton a wary glance before nodding graciously. “No harm done, my lord.”
As the couple disappeared down the maze path, Anthony turned back to Kate, his hands on his hips as he surveyed her holding the squirming Newton.
“I told you, Kate,” he said, his voice a mix of amusement and exasperation. “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again—Newton needs to be tethered in public places.”
Kate bit back a smile, raising one brow. “Oh, so you wish me to put a leash on the true lord of the house, do you?”
Anthony groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Don’t encourage him.”
Kate laughed, the sound bright and unrestrained, as Newton barked happily in her arms. “Well, if Newton must be tethered, then surely it should be with the finest leather, gold buckles, and perhaps…his name engraved in delicate script. We can’t have him looking common, can we?”
Anthony rolled his eyes. “Next, you’ll be commissioning him a velvet cushion embroidered with his crest.”
Newton barked as if in agreement, making Kate laugh and Anthony groan in mock defeat.
Anthony groaned once more but couldn’t keep the smile from creeping onto his face as he extended his hand to Kate. “Come on, Lady Bridgerton. Let’s get the true lord of the house back to the carriage before he demands a crown.”
Laughing together, they made their way out of the maze, Newton tucked securely in Kate’s arms, and Anthony’s hand wrapped firmly around her waist. The sun dipped lower on the horizon, casting long shadows over the hedges as the three of them disappeared back into the hum of the bustling gardens.