"Ridiculous." Griffin rolled his eyes at the amount of men that stood before Lady Danbury's fire place, trying to empress Edwina. "If Anthony would let me go anywhere near Miss Edwina, i'd have simply won her over by now."

"Yes, i'd love to know what you'd do up there, Brother." Benedict spoke curiously.

Griffin thought for a moment. "Possibly blow fire from my mouth?"

"Ah, how original." he hummed in response. "And how would you do this fire method?"

"I shall not worry about that." Griffin waved him off immediately. "Why would I ever need to worry about taste buds when i'd have my wife?"

"Yes. Yes." Lady Danbury walked forward to cut off the man and his yo-yo. "How about a pause?"

"How about a drink?" Griffin mumbled. As they began to spread out, Griffin waited until the girl on Edwinas side moved. He moved in immediately. "Miss Edwina."

"Oh, Lord Bridgerton." she smiled, accepting the drink he handed her. "How kind of you."

"A bit of a pay back for the beautiful dress I ruined." he gave his most apologetic look. "Did she recover okay?"

"Do you refer to dressed as she?" Edwina hummed as she sipped her drink.

"Yes. As I do bow ties." he hummed, scooting in closer. "What are your thought on Baby's Breath?"

"The flower?" Edwina smiled as he nodded. "I think they are most exquisite."

"As do I." Griffin smiled with a forced laugh. "We have so much in common. "

"Suppose we do." she grinned to him. "The blue ones are my favorite."

"Mine too." Griffin placed a hand on his heart. "We grow them at Aubrey Hall. Such a beautiful garden, all the colors you could imagine, Miss Edwina."

"It sounds as though-" Edwina began before the door swung open, Griffins face fell at the sight of his brother running into the room.

"Pardon me, Lady Danbury." Anthony cut in, Griffin looked to see Edwinas face had lit up at the sight of him.

"Uh, Lord Bridgerton, I did not expect you." Lady Danbury spoke in return.

"No, I seem to have fallen off the guest list." he passed Kate with an offended side eye. "Though, surely you'd never deny a young man you've known for twenty-nine years the pleasure of your company? And, neither would your footman at the front door."

"Arrogance." Griffin mumbled in disbelief.

"Apologies, Viscount. You appear to be late again." Kate mocked from his side. "We were just brining the evening to a conclusion-"

"Surely Miss Edwina has time for one more." Anthony cut her words short. "I've spent all evening crafting something. An original."

Griffin stared at him in disbelief, but Anthony granted him not even the smallest of looks. "Would you like to hear it?"

Edwina gave him a smile, Griffin left without a word as he stormed past Benedict.

"I am not staying here!" Griffin announced as he refused to get out of the chariot.

"Darling, I know you are angry-" Violet began.

"My wife is being used by my brother. Angry does not even began to cover my emotions, mother." Griffin held onto the side of the carriage. "I wish to return home this instinct."

"Oh, get out of the carriage." Anthony rolled his eyes, stood before Aubrey Hall. "Our guest will be here soon and I can't have you acting a fool."

"Ah, yes." Griffin nodded. "I might be a fool but at least I will love and cherish my wife, not use her for child baring and to flaunt the diamond."

"Are you still going on about this?" his oldest brother laughed in disbelief.

"I wish to go home or I shall strip my clothes and run in my undergarments again." Griffin looked to his mother with a serious look.

"Oh, not again." Benedict cringed.

"Come on out, Darling." Violet tried once again.

Griffin had gotten out of the carriage, only he was yanking his clothes off soon after.

"Oh my." Eloise squeezed her nose in disbelief.

"No, no, D-" Violet tried to speak before Griffin took off in a sprint in just one layer of clothing. "There he goes."

"Did you expect him not to live up to his word?" Benedict asked her honestly.

Griffin ran all the way around Aubrey hall, a flauck of bird flying around him when he ran through them. As he made it back around, he'd been breathing heavy and his pale body was glistening of faint sweat.

He genuinely hadn't expect the Sharmas and Lady Danbury to arrive so soon.

"Lord Bridgerton." Edwina gapped, the first to lay her eyes on him.

"Brother." Anthony spoke through his teeth to try and get him to leave.

"Hello, Miss Edwina." Griffin reddened in embarrassment, giving her a tight lipped smile as he yanked his blazer from Benedict's hands to cover himself. "Good day?"

Kate was holding back a smile as Daphne approached her brother. "Quite a show."

"Sorry, sister." he apologized, putting his clothes back on. "Hello, Augie."

"He's taken after you." Daphne put the babies hat back on as Griffin took him into his arms. "Won't keep his clothes on either."

"We are the heart and soul of the family, young man." Griffin held the baby on his hip. "Shall we go meet my wife?"

"You have a wife?" Daphne gapped, watching as Griffin walked away. "Griffin!"

"Miss Edwina." Griffin smiled as he approached her. "Very sorry for the...uncalled for meeting."

"Oh, not to worry, My Lord." she smiled, looking to the baby. "Your sisters son, yes?"

"Augie." Griffin hoisted him up more. "He takes after me. I'm quite well with children, wish to have plenty of my own one day. That's to say, up to my wife, of course. If she wished to have no children, we will have no children!"

Edwina laughed. "You always make me laugh with your jokes, my Lord."

"Oh." he laughed. "Not at all joking."

"Miss Edwina." Kates calling cut them short, looking over to see her stood with Anthony and Daphne. Anthony took her arm and gently encouraged her away with a, now, glaring Griffin.

"Oh." Daphne gapped, assuming she's been the wife Griffin had been speaking of.

"It is an honor, Your Grace." Edwina smiled to Daphne after taking a small curtsy.

"Miss Edwina, I am please to introduce you to Aubrey Hall." Anthony cut in after Daphne gave a look betwen him and Kate, back to Griffin who looked as though he wished to take Anthony's head off.

"It is a beautiful home." Edwina smiled as she looked around. "Lord Bridgerton mentioned baby breath flowers?"

"Pardon?" Anthony blinked at her.

"Baby breath flowers." Griffin walked over, hoisted Augie onto his hip more with a small bounce. "Miss Edwina loves those. They're in the flower beds nearest my window. Perhaps, with a little communication, you would know such a thing, Brother."

"Full of jokes." Anthony forced a laugh.

"Thank you very much for inviting us." Edwina looked up to Anthony. "I very much look forward to spending time with you and your family."

"Well, now, you must be weary from your travels." Violet smiled as she looked back to the older woman. "Mrs.Wilson. Please show our guest to their rooms so they might get refreshed."

"Where is this wife of yours?" Daphne took Augie from Griffin with a curious look.

He exhaled, nodding toward Edwina as she walked away. "There she goes."

•

kylie speaks

i can't stop laughing imagining
him running so oddly through
a flauk of birds