Ace of Spades//Anthony Bridgerton

❧one

Dearest reader, the time has come to place our bets for the upcoming social season. Consider the household of the Baron Featherington. Three misses foisted upon the marriage market like sorrowful sows by their tasteless... tactless mama. Better odds exist in the household of the widowed Marchioness Selina Downing. Whose younger sister will be making her debut. Yet even better odds might exist in the household of the widowed Viscountess Bridgerton. A shockingly prolific family, noted for its bounty of perfectly handsome sons and perfectly beautiful daughters.

I am the Marchioness Selina Downing. It has been five years since I made my own debut. By the end of the season I found myself married to the Marquess Cooke Downing, a man eleven years my senior. Shortly thereafter we had our first daughter Matilda. Two years later we had not one but two more daughters, twins Joanna and Alice. A year later and still hoping for a boy we welcomed our last daughter Betty. A mere four months ago my husband of five years became ill and in only a few days he died.

I suppose death is nothing new in my life. My mother died while I was pregnant with Matilda. My father died a year after. My brother Campbell became the Baron Gillingham. He is twenty nine now but has no desire to act his age. He is currently in Paris doing things I never dare speak of. My sister Ellen, the wife of the Baron Stapleton, died giving birth to their first child eight years ago. The child also did not survive. My younger sister Henrietta died of sickness when she was just four. That was fifteen years ago. My youngest sister Georgiana will be making her debut this year at 18.

Along with my sister the oldest Bridgerton daughter Daphne will be making her debut. Daphne and I are the same age but I made my debut at seventeen. I was eager to marry and start my life. Maybe a little too eager. In looking back it may have done me good to wait like Daphne has. But then I would not have my four beautiful daughters.

I sit in the parlor with my daughters Tilly, Jo, and Alice. Betty is still little and is already napping.

"Mama?" Tilly asks.

I smile. "Yes, Tilly?"

"Where are you going?" Tilly asks.

"Today my sister makes her debut into society. So we will go to see Her Majesty the Queen," I explain.

"The Queen?" Tilly asks.

I nod my head. "One day when you are old enough. You to will get to meet the Queen." Tilly giggles. "Mrs Comerford is my sister ready yet?" I ask.

"I shall go check on her," Mrs Comerford tells me.

"Please tell her to make haste," I say.

"Of course Ma'am." Mrs Comerford nods before exiting.

Colborne walks into the room. "Lord Gillingham, Ma'am."

I scoff as my brother walks into the room. "What could have possibly torn you away from Paris?"

"It is nice to see you as well sister," Campbell teases. "It is my baby sister's debut today. Did you think I would miss it?"

"Yes," I state.

"You have such little faith in me," Campbell states.

"I have not seen you in London since father's death. Should you wish to be obeyed as Lord Gillingham, you must act as Lord Gillingham," I tell him. "Which means coming back to London and maybe just maybe settling down."

Georgiana walks into the room. "Campbell? What are you doing in London?"

"Does no one here wish to see me?" Campbell remarks. Neither Georgie nor I answer. "It is your debut. I would not miss it sister."

"That is nice, but if we do not make haste we will all miss it," I tell them. I place my hands on Georgiana's shoulders. "You look beautiful Georgie."

Once at the castle I stand with Georgie waiting for her to be announced. Today is a most important day, and for some a terrifying one, for today is the day London's marriage-minded misses are presented to Her Majesty the Queen. May God have mercy on their souls.