Oceans Apart ||Bridgerton|| (♡ Simon Basset)

ix.

THE music has ended and out of the corner of my eye, I see Anthony walking away with a bit of an angry look on his face. I look at him and then I see that Daphne looks surprised and shocked after him. I walk towards Daphne. "What happened?" I ask. "He told me that it is done." she says. "That what is done?" I ask. "That I don't have to marry Berbrooke." she says. "What?" I say in disbelief. How did he change his mind? This morning he was still very persistent. I look inside the room he came from and see Simon standing with his arms crossed behind his back and a somewhat angry look on his face. I immediately know what he must have done and I walk over to him. "You told him?" I ask. "I had to say something. All will be well, though, I assure you." Simon says. "You assure me?" I say and scoff slightly. "Despite what you and my brother may think, I am quite capable of speaking for myself and my sister. You had no right." I say and he looks at me. "I was trying to help." he says. "Well, you did not." I say and I let out a sigh. Nigel isn't going to give Daphne up that easily. I already knew that so I've been thinking of things I could do to make him give up, but this has ruined it. Nigel will want to move very fast now and will do anything to get what he wants. "All you did was underestimate Nigel's entitlement." I say to him and he frowns slightly. "People are watching." Daphne says softly as she joins my side. I look around and indeed see that the people in the room are looking at us. "You cannot assure me of anything." I say and then Daphne pulls on my arm, and we turn around. We give the people in the room a small smile and walk out of the room. The rest of the evening I try to avoid Simon as best as I can and I try to stay with Daphne instead. Every man that walks towards us, asking me to dance I play along to my sister. When the evening is finally finished we step into our carriage and ride home, no Anthony in sight.

~

Simon is walking to his home and he walks through an under passage. The stones are shining because of the rain but he doesn't mind. He takes a few deep breaths and thinks about the events of tonight. Then he hears quick footsteps behind him and he turns around quickly, ready to hurt the person. He is met with Nigel Berbrooke's face. "Only me, Your Grace." Nigel says as he takes a small step back, intimidated by the quick way he turned around. "Are you following me, Berbrooke?" Simon asks as he fully turns around. "I thought this matter settled." he says. "It was settled until you had to go and spoil it. I implore you to speak again with the viscount. Last night was a mistake, I admit. A temporary lack of judgment. You understand that, do you not?" Berbrooke says. "There is not and never will be any kind of understanding between the two of us. Go home, Berbrooke." Simon says and he turns around and starts walking again. "But why are you helping her? You do not need her. You already have the other one. I need her. So why can you not just let me have this one?" Berbrooke says. "I think it really ought to be up to Miss Bridgerton if she wants you or not." Simon says. Berbrooke scoffs. "When I am buying a horse, I do not negotiate with the horse." Berbrooke says. "Should you continue to follow me-" Simon starts. "Why have you not asked for her hand if you are so fond of her, and she so smitten with you?" Berbrooke says and then he stops walking. "Why have you not already proposed?" he asks. Then he seems to realize something. "Unless you have already had her." he says and Simon stops walking and turns around. "If you have, you must tell me. For if I had known she was loose and damaged, not intact," Berbrooke starts and Simon walks to him. "I never would have wanted to marry her sister-" Berbrooke continues. "Stop talking." Simon says as he comes to a stop in front of Berbrooke and Berbrooke looks a bit scared. "I shall not have you question the lady's unimpeachable honor again." he says sternly. "Yes. Yes, very well. That is all I had hoped to hear." Berbrooke says. "You do not deserve to breathe the same air as her or her family for that matter." Simon says. "Now go home." he says angrily and turns around and starts walking. "And you do? I've heard the stories of your father, Hastings." Berbrooke says, making Simon stop walking. "I know how badly he wanted a son, an heir, and I know how badly he tried to get one when it seemed your poor mother could not deliver. If anyone were to ever turn a blind eye to a man's temporary lack of judgment, it would be you." Berbrooke says. Simon takes a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself but Berbrooke takes a few steps towards him. "The apple should not fall very far, should it?" Berbrooke says. That's it. Simon can't hold it anymore, and he turns around and slams his fist into Berbrooke's face.