Bridgerton - His One True Love

Chapter Twenty - Boxing And More Drama Than Required

Jen knew where to find her brother once she learned from Lady Danbury that he had been promenading with Miss Bridgerton that morning, so she headed towards an old friend's gym.

As she pushed the door open she heard a loud groan coming from her brother, confirming her suspicions were correct and earned a slight chuckle from her also that her brother was getting what he deserved.

Upon hearing the door open both men turned to see who was entering. When Will caught sight of her face he smiled instantly. 

"Finally, you grace me with your presence Lady Hastings! At last one of the Hastings I actually like has come to see me!" Will exclaimed with a laugh and a bow in her direction.

"I finally managed to escape Lady Danbury and her suitor nonsense" she groaned with a roll of her eyes as she took a seat in the corner of the gym and watched the two continue to spar and box.

"Did you truly dance with the Bridgerton girl? Twice?" Will enquired with a chuckle.

"Remind me again why you were the first person I chose to reacquaint myself with upon my return to town?" Simon questioned with a cock of his head and a smile upon his face as he continued to spar with Will.

"Admit it friend, you missed me" Will said with a chuckle and lunged for Simon. As the men moved around the ring they heard the door open and in walks Anthony.

"Might I have a word?" Anthony queried.

"Have as many as you like Bridgerton" Simon quipped back as his focus remained on the match in front of him.

"Well, are you to come down here or must I go up there?" Anthony huffed rather unimpressed by the whole situation.

"My fists have taken enough pounding from your chin today, Your Dukeship" Will says as he steps out of the ring making way for Anthony to enter and earning a chuckle from Simon.

As soon as Anthony enters the ring he takes a swing for Simon but Simon ducks out of the way causing Anthony to miss.

"Well? What seems to be so urgent?" Simon questions.

"I should like to know what was going through your head last night and this morning!" Anthony says angered by his friend's behaviour.

"As would I" Jen whispers to Will, earning a chuckle from the man sat on her left.

"You have to be more precise. A great deal goes on in a mind as quick as mine." Simon quips back to Anthony only earning an eye roll from his sister and Will alike.

"A great deal of shit that's all that goes through his mind" Jen mumbles, yet again earning a chuckle from Will.

"Are you courting my sister?" Antony enquired as he throws a punch in Simon's direction.

"Should I not be courting your sister?" he replied with a tilt of his head.

"No and I can think of dozens of reasons why, starting with 'she is my sister' and ending with 'she is already engaged to be married', and then perhaps circling back to 'she is my sister!'" Anthony says as he punches Simon in the face, eliciting a loud grunt from Simon and a laugh from Will.

"I was unaware of an engagement. Have the banns been read then?" Simon retorts.

"I assure you all the formal preparations are underway. I have arranged everything with Nigel Berbrooke having given him my word." Anthony huffs in response.

"Ah, so you have struck something squarely. Your problem is that Berbrooke is a holy unworthy suitor for Miss Bridgerton" Simon replies and punches Anthony in the gut.

"He is perfectly decent. He is never seen going in and out of brothels at least. I even know where he has been the past few years, right here in London, as opposed to some gambling hell or backwater slum, or wherever it was you chose to fuck about for god knows whatever reason." Anthony yells and turns to exit the ring but stop when he hears Simon reply.

"Nigel Berbrooke is hardly a saint" he sighs.

"Can't they just agree they are both stubborn and be done with this" Jen sighs to Will.

"Well, you grace, that would be too simple for these morons" Will laughs back.

"You are and have long been a good friend. The best, really, but this is my sister. Think of all that we have shared as friends. It is furthest from my intentions to offend you, but surely you can understand that family must come before all else!" Anthony tries to reason with Simon hoping he would see why he is doing this.

"I understand that perfectly well Bridgerton. Since it is such a big ordeal that I should court your sister, then I too must insist you refrain from courting mine" Simon says as he looks Anthony in the eyes.

"Pardon me?" Anthony says in disbelief.

"You do not wish for me to court your sister, I too wish for you to no longer court mine. I see no such problem with such a request when you ask the same of me Bridgerton" Simon says matter-of-factly.

Jen eyes nearly bulged out of her head as she looked at her brother with such pain in her face, how could he do this to her when he knew how important Anthony is to her.

"But you know of my feelings for Jen" Anthony said confused as to why Simon would even ask him to do this.

"Yes but 'she is my sister'" Simons said mocking exactly how Anthony had said it only moments prior.

Angered and heartbroken Jen stormed up the stairs to seek comfort from Will's wife Alice, she couldn't believe her brother would stoop so low. Both men saw Jen leave and both felt a pang of guilt in their chests, Anthony because he did not even know she was there, Simon because he could see the hurt in her face.

"This is because I haven't told her about Sienna yet isn't it" Anthony yells now fuming towards his friend.

"Well, Bridgerton at least I have the nerve to tell Jenifer about my mistresses when I have them, too bad you cannot do the same" Simon sighs back.

Gobsmacked and utterly confused Anthony storms away from Simon and the boxing ring in need of some space to think. That had total backfired on him, in more ways than one. How was he ever supposed to be with Jen or to tell her about Sienna if he did not wish for Simon to court his sister.

"You really cannot let that poor girl have any happiness, can you?" Will sighs and shakes his head as he approaches Simon.

"She deserves far better than a rake who continues to lie to her Will, you must agree" he huffs back.

"So, she can have a rake for a brother no problem, but when her lover is trying to change for her that is not acceptable? You yourself are a rake and are courting the young Bridgerton lady, by your standards then she too deserves better my friend" he says back with a raised brow.

"We are not the same Will!" Simon barks back.

"Do enlighten me Your Grace, because from where I am stood the only difference I can see between you and Mr Bridgerton is your titles... now if you would please excuse me, I must go see how YOUR SISTER is after how YOU BEHAVED" he states and heads upstairs to check on the youngest Basset sibling, knowing how hurt she must be as a result of her brother's pig-headed logic.

Being left in the gym by himself with just his thoughts he realised how badly he screwed up, yet again. Jen was starting to forgive him and he has gone 100 steps backwards once more. Angered by his own stupidity he yells in frustration and starts bashing a punching bag to release some of his anger.