ENTITLED, anthony bridgerton

eight

eight
of bridgertons

Arabella woke up this morning at noon, to her surprise she was neither awoken nor disturbed by her mother or maid. Curious as to why she was allowed to sleep in Arabella awoke and dressed herself. She put on white slip dress, tied the corset around her waist, and pulled it as tightly as she could and over top she dressed herself in a peach colour gown. She splashed water on herself and put some blush on her cheeks and lips to give them a rosy effect.

Arabella raced downstairs, curious to see where the rest of her family had disappeared to. As she entered the great dining hall she saw her mother hunched over the table, holding a letter in her hand. Her father on the other hand sat on the opposite side of her mother, a comforting hand on her shoulder as she read aloud the last sentence of the letter.

"Mama, what has happened?" Arabella asked, rushing to her scowling mothers side.

"I'm afraid it's your grandfather," Geneva said, sadly.

"Oh! My goodness!," Arabella fell onto the chair and slumped dishearteningly, as tears began forming in her eyes, "He's gone,".

"What? Of course not," Geneva said, standing quickly her perfect posture returning, "He is simply ill,".

"I suppose that's better ," Arabella said with a small smile on her face.

"Yes, I suppose it is," Arabella's father, Benjamin said, "We shall pay your grandfather a visit in weeks time,".

"Oh no. No," Geneva said, "We cannot up and leave in the middle of the debutante season,". Geneva paced the room trying to come up with a solution.

"Arabella, must stay here!" Geneva said, without counselling her husband and daughter.

"Mama! This is grandfather," Arabella said, frustrated, "I must go see him,".

"She's right Geneva. The girl has been writing letters to him since she learned to write," Benjamin reasoned. Benjamin never questioned his wife antiques or decisions, he felt it best to sit back and be the bread winner. Geneva and Benjamin were never a love match, rather it was out of opportunity and necessity.

Arabella was never told the details of their matrimony but Benjamin was a Viscount young, due to his fathers passing, however Geneva was a lady, and her father a Earl. The two met and had relations and before long Geneva grew pregnant, her father the count was furious and demanded the two get married. Geneva protested this.

To many, the idea of titles seemed so futile but Geneva grew more and more spiteful with time, when she was young she was beautiful. Young men travelled far and wide to offer her their hand in marriage and she denied them each time. She felt as if she wasted her time being a mother and getting married as her chance of true love was stripped away.

Her resentment appeared out of spite toward her daughter for having the ability to choose love and future for herself and partially due to the beauty that Arabella carried, which used to be the beauty Geneva once had. Geneva and Benjamin never grew to love each other, they tolerate each other but majority of the time the two spend their time apart.

Benjamin makes the money and Geneva spends it. It was the ideal partnership.

"Perhaps," Geneva said, while in thought, "Regardless we must push all this sadness away and get ready for dinner at the Bridgerton's,".

Benjamin sighed and walked out of the hall and up the stairs, returning to his study.

"It's about time the man died, honestly. He's 87, that fortune should have been mine years ago," Geneva said, spitefully.