The House of Hastings (Bridgerton Fanfic)

01

"Move over, let me see" The duke pushed the lady's maid away to get a better look at his heir. The Bassett name won't end with him. There was a God indeed, and he was smiling at him.

"It's a girl," The midwife whispered.

"A girl? It can not be. Let me have a look", One look at the baby and all of Duke's dreams came crashing.

His eyes burned with anger as he left his wife's confinement room and headed towards his study. He needed a drink.

The Duke of Hastings poured the Brandy out of the decanter. His teeth clenched as he tried to contain his anger.

There was no use. No point to it now. Fifteen years in the marriage bed and she couldn't even give him an heir.

"Your Grace...", A servant called. 

The Duke tried his best to ignore the sound. What could it possibly be? What else was left?

"Your Grace, there is another babe, a boy"

The duke allowed the midwife only a minute to clean the babe, then took the little boy into his arms and marched into the great hall to show him off.

"I have a son!" he boomed. "A perfect little son!"

And while the servants cheered and wept with relief, the duke looked down upon the tiny little earl, and said, "You are perfect. You are a Basset. Simon Arthur Henry Fitzranulph Basset. And you are mine."

Lady Danbury had been at the duchess' side the entire night watching as the duchess, who had been bleeding steadily since the birth, slipped into unconsciousness, and then finally just slipped away.

It was the cries of the newly born girl that brought Lady Danbury back to the present moment. The duke had been so taken by the new heir that he had forgotten to name the baby. So Lady Danbury did what she thought the duchess would have wanted. She gave the babe a name, Lady Sarah Mary Basset.

Dear reader

It has come to my knowledge that the New Duke of Hastings has returned to London with his sister after the death of their father the Duke of Hastings late last year.

While it is common knowledge that the twins were not on favourable terms with their father, even This Author is unable to learn the reason for the estrangement.

LADY WHISTLEDOWN'S SOCIETY PAPERS, 26 APRIL 1813

"Do you think this is a good idea, Simon?" Sarah asked, her voice barely a whisper. Hearing the distress in his sister's voice Simon took her hand in his. Rubbing his thumb on the back of her hand to ease her a little.

"We will stop by Lady Danbury's, tell her we won't be able to make it this evening and then we will be out of London in a week's time. I assure you sister, it'll be alright".

Simon knew it was easier said than done. Sure he could move into one of his estates, but it would take a while to get things in place in London now that he had officially taken up his father's title. And there was no way Sarah was going to leave him alone after years apart.

Not that Simon wanted to be away from her. Sure the ton would question why Sarah was staying in what would essentially be his bachelor's lodging. But the ton always had something or the other to talk about.

Sarah nodded. Being back in London was never her plan, but she knew she couldn't let Simon face everything on his own. Being in London, especially that house brought up painful memories for him.

She had started preparing to leave the moment she received her brother's letter. The duke was finally towards the end of his life and she couldn't be happier.