#when you think about it simon and anthony are a bit similar

[venusleontios55555]

Benedict: Why is Anthony so sad?

Colin: He took one of those ‘What character are you?’ quizzes.

Benedict: And?

Colin: He got Simon.

Anthony *sadly*: I just want to go to my wife.

Benedict: That's exactly what Simon would say.

Anthony: FUCK

[eleanor-bradstreet]

Let Me Be Your Anchor

Chapter 12: Defenses Crumble

Benedict Bridgerton x Sophie Beckett An Offer from a Gentleman reimagined Chapter rating: G Word count: 3k

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Author's Notes: Maybe I'm still a bit salty that that line which has become so emblematic of Bridgerton was given to Simon and Daphne and not where it actually appears in the books, which is uttered by both Anthony and Benedict in their respective love stories. Idk if it was a copy/paste situation on JQ's part, or if we can head canon that Anthony taught Benedict some moves 😜 but you have to admit, it's a great line 💙

Benedict didn’t see Sophie for three days. Not really. She had obviously stopped visiting him, free as he was from his sickbed. But he also didn’t see her walking in the grounds or in the halls or anywhere that he went. He checked in with Mr. Dewitt who confirmed that he was meeting with Sophie each morning to provide her with advertisements. She hadn’t left but was cleverly avoiding him.

Toward the end of the second day, he worked up the nerve to ask Mrs. Wiggin where she was. He knew that repeating such a request could raise suspicion, so it was his only chance. He inquired as casually as he could. The cook informed him that she was helping Anne with the laundry. Benedict returned a curt smile, said something banal and wandered away. He couldn’t very well go confronting Sophie about being his mistress in front of others.

On day three he began to suspect that Sophie was deliberately tying herself to the other servants so as to never risk being caught alone. He glimpsed her briefly through a window, out in the kitchen garden with Lizzie. She was beautiful even at this distance, her short hair reflecting the sunlight. She laughed at something her companion said, making Benedict realize he had never seen her laugh before. He wanted to see it again. He wondered how fervently she was applying to new positions and how long it may take to secure one. He simply wanted to talk to her. But he couldn’t, not with others around.

The fourth day progressed cold and bleak, with rains as heavy as the night of the Cavender party. It made Benedict think of his ride with Sophie, of their night at the inn, of the wholly unexpected course he had found himself on since. Still, there was no sign of her. He was starting to grow agitated. He went to the nursery to work out his feelings on a canvas and was confronted with her half-finished portrait. Frustration building, he stalked downstairs to set up an easel in the conservatory, using the pale light from the tall windows to depict a grey, windswept moor.

He was so focused that Mrs. Wiggin startled him when she appeared with his dinner. The room had grown dark but a fire had been lit in the grate and he agreed to take his meal where he was, assessing what he had painted thus far. 

___

When Mrs. Wiggin asked Sophie to stoke the fire in the conservatory, she hesitated. She had managed to avoid being alone upstairs this long and didn’t relish the thought of going unaccompanied. But this task seemed safe enough, given that Benedict should be in the dining room in another part of the house entirely. She also couldn’t refuse without seeming rude and so she ascended.

As she moved through the house, she couldn’t help but notice how lovely Aubrey Hall was at night. With the paintings and gleaming floors softly illuminated by candlelight, it was not at all like a cold and imposing manse with secrets hiding in its shadows. It was as cozy as a cottage though its size was more akin to a palace. She thought of Benedict and his siblings growing up surrounded by such warmth and felt a bittersweet sadness that she hadn’t been able to experience something similar at Penwood Park. Her time in this house had been a gift, even though it came with such complicated pain. She loved the buildings, she loved the grounds, she loved a member of the family who lived there. But she would never be able to stay, and that was the cruelest trick of all.

Thoughts weighing heavily on her, she walked into the conservatory, its angled windows still glistening in the dark with the day’s rain. She turned to the fireplace and found herself in direct eye contact with Benedict. He was seated next to the fire, one leg dangling over the arm of his chair, studying an easel a short distance away. They both froze, holding their breaths in silence. Then Sophie instinctively spun and dashed out of the room.

“Wait!” She heard Benedict call behind her but she would not stop. Of course the one time she set out alone she had been sent directly into his path. She didn’t want to talk to him. She didn’t know what to say. She needed to get away, and away was a servant’s staircase tucked behind a door off the main entry hall.

“Sophie!” Benedict was catching up to her. The time it took her to open the door proved to be her downfall because no sooner had she ducked through then he appeared beside her on the tiny landing and shut the door firmly behind them.

He repeated her name, softer. She expected him to grab her by the arm as he had formed a habit of doing, but instead he reached out to grasp her hand, halting her in place.

“Benedict!” She whispered, worried the staff would hear them from below. “You cannot be here!” She wanted to pull away but couldn’t deny the electricity she felt at the touch of his skin.

“I need to talk to you.”

Sophie ignored his gentle tone and spat back at him, “You made yourself very clear when last we spoke.”

“I was an ass,” he declared. She stared back at him, caught entirely off guard. He continued, “I shouldn’t have said what I did. I shouldn’t have lorded money over you. It’s reprehensible. But please know, I only wish to ensure your well being.”

Sophie hadn’t expected this, but she was starting to learn that Benedict’s better nature tended to always prevail. “You have an odd and shortsighted way of showing it,” she snipped. “But I know that’s what you are doing.”

A small grin tugged at the corner of his lips. Still holding her hand, he gripped it tighter. 

She looked up at him placidly. “And you’ll be happy to learn that I believe I have found my new position.” 

Benedict’s heart sank again. Every sentence she spoke whipped him from one emotion to another. It was nearly making him dizzy. With feigned casualty, all he could manage to say was, “Oh?”

“Yes. With a home in Scotland. They are in need of an experienced maid and I believe I meet their qualifications, so I have written to them. I am just waiting for their reply.” 

This was the compromise Sophie had devised. She would find employment in a new noble house but it would be as far away as possible; so far that Benedict would never have her followed there, and hopefully so far that Cavender wouldn’t chance to visit either. With her letter of acceptance from the Stirling household, Benedict would need to make good on his arrangement, pay Sophie her wages and let her leave. Then the choice would be hers whether she wanted to follow through with the employment or use the money to start anew in some way she would feel safe. 

“Scotland?” Benedict’s voice faltered. He looked crestfallen. Sophie couldn’t ignore how it pained her, but she was resolved and nodded wordlessly.

They stood frozen in the stairwell, her hand in his, staring at each other in silence. 

At last, Benedict released her and cleared his throat. “Very well. Once you have a letter of acceptance, I will ensure that you are paid. Double what was originally agreed upon.”

Sophie’s eyes widened. “Benedict, you don’t have to…”

“May I ask a final favor?” His voice was soft. “You certainly don’t owe it to me, but I must ask nonetheless.”

“What is it?” The sadness in his eyes was going to break her. 

“Would you let me finish your portrait before you go? It is still a gift I’d like you to have, and just…” He cast his eyes down. “For an artist, it can be torturous to leave a work unfinished.” 

When Sophie did not respond for a long moment, he looked up at her warily. What little light there was in the stairwell betrayed the tears that were brimming in her eyes. 

“Yes,” She nodded briskly, voice tight. “I will sit for the rest of the portrait.”

“Thank you, Sophie.”

They agreed to meet in the nursery again after Sophie had completed her duties. She left him on the landing as she scurried down to the kitchen, managing to stave off her tears. Asking herself why she had agreed to be alone with him again, the vision of his sorrowful eyes rose in her mind as its own justification. He had meant his apology. He was a good man, just a man who had asked for too much, as men in his position were bound to do. He only wanted to finish her portrait, which was a courtesy she could extend to him before she left and never saw him again. It would be difficult to stare at him as he painted and to think of all that had occurred between them, but it would be her last opportunity to seal off these memories before a new chapter of her life began.

She completed her nightly chores in a daze. She believed some of the other staff spoke to her, but she couldn’t really remember. She was positive her answers, if any, were spoken in mumbles. She moved plates, she folded linens, but her eyes barely saw the items in her hands. After Mrs. Wiggin bid her goodnight and headed off for bed, Sophie went to her quarters. She loosened and brushed her hair, reaffixing it the way it had been for her first sitting. She removed her apron and changed again into her green dress. Then, as quietly as she could, carrying a lone candle and using the servants’ stairs, she crept up to the family wing and to the nursery door.

With an overwhelming sense of deja vu, she greeted Benedict who stood at his easel, then took her place on the window seat facing him. She moved through the same motions, feeling as if she were trapped in a repeating dream - one where she would come so close to happiness, but then watch as it slipped through her fingers. Something was different about this time though. The energy between her and Benedict was decidedly darker. Whereas before she had been filled with breathless anticipation and wonder, now she felt weighted down, heavy with frustration, confusion and sadness. 

Benedict looked much the same. His eyes were not shining as they had the first time and there was no trace of the smile he so often bore. He looked dejected and tired, like he was forcing himself to complete the portrait against his own will. Sophie held still as he painted, the air thick with an awkward, painful silence. It grew from uncomfortable to torturous. Sophie wracked her mind for something to say, something that was neither too trite or too honest, but she could think of nothing.

Eventually, mercifully, Benedict spoke. “Could you…” He looked back and forth between her and the canvas. His tone was depressed. “Could you just…”

He debated within himself what exactly he wanted to say. Would he ask her to smile and take that heartbreaking look off of her face? No, he would never be so pigheaded as to suggest that. The word he truly wanted to use whispered through his mind: stay. But he couldn’t. That plea had been made and rejected. He should honor it. It was the gentlemanly thing to do. But he simply couldn’t finish the portrait, not with her looking the way she was, so unlike the Sophie he had come to know.

“I can’t paint your eyes,” he admitted. “Not the way I want to. There is a sorrow deep within them that wasn’t there before.”

Sophie stared up at him, shaking her head slightly as if the sorrow was something solid that could be sloughed off. “Benedict…”

He put down his brush and palette and walked toward her.  “I can’t bear it when you look so sad,” he said, surprised by his own words. He hadn’t intended to say anything, but his heart was clearly controlling his tongue and it demanded honesty. 

She took a shaking breath to steady herself. She should have known this would happen. She should have known he would make her falter again, with his eyes and his words and his gentle nature. He wanted her to stay, of course he did, but her plan was to leave and she needed to see it through. Her heart was starting to pound, protesting against her mind’s resolution.

“Please don’t make this harder than it already is.”

When she said that, something snapped inside of him. He felt it palpably, a hot rush of blood, feeding the frustration that had been simmering inside of him for days. To hell with gentlemanly behavior. He couldn’t let her leave. He wouldn’t lose her like he had lost the lady in silver. He didn’t know how he could be with Sophie if she refused to be his mistress, but he couldn’t let her walk out of his life and disappear. Not when she had stirred his soul that day at the lake, and not when she had made him happier than he had felt in years. He leveled his gaze on her. “You think it’s not hard?” he growled. “You think this isn’t hard?”

“I didn’t say that!” Her voice was growing stronger. There was a determined gleam in her eye, a courage that he so admired. 

This woman, such a rare combination of strength and beauty, made him weak as she glared at him. Every cell of his body was magnetized toward her and the rush of his blood sang in his ears. He dropped to his knees before her, his every defense crumbling. He didn’t know what tomorrow would bring but he couldn’t let her leave without showing her how he felt, just one time.

“I won’t ask you to be my mistress,” he said firmly. The declaration hung in the air between them. Her eyes widened and something flickered across her face, something like hope breaking through the sorrow. It urged him on and he took her hands in his. 

“I will never ask you to do anything you do not want. I only…I only wish to show you how much I care for you, without arrangement or obligation.” He touched her chin, lifting her face until he could peer into her eyes. They seemed to glow from within, glistening with unshed tears. “Sophie, I only want you. Just you. If you’ll have me.”

A pause. Sophie found it impossible to breathe. She didn’t have the strength to fight herself anymore. Not when the man she loved was begging her, on his knees, to be with him if and as she wished to. What sort of relationship that would give them, she didn’t know. That it would still only lead her to heartbreak in the end, she was certain. But she was losing the battle for rationality. Meekly, she launched her only remaining protest.

“You deserve better than me,” she whispered, and the pain in her voice nearly unmanned him.

Benedict rose, pulling her to stand with him. She looked up, eyes unfathomable behind her tears. She had cried too much and he needed to put an end to it. Slowly, he slipped his arms around her and pulled her body against his.

“I burn for you,” he whispered, his lips touching her ear. “Every night, I lie in bed, thinking of you, wondering why the hell you’re in the servants quarters and not with me.”

Sophie felt every last shred of resistance within her fall away. At last, an honest truth crystalized within her. She wanted this. Whatever piece of Benedict she could get and for however long, she wanted it.

Benedict could feel her breath grow heavier, her back quivering beneath his hands. She uttered his name softly as her hands traced up to his shoulders, then to hold his face. She searched his eyes, a thousand emotions glittering in her own. She missed him, she wanted him, she needed him, and now she would finally allow herself to have him. It was the dream she had carried with her for years, the dream she never dared to think would come true. But here it was, in her hands, the sincerity in his gaze speaking nothing but truth. The room was dim with the glow of firelight but he stood out, radiant against it all.

Benedict captured her mouth with his, swearing to himself as he did so that if she said no, if she made any sort of indication that she truly didn’t want this, he’d stop. It’d be the hardest thing he’d ever done, but he would do it. 

But she didn’t say no, and she didn’t push him away. Instead, she positively melted into him, her hands twining in his hair as her lips parted beneath his. His heart leapt, that she was letting him kiss her -- no, that she had decided to kiss him. He seized the moment, tasting her, drinking her, breathing her. He wanted it to last a lifetime. The kiss he had wished to give the lady in silver, proof of all his affection and commitment, building up for years and unleashed at last for dear Sophie. Sophie who was here, Sophie who was real, Sophie who stoked the same fire within him, and she felt like heaven. The soft scent of her hair, the slight taste of salt on her skin -- she was, he thought, born to rest in the shelter of his arms. And he was born to hold her.  Sophie luxuriated in the feeling of Benedict’s lips, his tongue, his hands. The entirety of his body radiating heat against hers. How foolish of her to think that she could or even should, deny this desire, wherever it might lead. How self-important to think that she could be stronger than passion.

Tagging: @angels17324 @broooookiecrisp @secretagentbucky @eg-dr3amer3 @time-to-hit-the-clouds @lyta2323 @autumn-grace @sadprose-auroras @the-other-art-blog @goldrambutan @colettebronte @heeyyyou @musicismyoxygen84 @faye-tale @ambitionspassionscoffee @starchaser325 @malna4903 @sincere-sarcasm @kmc1989 @makaylan @queen-of-the-misfit-toys

[stars-of-kyber]

Oh how I absolutely loved the Kanthony + 38 prompt. Thank you thank you thank you!!!

Just one request pls pls pls - can we see this same prompt but with a role reversal I.e., with Kate being the one fainting and after they’re dating? Pls - it would make my whole year 🥹🤌🫶

Hello anon!

Thank you very much! I'm so glad you liked it!

Just lemme say that this got a bit out of hand... But I think it's cute so I hope you like it! I called it This Time We're Falling Together

This is a kind of Sequel to This story! It's better if you read that and then this, but it can be read as a standalone as well!

Enjoy this mess!

----------------------------------------------------------------

Kathani Sharma’s fiancé was annoying and overprotective. And a hoverer. And a bloody hypocrite.

She loved the man with all her heart, really did, but by God, sometimes he did his damnedest to irritate her!

She had a nasty stomach bug, courtesy of little Augie Basset. Simon had been really sick and Daphne called Kate desperately, begging her soon-to-be sister-in-law to watch the baby as she took her husband to the A&E. The younger woman was aware that Kate was home from the gallery and she knew Kate wanted to rest and see some details about her upcoming wedding. Daph would never bother Kate on her free day if there was another option but her mother was also down with something and Augie's usual sitter was out of the country on holiday. It was down to her or Eloise by this point. 

Kate really didn't mind. She loved her soon-to-be nibbling and Augie was a delightful little thing. At 10 months old, he was trying to stand on his feet and he was starting to try and form words. She secretly rejoiced the chance to have some one-on-one time to try and get the boy to say something similar to "Auntie Katie" before he said "Uncle Ant". She was already at a disadvantage since her fiancé's name was already much easier for a baby to babble than hers. She needed all the time she could get.

Newton was always excited when Augie was around. The first time she took him to Violet's for family brunch after Augie had been born, Kate was a bit scared the dog and the baby might not mingle well. Newton could be rough when he was excited and the puppy could feel left out with much of the attention on the new baby. 

Turns out her worries were for nothing. Newton had wiggled his little chubby butt all the way to where the four-month-old was resting in his carrier. Kate held on tight to the leash, in case her dog did something that might hurt Auggie and Simon was standing close as he told her to let him take a sniff. And so Newton did. He smelled the baby curiously for a few moments before realising it was friendly and giving it a nice sloppy lick to the head, to little Augie's delight. And that had been that. 

Unfortunately, Augie was fussy the entire afternoon. He cried whenever Kate tried to set him down, clinging to her T-shirt with little chubby fingers, and he hadn't taken much of the bottle she had tried to feed him. Her sister-in-law had informed Kate he had been sickly the past week but he had been to his paediatrician and was slowly getting better, so Kate hadn't been much phased. 

Anthony had come home that day to find his fiancée on the couch with his nephew cuddling into her chest, both of them as asleep as it would get, Newton had wiggled himself at the crook of her arm, his snout pressed against the baby's side as he wagged his tail to Anthony. 

In the end, Simon had a stomach bug, Daphne had thanked her profusely for watching Augie all afternoon and Anthony had sent a photo of Kate, Augie and Newton to the family group chat with the caption 'Who's babysitting who?', which had prompted a long discussion on how clearly the corgi was the one true nanny in the pic. It had been a lovely afternoon.

A few days later, Kate woke up with a sore body, a dry mouth and nausea rolling over her in waves. She bolted from bed, the world threatening to collapse under her wobbly legs, and emptied the meagre content of her stomach into the toilet, Anthony following behind her with a worried frown already twisting his face. 

Apparently, the stomach bug Augie Basset had passed to his father and grandmother and had gotten Kate too. She and all of the inhabitants of Bridgerton House but Hyacinth, although Anthony assured her his baby sister almost never got sick at all. She hadn't gotten chickenpox the summer three of her siblings had it and she was the only member of the family who had never been down with the flu. Apparently, the only health-related issues Hyacinth Bridgerton was capable of having were self-inflicted ones, such as a broken arm and some stitches to the head. 

According to Violet, Eloise had taken control of the upstairs bathroom, Greg was curled into a ball under his comforter with stomach cramps, and Frannie was running a temperature and couldn't keep any food down. Hyacinth had already called her big brother to take her out to eat because she couldn't stand living off chicken soup and crackers anymore and Violed did not allow the 10-year-old to run the cooker without adult supervision, and no one close to adulthood was in any condition of doing so. 

Kate could relate. The idea of a nice meal that wasn't clear broth or toast seemed wonderful in her head, although her stomach protested at the thought. She'd taken some sick days, to Benedict's most utter delight. But she'd only done it because apparently whatever Augie gave her spread pretty easily and she couldn't risk contaminating other people but Anthony's brother would not hear of it. 

"First, the two of you are using all your holiday leave and now Kate's even taking sick days!" He had laughed through the call. "Love really can perform miracles, I guess." 

The day Benedict discovered Kate and Anthony were planning to travel abroad for their honeymoon, he'd stared at her as if they'd told him they had decided to quit their jobs and move to Antarctica. 

"What?" She asked with a raised eyebrow as Ben stared open-mouthed. 

"I'm sorry, did you just say you talked to Mr Griphins about using your holiday leave after the wedding?" 

"I'm going on my honeymoon." She scoffed, turning back to the planner in front of her. "We're going to travel." 

"Willingly?!" Kate blinked at her future brother-in-law as if he had gone crazy. "Both you and Anthony are willingly using all your holiday leave?"

"I'm not that bad!" 

"When was the last time you took a holiday?" Ben interrupted before she could reply. "That wasn't either mandatory or an emergency?" Suddenly, her shoes became quite interesting and Benedict couldn't even decipher what was her reply. "Come again?" 

"I haven't, alright?!" She rolled her eyes, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "But we are going. We're taking a tour around Italy, all the way from Piemonte to Sicily. We're going skiing and wine-tasting and seeing beautiful art and eating great food." 

"That sounds fishy. Does Anthony know that?"

"He suggested it." 

"He what?!"

Kate's boss had also been shocked when he got a call from her saying she needed to use up some of her sick days. Was everything okay? Was she in the hospital? Did someone die? 

Kate might be a bit too hard on herself, but she refused to be a health hazard. So she stayed curled in bed, feeling her body begin building up a temperature but too tired and aching to actually get up and check. Her stomach was in knots and only taking toast with a little smear of marmalade and a very softened version of Mary's Chicken noodles soup. 

Anthony had worked from home the first day Kate came down with her stomach bug and he had tried to take some days off to take care of her, but his fiancée had categorically refused. There was very little he'd be able to do from home. The doctors had told both Simon and Violet during their visits to the A&E that it was viral and the way to treat it was to rest, have plenty of fluids, some rest, some vitamin C, and rest and try to eat as much as you could and rest. Did she mention rest? Because her body seemed like it had been run over by a truck and she was exhausted. 

There was no logical reason for Anthony to miss work. She'd probably just sleep all day long, getting up to go to the loo before rushing back to the comfort of the bed and the less contact between them, the better, before Anthony ended up sick himself. Kate had promised she'd call him in case there was anything wrong, which they both knew she wouldn't do unless she was actually really close to dying. 

So Anthony had gone to work after forcing her to take the vitamin tablet and leaving a big bottle of Pedialyte on the nightstand, telling her that bottle better be empty when he called to check on her around lunchtime and that she was supposed to check in as often as she could. Behind her back, he had scheduled with Mary to come to the flat to make sure Kate was alive and breathing, refill her water and try to get her to eat. Maybe it was vengeance from when she had forced him to call a family member after their disastrous first date. 

He would pay for that. Not right at that moment, but when she had enough energy to get out of bed, she'd definitely make him pay.

The first few days went by in a blur of exhausted sleep, constant trips to the toilet and stomach pain, but by the 6th day, things were slowly but surely starting to come back to normal. 

Despite this, she was still barely keeping anything down and she was still tired, sometimes dizzy, but she could spend more time awake and walk around the house without feeling like she'd walked all the way to India and back when she reached the sofa. 

And that's how she found herself alongside Anthony as he took Newton for a short walk on a Saturday morning. Her fiancé, as overprotective as always, had tried to talk her into staying home. 

"I need fresh air, Anthony!" She complained, groaning as she leaned down to fit her trainers into her feet. "I've been cooped up here all week, I'm losing my mind! I want to see the sky." 

"The sky is as cloudy and grey as always, you can see it from the window." Anthony scoffed. "And we live in London, there's no such thing as fresh air." 

Still, Kate was bundled up in her jacket next to him as they strolled down the sideway, her hand tugged into his arm, Newton's leash around his hand, the chubby little pup wiggling his butt as he stopped to sniff every single plant and lamppost he found. 

"I'm going back to work on Monday." She told him decisively. 

"Are you sure you're well enough for that?" He asked, his face twisted in concern. Kate knew Anthony worried about her just as much as she worried about him. They were both workaholics who tended to ignore their own bodies' needs and demands until they actively broke down, too sick to actually keep going. And because she knew that, she knew her fiancé was just as bad as she was when sick. "You need to rest."

"You wanted to work three days after getting your appendix removed, Anthony." She rolled her eyes at him. "You're the last person who can lecture me on this."

"You're still barely being able to keep anything down." Anthony continued as if she hadn't said anything. "And don't think I don't know you're still feeling some pain in your stomach."

"I'm much better now." 

"You've been living on toast and marmalade for a week." He raised his eyebrow, offering his fiancée a pointed look. 

"That's not true." She scoffed. "I managed to eat strawberry jam instead of marmalade yesterday and I didn't throw up." 

"Oh, alright, now you're so much better!" He rolled his eyes, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I don't know why I was worried at all." 

"I'll be fine, okay?" She pulled herself closer to his side, enjoying the way he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "I'm already feeling much better." It wasn't a straight-out lie, she did feel better. The much more part was a big exaggeration, though, and she knew her fiancé could see it as well. 

 "I'm just worried about you," Anthony said, kissing the top of her head gently. "I can't stand the thought of anything happening to you."

"Nothing's going to happen to me, you silly man." Kate laughed as she kissed his cheek and pulled away, bending down to help Newton, who had managed to tangle his lead on his little legs in his excitement to chase after some pigeons. "You're not getting rid of us that easily, Mr Bridgerton. We're here to stay, isn't that right, Newty?" The corgi barked at the sound of his name as if agreeing to what his owner said. 

"Good, I put that ring on your finger for a reason." Anthony extended his hand and Kate took it, letting him pull her to her feet. 

Nope, big mistake, Kate thought as the edges of her vision faded. She rose way too quickly and her vision turned even darker the moment she was standing on her own two feet. She clutched at Anthony, who, by the look on his face, had noticed something was wrong. 

"Kate?" His voice sounded way too far away from her ears as she tried to blink back the spots that were swarming her sight. "Kate!”

And then everything went black.

Kate came back to herself slowly, dizzy and a little nauseous, with a throbbing pain burning against her temple. She was laying on the hard, cobblestone floor of the park. The flaps of her coat, which had been previously quite snug across her chest, were zipped open, making Kate shiver with the wind. Newton was next to her face, sniffing at her and licking the skin of her cheek.

"Stop..." Her voice was weak as she tried to move her hand to push the dog away from her only to find out that her wrist was securely in her fiancé's hand as he murmured something she couldn't really understand under his breath. Her poor, stressed-out fiancé looked like he was very close to having a panic attack. His eyes were wide, and all blood seemed to have left his face. Kate could feel the way his hands were shaking as he tried to feel her pulse. "Anthony..."

"Kate! Kate, are you listening to me?" He came closer to her face, his hands feeling her cheeks. "Kate, please..."

"Newton's licking me." She whined in a weak tone, closing her eyes again. Her head just hurt so bad. But, at least, the dog’s attention stopped. "What happened?" 

"You fainted." He told her sternly, the words hitching with fear. "You were fine one moment and the next you went pale and the next thing I knew you collapsed against me." Kate tried to move, to push her body upwards towards a sitting position but Anthony just pushed her shoulders right back. "Stay down." 

"M'fine." She grumbled but laid her head back on the concrete anyway, licking her dry lips.

"Yeah, sorry for not believing that at the moment since you said that and then you fainted right after." Anthony scoffed, reaching for his phone. "You're going to lay there until I get the ambulance here." 

"No, Anthony!" She reached for the phone in his shaking hands with sluggish moves and clammy fingers. "No ambulance."

"Will you just stay down, please?" His tone was at least an octave higher as he held her down. "You fainted, I'm pretty sure that calls for an ambulance." 

"My blood pressure just dropped." Kate closed her eyes, breathing deeply, feeling the dizziness slowly start to ebb away. "No need for an ambulance for that." Kate opened her eyes to see him still with the phone in his hand. "Oh, for God's sake, Anthony. I'll let you take me to the hospital, just put that phone away!" 

"You'll go without complaint?" He asked her with a raised eyebrow, his thumb hovering over the call button. "You're not going to get home and tell me you're fine and refuse to go?" 

 "I promise." Anthony studied her face for a moment, trying to see if she was being honest, and seemed satisfied with what he saw there. His hand drew back from the button, locking his phone and shoving it back into the front pocket of his trousers. "Can I sit up now?" 

"No, staying lying down just a bit longer." 

Anthony didn't even allow her to go up their flat when they returned from the park, his arm placed carefully around her for support in case she were to feel dizzy again. He just unlocked the car and told her to wait inside while he dropped Newton upstairs and picked up her bag and some water for her parched mouth. 

The A&E was as loud and busy as ever, but it did not take that long for them to be sitting in front of an older man with greying hair and heavy-rimmed speckles resting on his nose.  

"How can I help you today, Miss..." He looked at the computer screen on his table. "Sharma?" 

"I have a stomach bug." She told the doctor with a humourless smile. The man just raised an eyebrow at her. "I've been having some symptoms for about a week and..."

"She fainted in the park." Anthony interrupted her, making her roll her eyes, the doctor looking between the two of them. 

"I was getting to that, thank you, Anthony." She huffed. "My blood pressure dropped when I got up too fast. But my fiancé is worried, so now we're here."

"Alright..." The man blinked, his gaze flickering between the two of them for a moment before clearing his throat. "You said your symptoms began last week?"  

"About Monday, yes." Kate nodded. "I was babysitting our nephew on Friday and he had a stomach bug, passed it around for half the family." 

"Yes, kids are usually the best vectors for these things." He typed something down before looking back at her. "And apart from dizziness, any other symptoms?" 

"I mean, just the usual. Some stomachache, my body hurts and I've been really tired. And the nausea, I've thrown up a bit." Anthony scoffed and Kate glared at him. "Would you like to do my medical consultation for me, Anthony?" 

"She hasn't been able to keep anything other than toast for a week." He told the doctor, who went back to his typing. 

"And chicken noodle soup," Kate added, but the doctor didn't exactly look impressed at that. 

"And you fainted." 

"Yes."

"Was it a strong dizziness or did you lose consciousness?" 

"I... um... I blacked out for a bit, yes." The doctor wrote some more into his computer. 

"And for how long were you unconscious?" Kate opened her mouth to reply, closed it and turned to Anthony. 

"For about a minute." He told the doctor. 

"Right." The doctor pulled away from the table and stood. "If you could hop onto the exam table..." 

The doctor listened to her chest, checked her eyes and mouth, and palpated her abdomen, asking Kate to tell him if it hurt. Throughout all of it, Anthony was staring at her, a worried little frown carved into his features and it did not ease once Kate was down from the table, sitting back next to him, her hand reaching out to grab his with a gentle squeeze. 

"All the symptoms would match a stomach bug, but I'd like to run a few tests, just to be safe." The man pushed his glasses up his nose. "You're a bit dehydrated so I asked for IV fluids and something for the nausea. Just go down to the nurses' station, they'll take you to get your labs done and then start on your IV while we wait for the results." 

Nausea IV meds were, in Kate's humble opinion, one of the best things invented by mankind. Within 30 minutes, Kate was feeling better than she had all week and Anthony had even managed to convince her to eat a bit of a chicken sandwich he managed to get in the hospital's food stall. Her mouth didn't feel as dry and her stomach didn't feel like it was ready to push every single drop of its content out at any second. 

Despite the two hours sitting in the waiting room, Kate was in almost a good mood when the doctor called them back into his small exam room. She was ready for the man to tell her fiancé she was just going through a nasty stomach bug, then hopefully prescribe her some more of that nice nausea medication she could take at home so she could just slowly go back to her normal life. 

"So your labs came back and there's nothing here that indicates any type of a severe infection..." 

"See?!" Kate turned to Anthony with a triumphant smile. If she had to sit through being poked around with needles and sitting in a waiting room for hours, at least she could have the satisfaction of rubbing at her fiancé's face that she was right all along. "I told you it was just a stomach bug!"

"Not quite..." Both Kate and Anthony turned so quickly to face the doctor that it was a wonder their necks hadn't snapped.

"I'm sorry, what do you mean by not quite?" 

"It's possible you actually have a stomach bug since many people in your family seem to be presenting similar symptoms, but I believe some of these symptoms you have been experiencing might actually be because of... a hormonal imbalance you're going through now." 

"Excuse me, a what?!" Anthony reached out, lacing his fingers with Kate's, his thumb running circles over the back of her hand. 

"You see, your body is going through a mass production of this hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin which is...." 

"Doc, please." Kate interrupted the man with a raise of her hand, her patience running a bit short. She hated when doctors talked to her in a way she couldn't really follow. "I have a degree in Fine Arts. He's an accountant. Between the two of us, we speak about 5 different languages and none of them is the one you're using right now. We're gonna need you to be a bit more clear here please because I didn't understand half of what you just said." 

The doctor looked at the two of them across the desk before taking a deep breath. 

"You're pregnant." 

It took a moment for Kate to process the words that had just come out of the older man's mouth and when they finally settled in her brain, she just let out a loud disbelieving laugh. 

"No, no, that can't be right." She shook her head with a chuckle. Anthony's hand had gone lax around hers, his palm resting against her leg. It seemed he still needed a moment to process the words. "I can't be pregnant I..." Kate choked on the words, the laughter dying in her mouth. "We weren't trying and... I mean... I can't be, can I...?"

Kate turned to Anthony, expecting some sort of answer, either in agreement or disagreement, but he was just staring at her with wide, surprised eyes.

They had discussed the idea of children, of course, they had. It would be stupid walking into a life together without discussing what expectations each of them had of what this life would be. They both had believed for a long time that love and a family would never be in the cards for them, but then they met and Kate could not imagine not wanting a little human that was half her, half him. She had seen him with Hyacinth and Greg and baby Augie and she knew it was something she needed in her life. 

But it was something they agreed on for the future. They'd wanted to settle into their married life and enjoy each other as a newlywed couple before beginning to plan for a baby. They had time. Or so they thought. 

"When did you have your last period?" Kate furrowed her eyebrows at the question. When had it been? She… Why, she couldn't really remember!

"I don't know… I..." She wracked her brain for the last time she had to reach for the tampon box she kept under their master bathroom sink. "I have a really irregular period because of my erratic work schedule so I..."

"It was at brunch at Mum's," Anthony spoke up suddenly, turning to Kate. "Before her birthday, on the 18th. You asked Daph for tampons because you didn't have any but she didn't have any either so you had to get pads with Frannie..."

"Because Eloise uses a cup, yes!" Kate nodded. "So, what, almost... oh." The doctor raised an eyebrow at her. 

"That was almost three months ago." Anthony finished for her. 

"That would put you between 8 to 10 weeks, I suppose." The doctor told her patiently. “The usual calculation is from the last period. But an ultrasound can give you a better estimate.” 

"Holy shit," Kate whispered, tugging on her hair. A baby? She was pregnant? They were having a baby? God, she hoped they had Anthony's hair.

"I guess we're not going wine-tasting in Italy anymore." 

The entire ride home from the hospital was quiet, both of them absorbed in their own thoughts. The doctor had sent her home with a prescription for nausea medication, a few vitamins and a reminder for her to schedule a visit to her OB/GYN, as soon as possible. And if she was back to being unable to keep food or fluids down, she was to come back to the hospital at once to be admitted. 

They were having a baby. Kate was growing a human being inside her…  Hers and Anthony's little human being. It didn't really feel real yet. She barely knew what to feel at all. 

Anthony hadn’t spoken a word on the way home, but his hand hadn't left Kate for a single moment since they had stepped out of the little exam room in a daze. He kept continuously in contact with her, either with his fingers on her lower back as they walked to the parked car or his palm on her thigh as he drove. Or how he offered her his hand to help her out of the car as he always did. 

Kate toed her trainers off by the side of the door before collapsing into the sofa with a deep, tired sigh. Anthony dropped down next to her while Newton climbed up after him, wiggling himself between them. 

"So…," he started, but the sound trailed off and no other word followed. Kate understood the feeling. She didn't know what to say either. 

"Yeah, so..." She turned to the side to see Anthony's eyes studying her face and they held their gaze. It was quiet for a few moments while they looked deep into each other's eyes before both of them burst out laughing. It was a strange laugh, something between wonder and surprise and nerves. Kate herself wasn’t exactly sure why she was laughing at all, she just knew she couldn't really stop. Perhaps the shock of the news, added to the past two weeks of nausea and exhaustion had finally made her brain short-circuit. 

They laughed together for a full minute, unable to contain it, until it slowly dwindled to a stop. Kate was out of breath, her chest heaving up and down with the effort to breathe regularly, but the smile on her lips refused to go away. She didn't even want it to. Next to her, Anthony's shoulders were slowly stopping to shake, his head thrown back, his hands raking through his hair as he always did when he didn't know what to do with them. 

He really was the most handsome man she'd ever seen, wasn't he? Their child would be spectacular. 

"God..." Kate's head lulled to the side, resting against her fiancé's shoulder, his fingers reaching out to twist themselves with hers. "A baby..." 

"Yeah..." Anthony's mouth brushed against the top of her head, sounding awed. "What now?" 

"Do you think we can get a refund on the ski park?" Kate could feel the rumble of his chuckle as his arms wrapped around her tightly. "Oh God, and the winery tour..."

"I can't believe that's what you're thinking about right now." 

"I don't..." Kate shook her head, turning to bury her nose against his neck. "I don't even know what to think, at the moment." 

"I get that." Silence took over for a couple of moments before Kate shifted, turning to watch her fiancé, worrying her lower lip between her teeth.

"Is this..." She breathed in deeply, steadying herself. "Do you... Do you want to do this?" 

"What? Have a baby with you?" Anthony turned to look at her as if she had gone insane. "I thought we had agreed on three kids." 

"Yeah, but one day in the future, not like in about 7 months' time!" 

"Is this not something you want to do now? Because we..." The quiet worried tone of his voice had Kate close to shaking. 

"No! No, I..." She grabbed into his arms, her fingers digging into his flesh with more strength than necessary. "I mean, yes, I do, I want to, I want this…it's just... Ugh!" Kate shook her head desperately, unable to get her head put the words together properly. "This wasn't the plan! We had decided on something and that’s not it. The wedding and the trip are..."  

"Kate! Kate, look at me." Anthony's hands cupped her cheeks on either side of her face, tilting her face gently towards his. "Fuck the plan!" Kate chuckled, her eyes filling with tears. "I want everything with you. I love our house, our things next to each other in the closet, your mess of paint boxes in the office next to my books and even your stupid dog.” Newton looked up as if aware he was being mentioned, his tail wagging and his tongue hanging outside his mouth happily. “I want everything you're willing to give me. I want to spend the rest of my life with you and start a family with you. Yeah, sure the timing isn't exactly perfect..."

"I'm going to have to have my dress altered." Kate moaned, making Anthony chuckle. 

"You still have three dress fittings before the wedding." He kissed her forehead and then the tip of her nose. "Sure I would have preferred to have planned this in advance, and not have it sprung on us two months before our wedding, but still." His lips found hers in a sweet, gentle kiss. "All the way here I couldn't stop thinking what our child would be like." 

"What, like a stubborn workaholic?" Kate asked, a cheeky smile blooming between the tears running down her face. God, she loved that man so much it was ridiculous. 

"I mean... It's really very possible." Anthony snorted, running his fingers through his hair. "We're going to have to work on that, won't we?" 

"Well, I guess the forgetting to eat and skipping meals thing will have to be out of the cards, at least for me." Kate sighed, enjoying the feel of her fiancé's arms around her, joking together, just the two of them. Well, three with Newton still happily stuffed between them on the sofa. And four, if you counted the baby. Their baby. The idea brought tears back to Kate's eyes. That hormonal, emotional thing had barely started and she already hated it. 

"On the other hand, you and I are very skilled at erratic sleep schedules."

"I suppose we'll be putting your insomnia to the test really soon, huh?" She hummed. 

"Why do you think I used to stay up until the early hours of the morning with Hyacinth when she was little?" 

"That's true." Kate nodded pensively. "At least one of us will have some idea of what they're doing." 

"Kate." Anthony pulled away from her, tugging on her arms until she was sitting on his lap, her legs bracketing either side of his thighs, and they were face to face. Newton huffed in annoyance at the sudden jostling before curling himself into a ball next to them. "You're going to be the most amazing mother I've ever seen. You're loving, caring and compassionate..." 

"I also have no idea what I'm doing." She sighed dejectedly, biting the inside of her lips to keep from spilling the tears pooling in her eyes. She wanted this, their little family, so, so much, and yet there was this stupid voice inside her head telling her she could barely remind herself to stop working and eat or rest, how was she supposed to take care of a baby? 

"No one knows what they're doing when they have a baby. My dad once told me, after Greg was born, that no one is ever ready to be a parent. It doesn't matter how many times you do it." Anthony told her gently, his knuckles brushing away the spaced tear from her cheek. "I was so scared I'd fuck up Hyacinth for good when she was little. Sometimes I still am sometimes and she’s not even my kid. Hell, even Daphne, who was born to be a mother, was terrified about it." Daphne was the type of nurturing person who everyone knew would be the most gentle, loving of mothers. She dreamed of having a baby since she was a girl if the stories were to be believed. There was no way she was scared. 

"You don't have to say things to make me feel better, love." Anthony tutted at the way Kate rolled her eyes at him. 

"I would never. Ask her about it if you don't believe me!" He scoffed. "A couple of months before Augie was born, you remember I took Daph to get groceries while you, Ben and Simon were painting the nursery?"

"The smell of the paint was making her sick." Kate nodded. She remembered the day rather well. Anthony's sister had asked them to help decorate Augie's nursery. They were going with an underwater theme and Kate and Ben had spent the entire afternoon painting bubbles and little octopuses and brightly coloured fish under Simon's careful instructions. Anthony, who was absolutely no help in the art department and was mostly there for moral support, had dragged sister, who was quickly turning three different shades of green, away before she threw up on the floor. 

"Daphne realised she got the wrong shampoo for Simon on the way back home. And then she sat in my car crying for almost twenty whole minutes. Crying. Full-blown ugly sobbing with a runny nose and tear-stained cheeks, about how she'd be a terrible mother if she couldn't even remember the correct type of shampoo to buy, how would Simon trust her with their child? She'd end up being one of those horrible mums who forgot her kid in the car." 

"You're fucking with me." Kate couldn't help but laugh. "There's no way Daphne would have said that." 

"Cross my heart and hope to die, I'm not." Anthony chuckled. "Ask her if you don't believe me." 

"How can you not be scared about this?" Kate asked, leaning her forehead against his and closing her eyes, just enjoying the delicious feel of her fiancé all around her, with his arms wrapped around her waist, holding her close to him. 

"I am scared." He confided in her with a whisper, pressing their lips together in a quick kiss. "I'm absolutely terrified, actually." Another soft kiss. "But at the same time I think about our baby growing inside you and I'm so fucking happy that, Kate, I can barely breathe." 

"Yeah..." Kate's smile was tentative at first, growing in proportion as she looked at Anthony's glowing face so close to hers. His hands were firmly on her waist, his thumbs brushing circles over the slip of bare skin between her shirt and trousers. "I'm really fucking happy as well."

"There's absolutely no one else I'd ever want to do this with." He told her, her eyes staring deep into hers. "I love you so, so much and I can't wait to do this with you. All of this, the wedding, marriage, our baby..." 

"Our baby." Anthony's hand drifted from her waist, brushing against the little bit of exposed skin until it was resting over her still-flat stomach. Kate laughed and tears spilt down her cheeks without her consent, Anthony's free  palm cupping her cheek, using his thumb to brush away her stray tears, while completely ignoring his own. This man, this stupid, ridiculous, wonderful man that had come into her life, fainted into her arms on their first date and then proceeded to turn her entire world upside down. This fool, who was too hard on himself and loved so fiercely, although he had declared love not to be in the cards for him for so long. 

Kate used to tell herself she was perfectly happy with life the way it was before. That she loved her job and her art, that being there for her sister and stepmother was enough for her, and that she didn't need anything more than that. God, what an idiot she had been! 

Love had sneaked up on her quietly in a hospital room and by the time she walked into that restaurant for their second first date, Kate Sharma knew she was meant to spend the rest of her life with Anthony Bridgerton. Sure, he was infuriating sometimes, so stubborn it hurt and so, so cocky. Sometimes he worked his damndest to be his poshest self in order to annoy her, she was certain of it. 

Yet, at the same time, he was the kindest, most caring and gentle man she'd ever met. He listened to what she had to say and valued her opinion on things, even if they bickered endlessly when they disagreed. He took his time to learn what she liked and what she didn't. Kate had never felt so comfortable and understood as she did when she was with him. 

Anthony Bridgerton would be a lovely father. He was excellent at taking care of every single person he cared about. Well, everyone but himself. But that wasn't a problem. Kate knew a thing or two about being way too hard on yourself while being 110% there for the people you loved. They could have each other's backs. She'd take care of him and he'd take care of her. And they'd take care of their child, together.

"I love you so much it's actually a little ridiculous." Kate sniffed, laying her hand over his across where their child was nested and turning her face to place a soft kiss on his wet palm. "And I'm really excited to have our little family as well."

"Even if it means you'll have to get your dress altered?"  

"I'll live." She shrugged, making Anthony chuckle a little watery.

"I heard your fiancé is loaded, I'm sure he'll pay for any alteration you need to get done." He offered, replacing his hand with a soft brush of the tip of his nose against her cheek. "He'll even buy you a whole new wedding dress if you want. Or three." 

"I can pay for my own dress alterations, Anthony." She scoffed.

"Shh, stop fighting me on this." His lips brushed against her cheek before settling against her mouth in a sweet, deep kiss. "It's kinda my fault alterations might  be necessary anyway." 

"I'm pretty sure it takes two to make a baby, love." Kate laughed. "And I think you'd find I was a very willing participant in the actions that led to this moment." 

"That you most definitely were." He hummed against her mouth. "But you'll end up doing most of the hard work in the end. It's only logical for me to pay for the alteration costs."

"Logical only in your posh little ri..."

"Besides that," Anthony interrupted her loudly before she could continue her rant. "What is mine is yours and all of that. Or it will be soon." 

"You're gonna do it whether I agree to it or not, won't you?" Kate pushed away from him just enough so she could look her fiancé in the eye as she raised an eyebrow at him. 

"I mean, yeah, probably." He shrugged, not really ashamed of admitting it. 

"You know what, alright." It was Anthony's turn to be caught by surprise by her easy acceptance. She'd always agree to it, and if she didn't, he'd probably go to Edwina and plot behind her back to pay for it himself. In the beginning, Kate had thought he was trying to buy her love and as a fiercely independent person, she had tried to rebel against it. And then she slowly started to understand that paying for things and giving presents was Anthony's weird way of expressing his affection, apparently, since words were not always his forte. Bit by bit, she started to accept it. Not without a bit of a brawl, though. She'd never go down without a fight. Or almost never, anyway. "I'm a bit too tired to bicker about it, really." 

"Are you feeling alright?" It was almost funny how quickly his expression changed from surprise to smugness to worry as he studied her with his soft brown eyes. If she knew Anthony at all, which she liked to believe she did rather well, he was already considering if he should just drag her back to the hospital for admission. 

"I just need a nap, Anthony." She rolled her eyes good-naturedly at her overprotective man. "It seems our little bug takes up a lot of my energy."

"Don't call our child a bug." Anthony rolled his eyes, but he was getting up from the sofa, Kate scrambling to wrap her legs around his waist to steady herself. "And you're going to drink some water before sleeping." 

"Whatever you say, Mr. Bridgerton, as long as you nap with me." 

And five minutes later, Kate fell asleep with a smile on her lips, wrapped safely in her fiancé's arms, their legs tangled together and their child between them. 

The closer to the wedding it got, the more stuff appeared on Kate's already unending list of things to do. She needed to wrap up all her work in the gallery before she took her holiday, there were doctors appointments to go to and last-minute decisions to make, a rehearsal wedding and dinner to plan.  Her last dress fitting was coming up and she desperately needed to find a way to tell their family she was pregnant. 

Anthony had assured her no one on his side of the family would be anything but delighted at the news. His mother most certainly wouldn't have any grounds to judge them too harshly, since apparently her wedding had taken place in late February and Anthony was born in September of the same year. Plus, there were very few things that were considered as going too far for Violet Bridgerton in order to get her the precious grandchildren she so desperately wanted. And although Mary would not go the same length as her mother-in-law, Kate knew her stepmother was also desperate for a grandbaby of her own. 

Kate had been the one to insist they find a good moment to share the news. She was pretty sure that, if it was Anthony’s decision alone, he'd have walked into family brunch the day after they had their first OBGYN appointment, shouting at the top of his lungs that they were having a baby, ready to show every single member of their family the blurry ultrasound picture he had taken to carrying around in his wallet. 

At first, Kate had wanted to keep the news to themselves for a bit longer, to be able to fully wrap her head around the fact that yes, there was a baby coming in approximately 6 to 7 months. They deserved time to enjoy it for themselves for a while. And then that time passed and she had wanted the moment to feel right. Anthony respected her decision and allowed her to take the lead on how to tell everyone about their baby. Unfortunately, the right moment never seemed to come.  

And that's how Kate found herself sitting in Violet Bridgerton's living room, three weeks before their wedding, surrounded by their still blissfully-unaware family. Her mind was working overtime as she tried to find either a very good explanation as to why she wouldn't be drinking at the bachelorette party her sister and sisters-in-law (the ones legally allowed to drink, anyway) were throwing on the following weekend and why she didn't want her mother and mother-in-law at her final dress fitting, since she had started to show the week prior and taking in her clothes in front of the two women would certainly give her away. 

In the end, the situation presented itself rather clumsily and Kate just took it. 

Violet, Daphne and Mary were deep into a discussion over seating arrangements for the ceremony and the reception while Anthony had been dragged to a corner by Simon and Ben and they were now locked into a quiet debate over... Kate wouldn't even venture a guess. Anthony would probably tell her about it on the way home anyway. Eloise was sitting with her nose buried in a book, Colin was giving a plate of pudding his entire, undivided attention and Fran was focused on her phone. 

And that's how Kate found herself sitting with Augie rather comfortably on the sofa, her nephew bouncing excitedly in her lap as she watched Hyacinth and Greg squabble over a game that was similar to marbles, but not exactly so. The baby squeaked loudly, trying to wrap his chubby little hands around Kate's loose hair while his aunt valiantly fought the attempts. 

"Kate," she lifted her eyes to find Hyacinth staring at her with pensive eyes, two marble balls clutched to her fingers. "Will you and Anthony have a baby of your own?" 

It was rather impressive how the entire room's attention focused on Kate after the girl's question, all types of side talk were put on hold to hear what her reply would be. 

"Yes, we will, Hy." Kate nodded, smiling gently at the little sister that was almost as close as a daughter to her soon-to-be husband. 

"Yes, but when?" Hyacinth continued to probe. Violet seemed ready to scold her youngest child for inappropriate questioning when Kate cleared her throat. 

"Around mid to late November, I'd reckon." Kate had been attending weekly brunches at Bridgerton house for about a year and a half at this point, and she had never seen any room in that house go as quiet as now, right after her answer. She could feel Anthony's eyes stuck to her, half in questioning, half in encouragement. The rest of the gazes were shifting quickly between her and her fiancé, trying to determine if it was some sort of joke or not. Not even Hyacinth dared to speak. The only sound  ringing around was the delighted giggles coming from Augie as his aunt bounced him on her knees.  

It was Eloise who dared to break the silence, clearing her throat loudly after a full minute of stunned silence.

"When you say November..." Anthony's second sister turned to look at Kate with a frown. "You mean like a hypothetical November because you want a winter baby or....?"

"Not hypothe... Ought dear, careful!" Augie had managed to grab a fistful of Kate's dark hair and was tugging at it with all his baby might. "I don't mean it like that."

"So you mean like, this November." It wasn't exactly a question but Kate nodded anyway. 

"Yes."

"In six months." 

"Give or take, yeah." Kate could feel the eyes of the entire room glued to her, their expressions ranging from confusion, to surprise to disbelief. Even Colin's pudding was forgotten at the centre table. 

"And just to be very clear," Eloise clasped her hands together in front of her, her body leaning forwards. The book on her lap fell to the floor but no one even jumped in surprise at the noise. "You are aware that it takes about 9 months to... grow a baby, yes?"

"Around 40 weeks, according to my doctor, yes," Kate confirmed. Eloise just nodded her head slowly, looking completely taken aback.

"Katie..." There were tears running down Mary's cheeks when Kate turned to look at her stepmother, who seemed like words had escaped her after she whispered her child's name. 

"Wait," Gregory, bless him, had been one of the most confused faces during the entire exchange and only at that moment, understanding seemed to be drawing in his mind. "That means you're pregnant?"

"Yes, Greggy." Kate smiled, her eyes already turning wet. Stupid hormones, she barely could say anything without having to fight back tears. It was worse than PMS. "I am."

It seemed like the confirmation lifted the invisible barrier that was holding the people in the room in place, because everyone seemingly burst into action from all around her, blurting out questions and letting out little happy exclamations or excited squeaks. The noise was so sudden and so loud, the family all moving at the same time to reach Kate that her nephew got frightened, letting out a loud, wailing cry. 

"Alright, just a moment, excuse me, please. Coming through, thank you." Simon barreled his way through the crowd of people all speaking one over the other, pulling Anthony behind him by the shirt. "I believe this is mine," he said, picking up his scared son, who burrowed quickly into his father's chest, his tears drying immediately. "And this here is yours." He sat Anthony on the empty space at the loveseat with a cheeky grin. Kate's future husband seemed perfectly content to have been pushed around the room and quickly wrapped his arm around her, his hand resting at the side of her quickly rounding stomach, just as he had taken to doing for the past month. Since they'd gotten together, Anthony was always touching her in one way or another. A brush of his fingers to push her hair from her face, a hand on her waist, a soft touch at the back of her neck. But since they had found out about their baby, Anthony's hand was always on her.  "I am really happy for the two of you, you'll be excellent parents." 

"Thank you, Si." Kate smiled as he bent down to press a quick kiss to her cheek, urging his son to do the same.

"Now if you'll excuse me, Augie and I are going into hiding." He told them, fixing the baby on his hip with a smirk. "I'll leave you to them. Really happy and all. Good luck." 

He was gone through the sea of people around them before any other words could be exchanged, leaving the soon-to-be newlyweds and parents-to-be in the clutches of their loving family and their gleeful, excited questions.

Kate and Anthony Bridgerton had lied to their family before leaving on their honeymoon, and they were feeling only partially guilty for it. 

You see, they were not the type of people who enjoyed surprises. Both Kate and Anthony were planners and thrived on having all the possible, available information on their hands in order to make the most of the situation with as fewer issues as possible. This applied to their work lives, to simple things in their daily routines and to talks about the future. So when their OBGYN asked if they wanted to know the gender of their baby they agreed on the spot. And so she told them. 

But when their mothers and siblings questioned them about it, they said it wasn't possible to see it yet and that they'd probably find out in their next appointment, after they returned from the trip. 

There was a reason for that, of course. They had planned a nice little surprise to announce, not only the gender but also the name of their child. Anthony and Kate had agreed on names both for a boy and for a girl very quickly, although they had kept that to themselves as well. 

So roughly a week after finding out their child would be a boy, Kate and Anthon boarded a plane to Piemonte, Italy, with a whole scheme set up for their little surprise gender reveal. For everyone else, they'd be posting a bunch of photos showing Kate's bump around Italian museums and monuments saying "Baby's first trip. Of course, he'd be into art."  But their family deserved a bit more than an Instagram post with a funny caption. 

Kate spent the entire week hand-painting wooden boxes in black and gold and had copies of their ultrasound pictures made. Kate had sent her husband out for art supplies, password padlocks and t-shirts she could paint on and take out while she worked and he obliged her every single whim while reminding her to eat, drink some water and take a couple of breaks. And then the little chest had been finished, safely locked and left in possession of a few trusted friends. Agatha Danbury was responsible for handing Mary, Violet and Simon and Daphne's boxes. Penelope Featherington would give Colin, Eloise and Edwina theirs and Henry, their friend from the Galery, would be responsible for Ben's. Frannie would be responsible for her own box, as well as Hy and Greg's since she had pinky promised Anthony she wouldn't tell a soul. Francesca was the only one they trusted to do this.

Early in the morning of the day they had agreed to the surprise, Anthony sent a text to their family group, telling them they'd be receiving a small present for them and that, under no circumstances, they were to open the boxes before their group call at 1 PM. 

Anthony and Kate were bickering in a quiet corner of a Fiorentinian cantina when the time of the call came. One of the best things about entering her second trimester was that the morning sickness had faded. On the other hand, her cravings had been getting progressively stronger and she would randomly have a desperate need for a specific dish or ingredient while other things she had previously excited to have looked like the most unappetizing thing in the world.

That was what had fueled their current bickering. Kate had ordered a Pappardelle al ragù di cinghiale, which was a flat pasta with some boar meat sauce while Anthony had chosen a Gnocchi alla Sorrentina, which was just the little round pasta with tomato and mozzarella sauce. Unfortunately, the moment the food was placed in front of them, Kate knew with absolute certainty she wouldn't be able to eat hers, while Anthony's looked exactly like her gastronomic dream come true. 

"You have your own food, you know?" He had asked with a raised eyebrow the moment she reached for his plate with her fork, hers going completely ignored. 

"Bug wants the gnocchi, Anthony." She shrugged, scooping some of the potato dough and sauce into her fork. "It's not my fault."

"Couldn't you have ordered gnocchi for you, then?" Her husband rolled his eyes, but he was already swapping the plates between them. 

"I don't know what to tell you, love." A huge smile broke into her face as he placed the pasta in front of her. "He's the boss, not me. And I didn't know he wanted the gnocchi until I saw it." Kate couldn't hold back the moan when she shoved a forkful of the food into her mouth. God, that was the best thing she'd ever eaten in her life. She could spend the rest of her life eating just that. 

Anthony just eyed the way her mouth closed around the fork for a few moments, a different type of hunger burning in his eyes, before he cleared his throat loudly. 

"I'm joining the call," He warned. "Please stop being indecent with your food." 

"You love it." She scoffed, licking her lips a bit more seductively than she would normally have. 

"I really, really do." He agreed, with his gaze following the path of her tongue. "But I don't think our mothers and siblings need to see it." 

Kate just stuck her tongue out at him as the call connected. They were bombarded with questions the moment the sound came in. They could see Mary and Edwina in their living room, with Newton at Kate's sister's lap. Violet had the children and Francesca on the dinner table, each of them sitting in front of their own box, their names shining on top of it in golden ink. Daph and Simon were sitting in their bed, little Augie on his father’s lap, his own box between his parents’. Ben, Colin and Eloise were sitting all clutched together in what seemed to be Ben's living room floor. 

"What's going on?" 

"Oh finally, I've been itching all morning!"

"Would you two care to explain...?"

"CAN WE OPEN IT NOW?!"

"Kate, did you paint those yourself?"

"Why was Frannie aware of this and I wasn't?"

"Wait, Francesca knew it?!" 

"Are you kidding me?!"

 "I'm muting everyone if you start at this," Anthony told them, strictly. 

"I'd like to see you try." Colin taunted and his brother instantly silenced their line. 

"Anyone else?" Little mumbles of no and shaking of heads followed his question. "Thank you. So, Kate and I had some interesting news at our last ultrasound and..." 

"Is it twins?" Daphne interrupted, with wide eyes. "Because if it is, I'm going to have to sit down for this." 

"Not twins," Kate assured her with a laugh. "Only one little bug here, I promise." 

You’re already sitting. Eloise wrote in the group chat. Please unmute us, Colin promises he will behave.

"Guys, just get on with this, Mama's going insane here," Ediwna begged, looking way closer to hysterics than her mother was. 

"You're all so impatient," Kate giggled, wrinkling her nose. “Suppose we should let them open it now, yeah?”

“Maybe we could let them wait for a little longer?” Anthony suggested, a teasing smirk on his lips.

“Anthony Bridgerton!”

“Don’t you dare!”   

“I’m smashing this open now if you don’t give us the code.” 

“Alright, alright!” He laughed. “Go on then, the password is 1811.” 

There was the heavy sound of metal clicking and hurried hands against the wood before they were replaced by whoops of triumph as each of their family members managed to open the lock. 

"Oh my God, you two, I'm shaking here." Violet let out a quiet little laugh. "We can open it, right?" 

"Please do, but don't do anything else yet." Kate nodded, her husband's hand finding hers under the table. Christ, she was already on the brink of tears. At least this time, her husband look as right about to cry as she did. Across the screen, ohs and ahs were filling the air. 

"Maybe someone..." Anthony cleared his throat, trying to keep his voice steady. "could read it aloud?" 

"Me, me, me, me!" Hyacinth was jumping up and down in her chair. "I'll do it, let me." She barely allowed her brother to nod before she started reading the words painted in loopy cursive at the top lid. "Hi, family. This is me. Oh, look there is a little arrow pointing to the ultrasound. That's really cute." 

"Hyacinth, on with it, focus!" Ben snapped. 

"Right, sorry." The youngest Bridgerton giggled. "This is me. I know that all of you already love me very much and I can't wait to meet all of you in November. But that's a long time from now so I thought I could introduce myself. Nice to meet you, I'm..."

Hyacinth looked up from the lid, blinking at them with big, green eyes filled with expectation. 

"You can open the wrapped thing now," Kate instructed and they were all tearing at the thin paper, tugging on bows until they unwrapped a shirt. 

"Oh, guys...!" Daphne choked on her words with a watery sniff. "Ned's Auntie Daph." Kate had decorated each shirt by hand, each of them reading Ned's and the person's title. There was Ned's Granny Mary and Grandma Violet, a bunch of Uncles and Aunties. Augie's read 'Ned's big cousin/best friend Augie.' "I love this so much." 

"Ned?" Violet asked softly, tears running down her face. 

"It's a boy?!" Greg cried out in excitement. 

"I'm going to be his godmother?!" Edwina squeaked, her hands shaking so hard she could barely hold the fabric up. "Look, Ned's Godmother Eddie! The shirt says it, you can't take it back now! I have proof!"

"I'm going to spoil my godson so bad," Ben commented, a laugh mingling with his crying as he held the shirt to his chest. "I'll be unbearable, you're going to regret this choice so hard." 

"Katie!" Mary cried out, calling attention to herself. "Is this...?" 

Kate had been crying since Hyacinth had started reading the message out loud and all she could do was nod at her teary stepmother across the screen. 

"What, what is it?" Edwina was basically climbing over her mother to see what she had seen. "Is this what?" 

"It's his name," Mary commented, her fingers tracing the name they had settled for the baby the week after they found out he existed and that Kate had painted on the bottom of the box with golden ink. 

Edmund Arjun Bridgerton.

"Oh, Anthony..." Whatever Violet was planning to say next was muffled by her own sobs. There wasn't one person with dry eyes in the entire call apparently. Daphne had her face hidden in her husband's shoulder. There were wet tracks over all their siblings' cheeks, even Eloise was trying to brush hers away without much success. 

"I hope this is alright..." Anthony cleaned his face with his free hand with a sniff. "We wanted to name them after our fathers and..." 

"Your dad would be so proud of you, my boy," Violet told him, smiling softly at her son and daughter-in-law over the camera, her shoulders still shaking. "All he wanted... All both of us wanted was for our children to be so incredibly happy, and look at you now..."

"Thank you, Mum." Kate squeezed her husband's hand lovingly before turning to her own stepmother's little image on the screen. Mary was still staring at the box in awe, tracing the letters with the tip of her fingers. 

"Mama?" Kate's voice was just a tiny thing as she called the woman who had raised her. "Is it alright?" 

"It's more than alright, dearest." Mary looked up to Kate with bright, teary eyes and the biggest, softest smile lighting up her own face. "It's perfect. Appa would have loved it so much."

"You think so?" Kate missed her father so much and she desperately wanted her son to have a little bit of her father, even if they'd never have the chance to meet in this life. But when Anthony asked her about naming their son after their fathers, the idea of hearing her beloved Appa's name whenever someone called her child made her chest hurt. She had been slowly and steadily healing from her loss, but it was still too fresh for her. And then her husband had suggested having it as a middle name, just a bit of the man that had created Kate for their baby to always quietly carry with him and…. Yes, that could work. She liked it like that. It was a bit of both the men that had shaped his parents into the people they were and the men they hoped their child would be like. 

"I know so, Beta." She laughed gently. "He'd probably be here dancing around the room and calling every single member of the family back in India to tell them about his grandson." 

Kate choked back on a snort and next to Mary, Edwina threw her head back in laughter. It was exactly what their Appa would do. He'd probably be humming a song as well as he did so. 

"Now that we all asserted it was an amazing name, which it is, really brilliant by the way, it’s great, Dad would really have loved it," Colin spoke up. "Why is Ben the Godfather? I mean, I expected Simon, but Ben?!"

"There wouldn't even be a Ned if it weren't for me." Benedict scoffed, looking downright offended. "I introduced the two of them!"

"You cannot keep rubbing that on everyone's faces forever." 

"I believe I most certainly deserve being my brother's first child's godfather for that, thank you very much." 

"I completely understand having Ben and Edwina as godparents." Daphne chimed in with a little self-satisfied smirk as Simon was putting Augie's new shirt on him.

"Thank you, Daph." 

"And as am a very graceful person, I don't mind not being the godmother of their first child. I'll love my little nephew either way." She said. "We can be the godparents of their second, I'm patient, I can wait and..." 

"I'm sorry, Anthony has other sisters, you know?" Francesca interrupted. 

"Yeah, why would he pick you?" Eloise rolled her eyes.  

"He could pick me." Hyacinth agreed, her three sisters turning to look at her. 

"He can't pick you."

"Yeah, you're too little. And you're already his baby. It wouldn't even be fair." Hyacinth stuck her tongue at the camera. 

"I mean he could totally..." Anthony just clicked on the end call button before Daphne could drone on about their hypothetical second child and said child's possible godparents.

"Anthony!" Kate tried to scold him, but she couldn't even stop laughing to do so. "That was rude!"

"We did what we were going to do." He told her matter-of-factly, picking up his fork. "They can keep that argument on without us there, we're having lunch." He eyed the empty plate in front of her. "Or at least I am...?"

"It was really good," Kate told him, looking down miserably at the plate. 

"Do you want another one?" He asked with a sigh, already calling their waiter over without even waiting for the answer he knew he would get. 

"And maybe some bread too?" Anthony rolled his eyes with no heat behind them, ordering the food in his broken Italian and she was smiling brightly when he turned back to her. "You know..." She mumbled, her hand coming up to brush his hair from his forehead tenderly. "I think you fainting in that restaurant was the best thing that's ever happened to me." 

Her husband let out a loud, sonorous laugh before leaning in, pressing their lips together in a deep kiss. "If I'd known having emergency surgery would end up with me married to the love of my life who's expecting our baby, I'd probably have done it much sooner."

"You're so stupid." She giggled against his lips. 

"Well, I guess that's what makes us so well-matched, isn't it?" He kissed the side of her mouth and then the tip of her nose, making her giggle again. Kate didn't know happiness like this even existed much less imagined she would one day have it. "Since we're one and the same and all that." 

"I suppose you're right." She said with a fake pensive pout, which Anthony couldn't resist kissing. 

"My, my, wife." He shook his head, sending a shiver down Kate's spine. "Admitting I'm right? Marriage sure has changed you, hasn’t it?."

"It's the pregnancy hormones, husband." She mumbled back. "Don't get used to it. "

"I wouldn't dream of it." 

Kate knew she was still in the very beginning of her path through motherhood and, all things considered, she still had a lot to go through in life at only 27 years of age. But, still, she could tell with absolute certainty childbirth was one of the worst experiences she'd ever been through, and it would not be easy to find something to rival it. 

Pregnancy had been a rollercoaster. Her back hurt, her feet swell, her boobs were sore and she looked like a puffy, waddling blowfish. Some food she loved dearly now gave her heartburn and she desperately needed to pee approximately every two hours. By her third trimester, she was moody and uncomfortable the majority of the time. And she was having to learn her life did not belong only to herself anymore, which was turning out to be a bit of a struggle and a point of contention between her and Anthony, who was constantly hovering over her, reminding her to slow down. 

But the good moments? The feel of her child moving inside her for the first time? The wonder in Anthony's eyes when he first felt it too? The excitement that brought tears to her eyes wherever she heard Ned's heartbeat, always strong and steady through the ultrasound? The way their family just loved her and her baby so openly and limitlessly? The way their son would dance inside her stomach whenever Anthony was speaking around her? The hours awake in bed together, imagining what their baby would be like when he was finally here? That completely compensated for the bad times. 

Pregnancy had been a mostly positive experience for her. Childbirth, on the other hand? She couldn't see a single positive aspect of it. 

She'd been in what her doctor had called active labour for over six hours, feeling horrible shooting bouts of pain through her entire body that were quickly getting longer and stronger, which her doctor told her was a good thing?! Because it meant the baby was coming?! 

No, no, no. Ned could stay inside her. It would be safer this way anyway. Kate could protect him like that. 

She had moved up and down around the room, shuffled around in bed, moaning and groaning and probably cursed her husband a thousand times until her doctor had checked her dilation and vitals and cheerily announced everything was running smooth and it was time to start pushing. She hated the woman right at that moment. 

Anthony was there, holding her hand, letting her squeeze it until she all but broke his fingers every time the doctor instructed her to push and, apart from a grunt or a groan, he hadn't complained a pip about it. Even if she seemed ready to bite his head off and swore she'd never allow him to touch her again, he had remained steady, whipping her sweaty brow, giving her sips of water, going through the breathing exercises with her and whispering comforting and reassuring words of encouragement in her ear that had her almost crying every damn time. You're doing great, sweetheart. You're so strong, so brave. I'm in awe of you. I love you so much. You can do it. We'll have Bug here soon. 

Her husband had been an absolute champ throughout the whole pregnancy process, even if he had been an annoying overprotective hooverer the entire time. He didn't miss an appointment, catered to her cravings, rubbed her sore back and feet whenever she asked and helped her through her sour moods and panic attacks.  He stayed up with her when she couldn't sleep and spoke soothingly to their son until he calmed when he was wracking havoc inside her. 

Kate really did love the man more than she could say. She was in just a lot of pain. He certainly understood. And if he didn’t, he could try being the one pushing their baby out.

It had already been dark outside for at least a couple of hours when the doctor told her, "Just a couple more, Mummy. And then we'll be done and your baby will be here."

Kate screamed as she pushed, the contraction wracking through her body until she was almost out of breath, Anthony's knuckles white from the pressure she was putting on them.

"I can see his head." The doctor announced from between her legs. 

"I can't do this anymore." She cried, dropping her body against the bed, Anthony's moist washcloth soothing the hot skin on her face. “I can’t, make it stop.”

"Yes, you can. It's almost over, love." He kissed her fingers and Kate lifted her eyes to find her husband looking at her wide-eyed and ashy. 

"You look pale." She said hoarsely. "You're not going to faint on me now, are you Mr Bridgerton?" She asked, chuckling weakly at their old joke. 

"I might," Anthony said back, his tone just a bit too serious as he looked towards where the doctor was with a nervous frown. 

"Anthony, don't you daAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" The pain had her body shooting out of the bed, Anthony's free arm moving behind her to hold her steady as she crushed his hand in her fist, tears streaming down her face. And then when the blinding pain was gone, Kate dropped down back to the bed in exhaustion, and a loud piercing wail rang clear through the room. 

"He's here, Kate! You did it!" The doctor cooed, speaking over her son's little cries. Kate desperately tried to sit up, her heart pounding in her chest as she tried to get a glimpse of her baby, but she couldn't. 

"Anthony!" Kate tugged on her husband's arm, trying to use him as leverage to host herself upwards despite the ache in her body. "I can't see him! Can you?"

"Yeah, I can." His voice was far away, his gaze glued to the place where the loud wailing was replaced with a soft little whimper. His entire face was frozen in wonder, tears running freely down his face. "Kate, he's..." He blinked, turning to look at her for a moment, his fingers still holding onto her hand, but this time it seemed like he was the one who needed to be held together. "God, Kate... I..."

"Everything seems alright, guys." The doctor assured her and maybe Kate didn't hate the woman all that much after all. "You'll be able to hold him in just a second, as soon as we cut the cord. Daddy, do you want to do it?" 

Anthony went even paler, his eyes wide as he stared at the woman who was holding their child as if he hadn't even heard her. 

"Anthony," Kate poked his arm with the little strength she had left. "Are you going?"

"Yes, I..." He shook his head, trying to get rid of the fog in his brain, still ignoring his wet eyes. "I want to do it, yeah." 

"Don't faint!" Kate ordered as he let go of her hand. She was mostly joking, but he did look a bit unsteady on his feet. 

"I won't." He answered, following the nurse who was motioning to him to come forwards, whispering under his breath. "I think..."

Kate let her body drop back into the reclined bed.  The thirty seconds that took the medical team and her husband to clip and cut the umbilical seemed like the longest of her life. And then Anthony was back, carrying a little bundle in his arms, his eyes shining with more love and adoration than she'd ever imagined possible. She shuffled in bed to a more sitting position, instantly reaching out to the little baby wrapped in a soft white blanket. 

"Here's your Amma, Bug," Anthony whispered lovingly, gently placing their son in her waiting arms and, at that moment, everything else in the world around them disappeared on the spot. Kate could barely breathe, all air appeared to have vanished from her lungs, every thought other than the baby in her arms and the man next to her vanishing from her mind. The moment he deposited their child safely into her arms, Anthony turned to her, pressing a soft kiss to her lips and another to her forehead, tears running freely down his face, dripping from his chin into his medical gown. 

"Hey, you," Kate whispered, tracing her fingers over the smooth pink skin of her son's cheek. Oh God, her son! Her Ned! She stared at that little thing that had been living inside her for the most part of the past year, jumping around and not letting her sleep with his tiny feet against her ribcage and he was the most perfect thing in this world. "Oh, look at you..."

Edmund curled against his mother's chest the moment he heard her voice, the whimpering stopping as he lay against the warmth of her chest, his little plump lips smacking together. There was a shocking amount of brown hair at the top of his head, wet and gooey and curling at the tips. His eyes were big and round with that greyish hue all newborns had. His skin was coppery, lighter than hers but darker than Anthony's. He had Anthony's cheekbones and his long, straight nose. Actually, apart from his huge wide eyes and the way his hair curled in itself, Edmund looked so much like her husband it was almost funny. Even just a couple of minutes old, Kate already knew he'd be the spitting image of his father and she absolutely loved it. 

"He's perfect," Kate whispered to her husband in awe, her fingers tracing the smooth baby skin of his arm until she reached the tiny hands, his slim little fingers wrapping themselves instantly around her finger. 

"He is." Anthony agreed with a wobbly voice, kissing the top of Kate's head again. "Thank you." He whispered into her hair. "Thank you, thank you thank you." Each time, he peppered her with more warm, wet kisses. "Thank you for him and for coming into my life and for absolutely everything."

"Your Papa's being silly, Neddy," Kate told her baby with a chuckle which was mixed with a small sob. "I'm the one who should be thanking him." Kate turned her face, pressing her lips to her husband's wet cheek before looking back to the child they'd made together. "Every day, I think it's impossible to be more happy than I already am, and every day I prove myself wrong." 

"I love you two so, so much, Kate." He whispered, his fingers brushing the curls atop their son's head reverently. "I'll do everything I can to be a good father, I promise." He choked at his own words for a moment. "I'm not... I know I'm not perfect but I will do everything I can…." 

"You already are more than enough love," Kate told him decisively, her eyesight blurry from all the crying. "Bug and I are really lucky to have you." 

"I'm most certainly the lucky one." He kissed Kate's wrinkled nose. 

"Now it's not the time to argue with me, mister." She tutted at him. "I just spent over 7 hours pushing your child into this world. Just say ‘yes, ma'am’." 

"Yes, ma'am." He laughed. "I'm so happy I could burst." He confessed, caressing the side of their son's face as the baby blinked slowly towards his father's voice. "I barely even know what to do with so much joy." 

"I know." Kate let her head fall to Anthony's shoulders with a tired little smile. In her arms, Ned let out a small sigh, his eyes blinking slowly until they were closed. Sitting there with her husband's arms around her and their child curled safely to her chest, Kate felt what absolute bliss was like. "I feel like that too."

Perhaps, she was wrong. Giving birth wasn't even that bad, after all.

[ungaroyals]

Reluctant boning (idek the right term for this) think along the lines of kate/Anthony — determined dismissal of all that raw sexual attraction before the inevitable, blissful and explosive surrender to each other’s bodies~ ��

Xx

@lovelierbitsoflife is this from you??? I think it's from you. If it's not... we'll just pretend it is so that I don't look a fool. Okay? Okay. Anywayyyy, hopefully this is a least a little bit of what you were wanting 💕

Wilhelm's fingers drag over Simon's skin, curling inward as his dull nails leave harsh marks that claim the span of Simon's back. Their bodies weave together in a perfect rhythm that irritates Wilhelm all while failing to surprise him.

The two have consistently danced around each other with an elegant air of teasing and temptation. Often constructing a game of who can irk the other most fiercely. Of course, as much as Wilhelm loves to play, there are times when every comment Simon makes, every twitch of his body or shift of his eyes sends Wilhelm's mind through an enraged haze. Unprompted and unprovoked as he's consumed with an intense swell of bitterness toward the man.

Wilhelm had scrutinized Simon for years and watched him converse effortlessly among his peers, as if uncaring and above the others. Like he sees more than status and title. Uncaring of where he lands on the societal spectrum of a room. Something Wilhelm himself fails to care deeply about, less so than he's sure Kristina would like. But watching Simon carry himself how Wilhelm wishes he'd had the confidence to do for so many years… it sends him mad. A sensation similar to the one boiling under Wilhelm's skin at this moment. Only now, as his hands slip under the thin material of Simon's dress shirt and aim to touch every curve and divot of the man's body, rather than the snarky comment that bites at his tongue, Wilhelm is consumed with a heat that wraps tight around the two. Blanketing them in desperation and tension. Wanting and aching for the other. Wilhelm's sure he'll stop breathing, stop thinking, only feeling and touching. It's delicious and wonderful and not nearly enough.

Wilhelm's fingers work to shove Simon's shirt entirely off his shoulders as he guides the man back toward a desk laid centre of the room. Wilhelm pushes forward until they reach a solid face, so Simon can perch against it with spread thighs for Wilhelm to slot himself between like it's where he belongs.

"Mmph," Simon sounds when his rear hits the dark oak, leaning back with enough room his hands claw fervently at the buckle of Wilhelm's belt as their lips tangle together, challenging each other for more. Of course, never being a pair to step away from the challenge, they both set to make the other's knees weak. To make their fingers tremble and hearts beat frantic in their chests.

The silk of their tongues collide, and the sweet bite of Simon blossoms over Wilhelm's taste buds. It's delicious enough that a low moan draws from the back of Wilhelm's throat.

Want and desire own Wilhelm's every move as he swats Simon's hands away to unclasp the buckle that Simon continues to fumble with. Once successful, Wilhelm tears his leather belt from the loops of his pants with a hard snap as the material pulls free.

[viscountessevie]

“Yes there are brown villains and no these are not the brown people to villainise”

I am confused though. Are they not allowed to be villainised at all? Doesn’t that depend on how one views their character?

I get that you like them. And that’s fine! But… I don’t. I do see them as people who were unfair and unjust to Kate and highly mistreated her. Just as I see Anthony’s faults in this entire situation as well.

That post, while making a valid point about white saviour complex, isn’t applicable to all fics I have read (of course, I have no way of telling which fic(s) OP was talking about when they wrote that). For example, a recent fic that I read dedicated 7 chapters to Anthony grovelling for forgiveness, whilst also recognising the mistreatment Kate faced at the hands of Edwina and Mary. The author went a bit further, and made Edwina say some awful things that makes Simon banish her from his house (that is where the fic is set).

Look. I am a brown person. Indian, in fact. I have absolutely no reason to hate Edwina for being brown since a) I love Kate b) I am brown myself. I don’t like her because of her actions in the show, and I don’t mind seeing versions of her that a bit more negative than what we saw in the show. Not every fic can be a fix it. That is why your sentence - these are not the brown people to villainise - didn’t make sense to me. It’s possible that I didn’t understand it correctly, and I apologise if that is the case. And I also recognise that the characterisation in the dark au had problematic undertones. But I am not talking about that.

Related to the tags on this post, similar comments on these two posts: #1 & #2

Hey anon, thanks for taking the time to write this in respectfully. (Just an update from last night: I am okay, everyone! But I was at a funeral and wake for my family friend great grandma who I also grew up with so I took some time to focus on that before answering this) Anyways anon, I think you kind of answered your own question and laid out both sides of the argument very well! However, I still would like to answer your first two questions and give my two cents on why I am pretty sensitive about the show portrayal of The Sharmas in post S2 fics: 

I think seeing interpretations of The Sharmas being just godawful family members and how some writers push extreme & harmful tropes on them (will give more examples below) gets me upset. This is based on my definition/scale of what "villainising" is. Personally, the word villain has extreme negative connotations. When I think of villains - my mind goes to truly horrible people who have committed vile actions that actively antagonises innocent people and the protagonists. [I also think of antiheroes but that's besides the point of this ask and post.]

Whereas I think Eddie and Mary are fallible and flawed characters though they come off two dimensional on the show (thank you writers -.-) and when some fic writers add the 3rd dimension that come across as portraying Eddie or Mary as villainous people who are actively antagonising Kathony, it just feels iffy to me. Because while Mary ignored Kate (and most likely Edwina at some points) cos of her grief, and Edwina throwing deep cut comments out of anger (I say shitty things to my sibs too but never that awful - my brothers do that to me tho soo,,,anyways that's for another time but I ALWAYS apologise)

I said 'these' brown people in the original tags as reference to the Sharmas (Papa included) shouldn’t be villianised to the extreme I’ve seen them portrayed. They aren't the cartoon villains that some people are making them out to be! 

Do you guys remember that crack theory going around a while ago where Edwina comes back in S3 to kidnap Neddy like what the fuck is that?? And I know some of my mutuals took part in this ironically and I was just able to block the tags at the time (I do not respect the people who ran with it unironically tho)

 But I think something about Papa Sharma, sweet sweet Papa Sharma who reminds me of my dad from the way Kate describes him and also me imagining him as Sendhil Ramamurthy, I mean look at him: 

Just having THIS GUY being portrayed as a kidnapper and murderer in the Dark AU was not it! I know we aren’t talking about that in this post but I want to explain why after all this time I spoke out to Mimi’s anons about the portrayals of The Sharmas. This was me being pushed off the edge after turning a blind eye for months and the frustration just build up, accumulating into the ask I sent in the ‘#1′ post linked above. Hence, I brought up the portrayals of Edwina and Mary too. 

That being said, I will back up these sections of this ask: 

Doesn’t that depend on how one views their character?.... I do see them as people who were unfair and unjust to Kate and highly mistreated her. Just as I see Anthony’s faults in this entire situation as well.... I don’t like her [Edwina] because of her actions in the show, and I don’t mind seeing versions of her that a bit more negative than what we saw in the show.

You’re absolutely right that interpretations come from how people view them and of course, people are welcomed and allowed to have their own opinions. I did preface my original ask on Mimi’s blog saying as much that no one should be policing anything. I just wanted to point out how harmful the extreme ends of the Sharma portrayals in fics have been lately which is why I don’t read them at all. I only read authors who mesh Book and Show Sharmas well or Pre-S2 fics because I know majority of the S2 fics will make me upset.  

I think the fic you referenced sounds okay because of course Miss Edwina ‘Half-sister’ and ‘More kind hearted than you’ Sharma would make comments that would have her yeeted from Simon’s home. 

For me personally, I just need/will read fics that acknowledge that yes, Edwina and Mary fucked up but are trying to do better. Some people reducing them to one dimensional villains is just reductive to me. I agree not everything can be a fix it but I just feel robbed that we never got a full resolution on the show and everyone was just ‘okay’ so fix it fics fulfil that for me which is why I don’t read the ‘break it more’ fics as I call them ahhaha. But yeah they make me uncomfortable. 

Most of all, I think my frustration and sadness comes from missing the era before S2 where the main Sharma (well Book!Sheffield) fics in the tag were wholesome family ones and now I can barely find any in the flood of the S2 canon fics. 

Hope I got my view across and why I don’t think they should be villianised they way I define it in my head at least! Thanks to everyone for reading this and again to the anon for giving me their pov I appreciate it even if I don’t fully agree! 

[pixiemunsons]

insatiable (a.b)

a/n: hi I literally can’t stop thinking about the bridgerton men as dads. it’s got me all hot and bothered. this is only a tiny wee drabble so enjoy!

talk of being pregnant and pregnant bodies, bit of breeding kink, anthony is a sweetheart

 anthony first thought something might be wrong with you when he couldn’t keep you off him. not that he was complaining; he quite enjoyed every second he spent deep inside you, his name falling from your lips as he took you in bed, over the desk in his office and once, not that he’d ever tell anyone - including benedict - on one of the chairs in the lounging room. you had been so desperate for him that he had bent you over right where you were with a hand over your mouth, whispering in your ear what a terribly dirty girl you were, and you had only just finished pulling your clothes on when colin had walked in, side-eyeing you both suspiciously.

he hadn’t mentioned it to you, of course. he was quite enjoying himself, even if a nagging voice in the back of his head was reminding him of a conversation he’d had with a married friend not months earlier.

‘she keeps asking me,’ the lord had chuckled after a few too many drinks in the men’s club one night, ‘if i will bed her. we’ve been married a year and she can’t keep her hands away from me.’ it had not been a month later that she had announced that she was with child. you and anthony had discussed having children, of course, but never quite talked about when, and he was too scared to break the newlywed trance that the two of you were so clearly enjoying.

───✱*.。:。✱*.:。✧*.。✰*.:。✧*.。:。*.。✱ ───

unbeknownst to your husband, you were having similar concerns. daphne nearly choked on her tea when, on an afternoon visit, you asked if she’d ever experienced such bouts of… neediness.

‘i’m sorry to ask, daphne, i know he’s your brother. but…’ you leaned in close, hoping that the maids scattered around the room wouldn’t hear you ‘it appears i can’t stop myself from touching him. i feel like i need him all the time. i know we have just married but it’s as if i’m being pulled to him by some sort of… force.’

after she had gotten over her initial shock, a mischievous glint had appeared in her eyes, and the ghost of a smile whispered over her lips.

‘i found myself in much the same way, dear sister, not long after i married simon.’ she took a long sip of her drink, peering at you from over the top of her teacup ‘it turned out i was having a baby.’

once you processed the initial shock and calmed daphne down from her initial excitement (‘i’m to be an aunt!’ she had declared loudly, and you had hit her arm in a very unladylike fashion to shut her up), you made your way home, deep in thought about your discussion. you hadn’t been married but two months, how could you be-

oh.

you had been married to anthony for seven weeks, four days and around eighteen hours. you rushed upstairs to the toilet, looking down at your very clean underwear. no monthly. not this month or last.

shit.

───

you were sat very primly on your bed when your husband walked in, undoing his neck tie and loosening his sleeves as he rambled about something you weren’t really paying attention to.

‘so i told him, if he can’t pay his debts, then he needs to… y/n, darling, are you quite alright?’ at the sound of your name you looked up, and anthony saw for the first time that there were tears in your eyes. he immediately came to sit by you, taking your hand in his and rubbing over it soothingly, only serving to push a fresh wave of tears to brim at the surface. he reached a hand up to stroke your face, and almost burst out into tears himself when you pulled away ever so slightly.

‘you’re going to be so upset with me,’ you cried, and slumped into his lap, sniffling into his trousers. you could almost hear the cogs turning in his head, trying to work out what you were talking about. ‘have you run up a debt at the modiste? broken something? did you hurt yourself dancing with gregory again? i keep telling him to be more gentle with you,’ he exclaimed, rubbing your back with a strong hand.

‘i’m going to have a baby,’ you whispered, and you almost thought he hadn’t heard you when two firm hands gripped your hips and pulled you up to face him. you painstakingly dragged your eyes to his own, expecting to see disappointment but instead being met with a gaze so intensely loving you almost felt the need to flinch away from it.

‘why,’ he breathed through his nose, ‘would i ever be mad at you for carrying my child?’ he questioned you intently, his right hand moving slowly from your hip up to your stomach, where he touched you with a feather-light brush of his fingers. a huge grin spread across his face, and you squealed as he suddenly stood up, picking you up and twirling you around. 

‘i thought you might be. we’ve only just got married, and-‘

‘well, you know what this means?’ he quirked a brow as he planted you on the floor, taking your lips in a searing kiss. ‘i’ve got plenty of years to put plenty of babies in you yet. we’ve just got started.’

───✱*.。:。✱*.:。✧*.。✰*.:。✧*.。:。*.。✱ ───

you panted as you kissed your husband, his tongue slipping quickly between your lips as his hand wandered down your neck, fondling your breasts briefly as he made his way down your blossoming belly to where you needed him most. you reached a hand up to tug on his hair, eliciting a low growl from anthony as he slipped first one finger, then two, into you.

‘i could get used to this,’ he moaned lowly into your mouth. ‘six months round with my baby and still, you’re absolutely insatiable.’ you chuckled breathily at his words, turning onto your left side as he curved his body around yours from behind, kissing down the side of your neck. ‘every morning, every night,’ he murmured, ‘and even sometimes inbetween.’ you turned your neck to admonish him lightly, but he just wiggled his eyebrows in return. as he freed himself from his sleeping clothes, he continued.

‘i wonder if you’ll be like this with every baby?’ he moaned out, grasping your nightgown in his other hand and gathering it up around your full waist. ‘ wanting my cock…’ he accentuated this with a full thrust into you, settling himself in right up to your womb as he had been at least twice a day every day for the last five months. you cried out his name, reaching behind you to hold his hand over your hip. ‘i do want it anthony, want it so much’ you babbled, rocking yourself back against him at every thrust, desperate for more.

‘careful sweetheart,’ he brushed some hair back behind your ear and reached down to kiss your neck gently, ‘this is what got you in this situation in the first place.’ you chuckled as you leant back against his chest, allowing him to do all the work as you laid in bliss.

if this is how it feels every time, you thought to yourself, i’ll have as many babies as he wants.

[ilalos]

Worth it (Anthony Bridgerton x reader) Part 2/2

Summary: Your arranged marriage to Anthony seems fine, until it doesn’t.

Warnings: marriage, implied sex, angst-ish, fluff, pregnancy, crying, if you notice anything else let me know :)

Word count: 2.5k

The season passed in a blur with countless flowers and conversations that filled you with expectations about your marriage to the Viscount, you truly felt like love was around the corner for both of you and it was a matter of time for that corner to be turned. He was everything you had expected and more, you could tell he was wary about letting you in but didn’t want to push him so you let him open himself to you at his own pace. The had been some stolen looks, kisses on your knuckles that had lasted a little longer than they should and hand a bit lower than what was acceptable when you danced. To say the courting had been successful was the understatement of the season in your opinion, by the time the wedding day came you were counting down the minutes before you finally became Lady (y/n) Bridgeton.

Your wedding ceremony was short and the carriage ride to Anthony’s bachelor townhouse was even shorter. The wedding night had come with a surprisingly low amount of events, your virginity had been taken the sweetest of ways, with many kisses and whispered promises of pleasure that came true. By the end of the day, you were as happy as can be, laying on your husband's chest, feeling his heartbeat slowing down and smelling the sweet vanilla scent of his skin.

When you woke up the next morning the bed was empty and he had already left to work in his study back in the main Bridgerton home. He didn’t return until late in the evening and you were waiting for him so you could have dinner together.

“Thank you for waiting for me,” he said while taking a sip of his wine.

“It’s nothing, I like that we are finally spending some time together”

Anthony just nodded and continued eating in silence.

“How was your day?” You pushed for conversation, you had been alone all day and could really use some conversation with someone different than your maid, who was terrified of speaking freely.

“It was busy” he answered simply “how was your day?” He asked after seeing the face you made at his short answer.

“It was also very busy, I reorganized the books in the library, had the kitchen staff do an inventory on the pantry, and send the maids to the market to get some flowers for the table tops” you narrated proudly, hoping he might appreciate the way you ran the home.

“Good to see you’re settling in, darling” his small praise made you smile a little.

“You don’t mind that I changed some things?” You asked somewhat concerned by his silence.

“It is your home, you’re free to do whatever you please with it,” he said dismissively.

“It’s our home, Anthony, I want to make it perfect for you too”

After dinner, he walked you to the bedroom and after a couple of heated kisses you fell in his arms once again, the pleasure he gave you was addictive. Despite his cold attitude towards you in other aspects of your life, it was in the bedroom where you felt hopeful for a future where you both might learn to truly love each other, and then he would sneak out every morning making you feel like a worthless whore.

And so your days continued like this, every night was filled with passion and every day was lonely. You couldn’t even go to the Bridgerton home, you had been taught that a married lady was not to go out without her husband, so your heart slowly filled with sadness as you spent day after day alone in the townhouse. Anthony was none the wiser because he simply thought you enjoyed being by yourself, so it never occurred to him to invite you to his family’s home or anywhere else.

A month into your marriage you found out you were with child. You were extremely happy and Anthony had shown himself to be happy as well, but then that night he didn’t come home for dinner and didn’t make an appearance in your bedroom. He was more and more distant until four months had passed and he disappeared for two full weeks before you saw him again.

It was on the day of your birthday, and he had only gone to your room because the butler told him you had been very sick that day. When he entered the room he found you seating on the bed hugging your knees close to your chest, your eyes puffy from crying and silent tears still streaming down your face. You weren’t upset he had forgotten your birthday, you had never celebrated it so it didn’t matter he didn’t remember it.

“What happened? Is everything well? Is the baby-“

“Your child is quite well, Lord Bridgerton” you interrupted in the coldest tone he had ever heard from you “to what do I owe this joyous visit?”

“I apologize for my absence, I have been very busy” he answered measly.

“I figured out that much, husband” the word was said with venom.

“Are you upset with me?” He asked offended, you had never treated him so coldly.

“I am upset with myself” you started with a pained chuckle “I don’t need you to try and comfort me because you did nothing wrong, that is the reason for my anger” a small sob escaped your lips “I was taught to be a good wife, that my only job was to give my husband heirs and to keep the house running and I understood that and I didn’t fight it because at least I would have children to fill my life with love and a husband who at the very least would acknowledge me and my efforts”

“I-“

“I don’t want you to feel like you should change or apologize, this is not your fault, I feel miserable because I filled my heart with hopes and dreams of love but that’s just not how life is, at least not mine” you harshly wiped your eyes before finishing “I understand my place now, I’m nothing but a child-bearer for you and that’s fine because you didn’t even pick me in the first place” you got up from bed and opened the door for him “please leave me alone, I will be fine”

“I can’t just leave you here alone, have you even eaten today? In your condition-“

“Your child is perfectly well, my lord” your tone had turned icy once again “please go, I am tired and want to rest”

Unable to do anything else, Anthony left the room and went back to his family’s home. His mother had insisted for him to take you there that night, but seeing your state he didn’t even bother asking if you wanted to go. When he got there he was surprised to see the dining room fully decorated, his whole family dressed in their best clothes, even Daphne and Simon had paid a visit.

“Where is (y/n)?” Asked Violet.

“She’s not feeling very well” answered Anthony looking at the table that was filled with all his wife’s favorite food “What is happening? Why are you all here dressed as if you are attending a ball?”

“Anthony, please for the love of God almighty, tell me you didn’t forget your wife’s birthday!” Violet couldn’t keep his composure, how could Anthony be so clueless.

“I-I’ve been so busy lately supervising the building of the new house, it didn’t even occur to me that it was her birthday” Anthony felt terrible, as he should.

“It’s bad enough she doesn’t like us, son” Violet sighed, seating on the table “And now she thinks we don’t care for her birthday”

“Where did you get that idea, mother?” Daphne couldn’t help but ask “When she writes to us she says wonderful things about our family”

“Then why hasn’t she visited since the wedding?” This time it was Colin asking “Mother sent a tea invitation shortly after they got married and she never showed up, sent a poor letter apologizing but did not explain why she didn’t show”

“I might have an explanation for that” Simon spoke up “My aunt was a terribly strict mother, taught her that a wife was nothing more than a child-bearer and had no liberties like men do, for example: going out unaccompanied”

“Has she been out of the house since you married, brother?” asked Eloise, turning to face Anthony who was still frozen at the doorstep.

“I don’t believe so” he entered the room and sat defeated “I just thought she enjoyed being at home by herself, god!” he rubbed his hands down his face.

“I can’t believe it, the poor thing” lamented Violet.

“She hasn’t left the house in almost half a year” concluded Benedict.

“And here we were, refusing to visit thinking she had rejected mother,” said Colin.

“I would like to clarify, I never agreed with losing contact with her over one missed invitation” added Eloise, gaining the glares of everyone present.

“It matters not what we thought nor does it matter what has happened in the past” began Violet “right now I want you to go pick her up and bring her here, she deserves to be celebrated, especially after everything we put her through,” she told her eldest child, pushing him to stand and go to the door.

Anthony mounted the carriage and urged the coachman to hurry home and as soon as he got there he ran up the stairs to your room and burst through the door, jolting you awake.

“I am so sorry, love,” ha said kneeling on your bedside “I never knew you didn’t leave the house because you thought you couldn’t, you are free to do as you please, darling” he grabbed your hand and kissed your knuckles “I didn’t mean to make you feel trapped in your own home, and I am sorry if you felt like I abandoned you” he caressed your face and wiped some tears that had fallen without your notice.

“You did abandon us,” you said, trying to pull your hand from his grasp with your other hand protecting your belly.

“I was merely supervising the building of our new home, I was hoping I could surprise you before the baby arrived” he explained, now seating by your side “I can’t possibly ask my family to leave their home but I know how much you love that house, and so I chose to build a similar one not too far from here”

“You are building me a house?” You asked incredulously, hardly anything could justify his absence but this was in fact a reasonable explanation.

“Yes, love” he once again caressed your face “A home for our family” at that your eyes filled with tears, this time from happiness.

You sat up and wrapped your arms around his neck, crying with your face buried in his shirt. He wrapped his arms around you, kissing the top of your head and shushing you softly to calm down your cries. You spent a while holding each other until he suddenly broke you two apart, remembering his family that was still waiting for you both to show up.

“My beautiful wife, I must take you out of the comforts of your bed” he began, apologetic “My family is expecting you in their home to celebrate your birthday with a lavish dinner”

“Heavens! You should’ve started with that” you ran to your door and called out for your maid “I don’t think I have a dress for such occasion, non that would fit me now, that’s certain”

You opened your trunk and began taking out your chemise and all other items you had to wear under your dress in such cold weather. You took off your nightgown not caring Anthony was there, he had seen it all before, after you had put on your chemise your maid ran in and help you put on the rest of your garments and helped you squeeze your small baby bump in the dress you had worn for one of the first balls you attended when Anthony was courting you. She put your hair in a quick updo and even managed to coerce Anthony into putting on your stockings and your shoes while she did your hair. With all that rush and hard work, you managed to be ready in under an hour and still made it to the dinner at a reasonable hour (half past 9 is reasonable, right?).

At the Bridgerton home, you were welcomed with warm embraces and merry wishes on your special day. You all sat around the table and ate the feast that had sadly grown cold. Colin didn’t seem to mind as he devoured everything in sight, prompting Violet to chastise him softly. You, however, ate small bites because the pregnancy had caused your stomach to be upset easily and you didn’t wish to offend anyone by running out of the room to empty your stomach. Anthony watched you eat and held your hand atop the table, smiling as he watched you laugh and converse with his family.

“Is the food not good enough?” Asked Violet seeing your plate almost full.

“It is just perfect, my stomach has just been iffy since the start of the pregnancy” you answered smiling apologetically, Anthony choked on his wine because he realized at that very moment that he had forgotten to tell his family about your condition.

“You’re with child? Those are wonderful news!” Exclaimed Violet with a large smile “When did you found out?”

“Four months ago” you turned to glare at Anthony “I assumed your son had told you”

“How could you conceal such joyous information from your mother?” Violet then noticed her eldest daughter had become quiet, as well as her husband “Did you know, Daphne?”

“I was aware of it, yes” Daphne admitted ashamed “I too assumed Anthony had told you”

“You assumed my eldest son had told me about his wife’s pregnancy and I had decided not to mention any of it in our letters?”

“I-I’m, yes?” Benedict and Colin snorted with laughter hearing their sister’s answer.

Violet only shook her head with a small smile, her children were truly a wonder. Anthony was nervous that you’d get mad at him for not telling them, but one look at your laughing face told him he didn’t need to worry.

Later that evening you both laid in bed after yet another passion-filled encounter, your breathing slow and even making Anthony think you were asleep. He was caressing your naked back with feather-like touches, kissing your sweaty forehead every few minutes.

“I love you” you sighed, kissing his chest “You need not feel the same, I just want you to know how I feel”

He took a shaky breath before answering.

“I also am in love with you, darling” he placed a finger under your chin and tilted your head so you’d look at him “sometimes I’m scared of just how much I love you” he kissed you slow and deep, pouring all his love into the action.

The kiss was unlike any other you had shared before, this one was full of promise and hope. It filled you with love and certainty, you were now sure that no matter how difficult the road to Anthony’s heart had been, even if you didn’t want it at first, it had all been worth it.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Hi! Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. If you like it let me know.

Tag list:

@alaizaaa02

@awesomebooklover17

[nanso]

I know you talked about bridgerton and india before, what did you think of how they handled it?

Sorry, anon, you sent this awhile back! My b. I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to wade into this, but here we go.

I guess I would say it was one step forward, two steps back for me. 

I'll be nice and start with the good: 

Let me start out by saying - I'm south indian, I'm dark-skinned, I annoyingly like period dramas so yes - it means a lot to see Simone and Charithra in Bridgerton.

-oil and hair: I actually loved this moment quite a lot, when Kate massages coconut oil into Edwina's hair after idiot Anthony's non-proposal. I liked it because, at least in the south where my family is from, it is most definitely a regular female bonding activity. And it was seamless and not explained like a documentary or Vox explainer. So kudos, white people and single desi writer! 

For the rest, under the cut we go! 

The 'eh'

-I was just 'eh' about Kate's tea thing. It was simple and funny and like yeah, british tea is meh. So you go, Glen Coco/Kate Sharma. Dunk on their blandness. On the other hand....it feels like, at least for people who have ANY awareness of the history of British colonialism in India, referencing tea just made me think of (what was for me) the elephant in the season. 

-Haldi: I guess I appreciate that it wasn't like...explained for the audience. I saw a bit in a pretty decent article from Vice (one of the few critical pieces about this season that is otherwise awash in sycophantic praise) that mentioned that Edwina’s unmarried woman-and-luck bit isn't a thing.  And while that may be true, I have to say - in my family, I swear to god, half the things the women on my mom's side say are things they have just simply decided are family tradition. And that's how traditions are made, to be honest. So 🤷🏾‍♀️. Though lord knows, there are probably any number of non-desis that probably think that this is broadly culturally traditional so....that’s awkward. Also you know that someone saw Monsoon Wedding and was like ‘time for marigolds, amirite??’

There can sometimes be a ‘look at us!’ vibe when desi culture is incorporated in any media form, in a way that encourages (often by desis themselves) a voyeurism and exotification of the culture from people who aren’t desi, particularly white people (colonization never ended, my friends). I - mostly - did not get that vibe from S2, though a part of me actually feels like the tea bit and Haldi inched towards that; and one thing below definitely breached that line. 

The Bad: -I think the first thing that stands out to me is the absurd lack of explanation of what is going on with the plethora of languages in the Sharma family?? Listen, obviously there are regionally blended Indian families (I've got a few in my own!) but like...this this needed explanation. Papa Sharma was presumably Tamil since Edwina also called him appa. And yet...he had a northern last name?? Kate and Edwina called Mary mama, which is fine and makes sense - she was born and raised in England.  But then...Edwina called Kate didi. And Kate called Edwina bon....Hindi and Bengali respectively.  Like...what is going on here? Kate calls her birthmother amma so she was also Tamil (or Telugu!). So where is the Bengali coming from? And if there is no colonization, where is the Hindi coming from when they live in Maharashtra?? 

MAKE IT MAKE SENSE, SINGLE DESI WRITER AND SINGLE HISTORICAL CONSULTANT. MAKE IT MAKE SENSE. 

***One note - I have see a couple of people on twitter question Kate saying Edwina is fluent in Hindustani and saying that’s not a language. Uh...I’m a little surprised that people don’t know that Hindustani is a language and was the predominant language in, at least, northern India during the 19th century in particular? Like...there’s a reason why Hindu and Urdu are so similar, peeps***

-Accents and pronunciation: Listen, this is absolutely NOTHING against Simone A or Charithra C. But Simone's accent was aaaaaaaall over the place and I don't think it was code-switching or based on her emotional state. And also I don't think this is her fault. Indian accents are 1) varied and 2) difficult!  She shouldn't have had to do that. Also if they were going to have Edwina reference Mirza Ghalib (whose first published work wasn't until like 3 decades after the events of S2 I'm pretty sure but anyhooooo), they could have at least had someone tell Charithra how to pronounce his name correctly?? Again, that isn't on Charithra but on the producers and cultural consultants. Listen, maybe there are people who pronounce his name like that; I've just never heard it. 

-Kathani: Uh, this is probably an unpopular opinion, but I was not a fan of this choice. First of all, I’m not entirely certain of the origin of the name Kathani and no, do not @ me with random What-this-Name-Means websites as though that's some kind of proof. Mostly it felt like they picked a name that was close to Katherine. Moving on, WHY WAS ANTHONY THE FIRST PERSON TO SAY KATE'S DESI NAME? The white guy is how we learn this? Not from Kate herself? Or Mary? Seriously? Also...even in moments of distress (ie the broken wedding, Kate's accident), Mary never says 'Kathani' - which would lead one to think that she, in fact, never really uses that name??  It just didn't make a lot of sense (or it implies a lot worse). To me, it felt like a way for Bridgerton to pat themselves on the back for giving Kate an apparently Desi name but without the thought or care of how that name related to the parents who named her and the other parent who helped raise her. 

-Exotification: Listen, to me, the sheer fact that they incorporated Indian culture in Season 2 - but did not tell us where Simon's family may have originated from at any point in S1 (or Lady Danbury) raises red flags to me about how this show handles its characters of color. I actually would prefer a so-called ‘color-blind’ casting (even if I inherently think that that is a false concept but that’s another matter). But the writers are the ones that have said the show is ‘color-conscious’ and show an inconsistency with that, not shockingly. There's also this inherent question/probing thought in my mind that - Bridgerton has now chosen two romantic interests from communities that were tied to England by slavery and colonization. And...I don't know what to do with that.

I have other thoughts on Bridgerton's so-called 'color-conscious- casting but they aren't formulated enough to post. Maybe one day my brain will scramble into place for it though. There are probably other things that I should note, but this is what stuck out for me. 

[silverhallow]

I loved your answers they were so great! Another question when you want one! What’s your favorite thing about each couple??

OHHHHHHHHHH another good one!!!! and that's hard... but let's try...

Again we shall go in Book Order!

Saphne - I like that Daphne loved him so much that when she thought he couldn't have children that she wanted to be with him anyway. he was enough for her...

(yes there is a lot of other things we can get into here about what happened after but this was one of the things i loved best about her character... it was only when she realised that he didn't want when there became an issue... TALK FOR GODS SAKE PEOPLE)

and Simon liked her for who she was, that she was different and she's a bit of a tom boy but a girly girl at the same time, she can stand up for herself... they complimented one another in a way and if it wasn't for that scene, they would be a lot higher on my couples list... because that's what killed it for me...

They work well together, she sees past what he sees as his fatal flaws and helps him accept himself and she feels accepted and appreciated for who she is... and isn't that what we all want at the end of the day?

Kanthony - oh where to start... I love these two so much... couple wise, they are second on my list. they're both Alpha's and it's why they butt heads, they both like control and being in charge and yet they recognise something in each other... it's what draws them together and why they can't seem to stay away...

They're the power couple. Yes Daphne and Simon might out rank them... but I bet in the eyes of the ton, Kate and Anthony are more respected because of their collective power and aura...

Anthony has someone who understands him, understands his pain and his responsibility... and Kate has someone who loves her for who she is. has never compared her to her sister, who wanted her from the off... and they see each other, they complete one another and they are able to heal their old wounds. they can be vulnerable together, they can just be goofy idiots and be themselves and I love that for them

Benophie - oh my sweet babies...there is so much that i love about these but i think... my favourite thing is they aren't equals, like the other couples who are close to it, they're not. Sophie needs someone to protect her and look after her after a hard 22 years of life... someone to LOVE HER and Benedict needs someone who sees him for who he is after a life as being SECOND... they understand each other immediately, yes it is love at first sight but they don't really get to the core of one another until later.

they just meet someone who understands them from the get go. the fact Sophie DOESN'T recognise him straight away as a Bridgerton and is interested in him... its TOP TIER. They bring out the best and the worst in each other. they're stubborn they drive one another crazy.

Sophie understands Benedict better than anyone, probably even himself... she believes in him in a way no one else has. Benedict loves Sophie when no one else ever has...

they literally complete one another, they give each other a purpose. I could write about these two ALL DAY.

Polin - this is a hard one... cause they're not my favourite couple and i struggle with them but i think what I do like about them is they were friends first. Friendship is the best foundation for any relationship, for it to work you have to LIKE each other... and they do like one another as friends first. they have that bases and foundation. I like that Penelope encouraged Colin to pursue his writing and gave him a sense of purpose... and grounding which he DESPERATELY needed.

Philoise - i love that they're able to be themselves. I love that it wasn't magical and whilst it was a moment of madness that had Eloise fleeing across country, she had thought it out and I think if she had written ahead to say she was coming... it would have still gone in a similar way... albeit it without the assault on Sir Phillip and Eloises on Benedict... i love that Eloise is still able to retain her independence and be in charge, I love that they compliment one another. Like Ben and Sophie they bring out the best in another, they make each other happy and it's just... YES.

Franchel - i love these horny beans. I love that Michael just loves her so much that he'd do anything for her... i just love these two being filthy and wicked... and honestly... good for Frannie! her and Michael living their best lives in Scotland without clothes on hahahaha

Hyreth - i love that Hyacinth was so stubborn and strong willed but she found a man who loved that about her. he didn't try to push it down, to get her to conform. He loved that about her... but at the same time, was just as smart and just as challenging and engaging as she is... she needed someone strong enough to hold her back at times but someone man enough to let her do her own thing... Gareth needed a family, he needed someone stable and someone to challenge him and stop him from getting bored. she accepted him for who he was and we stan that...

Grucy- who doesn't love Lucy! I mean, she's like the legitimate version of Sophie, at least in my head... actually she's like Sophie and Kate rolled into a tiny adorable OCD laden package...

Poor girl just wants to be loved for the first time (cause lets be honest... hermione loves no one but herself) and she wants to be accepted and looked at first... She was always an after thought to Hermione (Like Kate and Edwina) and she was so sure she didn't deserve any love or anything that she was going to marry a man out of duty. she didn't know her parents, her uncle was a wanker and her brother... don't get my started... she's had a rough start to live and she just wants someone to accept her...

I love that despite the initial cock up, that Gregory wants her so badly and will do anything to do that and prove that... he's a romantic bean (he's been taking notes from Benedict i am sure of it...) and he just wants to love her. he wants to be a malewife and be a father and be Lucy's... they're chaotic and they're adorable and they just... they want to be happy damn it and they want to be together but it's a sense of duty that drives Lucy to go through with her wedding...

they're idiot himbos both of them and its why i love them

[kanthypantsalltheway]

Can you analyse how Book!bridgerton siblings and show!bridgerton siblings are different?

Thank you so much!:)

Ooooh alright! So I have lots of thoughts about this because we can all agree that book!characters and show!characters are quite different despite the actors putting their best efforts. Afterall they can only do so much when the scripts persist on creating another image altogether. Let's get into it.

Anthony Bridgerton- phewww, the way they butchered him, im- Alright so, first things first, Anthony Bridgerton NEVER neglected his family. He is always portrayed to be obedient despite his life being in tatters and his fear of death hovering over him. I know, I know, it was for character development, but they could have taken a better approach. He was lost, depressed, dripping with sadness and fear, true, but he never talked back to his mother (and violet was never a bitch), never thought about anything else other than his siblings's wishes. He would have NEVER forced Daphne to marry to someone like Nigel. He would have been worried, a bit stern even but never so cruel as to ignoring her wishes. Also, he was never 'attached' to one lady before Kate. Again it might have been for his character arc, but it was a bad attempt at the end because people started romanticizing his and Sienna's toxic relationship. He would never have been jealous of her mingling and seducing other man, because frankly, he is a rake ever since he sneaked out of Oxford for a quick shag. He knew his duties since he was eighteen, and he sure as hell knew who to stay away from. Besides, it doesn't take much time for one to know that even he KNEW how frustrated and hopeless their arrangment was. Book!Anthony was always logical. But thank god for Johnny, he literally made me want to kill show! Anthony and want to comfort him all the same.

Benedict Bridgerton- Book!Benedict wasnt such a bad boy, but hey, I'm not complaining. Luke Thompson didn't have THAT much screentime, but he slayed his fifteen minutes there. I do think his character, although a bit different is quite similar to book! Benedict. A bit shy, in the shadows at time, but sensible when required. A voice of intelligence when Anthony's concern overtakes his sanity. I know the book didn't show much about his feeling towards the working class, but show!Benedict seems to be aware of the society outside of upper-class, which is a relief and a good gradual progress of the show hinting towards at Sophie too.

Colin Bridgerton- Colin has always been humourous and a foodie. How could they butcher my boy and NOT include those qualities???? I mean that's peak Colin right there. Always sneaking food, always talking even when he has one of hands holding food to his mouth, and the other on his belly. He has the most amazing sense of humour and would lighten the situation, NOT MAKE IT WORSE BY MARRYING A WOMAN OUT OF NOWHERE. He was the closest to Daphne. He always was her favourite brother and they had a good chance to focus on that instead of torturing Marina and making Colin look like a fool. Also, he never proposed to any woman other than Penelope. It's crazy how they ruined so many things in one season. Let's hope for the best going forward. Luke Newton could have brilliantly done Colin being the cheeky part, because he just plays it wonderfully. What a missed opportunity.

Daphne Bridgerton- The main reason she wasn't attracting suitors was she was too friendly towards the men of the ton, that they could only portray her as a friend and not as a suitor. She wasn't a Diamond of the first water, she was never even shown having a friendly relation with the men of the ton. She also had a good sense of humour as compared to show!Daphne. She remarked how men were idiots when she saw her brother and Simon fight, she shared how much she loved Colin. Despite Daphne being a bit plain as was her charcter and also being problematic, (which again the writers and showrunners had ample chance of removing the rape scene altogether) she was portrayed beautifully by Phoebe.

Eloise Bridgerton- the show butchered Eloise the same way they did Anthony. Book!Eloise was yes, always bold, sure she was going to be a spinster, but she was never a feminist. I mean, show!Eloise isn't a feminist either, she has a long way to go for it. But the show tried to portray Eloise as this insufferable woman who was always against marriage where other woman were concerned, when she was infact not. Book!Eloise didn't hate Daphne, she didn't mind at all that Daphne was getting married. She and Benedict weren't that close, but again, i am not complaining that they are in the show. She considered herself more so as a spinster than anything else, but she never criticised others for marrying. Although, Book!Eloise was quite ignorant at times. They did portray the difference between the marriage prospects of Eloise and Penelope quite well. How, Eloise WAS a pretty Bridgerton, she had money, prospects and her family support. While Penelope, as shown, her family was suffering from a debt, no prospects for her, and her family couldn't care less about her. Book!Eloise didn't want to unravel Lady Whistledown's identity, she was curious, as was her nature and wanted to have fun. It wasn't her motive. It was Colin's motive. But either way, Claudia saved Eloise's ass, made show!Eloise look like this talkative and curious person, which she is.

Francesca- GIVE MY GIRL FRANCESCA MORE SCREENTIME. But also, isn't it marvellous how Ruby Stokes, with her two minutes of screentime caught Francesca's personality so perfectly? Maybe it is because her screentime was short for the showrunners and script writers to ruin her character in the show, but I'm immensely grateful how much similarities both the book and show Francesca have! Whimsical, introvert, sweet and a keen eye. Perfect. Now bring her back from aunt Winnie's, but don't ruin her character.

Gregory and Hyacinth- ah my babieeeesssss, they are too young to be portrayed as their individual books!character but the small tidbits that we saw in other books of young Gregory and Hyacinth really did match with that of show!Gregory and Hyacinth! Both insufferably cute and cheeky. But what made me sad was how they missed the opportunity to show little Gregory who was so excited that he slipped in the water of Thames and Hyacinth who literally flirted with Simon! Either way, I love Will Tilson and Florence Hunt, they are like real life Gregory and Hyacinth!

Honestly, so much good would have served if they stayed true to the book and it's humour rather than its problematic scenes.

[simoneashleydaily]

Simone Ashley in Sunday Life (Sydney Morning Herald)

Bridgerton’s new star on breaking the rules and her biggest role yet

By Genevieve Quigley

Speaking via the phone from London, Simone Ashley sounds out of breath. It soon becomes clear this is because, besides being a talented actor, she is a remarkable multitasker. Simone is juggling media interviews ahead of her role in season two of Bridgerton and a far more domestic duty. “I’m taking my dog for a walk through Hyde Park,” she admits, laughing.

It is just weeks away from the launch of one of the most anticipated follow-ups to a Netflix series, and possibly one of the last times the tall and striking Simone, who’s 26, will be able to walk through the popular park without being mobbed. Is she prepared for the fame that is about to be thrust upon her?

“This is the biggest role that I’ve had, so I can’t speak from experience,” she says. “I can only imagine nothing can really prepare you for it. But I try not to pay too much attention to that side of things.”

Judging by the hype around the upcoming Regency-era drama, though, it will be hard for Simone to ignore. This season is centred on her character, Kate Sharma, and Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey).

Those familiar with the source books by Julia Quinn will know that Anthony initially sets his sights on Kate’s younger sister Edwina (Charithra Chandran). But when Kate decides Anthony is not worthy of her sister’s hand in marriage, he tries to win over the Sharma family. While Anthony and Kate initially clash heads, it’s not long before they develop feelings for each other.

Simone’s portrayal of the strong-willed (and happily single) Kate is sure to be a hit with fans. “Kate is a modern voice, a bit ahead of the time, compared to what women were going through in the 1800s,” agrees Simone. “She’s against what women needed to follow back then. She’s a bit of a rule-breaker and she’s a little bit awkward, which is what I really like about her. She doesn’t seem to fit in easily.”

“I didn’t really have a moment to be like, ‘Wow, this is happening.’ It’s only really now that I’m going, ‘Oh wow, my god, I got the job, this is really happening.’ It’s definitely been a whirlwind of a year.”

So what does the more traditionally inclined Anthony see in her? “There’s something endearing about her that draws him to her. It is her honesty, it’s the fact she doesn’t go out to people-please and that she has an opinion.

“It doesn’t necessarily make her the most popular person in the room all the time; it makes her different, shy. But she’s so devoted to her little sister, and I think that’s something Anthony is drawn to as well.”

If you’re thinking Kate sounds like the polar opposite of Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) – the “Diamond of the Season” (the best catch of all the ladies looking for a husband), and whose love story with Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page) dominated the first series – you’d be on the mark. But Simone is quick to point out the similarities between the two characters.

“The amazing thing about the show is that it does represent incredible, vulnerable and empowered women,” she says. “Daphne herself was an incredibly smart, intelligent portrayal of a powerful female even if she did initially start out as the “diamond”. In the end, we did see her become a mature woman.

“With Kate, it’s like the other way around. She’s quite hardcore, guarded, a bit frosty, a bit feisty. But there’s also strength in her vulnerability and in the end we might see her allow someone to come into her heart … let her guard down. I think being a strong, female character isn’t necessarily anything new, it’s just a new spin on it.”

Simone’s self-assured manner offers glimpses of her own Kate Sharma qualities. She, too, has had to overcome challenges to follow her life ambitions, which were beyond her family’s experiences.

Born in Surrey, England, to Tamil Indian parents, Latha and Gunasekharan Pillai, Simone (Ashley is her stage name) grew up in a family of academics, but was drawn to the creative arts. She studied at Redroofs Theatre School (famous alumni include Kate Winslet and Joanne Froggatt) before training in acting at The Arts Educational School London.

Her parents were apprehensive about her chosen profession. “They still find it quite scary and unsettling,” she told South Asian-culture website Veylex in 2019. “There is no crystal ball, no security, no guarantee. Which can be a parent’s worst nightmare. But they know I’m a smart lady.”

Early in her career, Simone picked up small parts in a number of TV series, such as Broadchurch and Casualty, before landing her breakthrough role in the 2019 Netflix hit, Sex Education. Although not one of the leads, her character Olivia Hanan, a member of the “Untouchables” (a group of impossibly cool teens) was a memorable one, and would help lead her to where she is today.

“I think Chris [van Dusen, Bridgerton’s showrunner] had seen me in Sex Education, and I think Johnny [Jonathan Bailey] and him had a few conversation and whispers about me,” she says. “I got a text from my manager at the end of January last year and he was like, ‘There’s this role that they’re interested in you for.’ ”

A flurry of events led to her landing the part. “It all happened in 14 days. I sent in the self-tapes, I had Zoom meetings and then I went to meet Johnny in person for a chemistry test. Then we met with (production company) Shondaland on Zoom.

“When I got the role, I was immediately in wig fittings and make-up tests, and horse-riding and accent training, and read-throughs and rehearsals. I didn’t really have a moment to be like, ‘Wow, this is happening.’ It’s only really now that I’m going, ‘Oh wow, my god, I got the job, this is really happening.’ It’s definitely been a whirlwind of a year.

“But that’s our job as actors: to get up super early and go to set, and do night shoots, and be in a bubble for months, and read scripts, and be in character, and not wear our own clothes every day. But the magic of all this is when you see the final product. That’s when the penny dropped for me. ‘Gosh, I was a part of this fairy tale and got to work with amazing people.’ ”

Now that Simone has caught her breath, how does she feel about this fairy tale being launched in front of a whopping worldwide audience? After all, the first season was streamed in 82 million households during its first month on Netflix, and quickly became its most-watched original series in 83 countries (it has since been beaten by Squid Game).

She says, casually, that it doesn’t really get her excited. “But of course I’m human, I’m not a robot, and I have some feelings about the millions of people that are about to see it! But just watching it, it was so beautiful and that’s what gave me the chills: to see what we’ve achieved.“

Nevertheless, Simone knows parts of her life will forever change, and she’s keen to maintain some privacy, especially when it comes to what she posts to her nearly 500,000 Instagram fans. “We’re in an age where we are all using social media in a quite unconscious way, and we are putting up things or engaging with things without asking ourselves, why are we doing this? What are we getting from this? Is it because we want validation? Likes? The attention?

“I feel like social media can inflate the narcissist in all of us. But I think I’ve got a good handle on that. It’s cool to have anonymity if you can.” And it definitely helps when dog-walking through Hyde Park.

Season two of Bridgerton will stream on Netflix from March 25.

[newtonsheffield]

Hi, I was wondering you could write something about the Bridgerton spouses and them all spending the day together and the Bridgerton siblings wondering where they have gone.

Hello! Hello Hello! 

My god you have been waiting on this for just the longest time, and I am just so sorry! I have no excuse beyond: I am terribly disorganised and unfortunately sometimes I have to deal with my real life. 

So anyway! On with the show! This isn’t exactly what you asked for and I’m combining it with another request, again, terrible! So sorry! 

Anon asked: I love your little headcanon about the Bridgerton wives and their wine night. Do you have sth similar for the Bridgerton husbands too? The Bridgerton Wives Club is truly my legacy at this stage aaaaaaand I couldn’t be prouder of it. 

@esoterrifica was also a little interested in this concept 

And So, without further Ado, it is my greatest pleasure to introduce to you all The Bridgerton Wives Club and their sister Association  (If You’ve somehow missed my post about the BWC here it is here 

“And just where’s my shirt, Katie cat?” Michael Stirling had said nodding in the direction of the remainder of Frankie’s sister in laws wearing their infamous Bridgerton Wives Club shirts, gathered around the table that had been dragged into Violet Bridgerton’s back lawn. Kate raised her eyebrows and said nothing. 

“I’m a Bridgerton wife now as well, I think it’s only fair, don’t you?” He said, a charming grin on his face, Kate laughed brightly.  “I’m afraid, Michael, unless you want to get drunk and discuss breast feeding techniques with us you’re quite on your own.” Michael huffed a little indignantly at the exclusion. as Kate continued  “Besides, Simon was the first of you, he was never invited to wine and Whine night and he’s never minded, Have you Simon?” She called out as she passed. Simon looked up a little surprised, Amelia sitting on his shoulders waving down at Auntie Katie as she shrieked with joy “To be fair, I didn’t know it was an option.” Simon said mildly. Michael scoffed

“See! I’ll make the shirts Kate! Just give me the stencil!” a wicked little smirk twisted Kate’s mouth for a second, her eyes shining in a way that Michael had noticed even made his terrifying brother-in-law Anthony stop in his tracks. “oh no, Michael. I’m afraid now I’m quite looking forward to what you come up with, you’r a creative spirit! Let it fly free!” She said as she bent down without even looking and scooped her daughter off the ground who had been sprinting past in attempt to reach the newly revealed chocolate pudding, clearly intent on dumping it on her brother’s head. Michael frowned

“That’s fine, I’ll just ask Penelope. She likes me.” he said, turning to Penelope who had just arrived to their tiny group. “You’ll give me the stencil so I can make a wives club shirt for myself right?” Penelope’s eyes widened, scooting a little nervously to Kate who was immensely enjoying her own joke  “Remember who picked you, Eloise, and Edwina out of the drunk tank when you were 19 and never told your mother Penelope.” Kate sing-songed happily. Penelope paled a little and then, a smirk formed matching Kate’s  “You’re a clever man Michael, you’ll figure something out.” She said, laughing as Michael tutted and then quickly “And don’t even try to fluster Sophie into telling you!” Penelope and Kate laughed brightly amongst themselves as Generalissimo and Pen AND the Sword joined Sweet but Psycho and The heiress 

“What’s that look for?” Francesca said wrapping her arm around his waist, as an idea formed in his mind.  “Your sister in law is an absolute menace.” Michael said, smiling as he kissed his wife’s cheek.  “Here Here” he heard Anthony muter as he passed, on his way to take his son from... Gareth! “Frankie, I love you, you’re beautiful but I have to take care of something!” He said kissing his Bewildered wife on the cheek as he called out  “GARETH!”

_________________

A week later Phillip Crane was looking at Michael as though he’d fully lost his mind, and honestly, maybe he had. 

“You want me to wear this... in public?” Phillip said a little slowly, Michael nodded.  “Yes, Gareth made them.” he replied, throwing attention to the youngest member of their group, already proudly wearing his creation, the sleeves rolled up artfully his tattooed arms in bright contrast to the white fabric. Phillip tutted.  “I’m a little disappointed that you were so easily swayed, Gareth.” Phillip said resignedly holding up the shirt in front of him. Gareth grinned brightly

“I think it’s great! Excellent idea Mike!” He said, tying his hair back in his signature bun “And, Phil, you know Eloise is gonna love it.”  Phillip’s head shot up at the sound of his wife’s name, a small smile appearing on his face, and Michael knew he’d won. Phillip sighed “Fine, Michael, if Simon will wear his, I’ll wear mine.”  Simon Basset burst through the door, as if on queue, his shirt already on grinning broadly “Sorry I’m late boys, Daph needed a hand with Caroline. Love the shirts by the way, just spoke to Luce and she said she’s on route with the other girls, we should head!” 

Phillip groaned as he pulled the shirt over his head. Michael let out a whoop of joy  “Let’s go boys!”

_______________

Well Well Well, Ladies and Gentlemen it seems The Bridgerton Wives Club now have a Sister (or rather brother) Organisation. Generalissimo, The Heiress, Sweet but Psycho and The Pen and the Sword were Joined by four new members today on their monthly brunch meeting today, and they seemed to have named themselves everyone say a very flustered hello to The Bridgerton Dudes Club Members include Mr Football, Mr Handsome, Mr Flowers, and Mr Manbun Gentlemen of London: Lock up your wives and Daughters!    

Anthony Bridgerton: Have you guys seen this? Kate has been cackling since she got home and I did wonder why.

Colin Bridgerton: Seen it? I was whooping for joy! You know Mum is gonna frame that picture and send it around for the Christmas card.

Eloise Crane: Oh Look at him! Apparently it was Michael’s Idea, Frankie remind me to thank Michael for getting Phil such a tight shirt.

Hyacinth St Clair: Jesus Christ, That man is an absolute idiot. At least this explains why I dropped in to his shop the other day to find Michael and Gareth whispering away like old women. I didn’t think Michael had any tattoos 

Benedict Bridgerton: Mr Handsome? Bit much isn’t it? But also, if Michael has a tattoo Soph might let me get one. 

Gregory Bridgerton: Gareth’s artwork looks better than Kate’s she’s gonna be Pissed. Lucy says Michael does have tattoos but she won’t say where ???? Frankie?????

Daphne Basset: I love Simon but... Mr Handsome is right 👀👀👀👀GET IT FRANKIE

Francesca Bridgerton-Stirling: ... I’m NOT discussing Michael’s tattoos with you heathens. But also... He is Going to Get it tonight. 

Hyacinth St. Clair: YEAH HE IS!!!!  

Anthony Bridgerton: Sadly I can confirm my wife is currently redoubling her efforts on the Wives Club Shirts, partially to spite Michael, partially to spite me. Please don’t tell her I actually like them (looking at you, Greg.) And Young Ladies! Go to bed! 

[ladywinterwitch]

Run Away (Ten - Strangers)

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Avenger! Reader

Summary: You and Steve complete each other. Your love is that strong and devoted kind of love that pushes people to things like marriage, making a family. You couldn't imagine that a baby would be something you really wished, until the possibility wasn't your choice anymore.

Warnings: pregnancy talk, fluff, A N G S T, I think that's it??

Words Count: 3739

A/n: Next chapter is longer and INTENSE

Series masterlist , main masterlist

(GIF not mine)

Y/n and Steve ended up falling asleep, which was a bit embarassing especially on his part. In the end tho they woke up around two in the afternoon and were starving. You also thought about the fact that Helen must've already set in by now. After cleaning up a bit and getting redressed the two actually went to separate directions, Steve to the gym because he had a bunch of new recruits to train by three sharp, while Y/n was heading to the kitchen.

-FRIDAY, would you call up ms Simon for me?- she found Tony, Vision and Thor in the common room so she quickly greeted them.

-Hey guys, taking a break?- she smiled when Thor got up to greet her properly. He was such a physical and affectionate person. He reminded her of a golden retriever; huge, with long hair and a heart of gold. Your smile widened when he bent down to press his ear to her belly.

-Well yes darling, do you forget that aside from kicking some ass every now and then we're basically jobless?- Tony joked. Both he and Vision were looking at you two.

-How is your pregnancy going, Y/n?- Vision asked in his posh and polite manner. She tilted her head to the side. Thor still touching the smooth and round surface. She didn't mind at all.

-It's going smoothly, thank you. Tho if I have to be honest I can't wait to at least give birth. I love my belly but it's so complicated to live with. I also miss actually moving around and exiting the tower. I don't think I've ever been so still and babyed in my life.-

-If it was an easy job, God wouldn't have gave it to women.- they all turn around when you hear an unfamiliar voice, which they soon found out to be Helen's. Thor stands straight in all his tallness and gets in front of her protectively.

-Who are you?- he asks suspiciously. She put a hand on his arm to calm him down.

-It's okay, Thor. This is Helen Simon, she's my new midwife. The one me and Steve hired this morning.- her head turns quickly to Tony then back to Helen. Tony stands up, fixing the invisible fold in his tracksuit pants and smugly walks to the older woman.

-Stark. Tony Stark. I actually hired you, but I'll let the happy couple have the glory.- he joked and you shook your head amused. They shook hands and then Vision introduced himself as well. Thor just acknowleged her with a nod. It's not like the God of Thunder had to introduce himself.

-Okay guys, see you later. I'm starving so.- you decided to cut it, but obviously Tony had to sneak in a joke. Had to.

-I'm sure cap worn you out.- Thor, which didn't know what timing was, bless his heart, decided to burst out laughing. You rolled your eyes not looking back.

-Jealousy doesn't match with your shoes Anthony.- you clapped back, still hearing Thor laugh and Tony calling him out.

A few feet down the corridor there was the kitchen, and when Y/n finally tought that her and Helen could have a minute alone, they found Wanda intently reading a book while she mover her finger around to spin the teaspoon in a mug. She looked up when they entered the room. Her finger stopped working and so did the spoon, the faint magenta colored aura disappearing.

-Hello?- she said, tentatively. Y/n ignored her cold stare and walked to the fridge taking out the leftover chicken and some salad to mix.

-She's Helen, the midwife me and Steve talked about.- there was a subtle warning in Y/n's voice. She thought 'Be nice' in her mind, and when Wanda sighed she knew she read her mind.

-Nice to meet you. If you'll excuse m- - Wanda was about to get up from the stool but the old woman's voice stopped her.

-You aren't eating that chicken cold are you? How old is it?- she walked closer, grabbing the plastic box from her hands. Both her and Wanda were a little taken aback by her bluntness, and shared a look.

-Uh..Yeah? I was actually going to put it in the salad. And it's..I'm not sure, a couple of days old? Still perfectly fresh and untouched.- she answered trying to reassure her, but she wasn't having it at all.

-This isn't eating healthy. If you want a healthy baby you need to eat properly. I'll take care of your meals from now on. - she stated, putting the box aside. - The non pregnant teammates can risk getting sick with that chicken. - Wanda's gaze darkened and her eyes took a light shade of red.

-What's that supposed to mean, old lady? - Y/n saw her fingers starting to move around with the corner of her eye and put her own hand on hers.

-Helen didn't mean anything, Wanda. She just meant that I have to be extra careful in comparison to the rest of you, ok? Don't you have to be somewhere right now?- she asked in the most calm way. The last hting she needed was Wanda yeeting Helen out of the tower on the first day. Wanda closed and picked up her book and mug, walking towards the exit of the kitchen.

-I mean, I'd like to go to the terrace to chill, but I can't.- Y/n frowned while sitting on a stool. Meanwhile Helen had already started to inspect their whole frige.

-I can feel Bucky and his girl going at it so yeah, I did not plan to watch a live performance.- she choked on water and the old lady turned around with a rather disgusted face. Wanda just shrugged and left them. The girl turned towards the older woman with an awkward smile.

-Welcome I guess.- the short fake laugh was over as soon as Helen sat in front of her, her hands conjoined in front of her.

-This isn't good.- the girl shifted uncomfortably, then uncosciously starting to rub her belly as a sign of comfort.

-What isn't?- the lady sighed. -First off, there are way too many people here. This place is chaotic, the people aren't giving you the peace that you need. This isn't a baby-space. At all. I just looked into your frigde and there isn't a single thing ready or 100% healthy probably except vegetables. Y/n if you want to be a good mother and be healthy for your baby you need to change a few things.- her words at first irritated her, setting off her protectiveness towards the people she called family, but then as she went on, she made her feel little. Like a little girl who wasn't good enough. She sighed silently.

-What would you have me do then?- she asked. Helen shrugged, still mantaining her perfect posture.

-I'm not gonna suggest you to buy a new place, because where you'll live after the baby is born is your business, but..- she paused, -I can offer you to come live at my place for these last two months or so. I have a nice, peaceful place a little outside New York. I already had eight of my patients do this, it's not so absurd.- she explained like it was the most normal thing in the world. Y/n was listening, but she wasn't convinced. She decided that she had to think about it first. She had to know for sure that she was professional and competent.

-I don't know, Helen. I'll admit that it isn't the most tranquil place to live, but...these people are my family. They have always been by my side, pregnant or not. And what about Steve? The father of my firstborn?- she marked the last phrase, tilting her head to the side. A little habit she probably took from Wanda.

-Because they care about you. But in truth, tell me, aren't you feeling like a burden? Like you get into their business?- she mirrored the young woman's expression. Y/n didn't answer at first.

-You're really not going soft on this are you?- Helen released a dry laugh. Shook her head and paused before talking.

-Yes. I began working as a nurse unofficially when I was 13 years old, during the Prague Spring reforms in '68. The hospital was in short of nurses so.- she explained, -That time wasn't easy. Not that the one before it and after it wasn't, that is. You either grow a thick skin or you don't survive.- Y/n felt for her, as she had a very similar destiny. First she doesn't know how she ended up in an orphanage, and then when she was fifteen and nobody took her, they kicked her out. She was homeless for a year until SHIELD recruited her, and the rest is history.

The older woman got up and took some vegetables, washed them and then placed them down to slice them. Y/n got up as well and started helping. She eyed the fresh eggs, so she guessed that Helen wanted to make a quick frittata.

-How did you end up in America? As midwife, nonetheless.- she asked.

-Why most foreign people come to America? Certainly not the food.- The woman responded with a slight hint of irony. The girl chuckled.

-Touché.-

-In any case, I've been here more than half of my live, moved many states mainly for my own choice. Being a private midwife pays decently.- she paused to dump the sliced vegetables into a pan with a little oil and salt.

-I became one because I was fascinated by the whole process that the woman's body goes through both before, during and after birth. I assisted two of my older sisters, and in the end ended up doing it as a job.- Y/n nodded, listening.

-That's actually amazing. But if I can ask, you do not have kids yourself?-

-No. Didn't have the possibility at first. Then decided that just it was my profession but not my future. No regrets.- she answered even tho the girl could sense that something was off. She decided not to intrude.

Silence fell between them while they were cooking, and the younger woman took the popularity to think about what she said. The woman was practical, a bit harsh maybe. But she also had a lot of experience. She didn't like the thought of leaving her family, but she had to admit that she often felt like a burden lately. More than once someone stayed behind to look after her, and even tho they didn't seem to mind at all, she did. She wasn't used to being so pampered and looked after, and sometimes she almost felt suffocated. Guess that spending many years of your life having to take care of yourself takes a toll on you.

She didn't want to decide anything without talking it out with Steve first. And it wouldn't be permanent, just for the last couple months or so, until she had the baby. If she really thought about it maybe she needed some time to reconnect with herself, to learn how to take care of her baby in the best way possible. Even the stupidest thing like cold chicken could potentially make her sick, and it was such a small thing. But that doesn't change the fact that she didn't knew. She wasn't one of those moms who surrounded herself with books teaching her every do's and don'ts, but at this point insecurity was kicking in. The last thing she would ever want was to be a bad mother even before actually becoming one.

-

Between a baby shop and another, and a whole new diet including an embarrassing amount of tea, Y/n finished her eight month of pregnancy. She was feeling as tired and as big as ever. Helen actually helped a lot both with the cooking, the health tips and with the shopping. She actually sobbed when they bought the crib. Both because she was emotional, a bit because hormones and also because Steve was again away on a mission. The whole team was actually. They had new leads in the Hungarian case and another completely different mission in South Korea, a tough one. So it required the whole team split up. That was the fist time Y/n was left alone since she knew she were pregnant. It all went smoothly, the tower actually felt quiet for once.

Y/n and Helen had found a nice dynamic, and most of the time spent time in a comfortable silence, each doing their thing. A downside that she wasn't realizing was the distance that was slowly creeping from her to the team. They didn't really like the midwife that much, Wanda, Thor and Bucky especially didn't like her at all. But Y/n felt for her, she felt like she knew her better than them so she often took her side, which hurt them back.

Steve on the other hand wasn't realizing it almost at all. All he cared about was his wife being healthy and that she got along with the midwife. They didn't sleep together often anymore, due to the fact that he was often away and she was constantly tired. Bruce did warn her at the beggining that this 'enhanced' baby would've probably tired her out, and it did at first but then she was feeling very well. She and Helen both blamed it on the tiredness of the pregnancy as a whole.

The last straw was when some of the guys, specifically Sam, Thor and Peter, whom didn't live at the tower and was rarely involved in missions because of Tony, went to see them and in some way, nobody actually know how, they made a whole ass hole in the floor above the library. Fate wanted that Y/n and Helen were reading just a few feet away. If they were just a bit closer to the door, they would've been hit by the pavement pieces.

Helen gasped and jumped out of her seat, book still in her hand by the corner. The younger woman on the other hand was more mad than anything.

She rose from the armchair, struggling a bit and marched towards the now destroyed door. The damage wasn't so bad, but it was still damage and it could've been way worse. She was fuming.

-Y/n! Shit are you okay? - Sam yelled from above. The three guys looking down from the hole they created.

-I'm so sorry it wasn't me! It was Thor! - Peter joined in and caused the God to respond, and from that a whole lot of mess arose.

The people who weren't on a mission, which were Wanda, Bucky and Tony, came running.

Y/n didn't know where to look and all of a sudden started felling a bit suffocated. She brought a hand to her forehead, distubed by the chaos arouns her.

-Stop! Fucking stop it! - she yelled, groaning from frustration. Everyone stopped talking while the girl started to feel her eyes prickle with tears of frustration.

-Why is never, ever a single day if peace in here? There's always someone around, making a mess, making noise, complaining- - she almost stumbled on a piece of ceiling that had fallen, but Bucky and Tony were right behind her and helped her stabilize herself, but she shoved them off.

-Leave me be!- she exclaimed frustrated. She huffed, trying to take a deep breath. -I'm moving out.- a chorus of 'What' arose. Bucky stepped forward and grabbed her wrist gently.

-What are you talking about?- his eyes showed confusion and panic.

-And when would have you decided this stupid thing?- Tony crossed his arms and went straight up 'Tony Stark' on her. Y/n rolled her eyes, ignoring both questions and walked out of the now damaged library. Helen followed suit.

-At least wait for Steve to return!- Wanda said. Thor jumped down, through the new hole in the ceiling and followed her like the others.

-Y/n, we're sorry! Look, I'm gonna fix the ceiling myself okay? Please don't go- Y/n's ached to see them upset, but she was tired. Too tired. She was afraid that if she had stayed more than she could withstand, their relationships could've been ruined. That was the last thing she wanted. She didn't knew exactly what was that overwhelmed her so much. She felt constantly tired and in pain, all the noise, number of people..it had become just too much. She needed to finish this pregnancy alone, or at least in a more quiet place.

She stopped in her tracks and exhaled silently. Her eyes passed through everyone in the room. Even in that moment, they were decimated because of the mission, yet there were still eight people in the room. When normally it would've been around 15. That's too many people.

-It's not your fault. It's not anyone's fault, specifically. I just.. I feel overwhelmed. There's too much going on here at the tower. And for me it's like seeing life go on without being able to do anything. I need some space, okay? It won't be forever. Hell, if everything goes well it's gonna be a month, at best. But I really, really need a break. I am going to pack and leave by afternoon, when Steve returns, just send him to the address that I'll leave for him. Okay? I love you guys, you're my family and I wouldn't be where I am today without you. Its just temporary.- she smiled softly, trying not to get emotional. Wanda was visibly upset, on the verge of crying. The others just looked sad, maybe disappointed. But nobody said anything, so she turned her heels and went straight to her room.

-

By five pm she and Helen were already gone. The older woman called them a cab, the driver took care of their stuff and then they were gone. Y/n was silent during most of the trip, both because of the extreme tiredness and sadness. She never changed home since she moved to the tower. She also thought about what she would tell Steve. She knew she couldn't contact him, so she didn't. They had left two days prior, so it was a bit early to know when he'll be coming home. But she knew a hundred percent that he would've gotten to her even before going home.

The two women were headed to the older one's house, which was in Avalon, New Jersey. Helen had told her about her beach house, quite far from the city. Y/n did actually fall asleep after the first hour or so, they had around three in total so she didn't worry about not waking up. By her surprise though, she did sleep throughout the whole trip, and yet, she was still tired. In those days her head gave her particular discomfort, so any noise at all really disturbed her.

Helen woke her up gently when they arrived, the she helped her get out of the car. Meanwhile the driver, which was a quite young man, probably around her age, which was 27, with curly black hair, stubble and dark green eyes, took their luggage off of the trunk.

-That's all. Have a nice stay.- he smiled slightly. Y/n frowned, what about the money?

-How much do we owe you?- she asked sweetly. He waved his hand dismissively, going back in the driver's seat.

-The lady already paid me, I'm ok. Bye.- he waved goodbye and drove off. Y/n and Helen dragged the luggage insider her villa, by which the girl definitely was taken aback.

-You didn't tell me that you live in a Villa?-

-Maybe, but I did tell you that being a private midwife pays well. I also need space if I want to take people living with me.- she explained. The first thing that you could see was the huge open space which showed a not exaggeratedly large living room with a window door on the right, on the left there was the kitchen and in the middle a staircase.

It wasn't very decorated, but the light palette of the whole place defines had a calming effect. Y/n was so used to the high rise and high technology of the Avengers tower that she had almost forgot how nice and intimate a normal house could be.

Helen showed y/n around a little, then ended up in the spare room, which had a large bed, a balcony and some essential forniture pieces such as a wardrobe, a vanity, a full length mirror, an armchair.

-This is really nice, Helen.- she smiled tiredly, caressing her big belly while she walked around. But as she was walking towards the balcony, she had a slight attack of vertigo, and her knees buckle for a second. The woman was at her side in a few seconds, helping her onto the bed. Y/n huffed, the back of her hand on her eyes.

-Why am I so shitty? I was pretty good until a few months ago.- she whined, and Helen shook her head while she stroked her arm.

-Every pregnancy is different, Y/n. You're just tired, from the car and that chaotic place.- the disdain in her voice didn't really pleased Y/n, but she didn't say anything. She didn't have the strength and besides, it's not like she was particularly liked at the tower anyway.

-I'll get you a tea, be right back.- Y/n chuckled.

-I drank more of your Hungarian tea than water in the last months.- Helen pulled a tight smile.

-Well, it is a traditional recipe for pregnant women. Not that you seem to mind it either.- the girl relaxed her eyes and discarded her sneakers to the ground.

-No, it has a peculiar taste but not bad.-

-Good.- and with that she left the girl alone. Helen went down the stairs, and turned on the stove to warm some water. She then opened a drawer, forcing the wood layer to come up by using her fingernails, pulling out an old fashioned phone.

She went to the contacts and dialed the only one there was. She waited a few minutes, when someone picked up.

-Igen?-

-Közeledünk. Készülj fel.- she said, hanging up.

************

Translation from Hungarian: ‘Yes?’ ‘We’re close. Get ready.’

Hiii, this is quite a short chapter but I wanted to end it with ✨ suspense ✨ the next one tho is gonna be way longer. Lastly, friendly reminder that my taglist and my ask inbox are open!

***********

Taglist : @polarcrystall @a--1--1--3  @jessyballet​

[alrightsnaps]

I’m not Scared yet, but there’s not a bigger (joint) cover to be had than Entertainment Weekly tbh...yeah they might get a Variety or Hollywood Reporter cover but those are weekly and not as big of an impact. I mean, some of EW’s covers have been iconic (think Twlight). Simone & Jonathan might/will probably get solo magazine covers, but it was a massive missed opportunity to not have them in costume and to introduce the new S2 couple. A joint photoshoot feature in Vanity Fair or Vogue or whatever doesn’t have the same impact as a monthly *cover*.

Instead, they’re focusing on the supporting characters, because, in my opinion, they’re too cowardly to go full-throat and promote the show as a Romance. They’re using it being an ensemble show as a crutch, basically. Which is stupid because Kate and Anthony are the best couple and Simone and Jonathan are very appealing/marketable.

Oooh thanks for the info cause I'm pretty illiterate when it comes to magazines/celeb promo so I assumed it was just a cover and they were saving the leads for something bigger, and I now miss that blissful ignorance 😭😭😭

I don't remember if they gave Regé and Phoebe a similar photoshoot, the only thing I found was the Vogue photos of them and the Netflix promo when the show came out. But I also didn't find any EW Bridgerton material from s01 at all, so if they managed to get a shot at it this time, Jonathan and Simone should have been the obvious choices! Plus, the romance angle really worked with Simon and Daphne, so the production backtracking and trying to sell s02 as an ensamble show is stupid as well as cowardly. Even if that's the case, couldn't they at least have Simone with the rest of the female characters in the EW cover?? Seriously??

At least Charithra makes sense as a choice since her character is important this season so I could see EW focusing on her and Simone as the younger female additions. But Claudia and Nicola? Also, am I the only one seeing an effort to center Nicola a bit too much, when her story is two seasons away? I guess it could be because she's more popular as an actress, I just hope it's not because the Whistledown reveal will lead to some big #girlboss narrative over seasons 2 and 3.

Anyway, my point is: the leading couple are Simone and Jonathan. I want to see that reflected in the show's promo instead of some half-hearted approach that focuses on secondary characters from two and three seasons down the road. You can't sleep on your leading actors and their story and then complain about the romance angle not selling, when you're throwing leads and their story under the bus. Do they really expect the mainstream audience to get hyped about a bunch of supporting characters as the faces of the show???

[mermaidsirennikita]

bridgerton--the good, the bad, the ugly

The short of it: Bridgerton excellently captures the tone of Regency romance novels and offers a lot of escapism and great sex scenes, but could definitely use some serious work in terms of how it depicts race and it should have made some further alterations to the dated and flawed source material.  Definitely loved a lot of it and am hotly anticipating the second season, but I want to see more work done and I HOPE that this encourages the adaptation of better (and less inherently flawed) romance novels.

Now for the longer take.

The Good

Bridgerton depicted sex and romance in a way that is totally different from anything I’ve seen in period dramas, for sure, but possibly different from anything I’ve seen on TV.  The romance of it all was woven into almost every aspect of the show. There is the handsome and seemingly severe but extravagantly wealthy and sexually adept duke sweeping into town.  The (multiple) rakes who just want to have fun while also being hot messes.  The awakening of female sexuality and the copious use of the female gaze.  (Note the pretty modest and minimal focus on female nudity, while we get plenty of lingering shots on Simon.).  People want love!  There is pretty minimal violence and perhaps the most physically violent scene involves Simon beating a man up because HE IMPEACHED DAPHNE’S HONOR~.

The sex scenes themselves focused on Daphne’s pleasure for the most part, and were probably among the best I’ve seen since Outlander in terms of chemistry, in terms of the visuals, in terms of focus on sex as an act of emotional connection and FUN. Yes, there was some Unlikely Vaginal Orgasming, but we also saw Simon tell Daphne about masturbation.  On the wedding night, he was pretty clearly touching her to help her enjoy it.  He ate her out... a good bit.  

And aside from that, we got all of the grand speeches, the stolen glances and touches, an excellent buildup of sexual tension that led to some pretty hilarious moments.  

I also really enjoyed many of the performances on this show.  Rege-Jean and Phoebe had great chemistry and excellent back and forth.  Jonathan was a GREAT Anthony.  I would argue that as lackluster as I found his relationship with Siena (more on that in a minute) it largely existed as a way to set him up for his romance with Kate.  He now has even more of a reason to be down with love, as opposed to solely relying on a kind of flimsy tragic backstory.  Additionally, his overprotectiveness of Daphne added tension to the story and made him a source of comedic relief for me?  I loved it.  Give me disaster Anthony all day; can’t wait until he falls to the enemies to lovers trope just like Simon fell to his FLAW-FREE fake dating plan.

A lot of the changes I found were really good.  Obviously, it was important that the show incorporated greater diversity (though they need way more).  Benedict was INFINITELY more fun and interesting than he was in the novels, and acted as another standout for me.  As much as I hate Portia Featherington, I think that the elevation of her to a proper villainess is probably necessary and Polly Walker excels at those types of roles, though they need to maybe have her be less like, actively racist.  I adored the addition of Queen Charlotte; she was excellent comic relief.  Lady Danbury’s expanded role and relationship to Simon was one of the best moves they made.  It touched my entire soul.

Buuuut....

The Bad

The show needs to work on casting more men that are frankly on Rege-Jean’s level.  It feels a bit awkward to see a guy that is by most people’s standards kind of stunning and then.... Colin looks twelve.  Lord Philip is like... a farm guy.  Get rid of the sideburns, we’re in romance novel territory.

In the same note, the girl who played Siena wasn’t a great actress and wasn’t super stunning, so even though I’m fine with her being a placeholder....  Eh.  Go for better casting.  The woman playing Madame Delacroix would’ve played that role so much better and I really enjoyed her dynamic with Benedict because she was just fun.

Frankly, I don’t know what the fuck they’re going to do to make me want to watch Penelope and Colin fall in love.  Their book was already a bit basic--fun, but far from revolutionary.  I don’t really get why they would receive attention similar to that of Kate and Anthony, basically.  The issue is that Colin, again, looks and sound rather young and twerpy.  It obviously wasn’t great for him to be tricked into raising another man’s child, but.... For fuck’s sake, how much would that have affected his life on a practical level.  He’d never know unless he was told, thanks to the lack of DNA tests.  He was marrying far out of his league in terms of attractiveness.  He’s a rich white guy in England with a supportive family.  

I really disliked the fact that Colin told Marina in his huffy little tantrum that he would have married her anyway--because would you have, buddy?  Really?  The thing is that Marina had no way of knowing that and her entire life (and the reputations of her cousins) was on the line.  She didn’t know if she could trust Colin to keep her secret.  They barely knew each other.  He basically came off as a whiny child and I’m fine with him staying in Greece if that’s the plan.

Penelope was just... psychotic.  And that was really disappointing, because I love Nicola and would love to have loved to see the fat girl get her sexy love story.  But first off, lol, it wouldn’t have been sexy because Colin was miscast.  Second, she basically tried to destroy Marina’s life and that of her sisters?  And herself?  Because Colin?  Because Colin, a guy who hasn’t even shown any amount of attraction to her at this point?  Her tears, her whining, it was all too much.  Penelope was dealing with a crush and Marina was dealing with the real Grown Woman issues of a child out of wedlock and as it turned out a dead lover and they were not on equal footing.

I mean, Penelope could very well make a great villainess at this point, and if done well I’d embrace it.  But I do not know how the fuck they can make me interested in her love story.  And the idea of her basically being launched into villainy because she was this chubby white girl obsessively jealous of a beautiful black woman...... not a great look.

The show definitely needs to explore diversity in terms of sexuality too--I don’t think it’s correct to read Benedict as straight because he still seems to be open to exploring.  Once he has more screentime, I think he could totally end up being bisexual, and it’s possible that the writers were trying to feel the audience out in terms of their receptiveness to taking a straight character who has a big straight love story in the books and making him LGBT+.  Eloise could also easily be a lesbian, and I’d be thrilled to see that happen.  They need to do something to expand the world, and if there are 8 Bridgerton kids, all of them being straight as an arrow seems SO unlikely.

The Ugly

Obviously, the rape scene was bad and should have been written out.  Simon could have gotten caught up in the moment and blown up at Daphne after he accidentally didn’t pull out in time.  Men.... accidentally don’t pull out in time... a lot.  That’s how babies happen.  It would’ve been believable, and due to our sympathies being with Simon largely, I don’t think he would have become irredeemable if he was more at fault than Daphne.  

As it was, I will say that the scene was somewhat better than it played in the books because Simon was conscious and totally sober, and it was a bit?  Confusing?  That he didn’t just roll Daphne over and pull out?  Because she wasn’t really clearly trying as hard as she was in the book to wrap her legs around him and hold him tight.  But it remained a rape scene.  The show also did a better job, I think, of establishing how fucked up it was that Simon took advantage of Daphne’s lack of knowledge.  Whatever he said about thinking she knew what was up--he knew she didn’t even know about masturbation.  He had to know she wouldn’t understand what pulling out meant.  He did very clearly mislead her to think that he was sterile and therefore denied Daphne her ability to give informed consent.  Did that justify what Daphne did?  Nope.  Two wrongs don’t make a right.  But both of them did a fucked up thing and I think that we honestly could’ve stopped at Simon’s misleading.

The issue too is that this leads into a bigger problem the show had.  It wanted to include diversity (yay!) but did not consider the total implications of what was happening (not yay).  Daphne and Simon’s dynamic is inevitably influenced by the fact that she’s a white woman and he’s a black man, regardless of whatever handwaves happened.  This influences the sexual assault and makes it even more messy.

Speaking of mess, I’m not sure what exactly would have fixed the “we don’t want this to be a colorblind casting” issue... but the explanation they came up with wasn’t good.  Never mind that this makes everything SUPER confusing (racism is over like..... maybe 50 years MAX after Queen Charlotte’s marriage if we assume she was a teen when she married and is in her 60s now?) but Lady Danbury’s dialogue explaining this was HORRENDOUS.  “One of them fell in love with one of us”.  The implications are awful.  I don’t know if perhaps setting back the integration of society centuries earlier would have helped?  But this wasn’t it.

Additionally, the writers and casting directors didn’t seem to get that diversity is all well and good, but what about the fact that almost every black character has a light skin tone?  Why are there so few black female characters?  Why is Marina, the most prominent woc on the show, given the “pregnant and desperately trying to trick a man into marrying her until her jealous white cousin fucks her life up and she is humiliated into settling for a loveless match” plot?  I desperately hope we see her next season, falling in love with Sir Phillip or perhaps having experienced a plot twist that gives her someone else...  And she better not die. Eloise can find someone else if Marina really ends up with Sir Philip.

Ultimately, again, I really loved the show.  But it needs to work on some things.  I think that a lot of its issues can be addressed and fixed in a future season, and I HOPE they do that.

[ilalos]

Worth it (Anthony Bridgerton x reader) Part 1/2

Summary: You’re Simon’s cousin and you are ready for your first social season, excited for the courting and dancing. Your plans are shattered when you find yourself in an arranged marriage to none other than Lord Anthony Bridgerton, the one man who avoided love like it was the plague.

Warnings: Mentions of pregnancy, arranged marriage, tiny bit of angst, Anthony is an idiot, if you think of anything else please let me know.

Word count: 2.5k

It was the second season the duke and duchess had the pleasure of enjoying together in their London home. The duke’s household had been rejoicing in the arrival of baby A for a year now and the family was also preparing themselves for the birth of their second child. One might think that they would rather spend these blissful moments away from the chaos that the social season brought, and one might be right.

Simon and Daphne had opted to miss this social season in view of the fact that Daphne would be heavily pregnant when the summer started and would be at risk of having the baby in London instead of the comfort of her home. They chose instead to visit the Bridgerton home before the season started so Daphne could be with her family for a couple weeks with no added stress.

But their plans changed when Simon’s aunt, seeing that they were going to London, decided to ship you, her daughter, with them so you could be part of the social season and hopefully find yourself a husband. The couple had agreed to take you to London and also to chaperone you throughout the social season.

You were a good, polite, and well-prepared lady; your mother had sent you to the finest finishing school in the country to make sure you were molded into the perfect bride. Despite the extensive preparations your mother had subjugated you to, there was one thing they couldn’t take away from you and that was the desire to marry for love. Everyone told you that what mattered was how well you could marry, that you’d eventually grow to tolerate your husband and that your children would give you more than enough joy; but that just didn’t seem enough for you. It didn’t matter how you felt about a loveless marriage though, your mother had been clear when she told you that you had this one season to find a husband and if you didn’t she’d choose for you whomever she seemed fit.

On the day of your arrival you learned she didn’t intend to give you even one season and, with no previous notice to you or him, you were introduced to Anthony Bridgerton as his bride.

Violet Bridgerton had grown tired of her son’s refusal to marry and after pressing him about the matter he admitted he was looking for a wife this season; she didn’t trust him to choose well and when Daphne wrote to her mother about you, she decided it was the perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. And so, with your mother’s blessing, Lord Bridgerton was given your hand in marriage.

“I beg your pardon?” Anthony was shocked, to say the least.

“You heard me, son, this is Lady (y/l/n) and she is to be your bride”

You couldn’t think, move or do anything but stand there staring at the man you were supposed to marry. Your mouth opened and closed like a fish and Daphne had to guide you to take a seat because she feared you might faint. Anthony then excused himself and fled to his study with Simon hot on his heels.

“I’m deeply sorry for throwing this at you with no warning, your mother warned that if you were told before you got here you might have refused to come at all” Violet apologized taking a seat in front of you and taking one of your hands between hers.

“Anthony is a wonderful man and I’m certain you will learn to like him, maybe even love him” continued Daphne.

Meanwhile, in Anthony’s office, a similar conversation was being held.

“What excuse do you have now to reject her?” Asked Simon

“I don’t know her, that’s enough to not want this marriage”

“You said you didn’t wish to love the person you had to marry, so I don’t see the big deal in not knowing her” Simon served himself and Anthony a drink as he spoke.

“Even with that being true, I also said she had to be smart and at least interesting to talk to” he took a small sip of his drink “and also that it wouldn’t hurt if she happened to be beautiful”

“And isn’t she?” Simon raised a brow behind his cup before continuing “She is incredibly smart, kind and she also attended the best finishing school available in the London area, which means she is as proper as a lady can be”

“Well yes, but-”

“Your only problem with her is that your mother forced her upon you”

“My only problem is that I saw in her face she had no idea she was betrothed to me, it is not fair for her to be forced to a short and loveless marriage like ours will be” Anthony finished his drink and slammed the cup on his desk, he knew there was no way out of this.

“She, as any lady in the country, knows that her duty is to marry well” Simon placed his cup softly besides Anthony’s “You’re the most desirable bachelor this season, there’s no better man for her if we look at status, money, and age”

Anthony limited himself to roll his eyes and remained silent, he knew Simon was right but it still stung that because of him you were now forced to be married to a man you didn’t love.

“Well, she’ll be a young widow so she’ll eventually have a chance at finding love”

A knock on the door interrupted Simon’s answer and he was thankful because he was quite frankly tired of Anthony’s certainty that he would die young, he understood that Edmund’s death had been hard for him but it was still tiresome to hear him speak like that constantly.

“Yes?” Called Anthony from his desk, prompting Gregory to enter.

“Mother requests both your presences in the dining hall for supper, now”

The rest of the day was uneventful, Anthony refused to speak to you and you were too shocked to utter a single word to anyone. After supper you excused yourself and went to bed early, when you had laid down Daphne entered your room and gave you a letter from your mother before saying good night and wishing you sweet dreams. You sat up and decided to read the letter before bed, maybe it would bring you some comfort.

“My dearest daughter,

If you’ve received this letter it means that you know about your engagement to lord Bridgerton, we couldn’t find a way to tell you because we feared you might refuse to travel to London if you knew. I hope you understand that all I’m trying to do is securing your future, the viscount is a kind man and you’ll be safe with him. I sincerely wish for you to be happy by his side, and maybe even learn to love him.

I know your father is looking down at you proudly and I’m certain he’ll bless your union with happiness, you were his sunshine and he’ll always take care of you no matter where he is, as will I.

Love,

Your mother who loves you”

You couldn’t help but feel angry at your mother for lying to you like that as if you were a child with no control over your own emotions. It would’ve been nice to know about your fate before you got here, it would have saved you from daydreaming about balls and love matches that you now knew were never going to be possible. Still, you were grateful that they had chosen Anthony, they might as well had promised you to an ugly old man. So you fell asleep that night disappointed on the false expectations you were allowed to have, but grateful for having secured the best bachelor in the season without even trying; it might not have been a love match but at least it was a good one.

-this time jump is brought to you by Roma, my golden retriever-

“If we are to be married no matter what, shouldn’t you spare me the pain of courting her?” Anthony was straightening his tie as he spoke to his mother.

“Courting, in this case, isn’t meant to convince her to marry you, it’s so society can see your intentions are respectable” she took over his hands and settled the bow tie once and for all “this ball is the perfect opportunity for everyone to see you both as a couple”

“And you act as if you weren’t already attending for Eloise” Benedict entered the room also dressed for the ball.

“Chaperoning, not dancing” clarified Anthony.

“It’s only one dance, my lord, it will be over before we know it” you had entered the room without anyone noticing and Anthony was a little taken back by your beauty, but recovered quickly enough.

“The dance might be, but the ball will be unending” with that he left the room to go and rush Eloise, they were going to be late.

You frowned a little looking at his retreating form, he hadn’t said anything about the way you looked, not one single compliment for his future wife. Benedict must have noticed your disappointment because he swiftly stepped in to make you feel better.

“You look positively stunning (y/n)” he kissed your hand with a small wink “My brother sure is a lucky man”

“That he is” called Daphne from the door “Here you go darling” he placed a tiara on your head, “I told you it would look wonderful with your dress, now let’s go” she patted your back softly “Simon’s waiting for us in the carriage”

“We’ll see you at the ball, my dear” called Violet seeing her daughter to the door.

The ball was beautiful and you felt overwhelmed by the number of people in the room. Simon and Daphne guided you through the room and you felt everyone’s stares on you, you hadn’t presented before the queen because you were already in courtship with Lord Bridgerton so everyone was seeing you for the very first time.

Daphne had begun to feel tired and Simon had left to fetch her some lemonade while she found somewhere to sit down for a while, leaving you unchaperoned and praying no one would approach you while they were gone.

“Excuse me, miss?” So much for prayers.

“Yes?” Yo faked a smile as best as you could looking at the old man in front of you.

“I see you have so much space in your dancing card, perhaps I could book myself the next dance?” Your card was in fact empty because your darling fiancé had yet to appear.

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible Mr. Wyatt, since she’s dancing with me,” said Anthony who had gotten to you just in time.

“Perhaps the next one, then?” Persisted Mr. Wyatt.

“That would be my dance” this time it was Benedict who saved you “Would you look at that? Her card is full, maybe you could try on the next ball” You hadn’t even noticed them scribbling all the Bridgerton’s names on your dancing card until it was full, but it now was and you were thankful for it.

“Thank you so much, I don’t know what I would’ve done if I had had to dance with that man” you thanked Benedict.

“What are brothers for if not to protect future sisters-in-law from dancing with horrid men?” He joked back, making you giggle.

“Well then, let’s have our dance and get this over with” Anthony broke you from your fit of giggles.

“Remember you two, you have to look madly in love” at his brother's comment Anthony only managed to huff some curse words under his breath, dragging you to the dance floor by the wrist.

Once on the dance floor, you both got in position, and when the waltz started you began gliding through the dance floor gracefully.

“For someone who says he doesn’t like balls, you are an exceptional dancer,” you said in a playful tone.

“Mother made us take classes when we were little, any respectable man should be a decent dancer”

“They paid off, it’s a pleasure dancing with you” he didn’t respond to anything so you continued “Are there other talents you are hiding from me, Lord Bridgerton?”

“Not that I’m aware off, miss (y/l/n)” his answer was short and it was clear he didn’t care for conversation.

It had been like this since the two of you had been introduced, any attempt you made to get to know him better was quickly shut down by him. It was as if he wanted to remain a stranger to you, but you were to be married and you at least wanted to know a little about him besides his name and his clear lack of humor.

When the dance ended you left the dance floor and met with Colin by the beverages table.

“Why so sad, love?” The pet name caught you off guard but you assumed it had something to do with the alcohol you could smell on his breath.

“It’s nothing, Colin” you attempted to smile as you served yourself a small glass of lemonade “Have you seen my cousin?” You asked before he continued asking questions.

“He is by those tables with Daphne, a ball is no place for a pregnant lady” Colin pointed to the other corner of the room.

You thanked him and walked to where he had pointed, you were ready to leave, and also what Colin said was true, being in this ball was very stressful for Daphne so the earlier you left the better. Soon you spotted your cousin, his wife, and, to your horror, Anthony.

“Cousin! What are you doing here? I thought you’d be dancing with Benedict” said Simon.

“I was thirsty so I went to get some lemonade, here” you handed a glass to Daphne “I brought you some”

“How nice of you, thank you” she took a small sip “shouldn’t you be having fun? It’s your first ball dear”

“I think I’m quite tired already” you turned to look at Simon “Perhaps we could leave, cousin?”

“If you wish” he looked you up and down, making sure you were alright “Why don’t you and Anthony promenade around the room while I send for the carriage? Just to end the night right, at least in the eyes of the people”

You simply nodded and watched the way Anthony rolled his eyes as he offered you his arm. His plain rejection of you always hurt you, you knew he didn’t love you but never did you expect him to despise you. You walked by his side with a soft smile planted on your face but on the inside, you were hurting because with each day you saw your future clearer, and what the future held for you was being married to a man who could not stand you and would never love you. But then he lead you to your carriage and kissed your cheek when you were out of everyone's view, maybe he didn't find you so bad after all.

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Hi! I hope you enjoyed reading this, if you like it let me know i love the feedback. I’m kind of in love with Anthony atm so that’s why this is the second story I’ve written of him. Thanks for reading! :)