The COMPLETE History of ALL the Bridgerton🐝

Hello everyone. Welcome to a brand new video from Bridgetgerton Chronicles. It's been quite a while since the last video, right? Anyway, to celebrate the release of season 4, we've decided to put together this super extended video. Here, we bring together the eight stories of the Bridgetgerton siblings. From the passionate love story of Simon and Daphne, all the way to what many consider the most heroic union in the Saga, Gregory and Lucy. Just a quick reminder that these videos are basically summaries of the books written by Julia Quinn. So they don't follow the exact same story

line we see in the TV series. But without further ado, let's get started. The ninth Duke of Hastings, [music] an unpleasant and overbearing man, eagerly awaited the birth of his only son and heir. He was obsessed [music] with continuing the family line. And after Several miscarriages and against medical advice, his wife decided to carry the child to term. Convinced that it was her duty to produce an heir. But at the very [music] moment Simon Basset came into the world, she died. The little boy grew up in a lonely environment, under the care of the [music]

family servants, and with minimal interest from his father. His father's contempt for his son grew when he discovered [music] that Simon could neither speak nor read at the age Of four. And when the man [music] tried to force words out of him, he could only make him stammer. Furious, the man declared that his son was a disgrace to his family and claimed that they were cursed. When Simon turned 11, [music] he gathered his courage and confronted his father, who lived far away in London. He was taken to his father's house, where the shocked servants, who

thought he was dead, greeted him with utter horror. There he stood before his father [music] And with difficulty said, "I am your son." But the Duke ordered him to leave, humiliating him utterly. This act pushed the boy to his limit, and from that moment on, he vowed to become everything his father did not want him to be. 26th [music] April, 1813. Lady Whistled Scandalous Society magazine had only recently begun circulating in London and was already making headlines. The woman in question, whose real identity was unknown, spoke Of the most prominent families of London society. The

latest of her journals contained the news that Simon Basset, now the Duke of Hastings, had returned from abroad. This would undoubtedly have attracted the attention of Violet, who for the first time had one of her daughters on the marriage market. But instead, the woman had hoped to escape the Bachelor, who had a reputation for womanizing and debauchery. Daphne remembered hearing her older brother Anthony talk about Simon as they had both attended the same school and mentioned him to her mother. Although she immediately made it clear to her mother that she was not interested in him

as she hoped to marry for love. Meanwhile, at a gentleman's club, [music] Simon was playing cards with Anthony, to whom he told of his contempt for his new title, and how absurd it was to feel obliged to carry on the legacy of a father who had done nothing but Despise him. Anthony then reminded him that he had promised to attend Lady Danbury's next ball and that the mothers of London would seek him out, seeing him as a desirable bachelor, whether Simon wished to marry or not. Pleased with the displeasure he had caused, he invited his

friend to dinner at his house, assering him that he would like his younger sister. When Daphne arrived on the day of Lady Danbury's ball, she [music] found herself hiding from a Persistent suitor, a man called Nigel Burbrook, whose proposal she had already turned down once. Simon, meanwhile, reflected on his personal history as he made his way to the dance. Simon felt that Lady Danbury's ball [music] was pointless for someone who did not wish to marry, but decided to attend because of Lady Danbury's kindness in looking after him when he was a child. For this reason,

he decided to come to greet her and leave as soon as possible. But his Plans [music] did not turn out as he had hoped. He found himself in an unpleasant situation. [music] A man and a woman arguing in the dark. Suddenly, he heard a scream and decided to intervene, but he found that the woman had beaten the mystery man unconscious. Simon laughed helplessly, attracting the attention of the woman, who, turning to look at him, took the wind [music] out of his sails. The girl, obviously annoyed, demanded to know his Name, but Simon simply replied that

he was a would-be rescuer. Daphne asked him to help her get the man out, [music] despite the fact that he had tried to make a pass at her a few minutes earlier. Impressed by her compassion and composure, Simon imagined himself kissing Daphne on the neck, but she noticed his distraction and mocked him. But when Nigel sobbingly mentioned the girl's name, Simon was horrified to realize that he had been flirting with His best friend's sister. And when Daphne realized who he was, the feeling was mutual. But she assured him that she had no romantic interest in

[music] him because of his scandalous reputation. This unnerved Simon, who nearly stammered. Daphne, oblivious, began to explain [music] that she had learned of his reputation from Lady Whistledown, who had called him [music] a rake in her gossip sheet. He then approached her, placed a finger on her chin, and tried To seduce her. Pleased to see the emotion on her face. But after a few minutes of intimidation, [music] Daphne burst out laughing, explaining that she was well acquainted with such games. The girl's amused attitude made her more attractive in Simon's eyes, although he reminded himself that

[music] he had to save his reputation and overcome his attraction to her, if only for the sake of self-control. They debated how best to deal with the Unconscious Nigel. Although her know-it-all attitude, she claimed to have a vast knowledge of men because of her brothers, led to an argument. So, they finally decided to leave Nigel where he was and leave the place. To Simon's dismay, their return to the ballroom attracted [music] the attention of all the young single women present, although he could only wonder where Daphne was. Anthony then introduced him to his brothers, although

it was Colin Who used his cunning and wit to get [music] their attention. The boys discussed whether they should save Daphne from Violet's clutches, although they were too intimidated by their mother to do so. So, they [music] suggested that Simon should help the girl. He then admitted that he had in fact already met her. Simon noticed [music] a change in the atmosphere between the brothers who were now wary and protective, [music] especially Anthony. The boy tried to smooth things over by claiming that they had bumped into [music] each other in the corridor, which disappointed Colin,

who thought Simon's reputation was exaggerated, but he was eventually persuaded to go over and talk to Daphne. Not entirely convinced, [music] Simon approached Daphne, who was arguing with her mother for not telling her that she had already [music] met the aforementioned. As soon as he arrived, he noticed Violet Giving them a look that hinted at nothing more than a marriage plan between the two of them. And as Lady Featherington seemed to be approaching Simon again, [music] he decided to escape by asking Daphne to dance with him. on the dance floor. They both complained [music] about

how boring the dance was, and Daphne laughed when Simon started talking about the harassment she received from single women and their mothers, and she complained about how Difficult it was to find a man to marry. Simon then suggested that she could get married to escape social pressure, and she boldly and amusingly asked him if his comment was a proposal, which he clearly took as a joke. She began to tell him about the unwelcome advances she had received from older men, and he confessed that he did not care about his family's legacy at all, and therefore

had no plans to marry. She admitted that she wanted a family of her own, as she Had loved growing up with her brothers and sisters. This moved Simon, who became increasingly attracted to her, but reminded himself that he had to leave her untouched for another [music] man, as he could not offer her marriage or a socially acceptable relationship. >> [music] >> He then told her that he admired her confidence. It was then that the boy had a revelation. They could pretend to be a couple or at least in a courtship so That they could have

a break from their social obligations. He argued that Daphne's unavailability would make her look more intriguing to the men she was really interested in and at the same time appease her mother's pressure. As for him, he would be free of society's mothers by showing interest in her. And after some thought, Daphne agreed. The next day, [music] Simon turned up at the Bridgetgertons at Daphne's request, who insisted that a Formal visit would add to the rumors of their courtship. But when he arrived, he found the girl surrounded by a crowd of admiring men. The other men,

however, were dispatched [music] by Violet, who cleared the way for Simon to reach his daughter. Once alone, they bantered about the matriarch's [music] effectiveness in the affair and Anony's bad humor at her false courtship. So, Daphne [music] decided it was best to tell him the truth to avoid damaging Their friendship. She then for the tulips he had brought her, although he admitted that they were not really for her, but for Violet. As they talk, trying to ignore the obvious connection between [music] them, they are interrupted by Violet, who cries with emotion as she receives the

flowers, [music] having not received such a gesture since her father's death. This made Daphne [music] think that she would be a fool not to fall in love with Simon. She then decides to go and look for a Vas. But just then, an angry Anthony arrives, who, faced with his mother's intimidating authority, decides to take Simon into his office, where he demands to know [music] Simon's intentions towards his younger sister. Simon, irritated by his friend's tone, accused him of underestimating Daphne's intelligence and made it clear that he was no longer the libertine womanizing man he had

been in his 20s. But this Does not bother Anthony, who is actually worried about Daphne falling in love with his friend, knowing that he has no desire to marry or start [music] a family. They are then interrupted by the girl, who, having realized that they are both still alive, decides to tell her brother all about the plan. Predictably, Anthony reacts badly, thinking they must be mad. He then threatened to kill Simon, [music] declaring that their friendship was Over, and kicked him out of his house despite Daphne's claims that the plan had brought her new suitors.

Anthony eventually agreed, seeing his sister's desire to marry, but not before threatening Simon with [music] death if Daphne's reputation was threatened, or if the two were ever left alone. That evening at the family dinner, Simon was surprised to find the company of such a large family agreeable to an only child and unable to refuse, accepted Lady Bridgetgerton's invitation to go boating. Watching the scene, [music] Daphne thought it would undoubtedly devastate her mother to have to fake her breakup with Simon, thinking that even she would be a fool to leave him in a real situation. Soon

after, Simon found himself on the most boisterous family outing he'd ever experienced, but he didn't mind at all. He'd accepted the invitation not out of politeness or obligation, but out of Pure joy. On the boat, [music] Simon and Daphne chatted about this, and although he could do nothing but admire her beauty, and at one point even leaned over to kiss her, he was interrupted by Anthony, who suspiciously led her away from the place. Later on returning home, Daphne decided to ask Anthony why Simon didn't want to get married. This aroused her brother's suspicions, although she

assured him that she had no desire to marry Simon [music] and that he would never seduce her. Her brother, still suspicious, [music] explained that Simon had always been reluctant to marry and that this was no mere whim. And he assured her that Simon, for all his good qualities, was not for her. But Daphne could not help thinking that [music] perhaps her brother was wrong. Days later, Daphne attended a ball where she waited anxiously to see Simon in the crowd, Despite Anony's insistence that she give him space to find [music] a suitor interested in marriage. But

what her brother didn't know was that it was too late because Daphne [music] had already fallen in love. And somehow she hoped that he would feel the same way since he tended to act differently in her company. Simon arrived on the scene shortly afterwards. Daphne took the opportunity to complain that he had been missing for the last few days, a Situation that even Lady Whistledown had commented on in her magazine, and which was jeopardizing their false courtship. But their discussion was interrupted when they were intercepted by the Duke [music] of Middlethorp, who claimed to be

a friend of Simon's late father, and offered Simon a pile of letters that the man had left with him. The boy annoyed refused to accept them [music] and instead ordered them to be burned as he did not want them. However, the man [music] asked Daphne to keep the letters for herself and the girl reluctantly agreed. Confused [music] by Simon's attitude, she decided to ask him why it bothered her so much to hear about her father, and Simon, struggling for words, simply replied that he found the subject difficult. They decided to go for a walk in

the garden. Daphne [music] being quite perceptive had already noticed the connection between them. The tension between their bodies drew them [music] Together, and she refused to let the opportunity pass as she led the way into the garden, declaring to himself [music] that kissing Daphne was a matter of self-preservation because he'd die if he didn't. Simon leaned in and kissed her passionately, [music] noting with satisfaction that she returned the kiss. He slid his hands down her [music] body, pressing her against his and pulled her dress down to reveal her cleavage. But this moment of heated passion

was Interrupted by a third party, who they soon discovered was none other than Anthony. Anthony, [music] enraged, attacked Simon, shouting something about his sister's dignity. Daphne, who tried in vain to intervene, was punched and pushed into a hedge in the garden. Simon then told Anthony that he would go to Europe rather than marry Daphne, but Anthony rejected this idea by shouting for a duel to the death, which Simon accepted, [music] But not before warning him that he would rather die than be shot. Daphne, [music] who watched without saying anything, was hurt. Simon would rather run

away and die than marry her. [music] Why was he so indifferent to her? What was the reason he had decided to kiss her? Simon, who had been absorbed in the fight, [music] decided to look at her at that moment and seeing the expression on her face, [music] declared, "If I could be anyone, It would be you. But to marry me would destroy you. I could never give you what you want. You would die a little everyday, and it would kill me to see it." And they left. Back at home, Daphne [music] paces the room, trying

to devise a plan to prevent the duel and convince Simon to marry her before her mother returns from the ball. There, she [music] meets Colin, who suggests that someone saw her leave the ball in Simon's company for the garden. She Tells him everything that has happened and [music] begs him to help her stop the duel and save Simon's life. Colin, unsure of his decision, [music] decides to reveal the location of the duel to his sister so that she can get there before Anthony makes a mistake and tells her that he will be accompanied by Benedict.

Desperate, Daphne made her way to the sight of the duel where she found her brother, gun in hand, about to begin. He was naturally furious to see Her [music] and asked her what she was thinking. But after several minutes of pleading from the girl, it was Benedict who agreed to let her speak to Simon. Daphne then turned to the boy [music] and tried to reason with him. But when she saw that he was close to the possibility of listening to [music] her, she decided to give him a punch, which no doubt stunned him. She then

[music] took the opportunity to make her voice heard, and begged him to marry her. He Explained that he had to save her reputation, as [music] there were rumors of their meeting, which if spread could ruin the possibility of a marriage and her being part of society. Save me," she begged in a whisper. Simon was clear about his position and his decision never to start a family, but he didn't think the Bridgetgertons would understand. [music] They had been part of a large and loving family. They had never experienced Rejection from anyone, let alone a father. So,

he decided it was not worth trying to explain what was going through his mind. On the other hand, [music] he didn't want to be the cause of Daphne's unhappiness. He wanted her and he certainly hadn't lied when he told her that if he wanted to marry her, he would. But at the time, he hadn't thought it could [music] happen. Now, however, he felt unable to say no to her. He agreed to [music] marry her, but Interrupted her exclamations of joy by telling her to listen to what he had to say before deciding if she really

wanted to commit to him. "I can't have children," he said without a second thought. You have to [music] understand that. Daphne looked at him, not knowing what to say. She seemed distraught and now hesitant. She had certainly made it clear on more than one occasion how much she wanted to be a mother and start a [music] family, so it seemed almost Impossible to say goodbye to the possibility. But to Simon's, [music] and probably her own surprise, Daphne finally agreed and without waiting much longer, told her brother [music] that she would marry Simon. Soon, all of

London learns of the impending but unsurprising wedding of the Duke of Hastings and Daphne, which everyone seems to be celebrating. Everyone except the bride and groom. Daphne, alone in her room, tries to Reflect on what has happened, consoling [music] herself with the thought that perhaps Simon thinks he is sterile and is probably wrong. Preparations for the wedding then begin, and the date is set for a week from now, during which time Simon fails to appear. However, he turns up at the Bridgetgerton house 2 days early with a ring for Daphne. Daphne excitedly asks him if

it is the family jewelry, and he somewhat annoyed by the question, replies that it is not, Explaining that he has actually chosen it, especially for her. Later that day, Daphne found herself in her room having an awkward conversation with her mother. Her mother is trying rather awkwardly to explain what is going to happen on the night of her wedding, but without revealing anything that might embarrass her. [music] So, she ends up bringing nothing useful to the conversation, which annoys Daphne, who anxiously tries to press her mother for more Information. She then told her that indulging

Simon's desires on a regular basis would lead to children, just as she reluctantly admitted that people used to have sex for pleasure. Daphne then asks him if it is like the pleasure of kissing which inevitably exposes her to her mother who is outraged and decides to run away. Alone, Daphne begins to wonder if Simon will be able to consummate their marriage. The next day, Daphne and Simon are Married in a beautiful ceremony where they solemnly recite their vows. Gregory has a sneezing fit which causes laughter among those present. [music] And the bride and groom kiss

so passionately that soon all of London begins to say that [music] the new Duke and Duchess of Hastings are the happiest and most devoted couple to marry for decades. After the [music] wedding, Simon and Daphne set off for their new home, Clivedon Castle. Simon had noticed that his now wife was very nervous, so he decided it would be best to spend the night at an inn. [music] and it was becoming increasingly difficult not to want her. So, it would be best to keep her away from him most of the time. When she arrived, she found

herself arguing with the receptionist, who had told her that he only had one room. Daphne thought that maybe he didn't want to share a room with her because of what She had already suspected. But once they were in the room, she told him that she didn't care if they had to consummity their [music] marriage there since he had told her that they wouldn't do it until they got to the castle. The boy was speechless, not knowing what to say to her, [music] which upset her. So, she apologized for not taking her helplessness into account. At

that moment, Simon was stunned, unable to say anything. Powerlessness? Where did the Woman get the idea that he was impotent? [music] She then explained that she thought he was impotent because his mother had told him that sex was for procreation. And since he had told her that they couldn't have [music] children, she just put it together. Simon realized that Daphne was obviously ignorant about everything to do with [music] sex, which made him laugh in a way, so he asked her not to explain anymore, as he couldn't help Laughing in her face. He approached her and

took one of her hands in his. I assure you, he said, running his tongue along a finger, that I am perfectly capable of satisfying [music] you in bed. Suddenly, Daphne found it hard to breathe. And how long has it been so hot in this room? [music] I don't quite know what you mean. He pulled her close to his body. You'll find out, he whispered, and they consumated their marriage. The next few [music] days were spent in Bed, snuggled up together until Daphne decided to take on the responsibilities of mistress of the house. Curious, Daphne decides

to invite the housekeeper, Mrs. Coulson, to tea to get to know her better. [music] She then tells her about the devotion she felt for her late mistress, Simon's mother, and the fertility problems she had experienced, [music] explaining that they were probably due to the lack of a strong and healthy Seed. a womb will not grow without a strong and healthy seed. And this was what had happened on Simon's father's [music] side. He also told him about Simon's troubled relationship with his father, who believed the boy was defective because of his childhood speech problems. Later that

day, Daphne and Simon share a bed again. And although she enjoys the moment immensely, [music] she can't help but think about her Conversation with the housekeeper and wonder how hard it would be for Simon to have any conversation at all. Then when Simon interrupts before she arrives, Daphne [music] has a revelation, remembering the strange phrase she heard minutes before. Simon, already asleep, is awakened by a furious Daphne, who claims that he has taken advantage of her ignorance about sex and lied to her. She felt betrayed by him, that he had taken advantage of her stupidity

[music] And made her believe that she couldn't have children, when in fact she didn't want to. He, not knowing how much she might know about it, reminded her of what he had warned her the day he stopped the duel, that he would never have children, and that it was not something he was willing to discuss. She then told him that if it was true that he couldn't have children, then it didn't matter where his sperm ended up. Simon felt anger rising inside him. He Tried to explain his relationship with him to Daphne, but she cut

him off, telling him that she already knew the story, that she knew that his mother didn't like him, that she thought he was stupid, that she even knew he stuttered. This took him by surprise, but he continued to try to explain. He told her that the only thing his father cared about was his blood and his title. And so, when he was born and showed himself to be imperfect, his father did nothing But tell everyone that his only heir was dead. For that reason, he had decided never to have children, for nothing would hurt his

father more than losing the title of Hastings. So that was exactly what he would do. The next day, Daphne went to see Simon to try and talk to him, but he seemed reluctant to engage. Several drinks and fights later, Simon returned drunk, and [music] in a desperate attempt to win Daphne back, tried to Explain his reasons for opposing his father, but she kept insisting that he was wrong. After a few minutes, Daphne decided that there was no point in arguing any further and agreed to let Simon [music] stay the night. An hour later, she woke

up. She didn't remember falling asleep. [music] But at the time, she thought it best to go and leave him alone. She didn't want him to wake up and think she had forgiven him. [music] But most of all, she didn't want him to Think that meant. She agreed with his idea of not starting a family. She tried to get up, but he pulled her to his body, grunting a refusal. As he did so, Daphne felt his excitement and realized that she could do whatever she wanted to him. She began to seduce him, and he asked for

more of her, and she gave it to him. And when [music] he tried to stop, his desire prevented him, and Daphne embraced him, refusing to waste the opportunity. It was now or never. He Realized too late what she had done, and that it had all been on purpose. annoyed, he left [music] the place, but not before asking her in between several stammers how she had been able to do it. 10 hours later, Daphne received a message from [music] Simon saying that he had left town and to let her know if his attempts at [music] conception

had borne fruit. Daphne was heartbroken to think that her love would be enough to convince [music] Simon to start a Family. So, with nothing else to do, she decided to return to London. Once there, she decided to move into Simon's [music] family home, Hastings House. The absence of her period began to make Daphne [music] suspect she was pregnant. So, she decided to write a letter to her husband telling him the news. But before the letter could be posted, Anthony arrived and demanded to know where her husband was. Furious, Daphne ordered him to stay out of

her affairs [music] and Threatened never to speak to him again. And to calm the situation a little, he agreed to travel to Simon himself to deliver the letter, but not before making her promise not to read it or kill her [music] husband. After several days of traveling, Anthony was reunited with Simon. It had been 2 months since [music] he had heard from his wife, and when he saw the letter in his brother-in-law's hand, he knew with certainty the reason for his visit. He Missed his wife, of course he did, and he loved her. but he

was still angry with her, though strangely not for the reasons he had thought before. Anthony then asked him what the real reason for their separation was since it was clear that they both loved each other. Simon, of course, did not answer the question, but decided it was time to return to London. So, he [music] took his carriage and headed for the capital. When he arrives, he finds [music] that Daphne is not at the Bridgetgerton house, not even in her own house. The elderly Domo informs him [music] that she has gone for a ride. Suddenly, Simon

is worried. What on earth was going through his wife's mind? How could she think of going riding in her present state? It was too risky. In a panic, he sets off in search of her, taking a horse himself. He soon finds her riding at full [music] speed, but when she notices him, he loses control and falls To the ground. [music] Simon approaches her and after checking that she is all right berates her for not thinking of her own safety and that of her son. She looks at him in disbelief and angrily asks him [music] why

he cares when he never wanted to have the child. Simon agreed that it was true, but now that he knew it was coming, he didn't want to kill him. It was then that Daphne, despite her desires and frustrations, confessed to him that she was not Pregnant. [music] At first, he thought she had lied to him, but she quickly made it clear that she had thought she was, but she wasn't. Simon felt something like disappointment, though he wanted to believe it wasn't so. Daphne burst into tears, devastated that she had not been able to conceive a

baby. He tried to comfort her, telling her to forgive him and reassuring her that he had not left because of her or what he had done, although it had clearly upset Him, but because he was upset with himself [music] for losing control. They then had a talk about her father and Daphne gave him a speech about how she needed to get over her hatred of him and her desire for revenge as all she was getting out of it was that he continued to dictate her life. She asked [music] him if he had ever thought about

whether he really wanted a family. "If I give him a grandchild, he wins," Simon whispered. "No. If you have a child, you Win," Daphne said. "We all win." Simon said nothing, but Daphne could see that he was trembling. If you don't want children because you don't want them, that's one thing. But if you deny yourself the joy of fatherhood for the sake of a dead man, you're a coward. And when he told her that all he wanted now was to be happy, she responded by saying, "You will be." Back at the house, the couple met

Anthony, Benedict, and Colin, who angrily demanded to know What was going on and threatened to stay in the house until they were sure of Simon's feelings for his sister. Simon then pulled Daphne away, assuring her that he loved her more than ever, and that his love was so strong that it had changed his mind about marriage and even the idea of starting a family. Daphne then approached her brothers to [music] kick them out, but was interrupted by her mother, who pulled Colin's ear and scolded them for interfering [music] in Her sister's marriage. That night, Simon

and Daphne made love. And now, with her full consent, they [music] decided to get pregnant. But one doubt haunted Simon. What if their child was born like him? What if he had trouble speaking? Daphne told him that she would have him, who she was sure would love and support him as much as she did. He nods, now more sure of himself and his decision. It is then that Daphne remembers something, and that is that she has been Keeping the letters from Simon's father all this time. She then tells the boy about this, but to her

surprise, he doesn't seem concerned or interested, [music] and even tells her that all he wants to do now is look after her, his marriage, and learning how to be a father. Four years later, on 15th of December, 1817. After three girls, Daphne [music] had finally given birth to a boy. Ironically, he was thought to be just what Simon had been waiting for, an heir to his title. His other three daughters, Amelia, Belinda, and Carolyn, had been named in alphabetical order, as was the Bridgetgerton family custom, and now the newborn was to be called David. 16

years later, Daphne, now 41, suspected she was pregnant. While she was checking her calendar and calculating the date of her last period, Simon walked into the room and surprised Her. He then began to complain about his daughters and how they were of Margabell age. Daphne tried to convince herself that she wasn't pregnant. Maybe it was just [music] the menopause. She was old enough for that anyway, wasn't she? But when she threw up, she realized that she was indeed pregnant. She definitely couldn't tell Simon, at least not yet. She wasn't ready for that. Luckily for them,

Colin and Penelopey arrived on the scene. The couple had come to their home Seeking Simon's help [music] as their young son Georgie was having difficulty speaking. But it only took one look from Penelope to realize the news about her sister-in-law. [music] Meanwhile, the affforementioned man had been attending to a problem on one of his farms, unaware of what was going on. When he returned home, he was told that Daphne was ill. But when he saw her vomiting for no apparent reason, he immediately realized that the supposed Illness was nothing more than an unexpected pregnancy. [music]

Daphne then told him about the visit from Colin and Penelopey, who had advised her to give her son lots of love without knowing what else to say. Simon, who had listened attentively, had nothing useful to say either. So, he decided to look for his father's letters. They hoped to find something useful, [music] though neither knew exactly what. Eventually, Daphne offered To read them, [music] but to no one's surprise, she found nothing more than mere instructions left by Simon's father for the proper administration of the Hastings estates and properties. For a moment, Daphne thought she would

see her husband disappointed. But he seemed completely indifferent, and even then she decided that she [music] would finally burn the letters. But this time, not out of hatred, spite, or revenge, but because she no longer cared about Them or her father. All he wanted now was to devote himself to his wife, his three eldest children, and the one on the way. And he was certain that the advice he [music] would give to Colin and Penelopey at that moment would be to look after little Georgie with love, for that was all the child would [music] need

to thrive. Daphne, touched, assured him that he would be a good father to the baby, as he had always been. Anthony Bridgetgerton is the eldest son Of the marriage between Violet and Edmund Bridgetton. Anthony admired the relationship between [music] his parents and their nurturing disposition in raising children, even wondering if one day he would share that connection with his future wife. That day, Anthony, at the age of 15, [music] had decided to visit his family at Aubry Hall, where his mother was pregnant with her eighth child. As Anthony entered the main hall, he was shocked

to find his younger Sister, Daphne, sitting on the floor, tears streaming down her face as she told him that their father had passed away. At first, [music] Anthony doesn't believe her, but she tells him that his little sister Eloise saw it. "He was stung by a bee," she said between sobbs. This was unheard of to Anthony, as his father had been stung by bees before and remarkably was still alive. But sadly, the doctors explained to him that a beasting could cause death, even if it Was not a frequent [music] occurrence. This marked him forever, not

only because from that moment on, he had to take care of his mother and siblings, but also because he had lost his father, with whom he shared a very strong bond. At that moment, sitting in the room where his father's body lay, he became convinced that he too would die young. Edmund Bridgetgerton had died at the age of 38, and Anthony simply could not imagine that he would ever surpass his Father in anything, not even years. Several years later, Kate Sheffield had recently arrived in London, and could already read her surname in Lady Whistled Down

Society magazine. However, it wasn't accompanied by her name, much to her relief, but rather with that of Edwina, her stepsister, who, due to her beauty, had been dubbed the incomparable of the 1814 social season. Edwina was 17 years old with fair hair and blue eyes, while Kate, [music] nearly 21, Considered herself much more plain. Kate's father had passed away 5 years ago, and she along with her stepsister and stepmother had been saving up to travel to London for that year's social season. Therefore, she had to wait until Edwina was at least [music] 17, as they

couldn't afford a second trip. This was the reason why Kate had debuted in society at the age of 21, which could be considered as a spinster, although she didn't care. Kate had a determined and Confident personality, and she often protected her younger sister, who in turn admired her. It was precisely [music] for this reason that Edwina had decided to publicly declare that she wouldn't marry anyone whom Kate didn't approve of, although her greatest wish was for her future husband to be a scholarly man, someone who shared her love for reading and learning. At almost 30

years old, Anthony had decided it was time to marry and have a child. and he Communicated this to his siblings who were surprised by the revelation. Anthony had a list of criteria that his future wife must meet. She had to be attractive, [music] intelligent, and most importantly, someone I cannot truly fall in love with, and having already seen Edwina Sheffield, he had decided she was the perfect candidate. [music] The Sheffields, for their part, had already heard of Anthony, especially Through Lady Whistled Down, and although he had caught Edwina's attention, Kate thought he wasn't right for

her, as he was publicly considered a rake. That day, [music] they attended a ball where Colin invited Kate to dance, and she was surprised to find him rather pleasant. After a brief conversation, Colin went to meet Anthony, who had been dancing with Edwina. His brother asked him what he thought and Anthony replied that she would serve his purposes to Which Colin suggested he should meet Kate. Anthony was aware of the condition Edwina had set regarding her future husband and he knew he must first earn Kate's approval. Upon meeting her, he found himself surprised to consider

her attractive and self assured, a far cry from the opinion he had initially held. Kate, for her part, did not change her opinion of Anthony and even attempted to insult him on more than one occasion, but he interrupted her, leading her to The dance floor and thus preventing her from saying something she might regret. While they danced, they argued with each other, and Kate seized the opportunity to forcefully step on Anony's foot more than once. He in turn informed her that she was mistaken if she thought she could control him, even though she had succeeded

in doing so with Edwina's other suitors. Taking advantage of the last few minutes of the dance, she stepped on him again. But it was Anthony Who had the final word, asserting that whether she liked it or not, he would court Edwina and marry her. The next day, Anthony decided to visit the Sheffield household, where he appeared with three bouquets of flowers, one for each woman in the family. This gesture moved Kate, who had always admired from the sidelines the gifts her sister received from her suitors. As Edwina had decided to go for a walk with

Lord Burbrook before Anthony arrived, he Decided to accompany Kate, who was about to take her Corgi Newton for a walk. But during the walk, the dog broke free from the leash and ran off towards a crowded park, aiming to jump into the lake. Terrified, Kate watched as her fears became reality when Newton leaped onto Edwina, causing her to fall into the water, prompting Anthony to jump in after her to save her. Due to the incident, Edwina ended up retiring, leaving Kate and Mary to attend the next Ball alone after Edwina reminded her sister that she

also needed to find a husband. Although Kate hoped that Anthony wouldn't notice her presence at the ball, the opposite happened. When he saw her, the young man was breathless and confused, he wondered how he could feel desire for a woman he didn't even like. In addition to this, he had been dreaming about Kate, but not just any dreams, rather erotic ones. So thinking that perhaps his mind was playing tricks on him, he decided that the best way to get Kate out of his mind would be to meet up with Maria, [music] a famous opera singer

who acted as his lover whenever he was in town and who happened to be at the ball that night. Kate, who had been trapped by the scandalous Lady Featherington, [music] managed to escape the conversation by slipping through a hallway of the house, but she was forced to enter a room upon Hearing Anony's voice approaching. [music] As she entered, she discovered she was in a study, but she was forced to hide under the desk when Anthony entered the room accompanied by Maria the singer. Anthony, who had memorized Kate's peculiar lily scent, almost immediately noticed her presence,

locking eyes with her as he stood behind the desk. He couldn't believe it. [music] Kate Sheffield, the most exasperating, irritating, and devilish Woman in all of England, [music] was crouched, squatting like a frog under his desk. Driven by the pleasure of making her suffer, he approached her, and knowing she couldn't make a sound, he stepped on her hand while saying goodbye to Maria. Then he made her come out of hiding, ignoring the girl's efforts to assure him that she hadn't tried to spy on him. However, he seemed to enjoy the situation, and seeking to intimidate

her Further, he approached her threateningly. However, the opposite happened and after breathing in her breath and feeling her lips so close to his, he couldn't help himself and kissed her. At first, Kate remained still, paralyzed by surprise, but gradually she relaxed in his arms and returned the kiss. She whispered his name between gasps, telling him that she would never allow him to marry Edwina, nor would she marry him herself. This made him stop and trying to catch his [music] breath, he told her that the kiss wasn't a marriage proposal. Indignant, she responded, telling him that

he had no honor and [music] then asked him if he even loved Edwina, to which he replied that he didn't, but that he might come to love her during their marriage, although Kate didn't believe it. At that moment, Anthony threw the key to the study at her feet, hoping she wouldn't be able to catch it Before it fell. [music] And when he succeeded, Kate looked at him hurt. Anthony, feeling remorseful, felt the urge to retrieve the key and apologize, but he didn't as he was terrified of admitting that he was beginning to feel something for

her. Finally, Kate [music] picked up the key and left the study, but not before reiterating that he would never marry Edwina. A few days later, [music] Kate found herself reflecting on the events of that night and concluded That Anthony must have kissed her out of curiosity, anger, and pity. Soon they received an invitation from Violet to a party at Aubrey Hall, the Bridgetgerton family's country house, and Kate, convinced that Anthony would try to kiss Edwina to secure a marriage proposal, decided to accompany her. Once at Aubry Hall, Anthony decided he must apologize to Kate and

proposed to Edwina as soon as possible. While pondering this, he strolled through the house's Garden where he encountered Kate, to whom he apologized. [music] She proud explained to him that even if he married Edwina, the kiss would always remain between them and couldn't be undone even if he changed his rakish ways. Anthony, not paying much attention, wondered to himself if Kate would return the kiss if he kissed her at that moment. If he would be forever attracted to his sister-in-law, if he still had time to find a new bride, or if he should simply Kiss

Kate in the gardens of Aubry Hall. But his thoughts were interrupted by Colin, who informed them that Daphne had organized a game of Palmemell for the whole family. So Anthony decided to find Edwina and invite her to join them. Meanwhile, Colin offered Kate the choice of the first mallet, and she decided to take the black one, which the siblings had dubbed the death mallet. Colin, who loved teasing his siblings, decided to hide the purple mallet so that only the Pink one remained for his elder brother. As Anthony and Edwina arrived, the game began. As the

game unfolded, Kate discovered that the Bridgetgertons were actually quite competitive and aggressive players, and they had even created their own rules. So, determined to annoy Anthony more than he already was, she decided to play with malice, winning the game to everyone's surprise. After finishing, they found themselves obliged to return together and alone to The country house. And as they walked, Kate noticed how he threw her glances that she couldn't decipher, while he, for his part, discovered that she hated the rain. Anthony then asked her if she still hated him, moving his face closer to hers

seductively, and seeing that she was unable to respond, he smiled, took her hand, kissed the inside of her wrist, and left. At dinner, Kate watched as Anthony defended Penelopey from Cresa Cooper's mockery and escorted the girl To dine with him, which moved her and made her consider him a hero. That night, Kate found herself thinking about Anthony and unable to sleep. She decided to go to the library to find something to read. Suddenly, a fierce storm hit the area, and the crash of lightning terrified Kate, who gripped by panic hid under a table. Anthony, who

had been in his office reviewing some papers, entered the library upon seeing a faint light. He then noticed it was a candle. But when he approached to extinguish it, he heard the panicked breathing of someone somewhere in the room. At that moment, he found Kate, crawled under the table with her, and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, saying, "I'm here. Everything will be okay." Finally, Kate's panic began to subside, and he patiently encouraged her to open her eyes and look at him. She then asked him to tell her about Aubrey Hall and her father. At

first, Anthony hesitated, But he told her that Edmund was the best father a child could wish for, and that losing him was hard. Kate then spoke to him about her father, how he remarried a few months after her biological mother died because he thought she needed a mother more than he needed to follow morning etiquette. She also told him that she doesn't remember ever being afraid of storms and that although the rain unsettles her, her fear really lies in how strong the storm Can become. As she looked at him, she realized that something was tormenting

him too. And from this, they decided that they would be friends. The next day, and against her better judgment, Kate began to acknowledge her feelings for Anthony, also knowing with much sorrow that she couldn't do anything to prevent him from courting Edwina. And it was at that moment, while she was in the garden of the house reflecting on the situation, that she Encountered Anthony, although she immediately knew that he had actually been looking for her. Upon seeing her, he offered an apology for bothering her, but she interrupted him, telling him that he had her permission

to court Edwina. This took him by surprise, for far from feeling happy upon hearing that, he felt confused. He had begun to accept that he could love Kate if he allowed himself to. Despite this, he tried to convince himself that loving her would be too painful for a man like him, destined to die young. So instead of confessing his feelings for Kate, he thanked her for her permission to court Edwina. Suddenly a faint buzzing is heard. Terrified, Anthony ordered her to stay still, but Kate looked at him amusedly, telling him it was just a bee.

At that moment, the insect struck against the girl's hand and following this, stung her on the Chest. Anthony, terrified, grabbed the neckline of Kate's dress and pulled it down to examine the sting. then brought his mouth to the wound and began to suck out any venom the animal might have left, desperate at the thought that like his father, Kate could lose her life. Completely confused, she began to protest, but her words were interrupted when she saw a group of women nearby who were staring at them in astonishment. It turned out to be none other than

Violet Mary and Porsche Featherington looking at them in disbelief. Both tried to excuse themselves, explaining the situation, but Porsche, who loved to meddle where she wasn't wanted, declared that Anthony should marry Kate [music] since they had been caught in a compromising situation, which Anthony agreed to. Kate, however, wondered how she would explain this to Edwina, to which he replied that while she could tell her the truth, there was Also the option of lying and saying they had fallen in love. Although Kate thought that nobody would believe Anthony would want to marry her of his own

free will. After reaching an agreement, the three women left, giving the couple a few moments of intimacy that Anthony seized by kissing Kate and unleashing all the passion he had been containing for so many days while whispering to her how perfect she was for him. However, Kate was not Convinced. She thought that Anthony would marry her out of obligation alone, and the idea that he might still love Edwina while being with her terrified her. A few hours later, Kate found herself facing her sister, delivering the news. To her surprise, Edwina wasn't surprised at all. Anony's

feelings for Kate were too obvious to her. But it seemed that the rest of London didn't see it that way, as rumors began to spread that Kate had deliberately Trapped Anthony. With only two days left before the wedding, Anthony decided to visit Kate. He then told her that their marriage would only be based on friendship and respect, but not on love, implying that he didn't love her. This upset Kate, although she tried to conceal it as best as she could, he then proceeded to give her a ring, his engagement ring, which was in fact a

Bridgetgerton family heirloom. He took Kate's hand with utmost delicacy and Placed it on her finger, then kissed her as if his life depended on it. And after that, he bid her farewell, assuring her that he would see her on the day of the wedding. On his way home, he found himself thinking that their marriage would be a success. However, Kate worried that although Anthony had told her he didn't love her, it was clear that he desired her. So, she thought he might be yearning for another because she wasn't his first choice as a wife. The

night before the wedding, Mary visited Kate in her room to explain what might happen on her wedding night. Kate already had an idea of what would happen, assuming that marital relations wouldn't be much different from how animals mate. However, Mary explained to her that making love can provide pleasure because it's an act of love. Kate accepted Mary's words, but when she found herself alone, she began to worry, thinking that if a man always finds Pleasure in sex, then Anthony might think of someone else when he's with her, and she would never know. The wedding was

beautiful and passed quickly. Once it was over and they were in the carriage heading to Anony's house, he asked Kate if she was nervous and told her she had nothing to fear, although he admitted he was also nervous. Kate then took the opportunity to ask him to wait a week for the wedding night as she would like to have Time to prepare, but in reality she felt insecure as she had been constantly compared to Edwina throughout her life. He then asked her if she was afraid of him as he was desperate to fix things between

them, but she remained silent. Anthony then got down on his knees and told her that he would give her anything she asked for if it was in his power to give it. Hopeful, Kate asked him to love her. Hearing her say those words made Anthony realize how much he wanted her To ask him, and his desire, though seemingly impossible, increased even more. Taking her by the waist, he laid her on the bed and after removing her clothes, began to kiss her, whispering how beautiful she was. But far from relaxing her, this caused her body to

tense up. The truth was that she had never considered herself beautiful, especially always being in Edwina's shadow, and she thought he was only saying it to make her feel good. So, she Told him she wasn't, that she wasn't beautiful, and then asked him who he was imagining in that moment. Anthony was left speechless, not knowing what to say. How had Kate come to that conclusion? He felt hurt by the accusation and couldn't believe that Kate thought he didn't truly desire her. She, on the other hand, not receiving a response, asked him if he was thinking

of Edwina. And he, [music] determined, held her face in his hands and with a Firm voice said, [music] "I desire you. I burn for you. I can't sleep at night because I desire you. Even when I didn't like you, I desired you." Later, he threatened to tie her to the bed and make love to her until she understood [music] that she was the most beautiful and desirable woman in England. Kate and Anthony spent the next few days at Aubry Hall and then returned to London to finish the social season. On one occasion, Edwina visited Kate

and Told her that she had fallen in love with a Mr. Bagwell, a scholar she met at the party at Aubry Hall. Anthony, on the other hand, had spent most of the time avoiding Kate, who had seen her efforts to start a conversation with him, frustrated. However, when she told him about Edwina's attraction to Mr. Bagwell, [music] he offered to provide a dowy for the girl, which moved Kate and made her cry, thinking it was the kindest thing Anyone had ever done for her. That night, as they slept, a storm rolled in. Aware of what

this triggered in Kate, Anthony decided to get up and close the curtains. But when he returned to bed, he saw that Kate's panic was now much worse than it had been at Aubrey Hall. Kate, still sleeping, sobbed in her dreams and cried out for her mother. The next morning, Kate found Anthony awake, silently watching her as she slept. He told her about the events of the Previous night and said that he needed to talk to Mary about her nightmares and her mother. as her father might have told her something that would help her understand her

fear of storms. Later, Kate and Anthony visited Mary. She admitted that she only knew what Kate's father had told her, but offered to share what she could. Mary explained that Kate's mother fell ill on a Thursday and passed away on Tuesday. It rained the entire time she was sick and The rivers overflowed, blocking the roads. A lightning strike even split a tree in the garden in two. While her father was focused on her mother, he didn't realize that his daughter had snuck into the room. The child had leaped onto the bed where she clung to

her mother, staying there for hours until exhaustion overcame her. Mary explained that Kate's father never pressed her about that night because she seemed happier without talking about it. Surprised, Kate embraced Mary and they cried together, finding solace. When Kate glanced at Anthony across the room, she realized he was also in tears. In that moment, Kate knew without a doubt she loved that man. That night, Kate told Anthony that the first time she felt she would survive the storm was the night he sat with her under the table at Aubry Hall. This made Anthony feel jealous

that she had overcome her fear, and he hadn't. [music] He was happy for her. Of course he was. But now he was afraid of his imminent death because despite his efforts, he had fallen in love with her. Kate, unaware of his thoughts, told him she hoped they would be together always and forever. And in that moment, Anthony felt panic rising within him. Kate had no idea what the words forever meant to someone like him who was destined to die young. So he jumped out of bed and dressed hastily. He stumbled down the Steps of the

entrance and crossed [music] the street in a days. He glanced at Kate in the window but fought the urge to turn back and apologize. Yet he didn't. He fled [music] and continued to do so even in the rain as a storm hit the city. Ultimately he decided to leave. The next morning, Kate received a note from Eloise informing her that Anthony was safe at Bridgetton house and that he seemed a little upset, so Kate decided to go and see him. Once there, Eloise told her that her brother had arrived in the middle of the night

[music] and locked himself in the study. Kate, determined to clear the air, entered the house and found Anthony asleep at his desk, so she woke him up. He, not knowing quite what to say, asked her to go home, but she refused to do so unless he accompanied her. So, not knowing what else to do and ignoring Kate's please, Anthony yelled at her to leave, and she left. The next [music] Day, he visited the gentleman's club with Colin and Benedict, where Colin told him that he was acting like a jerk and that he should go home

and tell Kate that he loved her. Anthony, despite his thoughts, took this as a revelation and accepting [music] that his younger brother was right, decided that he should confess his feelings to Kate immediately, thinking that since he was going to die young anyway, he might as well spend his short life openly and Honestly loving his wife. He ran to the house, desperately looking for her. But she was not there, as she and Newton had gone out with Edwina and Mr. Bagwell. Anthony then decided to look for them himself rather than wait. So he got his

horse ready and set off for the park. But when he was on the road, he heard a woman scream and then saw Kate and Edwina's carriage go round a bend too fast, go off the road and overturn on its side. In a panic, he became Convinced that Kate was dead. He approached the accident and desperately helped Edwina out of the wrecked carriage, but Kate still seemed to be trapped. Desperately, he said about pulling her out of the wreckage. And as he did so, he pleaded with her to be all right. "It wasn't supposed to be

you. It was never supposed to be you. It's not your time," he repeated desperately. Finally, he found her hand and felt her pulse. "She was alive." [music] Anthony tried to move the last of the debris, but it wouldn't budge. Out of his mind, he began to cry, and as he pulled with all his might at the broken timber, Kate came too. Anthony then told her that he loved her, not wanting to wait a moment longer to let her know. And Kate, somewhat amused, told him that she would also tell him that she loved him as

soon as he got her out of the wrecked carriage. Once he manages to get her out, he realizes that Her leg is badly broken. And although he orders her not to look, she does so and loses consciousness. Fortunately, it turns out to be nothing serious. Kate's leg is splinted and the doctor orders her to rest for at least a month. As he accompanies her to her room, Anthony tells her that when his father died, he spent the night waiting for Edmund to wake up. But in the morning, when he was still dead, he was sure

that he too would die young. To his surprise, Kate Was empathetic to his feelings, which relieved Anthony and reaffirmed that she was the love of his life. Kate then told him that it was not foolish to be afraid, but that he should not let that fear dominate him. You have to live every hour as if it were your last and every day as if you were immortal. Anthony replied that when he thought she had died in the carriage accident, he felt like he had nothing left to live for. He looked at her, his heart filled

With love for her, lay down beside her on the bed, and told her that he loved her. In that moment, Kate knew with certainty that they would grow old together. Sophia Maria Beckett [music] was the illegitimate daughter of Richard Gunningworth, Earl of Penwood. As a small [music] child, Sophie was abandoned on the doorstep of the Earl's house, where she was brought up with the privileges of an upper class girl, [music] such as education and good manners, but without any title to society. To the people, Sophie was no more than the daughter of an old and

deceased friend [music] of the counts. But the strong resemblance to the man made it clear that she was in fact his daughter, even if she was illegitimate. Sophie is described in the books as [music] a blonde girl with green eyes. Sophie never had a brotherly relationship with her father, as the Earl merely took care [music] of her expenses, but made no effort to form a relationship with her. Instead, her only family were the house servants, [music] the housekeeper, and the servants. Sophie knew she was a bastard, and her life at Penwood was all she remembered,

except for a vague recollection of her maternal grandmother, who raised her in her early years, and then took her to her father's house, and that her mother had died when she was born. A few years Later, when Sophie was [music] 10 years old, the count decided to marry. His new wife, a widow, already had two daughters close [music] in age to Sophie. Rosamund and Posie. Sophie had been thrilled to have two new [music] sisters and a stepmother. She thought that maybe if she loved her, the count would begin to love her, too. But it was

not to be. The day the new countess arrived at Penwood, [music] Sophie was introduced as the Earl's Ward, but the woman knew immediately from the physical resemblance that she was in fact his [music] illegitimate daughter. This of course did not please him and although Sophie was still a child, he let her know that he knew she was a bastard and that she would not allow him to feel equal to his daughters so she could not relate to them. Amarinta, [music] as the new countess was called, had insisted that Sophie be thrown out of the house,

but The count would not allow it. This [music] led to the little girl enduring abuse from her two step sisters, especially Rosamund, who enjoyed torturing her. But Posie, though she seemed to be against it, did nothing about it. Four years later, the Earl died. During that time, Aramenta failed to conceive [music] an heir, so the title of Earl of Penwood was inherited by a cousin. Given the situation, [music] Aramenta was left with only the Earl's fortune to inherit. But he left her an annual income of only £2,000, which could be increased to [music] £6,000 on

the condition that she would look after Sophie until she was 20 years old. Sophie was never told of the money she was due, nor of the dowy her father had left for when she found a husband. Sophie spent the next few years serving Aramenta, Posie, and Rosemund as a maid, even in her [music] early 20s, for she Feared leaving without knowing what lay in store for her on the streets [music] as nothing more than a bastard. One night, the three women were preparing to attend a masked ball at the Bridgetgerton's house. Aramenta [music] had prepared

her daughters in the hope that they would catch one of the unmarried Bridgetgerton brothers, Colon or [music] Benedict, since Gregori was still a teenager, though, well, she only hoped Rosamund would do it, as she Didn't consider Posi enough to get a good husband. That night, [music] as soon as Ara and her two daughters left, the housekeeper and the other servants prepared [music] Sophie for the masked ball. She was dressed in a silver dress and gloves engraved with the initials of [music] her late grandmother's name to match Aramenta's shoes and a [music] mask that covered most

of her face and concealed her identity. Before leaving, the Housekeeper instructed him to leave the ball before midnight to prevent Aramenta from realizing he had gone. [music] Benedict, for his part, was forced to attend the ball by his mother, who [music] was persistently trying to get him a wife and forcing him, in turn to dance with the ugly girls at the ball. He was about to [music] ask Penelopey Featherington to dance when Sophie arrived at the party and stole the show. Mesmerized by her beauty, Benedict asked Her to dance, but Sophie didn't know how to

dance, so they decided [music] to just go out on the balcony and talk. there. Benedict tried to get to know her a little better, but Sophie preferred to keep her true identity to herself by lying, as she thought this would be her only night of freedom before returning to [music] serve Amarinta and her daughters. That night, as he tried to gather clues to her identity through disguised questions, she let Benedict Kiss her. She thought there was no reputation to disgrace, so she had nothing to lose. But her illusion was interrupted by the midnight warning that

[music] guests must remove their masks. Terrified, Sophie fled the scene [music] in panic, remembering that it was her deadline at the ball and leaving Benedict, who had been accosted by Lady Danbury as he pursued her. But the boy had managed to keep a clue. And no, it wasn't a slipper like in Cinderella, the Story from which this book [music] is inspired, but his glove, or well, Sophie's late grandmother's glove. Later that night, Sophie found herself back in reality. Benedict, for his part, [music] sought out his mother in the hope that she might recognize which family

the initials engraved on the garment belong to. Violet immediately recognized that they belong to the Gunningworth family. But since the Earl had died without an heir, it was most Likely to [music] one of his two adopted daughters, Posie or Roseund. Determined, Benedict went with the gauntlet to Gunningworth [music] House in search of his mystery lady. But as soon as Aramenta heard of his presence, [music] she ordered Sophie to stay locked in her wardrobe, cleaning all her shoes, including the one she had worn on the day of the ball, which she had scuffed. Benedict met Posie

and Rosemond, [music] but knew at once that neither was his Mystery lady, so he left. But as he did so, [music] Aramenta saw him looking at Sophie's glove. And it was at that moment that he learned that the girl had run away the night before the masked ball. Furious, [music] Amarinta threw Sophie out of her house, who left with the little savings she had kept during her life and two brooes [music] she had stolen from her stepmother's expensive shoes. Two years passed in which Sophie Wandered the streets looking for work. She tried to become a

governness for children, but as she had no recommendation, no one wanted to hire her. So she ended up working as a maid for a wealthy family in a town near London. There she lived more quietly than where she was going to live, as the [music] work was less. But everything became more complicated with the arrival of Philillip, the son of the house, who constantly harassed her. One night [music] during a house party, Philip and two other men tried to mole Sophie, but were interrupted by Benedict, who fortunately was also at [music] the party. Benedict proposed

to Sophie to take her to London and get her a job at his mother's house, to which she accepted [music] without hesitation, and although at first she expected him to recognize her after their fleeting encounter at the masked ball, that didn't happen. The girl had changed a Lot in the last 2 years. She had cut her hair and sold it for money to survive, [music] and she had lost several kilos, so Benedict did not notice at any time her strong resemblance [music] to the woman he had been looking for for the last 2 years. After

saving her from what could have been a terrible event, Benedict took Sophie to his cottage a few miles from the village. But on the way, they were struck by a severe storm that made Benedict [music] ill, forcing Sophie to take the reigns of the carriage. He was surprised that a maid knew how to drive. So, she had to invent the story that she was the daughter of the housekeeper of a wealthy family who held her in high esteem and had allowed her to be educated as a member of the family. Arriving at Benedict's [music] house

called My Cottage. They found that none of the servants who looked after the house were there, so they had to spend The night alone, Sophie nursed Benedict [music] through the night, trying to cure his fever, and even gave him a couple of kisses he asked for in his sleep. She also discovered a notebook full of drawings, including one of her running away from the [music] masked ball. The days went by and Sophie continued to look after Benedict, [music] feeding him, sharing afternoons of tea and reading. Little by little, he discovered that he longed for [music]

Her and found her company soothing and comforting, something he had never experienced with another woman, let alone a maid. One afternoon, as they shared tea [music] and biscuits together, Benedict was overcome by an uncontrollable desire for her, which [music] made him think that if they did not separate at that moment, he would not respond to his desire to seduce her. He ordered her out of the room with [music] the excuse that He needed to go to the bathroom and fled into the woods to clear his thoughts. Sophie took [music] the opportunity to go for a

walk in the surrounding area. As she walked, she came across a lake. But it wasn't alone. There was a naked man bathing in [music] it. And yes, that man was Benedict. Curious, Sophie decided to watch the scene silently until he noticed her and forced [music] her to get out. He dressed her and made her stay on her Back until he was done. But just when she thought he would let her go, he pulled her to [music] his body and kissed her. She hadn't resisted. She had wanted to relive the masked ball [music] kiss with all

her might, even reliving it over and over in her mind. When they had finished, [music] they discussed the fact that for him, Sophie was too refined and intelligent to be a mere maid, and that she should find a way to have another life. She resented the fact That he thought she hadn't already tried. Furious, she tried to leave, but he held her back and proposed [music] that she moved to London with him. "Be mine," she told him in an urgent voice. "Be mine right now. Be mine [music] forever. I'll give you everything you want. The

only thing I want in return is you. You want me to be your mistress, she told him bitterly. There was no doubt that what he was proposing was that she live with him without a legal Union, [music] since she was only a maid with whom, by the rules of society, she could not have a relationship, let alone marry. He kissed her, hoping he could convince her, unbuttoned the buttons of her dress, and laid her on the floor, resting on top of her. Sophie could not resist. She was gripped [music] by desire until she remembered her

mother's life and her own and how miserable she was for having been the bastard daughter [music] of a dead earl because her Mother at the time had been a mistress. "I don't want to be your mistress," [music] she said, pulling him away from her. He asked her if she would prefer to continue working as a maid, [music] and she made it clear that she didn't need his help, that she had managed just fine on her own, to which he said, ironically, [music] that it wasn't very clever of him to think so. This infuriated Sophie, who

with a hook left Benedict dazed on the Floor as he tried to regain consciousness. [music] She tried to flee, but was grabbed by the ankles and laid down beside him. Furious, she announced that [music] she would not be his mistress and would leave the cabin immediately. He threatened to take her to live with him anyway. But she got up and walked to her room where she began to pack her belongings. As he watched her from the doorway and insisted [music] that she go with him, she told Him that she simply could not. She could not

be his mistress. That sentence [music] left Benedict thinking, and after a few seconds, he managed to get to the truth. She was illegitimate. [music] This discovery on his part left Sophie cold as he thought [music] it solved everything. Promised her that he would never leave her alone and that he would take care of any children they had. She then asked him what would happen if they Got married. Benedict's [music] mind then turned to the mysterious lady at the masked ball who had been the only woman he had ever dreamed of [music] marrying. He didn't know

how to answer that which annoyed Sophie even more. Seeing [music] that she would not budge, Benedict then threatened to charge her with theft so he would tell the police to release her into his custody. She thought he [music] would be incapable, but he confirmed that he would do it so Long as he could keep her with him. So she told him she would wait for him to take her to London and do it. Later that day, they [music] set out in Benedict's carriage for London. Sophie was scared to death, for it was dancing season, and

Aramea might see her and expose her publicly, not to mention that she had stolen the brooches from one of her shoes when she left the house, which made it all the worse. On arriving at the Bridgetgerton's house, Sophie was Warmly welcomed by Violet, who accepted Benedict's [music] request to hire her as Eloise and Francois's maid, although she suspected that [music] something was a miss. She therefore set out to investigate Sophie's true identity, for no maid could have been as well educated as she [music] was, and she even spoke French. Days passed, and luckily for Sophie,

Violet had not found out the truth. Benedict visited the house often enough To see her until one day when she came out of the [music] house and ran into Posie, who saw her in the distance. Sophie begged her by signs not to tell Aramea, to which [music] the other girl agreed. Minutes later, Benedict appeared on the scene, who seeing Sophie's [music] face, decided to take her home until she calmed down. Once they arrived, they began to talk about Sophie's [music] feelings about her new job at the Bridgettons. She told him That both Violet and her

daughters treated her very well and even made her feel part of the family [music] by allowing her to join them for afternoon tea as a member of the family. Sophie had [music] wished for nothing more in her life than to have a family like that as she had been alone since she was born. [music] Surprisingly, Benedict confessed to her that it was difficult to be a Bridgetgerton. Although he loved his family, [music] And that was for sure, he had never been able to stand out on his own merit without always being recognized for being one

of the Bridgetgertons and not Benedict in [music] most cases, being called number two. She told him that he was much more than that, that he was different from the others and very talented and that he should show [music] his talent to the world and to his family. At that moment, he understood [music] that he loved her For a thousand reasons. And he kissed her. But that kiss was not like the others. Little by little, they gave in and did what they had been [music] dreaming of for a long time, even years. They had their first

night together. After this, he told her that he [music] would send someone discreet to fetch her things from her mother's house. She immediately refused, reiterating that despite what had happened, she would not be his [music] mistress. She refused to Have an illegitimate child and prayed that she [music] had not become pregnant after that encounter. This annoyed Benet who went [music] away, leaving her alone. Sophie returned to the Bridgetgerton's house, spent the next two weeks avoiding encounters with the family more than was entirely necessary, and Benedict [music] did not appear during this time either. One afternoon,

while Benedict was chatting [music] with his brothers, the Same occasion on which Colin was surprised by Penelope saying he would not marry her, he was approached by Violet, who had written a list of seven possible wives for him. It was at [music] this point that he confessed to his mother that he was in love with someone who did not belong to the same social [music] status as them. She told him that she would support him in whatever decision he made, but that he should know that it would be a difficult [music] situation as he would

be judged harshly by Siti. Determined to find Sophie [music] and ask her to marry him, he set out to leave the house, but was stopped by Eloise, who in conspiracy with his mother, persuaded him to go upstairs to the playroom. There, Sophie was blindfolded, playing blind [music] man's buffalo with the Bridgetgerton's younger cousins, four children between the ages of 5 and 10. The moment Benedict entered the room and saw Sophie [music] blindfolded, he knew the truth. She was the mysterious woman at the masked ball. When were you planning to tell me that we knew each

[music] other? He asked her. He was furious and felt cheated. She replied that she simply didn't plan to tell him as it didn't seem pertinent. She hadn't really wanted to tell him because she was afraid that he would ask her to be [music] his mistress, which in reality had happened anyway. She had Also been hurt by the fact that he didn't recognize her when he saw her again [music] because she had been dreaming of his face every day after that dance. He angrily complained to her that he had spent 6 [music] months after that dance

looking for her. She told him that she had to run away because she had no [music] one to which he replied that she had him. The girl reminded him that their social differences separated them and that this had [music] prevented her From even considering looking for him. Who are you? He asked her. [music] I have been a servant since I was 14. And who were you before that? A bastard, [music] she replied and told him the truth, that she was the illegitimate daughter of the Earl of Penwood, the bastard of a nobleman, and the daughter

of a maid. Furious at her lie and unable to continue in her presence, Benedict left [music] the place. Sophie decided she Had to leave the place. She couldn't afford to be there [music] when Violet and the other Bridgetgerton found out the truth. And of course, she didn't think [music] they would keep her as a maid after that. However, Sophie decided to say goodbye one last time to Violet as she felt indebted to her. Violet told her that she knew what was between her and Bennett, but that did not mean she had to leave the house,

but [music] she insisted that she could not stay. So, Lady Bridgetton gave her some money and ordered a carriage [music] to take her to her destination. Sophie then decided to wait outside the house for the carriage to arrive when [music] she was discovered by Aramenta, who loudly called the police. Sophie was whisked off to prison before Violet or anyone else in the Bridgetgerton family could realize [music] what was happening and help her. Though to tell the truth, she wished she could be spared the [music] Embarrassment. For his part, Benedict had a fencing match with Colin,

who almost immediately knew that something was [music] wrong with him and that it was Sophie. The two talked, and Colin managed to convince Benedict [music] that whatever had happened between him and Sophie, he had to fix it. After this, [music] Benedict ran to his mother's house to look for her, but she was gone. While they were talking, Francesca, Eloise, and Hiasin [music] burst in with the latest edition of Lady Whistled Down, where it told how Sophie had been captured by [music] the police. Both Violet and Benedict immediately ran after her. Meanwhile, Sophie [music] was in

a cell when Ara appeared, telling her that she would be deported to Australia because she had also invented that she [music] had stolen her wedding ring. Sophie asked her why she did all that and she replied [music] that she simply Could not stand that the count had made her live with a bastard under the same roof and had not been able to give her an air herself. While they were arguing, Benedict and Violet burst in. Both shared a kiss [music] in front of Aramenta, who looked at them stunned. The boy immediately ordered Sophie to be

[music] released since she was his bride. To the surprise, Amarinta threatened to tell everyone that Sophie was a bastard daughter of a if he Married her. At that moment, Posie appeared, who blamed himself [music] for the theft of Amarinta's shoe pins. The policeman then ordered Sophie to be taken out of the cell, but no one could leave until he knew [music] what was going on. Sophie then told her story that she was the illegitimate daughter of a nobleman and that her father had left her nothing in his will. It was at that moment that Posie

contradicted her by revealing that he had left a dowy for Her. Violet then [music] threatened to denounce Aramea and have her imprisoned for stealing Sophie's dowy if she told the truth about the girl's origins. Instead, she was to say that Sophie had been a ward of the Earl of Penwood and that she was the daughter of a distant cousin of the Earl named Charles Bequette. Reluctantly, Aramenta [music] agreed. Violet furthermore took Posie to live with her as she could not stand the way her mother treated her. But Moreover, Sophie slapped her stepmother in Posy's defense.

Later that day, Benedict [music] reaffirmed his desire to marry her regardless of the deal her mother had made or the truth about her origins. He apologized to her for [music] asking her to be his mistress. She told him that she had understood the situation and did not judge him. After that, they had a romantic night together [music] where we learn that they would be married in three days. The epilogue takes us seven years in the [music] future when Benedict and Sophie are already parents of three children and she has just given him the news that

she is pregnant for the fourth time and they both hope it will finally be a girl. In the books, Penelopey Anne Featherington is the third daughter of Porsche Featherington, a wealthy widowed mother of four girls, [music] Prudence, Philippa, Penelope, and the youngest, Felicity. In the books, Penelope [music] is described as a plump girl with auburn hair and brown eyes who has grown thinner over the years. She is intelligent, something she shares with her younger sister, [music] Felicity, and loves to read, a pastime their mother, Porsche, abhors. Unlike her older sisters, Prudence and Philippa, [music] Penelopey

has no interest in high society. Colin Bridgetton was still a Bachelor at 33 [music] when the story begins. The season of 1824 was approaching, and he was considered the most eligible bachelor for young ladies and mothers. Colin and Penelope met in 1812, [music] 2 days before Penelopey's 16th birthday. Colin tripped over his [music] horse because of Penelopey's hat. Penelopey fell in love with Colin, but kept it a secret. She became close friends with Eloise Bridgetgerton, but never revealed Her feelings for [music] Colin, who saw her as a sister. Penelopey made her debut in London Society

on April 10th, [music] 1813, the same year that Lady Whistledown began to write. Four seasons have passed [music] and although Philippa and Prudence have already found husbands, Penelopey, who is already 28 years old, still has not found a suitor. Despite knowing [music] that she would never marry Colin, she held on to a little hope until that Unfortunate day. While having tea at Bridgetton House with Eloise, Penelopey overheard Anthony, Benedict, and Colin [music] talking about her. I won't marry Penelopey Federington, Colin said. I never asked her to marry me," replied the woman. Colin apologized without a

coherent excuse. Despite the hurtful [music] words, she decided to forget the incident, and they continued their friendship without further [music] issue. Penelopey considered herself an Old maid in every season until Colin returned to London in 1824 at the age of 33. They reunited at the Bridgetgerton's house during a party organized in honor of Violet Bridgetgerton's birthday. Colin asked Penelopey to [music] dance and she told him not to feel obliged to do so because of her status as an old maid. The boy felt annoyed. He wanted to ask her to dance for his own pleasure, perhaps

for the first time. That night, two important things Happened. Colin began to see Penelope as more than a friend, albeit unconsciously. Lady Danbury offered $1,000 to whoever discovered the identity of Lady Whistledown. After the announcement, Penelope publicly accused Lady Danbury of being Lady Whistled Down. [music] This claim earned her the attention of everyone at the ball. While walking to Bridgetgerton House for tea the [music] next day, Penelopey met Colin. He Noticed that she had a new air of spontaneity which she had gained from her encounter with Lady Danbury the night before. They had [music] tea

together that day with Eloise Hyasin, Lady Bridgetgerton, and Kate, who was accompanied by her 2-year-old daughter, Charlotte. During the [music] meeting, they discussed the possible identity of Latty Whistlad and even theorized that Penelopey could be her. The following day, Penelopey attended tea once more, But this [music] time, she did not encounter Colleen on her way. Upon arriving at the Bridgetgerton's residence, she was escorted [music] to the family's private sitting room. While there, she could not resist reading one [music] of Colin's travel diaries. A few minutes later, Colin found her looking extremely angry. However, his anger

dissipated when he accidentally cut himself, [music] breaking the tension of the moment. As Penelopey helped him with his wound, she apologized. She also expressed [music] her admiration for the way he wrote and described the places he had visited. Colin was seeing beyond what he knew of Penelope and began to understand that she was not the same girl he had known years before. He found her more attractive. That same day, he confessed his frustration with his future to her. Coen [music] felt inadequate compared to his successful and talented older Brothers, believing he wouldn't leave a mark

on [music] the world. Penelope was angry with him for not valuing what he had. She left indignantly after their [music] conversation, but they later apologized at a party. Two days later, [music] Colin knocked on Penelopey's bedroom door. He seemed more enthusiastic than usual and confessed [music] that he suspected Eloise, Penelopey's younger sister, of being Lady Whistled Down. Eloise [music] had Been locking herself in her room for hours at a time, and when she emerged, her fingertips were stained with ink. Penelopey confidently insisted that Eloise was not Lady Whistled Down. Colin was worried that she was

and because of Lady Danbury's proposal, she would be found out [music] and disgraced as everyone hated Lady Whistled Down. Colin expressed his worry to Penelope that the rumor of Eloise being whistled down could affect his honor. [music] Colin's concern was that even a simple gossip could jeopardize his reputation. He gave an example to help her [music] understand. Imagine if I were to tell someone that I seduced you, he said. You would be disgraced [music] forever. The power of words is remarkable. Penelopey and Colin were both speechless [music] as he realized how attractive she was and

wanted to kiss her. She then asked Him for [music] a favor, to which he nodded. "Could you please kiss me?" she asked. Penelopey assured Colin that kissing [music] someone was all she wanted as she hadn't kissed anyone since she was an old maid and could easily die tomorrow without having done so. Colin couldn't refuse and kissed her for [music] the first time. According to Colin, it was the best kiss. Penelopey responded with a simple thank you which angered [music] Colin causing him to Storm off. Colin met Eloise at the Bridgetton house hours later. He confronted

[music] her with his theory that she was Lady Whistled Down. Eloise immediately denied it, claiming that she spent her evenings writing letters in her room. When her brother asked her to whom, she blushed and refused to say. A few days later, Lady Whistled Down announced in her usual gossip sheet that she would retire. On that day, Lady Danbury and the protagonist [music] met at a party. Lady Danbury expressed her interest in helping the protagonist achieve happiness. However, their conversation [music] was interrupted by Cresa Coupe, who publicly announced that she was Lady Whistled Down. After the

announcement, the room [music] fell silent. Cresa, who inherited her late husband's debts after being widowed, [music] approached Lady Danbury to claim the $1,000 reward. However, both Lady Danbury and Penelope expressed disbelief that she was Lady Whistled [music] Down. They demanded proof, which she promised to provide within 2 weeks. Colin went to the party to ask for Penelopey's forgiveness. However, he didn't get a [music] chance to speak to her amidst all the commotion. The next day, he went to her house. As he arrived, he saw her riding alone in a hired car on the corner of

the street. This seemed suspicious [music] to him since she Wasn't accompanied by any maid or any of her sisters. Therefore, he decided to [music] follow her. Penelopey took the car to an obscure [music] church in London where Colin saw her hide an envelope in one of the chairs. He confronted her and found a letter from Lady Whistledown [music] for a new publication stating that she was not Cresa Cooper. Colin realized that Penelopey was Lady Whistled Down. He asked her angrily why she planned to Write in her column that Cresa was not Lady Whistled Down. She

explained that she couldn't let someone else [music] take the credit. Colin made the girl get into his car to take her home. On the way, he argued [music] with her, insisting that she let Cresa keep the identity of Lady Whistle down. This would allow her to avoid being disgraced and hated by London society. The girl replied that Cresa had not been disgraced [music] when she confessed Herself as Lady Whistledown. Colin retorted, "She is different." [music] The answer hurt Penelopey's feelings. She wondered if [music] she was different because she was more beautiful and popular. Colin realized

what a lousy answer he had given her. He wanted to keep her from feeling bad about what a fool he had been. He kissed her [music] and told her how beautiful she was. He allowed himself to accept that he loved Her. Upon arriving at her house, he [music] assisted Penelopey in making herself presentable. She was wearing her dress below her breasts, which he helped adjust. As she prepared to go downstairs, [music] he announced that he would accompany her. Confused, Penelope asked if he was going inside with her. He replied, holding out his [music] hand for

her to exit the car. For God's sake, Penelope, are you going to marry me or not? Minutes later, [music] Colin and Penelope entered the Federington family visiting room. To Colin's dismay, all of Penelopey's sisters and their husbands were gathered there. Porsha initially [music] thought that Colin was going to ask for Felicity's hand, the youngest daughter. She insisted [music] that Penelope leave the room, leaving her alone with Colin. However, Colin became angry and expressed his firm decision to ask for Penelopey's hand, not Felicity's. A few days later, preparations for the wedding began. Both families were informed

of the new engagement. However, Penelopey was convinced that Colin liked her, but she doubted that he loved her. Colin, who had never been in love before, was confused about how he could know if he loved her. Therefore, he decided to visit his sister Daphne, with whom he had always been close [music] since they were only a year apart. At 32 years old, Daphne was already a mother Of four [music] children, aged 10, 9, 8, and seven. When Colin visited, [music] he asked Daphne how she knew when it was love. Despite this, she was confident that

she and her husband still [music] understood each other. She replied that she didn't know that it was different for each person. The following day, the Bridgetgerton hosted Kolin and Penelope's engagement ball. During the [music] dance, something completely unexpected oer read. A group of children Entered with a new Latty Whistladown column. Colin had already read it when he discovered Penelope. It drove him crazy because he thought the matter had been forgotten and his girlfriend had moved on. However, Penelope had actually instructed the editor to publish the news a few days [music] after their engagement ball, but

for some reason, it was published during the ball. After announcing their engagement, [music] Colin took Penelopey to his room to Discuss what had happened. Penelopey explained her point of view and expressed her pride in her work [music] as Lady Whistled Down. However, Colin was more concerned about the potential repercussions if her identity was discovered. In reality, he was jealous [music] of her bravery and success as Lady Whistledown, which he lacked in his own diaries. After their suffocating argument, [music] they ended up kissing. This led to their first night together in Colin's room. Colin then convinced

his mother and Lady Featherington that Penelopey might be pregnant, so they decided to bring the wedding forward. A few days later, [music] they were married in what Penelopey described as a wonderful wedding. The honeymoon was also enjoyable. Although the lady whistled down issue seemed to be in the past, Colin would rage every time Penelopey brought it up, making her Think he was embarrassed [music] by her. One afternoon, Colin showed Penelopey his journals and asked for her opinion. She loved what she read and encouraged him to publish it. He told her that it was not easy

and that they needed [music] corrections. His curiosity was peaked and he asked her how she had started writing as Lady Whistled Down. Penelopey told him that it had all started in her first season. She was unhappy and started describing the party She went to as a way to let off steam and have fun. One day she forgot to hide them and her mother's lawyer found and read them. [music] The man found it highly entertaining. He was responsible for organizing the printing and distribution of the Lady Whistled Down sheets. Colin admired Lady Whistledown's work and asked

for help correcting her diaries for publication. Later, while Penelopey corrected one of Colin's writings, Cresa unexpectedly visited her At home to blackmail her. After discovering Penelopey's anonymous identity in Lady [music] Whistledone's last sheet, Cressa demanded £10,000 in exchange for her silence. Penelope had savvied this money throughout her career as Lady Whistledone [music] and refused to give it up. When Colin arrived, she explained the situation to him. He promised to help her [music] and solve the problem. However, she had to go to Anthony for advice. Hours later, Colin sent Penelopey a note informing her that they

would meet later at the Hastings house [music] where her sister Daphne was having a dance. At the event, the Bridgetgerton family watched her until Colin arrived and revealed [music] his plan to expose her as Lady Whistled Down. Penelope initially refused Colin's [music] proposal, fearing that it would bring disgrace upon him. However, Colin reassured her that he didn't [music] Care about society's opinion and that they could start a new life in the countryside. He also mentioned that Anthony would support them, which was a significant advantage in London society. Eventually, Penelopey agreed and during a touching and

romantic speech, Colin revealed to the 500 guests at the ball that Penelope [music] was Lady Whistled Down and he was proud of her. A year later, Colin published his first book. Additionally, [music] he and his partner Were expecting their first child. Please note that [music] this text contains a spoiler for Eloise's story to serve Phipe with love. The book Seducing Mr. Bridgetgerton concludes the story of Colin and Penelope. However, in the eighth and final book, a second epilogue reveals how Eloise discovered that Penelope was Lady Whistled Down. [music] At the time of Colin's revelation, Eloise

had eloped to Sir Philip Crane's house, where she Would later marry. The second part of the story begins when Colin and the other Bridgetgerton siblings return from searching for Eloise at Sir Phillip's house. The Bridgetgerton family travels to Eloise's new home for her wedding to Sir Phipe. Colin and Penelope ask the family [music] to keep the news of Lady Whistled Down, a secret from Eloise on her special day. As Eloise waits for the carriage [music] to take her to the Church, she has a conversation with Penelope. Eloise tells her best friend that [music] she loves

her future husband and is not marrying him simply because her brothers forced her to, although they did. After the ceremony, [music] Colin tells Penelopey that it is time for her to tell her sister the truth. Both girls then enter a room where Penelope confesses [music] to him that she is Lady Whistled Down. Eloise replies that she already knows. Penelope Is stunned and [music] asks how Eloise found out. Eloise reveals that Hyasin told her in exchange for [music] $20. Colin and Penelopey decide to spend the night at the inning to conceive [music] their first child. after

saying goodbye to Eloise. The story between Sir Phillip and Eloise does not begin with a love story. On the contrary, it begins with a tragic story of sadness and death, the death of Marina Thomson. Contrary to the previous Protagonists, Sir Philip was [music] not a single man in search of a wife, nor in search of love, but on the contrary, he was a married man with two children. Filipe had studied botany, graduated at the top of his class, and planned to go into teaching. [music] But the sudden death of his elder brother forced him to

change his plans radically. He became the sole heir to his family's lands, and [music] thus to such obligations as taking over the administration of his Estate, marrying and begetting heirs. His wife, Marina Thompson, [music] was a rather sad and melancholic person. Philip had never really been able to create a relationship with her, not even [music] a connection. as his depression had not allowed him to do so. In the books, Philip is described as a man in his 30s, dark-haired, dark-eyed, tall, stocky, tanned, and muscular. Illois is described as a 28year-old woman with brown hair, and

gray eyes. The story begins one sunny afternoon in February. Philip was in his greenhouse when he saw Marina walking in the woods. The simple fact that she was out of the house was strange, so [music] he followed her to the lake. There he saw her submerge of her own free will. He managed to pull her out alive. But a few days later, she died. Philip did not love her. He had never loved her, but she was the mother of his children, and at no time did he wish her deed. Philip Didn't exactly consider himself a

good father either. He found it hard to communicate with the little ones, a pair of seven-year-old twins. He didn't know how to talk to them or [music] what to say to them. Even telling them about their mother's death wasn't easy. So, once Marina died, he decided that he should get them a mother. It didn't matter who she was or if she was pretty, educated, or intelligent. It would be enough if she smiled and was happy. Oh, And loved the children, or at least pretended enough for [music] them to believe it. One afternoon after Marina's death,

Philip received a letter from Eloise Bridgetton, Marina's [music] distant cousin, offering her condolences for her loss. Curious about this unexpected manifestation, Philip decided to reply to the message. Eloise used to make a hobby of sending [music] letters to people she had not seen for a long time, Either congratulatory or condolence messages. She was thrilled to have communication with other people. Sister Felipe's reply pleasantly surprised her, for his letters denoted the words of someone cultured and educated, and he added a flower that he had cut himself, which touched Eloise's heart. They exchanged letters for about a

year until Philip decided to extend an invitation for her to visit [music] him at his house in the country. But not only that, In the same letter, he expressed his intentions to make her his wife. Naturally, this took Eloise by surprise, [music] although she had already suspected that Philip was trying to woo her through letters. At her age, already considered an old maid in society [music] at 28, she had turned down six marriage proposals, not because she didn't like any of those suitors, but because she was too picky about them and was looking For someone

perfect. Besides, she wasn't worried about being [music] single. She was happy with her brothers, sisters-in-law, and nephews, and being a Bridgetgerton, she was still respected, even if she wasn't married. However, her best friend Penelope, with whom she thought she would share her spinsterhood, [music] had married none other than her brother Colin, although it was a selfish thought, Eloise would never have thought that Penelope might Marry before her, or that she might even marry at all, for the poor thing had never received a single marriage [music] proposal. So Eloise had never considered how she would feel

if she were the only single one of the two. Despite this, she loved the fact that her [music] brother had married her best friend. They were perfect for each other. But now, as a single [music] woman in a family full of loving couples, she felt the need to take Sir Phillip at his word. So she Decided to accept Philip's invitation with the plan to meet him for a few days to find [music] out whether or not they would hit it off and then decide whether or not to marry him. Eloise knew that her brothers would

not allow her to go to Philip's house without even meeting the family. So, she decided to elope in secret. So, during a dance at her sister Daphne's house, Eloise slipped through the crowd and [music] left without telling anyone, not even Sir Phillip. For his part, Philip had taken it for granted [music] that Eloise didn't want to marry him since the letter of proposal had been sent a month ago, and he hadn't heard back from her. Eloise seemed like the perfect solution to his problems, a surrogate mother for his children who couldn't even stand nannies. Philip

was [music] surprised to see her on his doorstep unannounced. She seemed immediately beautiful with huge gray eyes he could drown [music] in, he Thought. Despite this, Philip was a little rough around the edges, so [music] their first meeting was not as romantic as Eloise had imagined it would be. But what shocked her most was the fact that Philillip had children [music] since he had never mentioned it to her in the letters. He denied not telling her, though he had clearly left it out on purpose. That he had children was not a problem for Eloise, as

she loved children, but she clearly didn't know What was coming. Philip, for his part, was annoyed that she was arriving unannounced since she hadn't given him a chance to prepare to greet her, write her a poem, or prepare some flowers. Moreover, Eloise's appearance surprised him, as he had expected a woman [music] less pretty, and therefore more desperate to marry, and not a young, beautiful, and self-confident girl. He was sure she would never want to marry him, take care of their two children, Who drove away all the nannies, and live in [music] the countryside, far from

London society and all those social events. Eloise, for her part, had found him to be a rather ill-mannered man and was beginning to think him a bad father, as he did not know how to deal with his two children. However, her plan [music] to stay in that house for a fortnight to find out how compatible they were, still stood. Oliver and Amanda, Philip's two Children, were extremely mischievous and resourceful and would not accept [music] a new woman coming into their lives so easily. So on the second day, they decided to pay her [music] a visit

and warn her that they did not want her in their home. Eloise, who was the fifth of eight siblings [music] and the aunt of nine nieces and nephews, found the perfect words to make them understand that she would not leave and that she was not afraid of them, Although that was not entirely true. After that [music] unexpected meeting, Philip and Eloise met and had breakfast together. Philip had planned to have [music] a pleasant breakfast as an apology for his behavior the day before, but when he found Eloise already eating, he had no choice but to

join her. Over breakfast, she told him of her encounter with the children, and he confessed [music] to her frankly that she was not what he had imagined, that in fact he Thought she was beautiful and that he didn't understand why he hadn't married her yet. And though it wasn't the first time Eloise had heard flattery, it made her blush. Philip was not like other men. He was coarser, less refined, not like the common men of London. He was more defiant. Eloise [music] could not see how a man like him could have any trouble getting a

wife. Philip asked the question how it was that now, suddenly, and after turning down several Proposals, he had decided to marry. She replied that she had simply discovered that she did want to get a husband [music] after all. She then returned the question. Philip replied that no woman who knew his children was [music] willing to set foot in his house, and that was why he had invited her to come, because the children needed a mother. Eloise then asked him [music] which role he wanted her to assume, that of mother or that of wife. Both, he

replied, as if It were obvious. and she asked again, "Which of the two is more important to you?" To which he replied that he didn't know how to separate the two. Eloise's beauty was unsettling, Philillip, but in a good way. It had been a long time since he had been intimate with a woman, for after Marina had her children, they had only shared a bed on one occasion when she didn't participate, [music] didn't even move, just lay there with her eyes fixed on nothing. Philip had Felt dirty and guilty. So since that encounter, he had

never again crawled into Marina's bed. Eloise's [music] presence, beautiful and slender, was stirring his desire again. Intrigued by their last conversation, [music] he invited her to the dining room for dinner that evening. But when he was at the door of her room, he found that Oliver and Amanda had played a joke on him by filling her with flour. Eloise, of course, wasn't going to let Them get away with it, so she decided to prank them back by putting a fish in Amanda's bed. During dinner, she asked Philip if the children were aware of his marriage

proposal, to which he replied no, something she seemed to disagree with, but chose not to say, but by her gestures, he could tell. So, he asked her to please keep her opinion on raising her children to herself [music] until she decided whether or not she would marry him. Eloise replied that They needed more attention and love, which they did not receive from him, even though they explicitly asked for it. This annoyed Philillip, who replied that she didn't know him. Eloise was annoyed by this comment, but decided to let it go. Philip, for his [music] part,

was increasingly realizing that Eloise was the opposite of Merina and just what he needed, intelligent, self-confident, bossy, and he was hoping with all his might that she would agree to marry him And take charge of the house and their children. She, for her part, was discovering more and more how attractive she found Philillip. After dinner, Philip took Eloise to see the family portraits [music] where she had the opportunity to see the faces of her grandfather, her father, and George, her late brother, who had died at the Battle of Waterlue. Philip [music] explained that he was

only 21 at the time and that Marina was actually George's fiance, not His, but he didn't want to talk about his father and was tense when Eloise asked him about it. She also saw [music] a picture of Marina. Eloise remembered her childhood when they were both little girls. Marina had dark hair and blue eyes. And since they were the same age, at family gatherings, they were always put together, even though they were very different. While Eloise [music] enjoyed playing and running after her older siblings, Marina preferred to stay Reading the same page of a book

over and over again. Seeing Marina's portrait made Philip very uncomfortable, which made Eloise wonder if he had loved her, if he had been in love with her when [music] she was still his brother's fianceé, if he missed her. Eloise decided to tell him [music] that she had lost her father when she was still a child, how difficult it was for her siblings, [music] and especially for her mother, Violet, who was still pregnant With Hyasin. After this, [music] they went to the greenhouse where Philip showed her his plants and some of the experiments he was working

on. And for the first time, he found that someone other than himself was sincerely interested in what he was doing. That night, in the shadows and surrounded by plants and flowers, Philip couldn't help himself and kissed her. And she kissed him [music] back. The next morning, the twins continued their Revenge. They put a rope in the middle of the path, causing Eloise to trip and hit herself hard. This prank infuriated Philip and made her notice that something wasn't right [music] as he seemed to be holding back a lot in the situation. The misstep caused Eloise

to bruise her eye and she was forced to rest for the rest of the day. This led to an argument with Sir Phillip, who left her alone with the excuse that it was not convenient for him to be with Her because of his anger. By now, Philip was convinced [music] that he wanted to ask Eloise for her hand, would kneel before her and beg her to marry him and be the mother of his children. He was aware that he was doing everything wrong and didn't deserve Eloise's acceptance. But in all honesty, he had never wanted

that life for himself. It had always belonged to his older brother, George. He was the charming one, the favorite son. He Always knew what to say and what to do in every situation. Everyone loved and admired him. Philip, on the other hand, was quieter and more reflective. He had always had the idea that he would be the gruff, [music] eccentric uncle who lived in Cambridge in a greenhouse, doing experiments that no one would ever be interested in. But George's death had changed everything, and he had been forced to take on the duties that had never

been his. The only Thing that saved [music] him from that situation was the fact that he had his children whom he loved unconditionally. But even so, he couldn't help feeling like a failure. He didn't regret being a father, but [music] he thought he wasn't born for it. He was disappointing them. He didn't know how to deal with them. And that's why, [music] in many cases, he preferred to run away. But the night before, after the attack on Eloise, he surprised himself by handling the Situation very well in front of [music] his children. So now he

felt that she was somehow bringing peace into his life. And this was what finally convinced [music] him that he needed Eloise to marry him. She, for her part, was beginning to feel very attracted to [music] him, despite his oddly distant demeanor from time to time. His smile and his casual manner attracted her to him, and she couldn't help it, [music] and it had stopped her from returning to London just yet. The next morning, Eloise decided that she would share time with Oliver and Amanda, so she took them swimming in the lake. But the walk was

interrupted by Philillip, who angrily pulled the children out of the water, claiming that he had forbidden them to come. Eloise argued that there was no reason not to let them come if the children could swim. This, coupled with the memory of Marina's death from that incident in the lake, plunged Philillip Into a flood of memories that touched [music] Eloise, who, confused, caressed his face. Philip put his hand on top of hers and brought it to [music] his mouth and kissed it. Then put it on his chest, wrapped it around her waist, and pulled her to

him and kissed her. Desire ruled them, but Eloise decided they couldn't take the next step yet. Not like this. That same [music] night, they had dinner together, and Philip shared with Eloise his concern that he felt he didn't know His children well enough, to which she replied that there was still [music] time. But just when it seemed like everything was going great, something happened. Anthony, Benedict, Colin, and Gregori all just turned 23, burst into the house, all cursing at each [music] other. And within seconds, Philip was pinned up against the wall with Anony's hands around

his neck and Benedict's hands [music] gripping his arms. He wondered at the time why Eloise had Overlooked the not so insignificant detail [music] that he had four brothers, but he couldn't blame her as he remembered that she had actually mentioned it in her letters. Naturally, Eloise had to intervene in the situation to get him [music] released, pulling Benedict's hair and threatening Anthony. Although with the black eye and the imagination of the four [music] of them, it was not easy. After this, Eloise had a conversation with the Elder Bridgetgerton, who informed her that the only solution

to the whole situation was for her to marry Sir Phillip, for to be alone with him for so long and without a chaperone would be dishonorable. Eloise wanted to marry, but at the same time, she thought it was too soon for that. They had only known each other in person for 2 days. She needed more time to fall in love. [music] Anthony told her that the only way he would not force her to marry Philillip Was if he was an abusive man who would make her suffer. Eloise denied [music] this immediately and without much else

to do, she accepted her brother's conditions. She would marry Sir Phillip. She also confessed to her brother that what had motivated her to come and meet Sir [music] Phillip was the fact that Penelopey and Colin had married. She had been happy about the news and loved the idea of Penelopey [music] as her new sister, but she could not help feeling That she would now be the only spinster. This softened Anthony, who decided that he would give her a week to get to know Sir Phillip as well, and decide whether he was a good man for

her or not. That same evening, Eloise moved her bags to Benedict and Sophie's [music] house, which was close to Philillip's. Philip went to visit her the next day where they chatted about the fact that they would now have to get married. The latter came to visit her the next day Where they chatted about the fact that [music] they would now have to get married. Philip talked about it as if it were business which annoyed Eloise [music] who was no doubt expecting a slightly less dry marriage proposal. Although Philip was clearly not known for being the

most expressive and romantic of men. After this, her older siblings appeared and Eloise announced that Philip had asked her to marry him, at which point He [music] understood that this was what she wanted. He took her by the hand and with Anony's permission and the excuse [music] of speaking in private led her to Sophie's office where he told her that he would clear up her doubts and show her that once they were married, she would adapt very well. And then he kissed her. He confessed [music] that he thought she was beautiful and that the first

thing he had thought when he saw her was that he could drown in her blue Eyes and all of her. He caressed and touched her until he made her moan with pleasure. The next day, it was the Bridgetgertons who visited Philip at Roni Hall where they met Oliver and Amanda. At that dinner, Eloise asked Philip if he had ever been in love with Marina and if he had ever felt passion for her, to which he replied that he had not. He then asked her why she had decided to run away from London, [music] and she

told him her reasons, Insecurities, and fears. Four days later, [music] they were married. It was a private ceremony at Chrome Hall next to Philip's greenhouse. Her family welcomed Amanda and Oliver as two members of the family, [music] and Violet had even insisted that they call her grandmother. That day they [music] had their first night together and Philip opened up about his childhood and the abuse he received from his father who punished Him with beatings and whipping [music] leaving scars on his back. Married life didn't start off in the best way. Philip hadn't been with a

woman for 8 years. So once Eloise adopted his surname, he just had her in his bed every night and disappeared into his conservatory every day, leaving her in charge of the house and the children. Clearly, a marriage wasn't all about sex, but Philip didn't seem to understand that. [music] And when Eloise, after discovering that The nanny wrapped the children's knuckles, tried to [music] explain it to him, they ended up in a disagreement. The two separated for the remainder of the day. While his discomfort wore off, Philip decided to check on his children, and thanks [music]

to that, discovered the nanny hitting them on the back with a book. He threw her out of the house immediately and went in search of Eloise to tell her she was right, only to find her [music] gone. Eloise had decided she Wanted to talk to another woman, one with experience in marriage. And since Daphne and Francesca were [music] far away, she decided to go see Sophie. But when she arrived at her brother's house, she was met with an unpleasant surprise. Benedict and Sophie's little son Charlie's was seriously ill with a fever [music] that would not

go away. His condition was so critical that the doctors could find no solution other than [music] prayers. Philip, who had Thought that Eloise had run away again, arrived at his brother-in-law's house to discover the situation. And since there were no other alternatives, he proposed to Benedict to give him a willow bark tea to reduce the little boy's fever, [music] something he had learned in his years of study. The next day, the boy miraculously woke up better, [music] and Philip and Eloise returned home. On the way, Philip confessed [music] to Eloise that he thought he had

abandoned them, To which she replied that she would never abandon Oliver and Amanda. That lit a [music] faint flame of jealousy in Philip, not because he didn't want Eloise to love his children, but because he wanted to know that she would come back for him, too, that she loved him. Because he had just discovered that he loved her, too. Beyond sex and [music] passion, beyond what a wonderful mother she was to her children and how good she was at running her house, he loved her As a woman, and he hardly understood it. Philip disappeared [music]

for the next day, and when Eloise finally found him, he was sitting in front of Marina's portrait, staring at her. At that [music] moment, he told her everything he had experienced with Marina during their marriage. How lonely he [music] had felt, how she had decided to take her own life on the one sunny day that winter, and how guilty he felt that he had not done enough to make her happy, And that he did not want to repeat the [music] same mistake with her. But all his fears were silenced when Eloise assured him that she

was more than happy with him. Days later, they shared an outing together, accompanied by Oliver and Amanda. At the end of the day, the children told Philip that it had been the best day of their lives, which no doubt made him thankful that he had brought Eloise into their lives. So, he set up a letter Search that led her to his room [music] filled with flowers and a petal-armed sign with the word, "I love you," on it. Only then did she tell him what the children had told her. But she also insisted that with her

he could not choose a single day because each and every one of them was perfect if they were together. Eloise and Philip had three more children. Penelopey who was born a year after the marriage. Georgina who was born the year after Penelope and Frederick who was born 3 years later. But the story of Philip and Eloise does not end here. or well yes because as in all the stories of the Bridgetgerton brothers there is a second epilogue which appears in the ninth book Bridgetgerton happily ever after. The epilogue of two Sir Phillip with love is

not starred neither by Philillip nor by Eloise but by one of their daughters Amanda. In it, we are told in the first person how the eldest crane Marries a young man three years her senior with whom she falls in love at first sight. Although she says she does not, as she does not consider herself a romantic. But we also get a brief glimpse of Eloise and Philip's relationship, who seemed to be as much in love as the last chapter of her book, of how the relationship between Philip and his children improved, of how little Marina

meant to them as a mother because of her absence while she was still Alive, and of how Eloise saved them all, literally. In the books, [music] Francesca is described as a blue-eyed, brown-haired woman. Michael, meanwhile, is described as a tall, muscular man with silver eyes and black hair. He also stands out as the most attractive in society, [music] even above the Bridgetton brothers. Michael Sterling was considered a womanizer. He had certainly been with all sorts of women, had indulged them in A thousand different ways, and enjoyed it. But he had never committed his heart to

any [music] of them. But that day, the day he met Francesca Bridgetgerton, he knew what many were talking about, [music] and there was no doubt in his mind that he had fallen in love. However, ironically enough, that love was impossible, as Francesca was to be married 36 hours [music] later to John Sterling, her cousin. Logically, he would do nothing [music] about it. Although Michael had seduced countless women, he would never try it with Francesca. She was his cousin's wife, the one who had been like a brother to him all his life. Instead, [music] he had

decided to disguise his feelings for Francesca as much as possible, pretending to be more joyful and enthusiastic than he really was, and picking up hores whenever he had, the chian order to maintain an image of a lady's man in front of the coupli, and So far it had worked for him. John was the Earl of Kil Martin in Scotland, [music] so they enjoyed all kinds of wealth and property. Logically, this marriage had given Francesca the title [music] of countess. Michael, on the other hand, had no title and no property other than a small piece of

land given to him by his cousin after he returned from the army so that he would feel he was useful in some way. Francesca [music] was Oblivious to his feelings. so oblivious that she constantly urged him to find a wife, even proposing on one occasion [music] that he meet her sister Eloise, who was still single at the time. The events of this story begin one ordinary day at one of the Kil Martin properties. Francesca and John talking about how they would celebrate their second wedding anniversary, which would be very soon, were very much in love

and constantly [music] expressed their love for each other. It had been very rainy days in the area, so once out in the field, Francesca [music] asked her husband to accompany her to get some fresh air. But since Jon had an important meeting with other counts and had suffered from a rare headache during the day, Michael was the one who accompanied her. Francesca considered Michael a good friend, [music] even her confidant. She loved and cared for him sincerely. That Was odd because she didn't feel very comfortable around men. Although she had grown up with four brothers

and three sisters, she felt different. While the other Bridgetgerton were outgoing, she was more reserved. She used to make rye and witty remarks to her siblings, but usually she tended to be the quiet one. [music] And though she loved her family and the chaos it represented, Jon had been an [music] escape from it for her. They were Perfect for each other, and she had known it from the first moment he had spoken to her. After finishing the walk, they both returned home. Jon's valet told Francesca that her husband wouldn't wake up no matter how many

times she knocked on the door, so she decided to go upstairs herself to wake him up. But when she entered the room, she found only his lifeless body lying on the bed. He had died in his sleep. That no doubt meant that the title of Earl would pass To Michael since neither of them had had siblings. Unless Francesca was [music] pregnant, and that Michael had to ask himself since the board of Earls needed to know in order to know what to do with his family's Earlddom. He did not want to do so, for it was

only a day since Franny, [music] as he used to call her, had been widowed, but it was not necessary. She herself confirmed her pregnancy to him. After this, Michael changed. >> [music] >> He became more distant and Francesca got the impression that she had lost not only John but also Michael and that made her feel deeply sad. Losing her husband [music] was an indescribable pain which not even her mother who had also been widowed at a fairly young age could have explained to her. Michael, for his part, had thought that after Jon's death his feelings

for Francesca would disappear. But they hadn't. He loved her. He still Loved her even more than before. And that made him feel guilty. Guilty because now everything that had belonged to Jon would be his, his title, his property, his life. He could not take from Francesca. For this reason, he had [music] decided to keep his distance, for he could not bear to have her near him. A few weeks after J's death, Michael was in his office when he received the news that Francesca had lost the baby. He rushed Home as fast as he could, but

once he was there, he wasn't able to see her, even when her mother told him she had [music] asked to see him, so he just ran away. As the days passed, Michael officially became the Earl of Kil Martin. He continued to keep his distance from Franchesca, as he believed it was the right thing to do, until one day she herself appeared in his chambers. She complained to him that he had not been There for her when she needed him most and that she did not understand why he had left her alone at that time when

she was the one person he needed most. He replied that he didn't know what to do about it or how he could be of any use to her. She had suffered a miscarriage, [music] something a man could not understand. He told her that the best thing to do was to talk to a woman, [music] her mother or her sisters, and she replied that she Didn't want anyone else but him. and that in [music] a way that baby would be his too. He told her that he couldn't ask her to be John, that the baby wasn't

his. [music] And after that argument, he ran away again, but this time to India. 4 years later, in March 1824, Francesca had a new discovery which she herself had refused to accept for [music] months. She wanted to have a child. Loneliness was not a bad thing for [music] her. Indeed, after Jon's Death, she had grown accustomed to it, and even found it comforting on many occasions. But [music] when her nephews came to visit her, or she returned to her family home seasonally, she could not help but feel a deep desire to be a mother. She

was still the countess of Kil Martin, for Michael had not married, so she retained the obligations which the title entailed, [music] and so she was never bored, but she could not help feeling that something Was missing, something small and hers. It had been hard for him to admit [music] it because even though it had been four years since Jon's death, he felt that to have a child not his, would be disloyal on his part, [music] plus it would mean remarrying in the first place. But he had made up his mind he would enter the marriage

market again. So he packed his things and left for London a month in advance [music] so that he would have time to prepare for The social season that year. Michael, for his part, had already made up his mind to [music] return to London. The escape had given him the peace he needed, and being away from Francesca had made things much easier, but he couldn't run away forever. He knew that he would see her again, and that he would [music] surrender to her blue eyes, because in the end, he would never stop loving her, but he

had decided to return a month in advance, hoping that [music] she was still in Scotland and to delay their meeting as long as possible. But they both decided to settle down at [music] the Kil Martin estate in London on the same night. So it was inevitable that they would meet in the middle of the night. Francesca noticed immediately that Michael had changed not only physically being outrageously tanned from the Indian sun and his dark shock of hair now had a couple of gray locks, [music] but also in his attitude. Before He had seemed more confident,

more relaxed and [music] fun-loving. Now, on the other hand, he seemed more tense. Francesca couldn't help but complain to him for leaving and abandoning her either. He had sent her letters, but after sending the third one without getting any response from her, he had given up. Michael told Francesca that he hadn't changed at all, but that wasn't true. After so long now, he felt she was a free woman [music] and available. The Two chatted for a while and apologized to each other. Francesca decided it would be wise to go to her mother's house to avoid

gossip. And so she did, but not before leaving a note for Michael, inviting him to visit her for a chat. That afternoon they went for a walk and chatted about the fact that Michael's reputation as a womanizer had not changed in the eyes of society. That even the women kept asking Francesca about his return and that the boy was Known for his seductive abilities that charmed all women from single women to widows like Violet who fell in love with him. That conversation led to another subject, and Francesca asked him if, now that he was back,

he intended to take up his position as the Earl of Kil Martin, which she had been taking over since his retirement. He did not know how to answer, so she insisted that now that he had a title, he should marry. This was not the first time this conversation had Come up. Indeed, Francesca had always insisted on finding him a wife. But this time, the tone in which she mentioned it sounded somewhat different, as if she wanted to prod him on the subject. They were walking some more around a lake that used to be full of

children. And it was at that moment, as Francesca stared at a stroller, that she confessed to Michael that she wanted to have a baby. This left Michael speechless, as having a child meant she would remarry, and he Wasn't sure he could bear it. Not again. She in turn dreaded remarage. She was sure she would not find someone to love as she had loved Jon once, so she would only settle for someone who loved and treated her well. But at the same time, she feared she would marry and not be able to bear a child since

it had taken her two years with Jon, and even then she had lost him. Michael tried to console her by telling her that actually getting married and not being able to Have children was more common than it seemed. And it was at that moment after turning to look at him and meeting his gaze face to face that Francesca began to feel something different. And she began to see him as someone else. No longer as John's friend or cousin, but as Michael, as a man. Terrified, she fled the place under the pretext that she had an

appointment with the dress maker. Although she didn't. However, she decided to take advantage of the Occasion and change her wardrobe. If she was going to enter the marriage market, she [music] had to change her wardrobe and leave the morning colors behind. Enthusiastically, Violet offered to accompany her. As they shopped, Francesca asked her mother why she did not remarry. She replied that she didn't marry because she never sought to. She had eight children, was older, and never saw the need to look for anyone Elsa. That night [music] the two women found Themselves waiting for Mikuel to

arrive to join them for dinner as Viollet had made a formal invitation that evening but he did not show up. This was quite strange for him. So Francesca decided to go and look for him and found a Michael lying in bed under sheets burning with fever. He had malaria and had been hiding it. Francesca [music] decided to stay and look after him that night and for the next seven nights as well and helped him hide the disease as Michael Did not want to attract the attention of the London doctors who would treat him like a

laboratory mouse [music] since the disease was rare in that city. This however began to raise Violet suspicions, not that Michael was ill, but that he and Francesca were secretly [music] having an affair. So she set out to check on the man herself. Desperate that her mother wouldn't discover something she didn't understand, Francesca rushed to meet Michael. He Didn't understand what the [music] fuss was about. Of course, she couldn't imagine being with him, but he nevertheless wouldn't stop doing [music] it. He tried to make fun of the situation by telling her that in reality, many other

women would fight over the fact that others thought they were with him. And contrary to what he would have expected, Francesca's reaction was [music] different. As if something in her had changed, as if she No longer felt comfortable with his reputation as a libertine. Fortunately, Francesca's brother, Colin, arrived from his long trip to Europe, and Violet was unable to go to the Sterling House. However, Francesca kept convincing herself that the idea of them having an affair was absurd and far-fetched. Michael's mother and Jon's mother arrived soon after. So Violet's worries about her daughter's reputation disappeared.

Michael's mother, Helen, Came with the firm intention of getting her son married. So she practically forced him to attend Violet's birthday [music] party, which he was going to do anyway, as he thought himself incapable of refusing an invitation from the Vic Countess. A few days later, Francesca was wandering around her mother's party, irritated by the fact that she kept being questioned about the whereabouts of the handsome and debauched Earl of Kil Martin, better known as Michael, who Seemed to be the most eligible bachelor of the season. Francesca had decided to attend the party in her

new blue dress, thus subtly announcing her re-entry into the marriage market. Kate, Sophie, and Eloise, who were also at the party, [music] noticed it immediately, as well as Michael's presence once he set foot in the room. The three women seemed to be drooling over him, as well as all the other ladies present at the party, single or otherwise. Michael was Surrounded by dozens of them and seemed quite pleased with his situation, though in reality, he was not. In fact, he was pretending, trying to distract Franchesca's attention so that she would think he was still his

usual libertine self. When he managed to get rid of his group of desperate admirers, bacheloretses, Michael approached her and they had a brief conversation in which Francesca pressured him to put his philandering life aside. He should get Married and stay away from single women, especially young girls whom he could disgrace. Michael was not the same libertine he used to be, even if he appeared to be, and even if he was, he would be incapable of dishonoring any young woman. So, he replied coldly that he would follow her orders and find someone to marry. Francesca didn't

understand why [music] it bothered her so much, nor did she know why she suddenly felt guilty. She spent the rest Of the night counting all of Michael's conquests, as he had told her he would do when they had argued a few minutes before, and he seemed to [music] be flirting with every woman who came his way, just to please her so she could keep telling, as if he wanted to annoy her. Clearly, he was upset, even if he pretended he wasn't, [music] and this was his way of getting even. If society's rules changed, he would

find his house full of flowers the next day, [music] all sent to Michael from desperate women. Ironically, his nightmare come true. When she woke up the next morning, [music] she found her house full of flowers of all kinds and was surprised to learn that they were actually for her. Michael couldn't help but be annoyed by [music] the scenario, which made her tease him by asking if he was jealous, but he instantly retracted it, clarifying that he didn't mean he was jealous of her, [music] but that she Had more suitors than he did. A man would

have to be a complete fool not to want to [music] marry you," he said quietly, leaving her speechless, and continued, "I would never envy you this. [music] You must be happy." After that conversation, Michael decided to go to a bar for a drink. There he was approached by a couple of Francesca's suitors who asked if he was the one they should ask for her hand and if like Francesca's older brother Anthony he would also Offer a dowy being the current Earl of Kil Martin. But what infuriated Michael were the disparaging remarks made by the pair

of men about Franchesca's virginity and how she was more experienced than a single girl having been married before. Michael couldn't take it, and although he had no desire to come to blows with the men, he simply threatened them and forbad them to speak of her again, all the while holding one of them by the throat. What Michael didn't know was That Colin Bridgetgerton was watching him in the shadows, and once the scene was over, he invited him in for a drink. Colin was also known in society [music] as a libertine, and he was also quite

shrewd. So Michael thought that if anyone could sense the feelings he had for Francesca, [music] it was him. And he was not far wrong. For once they were seated, and with a [music] drink in the hand of each, Colin asked him why he did not marry his Sister. This, of course, took Michael unawares, and he replied that he simply could [music] not, because she had been his cousin's wife. Colin replied that there was no law against it and that perhaps the reason he [music] would not consider the idea was because he did not want to

marry her. Michael was about to reply that he was wrong because he really did want to marry Francesca. He wanted to with all his might, but he couldn't do it. For him, marrying the Girl meant accepting that [music] he had stolen Jon's life, that he had taken everything that had been his, [music] and that somehow they would think that he had wished her dead. Of course, Michael had never dared to. He could love Francesca from the [music] first moment he saw her when she was already engaged to John. But he had resigned himself from that

moment to the fact that he would lead a life without her because above all, he loved his cousin And respected him. And even then, years after her death, he felt that marrying her would be like betraying him. Judging by the looks [music] Colin was giving her, she was aware of his feelings for her. But she simply decided not to press any [music] further. So she decided to leave. But before she did, she said to him, "Think about what [music] I told you." And without further ado, she left. The idea of marrying Francesca had never crossed

his mind. [music] Not until that Moment. And now that he thought about it, he was dying to make her his wife, even if he couldn't. At the same time, the thought of Colin knowing how he felt about her was driving him crazy. He had been careful enough that no one had even suspected for [music] the past six years that he loved her and he had hidden it successfully until that moment. Could Colin tell Francesca? A week later, he found himself watching her from afar at a dance surrounded by Some of her suitors. Michael had noticed

her presence from the moment he set foot in the room. For some reason, he had perfected the skill of always being aware of her presence. But when he went out to dance with his mother and had to turn his back on her for a few seconds, he lost sight of her. As soon as the dance was over, he went in search of her, discovering that she had, in fact, slipped out into the garden with a gentleman. She was laughing and Flirting, or so it seemed, until he heard her deny it, as if she were being

forced to do something she didn't want to. It had not occurred to Francesca [music] that Sir Jeffrey might make a pass at her. From the beginning he had behaved in a kindly manner, flattering her and making her laugh, until, in the darkness of the garden, he had cornered her against a tree and planted a kiss [music] against her will. Francesca had been about to drive her knee into the Man's groin when he disappeared. Seconds later, she would notice that Sir Jeffrey had not magically vanished, and that in fact, he was receiving a good couple of

blows from Michael. He had a grim look on his face and seemed ready to murder the man on the spot if Francesca asked [music] him to, but he didn't. But this fierce behavior had frightened her. She decided to leave the dance after that, but not before asking him how he had known she was in the garden. Michael did Not answer, so she insisted this time, changing the question. "Were you watching me?" "I'm always watching you," he answered sadly. Arriving at the Kil Martin house, Francesca could not help torturing herself with her thoughts about what had

happened minutes before. Michael had behaved like a gentleman, but at the same time he gave the impression that he had defended her out of mere commitment, as if it were an obligation, so she had told herself that She would leave him alone. She would not bother him anymore or talk to him. She would limit herself to be aware of his presence in the house and of Corsy to stick her ear to the door of his room every time he arrived. [music] That same night when he returned, Francesca did what she never thought she would do.

She came out of her room at the precise moment she knew he [music] was passing in front of her and stood in front of him. Michael looked handsome with his Tie hanging down the side of his neck and a couple of tousled black locks on his forehead. She had always been aware of his beauty, but had never admired it until then. He seemed surprised to see her, and at the same time tired, as if he didn't feel like talking. Francesca, however, was ready for a conversation. She asked him why he was upset with her. He

was still reluctant to discuss, so she was forced to go into his room, forcing him to continue the Conversation. She was pushing him to his limit. First Colin, then Sir Jeffrey, now Francesca. At any moment he could explode. But Francesca seemed oblivious to what he was feeling. And contrary to what Michael wanted her to do, which was leave his room, she began to interrogate him, [music] asking if he was upset that she wanted to remarry and complaining that he was so selfish as to expect [music] her to mourn Jon for the rest of his life.

He wore his hair loose and his Sleeping clothes. And at that [music] moment, seeing her inside his room, ready not to leave it, he could not contain himself and kissed her, and she did not oppose that kiss. On the contrary, she seemed to give herself to him until she felt him touch her breast. This intimate act that seemed to break down a barrier between them brought her out of her revery. She fled from the [music] place, and the next day fled to her mother's house, and then to Scotland. Michael, for his part, found himself torturing

himself [music] for having rushed into it. He had been trying all day to get that memory out of his head, his lips on hers, the heat of her body. But he couldn't. [music] He even tried to distract his mind by going to a brothel, quite popular in the area. But he didn't find what he was looking for. So, he ended up going for a drink. To her bad luck, she ran into Colin once again. He was already aware of his Sister's absence and seemed to enjoy torturing him by asking him if he had decided whether

he would marry her or not and reminding him that in reality there [music] was nothing stopping him other than the excuses he made up for himself. She could say no, he replied. Colin [music] didn't contradict him. In fact, he told her that it was quite likely that he would have to ask her more than once before she would agree. Irritated, Michael asked him how many Times he had had to propose, [music] and with a sly smile, Colin replied once, and told him that, in fact, he had become engaged that very afternoon, to Penelopey Fetherington. The

identity of the bride surprised Michael, as it did everyone else, for that matter. He had known Penelope, whom even Francesca had [music] tried to poke through his eyes when she insisted on being his matchmaker, but she had not struck him as a very [music] talkative Woman, and Colin was quite the opposite, so they were a rather particular pair. Michael couldn't quite believe [music] it. Colin Bridgetgerton, who had practically professed his intentions of not getting married, was engaged. This gave him the impetus he [music] needed and he took the news of the wedding as an excuse

to go to Scotland as someone had to break the news to Franchesca. That same day he left London ready to ask for Francesca's hand. He spent the Whole trip practicing what he would tell her. He had to convince her that a marriage between the two of them was the most convenient just as he had convinced himself. But he knew that Francesca would not make it easy for him. So he had to use valid arguments for his proposal. He had never thought of the possibility of such a thing happening. But now the idea of marrying her,

of sharing the rest of his life at her side, of perhaps not having her love Completely, but her appreciation seemed quite palpable. He would marry Francesca Bridgetgerton and convince her of it. Michael announced Colin's recent engagement to her and almost immediately expressed his intentions to marry her. He explained to her that this would make things easier. She would not have to abandon her position as countess and she would not even have to move house. [music] Besides, by marrying him, she would be sure that she would marry a man Who would always respect her, a certainty

that she could not have with another man until she was married. And of course, he would give her children, or at least he would try to. The idea of being in the same bed [music] with him made Francesca blush completely, not because she hadn't imagined it, because to be honest, she had, in fact, she had done nothing but [music] try to get the image of the two of them together out of her mind during the last few days after The kiss. She couldn't believe what he was proposing. They [music] couldn't get married. They were like

family. Michael knew this was going to be her reaction. So understanding [music] that he couldn't persuade her with reason, he understood that he was going to have to seduce her. And so he did. That night he took her and she was openly into it and of course actively participated. [music] And so it was that they had their first night together. The next [music] day the Guilt was killing her. She had shared a bed with another man before and that of course [music] was John. But she had never experienced the pleasure Michael had given her the

night before and that made her feel [music] guilty. She felt ashamed of what had happened and just wanted to run away. [music] But she was aware that she could not go back to London. So she decided to go for a walk to get away [music] from him for at least a few hours. To her bad luck, a Storm took her by surprise and she was forced to shelter from the rain until a few hours later. Michael came looking for her. On the way back to the house, the rain didn't stop and the horse they were

on started to limp, so they were forced [music] to stay in a small cabin on his property that was on the road. There, Michael again reminded her of his proposal the night before, but she still refused to answer. He reminded her that she might [music] be pregnant right now, So Francesca decided that as soon as she knew if she was, she would tell him if she would marry him or not. That night, they shared a bed again. But even after that second encounter, [music] she still couldn't say yes. It seemed the most logical and convenient

thing to do, especially considering the kind [music] of intimacies they had shared, not once, but twice. But still, she could not convince herself to take the next step. She excused herself [music] to Michael, saying that she didn't know if he could be a good husband for her, given his background [music] and bad reputation as a libertine. although she knew perfectly well that these were just excuses. So she asked Michael to give her time to think [music] and that was just what he did. The next two days he only received breakfast, lunch [music] and dinner from

her, not a flower, attention or note. He was doing what she had asked him to do. But for some reason it made her feel strange. So on that occasion it was she herself who sought him out and discovered that now he had changed his method. He would no longer continue to seduce her unless she [music] wanted him to. But on the contrary, he was going to court her. But was that what she wanted? Actually, she wanted with all her might for him to continue seducing her. Although this time he didn't have to try very hard

for her to give in and fall Into his arms. Three more weeks went by, days in which Franchesca still did not give a concrete answer to his proposal, even though he asked her twice. days in which they continued to share a bed. But now it was no longer just about sex, but about the connection they had created when they talked all night long, cuddling, sharing memories of their childhoods and travels. Shortly thereafter, she got her period, discovering that she was not pregnant. After this, they had an argument. Michael had been pleasing her for so long

without receiving an answer from her that he couldn't help but feel angry and used by her. He asked her one more time, and since she didn't know how to answer him, he asked her to leave the house. "If you can't be with me, if you can't give yourself to me all of yourself, I'd rather you left," he told her. And she asked him why. That seemed like an ironic question to Michael who for the first time confessed [music] to her that he had always loved her from the first time he saw her when she married

John and even while she was in India. [music] Francesca was stunned after that confession and needed a few hours to process what she had just heard. Finally, [music] after so many years, he had been able to say it out loud. He no longer had anything to hide. She knew now he had always loved her. Hours later, Francesca returned and Finally she gave him an answer. She would marry him. Michael was happy, of course, and so was she. But now she was worried about how she would tell her family and especially Janet, Jon's mother. She was

sitting at her desk trying to write something convincing when she received [music] a letter from her mother. Colin and Penelope had decided to move up the wedding, and Eloise was getting married in 3 days. as much as she wanted to, she would not Make it to the wedding. And it bothered her [music] that no one had given her advanced notice of these events. It was as if her family had forgotten about her. So, Michael suggested they do [music] the same. "Let's get married today," he said. And so, they did. That day, they [music] also had

their wedding night. And although it was not the first time they had been together, it had been different. They were now husband and wife, and rather than having sex as a Pair of lovers, they had made love. Two weeks later, Michael became ill again. It had been 2 months since he had suffered his last bout of malaria, and that was worrying, as they were not usually so frequent, [music] and when they were, it did not bode well. He did not want to worry Francesca, so he insisted that it was just a cold. But when the

fever began to rise higher and higher, he could no longer hide it. He was likely to die. There was no other explanation. [music] Francesca was devastated. Losing a husband had brought her almost to death, and she wasn't sure she could resist him one more time, or even wanted to. It was at that moment that she realized that she loved him not as one loves a friend, which she used to think, but as one loves a husband with the same intensity with which she loved Jon. And now she would lose him. Fortunately [music] for her, Michael

was right. It was not Malaria that was causing her fever, as it did not follow the same patterns of the disease that he already knew very well. Unable to help herself, she went running to Jon's grave. She had to talk to him and tell him what had happened. And more importantly, she had to tell him that she loved Michael because she was beginning to believe that would definitely make him happy. And as she was talking to her late husband, sitting in front of his grave, Michael appeared Behind her back. He had hear everything, but still

she repeated it to him. She told him that she loved him more than anyone else and repeated it as many times as she felt necessary. and after melting into an emotional embrace, they returned home together. Sometime later, Michael received a letter from Janet, John's mother. She confessed that the union had been a surprise to her, but that didn't mean she didn't agree. It was difficult for her, of course, Because she was still grieving the loss of her son, but it made her happy that they loved each other and were [music] together, and they certainly had

her blessing. Finally, she ended the letter by saying, "Thank you, Michael, for allowing my son to love her first. Epilog 2. Michael and Francesca had been married for 3 years, and she still couldn't have a baby. She anxiously counted the days when she would be fertile, but Menstruation always ended up appearing. She pretended it didn't affect her, but Michael noticed her sadness and always tried to comfort her. She didn't want to be ungrateful and repeated to herself that she should be happy for everything she had, especially for Michael, who loved her as much as she

loved him. But at night, when she felt an emptiness, when Michael [music] slept and she felt completely alone, she couldn't help crying. Michael had also begun to feel The same way. At first, he had to confess that all he wanted was to make her happy, and if having a baby would do that, then that was what he wanted, too. But for a while now, he had found himself longing for a child of his own, especially when they visited Franchesca's [music] siblings, and he had the opportunity to share with his nieces and nephews. A year later,

they traveled to London for the christening of Hyasin's daughter, Isabella. There, Her mother told her that Eloise was pregnant, [music] as was Lucy, her brother Gregory's wife, who was expecting their second child, even though they had only been married less than 2 years. Francesca couldn't help but notice how her mother pied her for her situation and that bothered her. Although she understood that it wasn't her fault, Violet couldn't help but worry about her [music] and it was totally normal. That day they had a Mother-daughter talk. There had been a pact of silence regarding the subject.

But at that moment, Francesca decided [music] to talk and cry and let her mother comfort her. Michael arrived a few days later. >> [music] >> They had planned to stay until 2 days after the christristening, but they enjoyed being with their nephews so much that they had extended [music] their stay for 3 weeks. In addition, Francesca Had begun to feel calmer, more serene. One of those nights, as they were sharing a bed, [music] they noticed that she should be in her days, although she wasn't bleeding, which meant she might be pregnant. Michael asked her if

she wanted to announce it to her family, but she said no, but not because she thought the pregnancy [music] might not go to term, as had happened with the previous one. In fact, for some reason, she was sure she would have this baby. However, She wanted to keep it for herself, for them. A year later, he returned to England to visit his family, surprising Violet with an unexpected grandchild. It was a baby just 3 months old whom they [music] had named John. Violet noticed immediately that he was identical to Francesca. That day they introduced the

baby to his family and his grandmother wouldn't let him go for a second. So Michael took advantage of the time to find him a baby Sister. 9 months later they welcomed Janet Helen Sterling who was identical to her father. Hurrying through the streets of London, oblivious to the accusing stairs of passers by, Gregory Bridgetgerton raced towards the church. He had to stop the wedding. She had decided to go through with it, even though she knew his feelings perfectly well and reciprocated them. When he finally made it to the church, he shouted out that he loved

her With what little breath he had left. But no one said anything. "Don't marry him," he insisted. "Gregory," she whispered. "Why are you doing this? [music] I love you, he replied. She looked at the man standing in front of her at the altar who only shrugged his shoulders. Gregory, in desperation, dropped to one knee on the floor. "Marry me," he said. [music] His very soul in his words, "Marry me." Her lips trembled, but her voice was very clear when she said. Gregory was a hopeless romantic. He believed in true love and dreamed of finding it.

Surrounded by his brothers, all of whom were happily married, it was impossible not to believe in it. However, he had no ideal woman in sight. He didn't really care about looks, although he liked the idea of her being intelligent. That day, he had arrived at the Bridgetgerton house where his older brother Anthony and sister-in-law Kate Lived. His brother had taken it upon himself to give him a talk about the future, [music] insisting that since he was 26, he should think about settling down. That evening, his sister-in-law had arranged a party to be attended by a

number of unmarried ladies who would also be spending a few days at the Bridgetgerton's country house. Anthony said goodbye to his brother and went down to the ballroom in search of Kate. But it was at that moment that he saw her or well saw the back of her neck and a small lock of blonde hair resting on her shoulder and thought he was ruined. He approached her slowly, ignoring everything else, but it was another girl, the one she was talking to, who looked at [music] him first. Lucinda Abernathy, or as everyone knew her, Lucy was

Hermione Watson's best friend, and she had been used to scenes like that for a long time, as her friend used to Make every man fall in love with her. Hermayan was beautiful with light blonde hair, a heart-shaped face, [music] and beautiful green eyes. Lucy, on the other hand, was a little less than Hermione. A little less blonde, a little less slim, [music] a little less tall. Her eyes were a grayish blue, but in no way comparable to her friends. They had met at the girls school where they studied together for 3 years. The fact that

Hermione was more beautiful than her had Never been an impediment to their friendship. In fact, Lucy had an advantage in that she was an excellent dancer, and her friend, on the other hand, did not know how to dance. After a silent pause in which Gregory did something incredible, he took Lucy's hand and kissed it first. This impressed the girl, for no doubt this would get her friend's attention more, and she thought that Gregory would have had a chance with Hermayan if she wasn't Already in love. No man who approached her friend had ever even looked

at her, not that she expected it or cared since she was practically engaged to Lord Hazelby. When Gregory asked Hermione to dance, she excused herself by pretending to have a sprained ankle. So he ended up asking Lucy, although for some reason they ended up at the dinner table. As Gregory gobbled down a couple of sandwiches, Lucy made it clear to [music] him that his attempts with Hermione were in vain since she was in love, which discouraged Gregory, although [music] he decided not to give up. After saying goodbye to him, Lucy retired to the room she

shared in the same house with Hermayan. There, she found the girl reading a letter sent by Mr. Edmunds. Lucy knew that her friend was truly in [music] love with this man, but it was also a fact that this love was impossible. Edmunds was the secretary of Hermione's father, who was The only daughter of a Viccount, which meant that such a union would never be approved. Lucy reminded her friend of this fact [music] constantly and even insisted that she tried to fall in love with a man more suited to her. Hermione told her that you couldn't

choose who you should fall in love with. [music] It just happened. Lucy, however, disagreed with this. Hermayan had fallen in love with Edmmonds just by looking at the back of his neck and his extremely Blonde hair. She thought she was listening to music from somewhere [music] far away. And from that moment on, she was ruined. Lucy reminded Hermione that Gregory was interested in her and that he might be a good match as he came from a respectable family. This annoyed her friend who replied that if she was so interested, she could win him over. Clearly,

Lucy could not, as she was practically engaged to Lord Hazelby. [music] Lucy had been betrothed to this man on the word of her uncle, who had negotiated her marriage to Hazelbee's father years before. The man was 10 years older than she was, so all they were waiting for was for her to grow up and be of a decent age to [music] marry, which had already happened, so the wedding was likely to be close. Besides, Hazelby [music] was a good match, spoke well to her, and looked decent. But it must also be remembered that her uncle

Had been the guardian of Lucy and her brother Richard since their father's death 10 years earlier and she felt it her duty to obey him out of gratitude. The next morning the guests at the ball went out on the town. All the women were accompanied by a gentleman. So Gregory asked Kate to pair him with Hermione. And despite the disappointment of his sister-in-law who had actually intended to pair him with Lucy, he went out arm-in- arm with Hermione. Along the Way, Gregory tried in vain to make conversation with the girl. Lucy thought his efforts to

win her friend [music] over were exaggerated. She told him to stop looking so devoted and in love and to [music] start ignoring Hermione. Only this way he could get her attention. Gregory reluctantly [music] accepted the advice and the next day he stayed away from them, staying on the other side of the ballroom, although this did not work. Annoyed, he [music] intercepted Lucy on her way to the powder rooms, pulling her into the library and demanded her bad advice. The girl apologized, [music] telling him that she sincerely hoped it would work, but that he shouldn't give

up anyway. Hermione would have to give up the idea of marrying Edmund sooner or later. He looked at Lucy and told her that if Hermione was really in love with Edmund, he would risk everything. Lucy gasped but couldn't help but ask him [music] if He would and he said yes. He would risk everything. He then returned the question and she caught herself hesitating. Days ago she would have said no that she was too practical for something so silly [music] and that that kind of love did not exist. But something had changed inside her. So she

answered with it depends. It depends on love and how it feels. He didn't seem to understand. [music] asked her if she thought love felt different For each person and told her that when she fell in love, she would certainly realize it and feel as if that person meant everything to her. Lucy didn't understand why she seemed to be the only one unable to see love as others did. But in that moment, unable to take her eyes off Gregory, she felt strange, different. Lucy then told him that this was how Hermione had described it, how she

had said she had felt when she first saw Edmund. That bothered him. But when He looked into Lucy's eyes, he realized that something wasn't right. Her eyes made him uneasy. He had the feeling that he knew what she was about to tell him. But that couldn't happen. What did she say? He asked, referring to Hermione. She said she saw the back of his head, Lucy replied. She heard music and then all she could think was, "I'm ruined." This hit Gregory like a slap in the face. It was exactly what [music] he had felt when he

saw her. Despite this, Lucy Insisted that he should not give up, for Hermayan would eventually accept that he was a good match. He was better than [music] the rest. However, as she continued talking, he couldn't take his eyes off her. Her graceful movements, her gray eyes, her lips, and the way they moved, and he wondered what it would feel like to kiss them. "We must go back," he said, convincing himself that his thoughts were only the [music] product of frustration and despair. Lucy Woke up the next day chastising herself for having told Gregory that he

was better than the [music] others, which was practically a declaration of love. Moreover, she was beginning to feel strange when she remembered Gregory, though she refused to [music] think that she was possibly falling in love. She felt so ashamed of what had happened the night before that she decided not to go down for breakfast. So, she told her that her stomach hurt, which was Obviously [music] a lie. Her friend then went alone down to the dining room where she met Gregory, who jumped at the chance [music] to strike up a conversation with her. And the

strategy worked so well that when she returned to the room, the girl confessed to her friend that she was confused. Hermione told Lucy how that brief conversation with Gregory had made her feel something inside, something that couldn't compare to what she felt for Mr. Edmunds, but it Had made her feel something inside. Later, they received an unexpected visitor. Lucy's older brother, Richard, arrived at Bridgetgerton House with an errand. Their uncle had decided to set a date for Lucy and Hazelbee's wedding. Although the girl had accepted that this would happen, the knowledge that it was closer

than ever made her cringe at the idea of marriage. She wanted more time for herself, to feel free, to be happy. And suddenly, she imagined herself Dancing in a huge ballroom in Gregory's arms. After being comforted by Richard, Lucy decided to sit alone in the garden of the house. After a few minutes, Gregory appeared on the scene. He knew her well enough by now to notice that she wasn't being herself, but he didn't dare [music] ask the reason for her absent attitude. He had gone for a walk with her Muna, and his attempts [music] to

win her over were paying off. Gregori decided to mention this achievement to Lucy, as well as the [music] fact that he had noticed that her brother Richard was more in love with the beautiful girl. This upset [music] Lucy, who refused to believe it, as he was only 22 years old and too young to marry. [music] After this, they decided to return to the house. Kate had organized a masquerade party for the next day, and as she arrived at the ballroom with her mask on, she was met by Lucy, who seemed to have no trouble recognizing

it. On a Sudden impulse, he decided to ask her to dance, and together they walked around the dance floor to the music as they laughed. She was undoubtedly an excellent [music] dancer, and he let her know it, accepting also how elegant she was, even more so than Hermione. However, the bubble of enchantment was burst when Lucy told him that her friend and brother had gone out into the garden to get some air. Gregory, aware that Richard was as infatuated with [music] Hermione as he was, knew at once that their courtship was in danger. So, he

told Lucy that they must find them, though she was still convinced that [music] her brother was not in love with her best friend. That's why she thought of getting Kate to help her look for the two boys. As soon as Kate was aware of the situation, [music] she knew they had to find them immediately. Lucy continued to insist that her brother was not in love with Hermione and that he would not Be able to dishonor her best friend either. But Kate agreed with [music] Gregory and Lucy had no choice but to accept that she had

been wrong. The three of them set off and started looking for them. Suddenly, Lucy had a revelation and [music] knew immediately where to find them. She ran to the orange grove, a place full of beautiful flowers. Gregory followed soon after, worried for her safety. When they entered the place, their [music] Suspicions were confirmed. Gregory and Richard began to wrestle, rolling around on the floor while Hermione leaned into Lucy's arms and asked her what had happened. The girl, with a sob, [music] replied, "Oh, Lucy," I fluttered. An hour later, Richard and Hermione were engaged to be

married. Lucy was back at the ball, and Gregory was trying hard to stay drunk, though he wasn't sure how he felt. How was he supposed to feel if he'd just walked out on a woman who'd Left him breathless with another gentleman? Definitely not how he felt. He could tell he even felt exhilarated by the [music] fact that he had hit Richard. Lucy, for her part, had slipped out of the party as soon as she had the chance. Walking blindly down a dark corridor on her way to her room. She bumped into someone who turned out

to be, of course, Gregory. He was obviously drunk, and he seemed [music] happy. happy after all that had happened That night. She, however, felt the >> [music] >> urge to vent to him, how she had felt about discovering her brother and best friend, Gregory, hypnotized, gradually drew closer to her, and in the darkness of that deserted hallway, he kissed her, and she let herself be carried away, ran her hands through his hair, and he drew her closer to his post, imbuing her with his warmth and desire. But then [music] she remembered that she was engaged.

She Was no longer almost engaged. Her uncle had signed the papers. She was getting married. She had to get married. She pushed him away, whispering that she could not do it and [music] that she must go. He did not object, but insisted on escorting her to her room, refusing to let her go alone. The next morning, Gregory met Kate at breakfast, and after a brief conversation in which Kate informed him that Lucy and Richard would be leaving later that day, he jumped up And [music] went out to look for her. Meanwhile, the two friends were

talking in their room. Hermione apologized to Lucy for what had happened the night before. She told her that she thought she loved Mr. Edmunds. [music] But that day, when she had enjoyed Gregory's company while they were having breakfast, she had felt as if she had woken up from a dream. and this made her wonder if she was really in love with Edmmonds. Then with Richard, she had Felt as if she had come home. With him, she [music] felt comfortable and confident. Lucy was confused and annoyed. She didn't understand why after everyone described love as a

wild and scorching feeling, now her best friend was [music] defining it as something comfortable. However, Lucy had to admit that the [music] kiss with Gregory had made her feel all that and more. She had listened to music while she kissed him, and she Had felt like [music] she was floating and trembling. Everything that Hermione had told her she had felt with Mr. Edmunds, and everything she had just told her she felt with Richard. All of that, with just one person, she was hopelessly in love with Gregory Bridgetgerton. Gregory found Lucy sitting in the garden of

the house, a few minutes away from leaving. He decided it would be best to apologize for what had happened the Night before and she accepted his apology without making a big deal of it. Although she looked sad and tired. He then told her that he would see her in London to which she replied that this would not be possible as she was engaged, practically engaged. [music] He reminded her and she shook her head. He then explained that her uncle had made the arrangement and [music] that she would soon be married. He then told her that

he was sorry that things hadn't Turned out as he had hoped. Not me. He thought he couldn't imagine a life with Hermione anymore. [music] He simply couldn't. It would be a boring life. Lucy then said goodbye with the excuse of going for a walk in the garden. And so she left him without looking back. One month later, Lucy had spent [music] the last 30 days cooped up in her uncle's house in London, waiting for her wedding day and watching out the window at social [music] events, looking to see Gregory. But he hadn't shown up on

any occasion. She remembered not glimpsing any kind of feeling when she [music] told him about her engagement, just a little surprise. So, she avoided fooling herself into thinking he reciprocated her feelings. Gregory had returned to the city [music] after a month in the country, and the first person he had seen was Lucy Abernathy. He had to confess that he could not stop thinking about that kiss. She saw him watching Her from afar, and Gregory had no choice but to come over and sit beside her feeding pigeons. She told him she was in London for her

wedding, which was to take place in a week. He, for his part, confessed [music] that he no longer felt in love with Hermione. They exchanged a few more words and Gregory learned that Hasselby would be Lucy's future husband, which caused him some surprise, [music] although Lucy did not understand why. Then invited her to a ball that her Sister Daphne would give the next day, promising [music] that her mother, Violet, would convince her uncle to let her go, as he refused to let her leave the house until she was married. Later, Gregory went to his mother's

house to ask her to intervene with Lucy's uncle. She was, of course, delighted to help him, as her youngest son was usually very independent [music] and hardly ever asked for anyone's help. The next day, his mother informed him that Lucy was Going to the party. This cheered Gregory, who remembered the girl's sad and conformed expression as she told him she could not go. The fact was [music] that Gregory did not relish the idea of Lucy marrying someone else, but he had to admit that Hasselby [music] was a good catch. He was an earl. He had

money and property. He had known him well enough to know that he [music] would treat her well, give her a good allowance, and never mistreat her. And That was more than many of the women in London get. However, there was one small thing about him. He didn't like women. That wasn't necessarily a bad [music] thing, but it would limit Lucy's life a lot. And Gregory didn't think she deserved that. [music] Lucy was a free and determined woman. She deserved to have a big house full of flowers, dogs, cats, and children. At least eight children. [music]

That evening at his elder sister's House, Gregory found himself at the ball with Hyasin and [music] her mother. Both of them questioned him about Lucy and his determination to invite her to the party, though he tried to play it down by saying that she was engaged and would be married in a week. When he was finally free of them, he began to walk around the room greeting the guests. And it was at that moment that he saw her. Her back was turned. She was blonde and slender. And Gregory's world was turned Upside [music] down. It

was like when he saw the back of Hermione's neck that first time. No, actually, [music] it was better. Hermiones had been like experiencing falling in love for the first time. This was safer, [music] stronger. He approached the mysterious woman, unable to contain himself, waiting desperately to see [music] her face. And when he finally turned around, he discovered what he least expected. It was Lucinda Abernathy. He saw her and she saw him and [music] smiled at him. And when he greeted her, saying her name, he was certain that he loved her. He was in love [music]

with Lucy Abernathy. They danced together while smiling, exchanging glances, and brushing hands. When they finished, Gregory asked her to meet him in the bathroom. Lucy wanted to refuse, but she was very curious about what he wanted to tell her. Maybe he loved her. Maybe he had fallen in love With her and wanted her to marry him. There was still a week before their wedding. There was still time. She yielded to his proposal, though fearful of unleashing a scandal. However, their discussion was interrupted when Hin [music] made his presence known, and with just a glance from

Lucy to Gregory and from Gregory to Lucy, [music] she knew what they both intended. She then took over and ordered Gregory to continue dancing And talking to the people while she introduced Lucy to the guests. After 55 minutes, she tore the girl's dress and retired with her to Daphne's [music] room, where Gregory would be waiting for them. On arriving, they found the place empty. So hin took the opportunity to sew up the tear in Lucy's dress. As she did so, [music] the girl asked why she was helping her if she knew she was engaged. Hinth

confirmed that she was aware of it [music] and in fact informed Her that she had been invited. Lucy then asked if she planned to attend to which Hyasin replied, "And [music] you?" Gregory appeared on the scene and hes announced that he would stay nearby in case she was needed. He then told her that he could not marry her. But instead of telling her that he wanted to be the one to walk her down the aisle because he loved her, he decided to tell her that he could not marry her because she was his friend and

he wanted her to be Happy [music] and she would not be happy if she married Hasselby because he did not like women. Lucy finally exploded. She asked him why he had done it, why he had decided to tell her the truth. Was he doing it to make her feel the way he felt about Hermione and Richard's wedding? Did he want to [music] see her as miserable as he was? Then she asked him why he had made her love him. He took her face in his arms and kissed her, then begged her not to marry him.

"You can't marry him," he said, [music] taking her by the arms. "I love you." "Really?" she asked. "With all my heart," he confirmed. "It's just that I didn't realize. I'm a fool, a blind [music] man. Don't hurt yourself," she said. No one notices me when Hermione is around. She's not even close to your feet, he replied and assured her that he loved her so much that [music] he would do anything to prevent her from marrying someone else. She feeling bold promised That she would talk to her uncle the next day and break off her engagement.

He then asked if he could go with her and communicate his intentions to which [music] she asked, "And what are your intentions?" He looked at her with surprise, then with approval. He let his hands slide down her body as he descended, dropped to one knee on the floor, and asked her, "Lady Lucinda Abernathy, will you grant me the great acquaintance of becoming my wife? Marry Me, Lucy." She, shocked, answered, "Yes." The next day, Lucy found herself in her uncle's office, [music] trying very hard to reveal herself for the first time. She told him that she

did not want to marry Hasselby because she did not like women. The man laughed, confirming with this gesture that he was aware of this information and did not see the problem. So, she insisted that she wanted to have children. [music] He then told her that Hasselb's Preferences would not be an impediment, [music] as he was sure he could do his job often enough to father a child, and if he could not, he would be her father. This chilled Lucy, and she flatly refused to marry Hasselby. This infuriated her uncle, who knew from her expression that

something [music] physical had happened between her and Gregory. "Hasselby won't be able to tell the difference between a virgin and a prostitute anyway," [music] He said dismissively. Then he informed her that she would be locked up in that house until the wedding day. In desperation, she asked him why she should marry Hasselby if they did [music] not need his money or his position, why she could not simply marry for love. Her uncle grabbed her by the throat, slamming her against the wall, then told her that they owed Hasselb's father a debt and that she was

the payment to settle it. Her father had Committed treason, and the proof of it was in the hands of the man who had blackmailed [music] the family for years. Her father had sold state secrets to the French. If she did not marry, [music] and the king learned of her father's treachery, all would be stripped from him, not from her, but from Richard, who now held the family title. Lucy knew then that she had to get married because if she didn't, she would condemn her brother and Hermayan To a life of misery and shame. It was

worth the sacrifice. The next few days, she devoted herself to refusing Gregory's visits, who insistently came to her door every evening. Gregory was desperate. [music] He had tried to see Lucy, but she had refused him. Was she being held against her will? He decided [music] then that he would break into the house. He slipped through the service door, walked through the corridors of the house, Calculating the location of his room, and on entering was attacked by Lucy herself, wielding a candlestick. After a brief moment of shock, she asked him to leave, but he told her

he would not go, that he loved her, and repeated this several times and begged her to marry him, saying she would not be happy. I will be satisfied," she replied, though she knew she would never again feel what Gregory made her feel. Nor would she ever feel loved or desired. So she did What she never thought she was capable of doing. She let herself be carried away by desire. She asked Gregory [music] to kiss her, and then they made love and slept together until dawn. Gregory asked her to go with [music] him, but she told

him she could not just walk away and leave Hasselby standing at the altar. So he said he would wait for her outside until she settled the matter. However, once he was outside, he thought that if Lucy needed him to Intervene, she would need all the help she could get. So he thought of his brothers and [music] asked for their support for the first time in his 26 years. He sent for Colin, who turned up a few hours later. After a few more hours, they saw a carriage decorated in white. >> [music] >> Then out of

the house came Richard and Hermione arm in arm. Lucy's uncle and [music] to Gregory's dismay Lucy Herself. He was walking along of his own accord. And when Colin asked him if she had told him she would not marry, Gregory had a very unpleasant revelation. Lucy [music] had told him that she loved him, that she must do what was right. But she had never told him that she would not marry Hasselby. Colin, who looked at him with regret, [music] said he was sorry. But Gregory refused to believe that she wanted to marry Hasselby. So when she

started for the church in her carriage, [music] he ran off without a second thought. Meanwhile, Lucy was fighting against herself [music] as she waited for the moment when she would have to walk down the aisle. She had opted not to tell Hermione anything, [music] knowing that it would prompt her to drop everything and leave with Gregory, but her friend seemed to [music] suspect that something wasn't right. Once he stood at the Altar, said his yes, and pronounced his vows, something unexpected happened. Gregory appeared on the scene, threw open the doors, and breathing heavily, shouted, "No!"

She looked at him, stunned, [music] and he, in front of hundreds of people, told her that he loved her. He knelt down in front of her and asked her to marry him, and she found herself wanting to say yes, [music] to shout that she loved him. But instead she gathered all her strength And with a firm and determined voice she answered, "No." And then all hell broke loose. "Yes, in the church." Hasselby's father leapt forward and threw himself on top of Gregory, who was struggling to get to her. And Hasselby grabbed Lucy's arm and pulled

her away, shielding her from the chaos. When Gregory finally broke free, he crawled over to her, struggling against the strength of Colin's arms, and looked up at her with glassy, pleading eyes. "Why?" he asked. [music] "Because I must," she replied. Gregory was then dragged out of the church as Hiasin appeared behind Lucy, glaring angrily at her. "How could you?" she reproached her. "You wouldn't understand," Lucy replied, to which Hiasin replied that she didn't deserve her brother and left in the company of her mother. At this point, the wedding resumed its course, and against all odds,

Lucy was Married. Colin had arranged for his younger brother to be put into a carriage, which Violet and Hyasin also boarded. The latter, [music] furious, vowed to make Lucy's life miserable until Gregory himself silenced her by forbidding her to do anything. He kept thinking that Lucy had been forced to marry. But what had she done? What was she being blackmailed with? After thinking about it for a long time, he thought that Lucy had definitely [music] Been forced. Something serious was going on. Something much bigger than her, and she was going to need his help. When

Lucy was able to escape from the party, she returned to her room where, to her surprise, Gregory was waiting for her. The boy asked her why she had married, what was going on, but she would not answer that question. [music] So he asked her if she loved him and she unable to help herself answered yes. [music] Gregory then thought that there must be some way to fix the situation and remembered that Lucy had not consummated [music] the marriage so there was a possibility of enulling it. He then told her that she had to leave with

him and when she refused he grabbed her by the waist, threw her over his shoulder and ran out of the room. He took her to a bathroom on the third floor of the huge house and tied her up with a pair of handkerchiefs. Lucy then told him about The blackmail, her father's betrayal, and the debt she had to pay. Now he [music] understood everything and knew he had to get away from her. But he asked her to give him an hour to find a solution. Gregory returned to Lucy's room [music] and on the way he

ran into Hermione whom he asked for help knowing that she was the only person who would care about Lucy's happiness even more than her own. A few minutes later Gregory found himself in front of Richard Hermione and Hasselby himself who agreed to enol the marriage. But when Gregory asked him what he [music] would do with their family secret, he denied any knowledge of it. Gregory then told the three of them what [music] Lucy had told him, and Richard refused to believe that his father had done this, even when Hasselby's father swore he had written proof.

They concluded that Lucy's uncle had tricked her into marrying Hasselby and paying off another Kind of debt that had [music] nothing to do with her father. They then decided to look for Hasselb's father to clarify the situation, while Gregory and Hermione looked for Lucy to take her with them. But when they arrived at the bathroom where the boy had left her tied [music] up, they couldn't find her. A few minutes earlier, Lucy had been discovered by her uncle, who with a knife [music] had cut her restraints and dragged her out of the bathroom, Claiming that

he would see to it that she consummated her marriage right then [music] and there. He took her to his room and blindfolded her, then began to point a gun at her. It was at that moment that Gregory appeared. He pointed a gun at Lucy's uncle that Richard had given him minutes before [music] and demanded that he tell him the real reason why he wanted Lucy to marry Hasselby. And it was at that moment that they discovered that the real traitor Was him. Robert Abernathy had committed treason against England, [music] not Lucy's father. Gregory then gave

him a chance to escape if he would leave Lucy alone, but he refused to leave, [music] and the opportunity vanished when Richard, Hermione, Hasselby, and his father appeared at the door. Cornered, he began to point his gun at everyone present. Then a shot rang out and Gregory instinctively fired, [music] hitting the man in the shoulder, and he Fell on top of Lucy. Gregory ran to her, examining her, looking for injuries, but the girl was unharmed. Finally, [music] Hasselby agreed to enol the marriage the next day. Gregory forced Hasselb's father to stop [music] blackmailing Lucy's uncle

and get him out of the country, and Lucy undertook to help Hasselby get a new wife. And then, when Gregory had made sure that everything was in order, he took Lucy's face in his hands and kissed her. Then Oblivious to the number of witnesses watching and Richard's voice clearing over the wedding preparations, he pressed the tip of his nose to hers and told her that he loved her. Gregory Bridgetgerton, in short, was a hopeless romantic. A few years later, Gregory found himself sitting in the doorway of the delivery room not two, not three times, but

seven times. Yes, they had had eight children. Luckily, she had received a fairly Generous dowy, and [music] Gregory had discovered her talent and eye for business, so they had enough money to support the large family. When Lucy announced that she was expecting her last and eighth child, Gregory decided that he wanted to be by her side during the birth and not outside as he was used to. He was amazed at how quickly it all went and how easily Lucy took it all in and assured him that it had become easier with time. However, when the

baby Came into the world, Lucy sensed that something was wrong. It was at that moment that the midwife announced that another baby was coming. [music] It was twins. Gregory had to sit down and take a deep breath. He had nine children. Nine. Love existed, [music] he thought to himself as he looked at his beautiful wife. And it was great. Nine times great. Second epilogue. What I will now narrate is the second epilogue or ending of this story which has been published In the ninth book of the saga Bridgetgerton's happily ever after. So the author [music]

decided to write this second ending right where the previous book left off at Lucy's last birth. Hi had traveled to her brother's house to help her [music] sister-in-law through the last months of her pregnancy. Lucy seemed to be coping quite well with the pregnancy, but Lucy had complained of feeling [music] different in that belly, and her suspicions were confirmed the Moment she gave birth to twins. Hinth had found it [music] hard to forgive Lucy after what she had done to her brother, so he did not speak to her for the first 2 years she was

in the family. Gregory and Lucy had managed to get married thanks to the influence of Anthony Hasselby and [music] a good sum of money, I mean, donation that they had made to the church. After those first two [music] years, Hyasin and Lucy had managed to form Quite a close sisterhood. That day, [music] as they held the two babies in their arms, they discussed what they would name them. Their other children had been named after their siblings, [music] Richard, Anthony, Hermione, Daphne, Benedict, Colin, and even Kate, who had played an important role in their relationship. So

now if they followed the order the two girls were to be named Eloise and Francesca. [music] This outraged Hyasin as she would be the only one not to have a namesake in her brother's large family group which Gregory used to taunt her that this was because she had attacked [music] Lucy in church. As the brothers continued to argue, they noticed Lucy's face fading to pale and ashen and called the midwife who confirmed that Lucy was hemorraing. After several minutes of work, the woman announced that there was nothing more they could do for her, only wait

for her To recover. Lucy had been unconscious and remained so for 2 days. Catherine, her eldest daughter, who was the most like her in character of all her children, had come to visit her, unaware of her frail health, which Gregory had decided not to tell the children. The girl had told her father that her mother was the best [music] and that one of the babies should be named after her. So they named them Francesca Hyasin and Eloise Lucy. To Gregory's relief, who Had been in a state of sadness at the thought of losing his wife,

Lucy regained [music] consciousness. She was still quite weak, and the doctor had informed Gregory that it would be months before she could fully recover [music] and that she would have to be on bed rest for at least a month. He knew it would be a challenge to force Lucy to comply, so he threatened to tie her down so she wouldn't get up, reminding her that it wouldn't be the first time he Had done that. This brought a smile to Lucy's face, and she asked to see her children. Gregory went in search of the seven children,

who, in order of age, entered the room and threw themselves into their mother's arms, giving her back the vitality she so desperately needed. 1815, [music] 10 years before the events of this book begin. Gareth had never got on well with his father. Their relationship, far from being that of Father and son, was rather diplomatic. They never conversed unless [music] absolutely necessary, and his father had made his indifference to him, his youngest [music] son, more than clear. His mother had died in an accident when he was only five, so his memories [music] of her were vague.

However, Gareth had grown accustomed to being the disappointment of his father, [music] who only looked out for him monetarily, because that was what was expected of a Father. That day, he had summoned him to his office to let him know that he would have to get married. And not only that, but [music] he had chosen the lucky girl himself. Gareth almost fainted. He was only [music] 18 and just finishing his studies at Eaton. How was he supposed to get married? His father then explained that he had to as they were on the verge of bankruptcy

[music] and needed the dowy that Mary Winshap's Parents offered to anyone who would marry her. Mary was dumb. Let's put it more nicely. She wasn't exactly a smart girl. Gareth had known her since they were little. But as she grew older, it became more and more obvious that something [music] was wrong. As she continued to behave as if she hadn't grown up at all. It was more than obvious that you couldn't get into a relationship with a girl like that. He couldn't marry her. No way. So, he Refused. He flatly refused. Why did he have

to marry? Why couldn't George, his older brother, take on that responsibility? Gareth didn't [music] understand. But for his father, it was more than clear. He would never put George in that situation because he was his only son and Gareth was just [music] a bastard. And it wasn't until that moment that he found out from the man he had believed all his life to be his father. 10 years later 1825 Hyasin was as she was every year at the Smith's annual suare. She was accompanied by Penelopey Federington, who had married her brother Colin a year before,

and Lady Danbury, with whom Hiasin used [music] to meet every Tuesday to read romance novels. Hiasin, who was by then 22 years old, had been presenting herself in society for 3 years and [music] had yet to find a husband despite having received at least Four marriage proposals. She was the only Bridgetgerton sister who had not yet married, [music] apart from Gregory, who was 24, an acceptable age in society for a man to remain unmarried. On that day, Lady Danbury's grandson Gareth, who though of marriageable age, seemed to be in complete denial about the idea of

marriage, was to go. It was common knowledge that he had a bad relationship with his father, and [music] his older brother had died a year before without Leaving any descendants. So the title of lord had fallen to the boy. [music] So his grandmother took great pains to manipulate him into attending balls in search of a wife. Gareth and [music] hyasin had shared no more than a few words and glances at the occasional party to which Lady Danbury had dragged the boy. He was a rather handsome 28-year-old man by all accounts with his hair somewhere between

blonde and brown and [music] tall enough to be pulled Into a ponytail. Tall and slim and with hauntingly blue eyes as Hiasin used to describe them. Gareth tended to attract the attention of all young women of marriageable age, though it was well known that he preferred bachelorhood and the arms of [music] opera singers. That night, Gareth had reluctantly introduced himself, taking a seat between Lady Danbury and Hyasin. He had always seen Hyasin as a woman unlike any other. He admired her for her Cunning and wit, which was hard to come by in any other woman

at the [music] time. To others, she was a catch. She was the youngest of the Bridgetgertons, [music] a prominent and wealthy family, and her older brother, Anthony Bridgetgerton, had increased her dowy. But when Gareth asked his friends about Hyasin, they all agreed that he was mad if he wanted to marry her, although he only asked because of the girl's relationship with his grandmother. Men Don't like women who are smarter than them. One of his friends told him Gareth had always thought of Hiasin as the only person capable of standing up to his intrepid grandmother, for

they were so alike and always had the last word. After Gareth had refused to marry, [music] his father, or rather Lord St. Clare, had thrown him out on his ear, so the boy had turned to Lady Danbury, [music] his mother's mother. The old lady was Unaware of Gareth's illegitimacy, and he had not bothered to tell her, [music] preferring not to tarnish his mother's name by revealing to his grandmother that her youngest daughter had committed adultery during her marriage. That night, he teased her more than once, [music] challenging her and leaving her speechless, though it was

difficult, and somehow they could not help but feel that they were playing with fire. 3 days later, Gareth received his late Brother's wife. [music] She handed him his paternal grandmother's diary, who remember was not really his blood family. It was a brown leatherbound notebook handwritten in Italian, [music] a language Gareth was not fluent in, so he decided to take it to Grandma Danbury, who would surely help him decipher its contents. Meanwhile, Lady Danbury and Hyasin had their afternoon reading. The old lady was trying to convince the girl that [music] Gareth might be a good match

for her when the aforementioned appeared on the scene. He had the diary with him, which ended up in the hands of Hyasin, who had been taking Italian lessons, although she was not very good at it. They decided that she would translate the first few pages of the diary and give him an answer the next day when they met at a poetry recital that Lady Danbury had engaged her grandson to give. Later, Hiasin turned up at her Home where she met her mother. Violet Bridgetton had acted as matchmaker for her six eldest children [music] who were

now happily married and in love. But hi seemed to be getting out of hand. When he saw her coming home from her weekly visit to Lady Danbury, he insisted that she must marry. She wanted her daughter to be happy like her other children, but she would not find love unless she looked [music] for it. She even suggested Gareth St. Clare as a Possible husband, but Hyius [music] thought the boy did not really like her, as he did nothing but challenge her. Besides, he had a reputation as a libertine, [music] and she certainly didn't want that

in a husband. Irritated, Violet asked her daughter [music] why she hadn't married yet. Hi then asked herself if she really wanted to get married, and the answer was, "Yes, she did, more than she liked to admit, but she had not found anyone she Wanted to [music] marry. Violet explained to her that there were indeed men out there worthy of her love. Hiasinth [music] was a rebellious woman, a free soul, and she needed an equal, someone who could stand [music] up to her. The problem was that every time she met one, she chased him away. Hi

had been her last child, the one she had had to bring into the world alone after Edmmond's death. For the one who had had to be everything, [music] mother and Father, and yet had been different, Violet would describe her as a force of nature, [music] free and confident. Yet, she could see her daughter shying away from what she felt would be difficult or challenging for her, and so it seemed to be with love. The next day, Hyasin found herself sitting next to Gareth St. Clare. She had been thinking about her last conversation with her mother.

[music] And if she was honest with herself, she had to admit that she had Met a few men in the past who had managed to make her [music] so nervous that she stammered, so she had run away from them, claiming that she didn't like them, when in fact, she was beginning to think that she didn't like herself when she was with them. Gareth, sitting next to her with an [music] expression that was both bored and amused, had everything she was looking for in a man. handsome, smart, funny, cunning. No, Gareth definitely couldn't be her type

Of man. He was a libertine, and he'd been with a lot of women, the latest being Maria, the most famous soprano of the moment, a woman whose beauty Hyasin doubted she could match. He could not compare with her physically, not to mention her prowess in bed, a subject on which Hiasin had vague information gleaned from her older sisters. Her thoughts [music] silenced, Hyasin filled Gareth in on what little she had been able to decipher from the diary. His Grandmother, who would have been 17 at the time, wrote sadly of her future marriage to the boy's

grandfather, arranged by their parents. This came as no surprise to Gareth, as he himself was on the verge of being tied down to a woman he did not love. Hyasin promised to continue translating the notebook. And after that meeting, Gareth couldn't stop thinking about her, the smell of her perfume, her laughter, and everything she did. The next day, Hiasin was at a dance organized by the Bridgetgertons, talking to Felicity Federinong, her childhood best friend. She insisted that it would be a good idea for her to marry Gareth, as he seemed to be the only man

who could cope with her friend's wild personality. Felicity had married Jeffrey, [music] her current husband, last year and seemed to have a happy marriage. And although Hiasin insisted that she didn't Like Gareth, her friend realized that there was definitely something of a lie in that statement. While the two [music] friends were debating, Gareth was across the room dancing with a lady when something interesting happened. Lord St. Clare [music] appeared on the scene. This could never go well. Hi had only seen the consequences of a father and son meeting at an event once before and it

had not gone well. So the girl thought that now that she was Gareth's Friend, she should help him in some way. So to her best friend's surprise, she approached [music] the boy and asked him to dance. She entertained him by telling him a few other things she [music] had managed to translate from her grandmother's diary. Like their arrival in London from Italy, and although Hiasin was not a very good dancer, Gareth found himself enjoying her company [music] and the brief stompings he received without her noticing that he Had given them. When Hiasin was sure that

Lord St. Clare had left, she said goodbye [music] to Gareth, but the boy decided to go to the toilet before leaving. It was there that he met his father. The man, of course, did not hesitate to reiterate his contempt for him and for the fact that although he hated him, he would now have to surrender his title because of the death of his only son. "George must be turning in his grave," the man said, and that Was the last straw. "In a second, [music] Gareth found himself pressed against the bathroom wall. George was his brother

and the only person he [music] was ever sure he loved apart from his grandmother Danbury. So he was not going to let his father talk about him like that. Her father then decided to mock the fact that Gareth was trying to woo Hyasin which he deduced from watching them dance [music] and delighted in assuring her that she would Never accept him because he was not worthy enough to be with her nor to be part of her family, the Bridgetgertons. He was nothing more than a bastard, a mongrel. "Who is your father?" the lord asked his

son, [music] leaving him speechless. He had never broached the subject, and Gareth did not know the [music] answer. But he did not miss the opportunity to taunt him about his mother's infidelity. Lord St. Clare, however, responded to the taunt [music] By telling him that his real father had not loved him enough to give him his surname, and that he was probably a poor chimney sweep or a footman. [music] He then withdrew and in his place appeared Hyasin who had seen him leave and decided to see if Gareth was [music] all right. The boy looked at

her then and had to admit that he really did want her. He had known it for a while. But at that moment he could not control himself and kissed her. And she let him kiss her Even though it was clearly the first time she had ever done so. But when she realized what she was doing, [music] she did what Gareth never thought he would see her do. She ran away. Pyestin lay in her room the next day. She had been thinking about the night before about the kiss and about Gareth's words when realizing how inexperienced

she was, he had asked her to kiss [music] him back. No other man had ever tried to kiss her before, although she was not close to It. But she had never imagined it would happen with Gareth St. Clair, who had so far shown no interest. She vaguely [music] thought then that it was very likely that he had kissed her the way he had kissed every other woman who had crossed his path [music] at the time just to distract her from whatever had happened with her father a few minutes earlier. He decided to put the thought

[music] out of his mind and continue translating the journal. Gareth, for his part, had decided it would be best to go to the Bridgetgerton house and apologized to Hyasin. He hadn't wanted [music] to kiss her. I mean, yes, he had, but only since the moment he'd seen her after the argument with his father. He had never been involved with a single woman of marriageable age, and he had no intention of starting now. And it wasn't that he hadn't enjoyed the kiss, but he feared that Hyasin was getting her hopes Up for something that wasn't going

to happen. But when the girl opened the door, she was more interested in her progress with the diary than in the accidental kiss of the night before. She then excitedly told him that her grandmother had confessed in her diary that she had hidden diamonds at St. Clare's house in London. She had never told her husband, [music] so they were probably still hidden, although there was a possibility that Gareth's father Had already found them. His then announced that they should go and get them as they could be the solution to the family debts [music] that Gareth

was about to inherit. At first, he refused, but eventually gave into her please and the argument that he needed her to translate and find the location of the jewels. So, it was decided that they would sneak into the St. Clare house. A few days later, they found themselves in the dark of night, ready to slip into The house through a window. Gareth was aware of how dangerous the situation was, especially considering that if the Bridgetgertons found out he had kidnapped the only woman in the family in the middle of the night, they would have him

before a priest in no time, and then there would be no turning back. Once inside, they searched Grandma [music] St. Clare's office, where they rummaged through a cupboard and found a small note written in Italian, [music] As if they were on a treasure hunt. And although they were almost trapped by the largest dome in the house, they managed to escape [music] Unscathed, all obey it without the diamonds. Hyasin couldn't get the previous night out of his head, but he managed to translate the note, which seemed to be written as a Ridley, but as far as

Hiasin could tell, it had something to do with water. Maybe the diamonds were in a physics book. Shortly afterwards, he reached Gareth and after Tea with Hyius, Daphne, Violet, and Gregory, the latter trying to get on his sister's nerves by saying that Gareth [music] was his special friend, they went for a walk in the park to discuss the translation of the note. Hi told him about her theory on the location of the diamonds and that [music] they might be in the library of St. Clare's house in some physics or biology book. They began to discuss

her upcoming visit to the house. Gareth tried to persuade [music] Her not to go, but she kept insisting, saying that they could even take advantage of the fact that [music] her family wanted to set her up with him, arguing that it might actually benefit them if they thought he was courting her, as they wouldn't ask any questions if they went out together. Hi's attitude when talking about her family annoyed Gareth. She didn't value what she had. That much was clear. She had never had to go through the loneliness he had had To live with all

his life, [music] having only one person who loved him and who he loved enough to give his life for her, and that was his [music] grandmother. And no one knew how much he wanted to have someone else to give his all for. This left Hyasin speechless. [music] She had undoubtedly behaved like a foolish child, but at the same time, it had opened her eyes to something she had refused to accept. Gareth was the [music] one. She was going to marry this man. Not just because he was handsome, smart, and funny, but because he knew what

was important. He knew the value of things, and that was worth far more than any title or fortune. She decided that she would win him over. She would do what she had to do to achieve her goal. But not at that moment, [music] especially not when Gareth's father appeared on the scene, teasing the boy with words that sounded like disguised Taunts and implicating her. At the end of this conversation, if it could be called that, Gareth seemed furious, but Hiasin felt she should talk to him anyway. She told him that she was the only one

of the Bridgetens who had never known her father, [music] and that all her life she had longed to have one. But knowing Lord St. Clare. It was clear to her that she would rather have no father than one like him. She had memories of her father, at least the ones her Brothers had told her, and she was sure that he was a good man, and that he would have loved her unreservedly despite everything, even if she thought herself difficult to love. He thought otherwise. He believed no, he did not believe. He was sure that Hyasin

was an easy woman to love. She then began to list her faults and the reasons why she was difficult to love, which amused him, but he decided to shut her up and kiss her. That day, [music] that brief conversation had been an awakening of his feelings. He wanted her with all his might, [music] and he wanted Hyasin to be his, but he had to put things right. So, he said goodbye to her, leaving her in utter confusion, and wasted no time in making his way to Viccount Bridgetgerton's house to ask for her hand. I want

to marry Hyius, he said. But Anthony didn't answer and then he Cleared his throat if she accepts me. And then a very strange thing happened. The elder Bridgetgerton let out all the air he seemed to have held in for years, whispered something like, "Thank you, my God." and looked gratefully up at the sky. Then he stood up and poured himself a drink, the most expensive kind, it should be noted, clinking his glass and welcoming him into the family. [music] He had married off his four sisters and was free of them, he would be free at

Last. Gareth found the situation suspiciously easy, given Anony's reputation. But given his reaction, it didn't seem unusual for the Vic Count to have a priest [music] brought in and marry them on the spot. It seemed to Gareth that the man was out of his mind. Only a few minutes later, he warned her to think carefully about her decision because Hiasin was not an easy woman and she [music] should take that into account. He would not tell his younger Sister about the conversation [music] until Gareth had proposed to her so she would have a chance to

think it over and regret it if she chose to do so. >> [music] >> This annoyed him, and he prepared a scathing reply to his future brother-in-law, who then surprised him by letting him know that he knew of his troubled relationship with his father, and that if he married [music] Hiasin, he would become part of the Bridgetgerton family with all that entailed, for better or worse. Anthony then asked if Lord St. Clare might be a problem for Hiasin once they were married, and Gareth replied that it was likely. This made him realize that he had

to hurry and marry Hyasin as soon as possible. For if her father decided to tell him the truth about his origins, [music] it was likely that Anthony or Lady Bridgetgerton herself would want to call off the wedding, [music] no one in Their right mind would allow a well-born girl to marry a bastard. So he went straight to his grandmother's house, where he knew he would find Hiasin, for it was Tuesday. He tried to be alone with her, but the stubborn Lady Danbury would not allow it. So with no other alternative, he knelt before her and

asked, "Will you do me the very great honor of being my wife?" And for the [music] first time in the history of the Bridgetgerton family, it seemed that Someone had succeeded in leaving Hyasin speechless. Lady Danbury tried to answer for her, but the girl eventually said yes, [music] causing Lady Danbury to withdraw. She then asked Gareth why he had decided to ask her to marry him, but he did not answer except to leave a trail of kisses along her arm, admiring her beauty. Within 3 weeks, all London knew that Hyasin and Gareth were engaged, and

he was now a privileged member of the Bridgetgerton family, but He feared for his father and what he might do to embarrass him in front of his [music] fianceé. So, he decided to take Hiestin's hand in marriage, binding her irrevocably. After all, it was not as if he had no intention of marrying her. [music] And besides, they had shared little more than kisses for the past few weeks. So, he slipped into her room that night [music] and made no effort to seduce her, for they had long shared the same Intense desire for each other. And

so, they spent their first night together. They then went to St. Clare's house to continue their search for the diamonds. Once inside, [music] they managed to find a book in the library written in Italian, the title of which was no more and no less than that of [music] the previous note. Inside, they found another piece of paper written in a completely different language, but which at first glance did Not appear to be Italian. But as they [music] turned the corner to leave the house, Gareth passed his father while Hyasin remained in the shadows. This would

undoubtedly be a test [music] of Gareth's self-control. Knowing that she was hidden away listening to everything, he had to be careful what he said. However, something unexpected happened. [music] His father mocked him, telling him that he had not thought him capable of Committing himself to Hiasin, and continued to taunt him as he always did, but revealed something that had not occurred to Gareth. He was still legally betrothed to marry Worship. Her father had signed the betroal papers years before, so he could not marry Hyasin until that betroal was dissolved, or the marriage would be null

and void. As soon as the man was gone, Gareth turned the corner to look for Hyasin, but he did not find her. She was gone. She had Overheard the conversation and must have been furious. He then ran to the Bridgetgerton house and slipped into her room, as he had done earlier in the evening. there. He tried to give her an explanation about his engagement to Mary, but found that Hyasin was really upset. Not about that, but about the fact that she thought he had asked her to marry him just to prove something to her father.

She then asked him again why he had asked her to marry him. And Gareth again did not know what to say. He loved her. Of course, he loved her. He wanted her with all his might. And he liked her as much as his grandmother liked her. and he knew very well that he could never marry a woman of whom Lady Danbury did not approve. But when he asked himself why he had asked her to marry him, he had no definite answer, only several little reasons which he did not know how to put into words. This

annoyed Hyasin, [music] Who asked him to leave. 3 days went by without them speaking or seeing each other. Gareth's absence [music] caught Violet's attention, as it was unusual for an engaged couple not to want to be together all the time. So she asked her daughter if something was wrong between them. Hiasin replied that everything was fine. But the truth was that she was not good at hiding her feelings, especially from her mother, the person who knew her best. So [music] Unable to hide her discomfort, she simply told her that they had had a fight. Violet

asked her if she wanted to break off the engagement, [music] and she did not hesitate to say no. Although Gareth had seduced her by taking her virginity to make her feel tied to him, [music] she loved him and genuinely wanted to marry him no matter what. Her mother, [music] who had little idea of what was going on, decided to give her advice based on what she knew Of her daughter and told her to be gentle with him and help him. And so Hiasin decided to forgive him. And in doing so, she thought, feeling bold, that

she would be the one to use her seductive skills. She then made her way to Gareth's house and surprised him in his office, using [music] the search for the diamonds as an excuse, although in reality she had made progress. [music] As with Colin's help, she had discovered that the last note they had found was Written in Slovenian. So now [music] they would have to find someone to translate it, as she was convinced that this was the last clue that would lead them to the exact location of the diamonds. After a lively discussion on [music] the

subject, Hyasinth decided to press her question. Why had he asked her to marry him? Gareth still didn't know what to say. [music] So, he thought for a minute and realized that he was actually in love. He had loved her, Perhaps for some time, though he wasn't ready to admit it. But he wasn't ready to tell her yet. So, he decided that in return, he would tell her the truth about his origins and the identity of his father. So he told her and to his surprise her reaction was incredibly normal. Hyestin admitted that to tell the

truth it was a relief that her sons would not carry Lord St. Clare's blood though they would carry his title as it was [music] practical and that they Would simply have to keep the secret between them. He then asked her if she did not wish to break off the engagement [music] and she replied that she did not. Not at all. She still wanted to marry him, and [music] her family would not object, for it was nothing new for one of the Bridgetgertons to marry out of wedlock. And she told him of the case of Benedict's

wife, Sophie, who was the illegitimate daughter of the Earl [music] of Penwood. Besides, he was not illegitimate, for his father had acknowledged it, so they could live quietly in London, and she was sure Lord St. Clare would have no objection. He himself must have known that if he revealed the truth, he would look like a cuckold. This amused [music] Gareth, but she also forced herself to remind him that marrying him would mean living a simple life without any [music] luxuries, for she would have no titles Until her father died. And when that happened, she would

inherit nothing but debts. But she did not care about any of that, and she let him know it. Then he decided to give her a [music] present, something he had made himself. He handed her a sheet of paper, a portrait of Hyasin that he had painted himself, and on it he saw the girl with a beautiful diamond bracelet [music] that he would have wanted to give her if he had been able to. He explained that he had been Inspired by a story he used to tell her about a princess and a diamond bracelet. He had

also made another sketch showing [music] the bracelet in more detail, which he had drawn based on his grandmother's description. Hiasin felt happy, grateful, and touched [music] and had a strong urge to tell him that she loved him, but for some reason that even she did not understand, [music] she decided to remain silent, for it was not yet the time. The Following Tuesday came, and as every week Hyasin found herself at Lady Danbur's, but the old lady fell asleep while she was reading to her, so she took the opportunity to continue translating Granny St. Clare's [music]

diary. She found that she had written about the birth of George, Gareth's older brother. So, if she jumped forward a few years, she would probably find something about the birth of her fianceé [music] and hopefully the identity of His real father. Isabella St. Clare did not seem to [music] think much of her son. He clearly loved him, but he was aware that he had been brought up by his father in his own image, so [music] he treated her with as much indifference as he did Annie, his wife and mother of his children. So [music] after

kissing Lady Danbury and reminding her that she was soon to be his grandmother, she left [music] the place in search of Gareth. She found him at her house about to leave for St. Claire's in [music] search of the diamonds. But when he saw her, he was furious. How could this woman [music] be so reckless as to wander the streets of London alone in the middle of the night? She had done it the day they met her father, but now she had no excuse. Didn't Hiasin [music] have any common sense? He forced her in and after

surprising her with his behavior, confessed that he loved her and would do Whatever he had to do to protect her from his desperate urges that [music] would put her in danger, even if it meant tying her to the bed. This touched Hyasin, who could not help but reply that she loved him, too. But there was something else she had to tell him. Something perhaps just as important. She had discovered who his father was. Gareth was the son of Edward Sinclair, Lord St. Clair's brother. Isabella, Gareth's grandmother, had written this In her diary. [music] For during

the time the boy was conceived, his supposed father had been away on a journey, while Edward had spent the season in this house with Annie, [music] Gareth's mother. Besides, Gareth was too much like the St. Claire's to be a bastard. Lord St. Clare didn't know, and apparently the only one who knew the truth and wasn't involved was Isabella. Gareth then remembered his uncle, who he now knew was actually his Father, and how he had treated him when he was a boy. How he had given him the love his father had never dained to give him,

taught him to ride a horse and given him a puppy for his birthday. It all made sense now. It was an important and momentous revelation, but it didn't stop them rolling around on the carpet in Gareth's office. The wedding was 6 weeks away, but at that moment, they decided to bring it forward to the following week. Hius then persuaded [music] Gareth to go and look for the diamonds, but again they did not find them. As they left the house, however, [music] they ran into Lord St. Clare again, and it was then that Gareth revealed to

him the truth, that he was his brother's son. The news [music] seemed to take him by surprise, but he simply told him to see that he married Hyasin, for he would need her dowy, and then [music] withdrew, disappearing into the house. For some Strange reason that Hiasin did not understand, being free of that [music] secret had made Gareth happier than he had thought, and excited by what had just happened. He fell to his knees and asked her to marry him. [music] But this time, it would be a proposal for the right reasons. He loved her.

He wanted her. He wanted to spend his life with her and make a family with her, knowing that he was the luckiest man in London to have her as his wife. 4 days after that night, Gareth visited his former fiance's father, who had no problem breaking off the engagement, as he had never considered it legitimate, especially after hearing that Lady Bridgetgerton had promised to look after his two [music] youngest daughters for the next season. On the other hand, it was impossible to bring the wedding forward. So they had to [music] wait 2 months before being

married in a large and pompous ceremony. 11 months [music] after the wedding, Hyasin gave birth to their first child whom they named George. 2 years later, they were blessed with a daughter whom they named Isabella. Four years later, Lord St. Clare fell from his horse while hunting and died instantly. Gareth took the title [music] and his property and the family moved to the Clare House. 6 years passed and Hiasin was still relentless in her search for [music] diamonds, which it should be noted had yet to bear fruit. 10-year-old Isabella St. Clare sat in her nursery

doing her French homework. [music] She had decided she wanted to learn the language and would practice with her governness after her [music] lessons. Her mother always helped her, although Isabella enjoyed making her translate science [music] books where she would get stuck translating scientific terms Even when she pretended to know them. Isabella loved her mother, no doubt, and wanted to be like her when she grew up, but [music] she also admired her great grandmother, Danberry, whom she hoped to be like when she reached her age. She loved her father, too, of course, but with him it

was [music] different because he was a man. Impatiently waiting for her mother to appear on the scene, Isabella made her way to the children's bathroom, a [music] small Room with beautiful tiles adorning the walls. Strangely enough, it was her favorite room in the whole house. [music] And if it had been big enough, she would have moved into it in a heartbeat. After using the potty and washing her hands, [music] Isabella prepared to leave. But something caught her eye. One of the tiles [music] closest to the floor had a crack in it that had managed to

escape the family's notice. She bent down [music] and after a few taps on the crack, managed to pull out a small velvet pouch containing a necklace and a diamond bracelet. But the girl, as clever and eccentric as her mother, and unaware of the tireless search for the treasure, decided to leave them where she had found them [music] without saying a word. Second epilogue. Was the ending of For a Kiss unfair? Our beloved author Julia Quinn had Thought it more than appropriate that Hiasin should have a daughter just like her. And of course, as her and

Gareth's daughter, [music] the obvious decision on finding the diamonds should have been to hide them. But readers didn't think [music] so. So Julia decided to write this second epilogue to do justice to Hiasin's more than 10 years of searching for what she was looking for. That day, Isabella was with her mother in the dress makers trying on different Gowns for the next season. She had made her debut last year, but had yet to find a husband, and Hiasin was beginning to regret the scolding her mother had given her when she was her daughter's age, for

now she was the one in the other role. Gareth, for his part, had managed [music] to get out of the debt he had inherited from his father, or uncle, he never knew what to call him, with the [music] help of Hyasin's dowy and various investments made with it, and The family was now in a fairly respectable position. [music] George was finishing his studies at Cambridge, while Isabella was likely to find a husband very soon, things could not be better. Hi returned home that evening impatient to continue her search for the diamonds [music] and had her

husband move a huge bathtub in one of the bathrooms to search the floor for diamonds. But this attempt was also in vain. What they didn't know was that Isabella was listening to them from the [music] other side of the door, discovering for the first time that her parents had been searching for years for what she had decided to hide in a secret drawer in [music] her wardrobe inherited from her late great grandmother Isabella. She didn't even know why she had decided not to show it to anyone, not even to use it. [music] Maybe she just

liked the idea of having a secret, something only she knew about. Of Course, [music] if her mother had decided to tell her, she would have given them to her immediately. Hyasin, on the other hand, had decided not to tell her because knowing her daughter, she would end up being just as obsessed with finding those diamonds as she was. A year later, Hiasin was lying on the floor of the nursery washroom, repeating her quest. There were good days, even weeks, when she would forget about the diamonds. But then something would Remind her, and she would resume

her quest. She had checked every bathroom in the house, including the maids, leaving the children's bathroom last. That afternoon, she noticed for the first time a small crack [music] in one of the tiles, anxiously opened it with a chisel, and called Gareth with joy and excitement [music] when she discovered that she had finally found the diamonds, while Isabella, who was in her room just below the [music] Nursery, smiled as she heard her mother's cries of delight. And just like that, [music] this story comes to an end. If you've made it this far, let me tell

you, I truly admire you. Thank you so much for your support and remember that the best way to help us is by leaving a like and subscribing to the channel.