Chapter Text
Present Day
August 2024 — Aubrey Hall
“Francesca?!”
“What??”
“You’ve got to be kidding me!”
“I knew it!”
It was evening. Dinner was long devoured and cleared away, and the tranquil country atmosphere in Kent should have been settling into a dusky serenity.
And perhaps it would have been, if the Bridgertons and Sharmas weren’t playing board games in the sitting room of Aubrey Hall. Instead, the sounds of raised voices were probably echoing off of every tree on the property outside, or at least Kate imagined so.
The game of choice tonight was Cluedo, but of course, because it was a Bridgerton game night, they couldn’t just play the game as intended. Instead, they’d added a liar’s element to it. Each player knew whether they were the murderer or not, and the murderer had to maintain their lie throughout the game. The other players could win or lose depending on whether or not they believed the killer’s story. It was a game filled with interrogations and accusations, white lies and alibis.
Benedict, playing as Miss Scarlett, had been everyone’s prime suspect, no matter how many times he’d insisted, “Why, no! I wasn’t in the lounge. But I think I saw Mr. Green in there…”
But in the end, Francesca was the clear winner.
Nobody had believed her Mr. Green was the murderer, and her wide, innocent eyes had carried her all the way to victory. She’d withstood no fewer than six interrogations and nobody had suspected a thing.
Well, almost nobody.
“I told you!” Eloise crowed, a shade of pride in her voice. “I told you all. Fran is sneaky. Everyone thinks she’s too pure for this world, but she’s like a crocodile in the water. You won’t see her coming.”
Francesca simply smiled, basking in the glow of her conquest. “Never let them know your next move,” was all she said, even as her doe eyes met Kate’s.
Francesca was home for the summer, looking happier than ever. She had told her family all about how delighted she was with Scotland, how much she was enjoying her studies, and the scenery, and the people… and one person in particular.
She had met a young man at a party where they were both horribly uncomfortable and desperate to leave, and they had clicked right away. His name was John Stirling, and no, he would not be joining them at Aubrey Hall this summer. Fran insisted this was because the dates didn’t work for him, but Kate was wondering if it was really because he was too shy. According to Fran, John was “a true introvert.” But Kate thought he must have a certain amount of charm, as well, if only because of the way Francesca glowed when she talked about him. It was incredibly sweet, and earnest, and uncomplicated. A rarity for a Bridgerton relationship, from what Kate could tell.
Anthony, on the other hand, was wondering if Fran simply wasn’t serious about the fellow, since she wasn’t bringing him to the country to introduce him to everyone.
Apparently, it was becoming something of a tradition for the Bridgerton children to bring special significant others to meet the family in the country. Maybe because it was the one time of year they were guaranteed to have everyone present. Even Anthony had done it for Kate… after soft-launching her to Ben, Eloise, and Daphne, of course. Two years ago, Kate had met Violet, Colin, Francesca, and Gregory, and Hyacinth for the first time on the front lawn of this very house. She’d mustered the courage to put herself out there and play Pall Mall with Anthony’s siblings, only to turn out to be just as bloodthirsty and competitive as the rest of them.
Everyone had a fantastic time — even Anthony, who lost — and it wasn’t long at all before Kate had felt welcomed and happy among the whole family. Between doubling over with laughter with Colin and Eloise, making up an elaborate high-five with Benedict, and heckling the Bridgertons with Simon, Kate had felt a sense of belonging with them right away. Daphne had emerged the champion in the game, and Kate thought perhaps she and Anthony had been too distracted by each other to play their best, but it hadn’t mattered, not really. Ant had wrapped his arms around Kate from behind and pulled her against him, whispering that he’d never felt more like a winner in his whole life. Losing had never seemed so perfect.
At the present, the entire family was arranged around the sitting room in a relaxed gaggle. Simon and Daphne were sprawled on the floor with little Auggie, who was toddling all around the room, scattering his many toys in all directions, assisted by his Uncle Greg. Newton was on his back in front of the fireplace, getting belly rubs aplenty from his second favourite human, Hyacinth. Ben, Colin, and Francesca sat huddled around one side of the games table across from Anthony, Kate, and Edwina. Eloise, who had declined to play in this round, flitted about on the outskirts of the table, making commentary. Mary and Violet had retreated to two plush armchairs with massive cups of tea, close enough to intervene if the games turned too brutal.
They’d all arrived at the ancestral estate just two days after the “Kanthony Engagement Extravaganza,” as the siblings had been calling it. At the party, Kate had worn a teal-coloured dress so beautiful it hadn’t mattered that she couldn’t breathe properly the entire night. She’d felt herself positively shimmering under the lights of the ballroom.
But perhaps even more importantly, she’d finally, finally met Edwina’s boyfriend. The fellow her baby sister had been “talking to” since last November and officially dating since February. William Bagwell was his name, and he was studying classics at university. According to Edwina, he was absolutely brilliant. A true scholar.
Kate would be the judge of that.
“You kept him a secret long enough,” Kate had chirped to Edwina as the young man shook hands with Anthony during their introduction.
“You’re one to talk,” Edwina had hissed back, smiling brilliantly at her young Mr. Bagwell, Classics Major, Scholar Extraordinaire. “And please be sweet to him, Didi.”
“Hey, if this relationship is becoming an important part of your life, then it’s my duty as your big sister to inspect him and I take it very seriously.”
Edwina had heaved a giant sigh, but Kate thought she was just a little bit pleased, too.
Actually, Kate had liked the boy well enough during the brief minute or two they’d actually gotten to talk. He did seem articulate and utterly smitten with Edwina. But how could Kate tell for sure? Her sister had clearly chosen to introduce them at Kate’s engagement party, when Kate would be the centre of attention and too in-demand to properly grill him.
Kate had countered this manoeuvre with a demand for a coffee date, just the three of them, when the craziness of the wedding preparations died down a bit. Edwina had begun to decline, but Kate had added, a menacing tone in her voice, “or Anthony and I can take you two on a double date — all four of us together!” Over her shoulder, Anthony had glowered impressively and Edwina had scrambled to agree to a coffee date with just her sister. Edwina and Will had retreated, and Anthony and Kate had exchanged a surreptitious high-five.
They made quite a good team.
But apparently not good enough to beat Francesca at Cluedo.
“It’s almost scary, sister,” Colin was saying from across the table, nudging Francesca with his elbow. “How good you are at keeping secrets.”
Francesca simply shrugged. “Luckily, I always use my powers for good instead of evil.”
“Except for tonight’s murder,” Simon put in from his spot on the floor.
“Fake murder,” Daphne said gently, running her fingers through Auggie’s hair. “Fran hasn’t committed a real murder.”
“That you know of.” Francesca tossed the comment over her shoulder to Daphne with a sly smile.
Benedict grinned cheekily at Fran. “Ooh, excellent. Another mystery to solve! Who did Francesca murder?”
“I don’t think you can declare a murder until there’s a confirmed victim,” Kate offered.
“Fair point.” Benedict looked around at the group. “Any volunteers?”
“I’m going to check the pantry for clues before this gets out of hand,” muttered Colin as he rose from his chair.
“Alright, that’s enough talk of murder,” Violet interjected. “Let’s move onto happier topics. Kate, Anthony was telling me that your cousins are indeed coming to your wedding?”
Kate and Anthony had decided together to keep their wedding party small, but their “small” circle of extended family was going to include some of Kate’s relatives, from her favourite uncle to the cousins she spent most of her childhood getting into trouble with. Kate couldn’t be happier. It had been far too long between visits.
“My uncle said he’s bringing some photographs of my Appa to add to the memorial table,” Kate confirmed.
“Oh, a memorial table would be lovely,” Violet smiled. “For your parents?”
“And Edmund, of course. We’re going to save all three of them a seat at the reception, too.”
Violet beamed, and Kate felt Anthony’s hand tracing patterns on her back. Almost subconsciously, she leaned into him.
“I think that’s a lovely idea, Kate,” Mary said.
“A seat for our father?”
This question came from Gregory, who finally abandoned the game he was playing with Auggie to join the conversation.
“Yep,” Anthony nodded. “We’ll set aside a seat for the parents who can’t be with us in person. That way it’ll feel more like they’re there.”
“I wish they really could be there.”
Anthony nodded, reaching out to ruffle Greg’s hair. “Me, too,” he said.
“What do you think he would have been like at a wedding? Dad, I mean,” Gregory asked abruptly. “Did he enjoy a party? Or was he more serious?”
The question startled most of the family into silence. Kate knew that Edmund was rarely a topic of conversation among the Bridgertons. His passing had been too sudden, too painful, too traumatic for most of the family that it had almost become taboo in polite conversation. Even now, everyone was glancing round the room at each other, at a loss for words.
“He was serious sometimes, but he knew how to have fun, too. Actually, he was a bit like you, I think,” Anthony finally said, a soft smile on his face. “He got up to trouble like you, anyway. Ask Ben if he remembers the glue incident.”
From the corner of her eye, Kate registered the look of shock on Daphne’s face. Even Eloise’s mouth was hanging open. She wondered if Anthony had ever talked about Edmund in front of them before.
Benedict, his eyes twinkling, nodded. “The man glued my slippers to the floor when I was a kid,” he confirmed.
“He never did that!”
“He did!” Ben was laughing in earnest now. “So when I slid my feet into them I got stuck and toppled over.”
“That’s mean,” Francesca said, frowning a little.
“That’s rich coming from a murderer,” Eloise ribbed her.
“It was all in good fun,” Benedict assured his sister. “He wasn’t a bully. I enjoy a little mischief, after all.”
“I wish I could remember things like that,” Francesca added. “I was too young when he died.”
Eloise nodded her agreement, and even Daphne added that she wished she had more memories of their father. Hyacinth, however, had leaned so far forward Kate thought she was going to fall out of her chair. She must have been so hungry for details about the man she’d never met.
“He used to take us on walks, do you remember?” Anthony added. “Even when we were too little to walk. We’d go exploring, that’s what he’d call it.”
“Did he ever take me?” Greg asked.
“You bet he did. You were so little, he bundled you up in a backpack carrier and we brought you with us that way.”
Greg offered a dimpled smile in response.
“I love those stories,” Daphne added from where she reclined against Simon on the floor. “He was a good father, wasn’t he?”
“I wish I could remember him,” Greg said again.
Hyacinth scooted closer to Anthony and snuggled into his side. Without even thinking about it, Anthony kissed the top of her head. Kate watched as Violet’s wistful smile broadened in response.
Kate leaned forward, not sure if she was speaking more to Greg or Hy. “I know what you mean. I keep thinking that my Appa should be there to see me get married, but at least I know how he would have acted.” She gave Anthony a sidelong glance. “He would have been giving you such a hard time.”
Mary chuckled a bit at that. “Yes, he would, I’m afraid.”
“But I have no idea what my Amma would have said or done. I really didn’t know her at all.”
“I wish there was something I could do to help,” Mary said, her eyes shining. “I wish I had any firsthand knowledge. But I never met her, either.”
Kate smiled. “I’m just glad to have you here with me, Mum,” she said, reaching for Mary’s hand and giving it a squeeze.
“Is there anyone in London who knew her?” Benedict asked.
“I’m not sure,” Kate replied. “I know she spent some time abroad as a student and I’m pretty sure at least some of that time was in London…”
“It was,” Mary said, quite unexpectedly. “She spent time in London. I don’t really know the details, though.”
“Me either. And I never thought to ask Appa for specifics. It’s funny how you don’t think of these questions when you have the chance…” Suddenly, Kate became aware of the heavy emotions permeating the room and felt the need to lighten things up. This week away was supposed to be a celebration, after all. “Well, I might not know much about her but I do know one thing — there’s no way the two of you wouldn’t have been friends.” She pointed at Mary.
Mary grinned. “Oh, of that I have no doubt.”
“Our family would have been massive,” Edwina laughed.
“Our family is massive,” Daphne chimed in, gesturing to all the people scattered about the sitting room. Everyone laughed.
“What about Will?” Hyacinth cut in abruptly, looking at Edwina over the board game box.
“What about Will?” came Edwina’s flustered response.
“He’ll be at the wedding in September, won’t he?”
“Of course.”
“Are you going to invite him to Aubrey Hall this week so he can get to know everyone first?” Hyacinth asked, the picture of innocence.
Edwina glanced nervously around the table at all the assembled Bridgertons and stammered out, “erm… maybe not… just yet.”
Kate looked over her shoulder at Mary, who was laughing behind her hands, and the two of them shared a giggle. Edwina glared at them both.
“Are you nervous about introducing him to the Bridgertons, Bon?” Kate asked quietly as the Bridgertons in question turned their attention to sweeping the Cluedo game pieces back inside the box. It probably didn’t help that they began quibbling over which compartment held which pieces, turning it into a bit of a grab-fest, colourful tokens flying everywhere. Newton started barking.
Edwina glared at Kate as Violet got up to intervene with her unruly children, forcibly taking the box away from Benedict and holding it high above everyone’s heads.
“Are you seriously going to tell me you didn’t drag your feet when it came to bringing Anthony around to us?” Edwina muttered.
Mary’s smile quirked up. “She’s got a point, dear.”
“We’re not talking about me right now,” Kate huffed. “And I was only going to say that I think Edwina has no reason to be nervous.”
“Really?” Edwina looked suspicious.
“Yeah, it’ll be fine,” Kate said, a mischievous glint in her eye, the corners of her mouth already quirking up. She couldn’t help it. “After all…”
Edwina met Kate’s eyes and knew instantly what was about to happen.
“Don’t.”
“…Where there’s a Will…”
“Stop it, Didi!”
“…there’s a way.”
“I hate you,” Edwina tried to deadpan, but they were both giggling now. “This is why I didn’t want to introduce him to you.”
“I’m your big sister,” Kate said, poking Edwina in the side. “It’s my job to test the mettle of any man who thinks he’s good enough for you.”
“You’re not testing him right now. You’re testing me.”
“That’s also part of my job.”
“Well, you’re very good at it.”
“I know I am.”
“Girls,” Mary warned them gently, though she was laughing, too.
Anthony leaned closer, joining their little conversation. “What’s this?”
“Edwina seems to think we’ll embarrass her in front of her boyfriend,” Mary supplied. “Can’t imagine why.”
“Well, I’m sure we can find it in ourselves to behave,” Ant said solemnly, casting a side-eye at Kate. “We only need a little… Will power…”
“No!”
All four of them dissolved into laughter, Kate falling helplessly into Anthony’s side. Even Mary was wiping her eyes.
“I’m sorry, Ed,” Anthony wheezed. “I had to.”
“Oh, this is awful. There’s two of you now,” lamented Edwina, burying her head in her hands. “I changed my mind. Kate, I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I can no longer support this wedding. You two will become too powerful if we let you get married. You have to be stopped.”
“Too late,” Kate replied, sticking out her tongue. “Nothing you can do to stop us now!”
Violet, passing by on her way back to her seat, paused for a moment to lay a hand on Anthony’s shoulder. She whispered something in his ear before lightly kissing his head. She couldn’t hear all of what was said, but she did catch the words, “so happy for you, dear.” It warmed Kate’s heart to see Anthony so at ease with everyone, giving and receiving this kind of affection. She couldn’t think of anyone who deserved it more.
“Oh, Kate,” Benedict called out to her from his new spot on the floor, effectively derailing her train of thought. He was now seated directly across from his nephew, playing with all the toy cars. “I meant to ask you if you wanted to go with me to the art gallery in the village tomorrow?”
“We won’t miss Pall Mall?”
“Oh, I would never.” Benedict said solemnly. “That’s set for day after tomorrow.”
“Then, yeah, why not?”
“I think you’ll like it. It’s a bit eclectic and cool, and this week they’re having a special showcase of works specifically from the eighties and nineties.”
“Ah, vintage paintings, eh?” Eloise nudged Benedict as she put the lid back on the game box.
“Goodness, did they even make paint back then?” Francesca added innocently.
There were groans and protests from everyone born before the new millennium — from Anthony all the way down to Daphne.
“Ooh!” Benedict made a show of clutching at his chest. “That’s it. That’s the murder Francesca committed. She’s just annihilated all of us older kids.”