Secrets & Scandals •Anthony Bridgerton•

Scandals Part III

*This chapter has rather intense and mature themes that speak about death, as such if you as a reader are uncomfortable with this you will be able to skip this chapter and not miss anything with vital context in this story. Thank you!*

Scandals Part III

Anthony paced the room once more. He found himself doing that quite often these pass few days. When he and Ester arrived to find her father had passed while they were on the journey over, his wife was inconsolable.

She refused to talk to anyone and she often sulked around the cottage. She would go from her room (which she had not chosen to stay with him which only agitated him more), to the kitchens to her father's study. Not necessarily in that order.

He tried to speak to her once and she just started yelling at him. Yelling about things that made no sense! She would yell at him about Daphne, about Simon about Eloise even! He was lost beyond all measure.

What really set Ester in a mood was when Mariana, his sister in law brought their new baby over from her midwife's house to visit Ester. What Anthony thought would be a heartfelt greeting between an aunt and newborn Prudence was a violent outburst about how 'she had enough of babies'.

That was what brought on Anthony to begin to pace. He couldn't figure out what it meant. They had no children, none of his siblings had any children and this was the first child to call her aunt. Just thinking about it continued his pacing efforts.

He tried to think of what was occurring back home but they only sent letters to Ester. There were at least several letters a day coming in for Ester. Anthony received one. It was from Francesca who said she was coming home and it was a forwarded letter his mother sent to him. So basically he had no letters.

Then, later in the week the worst happened. In the early morning a grave scream erupted throughout the cottage during breakfast. So the group traveled to see what had occurred and the sight was enough to scar Anthony for life.

There in the middle of the road was a slumped over Juliana Sloehigh...Ester and Mariana's mother. Apparently Mariana and Juliana were in some tift or other about what to do with the condolence flowers when Juliana stepped into the street on accident and a nearby carriage unaware....ran her over.

From that point on Anthony had no idea how he was to console his wife. She was beyond reach and that was when Anthony decided that after the reading of both wills of the Sloehigh parents, Anthony was taking Ester home.

It didn't take long for the judge to make his way down to Fort William, along with the Clergy. So, the two sisters and their spouses sat in a waiting room to hear what was to come.

"Good afternoon, Lord Billingsly, Viscount Bridgerton. We are here to read the will." The group nodded and braced themselves.

"I would like first for the two gentlemen to sign, to establish that you were present and you have been made aware of the will itself." Anthony and Charles signed it but Anthony had no doubt everything would go to him and Ester as they were Viscounts. Wrong.

"This is the hereby will and testament of Lord Jacob Sloehigh, where his cottage at Fort William, the house in Governors Square London are to go to Lord Charles Billingsly." Anthony immediately noticed Ester turned green.

"The assets within the homes and the family heirlooms are to go to Lord Charles Billingsly." Anthony immediately was suspicious. If it was not for Ester marrying Anthony, the Sloehigh's would have nothing.

"The books and artifacts in Jacob's study will go to Lord Charles Billingsly." Anthony took note of Charles and Mariana's faces---they were not in shock at all. Ester had been duped.