Burn - Edmund Bridgerton II's story

Chapter 1 - The Golden Boy

Prologue

Aubrey Hall, June 1823

"Papa, papa! Look what we raided from the orangery!" Eddie shrieked as he came rushing towards his father as fast as a seven-year-old possibly could, his little fists full of strawberries. He was dressed up as a pirate – eyepatch and all – while Augie Basset, who came running after him, had a large feathery hat and the baker's son Jack had just a scarf wrapped around his head. Both Eddie and Augie were obsessed with pirates at the moment, forcing their fathers to read everything that had been written about the Caribbean menace wreaking havoc upon honourable merchant vessels.

"Oh, how delicious!" Anthony grinned as he had picked one from Eddie's hand and put it in his mouth. As soon as either one of his sons came to him Anthony always forgot about everything else he was doing. At the moment he was standing with the baker next to a big cart filled with bread and pastries for the upcoming ball, going through a list of what else they still needed.

"Haha, it was only a trap!" Eddie guffawed in an evil manner, threw the strawberries at his father and began to whack at him with his wooden sword. Soon Augie joined in as well, accompanied by a terrifying roar, while poor Jack was too polite to attack the viscount.

"Oh no, I am being slaughtered by vicious pirates...!" Anthony laughed and collapsed on the ground. Eddie and Augie crawled all around him, still whacking at him relentlessly.

"Die, you English exploiter lord!" Eddie screamed.

"Exploiter...?" Anthony wheezed out. "Where do you learn such words!"

"From our governess!" Eddie replied happily, when both him and Augie were satisfied that the English lord they had attacked was already dead and beaten to the ground. Anthony took a deep sigh and stood up, as he did not entirely approve of Kate's quite radical choice of governess, even though the old woman had so far done a good job at teaching their sons.

"Uncle Anthony, can we go and play in the woods over there?" Augie asked and pointed far over the fields, further away than Eddie and Miles were allowed to go on their own. Anthony pondered upon the question for a moment, but thought that Simon's son was as clever and trustworthy as his father and already two years older than Eddie, so he nodded with a smile.

"But you have to be back when the sun is on top of the sky, then it is time for lunch! If you do not, I will come and find you." Anthony replied solemnly. "I hope it is alright, Mr Davies? I can send Jack back to you in our carriage, if you need to leave before they are back."

"Of course, my lord." Mr Davies murmured, looking a bit awkward, since he was not used to seeing the viscount covered in strawberries and rolling around in the grass. The three young boys gave out excited screams and set off running through the fields towards the forest, whacking at grain stalks and trees with their wooden swords as they went. They followed a creek deeper and deeper into the woods, until they reached a wildly growing meadow where a large old barn lay mouldering in the sunshine.

"What is that...?" Eddie breathed out, having not been in this part of the forest before.

"It looks like an old byre." Jack replied, making both Eddie and Augie gawk at him in confusion.

"An old what?" Augie wondered.

"You know, where cows live..." Jack sighed at his lordly friends. Eddie and Augie gave out an understanding 'aah' in unison.

"Surely us pirates should go and explore it. Don't you think so, First Officer Bridgerton?" Augie asked with a mischievous grin.

"Of course we should, Captain Hastings." Eddie replied with a similar smirk. "Come along, Boatswain Davies!" He hooted over his shoulder as they set off dashing through the meadow.