A Lords love |Gerard Walseworth|

Bridgerton misery - Chapter 8

London, England 1803

Gerard had returned to the large manor, his horse swaying side to side from the unknowing presence leaving him years ago. The night sky dark and filled with stars, a light fog covering the neatly trimmed grounds of his parents' home. He squinted his eyes, seeing a small girl standing alone drawing closer, the long dark hair and curled fists made him see it was his little sister, her dress bunched up and legs dirty covered in splatted of mud.

"Eden !" He shouted, his horse slowly approaching her, making the teen turn her head. Her once clam face now quickly turned to shock, and she froze in place, "What in god's name are you doing out here ?" He asked he's quickly dismounting the black haired mare "I- uh I" Eden quickly spoke, trying to find a lie "don't try to lie Eden" He warned his sister "what are you doing out here alone at this bloody hour." He questioned her again, "what ... what are you doing out here, brother ?" She tried to redirect the question, but Gerard quickly ended it with a swift "no." He grabbed his sister's face, checking for any marks or signs of harm, "does mother or father know ? I'm doubtful that they do." He let go of the girl. "I..." Eden sighed, "Benedict, he brought me home." Eden answered, her eyes on the floor. "Benedict ?" Gerard's brows furrowed at his friend's name, "Benedict ? What were you doing with Benedict ?" Gerard's voice raised slightly "nothi-" Eden went to explain "Why are you out here and why alone ? We're you alone with Benedict ? We're the two of you alone ?" He fired a question at his sister, "no, no, I was yes but..." Eden answered, "well what ?" Gerard was quick to argue, "listen brother, just listen for once !" Eden pushed at his chest, her growing aggravation finally at its breaking point as her face held a scowl at her brother, it quickly fell at the realisation "oh you. You don't know ?" Eden's lips parted, "know what ?" He brother's brows furrowed once more at the constant riddles of his sister's words.

"Benedict's father... Edmund... he's dead." The words fell from the girls' mouth, "what ?" Gerard's head titled "he died this morning when he returned from hunting with Anthony." Eden explained, "How ? We saw him just yesterday." Gerard stood back from his sister "they don't know, yet he collapsed near the flower beds and the shock sent Violet into labour... she has given birth, but it was a complicated I simply went to see Colin. I only wished to comfort him, and then Benedict found the pair of us and sent Colin to bed, and then he rode me home. He... they...are all devastated." Eden finished, "Benedict simply wished me to come in no harms way, and it was foolish of me to leave the house unchaperoned... I am sorry." Eden's head turned back to the floor. "It's fine, Eden... it's fine." Gerard stared at his little sister for a moment before pulling her close, holding the girl in a warm hug. "I'm just glad that... you're okay." Gerard held his sister close, placing his chin on her head "you stink of whiskey" Eden mumbled again to her brother jacket making her older brother chuckle.

Gerard quickly headed inside, Eden close behind him, her fear of being caught by their parents quickly being squashed by Gerard's reassuring lies to say if they were caught as the pair made it upstairs. Gerard shooed his sister to bed, making his way to his own bedroom, but as he passed the hall he saw his father's study door slightly open, the warm light of his study fireplace glowing onto the wooden floor. He slowly approached the door, opening it to see his father sat slumped in his large leather chair, his waistcoat unfastened and etiquette long forgotten as he nursed a half filled glass of whiskey in his right hand, the other scribbling away at journals.

"Father." Gerard spoke quietly, making his presence calmly known, the man looked up, his brown eyes scoping out his eldest son's timid body, "come in." He spoke, dropping the pen to the rich mahogany desk, his slim body leaning back, "I have something to tell you." Henry looked to his son, who sat on a seat beside the fireplace. The furthest from him. "I already know." Gerard answered, and his father's brows furrowed just like his. They were a cracked mirrored picture. "Right." Henry sighed, his eyes wandering away from Gerard's, but his sons remained on him. Gerard's eyes stayed on his father's miserable body, the slumping lines of his frowns, the ageing wrinkles and sprouting grey that he had grown over Gerard's absence, "I'm sorry." Gerard spoke up, and his father's eyes found his Henry body nor face moved just his eyes as he stared at his son. A beat went pass as the two stared at one another, "what for ?" Henry asked his son, his constant disappointed tone gone, his words softer, sounding more like when Gerard was young. "I am sorry, Father... I am sorry for the loss of your friend." Gerard spoke, twisting the skin on his fingers, the lack of his gold ring making him revert to his own flesh. The young boy swallowed the lump in his throat before looking back at his old man, who's brows had fallen low, a singular side of his mouth slump as he finally saw his little boy. Maybe Gerard's simple sorry dug desperately deeper then the condolences of Edmunds passing, but Gerard would rather die sooner than let his father hear the craved meaning of those words.