Bridgerton Imagines

Smoke and Flames // A.B.

Warnings: fire, smoke, minor injuries - smoke inhalation, light angst but so much fluff, married couple, established relationship, female reader.

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Aubrey Hall, Kent: A little after 3am.

You wake in a rush; a gasp of breath leaving you. "What?" You breath, "Who's there? What happened?"

"It's me, Lady Bridgerton," Lucie rushes out; stumbling over her words, one after another. "I need you to come with me. Where is Lord Bridgerton?"

"He's at his brother's. Lucie, what's happened?" You demand, more awake now than ever. In the dim light of the flickering candle flame, you can see the stark fear stamped onto Lucie's face. Her eyes are wide, breath coming in fast pants and the candle shakes from where Lucie's hands grip tightly to the holder.

"I need you take a deep breath Lucie and tell me what's happening."

Lucie does as she's told but it doesn't slow the torrent of words leaving her mouth. "The east wing is on fire, Lady Bridgerton. We have to leave. We need to leave right now."

The words have barely registered before you're flinging back the covers and throwing yourself from your bed. Lucie hands you your robe before you ask for it. Your mind runs a thousand miles a minute as you try to form words. In the darkness of the early morning, you rush through the corridors of Aubrey Hall, knowing the way by heart.

You barely register the cold as you hurry into the night; your robes billowing out behind you. Lucie follows; you turn once to check she is there and feel relieved to find her there. In the cold of the night, you spy the

Tears rush from your eyes as you take in the sight of your home on fire. Angry orange flames devour the east wing, reaching towards the sky as if their anger could find its solution there. Briefly, you hear the cracking of the windows as the heat becomes too much. Too much anger, too much destruction, too much fear.

"Staff?" You ask Lucie, not daring to ask more as you watch the flames eat away your home through marriage.

"All out," Lucie confirms. "Jasper was the first to call the alarm. He stayed behind with two of the stable boys for the sand buckets."

"Tell me they're safe and out, Lucie."

Lucie nods, holding onto your outstretched for dear life. "They got out moments ago."

"Take me to them."

Lucie directs you to where three men are kneeling on the well-manicured grass. The elder of the three does his best to stand when he catches sight of your approach. With a single, raised hand you tell him to stay where he is. "Jasper," You breathe, "Are you all okay?"

"We are, Lady Bridgerton."

"Thank goodness. Now, rest please. I'm sorry you've had to see such sights tonight."

Turning away from the men, you reach out for Lucie, needing her strength when your husband was so far away. "I need two men and two horses," You state, sending your ladies maid on her way.

As you wait, grief overcomes you in wave after wave. The flames had begun to die; residents from the nearest village having shown with water bucket after water bucket. As you stand in front of Anthony's ancestral seat of power, you begin to understand the different styles of grief that can overcome a person. The skeleton of the east wing is barely intact, and you feel hollow for the cherished memories lost. The windows continue to crack and break, and you feel heartbroken for the members of staff that have lost their possessions. The smoke continues to rise into the night sky, and you feel inconsolable on behalf of Anthony, and how close you had come to leaving him tonight.