True love didn't exist before you || Anthony Bridgerton

~ 𝑀𝑒𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑡 ~

"Brother? Where have you been?" Anthony asked Benedict, he had not seen him in a whole day.

"Art academy. Having a splendid time painting and-"

"And drinking?" Anthony asked with little amused look on his face. He knew how much his brother loved painting and could spent days painting his master piece that he was doing right now.

"No, oh..do you honestly think that all that time I am spending in the art academy, I drink? And if you must know, I was painting my master painting." Benedict said as he tapped the table which was full of dome Anthony's papers. "Perhaps you should go enjoy time with other people than only yourself, brother?"

Anthony took big and heavy breath before answering. "If you haven't notice I am middle of something, brother?" As a oldest brother and a sibling, sometimes he felt little annoyed by his younger siblings.

"It was just a politely proposal, of course you can stay in your office whole day or take a little refreshing walk that would do much better than sitting here all day along." Benedict said and raised his eyebrows. Anthony only looked him like he was world's annoyed thing right now.

"Are you alright? You seem much.. brighter and-" Benedict only smiled little as he examine Anthony's papers.

"I feel very good thank you..,But see you today brother!" And he left Anthony's office, leaving confused Anthony watching at the door where Benedict just went.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My idea for today was write letter to my mother who currently is in France. Helping her friend. I took my squill and the ink, well as some paper to write. I have missed my mother dearly, luckily I do not have to be completely alone in London. Lady Danbury and Viscount Bridgerton have helped with it.

I did not know where to start, so I started with a greeting. Never had I been very big letters writer.

Hello
How I have missed you dear mama, London does not feel the same without you. But I wish you have enjoyed your time in France, little get away will do good sometimes to everyone. Please do say hello from me to grandmother and grandfather and all my aunts and uncles. I wish I could had come with you, it would had truly done good to me. But I understood I had to stay in London.

What I am talking about myself, please do tell how things are in there. Is everything alright? How are you enjoying the time in France, how is your friend doing? What have you filled your days with? Is your family doing well, what about Aunt Esthel, has she got her third child yet?

Hope you will get back soon! Miss you enormously, please do sent letter immediately when you get to know the date you will return.

~Your loving daughter Cordelia Anderton

And I put the letter in a envelope that was laying on my table, gave a red signature so it would stay closed and walked downstairs.

"Would you be that kind and post this? It is for my mother."

"Yes, my lady." The servant said as I gave the envelope to him. Hopefully it would get to my mother soon, the envelopes used to be little late.

"Thank you." I said and smiled brightly. Headed back to my room as I dreamed about France and it's beautiful country side. I spent all my time in there when I was little, playing with my cousins as my mama and aunts drank tea, and talked about the latest gossips.

Missing so dearly my family and the country side of France, on memory popped into my head that I hadn't remembered for a long time.

Flashback*

The sun was shining bright and high, it brought my freckles on that I have now lost. I could feel little wind on my skin, flowers swinging in the wind. The grass under my soft and tickling, I could fall asleep on it.

"Cordelia! Viens ici!" My mother said in french to me and I rose up from the grass where I had just while ago laid. I ran to her as my beautiful light violet dress swayed in the wind.

For my surprise my aunt Victoria was there too, caring something white in her hands that reminded me of a baby, wrapped in a gauze. "Quelle?" My eyes quickly fixed to my mother's. Her lips were curled into a little upwards smile.

"C'est ta nouvelle cousine, Fiona." My mama said as my aunt showed me her just born daughter, who was my new cousin. She was so small and pretty, I remembered. As she opened her little eyes, I could see she had the same green eyes that I had.

"Elle est si petite et jolie." I said to my aunt who smiled brightly and proudly of her just born daughter.

"Oui, quand elle sera plus grande, vous pourrez jouer ensemble. " That got me excited, I could show her our family house here and its secret doors that I so well knew how to use.

"Oui! Elle va adorer ici! Elle est déjà ma préférée." I was already in love with her, even when she was so small and couldn't speak yet. I pressed light kiss on her forehead before rushing back where I had been.

"Et elle part.." My mother said with little laugh to her sister before looking back to her book.

End of the Flashback*

I hadn't saw Fiona for a long time, its been at least ten years since we met. She must be fourteen by now. We always had special connection between us, we understood each other and respected each other's wishes. It would truly be good to see my cousin now, all of them.

Memories brought me little home sick and sadness. Now I was looking out of my window with tears in my eyes, falling on my cheeks. I remember I had retained few things from the house that we spent our summers. Quickly I stood up and headed to my dresser where I found little box, full of memories from summers.

First thing that caught my eyes where the bookmark that my grandmother gave me when I was ten years old. I enjoyed reading back then too and I could easily say I have read at leats half of the books from the library that where in the house. Next thing were old letters from my old friends, I wonder where they might be now or are they married with children. I used to invite my friends to our country side house in summers and we explored the forest as well just did stupid things that little children do. The third and last on was something I had forgotten a long time ago, it was pearls that were my mother's. Mama had told father had gave her the pearls and I sort of just took them, I used them when we played some kinda dressing play or we played we were princesses and princes with my cousins. They weren't that white anymore that I remembered them but it wasn't surprise, they had seen time. I stared put of window for while as I held the pearls in my hands.

I told my dresser, if she could something to the pearls. Make them white again.

   ~•~•~•~~•~~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

In tonight's dinner I wore the pearls, now they were perfect for me. They were light and little cold on my skin, I felt sort of different as I wore them like someone else where in the same room with us.

"Beautiful pearls you have there, Miss Anderton." Lady Danbury said as she took bite from her food.

I immediately smiled kindly to her, knowing it was true, they were very beautiful." Thank you, Lady Danbury. Actually they were my mother's that my father gave to her before I came." She listened my every word closely and looked me the whole time in the eyes.

"How lovely story they have, very beautiful gesture from your father." She smiled little and stayed watching me for a little more. "I have heard you have settle down here? I can see you have make home here, dear." She was right, I had settled down here. It didn't feel that weird or abnormal to live here.

"Yes, that you are right. This place have started to feel like home. Your house have been very welcoming to me." I spoke with kind words about her house, after all I was the guest here.

"It is only good to here that, and I do like your company here, Miss Anderton. I have been living alone for a while and I didn't even remember what it felt to have someone live with you." She responded with kind smile. We both continued our dinner and talked trough the whole time before going back to our doings.