Breathe | s.b | bridgerton

Prologue

Carina Bridgerton had sworn off marriage and despised it for as long as she can remember.

Ever since that one horrifying day, when little Carina learnt from her governess she could not read or learn further than her teen years, or go to college like her elder brothers, for her husband wouldn't allow it for the fear of an educated young woman, all dreams of finding her prince or knight in shining armour shattered for the young girl.

At just the ripe age of one and ten, her innocent and rosy view on love changed. Finding a husband didn't seem like something she wished to do in her entire life. And the countless stories about her mama and papa's love didn't make her swoon and pray for the same love like it used to anymore.

And so,  when Edmund's little princess did not wish to be called so any longer, and locked herself in her room, crossed with him for somehow ruining her mother's life, he couldn't help but be heartbroken. Prying the answers from her hadn't been easy, for she would refuse to open the door and see him. But he managed, he did swear he would never let anything hurt her after all.

Right then and there, a promise was made. A vow to never meddle in Carina's love life, or marry her off against her will. She was promised she could do as she pleased. She would continue higher studies if she wished so and she would be a spinster if she so much as said the word that she wanted to. Her father's only request was she attend one season. Just one, and just for the sake of it.

And even though Carina never understood why, she vividly recalled him saying, "Well you wouldn't know how to make the good decisions for yourself if you are not exposed to all your choices." Looking at his confused daughter, he would just chuckle out and say, "I just don't want you to miss out on anything, my sweet Carina .If you shall wish to stay unmarried after one season, no one shall hassle you again."

After her father's death, Carina decided to follow through with their promise, as a sign of love and respect for him. Only, she truly was terrified of being reduced to just her pretty face and being treated like some cattle only good for breeding. And so, she put off her debut into the season.

Her mother understood, and respected the girl's wish to not enter the society. She had seen the helpless looking girl Carina had become, and in all her years, Violet had never seen Carina that broken, not even when Edmund died.

Upon the death of her beloved father, Carina did not get the chance to mourn him like she deserved. She grew up too quick. She had to be the lady of the house, and the mother of all her siblings, even the older ones, because Violet couldn't.

And that has been one of the greatest regrets of Violet's life. Of being so absent after her kids lost their father that Anthony and Violet had to step into her duties, had to give up their childhood and become parents to their siblings so they wouldn't lose their mother so soon after they lost their father.

Only now, when they could finally rest and do something for themselves, they did not know how to. They never learnt how to because all they ever did was for the sake of their family.

So watching her strong, independent Carina be so terrified left Violet so broken, she couldn't force her to do something she did not wish to.

But now, Daphne had come of age, and was to make her debut this season, and Carina being the eldest, had no choice but to do so too. Not only to show her support to her sister, but also because Daphne debuting before the eldest daughter would be a topic of scandal, and would probably tarnish the Bridgerton name and chances of Daphne having a match this season.

And if anyone knew one thing about Carina, it was she did not let anything hurt her family. She could not let anything hurt her family. And so, the marriage season began. And so did the story of how the purest love match of them all came to be.

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Simon Basset had made a vow to never be married or sire an heir.

Ever since he was all but a mere boy, Simon has known he could never have kids. Not when he has his father's blood running through him. For Simon has been that child, he knows how it feels, to have a father who loathes you so. And Simon could never in his life bestow that fate upon someone else, and that is what he would be doing if he has children.

After all, they do say 'blood is thicker than water', and who is to say, Simon would not turn up a father exactly like his? Who is to say the blood of his father would not end up sullying his integrity, his morals and his own family? Is it not better than, for him to never make a family for him to ruin?

Throughout his childhood and even well into adulthood, Simon's father had never once, acknowledged him. He remembers as a child, his father avoiding his eyes whenever they would end up in the same room, which was surely a mistake, then he would turn around with a furious face and shout at the servants and throw anything in sight until they would take him away, like he was some sickly animal, too disgusting to even be near the Duke.

Trust he would never ever let Simon be seen with him. He really hated his own son, never even read the letters he wrote, Simon even had to grow up without his mother, just because the Duke could not bear to hear his wife was unfit to have a child. He did not care about anything, just to have a heir, his son, someone who could continue the Basset line, Someone who would not let his Dukedom die.

So when Simon got news his father wished to see him on his death bed, he wished to do anything but that. But somewhere deep down within him, he was still that boy, wishing for his father's affection, so he went, and saw him, and when the very first kind words Simon had heard in his life, left his dying father's mouth, he could not be more vexed, more hateful, more angered. Then and there, Simon promised his father to see to it that his line would end with himself.

He swore he would never marry, or have kids. And he had every intention to keep the promise he made, until he met her.
He met her and she made him question all his decisions, and she did nothing but shower him with insults.

And as much as he resisted, Simon wanted her more, and so began the story of the most wondrous love match and how the two souls spent the journey through heaven and hell, slowly intertwining together until they were one.