My Life As A Bridgerton

Part The Eleventh

I DO NOT OWN BRIDGERTON. SHOUTOUT TO EVERYONE WHO CARES ABOUT THIS STORY.

Hyde Park. London, United Kingdom. 3 days later.

After the drama of Eloise's inquiry, I was faced with the Berbrook sub plot. Violet had encouraged us all to have a family picnic in the park to celebrate Daphne's snaring of Duke Simon of Hastings. While everyone was occupying themselves, i found myself enjoying a card game with Gregory and Hyacinth. Out of all the Bridgerton siblings, I enjoyed their company the most (besides Eloise). While I waited for Nigel Berbrook to make an appearance with a battered face courtesy of the Duke of Hastings, Anthony took this opportunity to apologize for his massive fuck up.

"I was not aware, sister, of what Berbrooke attempted. I would have helped you, you should have told me." Anthony insisted as Daphne was still giving him the cold shoulder and deservedly so.

"Would you have believed me?" She asked sharply, taking her oldest brother by surprise. "Did you only change your mind about Lord Berbrooke because another man told you the truth?"

"You truly esteem me so little?" he asked with an offended look on his face.

"After I apprised you of my wishes, and you proceeded to ignore them; yes brother, I do." Daphne declared as she walked off to meet the Duke who had just rode in.

"You know brother, she has a point. You were so bored with this marriage business and so eager to get back to your mistress that you flung Daphne upon the first blue blood who sought her." I said as I looked towards Anthony.

"That is not fair Colin, I did what I felt was best for our sister." Anthony snapped as he clearly didn't give a shit about my opinion on the Berbrook incident. "My initial inquiry of Berbrook gave no sign of the villain he truly is and furthermore, I have ended my affair with Siena, so do not bring her into this." Before I could say another word to call him out on his bullshit, Nigel appeared on cue with what he assumed was his trump card to get his payback on the entire Bridgerton clan.

"Bridgerton!" He declared with a pained smile as he held up the license in his hand. "I bring cheerful news, Bridgertons. I have taken matters in my own hands and sought a special license for my wedding to Miss Bridgerton."

"There is to be no wedding." Daphne insisted as she had walked up to our tent with Simon Basset in tow.

"I told you, the arrangement is canceled." Anthony added angrily.

"Lord Berbrooke, you look in a great deal of we continue this in a more private location?" Violet inquired as she was worried about him causing a possible scandal.

"I require no further conversation; though, perhaps I am finally speaking to the true head of the Bridgerton house." Nigel remarked, intentionally throwing shade at Anthony. "For if it were you, I imagine you would have instructed your sister to take better care than to encourage certain attentions while alone with me on the Dark Walk at Vauxhall."

"Berbrook!" I exclaimed as I tried to make it sound like this was the first time I was hearing of Nigel's scheme.

"Of course, mere hearsay of such a scandal could wreak havoc on even the most influential of families." He threatened with a gleam in his eye as he enjoyed our fear. "What would someone like, say, Lady Whistledown do with such unseemly information?"

"Is that a threat?" Anthony asked.

"It is certainly not." Nigel answered. "Because in three days, I am to marry. I have the diamond of the season, I have the very best the ton has to offer, I have a Bridgerton; and I shall save her, as well as your entire family, from the ruin which you could not protect them."

"You sack of piss, you will never be our brother." I snarled, earning a shocked look from everyone.

"Ah, but I shall and unless you desire ruin, you will accept it." Nigel shot back as he looked at me like a dumbass. "I look forward to the union of our great families; Bridgerton, Hastings." We all watched him go with pure loathing as Daphne felt as though she had no choice but to marry that piece of shit Berbrook; if for no other reason than to save her family and herself from the sting of scandal.

As much as I disdained her character, I had to admit that it was rather noble of Daphne to chain herself to that ass bandit for the good of her family and for the first time since arriving in Colin's body, i felt genuine pity for Daphne Bridgerton.

Luckily, I didn't have to do a damn thing to put the Berbrook bastard in his place. Violet and Lady Danbury followed the script and found out the rumor about Nigel knocking up some maid and exiling her to the country. They spread it around like wildfire and Pen took the bait and publsihed the scandal in an article of Lady Whistledown.

I never actually thought about it much before, but season 1 proved that Pen wasn't as invincible or as insanely clever as she wanted the ton to think that she was. Daphne, Simon, Violet, and Lady Danbury had all proven the same thing: Lady Whistledown could be fooled. If Lady Whistledown could be fooled, she could be caught; and if she could be caught, she could be hurt.

I hadn't been able to see the 3rd season, so I didn't really have an idea about how the showrunners planned to end the whole Lady Whistledown arc. I had no idea going into all of this if Queen Charlotte was going to destroy Penelope, either figuratively or literally; or if Penelope would be able to get away with spewing her venomous scandal sheets scot free.

REVIEWS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED.