The Bridgerton Eight

Justice For Our Community Center!

Monday—November 23th, 2020

After leaving his delusional friend to his own devices, Anthony felt his mind reeling. He told himself he had done enough warning Simon about the pressure to find a girl, but he had also neglected to say that the pressure had gotten the best of him. Him! Anthony Bridgerton had finally cracked.

Anthony sighed. He just wanted to be over with the judgmental looks he received down the halls of BCorp every time he was caught flirting with his secretary. It was the type of look his father had never received in his lifetime. It was the type of look that made Anthony feel far away from living up to his father's expectations.

He was aware he didn't fit the image of a man who had 'settling down' on his mind. For all he knew, life was short and certainly meant to be enjoyed. But he had responsibilities too. He had to take care of his mother and siblings with the same diligence and affection his father had displayed. He had to make sure his brothers got into good schools and he had to stand a mind-numbing number of recitals given by his sisters, while at the same time running a multinational company and keeping a close and watchful eye on the family finances. It was his duty to make sure there was enough money to secure everyone's future.

And to secure BCorp's future, and everyone else's, ultimately he'd have to have a son.

What else could he do? He was the firstborn Bridgerton of a firstborn Bridgerton of a firstborn Bridgerton eight times over. He had a dynastic responsibility to be fruitful and multiply.

Anthony wasn't about to offer the position to just anyone though. He'd made a mental list of requirements. First of all, a pretty face wouldn't do the job, although that was certain a bonus he wasn't prepared to give up on. She needn't be a raving beauty, but she couldn't be horrible either. People looked up to him. And they would look up to her as well.

Second, she couldn't very well be stupid, which would probably be the most difficult of his requirements to fill. He was not universally impressed by the mental prowess of the women of Great Hamptons. And you know what they said: behind a great man was a great woman. She needed to have a mind of her own and ideas that would help improve BCorp like his mother had done and was still doing.

Third—and this was the most important—she couldn't be anyone with whom he might actually fall in love. Under no circumstances would this rule be broken. Anthony had no desire for his life to be visited by that particular miracle. It was bad enough he had seven siblings he loved and would always worry about, and a fantastic mother he would most likely lose someday, he didn't have to add someone else to that equation. He couldn't bear to love anyone else. It was too much responsibility and it hurt as hell at times.

Complicated, yes.

Which was why he didn't tell Simon, or anyone else, about his intentions. They wouldn't understand. No one could understand the depth of the bond he'd felt with his father. And no one could understand the way Anthony felt, how he aspired to be as great a man as his father, knowing that that was impossible, yet trying all the same. To achieve more than Edmund had—in any way—that was inconceivable.

The way he saw it, he had three options: Phoebe Featherington, Rosamund Gunningworth and Edwina Sheffield. Problem with Phoebe was that she was a close neighbor which sort of made her—almost—like family to him. And none of the Featheringtons were particularly good looking if he was being completely honest. They had more sense (and brains) than their crazy mother, but still it didn't feel right to him.

Rosamund, on the other hand, was in great shape. He had definitely, more than once, pictured how she'd look naked. In bed. With him. That was obviously something he should consider. He should also consider that (behind her back, of course) she was described as 'blonde and bitchy'. She was probably not a morning person...