The Wrath of a Bridgerton

[Anthony Bridgerton]

Tag: julia

i am a viscount

IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY

Anthony was livid. One would think that now that he was married he would be far more settled -- emotionally -- than times past. One may also assume that because he had 7 siblings, that his overprotective nature would dwindle with each one. But neither were true of the Viscount. He was equally protective over all his sisters and brothers . . . and Eloise Bridgerton was no exception. He had come to find out that in her time in Bloomsbury, she had also found herself in the company of a young man. He had only his name and where he worked, which was enough for him to set his sights towards meeting him.

❖  ❖  ❖  ❖  ❖  ❖  ❖ 

Unsure as to what he was going to say, he felt his emotions getting the better of him. He may trust his sister but she was still young and men . . . well, he knew what men wanted. What a man could possibly want with a young, beautiful woman. And Anthony Bridgerton was going make sure Theo knew he would never get it. Arriving at the printing shop, stepped inside and he saw a young man, eyeing him. Despite the storming rage within him, Anthony was perfectly composed and calm -- for the time being. Best he verify the identity of this Theo Sharpe before he unleash himself upon him. "Excuse me," he spoke politely. "I am looking for a Mister Theo Sharpe."

[julia]

Anthony Bridgerton

Theo couldn’t exactly say that he’d had a bad day so far. The new paper delivery had gone smoothly and for the first time in what had felt like weeks, his foreman had left him on his own to close up the workshop.

Ever since the actual Queen of England had started asking questions about him, Theo Sharpe, he’d not been allowed to man the place unsupervised. Like the British militia might storm in any moment and arrest him. And Theo had to admit when a messenger had showed up the first time to question him, that’s exactly what he had feared, too.

But things had quietened down ever since Eloise had refrained from seeing him again. It was better this way, even if it meant that his perfectly acceptable day still had a bitter aftertaste at the thought of how they had parted.

A quick look over at the imposing grandfather clock told Theo that he’d have another hour to kill before he could realistically begin with preparations to close the shop for the night, and so he settled in with his elbows propped up on the counter and pulled a small leather-bound book from the pocket inside his apron, flicking through the pages until he found the spot he’d left off this morning.

A few pages in, he was just on the cusp of losing himself in the narrative. That sweet spot when surroundings started to blur and mesh with the pages of the book. A high-pitched ringing announced the opening of the workshop door. Theo noticed the arrival but wanted to finish this last sentence. Or maybe just one more paragraph. 'Excuse me.’, a man’s voice filled the quiet and Theo raised his finger, indicating that he’d be right with him, right after this final page. The mention of his own name was what eventually tore his eyes away from the printed words. People rarely came in here asking about him directly…until recently anyway.

The man in front of him clearly held some sort of title and lands. The fabric of his clothes was finely woven, the colours rich and immaculate. Someone who clearly didn’t walk the streets much. He was exactly the sort who would employ someone like Theo’s father to teach his sons their letters.

For a moment, Theo was tempted to pretend he was someone else, but his recent troubles had only been exacerbated by Eloise trying to cover up and change parts of the story. “Ummm…yes, sir, that’s me. I’m Theo Sharpe.” He closed the cover of his book and moved it to the side, pushing himself back up off the counter. “How may I help you today?”

☽LIA☾

[Anthony Bridgerton]

Tag: julia

i am a viscount

IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY

He was Theo. Anthony looked at him, and while his expression did not shift, his mindset did. More so toward the fact that the very man he was conversing with was the one who had been with his sister unaccompanied. A young man who as with a young woman so far out of his league and reach . . . but then, Anthony thought the same of any one that any of his siblings would wed and Eloise was no exception. There was truly no one good enough for her. But worse yet, the man had not even given thought towards such things. Never mind the obvious impossibility given his rank but also, an honorable man would not compromise a woman nor her reputation by being alone with her.

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The more Anthony thought about such things . . . the more angry he became. It took all within him not to unleash this anger onto the young man before him . . . yet. "My name is Viscount Bridgerton," he introduced, using his formal title and the obvious last name to perhaps give the boy some clarity. Did he even know Eloise's last name? Or was her name not what he was interested in. "And I believe you know my sister." If there was anything that one knew well about the Viscount, it was his over protective nature towards his family. A fact that became more evident when Daphne was out in society. Any intelligent man would not dare to try anything with them. Which left two possibilities: Theo was highly unintelligent, or he did not know this of Anthony. Either way, he was about to receive a very strong lesson on the matter.

[julia]

Oct 28, 2022 18:00:58 GMT julia said:

Anthony Bridgerton

Theo tried his very best to not be intimidated by the man in front of him. Despite Theo having a couple of inches on him - that was clear even at this distance - the new arrival loomed large in the workshop. Too grand and lordly to fit in.
Not like Eloise - she had breathed in the scents of ink and paper. And yet…, Theo noticed with a twist in his gut, the man in front of him bore similarities to the young Bridgerton lady. Something about the eyes…assessing and intelligent, intense even.

Stubbornly, Theo matched his gaze with the arrogance only a 19-year-old could possess. There was no need to hide from this man. This was still his part of town that this Lord, Duke, whatever had walked into. Given his previous…misunderstanding with the Queen, Theo would be polite, but he would not grovel. Wasn’t this what he clapped and cheered for at the rallies? The same rights for everyone?

He stood a little taller still, his jaw determinedly set. With his eyes still fixed on Theo (he really must have come here to specifically see him, he hadn’t even acknowledged the enormous printing press that filled a third of the room), the man introduced himself as ‘Viscount Bridgerton’. No first name. Theo developed an instant dislike for the man. This air of superiority was exactly what he despised about the collective upper class. Yet a quiet voice in the back of his head reminded him that Eloise had never treated him like this, not even when she’d insisted she was trying to protect him.

When the Viscount announced himself as Eloise’s brother, Theo couldn’t say he was surprised. And he was certainly not pleased. Theo was trying to move on from this brief (but memorable) encounter with the young lady. Possibly nothing more than a footnote in his life. And yet, people and issues seemed to seek him out at every turn, unwilling to let him go.

“I believe I do, Viscount Bridgerton.”, Theo acknowledged, a subtly smug smile on his lips. He had said ‘do’, not ‘did’. No matter the reason why Eloise’s brother had tracked him down, Theo wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of admitting that they had not parted on good terms. That, by not coming back, Eloise had only confirmed what Theo had feared and known all along: That there was no future between them. That it made so little sense that not even a friendship was worth pursuing.
“Eloise.”, he clarified. The sound of it tasted sweet after weeks of trying to forget it. The smug smile morphed into something more genuine that he couldn’t entirely hide. “She’s not here, if that is why you’ve come…m’Lord.” He added the last word, almost as an afterthought.

☽LIA☾