Young and beautiful, Anthony Bridgerton

PROLOGUE- THE LOSS OF A PARENT

Prologue

"The loss of a parent."

It was normal for family's to have many children, because they weren't sure if they would survive or not but for the Swann family, they already weren't sure if they could even have children, having tried year after year, where everyone else around them seemed to be having children like the Featherington's and the Bridgerton's, but when the Bridgerton's were on their fourth child, the Swann's got lucky, where that year both Violet Bridgerton and Katherine Swann gave birth to baby girls, believing the two to grow up to be the best of friends.

Where for the Swann's, their daughter Elizabeth was like their diamond to them, where they felt the need to not try for another child, where she learned how to read, sew, cook even though they had staff to do that, to sing and dance, and horse back ride which was her and Daphne Bridgerton's favorite thing to do together, although that made Anthony Bridgerton always feel like he needed to accompany them where he'd drag Benedict and Colin along as well, though with his family ever growing having two more sister's named Eloise and Francesca, saying he needed to accompany them on their ride was his only way of freedom at the time.

All was just as they should be, the Swann family though smaller then others was one of the happiest, but one night when they were out in the country at the Bridgerton estate having dinner, they had gotten up and began walking to the front door to venture home, Elizabeth's mother had stopped walking, as her father looked to her "Katherine?" he asked, as her mother dropped, her father caught her "mother!" Elizabeth voiced, going to run over to them, Anthony run up to her and put his arms around her, holding her back while his father and mother along with their staff checked her out.

Where knowing she wasn't well enough to travel, they let her stay and called for a doctor, as they all were waiting for news, Elizabeth's father came walking out of the room with the doctor and up to Violet and Edmund Bridgerton "I'm so sorry." the doctor said "thank you, doctor." her father told him, but there was whispers amongst them, as her father soon turned to her "Elizabeth." he told her, holding out his hand, Elizabeth stood up and walked toward's him, taking his hand, the two then walked into the room that her mother was in.

Where she lied there on the bed, as the two walked up to her "Elizabeth, my diamond. I need you to know something," her mother told her, grabbing her hand "no matter what happens, I always want you to be courageous and kind, promise me." she told her "I promise." Elizabeth told her, her voice breaking "good. Good." her mother told her, looking to her father who was crying, Elizabeth looked to him and when she did, she started crying "Elizabeth.." her mother told her, as Elizabeth looked back at her "I must go very soon, my love. Please forgive me." her mother told her.

"Of course I forgive you." Elizabeth told her, leaning down and hugging her, she was crying even more especially as her mother hugged her back, her father then joined them in the hug "Elizabeth, I love you." her mother told her, kissing her on the head "I love you, James." she then told him, and as she did, the three stayed there like that until she passed away.

When it came time for her burial, Elizabeth stood in front with her father, where everyone seemed to show up, even those they didn't know but that knew them just by name, all giving them regards, where their happy personalties seemed to slip away with her, where for awhile, the two wouldn't even leave their home, the lights not even being on where you didn't even know if anybody still lived their or not, it was like they didn't exist.

Except for the men who went to boxing matches, where the newest competitor happened to be one James Swann, where he took his anger out on the world on other people opposed to drinking and sleeping with other woman, knowing he'd never marry again, and that the only thing that mattered anymore was his daughter Elizabeth.

Where Daphne kept telling her family how worried she was about her best friend and their father would always tell them that they were just in mourning and that things would get back to normal soon, but Anthony knew leaving her alone wasn't the solution, as he had gone to her house and knocked one of the handmaiden's answered the door "Mr Bridgerton, what can we do for you?" she asked "I'm here for Miss Swann." Anthony told her "I'm sorry she's not.." the handmaiden was telling him "horse back riding. I'm sure she herself would enjoy it and that her father wouldn't be opposed to it." Anthony shared.

And as he did, the handmaiden still seemed unsure as she looked back into the house "she'll be safe with me." Anthony found himself telling her, as the handmaiden looked back at him "I will go see." she told him, shutting the door, leaving Anthony standing out there.

Where soon Elizabeth had come down, as the two had gotten on their horses and went on their ride, neither of them were talking, but to Elizabeth even just having company again that wasn't just her staff or her father was comforting, and she had thought this would only be a one day thing, but Anthony came by every day to take her horse back riding, which was when Elizabeth finally spoke for the first time since her mother died "you don't have to keep doing this, you know?" she asked him, as Anthony chuckled "I love horse back riding." he told her "yes, but I um..I meant looking out for me." Elizabeth told him.

As Anthony nodded "well, you've been through a lot. And as the future viscount I thought I should." he shared, as Elizabeth hummed "well then, Viscount Bridgerton, I shall bid you goodbye." Elizabeth told him, pulling on the reigns, her horse began galloping off, Anthony's eyes went wide "Elizabeth!" he voiced, pulling on the reigns and galloping after her, where as he did, he began to catch up to her "would you slow down before you hurt yourself." he told her, as Elizabeth looked to him "I am perfectly fine!" she voiced, as his horse nudged her's, Elizabeth fell backwards "ah!" she voiced, falling off her horse.

Anthony jumped off his horse, putting his arms around her, the two fell to the ground, as he broke her fall, their horses began to gallop around each other, as the two were breathing heavy, Elizabeth turned looking at Anthony, and when she did, she felt her heart skip a beat, Anthony looked at her "are you alright?" he asked her, noticing how she was just staring at him "Elizabeth?" he asked her, as Elizabeth quickly took his hands off of her and got up, walking toward's her horse, Anthony furrowed her brows, as he got up "Elizabeth?" he asked her, watching as Elizabeth climbed onto her horse and galloped away.

Where Elizabeth had then gone back to hanging out with Daphne, where anytime she would see Anthony, her heart would skip a beat even as years went by it always did, making her want to hide and run away from him, wanting these feeling to go away, throwing herself into her dress making, reading, and dance and singing.

But then Edmund Bridgerton had died from a bee sting, making eighteen year old Anthony Bridgerton to the new viscount of his family, where Elizabeth having always watched him had seen how fast he changed, no longer winking or laughing, looking after all of his siblings including Francesca, Gregory and Hyacinth, and she may have not known what it was like to become the head of the household seeing as she was born to be married into one but she did know what it was like to lose a parent.

And wanted to be there for him like he had been for her, so she took Daphne off his hands, where the two would study together, go shopping, horse back riding, but whenever they'd make it back, Anthony would always be by himself, where Elizabeth would walk up to him, in fear of him lashing out at her and telling her to go away, and sit down next to him, not saying anything, but just wanting him to know that someone was there for him, and Anthony was appreciative of it, though he'd never tell her or anybody that he was.

But that was possibly the last time they ever hung out with each other, as they began to pursue different hobbies, where Elizabeth's father would take her to Greece and France and Italy over the summers, where she learned to perfect her dress making and learned different fashions that they didn't have in England, and enjoyed learning about other people's cultures and languages, and was taught some new dances and songs, where some of her less womanly hobbies she had enjoyed were hunting and fencing, and watching boxing and horse racing.

Where as they were returning home for this season, her father had decided that it was time to put her out into society to be married, but that didn't mean that he was gonna let any man do so, seeing as he always believed that no man was ever good for his daughter.