The golden summer sun shone brightly in the clear blue sky, as it casted it's warmth across your shoulders in a gentle breath, bathing the lush green land beneath your feet in it's blinding rays of August heat. The sky a rich azure blue, as though the gentlest cast of a tide washing over the entirety of the blanket stretched vastly above you. The clouds mere puffs of a breathless white as they very nearly disappeared into the deep blue, and the birds that flew along the trail of a gentle breeze, appeared as the softest spots of black flying across the horizon. The timid gusts of wind trickled through the branches of the surrounding foliage and ruffled through the thin blades of finely cut emerald grass, but even as you felt it's soft breaths fan against the bare skin of your neck and the side of your face, it did very little to cut through the heat that engulfed the peak of the day.

Aubrey Hall stood in all of it's remarkable and endearing wonder in the beam of summer sunshine. The land it rested upon as green as you'd ever seen the shade become, as it's grass hadn't a single blade left burnt by the heat of the sun's unrelenting rays. The trees that encompassed the estate, were voluptuous with their bountiful spread of vivid jade and emerald leaves. Tall oaks and sycamores casting a welcome shade upon the ground, as the gentle sight of breathtaking weeping willows were sprinkled within the abundance of towering trees.

Bounties of freshly bloomed flowers erupted across the paths, as it grew closer towards the garden that echoed the rich breaths of summer and the flora that came along with it. Wisteria in full bloom as it encompassed the exterior on the front half of Aubrey Hall, much as Bridgerton House back in London appeared, engulfing the thick brick with the softest breaths of lavender and a deeper violet touch. Delphinium blooming across the grounds, erupting bold hues of royal blue and a strong willed amethyst purple amongst the landscape of melding green.

The sun shone in bright peaks across the gentle lilac and cherry blossom pink hyacinths that were a must in the gardens, accentuating their natural beauty that could only be beat by the dear Hyacinth Bridgerton herself. Who, at the present time, could not simply be bothered by the surrounding flowers in which she was named after. For she bounded in eager steps right on the very heels of your own, her rather vivacious energy radiating from her bouncing form and her endless chatter, as though her childlike wonder and endless joy beamed as if she was her own source of sunshine.

"And whatever will you name it if it is to be a girl? Might it be a name starting with A? Mother says it is quite orderly to name the children in alphabetical order, perhaps Anthony feels the same way. But perhaps he does not, and wishes to name it--" Hyacinth Bridgerton, the youngest of the Bridgerton siblings but certainly not the one to be forgotten or overlooked in the slightest, was small as she bounced across the grounds in her pastel pink frock beside you. But the young child, only ten years of age, was full of life in a way you'd never witnessed before meeting the erupting firecracker in the form of Anthony's youngest sister.

Her smile never ceased to shimmer and grow, as her curiosity--reminding you of Eloise's thirst for knowledge from time to time-- knew no bounds. For she had a million questions pertaining to any little thing she could possibly think of, which at her age constituted as the vastest array of topics one could find, and if one was answered it prompted a new question to simply slip in it's place. But her energy was infectious, the glee of a child a welcome sight in the rather snotty and ostentatious crowd of the ton, even when her rambles of endless and unanswerable questions left you rather exhausted, you welcomed her company with open arms.

The visit to Anthony's ancestral estate, on the breathtaking countryside, began as a small getaway for the two of you. A spontaneous surprise sprung upon you one evening as Anthony climbed into the bed beside you, rather beaming with excitement over his plan to simply whisk you away for a few days alone in the country. Anthony had displayed it, in an effort to perhaps help sway your mind, as a time that would allow him to slip away from the stress of his duties for a few days, and allow the both of you some time alone before the arrival of your first child, due in the cold winter months. Your husband was a rather persuasive man, but as you listened to the way he spoke with such earnest enthusiasm saturating his every word, his hand resting over your swollen belly without even realizing it, as he gazed with excitement twinkling in his honey amber eyes, you hadn't needed a single ounce of persuasion. For a week long getaway, just you and your husband at the estate you loved the best, sounded like heaven itself had stepped down upon Earth just for you.

But as you soon learned from marrying into such a large and tightly knit family, a welcome change after growing up the sole child in the household, time away did not always stay as such. For three days in, as the weekend approached when Friday had revealed itself across the sunrise of dawn, his family joined you for the weekend getaway at their countryside estate. From Anthony's mother right down to the littlest Bridgerton, and the newest addition of a tiny baby Basset along for the fun, the week carved out just for you and your husband, became a weekend of family.

Although Anthony's scowl had sternly been left in place for the hours after their abrupt arrival, retreating and hiding himself away in a cloud of frustration in his study, you eventually sought him out. With tender hands and soft words, managing to erase the frown from the brooding man's face and pull him from his rather comical sulking self pity. You had gotten three days just the two of you, what could the harm be in having the rest of your time be spent with that of his loving family? After his disgruntled opinions, his clear annoyance at their sudden and unscheduled arrival and making sure to point out that he could no longer take you whenever and wherever the mood may strike, Anthony accepted the change in his original plans for the week and joined you with the same welcoming arms for a weekend spent with all of the Bridgerton family.

Which was why, as you finally decided to depart from the beautiful canopy tent set up on the outskirts of the blooming garden, sweet young Hyacinth matched each of your steps with more enthusiasm as you went searching for your husband. The soft orchid shade of your frock, that billowed against your ankles, blew gently in the breeze that rippled across the lightweight fabric. Your shoulders shaded by the sheerest material, a breath of purple that extended across your bodice, until it flowed down your frame in a deeper shade of layered and faintly embroidered fabric. Thankful for the muslin that breathed more than heavy silks and dense displays of frill and beads, underneath the sweltering August afternoon heat.

Hyacinth was a bouncing twirl of pale pink ribbons and delicate ruffles that spun around her waist with each of her energetic steps. Her curls pulled away from her face in another wide white ribbon, as the thick locks of chestnut brown that resembled that of her eldest brother's hair, swayed with her bounds.

"I should like it to be a girl," Hyacinth's rambles had yet to cease since she'd greeted you that morning, entering the dining room on a bright and early Saturday, resting well after their surprise arrival. Violet had managed to keep her inquires to a minimum over breakfast and distracted her with a tour around the garden to insure you had a moment of peace, as mornings still treated you poorly even as you reached the final few months of your pregnancy. But as noon rolled around, with a picnic lunch outdoors before the family partook in a rousing game of Pall Mall, neither Anthony nor his mother could restrain dear Hyacinth and her raging storm of questions and remarks any longer. "there are far too many boys in this family. And Daphne has just welcomed a boy, it should mean that you are to have a girl, it is only fair. Do you not think?"

Snapping your focus back down to the girl, who very nearly stepped on the backs of your feet with her closely trailing jumps, you smiled softly at her widely curious and energetic expression. Her rambles had taken flight as soon as her mouth was no longer full of sandwiches and refreshing lemonade, sitting down upon the blanket spread out beneath the canopy tent at your feet, squeezing her presence between your seat and Anthony's beside you. She'd begun asking her questions and as the hours passed and many had departed the shade of the canopy, her inquiries continued with barely a breath taken in between them.

"Why, I am sure I will be just as delighted if I am to have a boy Hyacinth." You sent her a kind smile, as she gazed up at you awaiting your response. Finding amusement in the frowning curl of her lips, as though she'd sipped a lemonade far too tart, as she appeared clearly displeased by your answer.

"You are just being kind because you believe that the baby may be able to hear you, aren't you?" Hyacinth challenged with an arch of her brow, but she spoke with a tone that was strong and sure of herself. While her words questioned, her mind believed them, and watching the expression span across her face, you couldn't help but laugh softly. For the arch of her brow and the way she spoke with such authority and confidence, especially at such a young age, reminded you of your husband. For the look she wore, you'd seen across the matured face of Anthony's many times and the sight of it reflected across such a sweet face of innocence, brought forth a joyous laughter.

It was in moments like these, when you found yourself submerged in the company of Anthony's youngest siblings, that your anticipation for becoming a parent but even more so, watching Anthony become a father, grew exponentially. It was one of the reasons you fell in love with him, you had to admit, watching him interact with his siblings. From Benedict who was only a mere two years younger, to the littlest addition of Hyacinth who grew to know him as the only father figure in her lifetime, Anthony's bond with his siblings was unmatched and unbreakable. His deeply rooted appreciation and belief in the importance of family, drawing in your heart in ways you hadn't expected to find from a man like Anthony Bridgerton.

But as you watched the countless times he'd sat through Daphne's butterfingers on the piano as she learned the correct keys with a smile, the closeness between the three eldest brothers, right down to the way he loved Gregory and Hyacinth with the same firm love even as a good decade separated them. Anthony's heart beat for his family, and having them all gathered with you both this weekend, made you all the more delighted in the prospect that soon you would have your own little family to watch his heart beat furiously for.

"Does it hurt?" Hyacinth's curious voice pierced through your daydreaming thoughts yet again, and turning your gaze downward across her peering hazel eyes, you hummed softly.

"Does what hurt dear?"

You hadn't noticed, as her hand was gentle and cautious after many reprimanding reminders from Violet over the last twenty four hours, that Hyacinth's right hand had found it's way to the front of your widely swollen belly for what must have been the third time that day. It wasn't until your eyes dropped to the sight of her small fingers brushing softly back and forth over your pale purple frock, that you began to feel the sensation along your concealed flesh.

She'd been captivated with the way it seemed to grow bigger each time she visited both you and Anthony, clearly not remembering that Daphne's had done the same and she rather enjoyed the feeling of the baby's kicks against the palm of her hand. Her smile lighting up like a million twinkling stars when she felt the thumping against the placement of her hand, and yet again, her reaction to the kicks replicated that of Anthony's when he first felt them himself.

"When the baby kicks, does that not hurt you? And why must it kick so much? And why do we have to wait so very long to meet the baby? And why--" You bit back your growing laughter at Hyacinth's raging river of thoughts, and calmed her with a soft expression before answering a few of her inquires.

"It doesn't hurt as much as it is quite uncomfortable. And I rather think it kicks, because it's growing in there and as it grows, the space becomes smaller. The baby is feeling cramped and needs to stretch it's legs out, which just so happens to kick against my stomach and sometimes my ribs." You explain in a gentle tone, watching her eyes tear from your gaze and back down to where her hand rests against your swollen belly, as the two of you continue your slow walk together in pleasant leisurely steps.

"And we must wait all of these months because the baby is not yet ready for this world, Hyacinth. It must grow and become stronger, but it will be here before you know it. It shall be here as the crystal snow coats the London streets." You add, remembering another one of her many inquiries.

Although Hyacinth did not respond, much too captivated with the soft thumps of the baby's foot against the placement of her palm, you knew she found some source of contentment in your response. Her questions being answered as diligently as possible, easing her rapidly swirling mind and allowing the small child a breath of silence, for what must have been only the second time since the morning broke.

Smiling warmly down upon the energetic girl adorned in the frilliest pale pink ruffles, making you imagine the endless array of dresses and accessories of every color you may find yourself swimming in if you are to have a baby girl, you lift your gaze away from her small frame and up ahead.

The sun shone bright in the peak of the sky, blinding with a golden hue that swept over the rolling land in a single swoop. But even as it made your eyes squint and your palm cupped against the base of your forehead in an effort to shield the relentless rays of light, remembering back to this morning and the bonnet Anthony urged you to take along for the picnic, refusing it after he nearly thrust it upon you in his bout of worry. You found underneath the sweltering heat, something you would never in this lifetime admit to your husband, that the shade an accessory such as that one provided may in fact be nice. But you simply swallowed the notion down, and continued with patient steps as the sight of gathered Bridgerton's grew into view.

They stood beneath the shade of a tall standing oak tree, all gathered in a large cluster with their hands toying with their mallets and smiles gracing each and every face. They had not yet started the fiery game of Pall Mall, as the sight of such smiles and the way they all seemed to be getting on so very well gave it away. For there had yet to be a single Bridgerton Pall Mall match, witnessed by your own two eyes, that hadn't turned into a cutthroat affair where all gloves were simply tossed to the side.

Competitiveness ran in the family as clearly as luscious chestnut brown curls and undeniable beauty did. The land stretched for miles and farther on down the hills rolling out of your range of sight, a beautiful emerald green that shimmered beneath the cast of the golden sunshine and it was only as your heels continued to sweep through the grass, that you heard the sound of their voices carry against the gentle breeze.

Your presence hadn't washed across his recognition yet, and you rather enjoyed the rare moments when you could observe Anthony before he turned all of his focus upon you. For Anthony had always been a protective soul, whether it was going over and sometimes far too above for his siblings, or his overwhelming solicitousness when it came to you, somedays bordering on the edge of possessiveness. But you knew it was simply a part of Anthony that he couldn't turn off, an innate part of his character that would always swell to his defend and care for his family, even if he nearly smothered them in the process.

When you found out you were with child however, all of the overprotectiveness in Anthony Bridgerton surged to a nearly explosive level. It was no longer just you that he worried over, now it was the tiny child growing inside of you. The one that he couldn't see with own two eyes and had no ability to check and make sure was well, which resulted in more caution and care for you, stifling but still rather adoring protection. As the months had passed by, with winter crawling closer in the future along with the reality of a newborn, Anthony scarcely felt relaxed. For he had always been a rather wound tightly man, but with the stress of unnecessarily worrying about your every movement, Anthony hardly took a deep breath for himself. So it was when you saw him, in moments not yet realized by his eye, in a stance of blissful peace that you couldn't help but smile.

Anthony stood beside The Duke of Hastings, whose own protective nature kept Daphne close at his side as though he couldn't bare to be parted from her. With Benedict and Colin stood across from them, all of the Bridgerton siblings adorning smiles that stretched across their lips, and even glinted in the curl of Simon Basset's own. He looked so at ease, bantering with his siblings, as his crossed hands balanced on the handle of his proudly deemed mallet of death. The shade falling over his shoulders from the canopy of thick running branches, and from the sleek black top hat adorned on the top of his mop of chestnut curls.

As you continued through the open land, inching closer to the cluster of Bridgertons as their bickers grew louder on your ears, you could see the way Anthony's shoulders appeared to breathe for the first time since he slept before the sun broke with the dawn of the day. For somedays, awakening before Anthony was the only glimpse of relaxation you were capable of capturing.

Hyacinth's hand flew from your swollen belly as a certain rambunctious Gregory Bridgerton, ran past his younger sister and pulled at the frills of her dress in mischief. Although the youngest and as feminine as they came, Hyacinth could roughhouse as well as any of them. She never backed down from confrontation, and rather outran Gregory more times than not.

You shielded your eyes from the blistering sun as you watched the two youngest Bridgertons chase and burst into piercing giggles through the vast open land, your own bout of laughter trickling from your lips. The sound, although soft and barely carried by the open breeze, met Anthony's ear in a songful tune that was enough for his attention to pull away from Colin and fall upon your approaching presence.

They all greeted you with a smile and a joyous hello, as if you hadn't just seen each of their faces a mere hour or two earlier, before Colin returned to whatever tale he was retelling with bold enthusiasm over his latest travel. Anthony moved from beside the Duke and met you half way, welcoming your company with a wide grin as he leaned forward and kissed your cheek lovingly.

"Darling," Anthony mused in a soft breath, the sound of his endearment danced across your skin, as he began to pull back slowly to meet at your awaiting gaze. "should you not be resting?"