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𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭: 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐧𝐨
 𝐟𝐮𝐫𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧
𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝.

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PRESENT DAY

Early in the morning, Augusta started her journey with a smile and a skip in her step. Not even the way Benedict had queried about her uncharacteristic upbeat behavior bothered her. The house where her sister was staying for a few weeks with her fellow artists was only a few corners away from the Bridgerton house and she could not express how elated she was to see one of her younger siblings after almost a year.

The gates of the Balfour mansion creaked open after she told one of the footmen that she was a guest of Alice Woodbury. There was an endless amount of flowers and a fountain of a Greek goddess adorned the garden in the front. Augusta's shoestrings crunched on the ground as she approached the exorbitant home. Surely her salary was being put to good use if Alice was able to offered this trip from across Europe. 

The ceiling of the mansion looked as if it towered London and reached the Heavens. The paintings of angels and Greek gods and goddesses immediately captured Augusta's attention as she appreciated a painting of high standard. Unlike the painting dull Lord Wetherby had presented to her the day before, the figures of the celestial bodies looked bright and so life-like. A squeal emitted from the top of the staircase reminded Augusta that she was still indeed a mere mortal.

A wide smile formed on the lips of the Woodbury sisters with Alice practically sprinting down the staircase and Augusta bouncing on the tips of her toes.

Alice had flung herself to her older sister's open arms. They wasted no moment in exercising their efforts in talking over the other's voice as they stressed numerous important events that had happened over the course of their distance. Of course, these numerous important events were far too crucial to be said on a mere letter.

"Gussie, your hair has gotten so long!" Alice exclaimed as she gently sifted her fingers through her older sister's blonde hair ─ the only physical trait all three Woodbury siblings shared. Alice and Albert were graced with their mother's nose and emerald green eyes while Augusta had gray eyes that resembled rainclouds.

"We must not trim your hair!" Her younger sister continued on and joked. "It is your one beauty! And ─ " Alice gasped in an exaggerated manner. "What are all these lines around your forehead?!"

Augusta chuckled. "And you are as beautiful as I recall, my dear sister." Her hand delicately landed on Alice's cheeks, the elder Woodbury observing the changes on her face. "Alice, you have grown! What have they been feeding you in that school of yours?"

Alice nervously smiled, placing her sister's hands down. "It is not the school, sister. It is something else."

Augusta furrowed her brows. What ever else could it be?

"A mhuirnín (darling)!" A thunderous voice boomed from the top of the staircase. From below, Augusta could make out bright red hair perched on a tall and slim man. Once his gaze settled on Alice, his mouth broke out into a wide grin. "It seems like our daughter requests your presence! Well, she prefers your presence over mine to put it in simpler terms." The tall man had a very lively Irish drawl in his voice.

"Alice, who is that man?" Augusta queried, her whole body turning stiff as she watched with Eagle eyes when the man hurriedly descended the stairs. She felt like a mother lion ready to sink her teeth into whatever was going to harm her treasured cub.

"Gussie, kindly understand that unlikely events ─ "

" ─ This must be your older sister." The man said once he reached the two. He bowed his head to Augusta's direction. "I am honored to meet the lady my dear Alice has always revered."

"Who are you? What is your name, sir?" She demanded in a tight voice, shoving Alice behind her.

The man tipped his head to the side. "You do not know who I am? I would have thought that the servants and Alice have already informed you."

"No, I do not!" Augusta was slowly making backwards ─ creating a greater distance between the man and them. "Will someone tell me who this man is?!"

"He is my husband!" Alice shrieked from behind. She hastily walked around her older sister, halting when she reached the man's side. Augusta's blue eyes immediately narrowed in the manner Alice lovingly clasped his hand. "Gussie, this is Henry, the Marquess of Donegall."

She stared widely at her sister. Her stomach felt odd; she was unsure if she was feeling nauseous or rage.

The man ─ Henry ─ smiled at Alice. "Most importantly, I am the gentleman who was fortunate enough to win her heart."

Augusta had narrowed down the feeling.

It was definitely rage.

"No!" Augusta roared. 

"What do you mean 'no'?"

"No as in I do not approve of this marriage!" 

"It is not your place to approve of, sister!" 

"It is my place when I have been the one financing your education to study art in Europe!"

Alice groaned, stomping her foot on the floor. She tugged her hand away from her husband's and pointed an accusing finger at Augusta. "I did not want that! You did, Augusta. You wanted that for me."

"You certainly did not protest against it, Alice." Augusta snapped, her chest out and hands on her hips as she continued to glare at her younger sister. "You did not write to me to stop sending you money. You did not throw yourself off that ship to France to protest. For those reasons, do not be so blatantly thankless." 

"I am not an ungrateful child!" 

"You are acting like one anyhow!" She shook her head and ran a hand over her distressed face. Her furious gaze landed on Henry. This news would surely add a few more lines to her face. "Where did you meet him anyhow? When did you get married?" 

When Alice remained quiet, Augusta walked closer to her, scrutinizing her younger sister even more. "Did he compromise you? Or badger you into agreeing into this silly union for your lavish dowry? Alice ─ for Christ's sake! ─ answer my bloody questions as I am equivalently five seconds from breaking his legs then his arms!" 

Henry ─ no matter how much taller and stronger he was than Augusta  ─ gulped in fear at her threat. He was unsure whether it was because of the manner the raging Woodbury was scowling at him or wherer it was the sharp tone of her voice. Maybe it was both. 

"It is love, Augusta!" 

She scoffed, shaking her head. Her mouth broke out into a comical smile. "And what do you know about love, little sister?"

"You! You taught me about love." Alice exclaimed. "You taught me that love was about compromise and acceptance and the feeling of safeness when you are baring your soul to a person." Tears welled up in Alice's forest green eyes as she looked up at her older sister. "When did you become so cynical about love?" 

"We used to giggle over our future husbands ─ how they would have to be handsome and full of wit since we did not want to spend a life with a dull-witted gentleman. Do you remember, Gussie?" She queried hopefully. "We would discuss this as you combed my hair. You wanted your future husband to have a passionate pursuit and not merely sit around in a mansion and ─ "

The whole time Alice was badgering her with the silly questions, Augusta stubbornly shook her head. The moments she and Alice shared giggling and fantasizing their futures were merely relics of the past. This was set in stone ever since the first man Augusta loved had disappointed her. 

"Stop." Augusta warned her in a sharp tone. 

" ─ And you wanted him to support your writings! I remember that. You wanted a gentleman who was a romantic so you would not have to be ─ a gentleman who made you feel alive. Bloody hell, I even remember you saying that ─ " 

"Alice, be quiet!" She bellowed. "You know why I am like this yet you dare ask such a question! You wish to know the reason why I think your marriage is a hopeless pursuit?"

Alice shook her head. "No, Gussie, I did not ─ " 

"Because your dainty features or the number of children you give him is never a guarantee that his heart will not stray away from the vows you pledged to one another."

She did not scream or roar with anger. What frightened Alice was the manner her older sister had said it ─ undoubtedly convinced that she and Henry were to suffer the same fate as their mama and papa's marriage. 

"Well?" Augusta prompted, utterly unbothered by the stunned silence from her sister and Henry. "Does he own a pegasus?" 

"Augusta, what on Earth ─ " 

She turned her heel and stomped towards the door, taunting. "If you are becoming his slave for all eternity, he indeed should own a pegasus!" 

The slamming of the wooden doors echoed throughout the Balfour mansion. 

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There was a lake not too far from Henry Granville's home but far enough for Augusta to be alone in serenity, the moon glistening its reflection on the dark tranquil waters. The moon was crescent shaped that night. The universe was laughing at her suffering ─ she was sure of it. 

Augusta could feel a shark threatening to jump out of her throat as her brain back-tracked where she had missed the signs. Her younger sister had not in any shape or form written any indication that she had married or was with child or even gave birth! Then again, Alice rarley wrote to her. 

But Alice had lied. 

Just as their papa did. 

Her sister had gotten married to a man Augusta had no knowledge of. How was she supposed to judge his character? How was she supposed to be certain the he would treat Alice with all the respect and dignity she deserved? 

Sighing tiredly, she leaned against the willow tree. Augusta grabbed ahold of the first object her hand came in contact with ─ a medium-sized rock ─ and hurled it to the lake. The rock echoed a pathetic plop! as it disappeared under the waters. 

There was a throbbing heart in her throat. She did not know why it was so difficult to just swallow it down. She had no control over it. 

Augusta tightly hugged her knees to her chest and finally allowed the tears and hurt from the day's blaring dispute to slip out of her.

What went wrong?

AUTHOR'S NOTE
weeelp. . .that was
interesting 😳
also, a double
update! yay!!