Chapter 1
Eloise is beyond tired; she has just gotten off of her flight, and a little over two years of being in Scotland and being away from her family and the pressures of her mother to marry or atleast date. but those pressures flood back once her mother picks her up and the questions flood of how Scotland was there any suitors did anyone catch her eye does she have anyone to bring home. Eloise slumps back into her chair when Francesca comes to her rescue. “ Maybe she is tired, mother let her rest. I know once we are at the house everyone will ask her questions.”
The ride to the Bridgerton house was mostly quite she was watching out the windows, seeing the scenery get more and more familiar. a soft smile growing on her face thinking of her siblings and how long she hasn't seen them for. but when she spotted everyone outside of the house smiling and waving as the car pulled. She jumps out of the car, tears brimming her eyes as she pulls Benedict into a hug first, the rest all wait their turns hugging Eloise and asking her as many questions as they can before the others push past. The last being Penelope and Collin she hugs the two as Penelope smiles and bumps her with her hip. “ Great to have you back, loser , your nephews miss you.”
“nephews you only had the one.”
She turns to the side and there is a pram behind them with a small infant all bundled up. “and no one fucking told me.”
“ Well he was due so close to you when you were coming back we didn't want to make you feel like you had to rush.”
Eloise smiles, pulling them into a bigger hug as all of the family walk inside, everyone getting settled at the table for lunch. The one thing she missed about being so far away was the constant chatter and the feeling as if she was no longer alone to her thoughts, which is what she used to believe is what she wanted, but being back has already shown her so much more. As the family finally settles, Daphne looks over to Eloise and smiles. “ How has Cressida been? Have you kept in contact with her?”
The name stung Eloise's chest as she looked up to daphne. “ No I haven't sadly, since a little after I left I'm assuming she got busy with school.”
Simon puts a hand on her shoulder as if telling Daphne to stop but everyone knows once she starts she cannot be stopped. She picks up her phone, pulling something up before sliding it over. Eloise looks at a picture of Cressida holding a small toddler. They are both smiling but she stares at the girl's face for a moment too long before Daphne cuts off her thoughts. “ That a year and a half old baby looks quite a lot like you doesn't it el.”
eloise stands up slowly sliding the phone over to daphne before mumbling. “ and when's the last time you saw her.”
“ A few days ago I saw her at the store and heard a laugh that sounded too familiar.”
the whole house is silent you could hear everyone breathing in the room before she turns and walks out of the room daphne and benedict follow benedict telling her to stay behind and daphne blatantly not listening and following eloise storming out and shakily pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. No one says a word as she paces and huffs the cigarette in her fingers. “ Why didn't anyone tell me? why didn't she tell me?” she sits pulling her knees up to her chest fighting the tears that brimmed her eyes.
“ I'm not sure el im sure there is a reason.” Benedict says, putting his hand on her back.
“ if it is then what is it, i potentially have a fucking baby out there and what im supposed to just accept it.”
El grabs her phone plugging in some number before walking off still smoking her cigarette not listening to the yells from her siblings calling her back, her feet don't stop until she is on cowper's step she stops and stares at the door for a moment before knocking taking a single step back from the door her heart is going a million miles a minute until there is a voice finally i'm coming. She can hear Cressida call and the sound of fast footsteps as the door swings open, the two stand there staring at each other before Cressida speaks. “ el, you came back.”
"Yes I came back. I always planned on coming back and I told you that.”
The blonde goes to speak but before she can there is a cry from the living room, she steps to close the door and isn't even able to look her in the eyes as she mumbles something about seeing each other another time but she shuts her foot in the door staring at the blonde the anger festering inside of her. “ I will leave after I actually get to see my child.”
“ Your child, this isn't your child. You reek of cigarettes, have you been smoking again.”
“ Does that matter if I had been, you haven't called or talked to me since that night.” she pauses taking one more step closer to the door “ cressida daphne has told me everything. May I see my child now.”
Cressida attempts to denied that the baby is her child for as long as she can before finally stepping to the side and allowing eloise inside she walks into the living room seeing the playpen with the small baby inside holding onto a soft book and a stuffed animal, she looks up at eloise with these big blue gray eyes and her face looks almost exactly how hers did in her baby photos. She stops over the edge watching as the baby scoots slightly away from her and sticks her arms out to cressida. “ why. Why didn't you tell me or call me or even just stay in contact.”
“ because i knew I would ask for you to come back and i knew you would.”
“ yes but i also had a whole child that i have missed out the beginning of her life, hell i don't even know her name cressida.”
“Emily, her name is emily.” she snuggles close to her baby as she watches El look like she might fall apart. “ I never intended to hurt you, you needed to get away and I needed this piece of you.”
“ You needed the part of me but did little to tell me about the part of me, I thought while I was on hrt i would never be able to have children and that I would never be able to be a mother. That has happened and I wasn't even there for it .” The tears finally fall as she looks down. “ If you don't want me to be in her life that's fine but I will be sending you child support, tell me how much and I will pay it.”
With that, Eloise storms out as fast as she can without letting Cressida catch up or call her back. She barely remembers how the rest of her night went, only remembering the slow and trying to be quite stumbling into her family home to fall asleep on the couch, the reek of alcohol coming off of her, as she passes out on her couch.