Loving Lord Bridgerton

Chapter Fourteen

I'm not a reckless person. I try hard to keep my emotions in check the best that I can. For the most part, I can. I know that if I am going to be Lady Bridgerton, I can't go around having meltdowns. I have to have complete control over everything I do. Which means I have control over the actions I knew I was going to do the second I woke up in the morning.

I knew I was wrong for sneaking into the house that my mother was staying at. That fact it wasn't hard is an issue that she can deal with later. I needed to know what she was up to. I had to. Normally, I would just take whatever she is going to give me, but it wasn't just me that would suffer. I had to think about Anthony. We're friends. We are going to be married. I have to protect him. So, I waited for my mom to leave and the house to go silent. The door was unlocked because it was the middle of the day. I made it through the door, quickly heading down the main hall towards her study.

Thankfully, I remembered this house. We stayed here every single time we came to London. Well, when my parents came to London. It was rare, but it happened just enough times. I quickly dived into her office, shutting the door behind me. The desk was neat and put together. But I didn't need to look through her desk. I need to go in to the bookshelf along the wall. Fourth—no fifth shelf, large book seven books in. I pulled out the book, opening it to get the key out. With the key I was able to unlock the drawer to the table across the room. Always had things in places nosy people wouldn't think to look. I opened the drawer rifling through the stack of papers. I only froze when I saw my name.

'Charlotte Cavenaugh, daughter of Beatrice and Andrew Cavenaugh, hereby agrees to the following condition listed both in this contract and in verbal understanding as expressed from her mother Beatrice Cavenaugh, daughter of Eleanor and Micheal Colson. This agreement demands strict and utter follow through at risk of serious consequence listed—'

I flipped through the pages of rambling until I reached the made cause of this foreign document.

'I, Charlotte Cavenaugh, agree from this moment and on that my mother, Beatrice Cavenaugh, will have complete rights, dictatorship, and parental control over my first born son.'

My stomach dropped. I re-read the sentence over and over as if it would change what was written. I let myself fall onto the nearby chair, holding my breath. The thought...the arrogance...the idiotic idea of creating a contract as if I would be willing to sign it.

I can't even think of any situation that I would sign my name and give up my child. As if it would only be my decision. A child has two parents.

Then I heard her voice. I don't know how long I have been sitting in that chair trying to sort through my anger, but it was still there. I stood up from the stair, storming out of the office. I completely ignored the shock from the servants as I came out of no where. I stormed into the drawing room just as she sat down on the couch. "Charlotte, when did you get here?" My mother asked.

I looked at the servants she had moving around the room. "Get out." I said and they all hesitated, looking at my mom. "Now!" Only when I shouted did they scurry out of the room and shutting the door.

As soon as the door clicked, I looked over at her. She slightly shrugged, completely clueless to my presence. "I thought you were against bullying the help?" My mother asked.

I didn't know what it was I wanted to say exactly and she sighed, looking at me like she was just exhausted.

"Charlotte, I don't have all day."

I was so upset, but then all I could think about was Violet. She raised eight children. Eight children that turned out to be good people. Yet, my mother is trying to take my future child. "What am I to you?" I asked, feeling my heart break in my chest. "Certainly not a daughter because you have never been a mother to me."