It was quite late by the time carriages reached London. Anthony was travelling with Countess told her butler to drop him at his Private Lodgings.
All the way he noticed his Priyaey was lost in deep thought as her head laid on his shoulder but he knew she never slept once as she kept running her fingers over the inside of his hand.
Finally once he noticed they were near his lodgings he tried to gain her attention. "What's on your mind my Priyaey?"
She lifts her face and gazes deeply into his eyes for a few long seconds before mustering up a huge smile on her face. "Nothing, just enjoying these peaceful moments with you."
His brows furrows as he pulls her closer in his embrace. "You know you can have me more if you want? I can free more of my schedules if you want to spend more time with me."
"That won't be necessary my Lord, I know how much your duties are important to you."
"They are, but not more important than you." He kissed sweetly on her lips and felt her soft hands on his hair as she tried to pull him closer.
They were so lost in each other that didn't realize the carriage has stopped until Jacopo's voice reached through close door. "We had arrived your lodgings, My Lord."
Sighing, he reluctantly pulls away as he ask. "Do you like to come inside?"
"Not tonight, maybe some other time." She kissed him once more and then caress his face. "Goodnight darling."
Anthony embrace her and kiss her one more time. "Goodnight, I hope to see you in my dreams, maybe we can visit each other there." He watched as a smile left her face as she said. "For that one has to sleep."
"What?"
"Nothing, I am just tired." With that she mustered a smile for him as she kissed his cheeks. "Go, get some rest. I will see you tomorrow."
Anthony then stepped out and soon watched the carriage taking his Countess away and in his heart he knew something was not right.
Sighing he went inside and as he was making his way upstairs towards his rooms his butler stopped him. "My Lord, your brother Mr Colin Bridgerton is here in your study waiting for you."
"Colin." He frowned as he went downstairs towards his study and sure enough Colin was there pacing with a worried expression on his face. "Colin? Is everything alright?"
His brother looked startled at his voice, apparently he was lost in deep thought because he didn't even here him entering. "Brother, I don't know what to do? Maybe my suspicions is wrong but I have this dreaded feeling and I have to come here because I can't trust no one better to guide me in right direction, then you."
"Calm down Colin and take a seat." He quickly fixed two drinks and handed one to Colin as he settled in his chair.
Once he was sure his little brother is calm down to make sense he begins. "Now tell me calmly what ails you?"
Colin looked hesitant but with an encouraging look from his brother he started to speak. "Those mushrooms, the one we saw growing in Featherington's lands."
Anthony frowned while remembering those smelly inedible mushrooms. "What about them?"
He watched as Colin gulped as he replied. "I recognized them from my travels. I was in Scotland, me and my travelling companion stopped at a small inn at Kilmartin."
Colin stopped as if he was reluctant to admit something bitter, meanwhile Anthony was trying to figure out, What is so special about this place? Only that the lands borders are connected close to British borders.
"Anthony I swear I didn't know this but that inn was shady and there we saw people indulging in some kind of in toxin. At that time it looked like fun so we asked for it too. The innkeeper brought a bowl filled with smelly herbs and strange kind of mushrooms and lit it on fire. Anthony, in a few seconds their smells change and I swear afterwards I felt I was floating in the air, as if all my life is burdensome and I have just found heaven in that smell. The more we inhale it, the more we lose our senses. I don't know how much bowls we used but only after we ran out of money and things to trade, that when inn keeper threw us out."
Colin sighs as he wipes the sweat off his face as he continues. "The after effects were worse, we wanted more and begged the inn keeper to let us inside but he won't budge. I think for the first time in my life I didn't want food and my companion was suffering like me with withdrawals. It could be week or two I don't know because time left its meaning and we were ready to sell our stuff when one of my friend lost his mind and tried to force his way in that inn."
"Colin!" Anthony looked aghast as he asked. "Tell me you and your companion didn't hurt anyone?"
"No brother, that incident was enough to knock some sense into our brains and we stopped our companion and decided to get the hell out of that place."
Anthony sighed in relief but then he asked. "Have you informed someone at Kilmartin, the Earl of that lands, John Kilmartin has not been seen for the past two years. Rumors are he is sick and confined in bed."
"It's true, we went at Mansion but his steward told us that Earl is too sick to see anyone and he was looking after his lands until Earl gets better. We told the steward instead of what was going on in that inn but he didn't seem much bothered, even when he ensured us that he will make inquiries."
"Which you are doubtful he made it or not?" Anthony finished his brother's thought.
Finally they both sat quietly and then Anthony asked the question that was now bothering him. "Why are you telling me this now?"
"Because I just realized where I saw those mushrooms growing in Featherington's land." Anthony's eyes widen as his brother confirmed. "They were the same I saw in that bowl at Kilmartin."
And finally Anthony understand what his brother is trying to say. "Sheffield's are doing An intoxicating harvest!"
"On the Featherington's land." Colin reminds him and both brothers knew that something terrible is going to happen to Featherington's if anyone discovers the truth behind those mushrooms.
Penelope was pacing in her room while she tried to understand why Kathani urged this trip to their lands. She was far more interested in those mushrooms then their grapes harvest and what worried her was Colin's expression.
He was able to hide it from everyone but she notices something terrible in his eyes as he surveys those mushrooms.
A knock put stopped to these thoughts as Jacopo enters her room. "Penelope, Kathani wants to see you." Quietly she followed him out as he led her straight outside towards a small outhouse. The only place she still hasn't seen in this entire state.
Once she entered inside she noticed two new faces amongst old ones.
Kathani was sitting in the middle of the table surrounded by various maps in-front of her smiles when she noticed her. "Everyone meet Ms. Penelope Featherington aka Lady Whistledown. Penelope you already know Genevieve but I want to introduce you to my other friends. Meet Captain Michael Sterling. His original name is Michael Kilmartin."
She blushed as this handsome man smiled and bowed at her before kissing her hand. "It's honor to finally meet you Ms, Featherington. I am huge admirer of your work. "
Kathani rolls her eyes as she said. "Stop flirting Michael, the lady is already spoken for. Penelope, This is Sir Philip Crane but right now everyone knows him as farmer Philip." Even though he looked handsome he looked a little rough and had this haunted look in his eyes as he bows his head. "Nice to meet you Ms, Featherington."
Behind her door open as two more people joined them and with a gasp she recognized these faces. "Penelope, I know you have seen them before but still it's time you know them as our friends. Meet my uncle Brimsily he was my father's most trusted friend when we used to live in Palace and now he is our eyes and ears in Palace."
Penelope looked as Brimsily smiled and bowed at her. "Sorry for outing you Lady Whistledown but I knew someone like you could help our cause." It was then Penelope realized how Kathani found out about her. Brimsily must have figured her secret out, after all a he was the one searching for her on Queen's orders.
Finally she turned towards a woman she just knew by name but something tells her that it maybe not her real identity. "Penelope, I know you knew her as Ms, Eloise's maid Sophie Bennett but I want you to meet the final and eight member of our group, Lady Sophia Penwood, only daughter of Late Earl Penwood and his first wife Countess Shu Penwood."
"What?" Penelope's eyes widened as she stared from Sophie to Kathani. "She is Earl Penwood's daughter but everyone thought she died two years ago."
Sophie scoffs as she rolls her eyes. "That's what that hag and her brother made everyone believe but they had planned worse fate than death for me. A fate most of us would had got if it wasn't for Kathani."
"What do you mean?" Penelope asked as she turned to stare at each one of them. "How are all of you connected to this?"
They all stared at each other not knowing how much they can reveal until they heard Kathani's voice. "It's okay, Penelope is one of us now and she deserves to know why we all are in this together."
As soon as she said this, Jacopo and Genevieve were first to begin.
" I don't know if you know this but Jacopo is my husband. For the past twelve years we used to live in Somerset."
"I had a few ships and was a small trader and Gen was tailor in our small town."
"Our lives were good." Gen added as she and Jacopo stared at each other "Even without children we were living happily in our small home."
Jacopo face darkened as clenched his fists. "Three years ago Welsh was posted on our coast and slowly, within a year, he started taking other trading ships under his control. Mine was only left and he tried everything to take mine under his control by any means necessary. I have suspicions that he is using our trading ships for something illegal and I want nothing to do with him."
"He started harassing us and forced everyone to stop doing business with us. At one point I begged Jacopo to sell everything we had and move somewhere else." Gen now has tears in her eyes as Jacopo held her in his arms. "At my wife's request we went to meet Welsh so we can sale my ships and our house but what we saw change our lives forever."
(Flashback
Jacopo and Gen had just reached docks when they saw a hundred of men, women and children chained together as they were being shipped into trading ships surrounded by men who were whipping them to move faster.
"Jacopo look!" Gen whisper in her husband's ear as they watched Welsh inspecting some strange kind of herbs in dozens of boxes around him.
"Leave these three behind and load the rest of them in ships." He commands a few of his men.
Seeing enough Jacopo took his wife's hand. "Come, let's leave before anyone..." But he stopped as two men on horses were standing behind them.
In a few minutes both husband and wife were thrown in front of Welsh who was smiling evilly at them.
One of the men handed him papers of his ships and house which he brought with him. "Please officer, take these papers and let us go. We swear we won't tell anyone anything!"
"I trust you my friends! Thank you for these gifts and don't worry my friends here will take you to your new home." To their horror they bind them in chains and threw them in a small ship which already has three other prisoners and they all heard a command. "Take these prisoners to mount Désespoir"
End of Flashback)
Once Jacopo and Gen finished their story. Philip begins.
"My father is a doctor and botanist. Well reputed in his studies for medicine and science but what they didn't knew is that my father is obsess with toxic herbs and over the years he tried to utilize different kinds of concoction to control human mind. Eighteen years ago my father had to leave his position in the royal academy when one of the doctors in the Royal academy found out about his mad experiments. He threatened to expose my father and in retaliation my father swear to destroy his life."
"Doctor Sharma?!" Penelope guessed and Kathani nods her head while Philip looked traumatized.
"I do not know how he did it but apparently over the years he found some people who were interested in what he was developing. Suddenly we became rich and he started using his concoction to make his brain energized, he doesn't even realized what these concoction was doing to him but two years ago as I returned from my lands I saw him fighting with my elder brother. My dad and his partner Earl Sheffield were discussing to expand their business and George tried to stop them and that day I saw the true evil inside my father."
( Flashback
"Father you cannot continue with this madness! This is crime against humanity and we already lost our mother because she couldn't bare what kind of evil her husband is brewing."
Philip watched as his father and his friend laughed at George. "That dumb bitch was weak! I say good riddance! She couldn't gave me decent kids but moral dogs always barking at my success while living off my scraps!"
He spats and George took menacing step as he threatened. "Then enjoy your success alone! I will be taking my family and you can rot here all alone without any heirs to take your empire of Hell!"
Philip saw a murderous look appeared on his father eyes as he took his rifle from wall and before anyone could do anything shot straight at George's head.
"George!" He screams and to his horror his sister in law, Marina came outside and was rushing straight towards her husband's body.
"You murderer!" She screamed at her father and charged towards him but then another shot rang.
"No!" Philip screamed as he watched Marina dropping like a rag doll. Before he could reach them Earl Sheffield snapped his fingers and his men grabbed him. "Enough Crane! Two dead bodies are enough beside we will need someone to put blame Of these deaths so you can live peacefully with your grandchildren and mould their son in your image."
"No! You will stay away from Oliver and Amanda!"
But his father hit him hard with his rifle and as he lose his consciousness he heard Earl Sheffield's voice. "Do not worry my friend, Willis will take care of these murderers and put blame on your son meanwhile I have a special place to keep your son."
Next time he opens his eyes he was chained in ship and he heard its destination. "Mount Désespoir"
End of Flashback)
Philip collapsed on a nearby chair and hid his face as he tried to calm himself down.
Michael patted his back as he looked at Penelope. "Lord Sheffield not only ruined Kathani and Philip's life but mine too. I am the cousin and only living male relative of John Kilmartin. He is two years older than me and about two and a half years ago after my uncle passed away he became Earl of Kilmartin."
He then pointed at map and Penelope saw vast Kilmartin lands stretched between the borders of Britain and Scotland. "I was helping him out to settle into his new role. It was then we noticed that while my uncle was sick, a huge portion of our lands were lend to Earl Sheffield's by his steward. When John called him for inquiries we found out he had gone away on vacation. So we decided to survey those lands ourselves."
( Flashback
When they arrived they saw nothing except brownish lands with no sight of any sign of crops but then they noticed bushels of herbs and weeds growing all over the land and a few farmers picking them and collecting them in their basket.
"What are you growing here?" John inquires."
The farmer gave him a blank stare as he said. "These belong to master. We do as the Master says."
"Let him go John." He told his cousin as Michael noticed how weak these farmers looked while they were doing there work mindlessly.
"I will arrange a meeting with this Earl Sheffield and ask him what he is growing in your lands."
End of Flashback)
"I Don't know if it was mistake to write that letter or not but next thing I knew Kilmartin house was attacked. Earl Sheffield sent a man named Willis who came along with his men. They grabbed me and my cousin and our mothers. They took our mothers away and threatened us to stay quiet and let our lands be used for their purpose."
( Flashback
"Never! I will die before letting you people defile our lands!"
Michael struggled but three men were holding him down as he watched Willis burning those herbs and forcefully making John inhale it.
"Leave him alone!" He shouted but someone punched him hard as Willis told him. "Do not fear, we need your cousin alive to use his lands. You on the other hand had seen much more so..."
Willis snapped his fingers as he commands. "Take him to ship and set it course to Mount Désespoir"
End of Flashback)
Once Michael finished his story Sophie began. "Willis like Welsh are pawns but they also relish in power."
She sighed as she played with her locket the Penelope realized had Penwood Crest engraved on it. "My father was Earl of Penwood. He married my mother who was the daughter of a noble man from China. My mother never liked Ton and she preferred the quiet life of Penwood state and once I was born she wanted me to be raised in our country home."
Sophie has tears in her eyes as she continues. "I was ten when she passed away in child birth and baby also didn't survive. For the next two years my father did his best but finally he remarried again. A widow woman who was Sister of his prosecutor friend."
"Willis." Penelope concluded and Sophie nods her head. "Soon after marriage my father got sick and his wife and brother took control of his lands and over the years I watched my father get weaker and weaker until one day he passed away. I was only fifteen."
"Were they behind your father's death." Penelope ask and the pain in Sophie's eyes was enough answer. "Sadly I didn't found it until late. Even though I knew they were evil. I saw with my own eyes how both brother and sister ruined our family and took our riches away but it was two years ago I found out the extent of their evilness !"
( Flashback
Sophia had just turned eighteen and any day she was going to London to be presented in front of society.
'Finally I will be rid from that hag and her lecherous brother.' Sophia thought joyously because truth is ever since her father died her stepmother has made her life miserable but it's her brother and the way he looks at her makes her skin crawl.
She was just about to head towards outside when she heard raised voices coming from the drawing room.
"Do not worry Willis! Sophia is yours, as soon she is presented I will announce your engagement and after your marriage you will become heir of Penwood state."
"You better keep your promise because we need this marriage to keep these lands otherwise they will end this partnership and we will be penniless again."
Sophia watched as her stepmother laughed. "Do not worry, she is a fool like her stupid father, we used that man and not once he got suspicious, hell he got sick because of us and still he let us control his estate. I tell you Sophia is the same as her foolish father."
It was then she had enough. "You monsters! You killed my father destroyed everything he owned and now you want to use me?! Never!"
Instead of cowering they laughed as Willis grabbed her by her arms. "Listen to me you little bitch you will do exactly as I say or we will make your life living hell!"
Sophia scratched his face and Willis howls in pain as he slapped hard on her face. "Fine you little bitch! If this is your choice then we will give you hell!"
End of Flashback)
" Next thing I know I was tied up as they put me in carriage and smuggled me into docks. There Willis once again asked me if I would marry him or not and when I refused he put me on ship and ordered it to..."
"Mount Désespoir!" Penelope gasp as she stare at these five people.
All their tales ended with the same words. "How did you all escape that mount?"
Michael laughed as he told her. "Luckily we never made it to that Mount, as you have guessed all five of us were taken around the same time and the same ship was heading towards that hell-hole."
"He is right." Jacopo told her. "By the time they captured Gen and I, Michael, Philip and Sophia were already chained inside as they sailed us to that Mount."
" But then how did you all survive? " Penelope asked and in answer all five faces turned towards one person who was playing with her knife. "Call it luck or destiny but by the time their ship reaches closer to Mount they found a body floating on the sea."
( Flashback
One of the men screamed they saw movement in the sea and under moonlight a body was clearly seen floating on the sea.
Prisoners watch as they brought that body inside ship. "Looks like prisoner from mount. A woman."
"Is she dead! Captain asked and as sailor put his hand on her chest to see if it was beating the woman stood up and snapped his neck in one swift move.
The prisoners watched as this wild woman grabbed the sword and started attacking everyone who tried to touch her.
"Someone grabbed that bitch!" Captain yells but apparently not one man can come close to this woman's fighting skill and soon she throws every last one of their dead body in the sea. Finally when only Captain and prisoners were left, this woman approached them. "Where are you taking these prisoners."
The Captain peed in his pants as she put sword straight on his throat. "Answer me!"
"Mount Désespoir!"
"This is a British ship! Tell me on whose order are you taking them?"
"Prosecutor Willis, Commodore Welsh but Lord Sheffield gave the main order."
As soon the words were said she sliced his throat open and then grabbed keys which she threw at the prisoners.
By the time they were released they saw wild women raiding their rations eating apples as if she had starving for years.
"Someone should clean that mess." She ordered and then offered food to other prisoners.
Once their stomachs were full Jacopo cleared his throat. "We don't know you but my wife and I will forever be in your dept."
"We are all in your dept." They all said it together and watched as the woman stared at them deeply as if assessing them.
"Tell me your names." Once by on all five of them introduced them and finally the woman introduced herself.
"My name is Kathani."
End of Flashback)
"It was destiny or our enemies' bad luck that I escaped from that prison the same day when they were sent by them. It's their bad luck indeed because they send me my players to destroy their lives." Kathani smiled as she watched these magnificent people who were by her side.
"It took us one year to make our name in sea. As pirates we learn many useful tricks and I trained each one of them to fight these monsters and then when I returned to London a year ago, I met Brimsily."
Brimsily gave her fatherly smile as he told Penelope. "Since last season we were planning and collecting evidence against these people, while working on their fake identities. We put Michael in the army and Genevieve opened her modiste last season. Meanwhile, Philip works as a farmer in these lands collecting evidence and Sophie was placed in Canterbury house as a maid to create fake references to get a job in Bridgerton house."
Jacopo then explains how he and Kathani went to Paris and took revenge from Francesco step- brother and then stayed there to make everyone believe she was Countess of Beaumont.
"Once you started writing column I knew that your skills can help us discover truth with proof because people trust your words." Brimsily told her. "I love to gossip myself and I noticed that you were always around listening in the corner and next day the same gossip was reported in column. I must tell you diverting Queen in the wrong direction was a hard task."
"Turns out Brimsily was right about you." Genevieve informed her. "People are more aware and both upper and lower classes are now questioning what was wrong with those farmers and About Welsh's crimes?"
"Queen herself is investigating these matters and none of that could have happened if it wasn't for you." Kathani praised her but Penelope shook her head.
"I am no hero! There is no bravery hiding in shadows. If anyone is a hero it is you people who suffered so much and still survive only to return to fight again. After hearing your stories it is my honour to fight beside you Magnificent people.
And there in this small out house Magnificent eight were prepared to fight this battle and destroy their enemies one by one.