Edwina's Children
For @edwinaweek I thought I'd share my headcanon for Edwina and Matthew Bagwell's children as part of my Bridgerton: The Next Generation series.
Jeremy Bagwell is born the day before his cousin Edmund's first birthday, and throughout their childhood the Bridgerton and Bagwell families would celebrate the birthdays together at Aubrey Hall, which was always an anticipated highlight of Jeremy's year. He was a very easy baby and rather quiet much to his parents curious disbelief, especially in comparison to the energetic chaos his cousins wreaked on a daily basis. But as he grew, it became apparent that Jeremy was simply a boy of a quieter nature, who was more than content with his own company and much preferred the peace and tranquility of his parents' library than the rough and tumble of the great outdoors. His favourite pastime was being read to by his parents, an activity which he didn't want to limit to just bedtime alone and he would eagerly run up to either parent throughout the day with books in hand requesting to be read to. When he was old enough to read himself he permanently had his head buried in a book, and he could often be found alongside his father in the library as they separately studied their favoured texts. Much like is father, Jeremy would go on to be a scholar, but instead of philosophy, Jeremy opted to become a professor of his lifelong passion; history. So engrossed was he with his educational role, he never showed much interest in settling down or even courting any of the eligible young ladies of the Ton. He never much cared for balls and parties, with the only social events he ever made an effort to attend being those hosted by his Aunt Kate. While he tended to stick close to his relatives, at one particular ball he slipped away to the library of Bridgerton House in search of a textbook he hadn't reread in several years; only to find the season's diamond tucked away reading the exact book he was after. Miss Theodosia Barrington was a reluctant diamond and had been shocked to named as the season's incomparable, especially when she hadn't wanted to take her bow in society in the first place. Much to his surprise Jeremy felt an instant bond with her, and then to his even greater surprise by the end of the season he had married a diamond of the first water, just like his father had before him.
Three years after their first, Edwina and Matthew welcomed baby number two, Francis, into the world. From very early on Francis was an incredibly smiley baby who adored every show of affection he was spoiled with. While his brother was happy to be independent and do his own thing, Francis loved being surrounded by others and would trail after his Mama, Papa, his brother Jem, the household staff, and any guests that came to visit. Someone he adored in particular was his dear Grandmama Mary, who he always ecstatically greeted with a great big hug and whose lap was his most favourite seat. In turn (as much as she claimed not to have favourites among her grandchildren), Mary couldn't help but possess a special fondness for Francis, not just in the way he loved her abundantly, but how his smile and shining eyes were the most reminiscent of her late husband out of her four grandsons. Francis thoroughly enjoyed his stays at Aubrey Hall throughout the years and loved running after his older cousins Edmund and Miles, as well as his cousins' cousins too, happily integrating himself among them as they played games together and hurtled around from one end of the estate to the other. His outgoing and personable nature carried on into adulthood, making plenty of friends along the way during his years abroad, as well as befriending perfect strangers in any ballroom and assembly room he stepped foot into. As delightfully affable and pleasing as Francis was, there were two weaknesses he possessed; pretty girls and suggestibility. With the former he often tended to fall hard and fast for ladies with winsome smiles and sweet temperaments, and had ended up suffering from a string of heartbreaks as a result. The latter was arguably the bigger flaw for him because as confident a young man as he was, he still relied on the approval of those in his life who he looked up to the most and would end up swaying to agree with whatever his role models advised of him in spite of his own thoughts and feelings on the respective matter at hand.
After another three year gap, the Bagwells welcomed their little girl, Maryam, born a month after her Cousin Charlotte. Edwina and Kate loved having daughters so close in age and much to Mary's amusement, Maryam was practically identical to Edwina as Charlotte was to Kate, and watching her granddaughters play and spend time together was just like watching Kate and Edwina twenty odd years before them. Maryam loved her big brothers and copied them both despite their contrasting natures; she'd lark and dance about with Francis as often as she would take a seat next to Jeremy and read a book alongside him (which she adorably did even before she had learnt how to read). She also loved to copy her Mama and enjoyed playing dress up in her mother's gowns and having her Mama style her hair to match hers. From a young age she adored bedtime stories of handsome princes and falling in love after a single dance, and naturally Edwina couldn't help bracing herself for the day her daughter wanted to make her debut into society and all the hopeless romantic antics it may bring - however Edwina was surprised when Maryam came to her about her debut and made the odd request to spend as little money on her gowns as possible. When Edwina asked why, Maryam expressed her worry of impressing the Queen too much and potentially ending up as diamond of the season just like her, not wanting to suffer the same pressures as Edwina had during her season. Sympathetic to her woes, Edwina assured her daughter that regardless if she was the diamond or not, she shouldn't feel burdened by any pressures of securing a prosperous match for the sake of bettering their family; all she wanted for her daughter was to find a love match and secure her happiness. With the reassurance that she would only be expected to marry for love, Maryam enjoyed her debut season alongside her Cousin Charlotte. Sure, not all the suitors she danced with or who called upon her impressed her much, but she was in no real rush to find her perfect match just yet - that is, until she attended David Basset's wedding and was introduced to the bride's brother, Mr. Benedict Woodson.
