#clyvedon

Bridgerton + Costumes

Daphne Basset, Duchess of Hastings' white, purple & green dress in Season 01, Episode 06.

everyone else:

daphne: at least you weren't tricked by someone you married

colin: did something happen, sister? back at clyvedon?

Amelia Basset came into the world as the first Bridgerton of a new generation and was heavily fussed over not only by her parents but by her grandmother Violet and her adoptive grandmother Lady Danbury. While she inherited her father’s dark curly hair, she had the same doe eyes as her mother, as well as her heart-shaped face. Being the first child/grandchild/niece of the family meant she was spoiled rotten until she was followed by her two younger sisters quick succession. Sure, she had thrown tantrums as a growing toddler when her infant sisters captured their parents attention more than Amelia but after a while, the eldest Basset girl realized she could use her status as the oldest child to her advantage. She loved bossing her younger siblings about, forcing them all to partake in her tea parties and helping herself to whatever toys they may have in their bedrooms. As she got older she began to shadow her mother, mimicking everything she did, from the way she was poised to the way she politely laughed when she didn’t find a person funny but didn’t want to be rude. It greatly entertained Simon just how much Amelia was turning into Daphne 2.0, but it also softened his heart when the little girl emulated his wife’s kindness when she spent an entire day picking out posies of flowers from the Clyvedon gardens to hand out to their tenants. Amelia adored growing up in the country and was a very confident equestrian and loved more than anything to accompany her father on his morning rides during her adolescence. As she neared the age of making her debut, she attempted to mold herself into being as accomplished a young lady as she could be, knowing securing a respectable husband would pave the way for her younger sisters when they debuted in the following years. She took up cross-stitching (and while good, grew bored after completing a couple), the piano forte (she envisioned being as talented as her mother, but after a while realized she wasn’t all that passionate about the instrument), and art (she attempted a drawing of Clyvedon’s lake and then never picked up her sketchbook again). Her parents assured her that she needn’t be so focused on being a lady with a plethora of talents; all she needed was to be her charming and eloquent self. Naturally, upon her debut presentation she is named diamond of the first water, just like her mother before her. Simon gets his reckoning when every eligible gentleman of the Ton lines up at Hastings house to pay his daughter a visit, to which Anthony gifts him a bottle of whiskey. 

Belinda Basset came into the world screaming her tiny lungs out and the poor babe suffered from colic for the first six weeks of her life, much to her parents anguish. They hadn’t endured much with Amelia, but with their new infant daughter, Daphne did truly question her capabilities as a parent. Simon stepped up to the plate when he saw his loving wife’s utter despair, and insisted to the nurse maids that he would see to little Belinda himself. He held and comforted her, taking her everywhere with him; to visit the tenants, while he worked away in his office, even taking her for strolls around the garden. Though she cried and cried, Simon kept her attached to him, until one morning he awoke and Belinda was sound asleep, the first time the Hastings residents had awoken to such calm since she was born. Those early days of devotion created an unbreakable bond between Simon and his second eldest daughter. She was more of a tomboy than her older sister and loved play-fighting with her father as they took their daily stroll around the Clyvedon estate. From a young age Belinda was quite outspoken and was never shy when it came to voicing her dislike for vegetables, itchy dresses, and her older sister. The pair butted heads quite often, though over the years into their adulthood they did learn to form a mutual respect for one another. In many ways Belinda had taken after her Aunt Eloise in spirit, turning her nose up at the thought of having to attend balls and society events when her first season came. She always kept a book handy when attending the Ton’s events, much to her mother and Amelia’s disapproval. She often opined that she would never have the desire to marry and quite liked the idea of becoming an eccentric, something which she mentioned regularly in her correspondence with her favourite aunt, Eloise. Daphne asked of her sister to encourage Belinda to at least entertain the many men who offered marriage to her, to which Eloise laughed whole-heartedly back in her face. Much like her aunt, Belinda spent most of her days responding to and sending out letters to her many relatives; her ink-stained hands a familiar sight in the Basset home. As for her appearance, Belinda was as beautiful as her sisters, though she had a more striking, dark, and distinguished look to her that for ages her parents could not work out who she resembled. It wasn’t until she attended her first ball, where she was all dressed up and demure, that Lady Danbury let out a rare gasp. Belinda Basset was the spit of her late grandmother, and Lady Danbury’s dearest friend. 

Caroline Basset was a far easier baby than her sister Belinda. With a sulky two year old and a constantly babbling one year old, Caroline was a breath of fresh air for her parents, who would race each other just to see to her so that they could get a breather from their other, more vocal daughters. Caroline slept for hours on end, would breastfeed for well over a half hour, and only emitted a cry to alert someone to a full nappy. She and her oldest sister looked very much alike, the only real noticeable differences were the freckles that peppered Caroline’s cheeks and the blue eyes she got from her mother. Growing up she was a very quiet child, a respectful and diligent pupil, and a faithful and trustworthy companion for all of her siblings. Perhaps it was because she was more of a listener than a talker (unlike her sisters) but everyone favoured Caroline’s calming presence and relied on her for emotional support. She was much more sensible than either of her sisters, and it was common for the Hastings staff to walk in on Amelia and Belinda wrestling one another while Caroline blocked them out with her nose stuck in a book. Much like her sisters, she took great comfort in being out in nature and thoroughly loved her stays at Aubrey Hall, My Cottage, and Romney Hall - but her favourite place to holiday was up in Scotland on the Kilmartin estate. She adored her Aunt Francesca (and was secretly in love with her Uncle Michael) and the pair would take long walks together through the Scottish hills. If it wasn’t for the nearly twenty-year age gap, Caroline could have been her aunt’s twin in the identical way that they carried themselves and quietly got on with things. As a teenager Caroline was the only one of her siblings to take up playing an instrument; the violin, and she disciplined herself into practicing until she had perfected her music scores. During Christmases at Aubrey Hall she would accompany either her mother or Francesca playing the piano forte, Anthony on the trumpet, and Kate on the flute; much to the earache of Uncle Phillip, who just wanted to nurse his scotch in peace. Caroline turned out to be the most business-minded of her siblings and in her adolescence asked her father if she could accompany him on his visits to the tenants. Simon was more than happy to entertain her curiosity and even invited her to sit in with him in his office when he went over the books; an offer which she eagerly took up. She regularly paid visits to her dad in his study to assist in the various paperwork, and as she got older she would even offer to take on some of the workload, in order to give him a break. It came as no surprise to Simon when Caroline got married and insisted on equally handling the management of her new estate, a stipulation her besotted husband happily obliged with. 

David Basset was born and the Hastings dukedom was instantly secured. He had the same handsome face as his father and also the Duke’s shy disposition. Of all his children Simon feared his son would suffer with a stammer much like he did as a boy, and worried about history repeating itself by being a poor father to a child who needed his unwavering support. Fortunately, David had no trouble speaking, and the first word he uttered was; “papa”, which put Simon on cloud nine. Though he had no trouble speaking, David was a timid child who took his time being at ease with new people, and would frequently shut down altogether in social situations he found uncomfortable. Simon recognized when his paternal guidance was needed and assured his son that while it’s natural for nerves to get the better of people, putting himself in more social situations will aid his insecurities as the more practice he gets from talking to and being around new people, the better he’ll be able to cope with it as he gets older. For his first season Simon stuck by his son’s side for moral support and he also had assistance from David’s favourite sister, Belinda, who enjoyed socializing with members of the Ton as much as he did. Daphne also lent a hand in encouraging her son’s confidence by hiring a dance teacher for him to perfect the many dances he may partake in at the many, many balls the Ton boasted every season. He was very hesitant at first, until he walked in to his first dance lesson and found Edmund, Miles, and Charles all gathered to learn alongside him, and soon his weekly dance lessons became his favourite part of the week with all the fun he had rehearsing with his cousins. As the future duke, his father would get David to shadow him in order to learn the duties he would one day have to perform himself, an idea that came about when Caroline began showing an interest in the running of the estate. David wasn’t as certain about the many tasks his father had to see to everyday, but once again Simon was there to assure him that he himself understood none of it when he inherited the dukedom. His son was reminded of how lucky he was to have a father as supportive as Simon was and it was his most cherished relationship, until David met his future wife. 

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Bridgerton Series - Julia Quinn, Bridgerton (TV) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Basset Family Characters: Simon Basset, Daphne Bridgerton, Amelia Basset, Belinda Basset, Caroline Basset, David Basset Additional Tags: Discord: The Ton (Bridgerton), Bridgerween, ghost story, theme: ghosts Summary:

The Duke and Duchess of Hastings become concerned about their young daughter appearing to communicate with an unseen figure. Is it an imaginary friend or something else? Might it even be something malevolent? When their second daughter seems to see the same invisible figure, the Bassets wonder what the girls can see that they cannot.

One fateful night reveals the truth of what only the children can see.

Bridgerton + Costumes

Daphne Basset, Duchess of Hastings' purple dress in Season 01, Episode 06.

Bridgerton + Costumes

Daphne Basset, Duchess of Hastings' light purple, pink & green dress in Season 01, Episode 06.

Bridgerton + Costumes

Daphne Basset, Duchess of Hastings' silver dress and white & blue cloak in Season 01, Episode 05 & 06.