The Wallflower and the Roses - A Bridgerton Fanfiction

Part 4

PART 4
5 Bruton Street,
Mayfair,
London.
April, 1824.

There was magic in the air.

Penelope knew it sounded clichéd but it was true. The moon was rounder than ever. There were more stars in the sky that there ever had been. The sky was not the usual shade of blue and in the moonlight that swept across the garden, each leaf, each flower seemed to be holding its breath in anticipation.

There was magic in the air. There was no way she could deny that.

When she had left the Bridgerton ballroom, she wasn’t sure where she had intended to go. She randomly entered the first doorway to her right and ascended the stairway that it led to. Before she knew it, she found herself at a balcony, overlooking the garden.

She was so mesmerized by the view that the inappropriacy of it all never hit her. Propriety never allowed a girl –even as old as she was– to roam around in the residential quarters of the Host. Hell, propriety didn’t even allow a man to do so. Although men, more often than not, did get away with such things.

And even though Penelope was a close friend of the Bridgertons –and Lady Bridgerton would never mind her being up there– the situation was a little odd.

But Penelope was thinking of none of these things. So little was her social opinion of herself, that she was not even expecting anyone to notice her absence, She was expecting to be gone and back without attracting any undue attention. She had reason to do so, as people didn’t really pay much attention to the sidelines. And that was where she inevitably, found herself at every social function.

Penelope smiled. The beauty of the night rendered her incapable of any other action. It was slightly cold and the chilly breeze made her shiver. It also made her hair blow wildly across her face and Penelope regretted letting Veronica, her maid, talk her into letting her hair down that night. Still, she could not bother much about her nuisance of a hair, on such a night.

And although, every member of the ton was but a staircase away, she felt oddly liberated.

She looked at the garden below. In the darkness, it was almost impossible to tell which flower was which, but she could have sworn that the bush right below, was of roses.

“There you are!”

A male voice made her jump. She turned around but saw no one there. She peered closely into the door through which she had just entered but it was empty.

“I’ve been looking all over for you.” The same voice remarked.

“I wanted some air.” This from a lady. Penelope spun around and squinted her eyes at the garden below. No one.

“Anything bothering you?” The man’s voice inquired.

Penelope shifted slightly, moving to the far end of the balcony and then looked to her right.

Sure enough, a couple sitting on one of the garden benches came into view.

Penelope gave a tiny sigh. The wind must be carrying their voices around. She almost believed that she had gone quite daft in the head.

“Just had a tiny quarrel with Mother about the colour palette for the wedding. There’s just so much to do and decide, you know. I have never felt so maddened and so exalted, both at the same time.” The lady replied.

The man gave a throaty chuckle. “I know, Honoria. But what can be done? Unless you wish to consider eloping…”

“The idea seems inviting, but I’ve always wanted a dream wedding.”