metanoia // bridgerton.

•part twenty-four•

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Gunter's Tea Shop, 1813.

Could it be true? The season's diamond even more precious and rare a stone than previously thought? For it now appears this treasure is set to join the likes of the queen's ever-so-cherished crown jewels themselves.

The Duke of Hastings, I hear, was left looking rather tongue-lied last night, presumably Miss Daphne Bridgerton seems to have finally grown tired of waiting for him to pose that all-important question.

Or, perhaps, it has something to do with the other Miss, who was seen dancing with her ever so kind Sir. After all, the duke was seen leaving the ball room only after witnessing the Sir's kind gestures towards the ever so beautiful and gallant Miss Clara Bridgerton.

Oh, Miss Clara Bridgerton did look divine. She is a well known beauty, but that evening, jaws seemed to have dropped, especially when the usually pushing Miss seemed to have embraced her life fully. Some might say it's too late for her, but I believe, everyone is right up where they must be.

One thing is clear, the duke of Hastings has been left on a sinking ship. Perhaps, the young misses have simply traded up.

Surprising? Quite.

Unreasonable? Of course not.

After all, why settle for a mere duke when one can have a prince? Or in the truer case, a means of escape out of this country?

(Buckle up;))

••••••

THE next day after Clara's strange exchanges with Simon, she found herself walking to the Gunter's Tea shop, but not to meet up with the duke. Instead, she was invited by Tomas to try their new ice flavors, Clara not allowing her feelings for Simon to affect her friendship with Tomas.

However, Clara was quite aware where she was allowing her friendship with Tomas go to. He wanted her, it was clear, and he wanted to marry her presumably still this year. Clara would never return his feelings, she knew, and yet somehow she still found herself with the Sir, when all of her molecules told her to just go to Simon.

He, on the other hand, ever since their moment at Somerset had kept his distance once again. Clara was not a fool and knew why he was doing what he promised to never do again. Was she angry? Not as much as she thought she'd be, because her own feelings were tangled into an eternal mess and she needed her distance as well. But not when she'd see him again, Clara sympathized.

When she'd see Simon, which she hoped would be soon, Clara knew that like a magnet he'd draw her closer, her need to just have him spreading rapidly.