Hidden Within The Flowers

Chapter 5

"Not at all, my lord. I find it all quite entertaining." She spoke sincerely. Anthony gave her a faint smile before he continued, 

"We understand that it isn't quite proper to have the children at the table, but as my mother likes to say we actually like each other." He spoke as he looked around at his siblings who were all laughing and conversing. He didn't miss the way Nicollette quietly sighed as she thought about her family, 

"Yes, I can see that" She laughed as Gregory threw peas at Hyacinth "It is most refreshing to be surrounded by people who want to spend time with one another." She spoke softly. Nicollette couldn't help but think of her family eating dinner at home. Juliette would be eating by herself as Nicollette wasn't there to keep her company, Adalene would be eating with her Governess, and her father and Olivier would be eating together if they were both at home at the same time. "I can't remember the last time my family ate all together like this, or if we ever did." She spoke sadly and Anthony couldn't help his expression from changing to a frown. 

"That is most unfortunate," he said to the young dark-haired girl next to him. Nicollette smiled at the man and nodded her head in agreement,

"Yes it is, but fortunately your mother has been so kind to invite me tonight." The young lady and the young Viscount both smiled at each other before their attention was drawn away by the current conversation of the rest of the table. 

"Who knows if Whistledown is even a she?" Collin spoke as the table appeared to be in a rather lively debate. 

"Fair point" Anthony spoke agreeing with his brother. Nicollette looked at Anthony with a slight look of shock and wanted to speak, but pursed her lips and refrained from doing so. Eloise on the other hand was not nearly as restraint full as Nicollette and couldn't help but interject into the conversation, 

"Because she is simply too good to be a man?" She asked her brother with a frustrated look on her face. Nicollette let out a little laugh at the younger girls actions, 

"Lady Whistledown is clearly a woman" Nicollette spoke to the group for the first time, earning everyone's attention. Anthony and his mother couldn't help smile at the girl as she tried to break from the societal norms that had been pushed upon her. 

"And why is that?" Collin spoke in an antagonizing joking fashion. 

"Because no man would have the eye for details and gossip that she does," Nicollette spoke confidently. The four men at the table thought about it and nodded their heads in agreement, 

"She is quite right. None of us would care about who danced with who and what color dress someone wore." Anthony spoke and earned hums of agreement from the rest of the men at the table. Nicollette couldn't help but feel warm at the idea of her thoughts being accepted so easily. At home, Nicollette's thoughts and ideas were never so easily accepted as they were right now in the Bridgerton household and she couldn't help but want that to always be the case. 

"Well, I think it rather obvious that the writer is Lady Danbury," Francesca spoke matter of factly.

"Lady Danbury enjoys sharing her insults with society directly," Daphne responded to her sister. Nicollette nodded her head in agreement. From the brief interactions she had with the older countess, she knew this to be correct. "She would never bother writing them all down," Daphne continued. Nicollette noticed the Duke's smile at Daphne's words and couldn't help a smile of her own at the idea of the Duke and Daphne together. Violet Bridgerton was happily sipping her wine and smiling at the Duke's reaction to her daughter when Hyacinth spoke up, 

"Could it be Lady Featherington?" She asked the table,

"No!" Multiple people stated and everyone laughed at the young girl's question. Nicollette felt bad for laughing at the young girl, but after the quite mean things said about the Featherington's she knew for a fact that it could not be Lady Featherington herself.