First Impressions // A Bridgerton Story

Chapter 5

" As any regular reader of this column knows, there are two sects in London who shall forever remain in the utmost opposition: Ambitious Mamas and Determined Bachelors.

The Ambitious Mama has daughters of marriageable age. The determined Bachelor does not want a wife. The crux of the conflict should be obvious to those with half a brain, or, in other words, approximately fifty percent of This Author's readership.

By the year's end, this Author is certain that the marriage bells will ring for at least one of the Bridgerton brothers. Which one and to whom is still anyone's guess.

But this author is certain, whomever and whichever Bridgerton brother marries will be decided on the upcoming ball hosted by her Majesty, the Queen. Though rumors have been heard that her daughter, the emerald, the undoubtedly beautiful Princess Amelia is going to marry before the season's end. To whom, it is a great secret. But this Author did notice a certain air of mystery and whispers between a certain pair of attendants. "

LADY WHISTLEDOWN'S SOCIETY PAPERS, 25 APRIL 1814

Amelia knew the minute he walked into the room. She tried to tell herself it had nothing to do with a heightened awareness of the man. He was excruciatingly handsome; that was fact, not opinion.

She couldn't imagine that every woman didn't notice him immediately. He arrived late. Not very, the soprano couldn't have been more than a dozen bars into her piece. But late enough so that he tried to be quiet as he slipped into a chair toward the front near his family.

Amelia remained motionless in her position at the other side of the front, fairly certain that he didn't see her as he settled in for the performance. He didn't look her way, and besides, several candles had been snuffed, leaving the room bathed in a dim, romantic glow. The shadows surely obscured her face.

Amelia tried to keep her eyes on Miss Rosso throughout the performance. Her disposition was not improved, however, by the fact that the singer could not take her eyes off Lord Bridgerton. At first, Amelia had thought she must be imagining Miss Rosso's fascination with the viscount, but by the time the soprano was halfway done, there could be no doubt. Maria Rosso was issuing the viscount a sultry invitation with her eyes.

Why this bothered Amelia so much, she didn't know. After all, it was just another piece of proof that he was every bit the licentious rake she'd always known him to be. She should have felt smug. She should have felt vindicated.

Instead, all she felt was a disappointment. It was a heavy, uncomfortable feeling around her heart, one that left her slumping slightly in her chair. When the performance was done, she couldn't help but notice that the soprano, after graciously accepting her applause, walked brazenly up to the viscount and offered him one of those seductive smiles, the sort Amelia was able to do, having learned from her sisters and their friends.

There was no mistaking what the singer meant by that smile. Good heavens, the man didn't even need to chase women. They practically dropped at his feet. It was disgusting. Really, truly disgusting.

And yet Amelia couldn't stop watching. Lord Bridgerton offered the opera singer a mysterious half-smile of his own. Then he reached out and tucked an errant lock of her raven hair behind her ear.

Amelia shivered. Now he was leaning forward, whispering something in her ear. Amelia felt her ears straining in their direction, even though it was quite obviously impossible for her to hear a thing from so far away.

But still, was it truly a crime to be ravenously curious? And, Good heavens, did he just kiss her neck? Surely he wouldn't do that in his mother's home. Well, she supposed Bridgerton House was technically his home, but his mother lived here, as did many of his siblings.