Love me like you do

Dandelions

Amelia had finished helping Eloise into her dress, as Daphne was being debuted to Queen Charlotte this season, as she helped her friend into her dress, "You are lucky you never have to do this." Eloise said, "I know mama delayed my coming out for another year, but you are lucky that you will never have to do this." Eloise spoke, as Amelia smiled softly.

"You are right. I will never have to do this, but it doesn't mean I won't feel nervous for you." Amelia told Eloise, they were best friends, the same age, companions as children, and her closest confidant.

"I am already roasting." Eloise, the second of the four Bridgerton daughters, complained to her two sisters, Francesca and Hyacinth "Are you to complain the enture day, Eloise?" Francesca asked her sister, as they walked downstairs, "Surely I cannot be expected to bear these fashions the entire day." Eloise spoke, as Amelia sighed.

"Eloise. It is only whilst the ceremony happens." Amelia told her friend, "I feel like a princess. Do I look like one?" Hyacinth asked, as Amelia smiled at the youngest Bridgerton, "You do." Amelia told her.

"Do you truly wish to know what I think you look like?" Eloise asked, just as Gregory, the youngest of the four Bridgerton boys, ran past, taking Hyacinth's ribbon from her hair.

"Is our dear sister still not ready?" The second eldest of the Bridgerton children, Benedict asked, as Amelia quickly busied herself with helping Hyacinth's ribbon back into her hair.

"She's only ben readying herself the entire night." Francesca told Benedict, as Eloise interjected, "You mean her entire life."

"I shall run upstairs and hasten her along." Colin, the third eldest said, "Colin, wait. I'll do it." Benedict spoke, as they both began rushing to the stairs, "She likes me better than you, Benedict." Colin retorted.

"Did she say that?" Benedict asked, "Everyone says that." Colin told him, before Eloise groaned, pushing past her brothers, "Daphne! You must make haste!" She shouted, causing everyone to stop and look at the fifth Bridgerton child, "Should you think she heard me?" She asked, once she turned round, as Amelia looked at her.

"I think we all heard you, Eloise." Amelia said to her friend, before she looked at Gregory and Hyacinth, who were still arguing, "Both of you. Stop." Amelia told them, before she was seeing them out of the house, along with the Bridgertons.

Following their return to the house, Amelia was sat with Eloise, since she was her companion, as Eloise wrote the scandal sheet by someone of the name 'Lady Whistledown'.

"You absolutely sparkled, sister." Hyacinth told Daphne as they both giggled, as Amelia smiled, as she took the pamplet from Eloise, the two reading it.

"Come, now. I merely simpered and minced in a pretty dress like everyone else." Daphne said, as Amelia smiled softly, "At least you didn't faint, from what Eloise told me." Amelia said, "Oh, we shall need to go and visit with Penelope." Eloise said, as Amelia nodded her head, "Her presentation was anything but...What was it the Queen called you again?" Eloise asked Daphne.

"Flawless, or some such thing. Trust I was astonished Her Majesty offered me, out of 200 young ladies present, a most gracious remark." Daphne said. "Yes, it was quite a distinction." Eloise spoke, as Amelia continued to read the pamphlet, "And now, 200 young ladies have a common adversary." Eloise continued, "I wish you luck, sister." She finished.

"Eloise!" Francesca spoke, shock filling her words, as Amelia continued reading, before she got bored, "If you'd excuse me." Amelia said softly, as she left, going downstairs, as she saw Benedict, "Amelia." Benedict spoke softly.

"The Danbury Ball is this evening, I thought you might accompany me?" Benedict asked Amelia, who looked at him, "Oh, um, I cannot." Amelia said, as she looked away, "Why? Why can you not?" Benedict asked her, as he stepped closer to her, "You know how I feel for you, you know my affections and wishes." Benedict said, as she looked at him.

"I am not noble, I am your housekeepers granddaughter, your sisters companion." She said softly, "I am sorry, Benedict." She said, before she turned and left.

Benedict and Colin soon left for the Danbury Ball, Amelia remained at the house with Eloise, Francesca, Gregory and Hyacinth, as Eloise looked at her friend, "You like my brother, he likes you, why must you complicate matters?" Eloise asked

"One, he is older than me by almost a decade, and two, he doesn't love me, and three, it would be improper." Amelia told her friend, who rolled her eyes, "It is stupid." Eloise said, as Amelia furrowed her brows, "What do you mean?" Amelia asked, "So what if there is ten years between you both? Why does it matter?" Eloise asked, as Amelia sighed, "It is not the age, it is the social standing." Amelia said, as though that would make it better.

"But you like him!" Eloise said, as Amelia shook her head, "I may like him, but it does not matter, we come from different worlds." Amelia said, before she grabbed her shawl, as she left, intending on going for a walk, as she came across the opera house, and saw Siena Rossi, Anthony's mistress.

"You look like you could use a friend, come on, we'll return to my flat and have a drink." Siena told the girl, as Amelia nodded, as she headed back to Siena's flat with her, as Siena made them a drink.

"I know that look, I wear it too. In love with somebody we can never truly have." Siena spoke, as Amelia nodded, "Who is it?" Siena asked softly, "Benedict." Amelia answered softly.

"I'm not a maid or anything, I'm the granddaughter of their housekeeper, I'm his sister, Eloise's best friend, but I am not right for him. He asked me to go to the Danbury ball with him, I declined." Amelia spoke, as Siena pulled her into a hug.

"You love him." Siena said simply, as Amelia nodded her head, "I do." She whispered, as she groaned, "I wish I didn't. His stupid smile. His poetry, his art. He infuriates me because he will not let me go." Amelia said, as Siena smiled softly, "You are in love. The only way to move on, is to find some other man." Siena spoke softly, as Amelia nodded her head.