Breathe | s.b | bridgerton

22

"Look, I know you do not love me, but I- "
"Do not love you? Carina... I- you are all I think about. Your happiness is all I want. You think I do not wish to marry you? Carina, I agreed to the duel because I did not want you to marry me against your will. You deserve everything your heart desires. You deserve nothing less. But I cannot provide it for you when I force you to marry me. Nor could I ever ask such a sacrifice. Please, Carina, for your own sake... you must stand aside... and let your brother finish this. We must resume before someone should find us."

Carina did not know what to think. Simon did not hate her, he was ready to marry her. His words rang in her head, You are all I think about. Your happiness is all I want. You think I do not wish to marry you? Her heart did a little leap in her chest, he must care for her to some extent if he is willing to do anything for her happiness. Even if they can never learn to love each other, they can be friends, partners with mutual respect.
Remembering where she was, she spoke up, "There will be no need to resume."
Turning to face her brothers, she then addressed them, "The duke and I are to be married."
And as the four men looked at her dumbfounded, her decision solidified, and she knew nothing would change it.

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Rushing home, Carina hurried to her chambers and raced against the clock to change her garments to a nightgown. Getting into bed as swiftly as possible, Carina pretended to sleep, only moments before her Lady's maid, Lily, came in to awaken her.
Yawning and pretending to just have woken up, she said, "Good morning Lily. Has my mother yet awakened?"
Upon bathing and dressing up, Carina went downstairs to find her mother in the living room, clearly hungover. She was nervously pacing about as her mama babbled about a sickness when Violet Bridgerton noticed the worrying state of her eldest daughter, "What is it?" she asked.
"I am engaged." Carina announced.

"Oh! Well, that is wonderful news." Her mama stated, her countenance clearly depicting how she really did not think of it as a wonderful news. Carina would have laughed if she wasn't so worked up by the events of the night and morning.
"So, you will be a princess.", her mama continued.

"No." Carina said with a small smile,
"No?"
"No, I will not. Mama, I am engaged to the duke. The duke asked for my hand, and I accepted." Carina said.
Her mother's expression was worthy of an audience. She seemed so pleased, all her distaste towards Carina's engagement seemingly gone. "You do not seem pleased." Her mama commented. "Whatever is wrong?"
"Oh no. No... Nothing is wrong. It simply happened so quickly. I've not had a moment to take it in. But I am overjoyed, Mama, truly." And she was. Even though the engagement might not be happening due to love and the Duke might not ever love her, Carina was happy that it was him she had to marry rather than any other stranger.

"Of course you are. You are to be a duchess!" Her mama exclaimed with uncontrolled glee. "Oh, darling! I knew there was something between you... ruse or not! Well, tell me. Tell me everything! How do you feel?" she demanded.
Carina did not know how to put all her feelings into words. Or how to tell her mama all that transpired in the span of one night, so she simply smiled and said, "So in love."
Now, onto the important aspect of this marriage, Carina continued, "I'm unsure how I can be expected to wait an entire month to marry. Could we not obtain a special license to marry this week?"

Her mother clearly did not buy it, after all Violet Bridgerton can read her children like an open book. Not wishing to keep her mother in the dark regarding everything, she offered her what she could, "I do not wish to lie to you... But the duke and I..."
Understanding passing over her features, Violet stopped her from stating anything possibly incriminating out loud as she held her eldest daughter's shoulders to offer some comfort, "You do not need to tell me anything. Whatever happened between the two of you, it is all right. I know good society makes quite a fuss about such things... but when it comes to love, such things happen more frequently than one might expect. Even your father and I, we had trouble controlling our passions as well."

"Your drink, ma'am."
"Will not be necessary, Wilson. I am feeling much improved. We have a wedding to plan in three days." Her mama told her lady's maid.
"My darling girl, you are getting what you always wanted. You are marrying for love." And while part of it was true, Carina did love Simon, she just hoped this all did not blow up in their faces.

One may say modesty is a virtue, yet this author is hardly a virtuous woman. It is therefore my great pleasure to announce the news others questioned, but I never doubted. The Royal jewel has made her match, officially betrothed to the Duke of Hastings. The bride, undoubtedly, is giddy with anticipation over the impending nuptials...

"I shall need fittings for the dress and my trousseau."
"And, oh..."
"I am forgetting something, surely." Carina fusses about the preparations as Lily tries to dress her when her lady's maid finally interrupts,
"I shall take care of everything. Just think, you shall be the duchess by Saturday." Those words alone made Carina halt in her steps. And as she stood there in plain terror and horror, the only thing that gave her some hope, that seemed as a silver lining amongst this, was her Groom being the Duke.

...an event that will apparently take place sooner rather than later. Of course, there are only two reasons to procure a special license and race to the altar: true love, or concealing a scandal.

As the Bridgerton women ascend down the staircase to prepare for the day, Eloise's ridicule, Hyacinth's curiosity, and Daphne's excitement all got a bit too much. It suddenly occurred to Carina how thoroughly unprepared she was for the marriage, and how she could only hope the Duke cooperates.

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Author's note:

MY BABY'S GETTING MARRIED!!

Also she is NOT a marriage girly.. I feel like in the modern world Carina would just elope drunkenly in Vegas or secretly have a court marriage and call it a day.

So the nerves are wedding nerves, not the groom nerves.

Speaking of the groom, MY BBY FINALLY CONFESSED!! Carina didn't get a chance to reply so OBVIOUSLY that's gonna cause misunderstandings but FOR NOW IM FREAKING OUT OMG!