......
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Dearest reader,
this author finds herself compelled
to share the most curious of news.
It seems our diamond requires a closer inspection.
As such, an even rarer jewel of only the most remarkable brilliance,
fire, and luster has been unearthed.
Her name, unknown to most,
yet soon known to all, is Miss Marina Thompson.
This author is left to wonder whether
Her Majesty might reconsider the high praise she once afforded
Miss Bridgerton for we all must know what
the queen despises more than anything.
Being wrong.
And the drawing-room at Bridgerton House
currently appears to be emptier than the
muddled head of her dearest King George.
It follows that Lady Featherington is to receive
what she has always desired:
the season's true Incomparable living under her own roof.
She must be overjoyed.
It has reached my ears that Mr. Colin Bridgerton
shall be awarded the year's grand prize when he
sweeps Miss Thompson off her pretty little slippered feet.
In other news, a most peculiar suiter for
Miss Daphne Bridgerton has emerged.
......
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A few days pass by and I've managed to avoid all of them. However, my mother forced me into a dress this morning so I could sit with the rest of the family in the drawing-room. According to Eloise, the past few days were all the same. I actually find this all quite entertaining. Anthony sends every suitor away after just a few minutes. Just as he did with this one. "Well, I must be off to my club, then. Sisters. Mother." he says and walks away. "I didn't know that this would be so entertaining." I say as Daphne starts to pace.
"Has anyone else read what Lady Whistledown has written of late?" Eloise says as she looks at us with a shocked face. "Should anyone pay any heed to what Lady Whistledown writes of late? I certainly do not." Hyacinth asks. "Well, I think that she is just stating the facts that we are all too afraid to say." I say. "Mama," Daphne says before anyone can say anything else. "Perhaps we might attend the upcoming Salisbury ball by ourselves and the Merriweather tea too." she says as she looks at our mother. "I believe that Anthony has already replied on our behalf, dearest. Apparently, he has managed our social calendar through June." she says. "He'll be there for the entire season?" Daphne asks.
"Lady Whistledown has made her opinion of our dear sister's fortunes quite clear." Eloise says. "Oh, enough about Lady Whistledown!" Daphne says as she sits down next to me on the bench. "It's not as bad as the duke's." Eloise says. "The duke's?" I ask with my eyebrows slightly raised. "She says that he has been announcing too many mamas that he has no plans of ever marrying, even tho all the girls are all over him." she says. "Really?" I ask trying to hide the smile in my voice. "Yes and the weird thing is that he was spotted dancing with someone she calls 'our very own diamond in the rough'. Now, who could that be?" Eloise says. I swallow. I knew that everyone at the ball could see us dancing, but I was hoping that Lady Whistledown wouldn't mention it in her paper. Well, it could be worse right? I mean she could have used my name.
The door opens. "A caller for Miss Bridgerton." the man says. "Oh!" mother says as she gets up. "The Lord Berbrooke." the man says and I let out a laugh. Nobody wants that man. Daphne grabs my hand as he enters the room. "Lord Berbrooke." mother says as she makes a small bow. He nods. "Uh...Uhm...Come in." she stammers. "May I help you to some freshly prepared biscuits?" she asks regaining herself. "Eloise, allow some room for his lordship, will you?" she says and Eloise stands up from the bench she, Daphne, and I are sitting on. I stay seated and my mother looks at me. "Delia, wouldn't it be time that you practice some piano?" she asks as she extends her hand towards me. "I believe I should like to stay." I say. "I believe you should like to play." she says and I groan. I take her hand and get up. I look back at Daphne. 'I'm sorry' I mouth and she gives me a small smile and a nod.
I walk towards the pianoforte and give Lord Berbrook a small forced smile. I look back and see him grabbing a biscuit and sitting down next to Daphne. I sit down at the pianoforte and start playing. "Forgive me for not calling sooner. I presumed your affections were already engaged. Now I know. You and I were destined for each other." he says. I try to suppress a chuckle and press a few wrong keys. "Delia!" my mother whispers. And I regain myself and continue playing.
~
Violet Bridgerton and her daughter Daphne Bridgerton walk into the theater. Looking around at all the people present. Daphne locks eyes with her peculiar suitor and quickly turns to her mother. "Our box, mama?" she asks. "Mm-hmm." Lady Bridgerton says as she leads Daphne. "Lady Bridgerton!" Lady Danbury says loudly so they hear her. They stop walking and look at Lady Danbury. Lady Danbury is standing next to the Queen and some of her ladies. "Do join us." Lady Danbury says. Lady Bridgerton and her daughter walk towards them. They both bow as they stop in front of them. "Your Majesty, good evening." Lady Bridgerton says. "You must remember my daughter, Daphne." she says and Daphne steps forward. "Yes." the queen says as Daphne bows once again. "She made quite an impression." the queen says and then turns to her staff. "However fleeting it may have been." she says and she doesn't try to whisper. The queen snorts and then lets out a small chuckle and walks away. "I would like to welcome you both to my box this evening." Lady Danbury says. Lady Bridgerton opens her mouth to object. "I insist." Lady Danbury says before she can say anything. Lady Bridgerton nods and they follow her up to her box. Once they enter the box Daphne sits to the side and watches the opera.
Lady Bridgerton and Lady Danbury sit next to each other. "They are saying that her husband will not live till the end of the month." Lady Danbury says as she motions at the queen. "Surely another rumor provided by that vicious, scandal-mongering writer. Should her degradation know no bounds?" Lady Bridgerton says. Daphne is enjoying the opera and has no idea of the conversation that is taking place behind her. "Lady Whisteldown writes about my family too. Yet I suppose the duke can withstand such scrutiny, since he is, after all, a man." Lady Danbury says. "His Grace was fortunate to have you there with him as a child after what happened to his mother. Awful!" Lady Bridgerton says. "He is not what Whistledown writes." Lady Danbury says. "Nor is Daphne." Lady Bridgerton says. "It would seem our families have that much in common, then." Lady Danbury says.
"Tell me, where is your other daughter?" Lady Danbury asks as she looks at Lady Bridgerton. "Delia? She is at home." Lady Bridgerton says. Lady Danbury smiles. "She didn't want to come?" she asks. "Uhm...She...She is home, sick." Lady Bridgerton stammers. "It's okay. I have had a conversation with her, I know that she convinced you to let her stay at home." Lady Danbury says. "Well, more like forced." Lady Bridgerton says, but she can't help the little smile that creeps on her face.
"Tell me, do you know who this diamond in the rough is as Lady Whistledown calls her?" Lady Danbury asks. "I haven't the slightest idea but I read that she danced with His Grace." Lady Bridgerton says. "Are you certain that you don't know who she is?" Lady Danbury asks. Lady Bridgerton looks at her. "Do you know something that I need to know Lady Danbury?" Lady Bridgerton asks. "Let's just say that your daughter is a really good dancer." Lady Danbury says. "Delia?" Lady Bridgerton asks and frowns. "Mm-hmm." Lady Danbury hums. Lady Bridgerton's eyes widen. "Delia danced with the Duke of Hastings?" she asks full of disbelief. "She did." Lady Danbury says. "She actually danced?" Lady Bridgerton whispers more to herself than to Lady Danbury. "It looked like they were having a good time." Lady Danbury says. "Matches have certainly been made with far less." she says mysteriously. Lady Bridgerton looks at Lady Danbury. "What are you suggesting?" she asks. Lady Danbury turns to look at Lady Bridgerton. "Lady Whisteldown merely writes what she sees. Perhaps we need to help her to see things a bit more clearly." Lady Danbury says and the two women look at the stage. Lady Bridgerton is still a bit in shock over what she heard about her second daughter. "The duke is quite fond of gooseberry pie." Lady Danbury says. "The very dish my cook is renowned for." Lady Bridgerton says. They both look at each other and chuckle.
~
The next morning was with no doubt the same as the past few, with the exception of yesterday. I get dressed in my normal outfit and walk to the drawing-room, to find my whole family already seated. "Goodmorning every-" I start. "You danced with the Duke of Hastings at the Danbury ball?" my mother interrupts me as she stands up and takes a few steps toward me. My eyes widen slightly. How does she know? Right, there were other people there, somebody must have told her. "What?" Daphne asks as she joins mother's side with a big smile on her face. "Look at that, our very own diamond in the rough." Eloise says as she moves to mother's other side. I open my mouth to speak but someone behind me says something. "Is something wrong?" someone asks. I turn around and see Anthony, Benedict, and Colin behind us. "Nothing-" I start. "She danced with the Duke of Hastings at Lady Danbury's ball." mother says before I can continue. Benedict and Colin smirk. "Did you tell her?" I ask. "What, they knew." my mother says. "We were there." Colin says. Anthony hasn't said anything. I look at him and he looks confused. "Look. It was nothing. He needed my help to avoid all those mothers with their daughters who clung to him like a swarm of flies clings to poo." I say. They all look skeptically at me. "Can we just drop the subject." I aks a bit irritated. "Sure. But can you give us the details?" Eloise asks with a big smirk. I roll my eyes and walk out of the room before anyone can stop me. I walk towards the kitchen and grab a small bag where I put three apples in. Then I walk outside and toward Cynthia. "Do you need my help miss?" the stable boy asks. "No thank you, Thomas." I say. He nods and I saddle Cynthia myself. Then I walk out of the stables with her behind me. I mount her and ride away.
When I return home it's already starting to get dark. I enter the stables and hand Cynthia to Thomas. I walk inside and walk into the drawing-room half expecting my family to be there. "They are already in the dining room miss." a footman says. "Thank you." I say and run towards the dining room. The doors are open and I can already hear the happy sounds that erupt from the dining room. I run inside. "I am sorry I am late Mama-" I start, but stop dead in my tracks when I see who is sitting at our dining table. It's Simon. Everybody stops talking and turns towards me. "Delia, there you are. Where were you?" she asks. "I was out riding." I say as I continue to look at him. What is he doing here? "All day?" my mother asks and I turn my attention back to her. "Yes, all day mother." I say.
I look at everyone at the table. My mother is seated at one end of the table and Anthony at the other. Simon is sitting next to my mother and beside him stands an empty chair that is obviously meant for me. Next to the empty chair sits Hyacinth and next to her Francesca. Benedict sits next to my mother on the other side of the table, and next to him sits Colin. Next to Colin sits Daphne, then Gregory, and then Eloise. I look at Simon once again. He raises his eyebrows slightly and gives me a small smile, then looks me up and down. Right, I am not wearing what a lady wears when she goes to dinner, but then again I didn't know that there would be a guest. I walk towards the empty seat. "Delia, you should change." my mother says. "Please mama, I am famished since I have been riding with Cynthia all day." I say. "Cynthia?" Simon asks. "My horse." I say. "You named your horse?" he asks. "You didn't?" I ask him and then see the look on my mother's face. "Your Grace." I add. I take another step towards the table. "Delia, go change. Now" my mother says. "Don't worry about it Lady Bridgerton." he says looking at my mother. He then turns toward me. "I don't mind and Miss Bridgerton is clearly starved." he says as he looks me up and down again with a raised eyebrow. I narrow my eyes at him but sit down at the table.
I look at the table and put some food on my plate. Nobody talks. "Please do continue with whatever you were talking about." I say. I look at Colin and Benedict who are sitting opposite me. They smirk at me and I shoot them an angry glance before I start eating. A footman walks up to me and fills my glass with wine. "Thank you." I say as the footman steps back. I immediately take a sip. I mean yes the water from the waterfall was good but that was some while ago.
"Didn't you hear what we were talking about?" Benedict asks. "For all we know, Whistledown may be some interloper living in Bloomsbury, of all places." Anthony says. "What should be so terrible about Bloomsbury? That people there actually work for a living?" Benedict says. "She does seem to be someone with access." Daphne says. "Who knows if Whistledown is even a she?" Colin asks. "Fair point." Anthony says. "Because she is simply too good to be anyone but a man?" Eloise says sarcastically and I laugh. "Well, I think it rather obvious that the writer is Lady Danbury." Francesca says. "Lady Danbury enjoys sharing her insults with society directly, which is very daring and amazing. But that would also mean that she would never bother herself writing them all down." I say. "Could it be Lady Featherington?" Hyacinth asks. "No!" we all say and laugh. "You have yet to read what Whistledown writes of the Featheringtons, little sister." Eloise says.
"You must forgive Delia for being late and this rather unruly debate, Your Grace." I hear my mother say to Simon. I roll my eyes. "Nonsens. I find it entertaining." he says. I bet he does. I ignore their conversation and look at Daphne who is sitting next to Colin. She has a big smirk on her face as she looks between me and Simon. I kick her under the table. "Ouch!" she says and I give her a small smile. Then a pea hits my hand and I look in the direction it came from. Gregory is tossing peas at Hyacinth. "Gregory! Would you stop tossing peas at me?" Hyacinth says loudly. "Those peas were already there. You cannot tell me what to do. I am older." he says. "And I'm taller." Hyacinth says. Then I flick a pea at Hyacinth and at Gregory. "Delia." they say at the same time as they turn to look at me. "And I am older and taller." I say and they both laugh. I look back at my plate and can see out of the corner of my eye that Simon is looking at me. "I'm to spar with Jackson himself." I hear Colin say as he leans towards Benedict. "You?" Benedict asks. "Is that envy I detect in your voice?" Colin asks Benedict. "Judgement, brother. I shall need to witness this." he says. I hear Simon let out a small chuckle and look at him. He also looks at me.
"You appear displeased." he says. I frown. "Do I?" I ask. I mean yes. I haven't looked at him once since I sat down at the table and I also haven't talked to him but that does mean that I am displeased? "We find ourselves seated beside each other, Miss Bridgerton. I'd like to think you're happy about that." he says. Ugh, he is too full of himself. Just like when at the party when he didn't believe me when I told him I didn't know him. "Ow, Your Grace has been thinking about me? I haven't thought about you since the ball the other night." I say. "It is simply surprising." he says. "Yes! However is it possible for a lady to offer anything other than a smile whilst seated beside a duke?" I ask as I look him in the eye. "Even one of your reputation." I say as I look back at my plate. "You are aware of my reputation." he says. "I am aware of your friendship with my eldest brother. If that were not enough, I am also aware of the things a certain writer has recently written of you." I say as I look back at him. "Presumptuous? Clearly. Arrogant? Most definitely. You are a rake...through and through. Tell me I am wrong." I say with a small smile and look at my brothers. They are both looking at me with the corners of their lips slightly raised. I ignore them and take a sip of my wine. "Who wasn't thinking about who again?" he asks. I chuckle. "I assure you. I am anything but interested in you." I say. "Good." he says. "Quite." I say as I take another bite of food.
This man really thinks that he is that much. Yes, he is a duke, but he is also quite a dork. He wants to have every lady falling at his feet, but says that he isn't interested in their attention. "And I anything but interested in you, the second eldest sister of my oldest friend," he says. "Only by three minutes." I say. "Yet another recent subject of a certain writer." he says. I look up at him and frown a little. Lady Whistledown hasn't written anything about me. He looks at me. "Our diamond in the rough." he says, corners of his lips raised. I look at him challengingly, because everyone knows what she meant by that expression. "A lack of talents, undisciplined, desperate," he says and takes a sip of wine. "Maybe I should remind-" I start. "To live another life, that is." he interrupts and I just look at him. "Tell me I am wrong." he says. Okay so yes, maybe he is right, but still. I hear Eloise laugh and look at her. She pretends to clear her throat instead while looking away. I turn back to face Simon and open my mouth to say something.
"Hastings, I'm so glad you decided to join us this evening." Anthony says before I can say anything else. I look at him with anger written all over my face. I had a really good come back and now he ruined it for me. He ignores me. "It was most spontaneous of you." he says continuing to talk to Simon. I look at my brothers in front of me and they smirk, knowing that I was about to burn this man into the ground. "No worries. You will get your time, believe me." Colin whispers, which calms me a bit. "Not at all. With Lady Danbury accepting your dear mother's invitation on my behalf...Well, however could I have declined?" Simon says. I turn towards my mother and look at her wide-eyed. She did what? Did she invite him to get back at me for not telling her? She just smiles at me and then looks at Simon. "You must stay for dessert. It's gooseberry pie, Your Grace." she says. "Ah! Lovely!" he says. My mother chuckles and raises her glass to Anthony who is looking at her from the other end of the table. He doesn't look amused. It's more like a mix of surprise and anger. Oh no. Don't tell me my mother is doing what I think she is doing. "Let me guess, your favorite?" I ask. "Uh...Well, yes." he says. Great. Just great. This is going to be a long season.
After we eat dessert they decide to take a walk outside, and I see this as the perfect opportunity to slip away. So I do. I sneak into the drawing-room as they all walk outside, talking amongst each other. I look at the pianoforte. I've been wanting to play something for a while now, but couldn't because my family was always around. I walk over to the cabinet with sheet music. I look and then I find the right one. The 1st movement of the 5th symphony from Beethoven. I walk over to the pianoforte and sit down. As soon as I play the first few notes I get sucked into the piece. When the piece ends eight minutes later I take my hands from the piano.
"So is that more your style?" somebody asks and I stand up and look at the doorway. Simon is standing in the doorway. "Simon, what are you still doing here?" I ask as I look behind him to see if my family is standing behind him. "I was about to leave but then I heard you playing." he says as he takes a few steps toward me. I grab the sheet music and put it back in the cabinet. "I didn't know you could play that well." he says. "Well, there's a lot you don't know about me." I say. "That's right." he says. "So your family doesn't know?" he asks. "What do you mean?" I ask. "Your mother would've surely said something about it if she knew that you were this good." he says. "You should leave." I say out of the blue. To be honest I don't really know why I said it but something about his last sentence just made me snap. "I don't understand-" he starts as he frowns. "Will you please leave?" I ask, before waiting for an answer I walk out the door and up towards my room. Now he knows. This wasn't something I was ready to share. I wanted to keep it for myself for eternity. I don't want people to know that I can play.
~✨⬹＊⤔✨~
3853 words
(23/05/2022)