Abigail gently twisted the knob on the door to Eloise's bedroom. She knew Violet was helping her get ready, and the last thing Abby wanted to do was intrude. Yet still, she felt the need to talk to her soon to be sister-in-law before they left for the concert. Call it what you want, but she had a strange sense about Eloise's intentions this evening. She wasn't about to accuse Eloise of anything nefarious, and yet she felt a an unexplainable suspicion, and simply had to sway it before they all left.
"...we need not hasten your coming out before you feel prepared." She heard Violet finish her sentence as she carefully stepped into the room.
There was a moment's pause in which Eloise simply stared back at her mother.
Finally, she said, "The Queen will be in attendance at tonight's concert will she not?"
"I believe she will."
"Then I am looking forward to it. An exciting time, indeed, mama."
This was as good a moment as any to intrude.
"Sorry to interrupt." Abigail piped up, softly, from her place by the door. "I just wondered if I could borrow some lip brewed off of you, Eloise."
"Of course." She seemed to regain her senses as she removed herself from her spot in front of the mirror, and headed toward her vanity.
"I'll leave you to it, I have to check and make sure Anthony and Benedict are ready." Violet took her leave.
Abigail's eyes followed her as she left the room, and listened for the click of the door behind her.
"Here you are." Eloise pulled her attention back, and held out a tin of rosy paste toward her.
"What are you up to, Eloise?" Abigail didn't even bother to explain herself as she took the tin and got straight to the question.
Shocked, Eloise sputtered and it took several moments before she responded.
"What?"
"Oh please, I know you would rather go to the stake than attend a high society affair. And now, you're suddenly so interested in The Queen's attendance..." She trailed off, leaving her question apparent.
"I believe," Eloise began. "You are the only one who's ever taken the time to notice my true opinions."
"Normally, I'd take that as a compliment, but something's telling me that you wanted to go unnoticed tonight."
"Alright. But if I tell you... promise not to say a word to mama."
"I promise."
"Or Anthony."
She hesitated.
"Ha! I knew you couldn't."
"I didn't say that! I'm rather good with secrets thank you, it's just... we're not even married yet and I'm choosing his sister's side over his." She said that last part more to herself than anyone else.
"Swear. Otherwise, I'm sorry, but you cannot know."
"Alright, I swear."
"Good." Eloise took a long breath before finally saying, "The Queen has tasked me with uncovering Lady Whistledown's identity. I am attending tonight's concert so that I can report to her."
"You mean you've found who she is?" Abigail didn't bother to hide the shock from her voice.
"Not quite, but I do know she is a tradesperson."
"I see..."
Eloise took a moment, gauging Abby's reaction, before continuing.
"Now that you know this... you won't report me to mama?"
Abigail snorted.
"What do you think I am, a tattletale? No this is fairly harmless so I don't see a need to tell anyone. Although I hope when you nail down her identity I will be one of the few to know."
"So you think I can do this?" Eloise sounded in disbelief.
"I think if anyone can, it's you." She simply shrugged as if this was an obvious conclusion. "Now, with that out of the way, how on earth are you going to stand four hours in the midst of a gossiping, inebriated ton?"
Abby moved to the mirror and opened the tin Eloise gave her to apply some of the paste to her lips.
"Four hours? Be serious."
Abby held a glint in her eye as she turned back around.
"Oh I am... which is why we're going to need a plan to keep you sane."
——-
Downstairs, Anthony cautiously entered his study, where Colin stood over a table, adding to his maps.
"Missing the concert?" He announced his arrival.
"Indeed. I'm not exactly in the mood for music and finery this evening." Colin explained, then simply bent his head back over his work.
Anthony said nothing, but simply poured his brother a drink and stalled saying the words he knew he had to.
Extending the drink to Colin he finally said, "I want to apologize."
The younger took the drink, eyeing his brother suspiciously.
"Are there locusts in the streets? Blood in the Thames? Are the end of days upon us already."
Anthony sighed in exasperation, but nevertheless was happy Colin was willing to joke with him.
"I may have been a trifle harsh with you." He admitted.
"And is Abigail the only reason you've come to this conclusion?"
"She may have helped me see what it might have been like in your shoes. And I'm now sorry for the way I have acted."
"You merely wished to protect me from my more... foolish impulses." He cast his eyes down to his drink.
"So you admit it now? You were acting a fool?"
"As apologies go, this is certainly novel."
"Hush, you."
They both chuckled, happy they were back to bickering. Tension gone from the room, they sat on opposite sides of the table.
"You may hurt now but the pain will pass. You have the love of all your family, and the honor of your actions. Soon you will forget Miss Thompson's name and it will..." he sighed and trailed off. He knew what he was going to say but then changed courses. "Let's be honest, she will probably always be painful in your memory, but later you will find someone who makes the pain dull, and it will almost be as if you never loved her at all."
"You sound as if you've already met that someone. I do hope we're thinking of the same woman."
Anthony chuckled, but he couldn't suppress the grin that came about when he thought of her. It was almost as if he had no control over himself. Thinking of her caused elation, joy... something that words couldn't quite describe.
"Honest to God, I don't know what she sees in me sometimes."
"None of us do."
Anthony gasped in mock anger and tossed a crumpled paper across the table at him.
"Everything alright in here?" They both heard the woman they were speaking of from the doorway.
She was dressed in a soft gold and the candlelight made the jewels attached to her neck sparkle. Good God, she was a vision
"Better than, actually." Colin responded. "Anthony actually admitted fault."
"And no one's died of the plague yet?"
Colin burst out laughing while Anthony proceeded to roll his eyes.
"Oh, Ha. Ha." He finally gulped down the last of his drink and stood, his eyes now fixed on Abigail.
Before he could ask her if they were all ready, however, Eloise's voice came sounding throughout the downstairs.
"Abby! Please don't tell me I have to wear this blasted tiara all night!"
Abigail stayed facing forward and didn't even flinch as she called back.
"Yes, I'm afraid you do!"
"Oh, why don't you just kill me then."
Snorting, Abby reached for Anthony's hand and laced her fingers through his to drag him out the room.
"Well, it's a good thing we're not dramatic."
They both joined everyone in the foyer, and saw Violet fussing over something in Eloise's hair while the daughter in question simply kept swatting her hand away.
"Right." Anthony announced to try and interrupt before someone burst. "Everyone ready?"
"I believe so." Violet finally pulled away from her second daughter and assessed everyone in the room. "Let's be off then."
Eloise and Benedict headed to the doorway, and Abigail made to follow before Anthony caught her arm, efficiently stopping her. Although he didn't say a word to her, he simply stepped forward to whisper something she couldn't hear in his mother's ear. To which Violet only nodded and smiled.
"What was—" Abby started to question before Anthony had shushed her and pulled her arm forward.
Abigail watched as Benedict and Eloise were herded into one of the carriages by Violet before she stepped in herself, leaving the second one just completely free for the two of them.
"Why did she—"
"You ask too many questions." She could hear the smile in his voice. "Come on."
Anthony gave another tug and, in record time, she was seated in the other carriage straight across from him.
"Anthony, what are you doing?" She couldn't quite stop herself from asking another question.
"This." He said as he reached for something in his pocket.
The carriage started to move and Abigail had to reach to the side to steady herself as she leaned forward, towards her fiancée.
From his pocket, Anthony pulled a small, square, velvet box and held it out to her. Taking it, her heart racing as she did so, she stared at the thing in her hands before finally opening the lid. She took in a deep breath, so as to stop herself from gasping.
Inside the jewelry box laid a small, rather simple gold band, and on it a single round-cut diamond. The gem stone seemed to sparkle in the fading light from the window of the carriage, and Abby soon found she could not take her eyes off it.
"Anthony it's-- it's beautiful." She smiled and looked up at him.
"May I?" He prompted and reached his hand out for her own.
She extended her left hand and felt her heartbeat quicken even more as he delicately undid the fingers of her glove and slid the satin off. She was sure he could tell her breathing was out of control, but she didn't care. All that mattered was him. All that seemed to exist was him.
"It's a Bridgerton heirloom. There are several in the collection, as you can imagine, but I thought you'd like this one."
He slid it onto her finger and she couldn't deny how very safe she felt. Excited, on fire, and utterly in love as well, but very safe.
"I love it. Thank you."
"I'm sorry it's taken me so long, we've had some... things going on."
At this, they both burst into laughter. If this could be titled an easy courtship, she didn't want to see a difficult one.
"It's perfect." She finally said. "You're perfect."
That last part she whispered, but in the confined space of the carriage he heard it as if she'd shouted.
He couldn't control himself any longer. He wasted no time in leaning forward, capturing her lips with his and keeping her there. Seeing her like this, feeling her like this. It made him so happy, to a heart-swelling, somewhat nauseating degree. But he wouldn't have any other way.
(Wow, long chapter but I thought it was just too cute!)