Nicollette nervously approached the beautiful stone building of Bridgerton house. She was accompanied by her Ladie's made Francine as a chaperone. Nicollette was wearing a dark navy blue dress with white trimming along her shoulders and chest. She wore a beautiful teardrop sapphire necklace and sapphire earrings to match. Nicollette couldn't help the nerves that wracked her body as she carefully knocked on the door. The door was swiftly open to reveal the Bridgerton's butler. "Lady Arquette, I presume?" He asked with a gentle smile. Nicollette nodded her head politely before being ushered to a drawing-room. "Lady Arquette" He introduced her as she walked in. Sitting in the beautiful bright drawing-room were Daphne, Violet, and two other girls she had yet to meet.
"Nicollette, my dear, thank you so much for coming," Violet spoke as she stood up and offered the young girl a quick hug. Violet turned to the two new young ladies in the room and quickly introduced her other daughters "This is Eloise, I'm sure she'll have many questions for you." Violet said motioning to her second eldest daughter.
"Hello Eloise, so lovely to meet you," Nicollette said politely, smiling at the girl and Eloise smiled back.
"This is Francesca, she, unfortunately, will be leaving us within the next couple of days to broaden her knowledge of the pianoforte," Violet said sadly at the thought of her daughter leaving home.
"Ah, how very important," Nicollette spoke as she smiled at the girl with the lightest hair "It seems like just yesterday I too was learning how to play." Nicollette reminisced about her beginnings of playing the piano and how Olivier had begged her over and over again to stop. Daphne stood up and hugged the Arquette girl,
"I am so glad you came tonight. I was afraid my numerous siblings my scare you away." Daphne spoke jokingly. Violet let out a little chuckle at the idea of her eight children. Nicollette laughed along with the rest of the Bridgerton ladies.
"It is quite intimidating to be meeting the majority of them all at the same time, but if they're anything like the Bridgerton's I have already met then I am sure it will be fine." Nicollet waved her hand throughout the air as if dismissing her nerves of meeting them all. Violet Bridgerton couldn't help but smile at the young girl.
"Yes, well, I am afraid you have only met half of them," Violet said in a light-hearted tone, "You have yet to meet boys and Hyacinth." The three sisters each let out a groan at the mention of youngest Bridgerton. Nicollette furrowed her eyebrows in confusion at the reaction of the three Bridgerton girls. "Hyacinth is just very curious, stubborn, and somehow is even more prone to speaking her mind than Eloise here," Violet spoke and Eloise shot her mother a playful glare. Nicollette couldn't help the small laugh that escaped her lips at the family interacting with one another. Nicollette couldn't help but wonder if this is what her family could've been like if her parents loved each other. "Well, my dears, it looks as if it is almost time for dinner, shall we?" Violet asked the young ladies, all four girls eagerly nodded their heads in excitement for the meal to commence.
Nicollette couldn't help but get lost in astonishment at the Bridgerton family. The entire family sat at one table together and they all participated in the conversation equally. It was a completely bizarre concept to Nicollette, but she loved the idea of them all being together. The Viscount's eyes kept drifting over towards the girl who remained quiet since the beginning of the meal. He could see the way her eyes would flicker from person to person and the way her lips would turn up into a slight smile whenever Hyacinth or Gregory spoke. Anthony couldn't help himself from noticing the way she held herself back from interjecting into the conversation when she had something to say, every time he could see her lips purse and her eyebrows furrow he was hoping she would join the conversation, and he was disappointed every time she held back from doing so. "I hope you don't find my family too much," The Viscount spoke to the Arquette girl trying to convince her to speak. Nicollette looked around the table at the various Bridgertons and the Duke before meeting the Viscount's eyes,
"Not at all, my lord. I find it all quite entertaining." She spoke sincerely. Anthony gave her a faint smile before he continued,
"We understand that it isn't quite proper to have the children at the table, but as my mother likes to say we actually like each other." He spoke as he looked around at his siblings who were all laughing and conversing. He didn't miss the way Nicollette quietly sighed as she thought about her family,
"Yes, I can see that" She laughed as Gregory threw peas at Hyacinth "It is most refreshing to be surrounded by people who want to spend time with one another." She spoke softly. Nicollette couldn't help but think of her family eating dinner at home. Juliette would be eating by herself as Nicollette wasn't there to keep her company, Adalene would be eating with her Governess, and her father and Olivier would be eating together if they were both at home at the same time. "I can't remember the last time my family ate all together like this, or if we ever did." She spoke sadly and Anthony couldn't help his expression from changing to a frown.
"That is most unfortunate," he said to the young dark-haired girl next to him. Nicollette smiled at the man and nodded her head in agreement,
"Yes it is, but fortunately your mother has been so kind to invite me tonight." The young lady and the young Viscount both smiled at each other before their attention was drawn away by the current conversation of the rest of the table.
"Who knows if Whistledown is even a she?" Collin spoke as the table appeared to be in a rather lively debate.
"Fair point" Anthony spoke agreeing with his brother. Nicollette looked at Anthony with a slight look of shock and wanted to speak, but pursed her lips and refrained from doing so. Eloise on the other hand was not nearly as restraint full as Nicollette and couldn't help but interject into the conversation,
"Because she is simply too good to be a man?" She asked her brother with a frustrated look on her face. Nicollette let out a little laugh at the younger girls actions,
"Lady Whistledown is clearly a woman" Nicollette spoke to the group for the first time, earning everyone's attention. Anthony and his mother couldn't help smile at the girl as she tried to break from the societal norms that had been pushed upon her.
"And why is that?" Collin spoke in an antagonizing joking fashion.
"Because no man would have the eye for details and gossip that she does," Nicollette spoke confidently. The four men at the table thought about it and nodded their heads in agreement,
"She is quite right. None of us would care about who danced with who and what color dress someone wore." Anthony spoke and earned hums of agreement from the rest of the men at the table. Nicollette couldn't help but feel warm at the idea of her thoughts being accepted so easily. At home, Nicollette's thoughts and ideas were never so easily accepted as they were right now in the Bridgerton household and she couldn't help but want that to always be the case.
"Well, I think it rather obvious that the writer is Lady Danbury," Francesca spoke matter of factly.
"Lady Danbury enjoys sharing her insults with society directly," Daphne responded to her sister. Nicollette nodded her head in agreement. From the brief interactions she had with the older countess, she knew this to be correct. "She would never bother writing them all down," Daphne continued. Nicollette noticed the Duke's smile at Daphne's words and couldn't help a smile of her own at the idea of the Duke and Daphne together. Violet Bridgerton was happily sipping her wine and smiling at the Duke's reaction to her daughter when Hyacinth spoke up,
"Could it be Lady Featherington?" She asked the table,
"No!" Multiple people stated and everyone laughed at the young girl's question. Nicollette felt bad for laughing at the young girl, but after the quite mean things said about the Featherington's she knew for a fact that it could not be Lady Featherington herself.
"You have yet to read what Whistledown writes about the Featherington's, little sister," Eloise tells her youngest sister. Hyacinth's head turns to Eloise quicker than Nicollette thought humanely possible.
"You must forgive this rather unruly debate, your grace," Lady Bridgerton speaks to the Duke. Simon looks at the Viscountess and offers her a small smile,
"Nonsense. I find it entertaining." He says much to Lady Bridgerton's surprise,
"Oh!" She says with a slight chuckle. Nicollette couldn't help her attention go towards the Duke and the Lady of the house as he charmed her. Nicollette hoped that one day her mother would be just as charmed by the man that Nicollette was going to marry as Violet was by the Duke right now. Nicollette didn't miss the way Anthony glared at the interaction between Simon and his mother, the girl was utterly confused at the man's behavior,
"I thought that you and the Duke were friends, my lord?" She asked innocently with a confused expression on her face. Anthony quickly looked between Nicollette and the Duke before replying,
"Yes, we are which is why I know that he will not be a good match for my sister," Nicollette furrowed her eyes in confusion, Daphne and Simon clearly had chemistry, "The man has declared he will never marry," Anthony stated as he continued to glare in Simon's direction.
"But you too had once declared you would never marry and now look at you," Nicollette spoke before taking a sip of water. Anthony's head spun to face the girl and he wore a shocked expression,
"My stance on the matter has not changed, my mother wishes me to marry, but I have not changed my mind," He spoke quickly and firmly catching the Arquette girl off guard. Nicollette's stomach dropped at his angry tone,
"I'm sorry, I did not mean to assume my presence here meant that it did," She apologized softly and carefully. "Excuse me, my lord, but I need to go freshen up," Nicollette excused herself from the table and quickly hurried from the dining room. Violet sent her son a confused angry look and Anthony suddenly felt terrible for he had not realized the harshness of his words. Anthony was soon met with the entire table's gazes on him, the Viscount gave them all a questioning look,
"Dear God, Anthony, you can not be that daft," Eloise spoke, Violet tried to scold the girl for her unladylike words but held herself back, "Go after her," Eloise said and gestured towards the door. Anthony glared at his younger sister before looking towards the rest of his family who all nodded their heads in agreement. Not much later he found himself walking out of the dining room in search of the Arquette Lady.
Nicollette found herself outside on one of the Bridgerton house's many terraces and was peering up at the stars. Nicollette scolded herself for being so naive when it came to the Viscount, she knew that he had declared never to marry and she knew of his rakish ways, but yet she couldn't help the feeling of being drawn to him and the slight sliver of hope she felt at the idea of him. Nicollette was struggling with trying to collect her thoughts on the Viscount when someone cleared their throat behind her. Nicollette turned to around to face the person and was met with the devishly handsome Viscount himself. Nicollette coudln't help but notice how perfectly handsome he was in his dark navy suit, her cheeks flushed red at her thoughts of the Viscount. "I'm sorry to interrupt your thoughts, but I wanted to apologize for my behavior." Anthony's words surprised her, after all she had read and was told about the rakish man, she did not peg him for one who apologized often.
"It is alright, my lord," Nicollette raised waved her hand as if to brush away the situation "I shouldn't have been so naive." Anthony's eyebrows creased and her wore a scowl on his face.
"It is of no fault of your own. I can only presume it was my mother who put such thoughts in you head" Anthony spoke in a formal and quick fashion. Nicollette felt slightly pained by his words and turned away from him to look out across the Bridgerton gardens. Nicollette wanted to quickly change the subject and so when she spoke she talked of the flowers,
"Your gardens appear quite lovely. I would love to see them during the day." Nicollette longingly looked at the beautiful flowers that were covered in darkness. Anthony stared at the young girl and could easily see the want in her expression.
"Then you shall," He spoke before he had time to properly think his words through. Nicollette looked at him quickly, stunned by his words. "If you should like to see them, I can give you a tour tomorrow morning," He offered, shocked by his own want to satisfy her desires. Nicollette smiled a sweet smile at the man, astonished at his kindness,
"That would be lovely, thank you, Lord Briderton," Anthony couldn't help but smile at the girl in front of him. He could not deny that she was indeed beautiful and kind, but he couldn't help but compare her to Sienna. Sienna was bold and spoke her thoughts and Nicollette was timid and quiet, but the further he thought about the way she pursed her lips at dinner as if holding herself back from speaking. Anthony suddenly realized that there was most likely more to the young girl in front of him than he realized, the way that she pursed her lips to stop herself was something learned and not a trait she was born with. As he stood looking at the girl as she watched the stars, he hoped to be able to see the girl without her worrying about being the 'perfect' lady,
"Please, call me Anthony"