Season 1 Episode 1 - Diamond of the First Water
The season's opening ball at Danbury
House is a most highly sought-after
invitation indeed. For every darling
debutante from Park Lane to Regent
Street knows, if anyone can throw a crush
of a party -- it's Lady Danbury.
Upon entering the ball, Beatrice marvelled at the lavish decorations on the walls. White flowers could be seen in all directions, perfectly framing the fireplaces and filling out any empty corners. As Beatrice observed the room, she caught sight of Lady Danbury. She had not seen her in a month since there had been little time for her to visit Witley Court. Lady Danbury was much too busy planning for this very event.
Beatrice tugged at her brother's arm, desperate to go over and speak to the woman. "I think it is only right we go and greet our host." Percival immediately agreed considering he was eager to see Lady Danbury too.
"Good evening, Lady Danbury." Beatrice mused as they approached the woman from behind.
Turning around, Lady Danbury caught sight of the Sinclair siblings. It was no secret that the woman had a strong attachment to the two and she was arguably even more excited to greet them as they were her.
"Good evening, Lord Sinclair, Miss Sinclair" she greeted, flashing then a dazzling smile. "It has been much too long; I have found myself dreadfully missing your company."
"As have I" Beatrice replied. "We must meet soon to discuss our latest book. I already finished Romeo and Juliet a week ago and I must say I am desperate to hear your thoughts on it."
During Beatrice's teenage years, the two had formed a sort of book club. Lady Danbury would lend Beatrice a book from her library, and they would then discuss their opinions of it. As Beatrice entered adulthood and the two had exhausted almost all the books in Lady Danbury's library, they had begun reading the books in the Sinclair's libraries too.
"Indeed. Can I expect you tomorrow? We could share our thoughts over a spot of afternoon tea?"
"Of course, Lady Danbury." Beatrice was overjoyed at this news, seeing as she would get to see her friend again.
Lady Danbury turned her attention to Percival. "Now my boy you must tell me, is this the year I may finally see you married?" She pried, eager to know if the man was finally to find a wife.
"All in due time, Lady Danbury" he assured. "Once I find the woman I wish to spend my life with, I shall then get married." Percival was reluctant to marry yet. After seeing the love his parents shared for one another, he refused to marry someone who was any less than perfect for him.
"Very well then." She turned towards Beatrice, hooking her arm around the girls to signal that she would be stealing her away. "Now you, Lord Sinclair shall go find a woman to dance with, whilst I take Miss Sinclair with me."
"But Lady Danbury I-"
"Yes, yes. I know you are her chaperone, but how are you ever to find this love you speak so fondly of if you are attached to your sisters hip all night?" She sent the man a short smile. She had obviously formed a plan in her mind. "I shall chaperone Miss Sinclair whilst you are gone. It is no problem, my dear."
"I think that is a great idea Lady Danbury!" Beatrice smirked, knowing how much her brother hated the idea of dancing with ladies he had no interest in.
"Very well then Lady Danbury, I shall see you later." Percival then turned to walk away, sighing as a group of girls flocked towards him. This would be a long night indeed.
Looking back at Beatrice, Lady Danbury grinned. "Now it is time to find you a dance partner, is it not?"
"Oh no Lady Danbury that is not what I agreed to." Beatrice declined lightheartedly. She knew she had no choice though, knowing how stubborn the woman in front of her was.
"Nonsense my dear. Now come, I have the most perfect idea."
The woman made her way towards the Bridgerton's, pulling Beatrice along with her. Once the Bridgerton's caught sight of Lady Danbury, they attempted to disperse. Although, they were not fast enough as Lady Danbury addressed them. "Too late. I have already noted you." Realising they were stuck, they smiled at the woman, exchanging pleasantries with her in the hopes of deterring her away sooner.
Finally looking up at Lady Danbury, Anthony realised that there was another person with her. In fact, it was the same one which caused him such torment at the presentations earlier that day. It seemed the woman had caught his attention for a moment too long as when he turned his gaze away, he caught Lady Danbury looking right at him with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
Instead of questioning the man, she turned her attention to the youngest Bridgerton present. "Miss Bridgerton, you look rather lovely this evening. Is there any reason I have yet to see you on the dance floor?"
Realising that Lady Danbury had obviously concocted a scheme of some sort, Anthony interjected. "All in due time, Lady Danbury. We have only just arrived."
Leaning towards Daphne, she whispered something too low for Anthony to hear. "You poor thing."
She then turned her attention to Beatrice, who had been uncomfortably stood in front of the group, waiting to be introduced. "Ah yes this is Miss Beatrice Sinclair". Lady Danbury introduced the woman to each family member one by one. Finally, she addressed the last person in front of the two. "And this is Lord Bridgerton."
Anthony greeted the woman, placing a delicate kiss on her hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you Miss Sinclair."
"The pleasure is all mine Lord Bridgerton." She replied, trying to remember the lessons she had been taught in social etiquette.
"Now Lord Bridgerton, Miss Sinclair here is yet to have her first dance. Would you do her the honour?" Lady Danbury interjected. Truthfully, she had the intention of asking Benedict Bridgerton to dance with the girl, but seeing the way Anthony looked at her inspired a change of strategy.
"Of course, Lady Danbury. Would you do me the honour of dancing with me, Miss Sinclair?" Anthony begrudgingly questioned, a look of disinterest now present on his features. He should have known, Lady Danbury and this woman sought him out for this exact reason. The rake had no intention to marry anytime soon, and he certainly did not want to marry a woman who schemed to win his favour.
"Certainly, Lord Bridgerton." Beatrice replied, taking the hand that Anthony had held out for her. She hoped the man Lady Danbury had chosen her to dance with wasn't too intolerable. Despite her trusting the woman, she did wonder if her judgement was sound.
***
After a short while of dancing in silence, Anthony spoke to the girl. "So, Miss Sinclair, what is this scheme you and Lady Danbury have conducted to win my favour?" The man was not a fool, he knew that the title of Viscountess was desirable for a young lady. He refused to just marry any woman; he would seek out his own Viscountess who would meet his requirements, when he was ready.
This comment took Beatrice by surprise. She simply could not believe the audacity of the man before her, as if she would want to win his favour. "I can assure you Lord Bridgerton, I have absolutely no intentions of winning your favour."
"A likely story Miss Sinclair" Anthony replied as he continued to dance. The two stood opposite one another, their hands hovering near each other's as they copied the movements of those around them. "I suggest you do not bother; I have no desire to marry you."
"Marry?!" Beatrice almost shrieked at this; she could not believe what he was implying. "I could never marry a man with an ego as large as yours."
Leaning in, Anthony whispered harshly in her ear. "Do not insult me, Miss Sinclair. I could ruin you in the eyes of the Ton." Beatrice could feel the man's hot breath on the side of her face, he was so close that she could almost count every time his heart beat.
"Is that a threat, Lord Bridgerton?" A deathly glare appeared on her face. She could not believe that he was threatening to ruin her social status due to his wrong assumptions. However, Beatrice was never one to back down from an argument, so impulsively she continued. "I should hope that Lady Danbury does not hear of this, for your sake rather than mine. To think you are threatening her dear friend in her home, how uncouth of you."
Anthony was sure that she was mocking him now. He had never allowed himself to become so vexed by anyone, yet it was if he could feel every word the woman uttered deep within his bones. Truthfully, he did not even think about what he was saying, he was just determined to not lose the argument. If there was one thing the man valued, it was his pride, and he would surely not lose it to her.
The two continued their dancing, remaining so close to each other that they were almost breathing in tandem. Despite them being in a room full of people, they were so involved in their discussion that they almost forgot they weren't entirely alone. "You are overstepping your station, Miss Sinclair. I would not be surprised if your social ruin would be of your own doing, seeing as you lack the manners to partake in a simple discussion."
Beatrice was sure this man was the most egotistical brute she had ever encountered, how Lady Danbury would ever pair her up with him she had no idea. Perhaps she had done it as a cruel joke, wanting to see what would cause Beatrice to snap. Learning as close to the man as socially acceptable, she lowly whispered into his ear. "I should rather dance with a bear than you, I am sure it would be rather less barbaric. It would likely look a great deal better than you too." She did not even truly believe the last statement, despite his utterly appalling personality, the man was rather handsome. However, she would not give him the pleasure of knowing that.
Anthony let out a large breath, preparing to hurl back an insult of his own when he noticed that the dance was coming to an end. "Never speak to me again, Miss Sinclair." He breathed out, emphasising each word he spoke.
"With pleasure." Beatrice replied, her chest heaving as she struggled to tame her anger.
Never had a man infuriated her as much as Lord Bridgerton had. She usually had control over her actions, yet this man seemed to lead her into a red-hot rage. Before turning to walk away, she brought her foot up. Then slammed it down onto Anthony's boot, effectively causing him to squirm in pain.
They both then turned and stomped off in opposite directions, ending up at the sidelines of the ball. Beatrice stood with her fists clenched to her sides, attempting to cool down the fiery rage that encompassed her whole body. That man was the most infuriating person she had ever encountered, the sheer arrogance he had made her completely lose all composure.
Anthony could be seen to be acting in a similar way on the other side of the room. He stood with a viscous look on his face which effectively scared away any mama that attempted to ruin his silence. The man could not believe how boldly and insubordinately the woman had spoken towards him. He had argued with women before, namely his sisters, however he had never felt as infuriated as he did now. Yet he could not seem to look away from her, almost as if his body was determined to interact with her, even if it caused him to become completely irrational.
***
Once Beatrice had managed to calm herself down, another man approached her. He seemed to be much kinder than Lord Bridgerton so she accepted when he offered to dance with her. He placed a gentle kiss on her hand, before leading her to the dance floor.
As they danced, their hands positioned in parallel to one another as they spun around the floor, a conversation sparked between the two. "So, Miss Sinclair do tell me, how have I never seen you in London before?"
"Well Lord Blackmore, my family usually reside in the country. When we came to London I tended to stay at home with my Governess. Truthfully speaking, I do not really know many people in London." Lord Blackmore was certainly much more of a pleasure to dance with than Lord Bridgerton. She believed she could speak candidly to the man, without fear of judgement.
"I see, that must be rather lonely though. Do you have any confidants in London?" Lord Blackmore inquired, eager to hear more about the woman.
"I do have my family here and my dearest friend Matilda. I do not know what I would do without their company to be honest, I believe I would be rather lost. Oh, and I have Lady Danbury, I have known her since I was a young girl." Speaking about her loved ones had caused a large smile to appear on her face, she truly did not know what she would do without them.
"That seems rather lovely indeed, Miss Sinclair. I too am very close with my family; I believe them to be my greatest strength." Lord Blackmore had never met a girl before who he felt so comfortable conversing with. The conversation between them flowed easily, almost as if they had known each other their whole lives.
"Forgive me for speaking so candidly, Lord Blackmore, but it is so rare to hear a man speak about his family with such love. You must have a great bond with them." Beatrice could not believe the difference between this man and Lord Bridgerton, she surely wished this would have been her first dance of the night instead.
"Please do not feel the need to apologise, Miss Sinclair. I have no issue with you speaking your mind. And please call me Peter, I believe we are past such formalities now."
"You are a good man, Peter." Maybe marriage would not be too bad if it was with him, Beatrice thought. Although she did not feel anything for him yet, Peter was already a good friend. Her parents too were good friends before they married, and she supposed love could surely grow from there. "Please call me Beatrice."
"Very well, Beatrice. You do flatter me all too much though." A dazzling smile encompassed the man's face; he had genuinely enjoyed dancing her. As the dance came to an end, he took hold of Beatrice's hand, placing another kiss on it. "It has been a pleasure to dance with you, Beatrice. I do hope to see you again soon."
"I believe you may, Peter." She replied. Dancing with the man had definitely aided her sour mood.
***
"Oh my goodness Bea, the two most handsome men in the room both danced with you. I can hardly believe it!" Matilda exclaimed as she walked over to her friend who was stood on the sidelines of the ball, a drink in hand. Seeing her friend dancing with the two men caused Matilda to be quite happy indeed. In all honesty, she thought Beatrice would abstain from dancing that night, so it was quite a surprise when she spotted her on the dance floor. Not once but twice!
"I am not so sure about that Tilly. You could hardly class what occurred with Lord Bridgerton as a dance, considering Lady Danbury all but forced us into it." It seemed mentioning the man had reignited her anger in him as she felt herself becoming agitated again. Trying to divert the subject, she decided to enquire about her friend's night. "So, were there any men that caught your fancy?"
"Honestly, no. I danced with a few men, but they were so terribly boring that I did not even care to remember their names. I do wish I had interactions as riveting as yours though. You and Lord Bridgerton seemed to be incredibly close, will you be dancing with him again tonight?"
Beatrice could not believe what her friend was suggesting. In her eyes, the interaction between her and Lord Bridgerton had been anything but pleasant. She would happily never lay her eyes on the man ever again. "Lord no, that man was agitating. He implied that me and Lady Danbury were scheming to earn his favour, and then he threatened my reputation."
This surprised Matilda, she had thought she had witnessed passion whilst the two danced, but she had obviously confused this with anger and hatred. "I see, I must have been mistaken then. What of the other man? I only caught a short sight of your dance with him, but he seemed rather handsome indeed".
"Ah Lord Blackmore." Speaking of this man invoked much less emotion in the girl. "He was much more pleasant to dance with. We spoke of our families, and he was quite unlike any other man I have interacted with. He even told me to call him by his given name, Peter." As Beatrice was speaking, her eyes cast around the room, catching the gaze of Peter. The two smiled at one another.
Seeing this caused an odd feeling to occur within Matilda, yet she did not know why. She should surely be happy for Beatrice, but seeing the connection she had with the man left a sour taste on her tongue. When she had walked into the room, Lord Blackmore was the first person she noticed. Secretly, she hoped that he would dance with her, but he had not looked in her direction and instead danced with Beatrice.
"Are you quite alright Tilly?" Beatrice questioned; her friend had been staring blankly out into the crowd.
"Yes, of course. I seem to have lost myself in my thoughts for a moment. Lord Blackmore seems to be a lovely man. Do you plan on dancing with him again?" Despite wanting to be happy for her friend, Matilda felt anything but. Asking that final question pained her, and she was unsure if she even wanted to hear Beatrice's answer.
"I would not decline if he asked for one." Beatrice smiled, taking a short sip of her drink.
As she observed the room yet again, she spotted a face she did not care to see, that of Lord Bridgerton. He seemed to be leaving the event, hastily walking to the exit with his sister in tow. As they walked past Beatrice, the two made eye contact. A sneer appeared on the man's face, whilst Beatrice created the most fierce glare she could. She followed the man with her gaze as he walked away, determined to express her hatred for him. Just before he turned out of the door, he looked back, their stares connecting once again. A fight occurred between the two, neither one of them being willing to relent to the staring match first. Beatrice seemed to win the battle though as Lord Bridgerton huffed, moving out of sight.
Matilda looked between the two with a confused expression, what on earth had just happened? Beatrice truly bewildered her at times.
Miss Sinclair truly took the Ton by
storm tonight, stealing not only Lord
Bridgerton's first dance of the night,
but Lord Blackmore's too. The
unique beauty has captured the attention
of two of the most eligible bachelor's
society has to offer. One can only
wonder which will win her hand?