⎯𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐖𝐄𝐃𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 that is going to be held in months away was making both the Bridgerton and Greenwood's mamas excited, Elanor could not help but sit in the backyard of her home admiring the skies that have painted with stars. She remembers oh so well when the proposal happens...
"You have utterly, completely, absolutely made me fall for you that Eros has simply shot me with one of his arrows, Eleanor Greenwood, my beautiful beautiful Darling... will you marry me?" he asks as he looks at her with pure adorations, Eleanor could not help but smile in glee and nodded,
"Yes, of course, Anthony, I will marry you!"
It happen so fast and now that she was going to be wedded to the man she knows and loved. She's supposed to feel happy right? to jump and down with a gleeful face and shout at the world that she was going to be wedded... but she felt so scared, was she going to throw away all of her freedom for a man that she knew and love...
"Eleanor?" she looks behind her to see her mama, cradling her brother in her hands, "Mother..." her baby brother babbled, wanting to know his presence was here too, Eleanor could not help but chuckled quietly, "and William, why are you still awake?" she asks the two of them,
Amelia walk up to her eldest daughter and sat beside her, "I think I should be the one asking you that, Eleanor," she told making her sigh in discontent, "Something on your mind dear?" Eleanor nodded her head and laid her head on her mother's shoulder,
"When you married father, did you ever feel like... it was all too fast? that all of the things that you have in your freedom were now thrown away?" she ask her mother, Amelia look at her confused, where has all of this coming from,
"Are you regretting accepting Lord Bridgerton's proposal?" she asked her back making Eleanor look at her mother instantly and denied it, "No! oh god, no, he's perfect mother, it's like he's the man of my dream..."
"You are worried about your freedom, that you will be like a housewife?" her mother ask her again hitting the right spot on her doubt, Eleanor slowly nodded and put her head back to her shoulder, Amelia could not help but softly smile at her daughter,
"Eleanor, when I was your age, I also have my doubt if I will lose my will of freedom, I was rebellious as I didn't want to be married and lost my freedom," she told her while chuckling at the memories,
"Really?" she looked at her mother who was the calmest and most well-mannered person she ever met, Amelia nodded, "Oh yes, I didn't want to be married, I thought it was ridiculous, but then I met your father..." she smiles,
"He was the man that I could be myself and did not need to change whoever I am when he proposed to me, I was also worried of course, if I this will ever be the same... and it is, your father has treated me so well and has given me the free liberty to teach you and your siblings of what I want them to learn..." she looked to her daughter and caresses her cheek with her non-occupied hand,
"It is scary, but when you have met the one you truly love... then it will be like a fairytale, like beauty and the beast," she said making Eleanor chuckle, "But mother he is not the beast..."
"Mh not when I heard about the gossip but ever since you met him it is like his cold heart has finally melted..." she said making Eleanor roll her eyes, "You should rest now, darling, tomorrow we do have to get you fitted,"
"Alright good night mother, good night William," she bid them good night while kissing their foreheads,
As the morning came to a rise Eleanor just have come back from fitting her wedding gown, "Thank you Elizabeth, just put it in my room," Eleanor told her as she went upstairs to the living room where she could rest and read her book, but that was soon changed when she saw Anthony and someone in the room, "Anthony?" her face lit up to see the familiar face,
Anthony look back and smiled, "Hello darling," he said to her as he walks closer to her, Eleanor could not help but went to him and hugged her fiance, "What are you doing here? I thought you were searching for your suits?" she looks into him with wonder, Anthony hand quickly made it into her waist, finally feeling what he wanted to felt for so long,
her embrace to him it was intoxicating
"I did, it just needs a few readjustments right now we do need a fitting for your wedding ring,"
"Your mother's betrothal ring? are you sure she is alright with that?" her face becomes worried as she might damage his mother's ring, Anthony could not help but chuckled and kissed her forehead,
"Anthony we have a guest!" she exclaims, flustered that he has done the action that was not approved by society, when was the last time she cared about what the ton thinks? "I do not care at all, Darling, plus you are my fiancee, what is wrong to kiss their lover's forehead?"
"Arent there a saying about not allowing to kiss the bride before the wedding because it is in fact bad luck?" she teases Anthony about the kiss making him rolled his eyes and chuckle, "I think that is meant for the lips... although if you must want to kiss me oh so badly I have no objection at all," he teases her back,
Eleanor was now flustered, what happen to the Anthony that she met that was so proper not... the one she also fell in love with his teases and compliments, "Anthony bridgerton, we have a guest-" the two look at the jewelry person who was going to alter that was currently eating the lemon cake that the maids have made,
" Oh- are you ready miss Greenwood?" he said while placing the cake on the table while dusting away the accesses of the crumbs from the cake, which made the two of them grimace, "Yes, of course, let's began shall we?" she look at her fiance...
her fiance, she could not help but feel the butterflies in her stomach at the words that were gonna be changed to a soon husband, "We shall," Anthony looked down and smiled while holding her hand gently while caressing it,
⎯"𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘 𝐈 𝐍𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐄𝐋𝐎𝐈𝐒𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐒𝐄," Eleanor told as she walks in hand in hand with him, "Same here... flower arrangement, I mean she could ask you seeing you know more about flowers," Anthony told her agreeing of her statement. It was a good day to go outside, enjoying the scenery and flowers that were all around them,
"I am not really good at it, Anthony, I just... simply read," she commented, humbling herself, Anthony scoffed at it, "then if you are not really that good, what are those," he pointed with his head to where a range of flowers was blooming from the ground,
"forget-me-nots; the name is one of the flower meanings, but another meaning is true love," she quickly told him eyeing the flowers with full amazement of their blues colors, "And those?"
"White camellias symbolize adoration and are given to someone who is well-liked,"
"and finally how about that, my love?" the pet name sends Eleanor thousands of butterflies as she could not help but smile at her nickname from his,
"White jasmine flower meaning includes purity, beauty, innocence, new beginnings, and angels. Thus, white jasmine is often used in wreaths and bouquets for weddings. It is also used to welcome a new..." she stopped midway as she look at him seeing he was smiling at her,
"Are you sure you are not good at it?" he innocently asks her making her huff in embarrassment, "Oh hush you... I do not need to know how great I am to remember all the meaning of the flowers," she said while looking away,
Anthony grabbed her chin and made her look at him again, "What did I tell you about looking away from me?" he said while tilting his head to the side, making Eleanor fluster, since the proposal she was easily getting flustered, it was like a stitch of that made Eleanor and Anthony switch personalities,
She then heard someone crying, when she look to the side she saw a kid was getting bullied, "Wait a moment, Anthony," she said while walking to where the bullied kid was, Anthony was confused about what was she going to do,
"Excuse me, what are you boys doing to her?" the two boys look up and hide the doll that they were teasing the girl who was sniffling, "Nothing!" the two said together making the Eleanor raise her eyebrows at them,
"Now you two know how improper that is and cruel to do for a lady, men should not make a girl cry, you two understand?" she said in a gentle but stern voice making the two of them look down in guilty,
"We know, sorry..." the two said, "I think you should apologize to the lady here that the two made her cry," the two boys nodded and handed her doll back and immediately apologize, the girl quickly forgive them and ask them to play with her, the two quickly agrees and they were off playing tag making Eleanor smiled,
"She will really make a perfect mother and viscountess, Anthony," Violet said to him as Anthony was staring at her with adorations, she really is amazing, "Oh do not forget that Lady Amelia and Lord Thomas have invited us to their dinner to meet her grandparents,"
"I beg your pardon?" the two of them said together,
⎯𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃 when she was told that her grandparents were coming to this week after hearing her engagement, she thought it was going to be happy but... all she felt was judgment,
"And I suppose, you have taught your daughter to be the same as you? reading books and all of that nonsense?" her grandmother said to her mother making Eleanor look down at her food as she began to start cutting her food,
"What do you mean?" Amelia looked at her mother in pure disgust, "Well she should not be filled with those non-sense words, it might get to her head, who knows what will happen," she said while cutting her food,
Eleanor could feel her embarrassment rising up as there was Anthony and Violet in the room, also dining with them, "I beg your pardon-"
"Oh please dear what else would you fill your daughter's mind? teach ladies how to shoot? that is unusual," she told her again cutting off her sentence, Eleanor really did not care about what people think, it is her business after all,
But when her own family, the same blood they share have given her the nastiest look and judgment, she could not help but felt embarrassment, " I actually do the shooting," she mutters to her grandmother with a small gentle smile she could perform,
But that has made it worse as her grandmother looked at her with disgust and scoffed, "Goodness Amelia what have you thought of her? do you want Lord Bridgerton to actually leave her instantly?" Eleanor flinched at those words that have send not only to her but also to her mother,
"Mother I think this conversation isn't-"
"Oh hush, this is not a proper way to teach young ladies!" she cut off his son-in-law's sentence, "she will not be suitable to become a wife, she will be a disgrace-" and that was the last straw that Anthony was holding as she slammed his hand into the table making everyone look at him,
"That is enough," he said with his face was anger and rage, he could not believe, a grandparent could be ever told their own blood was a disgrace, " Since the moment you arrive and sat at this table, you have failed not shown any proper respect for the Greenwood family and I will not stand it"
"I beg your pardon-" her grandfather was about to object to which Anthony did not give him the privileged to do that, " Lady Amelia has done amazingly and admirably on raising her daughter, she is intelligent, kind, loyal, and most for all she is the most amazing woman I have ever met, she even accepted my marriage proposal knowing how I am not nearly as perfect as God is," he told while standing up,
"If you think I would leave your granddaughter just because she isn't a perfect woman in the society, then you are highly mistaken for another man, I have promised myself and to Miss Greenwood that I would take care of her until the day that I died," he told to them with rage in his eyes,
"Eleanor is the most amazing woman I ever met and you should be proud of her with the many achievements that she conquered, if you do not wish to ruin your family name more with your nasty attitude, I suggest you leave," he said while walking to where the guards are,
"This is absurd!"
"Please get ready for The Gillingham carriage," he told them as the guard nodded, "And if you think you will receive invitations for our weddings then I am sorry to say that you will not get any of them, have a good day," he told them,
Her Grandparents were fuming with rage as they walk out from the dining table, when they were out of sight, Eleanor could not take it any longer she let out her tears,
"Oh, Eleanor..." the two of her parents said together, they were about to comfort her but she was immediately got up from her seats and walk out from the dining table making them all worried,
"I'll go check on her Lord and Lady Greenwood," Anthony quickly said making them nod, "Thank you, Anthony..."
⎯𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐘 𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐋𝐄𝐅𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 searching for her but he couldn't find her until he heard a soft sniffled in the library, she really was a girl who loves books, reading was always her favorite and comforts for her if she was sad she'll always go to her library,
Anthony then slowly opens the door to see her sitting on the ground-hugging herself and crying as if there was no one from that she could get comfort from "Eleanor?" her breath hitched as she heard a familiar voice coming inside the library,
"Anthony!" she looks to the side while wiping her tears fastly, not wanting him to see her crying, "I thought you were already... left," she mutters to him while looking up at him, Anthony couldn't help but felt his heart ached at the sight of her crying and making everything was fine when in reality it was not,
Anthony then took a seat beside her and dropped his arms around her making her closer to him, Eleanor's eyes were puffy from the number of tears she have let out and she was also flustered by his actions,
"Anthony- what are you-"
" I remember when I was feeling extremely frightened by that bee and you got hurt you told me not to be strong anymore and that is alright..." he told her making her nod and was also shocked that he remembers her own words,
" Then I think you should take your own advice too, my love, for I am always here for you, I can be your shoulder to cries, ears to listen, and presence to comfort you, I'm here. I know that's not enough, but it's all I got," he told her while looking at her brown eyes that hold so much knowledge, he then began to wipe the extra tears that were slipping away from her eyes and caress her cheek as comforts,
"what I said to your grandparents is true, Eleanor you are the most intelligent, kind, loyal, and amazing girl I have ever met, and when I'm alive I will always protect you and be your best friend until the day that I die," he told her with the gentleness smile she could ever see from Anthony, in his voice he holds such comforts that Eleanor wanted to know how could a man be so kind to have gone so many trails of errors and sadness in his life?
"You know that is kind of sappy for you to say, Anthony," she giggled at herself after her comments on Anthony. While he looks at her and smiles, hearing the laughter of his beloved,
"Why I'm trying to comfort my dear lover and you here right now laughing at my attempt knowing full well I do not know how to do this," he jest making her laugh even louder while she covers her mouth, the way her laughter made him smile so wide just brings him so much adore to her,
"There is the beautiful laughter that I loved...you are a wonderful person do not forget that, " he told as he look into her eyes. The two stared at each other as they were captivated by their beauty, Anthony Adams's apples went down as he looked at her lips and went back to hers trying to hold himself to not kissing her,
"Anthony..." she says his name with s hoarse voice, it fits so perfectly, the way she says his names just fits so right with her, it was meant for her to say his name from her lips, "dear god Eleanor... do you know how much you have affected me?" he told as he put his foreheads into hers,
"How the way you say my name, your smiles that always brighten my day, the way you spur random meaning of each flower we pass by, do you know how that made my hearts burst into...something that I can not even tell my self what it is," he said still connecting their foreheads together,
" When I join the marriage market... I thought that I can simply remove the love out of the equation..." he said truthfully making Eleanor look at him with wide eyes, "But after meeting you first time in the park I could not help but be attracted to you Miss Eleanor Greenwood, you have made this cold-hearted bastard really melted with just being you..." he said looking back at her,
"If it wasn't for your adorableness and your clumsiness, I do not know where I am today... maybe stressing more about the funds that my family has," Eleanor could not help but giggled at that, she also made a mental note that to help him with the funds,
"and how you have flooded my mind with you... the desire I have with you is killing me, I wanted to taste your lips, hold you in my arms forever, make you mine... do you know how hard it is to not kiss you?" he confesses making Eleanor's face be flush with red hues,
"I- Anthony,"
"Please Eleanor tells me to not kiss you right here, right now... try to stop me from kissing you," he said as it sounds so desperate to stop him from kissing her.
Their face was so close, Eleanor could feel his breath on her neck as the two of them nuzzled together, trying so hard not to slip in into their desire, "Eleanor tell me to stop..." he whisper...
"Please do not stop..." she said and Anthony took this chance to finally, finally kiss her.
The way their lips were moving in synch, how Anthony hold her so gently like she was a fragile vase. How her lips feel so soft against his chapped lips just makes him go crazy, Eleanor was about to pull away when Anthony brought her back for another kiss while he mumbles
"Please do not pull away just yet..." between their kiss, Eleanor obligated as they started to kiss again with more hunger, it felt too much but felt so good for Eleanor,
Finally, the two of them pull away with their forehead connecting again as their eyes were closed, trying to savor the feeling of each other's lips on there's, as the two were trying to catch their breath after their heated kiss,
"God your lips... it so intoxicating..." he told making her hide her face into his shoulder as Anthony could only laugh at her adorableness, "Can't believe I'm going to marry you,"
"Well, you gonna start believing it Anthony Bridgerton, because we are in for a ride," she said while looking at him,
"Mh we sure are Eleanor Bridgerton... has a nice ring to it don't you think future Viscountess?" he smiles so widely making her so hard not to pamper him with kisses, "It sure does... Viscount,"
Author note: AYYEE NEW CHAPTER DONE!
I hope you enjoy this chapter please give a vote and I'll see you soon
Nighphi signing out!