After the ball Alex's parents had to leave and so did Amara. I still do not have the faintest idea of what's going on with Alara and Calum other than they want another baby. Unfortunately for me, I'm currently in a carriage with Anthony as the Queen has asked to see the both of us.
We're running late of course because this twat does not know how to get anywhere on time. Perhaps he does need Miss Edwina.
We get out of the carriage and he's basically running into the room. I, however just walk like a normal human. We enter the room and see Kat, "Miss Sharma," my brother acknowledges. She stares at him and they both look at each other before he runs into the room with everyone else. I nod to her before going in as well.
In the room was Alex, Edwina, her mother, Lady Danbury, and the Queen.
"Viscount Bridgerton, Miss Bridgerton. We thought perhaps you'd not be joining us," the Queen suggested.
"Your Majesty. Nothing could keep me from my beautiful bride," he told her, kissing Edwina's hand. I sat down in the chair next to Alex. I have no idea why we were asked here.
"Now, tell me of your wedding plan. There is no talk of a special license, I would hope," she laughs, recalling Daphne's wedding.
"Of course not, Your Majesty. I believe a modest family affair would be most fitting. Perhaps back in the country, at Aubrey Hall," Anthony suggested. I know he always wanted to get married there. That's where mama and papa were married. Perhaps it would be in the garden where we hosted the picnic.
"In the country? No, that will not do. You must have it here in town. In fact, I shall host the nuptials myself," she insisted. I looked to Alex.
"What is going on?" I asked him.
"I do not know," he said, looking at the Queen intently before coming to a realization. "Whistledown."
"Whistledown?" I questioned.
"Yes, it makes sense," Alex tried to explain. "What made this season different from all the rest? The one thing since the moment the ladies were announced that everyone waited for?"
"Lady Whistledown's paper," I looked at him with fascination. "But how will this reveal her?"
"I think only the Queen knows that one for now," he said. "I think it might connect to some of the other things that have been happening as well. I think I have a theory on who lady whilstl–"
"And what of the two of you?" Queen Charlotte asked and we looked over at her. "When is your wedding?"
"Uh, we have decided to have it in one of the coming seasons ma'am," I smiled at her kindly.
"Well, then why worry about the engagement in the first place?" She asked.
Alex looked over at me, "There were some suitors getting in the way, I didn't want that to be any trouble later on."
"Staking your claim on what is yours, I like that," she complimented. "Very well, it gives me time to focus on your brother and Miss Edwina."
"Yes, it does," I nodded in agreement.
"I believe that concludes our meeting?" Lady Danbury asked with a laugh.
We all nodded and got up to leave, but the Queen stopped me as the others kept walking.
"You know, I had my diamond for this year picked. I went over the list of ladies time and time again and there was one who always stood out to me, you, Miss Bridgerton. You have potential, don't waste it on marriage just yet. Not when you've just begun to find your voice," she said before letting go of my arm. "Unless you found it long ago and are just now showing it to the world."
"I guess the world will never know," I smirked before bowing and following after my brother.
The frenzy of competition.
The thrilling delight of hazarding your all.
I am referring not to the lure of London's luxurious gaming halls but to a gamble with far higher stakes.
Matrimony.
For once that particular wager is placed, it cannot easily be undone. A fact which, I am sure, is met with both regret and sheer relief.
After the meeting with the Queen I met up with Penelope and Eloise as Alex and Alonzo had either studies or work to attend to. Alex has been left to the finances of his family for their London estates while his father figures everything out with titles, land, and all the royal duties.
We were walking through a garden, hearing about Anthony's betrothal and Prudence's, even a little of mine. "For goodness' sake. Anyone would think our siblings had beaten Napoleon himself on the battlefield instead of finding someone with whom to dutifully march down an aisle."
"Indeed. With all the hubbub about Prudence's engagement, my mama has rather forgotten I exist. She is quite happy Cousin Jack has ensured our family's future. I must admit, so am I," Pen said. "Congratulations on the engagement by the way, Eleanor."
"Thank you, the wedding shall be held in about 2-3 years," I told her with a laugh.
"Why so long of a wait?" Eloise asked. "Get married tomorrow and don't tell a soul, well maybe Pen, Al, and I, but then mama won't be on your back the entire time. You know she'll be nagging for the next 2 years about it. Whether it'll be in Italy, in London, in the Country, what flowers, will there be royals?"
"Oh, will there?" Pen asked.
"Yes," I answered. "It's a royal wedding and Alex is second to the throne. Of course there will be other monarchs, just as at Mara's wedding. It will probably be very grand, Eloise will most likely leave early."
"Not to this one, Anthony's yes, Mara's yes, Daphne's yes, yours and one of our best friend's never," she laughed. "You'll know how to keep things interesting, and mama will be focused on you, not me."
~
"It is not yet right. See how the cuffs are an inch too short?''Anthony pointed out to his tailor.
"Very well, sir."
"There is plenty of time to adjust it to your liking. The wedding is not for another month," mama reminded him. She seems to have a lot of reservations about this. Everyone can see that Anthony would rather not marry her and few can see that Edwina is caught in between two people she believes she can be happy with.
"There is still much to do," Anthony argued.
"Will Miss Edwina live with us?" Hyacinth asked.
"Indeed. After the wedding, she'll be the lady of the house and responsible for you all," mama jokes. I think she's unhappy about that as well. She doesn't think Edwina will be up to the challenge of marrying all of our siblings off, she'll also have to present Fran next season.
"Lord, help her," Colin laughed.
"Which reminds me, our carriages must be polished to a shine, and the horses' manes braided. We should bring out the finest silver," Anthony listed. "The queen may be hosting everything at the palace, but we must be ready to entertain here."
"And what of us, Brother? Should we also be polished and braided for the big day?" Benedict asked, stretching, making the rest of us laugh.
Anthony slightly laughed, "We'll all be on display. Perhaps you might even scrub your hands for the occasion?"
"I've been occupied at the academy," Ben countered.
"What about Miss Edwina's sister?" Hyacinth asked.
"What about her?" Anthony questioned, sounding like he was about to snap. Ooh, touchy subject.
"Will she come to live with us, too?"
"Oh, I do hope so. It'll be a boon to have another intelligent woman in the house," Eloise said excitedly.
"Another? Mm. You're overcounting," Benedict teased.
"Do you not think all the ladies in the house are intelligent, Benedict? What about Mama?" I asked him and he turned to our mother before retreating.
"Eloise, Eleanor, I shall need both of your help today. There is the dinner to plan with Lady Danbury to welcome the Sharmas into the family. And then the engagement ball next week—" Eloise got up as Mama spoke.
"I am sorry, Mama, but, uh, I am attending a lecture this afternoon. Flower arranging. Penelope's mama is forcing her to go, and you've wanted me to find more ladylike pursuits," she said.
"For how long have you cared about flower arranging?" Benedict asked.
"I am an open-minded woman. I can care about many things," Eloise snapped at him.
"Well in that case, take your sister," she instructed.
"What?" El and I asked at the same time.
"Mama—"
"The two of you have barely spent anytime together this season, and Eleanor needs to start deciding on arrangements for her wedding, this shall help," Mama grinned.
"I have violin practice," I countered.
"No buts, you will go or no violin practice for the week," Mama argued with a stern look, making me sigh.
"This better be an actual lecture," I whisper unhappily to Eloise.
"Well–" she started, making me groan.
~
We hopped out of the carriage in a dirty dark alley. "This is the place," Eloise said, looking at a piece of paper.
"Doesn't look like a place for shopping to me," Eloise's maid said.
"Nor does it look like a lecture for flower arranging," I hissed.
"I am collecting a unique gift for my brother's wedding," Eloise told her maid.
"Miss? Miss!" Eloise grabbed my hand and took off running down the street.
We came to a meeting hall and walked into a large room filled with men and women. "Now, if I may be permitted to continue, I should like to propose to this assembly the radical idea that it is not best for women to rely for their education on what falls to them by chance from their husbands and brothers."
"Hear! Hear!" Everyone and I politely clapped. Elosie pulled us through the crowd to a guy.
"Is it not thrilling?" Eloise asked him.
"You."
"Me."
"I told you, I don't know anything about your Whistledown gossip," he sounded exasperated.
"Is that what you've been bothering this poor man about?" I asked her.
"Who is this?" He asked her.
"It is not her I seek today, but the exchange of ideas with like-minded men and women on subjects beyond the trivial concerns of polite society. Ideas that you yourself invited me to consider. And this is my twin sister, Eleanor," she said, nodding to me. I slightly waved and he nodded to me.
"So, you're an admirer of my work?" He asked her amused.
"I would not go so far. It is serviceable, I suppose," she shrugged.
"And yet you have come far. You're a long way from Mayfair for writings that are merely serviceable," he told her.
"Luckily for me, there is a thrilling invention called a carriage that may convey a lady from one place to another. It is a marvel, to be sure." Oh my lord, does she like him?
"What's your name?" He asked her. Oh so he asked my name before he even knew hers?
"Eloise Bridgerton."
"Pleased to meet you, Miss Eloise, Miss Eleanor. I'm Theo Sharpe," he introduced.
I opened my mouth to tell him something, but Eloise answered him instead. "I know."
"You know?" He asked.
"As I know, there are several errors in your arguments that I must bring to your attention. Have you a pencil? Never mind. You may borrow mine," she told him. I laughed before walking away so I could listen to the lecture. They talked about equal rights and how in order to expand the world we needed everyone to have their own way of thinking.
~
Penelope and I were waiting downstairs for my sister. We were supposed to leave for our walk about 15 minutes ago. We turned as we heard her run down the stairs. "Penelope, what are you doing here?" She asked. I looked at her confused as did Pen.
"I thought we were to walk, as we usually do," Pen said.
"My apologies. I had quite forgotten," Eloise apologized. How could she just forget? We do it everyday.
"Uh, well you missed quite the scene at the lake yesterday, you both did. Alex and I had a great time laughing."
"Our brother's impromptu swim? I heard about it," Eloise laughed.
"Where were you?" Pen asked. I was excited to tell her about where El and I ventured yesterday and all the amazing things that we heard, but it seems that was not the case.
"Alas, I was forced to occupy my day with tedious wedding errands, which Mama has listed me for yet again. I'm sorry, but I cannot stroll with you today," Eloise said, unapologetically.
"I shall see you tomorrow, then," Pen said, disappointed.
"Of course." Eloise then walked off.
"I'll see you later, Pen," I smiled at her before running off after my sister. When she got into the library I slammed the door shut. "What was that?" I yelled at her.
"Whatever do you mean?" She questioned back.
"Lying to Penelope! What next? Lies to Alonzo and Alex?" I asked her.
"Oh, please we haven't truly seen them since we were in the country, they are far too busy for us now," she snapped.
"They have royal duties," I argued, glaring at her. "We are friends with them. We have been helping you find Lady Whistledown, we write to each other, we care for each other."
"Well, while you four are worried about getting married, I'm focused on more important things!"
"Who says we're focused on getting married?" I asked her. "We can be focused on more than one thing at a time. Alex with his family's finances, Alonzo with his studies, I've been working on my music, Pen's been busy with her family's affairs, and you've been busy with I'm assuming your continued search for Lady Whistledown."
"I just don't understand why things are changing!" She snapped. "I don't know why I'm feeling the things that I am. Alonzo is in love with our brother's wife, you're marrying our best friend!"
"You didn't have a problem with it when he said he was going to do it!"
"Because I would rather it be him than that sleazy bastard, Lord Hartley!" She yelled.
"Eloise, such language," I laughed and she sighed. "Everything will be okay, you just need to stop lying to Penelope."
"She keeps telling me it's not a good idea to venture over there," El complains.
"Then bring her with you! I'm sure she would love to see what you showed me yesterday," I explained. "And you're right! We need to visit Alonzo and Alex since they don't have time to come out anymore."
"Especially with all the attacks on Alonzo, it seems like every girl in the ton is throwing themselves at him," El laughed.
"It was the same way with Anthony at the beginning of the season," I laughed as well.
~
"Now, this is better," Pen sighed. "Us again together at last."
"Yes, I'm quite surprised you invited us for dinner though," Eloise said to Alex.
"Well, I wanted to get Al's mind off of Edwina as she's having dinner with your brother and her grandparents tonight and we've hardly spent any time together recently, so I thought it would be fitting," Alex reasoned.
"I miss when things were simpler," I laughed. "There were no royal duties, balls, loves, there were just friends with an everlasting friendship."
"And a mystery to be solved," Alonzo laughed too. "I might not have been huge in it, but I heard from Zander how much trouble the four of you got in and your endeavors. I must say, keeping me out of it was very rude."
"Well, you had your studies and we couldn't interrupt more than we already had," Eloise countered. "It wouldn't be fair."
I took a drink of my wine before thinking, "How much of a disaster do you think Anthony's dinner is going to be tonight?"
"Absolutely horrible," Eloise guessed.
"However, could you say such a thing?" Penelope asked. "Miss Sharma is a kind girl."
"It's not Miss Edwina," Alex tells her.
"Oh, not at all, it's the match," Eloise agreed, "Even I can tell they're not happy, but apparently no one else can."
"Anthony is in love with Kate and Edwina is so wrapped into Anthony that she can't see that she loves Alonzo. I mean she did say she had a few reservations, but she didn't want to let the viscount down," I explained. "It's dreadful, their situation." I cut some more meat and ate it as we talked about the upcoming wedding.
"Anthony is in shambles," Eloise snorts, having to set down her drink. It slightly spilled on the table and I laughed before cleaning it with a rag. "I can't believe he still has his head above water," I commented as I put the rag on the end of the table.
"Especially with Ben off at the Academy," Eloise nodded.
"And with Colin busy with his self discovery journey," Pen nodded.
"Speaking of Ben off at the Academy, I have been asked if I would like a place at the Royal Academy of Musical Arts," Alex mentions and we all stop, placing our forks down.
"What?" I asked excitedly then Pen and I squealed.
"Are you going to accept?" Alonzo asked him.
"Well, first I must go through one last audition at the end of the season, but I would like to, and it works through London or Italy so I can continue my studies in either place," he smiled. I smiled back at him, he really deserved this, although I would miss my music partner.
"I must ask, after you and Eleanor marry, where will you live?" Pen asked, curious.
"Well, as Alonzo and I currently live mostly in Italy, we would live there as acting Prince and princess. Just as Amara lives in Prussia and Alara lives here," he explained. "And anyone to marry Alonzo would live in Italy, but we spend the social season mostly in London to strengthen our political alliance with England and Scotland."
"So you can really choice to stay anywhere in Europe as long as your making progress with an alliance or discussing affairs?" Eloise asked and Alex nodded. "Oh, what fun, I would love to travel, maybe I should've been the one to marry you."
"Yes, but I won the rock paper scissors," I teased her.
"Wait what?" Alonzo asked with a laugh.
"Oh it's nothing," we said at the same time.
"I feel like we're being left out of something," Penelope hinted.
"I think we always are with those two, they share one feasibly small mind," Alex laughed. I glared at him and threw a pea like Gregory does to Hyacinth. "Oh, you want to play like that?" He asked and threw a carrot at me, making Penelope fling some mashed potatoes. I giggled and took a bite of my meat before spreading some of the sauce on Alonzo's face.
"Oh, you're on!" He said, picking up his water and dumping it on my head. I gasped at the cold feeling and threw some bread at him as an all out war broke out in the dining room.
Duty.
More than laws or faith, I have often thought it the bond that holds our fragile society together.
Duty to rank and title.
Fidelity to one's family name.
It demands both utter obedience and total sacrifice.
But what happens when such duty is in conflict with the heart's true desire? Why, then, there is the potential for a considerable scandal, indeed.
The only question is, will the parties in question heed my warning? Or is it already too late to turn back to duty and away from desire?
— Yours Truly,
Lady Whistledown
________________________________________________________________________________
Hey! I'm happy to announce that all of my books are getting a rewrite and will be in third person form from now on. This is probably going to take me a very long time so don't expect it very soon, but it'll be here some time next year.
Have a lovely day! Signing off until next time...