The Whistledown papers had become a popular source of debate throughout the ton in the time following the presentations. Poppy and Penelope were no exception.
They met in Penelope's room to discuss. Far away from the judgemental eyes and ears of their family.
"I believe her to be quite intelligent and brave."
Poppy said to her sister. The two were basking in sunlight coming through the windows.
Penelope smiled,
"Do you?"
"Oh yes. To be naming people without a care." She shook her head in disbelief. "I wonder who she is, I would believe it to be Lady Danbury but I rather think she would be forthcoming with her thoughts."
"I feel that her anonymity adds to the wonder of the column."
"Perhaps." Poppy trailed off in thought before going back to the column where she giggled slightly, "What a laugh, she is taking aim at the Bridgerton names." She brought the paper down to her lap. "To be honest I have always found the order to be quite cute."
"Sister, you believe everything to be cute."
"Not everything. I do not believe that our sisters are."
This drew a soft laugh out of Penelope.
"That may just be the most devious thing I have heard come from your mouth."
"Hush you." She turned back to the papers, "Oh, look at this, Daphne has been named the diamond."Poppy brought her head over to look at her baby sister. "We must go see her soon with our congratulations."
"Is that the only reason you wish to be going over to the Bridgertons?"
"What do you mean?"
Penelope grabbed the pamphlet from her sister,
"Well right here. After the section where we are insulted, Lady Whistledown reports that you were seen talking rather closely to a certain third brother."
Poppy cleared her throat,
"I do not know what you are talking about."
"Do you not? Because I believe I had bared witness to that interaction as well-"
"-I believe that we must head down to mama, she is to be entertaining Lady Cowper."
Penelope laughed as Poppy took her sister's hand in her own and pulled her down the stairs. They settled in the corner of the room, each with a book in hand.
After several peaceful minutes filled with revolutionary women, Poppy was interrupted by her mother.
"...Poppy! Penelope! Put those books down at once. You shall confuse your thoughts."
Penelope glanced over at Poppy who stuck her tongue out a little, causing the young woman to laugh. Her eyes then trailed over to her other sisters, studying the tiny portraits. She sighed at the circumstances they were all placed in and went back to her reading.
Poppy on the other hand had tuned into her mama's conversation, watching as Lady Cowper rolled her eyes at the Featherington children before turning to the Lady of the house.
"So, tell me about this cousin, joining you for the entire season?"
"She is a distant cousin of my husband. With no close female relative to sponsor her debut, Lord Featherington directed me to take her in. For charity."
"You are known to be quite charitable."
Poppy began to laugh quietly and her mama sent her a sharp glare while Penelope shoved her sister's side.
"Precisely what this new rumormonger should have published! Instead of erroneously specifying I shall have only four young ladies under my care this year. She knows nothing. And," she began laughing in disbelief, "reporting that Poppy and Colin could possibly be courting. Why would she taunt us like that? As if that were to be true." She scoffed.
Poppy's gaze fell to the floor. While the two were in fact not courting, nor did she believe that they would court in any near future, her mama's blatant dismissal did hurt her feelings quite a bit.
When they were children Colin and her would often play together and she had frequently found herself imagining what a future could be like alongside her greatest friend.
Glancing over Penelope saw the downtrodden expression on her sister's kind face and desperately tried to steer the conversation onto another topic and turned to their mother.
"Unless you shall like to have only four young ladies under your care." Everyone had turned towards Penelope, she was successful in getting the attention away from Poppy, but Penelope quickly realised that she would now have to be the one deaingl with the judgemental eyes. "I shall gladly sit this season out."
Her mother huffed out an exasperated breath and turned towards Lady Featherington to condescendingly say,
"Penelope is quite nervous. This will be her very first season."
"I am not nervous mama."
Rolling her eyes, Prudence cruelly turned towards her younger sister.
"What she is, is two stone heavier than she ought to be."
Poppy growled at Philipa,
"Your lack of brains makes you two stone lighter than you ought to be."
Scoffing Philipa teamed up with Prudence and turned onto her older sister,
"And the blemishes on your face are quite difficult to conceal. Perhaps some arsenic and lead might help?"
"Mama, should you allow me to delay only a year, just as Lady Bridgerton has done for Eloise,-"
Penelope interrupted the growing argument as Poppy muttered,
"Your face is a blemish."
"-I may remain dedicated to my studies, perhaps-"
"-The answer is no, Penelope. Now return to those miniatures. You too must recognize every eligible nobleman by sight before the Danbury ball. You as well Poppy, just because you were able to get away with your lack of knowledge last season does not mean I will be as lenient this year."
Poppy stared at her mother's face in disbelief, she was in no sense of the word lenient in the year before. But for self preservation she decided not to say anything; she simply placed her hand on top of Penelope's before begrudgingly grabbing a miniature.
"You may wish to listen to her, my lady. Shepherding five young ladies through these endless rounds of affairs at the same time." Lady Cowper began, "I am quite thankful to only have my darling Cressida to worry about. Can you imagine the competition?"
Laughing Lady Featherington waved off her concern,
"Oh how much competition can this cousin provoke? She came of age on a farm-"
Poppy rolled her eyes,
"Yes, because sheep have the ability to make one unruly." She whispered to Penelope who ducked her head down with a smile.
"-She has a mere four figure dowry. As for her appearance, well," Lady Featherington let out a snooty laugh, "let us hope Miss Thompson is more presentable than the legions of unkempt animals she spent her entire life tending to back home."
"It is as though she does not see that she herself is an animal. She rather resembles the likes of a mosquito." Penelope huffed out a shocked laugh at her sister's commentary.
Luckily for the two of them no one in the room was paying them any attention or they would be in for buckets of trouble.
It had only been a few minutes later that a footman walked into the room announcing the arrival of the mysterious cousin.
Lady Featherington turned to her daughters,
"Remember to be kind, ladies. And charitable. The poor are our burden."
Leaning down Poppy whispered into Penelope's ear,
"I do not believe it is us who are in need of hearing that. Even if she tried, she could not sound more condescending."
Penelope just shook her head at her older sister but they both knew she agreed.
The footman stepped aside to reveal Marina Thompson.
Penelope gasped,
"She is beautiful."
"She truly is." Poppy sent her young cousin a kind smile.
Marina curtsied,
"Good afternoon, Lady Featherington."
Poppy's smile grew even larger as she watched her mother scowl. She knew then that Marina and her were to be great friends.
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.
Anthony made his way into the ballroom glaring at all of the men present, Violet and Daphne slowly followed in behind him. Daphne's eyes grew in wonderment as she looked around before coming to a standstill beside Anthony.
He took in a breath while looking around and noticing his favourite Featherington standing in the corner of the room. He let his gaze soften as they met eyes, and they greeted each other with nods.
In the past, they had little to do with one another. Of course they had grown up together but Poppy would spend most of her time being followed around by Colin and occasionally Daphne or Eloise when the boy had become too much.
Anthony's appreciation for the girl really only began to grow after the death of his father. Poppy had made sure she was an unbreakable pillar of strength for Colin. She also attempted to help Anthony with the youngest Bridgertons. She did her best to keep them at bay when the older family members needed time to grieve.
Their bond had then grown even stronger the afternoon Poppy was left in a sitting room alone with Anthony for hours as she waited for Eloise to remember a tea they had planned.
Poppy would likely have left after only a little while if it wasn't for the eldest Bridgerton sitting with her.
It was the first time they truly talked to each other about anything with substance. Poppy listened to Anthony complain of the family accounts and Anthony comforted Poppy as she shared the unwarranted anguish her family would constantly inflict upon herself and her sister.
And it was from that day on that Anthony considered Poppy to truly be one of his beloved younger sisters and Anthony had become a brother to Poppy
This shared affection was both a blessing and a curse for the two.
They acted as true siblings would, constantly being there and supporting one another while simultaneously doing their best to be as annoying as possible.
This also meant that Anthony had taken it upon himself to look out for Poppy in every season that she would be out in society. That meant his harsh glare was intended to warn away suitors from not just Daphne but the Featherington as well.
Tonight, the answers to our most urgent of questions will finally be revealed...
"Mama," Daphne turned to her mother, "It is magical."
Men began to take notice of the Bridgertons entering the ball and began to stare at the young woman.
She was enjoying the attention and simpered lightly at them.
Which bachelors might forsake their terribly rakish ways for the exquisite blisses of matrimony instead?
Anthony glowered at all of the men, hoping to remind them of the storm he caused in the last season with Poppy.
"They are all staring, mother." He grumbled.
Violet only beamed at Daphne,
"Allow them to come to you, dearest."
Daphne nodded to her mother and Anthony's scowl deepened.
Which ladies shall forever capture their hearts? Thereby securing their futures. And avoiding the grim, dismal condition known as a spinster.
Prudence and Philipa were still staring at their miniatures while Penelope was in a trance looking at the intricate ceiling, Poppy's gaze had moved around before stalling on someone across the room.
And shall one Lady Featherington finally resist bedecking her misses in the most unflattering of colours? Or will she have them appear as only the most undesirable pieces of citrus fruit, once again...
Poppy smoothed her horribly pink dress, she absolutely hated the colour and was rather envious of the Bridgertons who got to dress in blue.
Not only did she find the colour to be a grotesque shade but it also caused her to constantly look flushed and sweaty.
Poppy shifted uncomfortably when she noticed Colin had started dancing with a gorgeous young woman.
Her attention only shifted away from the scene after Cressida Cowper shoved into Penelope causing her to bump into Poppy's back.
Cressida glowered at the two Featheringtons,
"Penelope, Poppy. I did not see you two there."
Penelope ducked her head in despondence, feeling invisible as she stood in a corner listening to her mother gossip with Lady Cowper.
"Is that not the young lady who was caught with her gentleman last year? In Lady Mottram's conservatory, unchaperoned?"
Poppy sighed at the cruelty of the two, her gaze moving back and forth between Colin and her mama, wishing to be with him.
"She is lucky her gentleman agreed to a hasty marriage. After she went and ruined herself. Lightskirts."
Scowling at the double standards and Colin's continuous dancing, Poppy's mood began to dampen even more.
That was until said boy turned his head, his eyes glossed over the crowd until they clashed with hers. His face that was previously in its usual charming expression, what she believed to be his resting face, had become lighter, more boyish.
Poppy's expression seemed to grow happier as well, even while he was dancing with the most likely very alluring woman.
Their gazes were glued together only unsticking when Colin needed to make sure he didn't completely step on the young lady's feet.
If he were to be honest, Colin only agreed to dance with her because she asked and he was unable to find the woman he truly wanted to be with in time.
Eventually to the guilty relief of both Poppy and Colin, the dance had ended. Colin bid the kind young woman a farewell, saying that he had a lovely time.
Once he left the debutante behind, his eyesight began to settle on Poppy once again, and his feet were leading him towards her. At least that was until Benedict stepped in his path and pulled him over towards their family.
"Brother, what are you doing?"
"I believe that it should be proper to greet our sister as she attends her first ball."
"Now?"
Benedict grinned,
"Yes now. You can follow Poppy around later."
"That is not what I was going to do." Colin replied in a high pitched voice.
"Do you believe me an idiot?"
"I believe you an annoyance."
Benedict chuckled at his agitation.
Across the room Poppy watched as Colin was pulled away by his brother and sighed in slight disappointment.
She moved closer to Penelope who was still observing the gorgeous room.
"Penelope, I believe myself to be parched. Will you mind if I take leave to get a drink?"
She glanced over at Poppy kindly,
"Of course not sister. Will you be alright if I stay here? I rather enjoy listening to mama gossip, it is quite dramatic."
"Surely that is fine with me. You must tell me what they are discussing once we arrive home." She sent Penelope a loving look. "If you need me for anything tonight, I shall come running."
Penelope nodded and Poppy began walking towards the refreshments table.
Upon her arrival at the table she grabbed a drink, taking it down rather quickly as she tried to gather herself.
It was in her moment of weakness that the predator descended on its prey.
The predator being Lady Danbury who instantaneously took Poppy's arm and began to drag the young woman along with her.
"Oh! Hello Lady Danbury. Your ball is very lovely."
"Yes, I do know that, Miss Featherington."
"Of course." Poppy swallowed. "May I ask where we are going?"
"To the exact place your eyes have been all evening."
Before she could question any further Poppy received an answer when she heard Daphne exclaim,
"Greece? How adventurous, Colin."
People moved out of their way revealing four of the Bridgertons. The only one of the group to spot the ascending women was Anthony whose eyes widened and while he felt slightly bad for abandoning Poppy with Lady Danbury he didn't care enough to not attempt to make his own escape.
"On guard."
Colin and Benedict's eyes snapped up and Benedict began to quickly move away with Anthony. Colin however, stood still smiling directly at Poppy.
"Too late. I already noted you."
Pretending like they weren't about to run away Anthony and Benedict grinned at the women exclaiming simultaneously,
"Lady Danbury!"
"Good evening!"
Colin had his gaze locked on Poppy's shining blue eyes with a crooked grin.
"Lovely to see you!"
She nodded her head in kind.
Huffing in amusement Lady Danbury took note of Daphne's empty dance card.
"Miss Bridgerton, you look rather lovely this evening. Is there a reason I have yet to see you on the dance floor?"
Before Daphne could even open her mouth, Anthony cut in.
"All in due time, Lady Danbury. We have only just arrived."
She eyed the man, knowingly remembering the year before.
"I believe it to be the same reason we barely saw this young Miss Featherington on the floor last season." She leaned in close to Daphne, "You poor thing."
Daphne merely stood there thrown off by the comment as the woman left, leaving Poppy with the siblings.
Benedict looked at the Featherington and took her hand in his giving it a kiss.
"You look lovely, Poppy. I am glad to see you well."
"You too Benedict. I am sure you will be eagerly taking over the dance floor with the lovely ladies of the ton."
He laughed sarcastically at the girl and moved away before she could speak anymore, patting her on the shoulder.
Poppy laughed, moving her attention to the other debutante.
"Daphne, you are truly radiant tonight. Congratulations on being named the diamond, I had told you it would happen."
"You flatter me too much. Your presentation was something else as well. I am sure it got the attention of many suitors."
Anthony and Colin outright laughed.
"Yes, your fall and pig-like snort was truly the picture of elegance Pop." That was Anthony, "Come sister, we must continue our rounds."
Poppy rolled her eyes at the man who hauled his sister away and left her alone in the presence of Colin.
He grinned at her, eyes having never left her throughout her exchanges with his siblings.
"You are the radiant one this evening, Poppy."
She blushed,
"You seem to be complimenting me on my looks a lot lately Colin."
"It is because you are remarkable."
"In just looks?" She raised her eyebrows challengingly.
He snickered,
"Of course, I mustn't forget your two left feet and tendency to snort."
She made a face at him.
"Then I mustn't forget your wonderfully charming smile and aggravating personality."
"Ahh, but my smile is charming. That is a compliment."
"I feel as though you deserved one since I plan on spending the night teasing you."
His grin dazzled her.
"Will you spend the night teasing me on the dance floor?"
"If that is what you are asking, then I am not one to deny you."
They shared tender looks and Colin offered her his arm. She lightly took it and stepped closer to him walking towards the dancing couples, both buzzing to join them.
Author Note:
Sooooooo, this came out pretty quickly because I have to write a paper and I really don't want to and writing this makes me look productive.
The next one will also be out soon because I'm about to go on break from school and will have free time. However, that could mean I literally do nothing so we shall see.
I'm thinking of having the next chapter start out with them dancing, because I think it'll be cute.
I don't know how long this story will be, I kind of want to go into season two because Kate and Anthony are iconic and I want to see Poppy team up with Kate. I'm kind of just going with the story as I write.
I'VE COME BACK AND EDITED IT. Probably not perfect and I might go over it again.