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𝑫𝑨𝒀𝑳𝑰𝑮𝑯𝑻
𝐴 𝐵𝑅𝐼𝐷𝐺𝐸𝑅𝑇𝑂𝑁 𝑆𝑇𝑂𝑅𝑌
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❴|𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍|❵
⭑𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐲⭑.ೃ࿐
𝐁𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐃𝐀𝐘 was around the corner three full days had already passed. Oddly so, everything surrounding Aurora seemed exceptionally... normal.
As if nothing had happened.
Not that she could ever complain about it.
On the contrary, the girl was beyond grateful for her family's normalcy, it made her forget so quickly and easily.
Colin came and informed her the day after Lady Whistledown reported the events at her scandal sheet, that Berbrooke had fled town. Supposedly for urgent business -- along with his
mother -- of course. He told her to rest assured and that Berbrooke would definitely not return to London any time sooner.
And as much as desperately Aurora wanted to grasp and settle on this relieving idea, it appeared that she had formed a rather big issue trusting those words of reassurance.
It happened more than once, every time they told her and she decided Berbrooke was not a threatening problem anymore, he somehow found a way to slide back into her life.
The talk between the two cousins changed sooner than later though.
Colin appeared eager to share his crush on Miss Marina Thompson.
She didn't know much about the girl. However, Aurora had read about her, in Whistledown’s paper, and looked to be her 'replacement' as a diamond in the earlier days of her debut.
Back then she wanted to speak to her, no bad blood of course, and it would be very easy since she was under Lady Featherington’s care. But the girl simply forgot to do so. Probably too overwhelmed by the shenanigans happening around her.
Anyway, Colin was as good as smitten with her, it was clear in his eyes when he spoke about her. That shimmer of excitement, admiration, and -- dare say -- love, didn't fail to bring a smile to Aurora's face.
She was happy for her cousin that he experienced the so-called "Love at first sight" How very engrossing.
Although in secret, Aurora was always kind of rooting for him and Penelope.
Clearly -- to her at least -- she liked him, more than a dearest friend should. And as for Colin, he was far too blinded to see. Sadly.
He told her with a slightly pained expression that Marina had fallen ill the past month and hadn't been able to fully recover since, thus why she didn’t make any appearances at social gatherings or balls this whole month.
He was very eager to see her again, all this time they only spoke through letters and nothing more.
On Friday, Aurora and Violet attended yet another ball, this time Lord Ashwood was hosting, celebrating his wife's
birth-giving to his firstborn son.
It was quite a party indeed. Lots of gentlemen were seen by her side, a few for a dance property and others for just a harmless chat.
But it wasn’t a single one of the gentlemen she wanted to converse with or even dance with.
Simon, the pain in her arse he was. The blonde girl hadn't heard from him all the past days. Did he not care at all?
He was the main reason for Nigel's attempts after all. Had he not beat him up, maybe wouldn't have pulled that stunt.
The duke was there.
And of course, he tried talking to her.
And of course, he apologized.
And of course, Aurora played hard to get. The task to ignore him wasn't so hard.
Simon was smart enough not to cause a scene and leave her alone. Also, it was obvious she was angry at him.
Rightfully so.
He attempted to resolve with Anthony but was immediately shut off. He thought that the marriage already happened, without a big fuss, secretly. Simon tried passing by her house, however, they didn't accept any visitors. He was lost. Thus he let her be, with a tight chest, but he was partially free from the duty of pretending he told himself. And he would depart soon for his travels so mothers couldn't chase him once again. It was what it was apparently.
At the ball, he was reminded about his invitation to Greenwich on Sunday by Violet. Surely he accepted again. A good opportunity to fix his problem with Aurora. After all, they had to appear with each other in order not to circulate any suspicions.
Right now, sitting comfortably at the yacht's deck chairs, enjoying the breeze passing through her face and hair waving carelessly behind her making a blondie mess, where Aurora and Simon
"If you apologize to me one more time," she said, leaning her head back against her hands, "It is the fifth time counting yesterday... I may have to kill you." Aurora mischievously smirked, using his words against him.
Simon shot her an irritated look from his position in his deck chair. "Pardon me," he said, "if I am polite enough to apologize for my actions. I acted improperly and I admit it. Can you at least give me half credit?"
"I guess... But you shouldn't lose your temper with him. You could have spared a great deal of despair." She told him.
"You should know something about my character then; I will not tolerate a bully. While I'm sorry for the consequences, I do not regret it. Not once a bit." He said truthfully.
"Alright, then you have to know something about me too; I will not have this go wrong. In any way. This arrangement is not just to impress Lady Whistledown or please the Queen or any member of the ton... this is about my life. A life that I must finally take charge of. I cannot afford to do otherwise, I cannot just declare I don't wish to marry, like you."
Simon liked it when she spoke so fiercely, it was attractive, to hear and see her determined.
He smiled slightly in return. "Do not worry, I have understood you well enough since day one."
Aurora groaned, "If only you knew how many times I've heard that." She rolled her eyes.
"I suppose it's my turn to say sorry now is it?"
Turning to look at him, her hair covered her face due to the wind making it hard to see him clearly, she tucked a handful piece behind her ear and used her sun umbrella to shield her from the growing air.
"Whatever for?" He frowned.
"For my aunt’s quite obvious manipulations. I thought that the purpose of our little charade was to shield you from the tender mercies of matchmaking mothers."
Simon waved off her comment, as he settled deeper into his own chair. "It would only be a problem if I were not enjoying myself."
Aurora’s chin lurched backward slightly in surprise. "Oh," she said (stupidly, in her opinion). "That’s nice."
He laughed. "I am inordinately fond of boat travel, even if it is just down to Greenwich, and besides, after spending so much time at sea, I rather fancy a visit to the Royal Observatory to see the Greenwich Meridian." He cocked his head in her direction.
"Do you know much about navigation and longitude?"
She shook her head. "Very little, I’m afraid. I must confess I’m not even certain what this meridian here at Greenwich is."
"It’s the point from which all longitude is measured. It used to be that sailors and navigators measured the longitudinal distance from their point of departure, but in the last century, the astronomer royal decided to make Greenwich the starting point."
Aurora raised her brows. "That seems rather self-important of us, don’t you think, positioning ourselves at the center of the world?"
"Actually, it’s quite convenient to have a universal reference point when one is attempting to navigate the high seas."
She still looked doubtful. "So everyone simply agreed on Greenwich? I find it difficult to believe that the French wouldn’t have insisted upon Paris and the Pope, I’m sure, would have preferred Rome..."
"Well, it wasn’t an agreement, precisely," he allowed with a laugh. "There was no official treaty if that is what you mean. But the Royal Observatory publishes an excellent set of charts and tables each year—it’s called the Nautical Almanac. And a sailor would have to be insane to attempt to navigate the ocean without one on board. And since the Nautical Almanac measures longitude with Greenwich as zero... well, everyone else has adopted it as well."
"You seem to know quite a bit about this."
He shrugged. "If you spend enough time on a ship, you learn."
"Well, I’m afraid it wasn’t the sort of thing one learned in the Bridgerton nursery." She cocked her head to the side in a somewhat self-deprecating manner. "Most of my learning was restricted to what my governess knew."
"Pity," he murmured. Then he asked, "Only most?"
"If there was something that interested me, I could usually find several books to read on the topic in my house's library."
"I would wager then, that your interests did not lie in abstract mathematics."
Aurora laughed. "Like you, you mean? Hardly. My mother always said that it was a wonder I could add high enough to put shoes on my feet."
Simon winced.
"I know, I know," she said, still smiling. "You sorts who excel at arithmetic simply don’t understand how we lesser mortals can look at a page of numbers and not know the answer—or at least how to get to the answer—instantly. Colin is the same way."
He smiled because she was exactly right. "What, then, were your favorite subjects?"
"Hmm? Oh, history and literature. Which was fortunate, since we had no end of books on those topics."
He took another sip of his lemonade. "I’ve never had any great passion for history."
"Really? Why not, do you think?"
Simon pondered that for a moment, wondering if perhaps his lack of enthusiasm for history was due to his distaste for his dukedom and all the tradition that wrapped around it. His father had been so passionate about the title...
But of course, all he said was, "Don’t know, really. Just didn’t like it, I suppose."
They fell into a few moments of companionable silence, the gentle river wind ruffling their hair. Then Aurora smiled, and said, "I am glad that you’re not miserable after my aunt browbeat you into accompanying us."
The look he gave her was vaguely sardonic. "If I hadn’t wanted to join you, there is nothing your aunt could have said that would have secured my presence."
She snorted. "And this from a man who is feigning a courtship to me, of all people, all because he’s too polite to refuse invitations from his friends’ new wives."
A rather irritable scowl immediately darkened his features. "What do you mean, you of all people?"
"Well, I..." She blinked in surprise. She had no idea what she meant. "I don’t know," she finally said.
"Then, stop saying it," he grumbled, then settled back into his chair.
Aurora’s eyes inexplicably focused on a wet spot on the railing as she fought to keep an absurd smile off her face. Simon was so sweetly cute when he was grumpy.
"What are you looking at?" he asked.
Her lips twitched. "Nothing."
"Then what are you smiling about?"
That she most certainly was not going to reveal. "I’m not smiling."
"If you’re not smiling," he muttered, "then you’re either about to suffer a seizure or sneeze."
"Neither," she said in a breezy voice. "Just enjoying the excellent weather."
Simon was leaning his head against the back of the chair, so he just rolled it to the side so he could look at her. "And the company’s not that bad," he teased.
Aurora a pointed look at Anthony, who was leaning against the rail on the opposite side of the deck, glowering at them both. "All of the company?" she asked.
"If you mean your belligerent cousin," Simon replied, "I’m actually finding his distress most amusing."
The girl fought a smile and didn’t win. "That’s not very kindhearted of you."
"I never said I was kind. And look—" Simon tipped his head ever so slightly in Anthony’s direction. Anthony’s scowl had, unbelievably, turned even blacker. "He knows we’re talking about him. It’s killing him."
"I thought you were friends."
"We are friends. This is what friends do to one another."
"Men are mad."
"Generally speaking," he agreed.
She rolled her eyes. "I thought the primary rule of friendship was that one was not supposed to dally with one’s friend’s sister-like."
"Ah, but I’m not dallying. I’m merely pretending to dally."
Aurora nodded thoughtfully and glanced at Anthony. "I suppose you're right. I quite enjoy his expression and annoyance." She smirked.
"I know." Simon grinned. "It's brilliant."
Just then Violet came sailing across the deck. "Children!" she called out. "Children! Oh, pardon me, your grace," she added when she spied him. "It’s certainly not fair for me to lump you with my children."
Simon just smiled and waved off her apology.
"The captain tells me we’re nearly there," Violet explained. "We should gather up our things."
Simon rose to his feet and extended a helpful hand to the blonde girl, who took it gratefully, wobbling as she stood.
"I haven’t got my sea legs yet," she laughed, clutching his arm to steady herself.
"And here we’re merely on the river," he noted.
"Beast. You’re not supposed to point out my lack of grace and balance."
As she spoke, she turned her face toward his, and in that instant, with the wind catching her hair and painting her cheeks pink, she looked so enchantingly lovely that Simon nearly forgot to breathe.
Her lush mouth was caught somewhere between a laugh and a smile, and the sun glinted so blonde on her hair. Here on the water, away from stuffy ballrooms, with the fresh air swirling about them, she looked natural and beautiful and just being in her presence made Simon want to grin like an idiot.
If they hadn’t been about to pull into the dock, with her entire family running around them, he would have kissed her. He knew he couldn’t dally with her, and he knew he would never marry her, and still, he found himself leaning toward her. He didn’t even realize what he was doing until he suddenly felt off-balance and lurched back upright.
Anthony, unfortunately, caught the entire episode, and he rather brusquely insinuated himself between Simon and Aurora, grasping her arm with far more strength than grace. "As your legal guardian," he growled, "I believe it is my honor to escort you ashore."
Simon just bowed and let Anthony have his way, too shaken and angered by his momentary loss of control to argue.
The boat settled next to the dock, and a gangplank was put into place. Simon watched as the entire Bridgerton family disembarked, then he brought up the rear, following them onto the grassy banks of the Thames.
At the top of the hill stood the Royal Observatory, a stately old building of rich red brick. Its towers were topped with gray domes, and Simon had the sense that he was, as Aurora had put it, at the very center of the world. Everything, he realized, was measured from this point.
After having crossed a good portion of the globe, the thought was rather humbling.
"Do we have everyone?” the viscountess called out. "Hold still, so I may be sure we are all present and accounted for." She started counting heads, finally ending on herself with a triumphant, "Nine! Good, we’re all here."
"Just be glad she doesn’t make us line up by age any longer."
Simon looked to the left to see Colin grinning at him.
"As a method of keeping order, age worked when it still corresponded with height. But then Benedict gained an inch on Anthony, and then Hyacinth outgrew Gregory--" Colin shrugged. "Mother gave up."
Simon scanned the crowd and lifted one shoulder in a shrug. "I’m trying to figure out where I’d fit in."
"Somewhere near Anthony, if I had to hazard a guess," Colin replied.
"God forbid," Simon muttered.
Colin glanced at him with a mix of amusement and curiosity.
"Anthony!" Violet called out. "Where’s Anthony?"
Anthony indicated his location with a rather ill-tempered grunt.
"Oh, there you are, Anthony. Come and escort me in."
Anthony reluctantly let go of Aurora's arm and walked to his mother’s side.
"She’s shameless, isn’t she?" Colin whispered.
Simon thought it best not to comment.
"Well, don’t disappoint her," Colin said. "After all her machinations, the least you can do is go and take Rory’s arm."
Simon turned to Colin with a quirked eyebrow. "You might be just as bad as your mother."
Colin just laughed. "Yes, except that at least I don’t pretend to be so subtle."
Aurora chose that moment to walk over. "I find myself without an escort," she said.
"Imagine that," Colin returned. "Now, if the two of you will excuse me, I’m off to find Hyacinth. If I’m forced to escort Eloise, I may have to swim back to London. She’s been a wretch ever since she attained the age of fourteen."
He disappeared into the small crowd, bellowing Hyacinth’s name.
Aurora laid her hand in the crook of Simon’s elbow as he offered her his arm, then asked, "Have we scared you off yet?"
"I beg your pardon?"
She offered him a rueful smile. "There is nothing quite as exhausting as a Bridgerton family outing."
"Oh, that." Simon stepped quickly to the right to avoid Gregory, who was racing after Hyacinth, yelling something about mud and revenge. "It’s, ah, a new experience."
"Very politely put, your grace," she said admiringly. "I’m impressed."
"Yes, well—" He jumped back as Hyacinth barreled by, squealing at such a pitch that Simon was certain that dogs would start howling from there to London. "I have no siblings, after all."
Aurora let out a dreamy sigh.
"No siblings," she mused. "I am too an only child. Not anymore as you can see. My cousins are precisely like siblings to me. But right now it sounds like heaven."
The faraway look remained in her eyes for a few more seconds, then she straightened and shook off her reverie. "Be that as it may, however--" Her hand shot out just as Gregory ran past, catching the boy firmly by the upper arm. "Gregory Bridgerton," she scolded, "you should know better than to run thus through a crowd. You’re liable to knock someone over."
"How did you do that?" Simon asked.
"What, catch him?"
"Yes."
She shrugged. "Practice."
"Rory!" Gregory whined. His arm, after all, was still attached to her hand.
She let go. "Now, slow down."
He took two exaggerated steps and then broke into a trot.
"No scolding for Hyacinth?" Simon asked.
Aurora motioned over her shoulder. "It appears my aunt has Hyacinth in hand."
Simon saw that Violet was shaking her finger quite vehemently at Hyacinth. He turned back to her. "What were you about to say before Gregory appeared on the scene?"
She blinked. "I have no idea."
"I believe you were about to go into raptures at the thought of having no siblings."
"Oh, of course." She let out a little laugh as they followed the rest of the Bridgertons up the hill toward the observatory. "Actually, believe it or not, I was going to say that while eternal solitude is, at times, tempting, I think I would be lonely without family at all. If it weren't for my uncles I would be alone, completely, I haven’t met any distant family member ever. Only have them."
Simon said nothing.
"I cannot imagine having only one child myself," she added.
"Sometimes," Simon said in a dry voice, "one has little choice in the matter."
Aurora looked at her feet. "I understand, you know. See my mother..." But she stopped mid-sentence, figuring out quickly that at least she was far luckier to have at least met her and know her and enjoy her presence, even so briefly. "I'm sorry, my story doesn't nearly add up to yours."
Simon paused beside her, too. "I didn’t know her," he said with a shrug. "I didn’t mourn her."
But his dark brown eyes were strangely hollow and shuttered, and she somehow knew that his words were false.
And at the same time, she knew that he believed them one hundred percent.
And she wondered—what could have happened to this man to make him lie to himself for so many years?
She studied his face, her head tilting slightly as she took in his features. The wind had brought color to his cheeks and he seemed rather uncomfortable under her scrutiny, and finally, he just said, "We’re falling behind."
Aurora looked up the hill. Her family was a good distance ahead of them. "Yes, of course," she said, straightening her shoulders. "We should get going."
However, as she trudged up the hill, she wasn’t thinking of her family, or the observatory, or even of longitude. Instead, she was wondering why she had the most bizarre urge to throw her arms around the duke and never let go.
Sympathy was the biggest reason, she understood him. He was also without parents but he wasn't as fortunate as she was, her aunt and cousins filled most of the emptiness in her heart.
Did the duke also have another family? It didn't appear so. Only Lady Danbury. He did appear lonely, though, but he was good at hiding it like she did the days she dreamt of her parents and was sad.
Maybe, sometime, they'd both find a longing and understandable comfort in each other.
Someday.