London, England 1813
What had seemed like hours to our dearest Betty Morrigan, had really only been a measly fifteen minutes. She sighed, taking the opportunity to survey the room. Daphne was stilled engaged in a conversation with her mother and Rebekah, meanwhile Betty stood on the sidelines and watched as young girls all around her fixed their hair, tighten their corsets, and controlled their breathing.
Gasps from the other room forced Betty out of her thoughts and back to the painful reality that was presentation day. The entire back room of girls crowded the doors to try and catch a glimpse of what happened. Apparently, one of the Feathertingon girls fainted. A shame, Betty thought, she would have loved to see it.
"Oh, we're up next! It was so good to see you again Betty! We must get together for tea and catch up properly!" Daphne said once the commotion of girls tripping over themselves to watch the Featheringtons leave the presentation room after their disaster of an event.
"Of course, I'd love nothing more! We have so much to catch up on."
"Oh perfect, how's tomorrow?" Daphne asked, reaching forward to grab one of the girl's gloved hands. Betty hesitated. She couldn't help but to feel nervous about reintroducing herself to the Bridgerton household... let alone the stranger she once called her dearest friend. Daphne, noticing the hesitation, made a desperate plea just so she would hear her out. "Benedict will be hunting, you won't even have to see him."
Betty pursed her lips into a courteous smile. She knew there was no way out of it, especially with her mother standing right there. "That sounds wonderful, Daphne. It was really good to see you again... and good luck with your debut, although between us, I don't think you'll need it. You look absolutely flawless." Betty smiled, grabbed both of Daphne's hands, and gave them a squeeze. She'd hoped it would help calm the nerves, for her or Daphne though? Betty had no idea. "You're up. You're going to do amazing!"
One by one ladies lined up in front of the big white doors that would lead them to their rise or fall in society. Daphne had just gone, receiving high praise from Queen Charlotte. "Flawless, my dear." Even Betty could hear the Queen's words from the other side of the door. Finally, somebody else had received praise from the Queen. There was no more pressure for Betty to be perfect because Daphne already was.
It was finally the Morrigans' turn. They lined up in front of the huge white doors that would lead them out to the Queen along with an entire crowd of noble people from the London ton. Her mother hitched her arm around her daughter's and tugged Betty forward. "Smile," she said through a maniacally bare-tooth grin. "Let's make a good impression my darling!"
Betty took one last deep breath before focussing her attention on the doors in front of her, just waiting for them to open so she could get this over with. "Betty Morrigan." The announcer from inside the room proclaimed. The doors opened to reveal a room full of London's most honorable members of society. At the front of the room sat the Queen, higher than everyone else. "Presented by her mother, Her Grace, the Duchess of Somerset."
The doors opened from the other side to reveal the long aisle that would lead them down to the Queen where Betty would plaster her fakest smile and give her deepest courtesy for the court. They waited for a moment, allowing the ton to take in the prolific family standing before them. Then, Betty stepped forward and made her ways down to the Queen.
She presented herself to the Queen with a graceful smile and deep bow. "Forever incomparable, my dear. Welcome home." The Queen said. And just like she had ten years ago, the Queen reached forward and lifted Betty's eyes so that their gazes would meet. Queen Charlotte offered her favorite debutante a loving smile. She had always seen herself in Betty. She saw the wise, bright eyed, smart girl that Betty was and this year, the Queen had high expectations for Miss Betty Morrigan.
She had practically just declared it to the ton.
It is only the Queen's eye that matters today. A glimmer of displeasure and a young lady's value plummets to unthinkable depths.
But as we know, the brighter a lady shines, the faster she may burn. It has been said that, "Of all the bitches dead or alive, a scribbling woman is the most canine." If that should be true, then this author would like to show you her teeth. My name is Lady Whistledown. You do not know me, and rest assured, you never shall. But be forewarned, dear reader, I certainly know you.
The Morrigans returned home and were now unwinding together in their sitting room. Betty was mindlessly drawing a hand in her sketchbook. Inez sat next to her, reading a paper the she was handed free of charge when she was out earlier with Elouise and Penelope. James sat opposite, his head buried deep into a book.
"Daphne looked so beautiful today. I still can't believe what the Queen said! Flawless, my dear... what a compliment to receive from the Queen!" Inez spoke up, taking a break from reading the new scandal sheet that seemed to be fresh off the press!
"Yes, well let us not forget about the praise your sister received. You've managed to keep the attention of the Queen. Not many can say that, my dear." Rebekah responded.
"My daughter has and always will be a rare jewel." The Duke, Francis Morrigan, said, getting up from his seat and walking over to give his eldest daughter a doting peck on the top of her head. "You were captivating, the whole ton was in awe of you, Betty. You are going to shine bright this season." He then turned to Inez and gave her a peck on the top of the head as well. "And next year, you my dear, will finally get your chance to shine and show London who you really are."
Betty took a break from the drawing in her sketchpad to focus on the conversation happening around her. "I can hardly believe that I made that much of a lasting impression. There is no reason for me to receive any compliments from the Queen, as being the diamond all those years ago was certainly good enough! Now I've got the eyes of entire ton on me again as well!" She said.
"What exactly did the Queen say when you were the diamond?" Inez asked. Seeing as she was still too young to attend any ceremonies or go to any balls, she was often left out on much of Betty's first season. She only knew why Betty's season ended so horribly because she had been the one to give Betty the dreadful news, but she had no idea the history and the depth of hurt and heartache that was still there inside her older sister all these years later.
James scoffed and interject, "Which time?"
Betty sighed and rolled her eyes before turning towards her sister. "She said, 'There is no one here incomparable to you, my dear...,' and then she lifted my head up and ran a hand through my hair. Why?"
"Oh, this Lady Whisteldown mentioned it. Surely she must be an old hag if she's writing about your first season!" Inez gave the scandal sheet to her sister, prompting her to look at it. "Look, it's all in here."
"Lady Whistledown?" James pondered the name, wondering if that was her real name. Surely it couldn't be, but then again you never know...
"My child, is that another disgraceful scandal sheet I see?! Absolutely not!" Rebekah walked over to the couch, instantly eyeing the pamphlet in her youngest daughter's hands. She only managed to take two steps towards it before Inez spoke up again.
"But, mama! This one lists people by name!"
"By name? Well... go on then, what does this Lady Warbledrop say about us?"
"Lady Whistledown, Mama..." Betty corrected her mother.
"Do we even know a Lady Whistledown?" James spoke up again, but was promptly ignored by his entire family as the actual content papers were just far more important than the true identity of the author right now. Francis took a seat next to James, patting his knee as a way to wordlessly say, just leave it be.
Inez continued reading from the paper, "she says you were the first true diamond, you outshined everyone that year and even had two men fighting for your affections! She also says you were one of the rarest jewels to grace the London marriage market. But you- oh-"
"What? What did she say?" Betty finally leaned over to her younger sister, and snatched the paper out of her hands, hurriedly scanning over the words this Lady Whistledown wrote about her. Her eyes were reading a mile per minute as she soaked up every word. "I can't believe this! She says I shattered every prospect... that I burned every bridge so I had t-to leave! That I was a coward and could not face the pressure of being such a precious jewel! This is outrageous!"
"Well, I mean you did technically walk out on the Ton. To the eyes of London, you did mysteriously disappear off to Holland and then magically showed up back in London just a few days ago. So... you did kind of shatter under the pressure, Sister." James explained, not even taking a second to glance up from his book.
"Oh shut up, James!!" Betty groaned, slamming the paper on the table and crossing her arms against her chest. She couldn't wait to dart up the stairs and directly towards the warm bath Poppy was preparing for her as soon as she was called for it. God knows she needed it after the stressful events from today...
"Did I not just say leave it be, James?" Francis spoke up, not even looking up from his own scandal sheet he had been reading from.
James scoffed once more, "No, you didn't!"
"Well, surely this author needs to check her sources! They're clearly unreliable..." Betty said.
"Are they?" James questioned, his voice a slightly higher pitch. Betty snapped her eyes to her brother, giving him a deadly stare. James just shot his hands up in defense, ready to wave the white flag before his sister could hit him where it really hurt.
"Darling, do not even begin to worry about what this Lady Whistledown writes. I'm sure her identity will be uncovered by the end of the week." Francis spoke up, finally setting his own scandal sheet down on the table. "They always are..."
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Longhi, Pietro (1762). The Lion's Cage [oil on canvas]. Querini Stampalia Foundation, Venice, Italy.
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