Chapter 3
Vauxhall celebration
"Hello, Pen," Fleur smiled as she walked towards Penelope. "What a beautiful dress. It suits you." She complimented.
Penelope's cheeks flushed red. "Thank you. Yours is quite beautiful, too." She looked to Fleur's dress. It was blue, with a smidge of green in there.
Fleur took Penelope's arm. "I am so glad you are here. I do not know if I would survive a dull affair such as this."
Over the last couple of weeks, Fleur has gotten to know Penelope Featherington and Eloise Bridgerton much better. It started when they knocked on the Lachapelle's door, asking politely if Fleur would join them for a walk along the square. Of course Fleur was happy to be out of the house. And it ended up being such fun, they would do so every other day. Pen and Eloise did so already, so now they allowed Fleur to join them.
"Where's your Mama?" Fleur looked around to find Lady Featherington, but couldn't.
"At home," Pen answered. "Marina is ill, so Mama stayed with her."
"Oh," Fleur said. "Please send her my regards. Hopefully she'll be better soon."
Much more chance for conversation they didn't have. Colin Bridgerton, the third oldest child of the Bridgerton family, approached. Fleur learned that Penelope had a friendship with him as well. "Pen. Miss Lachapelle." He acknowledged them.
Penelope had not yet seen him, and was thus startled when he spoke. The two girls curtsied. "Colin," Penelope responded. "I did not know you would be here."
"Sorry to disappoint," Penelope chuckled at his joke. Fleur saw Freya in the distance and waved. "Have you seen Miss Thompson?"
"She is ill. My Mama had to stay home with her. Papa had to chaperone," Penelope gestured to her father, drinking in the corner. It was obvious he had no clue what he was doing. "I'm quite enjoying the fact that he is here. Mama would never allow me to wear a dress like this. Not, uh, yellow enough, I think."
Two tall blondes made their way to them. A few girls followed. "Mr. Bridgerton," Cressida Cowper acknowledged Colin. They curtsied, Freya following along. "I believe you owe me a dance this evening. And I have only one more space remaining on my card at present."
"How convenient." Penelope said, making Fleur stifle a laugh. Cressida dropped her glass enough for the remaining juice in it to fall on Penelope's dress. Penelope gasped loudly as the cold liquid hit her skin. Fleur instantly tried to dry it with her glove, but it was no use.
"Penelope, I did not see you there." Cressida said. It was as if she thought anyone would believe her.
"Penelope, are you alright?" Freya asked her. She turned to her sister. "You are so mean, Cressida."
"It was an accident." She shrugged.
Thankfully, Colin saw her for who she really was. "I'm afraid I cannot offer you that dance, Miss Cowper," He said. Cressida's face fell. "I am to escort Miss Featherington to the floor." He took Penelope's hand and lead her away from the swarm. Pen looked back one last time. Fleur gave her a double thumbs up with a big smile, which may not have been the most gracious gesture, but the most genuine one.
"You know, Cressida, sometimes kindness is appreciated." Fleur told her wittily.
Cressida was quick to respond. "But more often times than not, gentlemen prefer beauty. Otherwise, why should you still be here?" The girls laughed as they walked away. Freya stood still.
She gave her a sympathetic smile. "She basically just said you are kind. Choose to remember that instead." And then she followed her sister.
Colin and Penelope's dance was cut short. "Ladies and gentlemen, a most extraordinary event is about to take place. Right this way! Come! Come!" Someone announced. Fleur found her Mama. Along with the rest of the ton, the Lachapelle women headed in that direction.
Arm in arm it appeared as though there was still as much love between the mother–daughter duo as there used to be. Fleur knew better than to think that as well. She knew her issue affected her mother gravely. It took a toll on her. But since she never discussed that, it bottled up, and it came out in slightly snarky comments. Zahara wasn't mean. She never had been. She was tired.
Once all the guests gathered on the field of grass, the host started speaking, though Fleur could not see him. "It is with great privilege I present Vauxhall's newest spectacle of illumination. Feast your eyes above and allow all that is radiant to overwhelm you!"
A servant with a torch lit a lantern. A wire attached to it started to spark, and lead up until it was at the very top of the lantern. From there the light sprung over everywhere. Fleur looked up to the hundreds of lamps above starting to glow with light.
Her jaw dropped as she made a few excited jumps. "Is this not the most beautiful thing you've ever laid your eyes on, Mama?" She asked her.
"I prefer a pretty dress," She looked slightly displeased. "Stop jumping. You'll ruin yours. Your father and I paid a great deal to cloth you like this."
The smile slowly faded from Fleur's face. She went back to her composed demeanour. But inside she was screaming — at the lights, at herself, at her Mama . . . Who knows. She walked away, trying to find Penelope in the mass.
Initially, when she saw her, she thought it inappropriate. But Penelope's Papa had no interest in any of his daughters at the moment, so Fleur quickly snatched Penelope away from her family. Penelope was anything but against it. She was happy to be away from her family, as was Fleur.
She wished she could've just danced with Penelope. Both of them had no gentlemen to dance with them, but both of them enjoyed dancing. What was to keep them from dancing together? Everything.
The two girls stood to the side of the dance floor, sipping from their drinks. When they heard gasps coming from the other side, they turned around. Daphne Bridgerton and the Duke of Hastings passed, arm in arm, headed to the dance floor. All eyes were on them. When Daphne looked towards them, Fleur smiled at her.
Following the pair with her eyes, Fleur noticed her Mama talking to and laughing with Viscountess Bridgerton. Eloise had been right, she thought, they did know each other.
"They are quite beautiful together, are they not?" Penelope said to Fleur, referring to the pair that had now joined in the dance.
"Yes . . ." Fleur replied, deep in thought. "Though I cannot think it more than convenient."
"However do you mean?" Penelope asked.
Fleur turned to her, seeing the deep confusion in her face. Seeing as no one else felt the same, it was probably she who was off. "Forget what I said," She shook her head. "They look beautiful together indeed."
But she couldn't help but wonder.
Just when Fleur passed the door, there was a knock. A servant ran to the door, but she stopped him politely. "I'll do it." She told him. The servant nodded and went back to his daily duties.
She opened the door to Eloise, standing in front of her. Eloise smiled. "Walk with me?"
Fleur looked back to see if her mother was about to appear. She grabbed her shawl and closed the door behind her fleetingly. "She'll miss me at some point," She told Eloise, giggling. "Where are we going?"
"We're going to pick up Pen first, and then, I suppose, we'll just go about our usual walk." Eloise responded, instantly grabbing Fleur's arm.
Fleur nodded, until she realised something. "Doesn't Pen live opposite you? Why didn't you go by her house first?"
Eloise shrugged, looking at her. "No reason."
The two caught up by Fleur asking about Eloise's siblings, and Eloise doing the same. Then, they discussed Lady Whistledown's latest, and then they had already made it to the Featherington residence. Their houses weren't far apart.
Penelope had apparently already seen them coming in her window, for they hadn't even made it to the door yet when she ran out. Eloise let go of Fleur's arm when she approached. The three of them walked away, Elizabeth, one of Eloise's and one of Pen's servants following with an appropriate distance between them.
"So, Daphne may be in love," Eloise started the conversation again. "Does she think it an accomplishment? What exactly has she accomplished then?" She scoffed. It was clearly bothering her. "She certainly did not build that man, or bake him. He simply showed up. Now he straggles about. He likes her face, probably. Perhaps her hair.
"Having a nice face and pleasant hair is not an accomplishment," She turned her head to Fleur. "You have pleasant hair."
"So, you see, it does nothing for a lady." Fleur joked. But deep down to be complimented on her appearance for once. No one had even mentioned it, not even her pleasant hair.
Eloise continued her statement. "Do you know what is an accomplishment?" She laughed sarcastically. "Attending university! If I were a man, I could do that, you know. Instead, I shall have to stand by and watch dear Mama appear proud because some man should like to admire my sister's face and hair and fill her up with babies!"
"Penelope, are you quite alright?" Fleur asked once Eloise was done. "You're awfully quiet today and your mind is elsewhere."
Penelope sneaked a look behind her, to the servants, then grabbed Eloise's arm tighter. She brought Eloise's face closer to hers, so she'd be able to speak lowly. Fleur understood the silent message and switched so Penelope could do the same for her on the other side.
"I know of someone . . . with child." She said. Fleur didn't understand why she told them this, since it was no strange thing.
Eloise appeared confused as well. "Is it your Mama? Is she not advanced in age? I suppose your father still want a boy—"
"It is not Mama," She interrupted. "It is . . . a maid."
"Your maids are married?" This time it was Fleur to ask questions. Most maids weren't married, and if they were, they were never close enough to their husbands to conceive a child.
"She is not married."
Eloise's face fell. "How did she become with child if she is not married?"
"I do not know, but I will find out." Penelope looked back once again to make sure no one had heard her speak.
"You must," Eloise said. "Otherwise, how can we make sure it never happens to us? We have accomplishments to acquire."
As Eloise was saying this, Fleur studied her face. She was clearly distraught. Her smile was insincere. When they dropped Fleur back off at home, she went straight to the library.
Fleur knew that when her brother was younger, he wanted to become a doctor. For a while he bought all the books about biology, medicine and the human body he could find, so now they library was full of books like that.
"Looking for something, sister?" Fleur turned around to find Henri leaning against the doorframe. He brought a cigarette to his mouth. "Last time I checked you've got half a library in your own chambers. You need not be here."
"Henri," Fleur was shocked to see him. "I apologise. I did not know you'd be here," She started to think of more efficient ways to find her answer. "How does a lady come to be with child?"
Henri's eyebrows shot up in amused shock. One corner of his mouth irked up. "You really wish to know?"
"Yes," Fleur was yet to be sure of her answer. "And don't give me that about not knowing, I know you know. You're a rake, and you've read every single book in this room. Just because I cannot find it does not mean it is not here."
"What is the meaning of this?" The doors flung open once again, this time revealing Franklin, a stern look on his face. When he saw his son, he frowned. "Henri, I did not know you were home."
"Not for much longer, Father. I am to join the Viscount Bridgerton and the Duke of Hastings at the club," He told him. He then turned back to Fleur. "My dear sister here was wondering where babies come from." He flashed another amused grin.
Franklin looked appalled. "That is not something you should be asking. Especially not of your brother."
"You wound me, Father." Henri said dramatically.
"Papa, there is a maid with child, and she is not married," Fleur walked closer to her father, ranting on about her newfound information. "A lady wonders. Mama always said she'd tell me after I was married. Did she not mean you have to be married to to be with child?"
The head of the house sighed deeply. "I'm really not classified to deal with this," He admitted. "But neither is Henri. If your Mama says she'll tell you, she'll tell you. You don't question it, you don't undermine it. Are we in agreement?" Fleur didn't answer. "Are we in agreement?" He repeated, this time louder.
"Yes, Papa." Fleur's voice was soft. She dropped the books she was still holding on the table beside her. Fleur walked away from the room, where Franklin and Henri remained to talk amongst themselves. She went up to her room, praying her Mama had not seen her come in.
As you've probably noticed already what I'm mostly doing now is building the family dynamic. Eloise isn't much in this part of the series anyway, and I've decided to use that. Don't hate Zahara (or Franklin!!) yet, she is not evil. She's simply a Mama who wants the best for her daughter. Is that sometimes in a cruel way? Maybe. But she's trying. There's also going to be more of Henri in later chapters. Let's just say he's friends with Anthony and Simon
Also, it can be so excruciating to write this, because it all revolves around Daphne and Simon (obviously). There's so much I need to skip because it simply has no relevance that I sometimes feel I am skipping too much. I am sure that once Eloise is in the picture more, that feeling'll disappear.