Get ready for a first kiss or two! Thank you for all of the follows! This started out as a Polin and we will still see them, but the next part will focus on Eloise and Lord Debling as well as Benedict and Sophie Beckett. Buckle up!


Eloise sat across from Lord Debling at dinner and couldn't help but smile at him and his mother's banter. He'd told her that his mother was his best friend, and she couldn't help but feel endeared to him even further. She had never felt like this before; not even with Theo. Was this love? Eloise could help but think so, but hadn't he just claimed to be in love with Penelope just a few short weeks ago? Could she trust that Christopher felt the same way?

As she stared at him pondering over his affections, he caught her eye. His brows furrowed with confusion over her own look of worry and he felt the need to be alone with her to ask what was the matter. Knowing he could not, he instead caught her older brother's attention and asked about his thoughts on the gallery.

"Mr. Bridgerton? How did you find the family gallery? I hope Sophie was able to assist you with any questions. She is extremely intelligent as I am sure you noticed. She is a fine companion to my mother while I am away from the manor." Benedict wiped his mouth before answering the gentleman's inquiry.

"Yes, she was splendid company. I was rather impressed with the gallery; especially that Fuseli! I'd love to discuss more over a brandy or four." The men chuckled and Debling promised to have a brandy after dinner. He looked over and still felt some worry over Eloise's demeanour as the finished with dinner. Lord Debling excused himself and Benedict to his study and the ladies retired for tea and a game of cards in Lady Fiona's parlour.

"Lord Debling," Benedict began as he took his brandy from the young lord's hand. Lord Debling cut him off.

"Please call me Christopher as I am sure you'd rather me call you Benedict." He said with a smile.

"Ben, actually." He took a sip of the drink and relished in the smoothness of the liquor. "Damn good, Christopher." He raised his glass to the man. "So, if you don't mind me asking. Sophie? She seems like there is more to her than just being a lady's maid."

Christopher smirked, "Caught on to that have you? Yes. She is the bastard daughter of the long dead Earl of Penwood. She started working here when we hired our new housekeeper Mrs. Gibbons about a year ago. She had a horrible life the past seven or eight years. Her stepmother is a real piece of work. Treated her like trash. Mrs. Gibbons looks at her as if her own daughter; sweet older lady." He took a swig of his glass and set it down.

"Ben? Could I ask you something?" Benedict nodded for him to continue. "Eloise? Do you think I have any chance of winning her hand? She seemed to be very interested in me this afternoon but I caught her looking at me at dinner. She seemed to be upset with me. I'm not sure what happened."

Benedict knew his sister better than anyone. He knew that she was into the young lord. He'd never seen her so taken. "Believe me, she is very taken with you. She gets giddy when your letters arrive. She cherishes them above anything else lately; even her books, so you know it's serious." They chuckled together and Lord Debling felt himself at ease.

"Christopher, I find myself in a dilemma of my own." He sat down and crossed his leg, still holding into his empty glass of brandy "I seem to find myself infatuated with Miss Sophie. The moment I heard her voice, I felt drawn to her. Just spending those few moments with her in your father's gallery I knew. I knew that she is meant to be mine. My muse. I have never, never felt like this. I never knew I could have this emotion." He carded his hand through his hair and sighed. "Is this how you feel about my sister?"

Lord Debling sat back in his chair and let his head fall back against the headrest. "Yes. Yes, that's it exactly, Ben. That's what being head over heels in love feels like. I never felt this way toward Miss Penelope. I thought that I was in love with her, you know? But I think I was just feeling a kinship towards her because her rejection never stung, but just the thought of Miss Eloise not returning my affection? Oh God, just the thought of that alone makes me feel like my heart is being ripped from my chest."


Eloise sat in the guest room and tried to occupy her mind with something other than Christopher Debling. He'd disappeared with her brother after dinner and she'd retired to bed after one game of card's sighting a headache. She bit her lip as she considered what she was about to do. After contemplating for the past hour, she got up and put her dressing gown on over her night clothes and left her room in slippered feet.

She made her way to the other end of the floor to where she knew his bedchambers lay. She could see the flicker of firelight under his door. With a deep breath, she knocked lightly. It was quiet enough that Eloise could hear the beating of her heart and then the click of the door lock.


Lord Debling sat in his bedchambers contemplating over the discussion he had with Benedict Bridgerton. He knew what he felt was real, but at the same time, he was scared of getting his heart broken if Eloise did not return his affections. He felt it deep down in his soul that Eloise was meant for him. The second half of his whole being. He got up and began to disrobe; his cravat long stripped off. As he undid his top three buttons of his shirt, he heard a quiet knock at his door. Thinking it was Mister Thomas, his valet, he didn't bother with buttoning back up. He opened the door and was almost struck with it as a small figure entered and shut it tightly behind her. "Miss Eloise!?!?"


Benedict stood in the doorway to the gardens lighting a cigarette then walked onto the patio. It was a clear, quiet night. He could see the lights from the fishing village off in the distance and heard the sound of a horn - probably some fishing vessel signalling they were coming home.

"Mister Bridgerton?" He turned around and saw Sophie standing with a lit candlestick.

"Miss Sophie." Benedict nodded his head in a slight bow towards her. "What are you doing still awake. I thought the house was shut up for the night." She stepped out of the doorway and walked towards him. He felt his heartbeat pick up.

"I was just locking up the rest of the doors for the night. Mrs. Gibbons usually does but was not feeling well so I offered. Good thing too or you would have been locked out. She usually locks up without checking for," she smirked, "stragglers." Benedict's eyebrows went up and he grinned at her sly comment.

"Oh, I do like you very much Miss Sophie." Even with the darkness of night, he could see the blush upon her cheeks. "Sophie." He had come closer, so close she could feel the heat of his body. "Sophie." He tipped her chin up to lock eyes with her. "Do you feel it too? This pull? Never in my life have I ever felt it. I never dreamed I could. I swear to you." He cradled her face in between his hands now touching foreheads.

"Mister Bridgerton. Ben. This is improper. I am below your station." She said is so softly, he almost didn't hear it.

"No. Stop. I am but a second son. The spare. Nobody really. But I do not give a fig about any of that. Sophie, I cannot help but feel that we were meant to meet. I wasn't even supposed to come. I invited myself really." They both laughed lightly. Benedict nuzzled his nose against Sophie's. "I don't want to seem too forward but could I give you a kiss?"

Sophie stiffened. "That is too forward." She stepped back from him and watched as his face turned to one of shame. "Now, don't look at me like that. I like you, Ben. I really do but I don't think we," Ben shook his head.

"Please. Please just give me a chance. I'll court you. Properly. Lord Debling told me about your past. I know you come from a high born father. Even without that knowledge, I would still want you. Want to know you and explore this strong connection between us. Sophie Beckett, please give me a chance." Sophie but her lip. She couldn't help the smile that overtook her face.

"Okay, but you need to ask Lord Debling and Mrs. Gibbons permission. And no funny business either. I may be the bastard daughter of Richard Gunningworth but I'm still a lady." Her smirk made his heart melt.

Placing his hand over his heart, Benedict bud her goodnight with these parting words. "Miss Sophie, I think I'm more than half in love with you already." Sophie fell asleep still smiling.


"Miss Eloise!?!?" Eloise pushed off the door and took Lord Debling's hands in hers.

"Christopher," she was nervous. She'd never done anything so brazen before. "I couldn't sleep. Not with this on my mind." He walked her over to the chaise lounge and sat next to her.

"What troubles you, Eloise?" He looked at her and saw she looked unsure. "I shall listen without judgement. You gave my strictest confidence."

"Were you in love with Penelope?" She said in such a rush she wasn't sure if he even understood her words.

"I did have love for her, but I know now that I was never in love with Miss Featherington. I felt more like a kindred spirit to her. I know now what being in love is. And it is you, Eloise. I am unequivocally and completely in love with you. I just hope that you may someday feel the same way."

Eloise shook her head, and his heart sank. "Christopher, listen to me. I am scared. I never thought I would marry. I always knew I would be a spinster." She stood up and he almost panicked thinking she was leaving until she sat on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. "But then you came into my life. I cannot stop thinking about you. I smile constantly. Every time I hear 'Miss Eloise, a letter for you!' I get so incandescently happy. I see your name and imagine it next to mine forever. Christopher," she kissed his lips softly. "You don't need to wait for me to catch up to your feelings. I was there long ago. I am so in love with you."

Debling hugged Eloise tightly and breathed in her honeysuckle scent. "I'm going to kiss you now." Eloise smiled and nodded before he descended upon her lips. His tongue probed her lips asking for permission when she finally opened her mouth for their tongues to meet. She couldn't help the moan that left her mouth. She could feel his bulge growing against her leg.

He kissed her jaw the down her throat. "Oh, Christopher." She moaned and he smiled against her throat before burying his hands in her hair and bringing their mouths back together.

"My love." He caressed her face with the back of his hand. "Marry me?" Eloise feigned thinking about it before nodded in agreement.

"Yes, I would love nothing more than to become your wife." She kissed him again, "I love you."

She practically floated back to her room before settling in and falling asleep, the taste of his lips lingering as she drifted into the sweetest dreams.


The following morning, Lord Christopher Debling asked Miss Eloise Bridgerton for her hand in marriage to which she happily and readily accepted. Benedict hugged his soon to be brother-in-law and watched as his mother and Lady Fiona fawned over the opal ring Debling presented his sister.

Once breakfast was complete, Benedict spoke to his mother in the gardens. "What is it Benedict, dear? Do you not approve of Lord Debling?" He was pacing, nervous about telling his mother of his sudden feelings.

"Of course not. Lord Debling is a great man. I know he will treat Eloise with nothing but respect. It's a true love match after all." He furrowed his brow before finally taking a deep breath and telling his mother. "Mother, I seem to have feelings for someone. She is not, well, like us. She's um, oh bollocks."

"Benedict Jameson! Language!" She practically giggled the words out. "Oh my, this must be serious. I don't think I have ever seen you this discomfiting."

"It's Miss Sophie!" He finally spat out.

"The lady's maid?" His mother looked confused. "Benedict, sweetheart, did you take liberties?"

"No! No, nothing like that. Mother, the moment I heard her voice, before I even saw her, I felt my heart stop. I'm not one to believe in love at first sight but by God, I do know that I have felt it. Mother, she is the illegitimate daughter of Richard Gunningworth, the late Earl of Penwood."

Violet looked startled, "Oh, that poor girl. I've met the late Earl's widow. Horrible woman. Lady Araminta and her two daughters are the uppity, well her youngest isn't as bad but still. So what are your intentions then?"

"I spoke to her last night. Don't worry, nothing untoward happened. Not without me asking though. She refused." He smirked and his mother swatted at his arm. "Mother, you wound me. She told me I was to ask permission to court her from Lord Debling since he is her employer and Mrs. Gibbons since she has always treated her with kindness and love like that of a mother. But before I did that, I wanted to tell you of my feelings. I feel like I'm falling in love mum."

Violet could not believe her ears. Her second born was always so standoffish when it came to matters of the heart. Now here he was proclaiming to be half in love with the lady's maid of his sister's future mother-in-law. "Who am I to stand in the way of true love." The smile that overtook his face told her everything she needed to know.


"Colin! Come quick!" Colin came running into Penelope's sitting room.

"What is it, love? Is everything alright?" Colin saw her holding a letter with shaking hands.

"Eloise is to marry Christopher, umm, that is to say, she is to marry Lord Debling! And Benedict is courting a woman named Sophie Beckett. She is the lady's maid of Lord Debling's mother. Oh, it says here that she's the daughter of the late Earl of Penwood but her wicked stepmother threw her out without a penny to her name! How utterly wicked. It's like one of Grimms' Fairy Tales!"

Colin picked her up and placed her in his lap. "Mother must be over the moon. Five of her children either married or on their way and finding love in less than three years? Francesca is almost engaged to that Kilmartin chap. And soon, she'll be getting a new grandchild." He rubbed her stomach. They'd been trying multiple times a day since they wed. Penelope was due for her courses in three days. They'd know soon enough.


So what did you think? Next chapter brings us to a courtship, wedding plans and a happy announcement!