"Friendly, aren't you?" Theo said to Newton. The dog had seen Theo, stood on his back legs and placed it's paws directly on his knees as a way of greeting. Theo patted him on the head and Newton let out an appreciative bark.
Eloise chuckled, "Not to Anthony he wasn't."
"I find that hard to believe." He scratched the dog behind the ears. "He seems like the kind to get along with everyone. What's his name?"
"Newton, he's Kate's. And since she and Anthony didn't get along at the start, my poor brother had to first earn the approval of a dog of all creatures." At the last words, Newton sent the Bridgerton a look, challenge in his eyes. Eloise laughed, head tilting back. "I meant no offence Sir Newton, I was only pointing out what a formidable opponent you make." The corgi barked and rushed to her, cuddling against Eloise's legs, she scratched his head.
"Eloise!" Francesca yelled from somewhere across the crowd.
Eloise's head snapped up, "Yes!?"
Francesca, Gregory, and Hyacinth's heads popped up near a fence by the stands. "They've set up a game of Pall Mall!" Hyacinth shouted, waving her arms wildly in the air.
Before Theo could question what Pall Mall was, Eloise had grabbed him by the arm and was rushing forward, dragging him in tow with Newton on their heels. A look around and the four eldest Bridgerton siblings were running forward as well.
Every pair of eyes followed them.
Theo narrowly avoided being thrown directly into a wooden fence. He hadn't even caught his breath and Eloise Bridgerton - arguably the greatest of finding ways to surprise anyone - was jumping over the fence with such grace and ease that Theo had to question what went on in that house.
A blur of various blues surrounded him as the remaining Bridgertons leapt over the fence with equal grace and ease.
Truly, what in the devil's name went on in Bridgerton House?
He watched in silent confusion and amusement as the siblings fought over mallets. At one point, he was certain Daphne was about to bash the pink one straight into Colin's skull. Meanwhile, Eloise and Benedict were using theirs as fencing swords and Anthony was idly swinging his and sorting out an argument between Francesca, Gregory and Hyacinth.
"Consider yourself lucky you did not have to participate in this" - Simon shuddered - "game from the very depths of hell." Theo lifted a brow at the man beside him. Simon shrugged. "Bridgertons in games are absolute nightmares."
"Simon, there is a mallet in your wife's hand, mind your words," Kate advised. She came to stand on Theo's left.
Simon laughed and leaned forward on the fence, his eyes now quizzing Theo. "The Duke of Isaacson, correct?" he inquired, though he already knew. Theo nodded. "I knew vaguely of your father, but he never mentioned he had a son."
Theo mentally slapped himself for not getting a story straight with his family. What in the world were they going to tell every man or woman who knew of the old duke? Worse, what were they going to tell the close friends of the old duke?
Lady Avery Hawthorne came to the rescue. "We left him to study in Europe, Your Grace," she said, smiling. "My husband and I resided in Greece for sometime, so we allowed Theo to continue his studies there."
The man nodded, "Wise of you." Then he went back to watching the wreck of a game about to start.
Theo gave Lady Hawthorne a grateful look. She nodded in return.
"Don't kill each other!" Lady Bridgerton shouted at her children.
"No promises!" came the synced response.
It was both amusing and terrifying to watch the eight Bridgerton siblings play. They were ruthless, constantly risking their own chance at winning to knock another out, mercy was a forgotten myth to them. The game was clearly kill or be killed.
"Eloise. Eloise Bridgerton don't you dare," Daphne warned her sister, murder in her eyes.
Eloise's smile was wicked. She bent her arm back, gathered all her might, and swung. Her ball whacked straight into Daphne's, and then sent it flying. Quite literally.
Daphne's yell of misery when her ball landed in the horse waste was certainly heard across the entire field.
Every head snapped in the general direction of the Bridgertons. Simon and Kate began doubling over with laughter alongside the six other Bridgertons while Lady Bridgerton and Lady Hawthorne attempted to contain theirs. Eloise held a proud smile as she threw her mallet up in the air and yelled, "VICTORY!"
"Ladies, gentlemen, and Bridgertons, your winner!" Benedict declared, arm held out to Eloise. He proceeded to fall to the ground in hysterical laughter when trying to announce Daphne as the loser. It had taken all his self control to simply crown Eloise the winner, and even then he was still shaking with laughter.
The celebration was short lived.
"You are evil!" Daphne shouted, launching forward to presumably strangle her sister.
Eloise bolted faster than one would think possible in a dress.
"GIRLS!" Lady Bridgerton screamed, trying to get order into her daughters. It was to no use. This situation had knocked the time Benedict had managed to sink Anthony's ball in a pond down to second. And besides, Lady Bridgerton was barely containing a smile herself.
Daphne's threats of murder, death, dismemberment and other brutalities could be heard loud and clear. As could Eloise's laughter. The sisters chased each other across the entire fenced off area.
The scene was amusing, and Theo would have continued to watch had someone not tugged on his sleeve. He glanced over to see Alison, who looked as though she regretted coming to him. "Something wrong?" he whispered, brows drawing together.
"It's Lord Berbrooke," she answered, nudging her head behind her, where a grey haired man was searching the crowd for her. "While he's been my most ambitious suitor, he's also the most single brain celled and idiotic. I've already decided he wasn't the one for me, and I told him so just a few minutes ago, but he refuses to leave me alone." Alison stopped to take in a heavy breath, she cast her eyes to the ground, her voice becoming a mumble. "Can you get rid of him for me?"
Nigel Berbrooke had found them before Theo could get out an answer. He offered the new duke a friendly smile, while he glanced at Simon with worry. "Your Grace," Nigel greeted, lowering his head.
Though he had no solid reason to, Theo decided he wouldn't let this man on a first name basis. Something was off about him.
"I just came to ask if I could take Miss Alison to see the horses up close, I have a contact with one of the show runners."
Alison was visibly disgusted by the mere thought. Theo stepped in front of her, taking on his most confident persona. Or whatever he actually could put together to pass off as confident. "As . . . nice as that sounds, Lord Berbrooke, my sister just informed me that she has already rejected you, so I'd appreciate it if you stepped away." Mentally, Theo patted himself on the back for the calm and authority in his tone.
Surprise washed over Nigel's face. He began to stutter out an answer but a glare for Simon shut him up. "Of course, Your Grace," he caved.
A light smile plastered itself on Theo's face, "Good, thank you."
Nigel nodded and headed off.
"Thank you," Alison whispered.
"What are brothers for? he mumbled back with a shrug.
Just then, a body was slamming him to the ground.
"Bloody -" groaned whoever had crashed into him.
"Eloise!" several synced voiced shouted. Both out of worry and frustration for the curse.
Theo groaned and looked to his side, where Eloise Bridgerton lay. Her cheeks were pink from the strain of running, sweat was trickling down her face, her hair had stuck itself to her cheek, and her eyes were aflame in amusement. She gave him a sheepish smile, "Sorry."
He laughed, "You are something else, Miss Bridgerton."
She too, laughed. "I suppose we both are, Mister Hawthorne."