I DO NOT OWN BRIDGERTON. SHOUTOUT TO EVERYONE WHO CARES ABOUT THIS STORY.
Art Gallery. London, United Kingdom. 4 days later.
By the time that the art gallery where Simon and Daphne started falling for each other rolled around, I was feeling a bit comfortable around these social events. I still didn't care for them at all, but at least I now knew how to conduct myself at them. The entire Bridgerton family attended this event, save Francesca due to her schooling. Now that Daphne had a Duke in her sights, Lady Violet decided to move on from her eldest daughter to her eldest son; who was still without a viscountess.
"Miss Anna Vaughn, speaks several languages, I hear." She remarked as she held Anthony close while pointing out suitable ladies. "Miss Mary Egglesfield, she's meant to be quite the reader."
"Were I looking for a list of debutantes and their dubious accomplishments, I could have stayed home and read Lady Whistledown." Anthony said as he stormed off while Benedict started to snicker; only to flee the scene when Violet tried to entrap him. She then turned to me and took my arm as she sought to find me a match.
"I appreciate your concern, mama. However, I already have my eye upon a certain young lady." I told her as I spotted Marina out of the corner of my eye being drug along by Lady Featherington, who looked eager to wash her hands of the mother to be as soon as humanly possible.
"Miss Marina Thompson? She is a pretty young woman, to be sure." Violet remarked as he looked in the same direction. However, she didn't seem as cheerful as she did with Daphne and her duke.
"But? I'm sensing there's a but coming my way." I asked as Violet squeezed my hand.
"It's just...something about her countenance, i'm not sure. It's just an odd feeling." she admitted as it was clear that she knew something was wrong with Marina. She just didn't know what that something was.
"Well...I believe that she is pleasant enough and I look forward to getting to know her better; excuse me." I said as I parted ways from my false mother and made my way over to a disaster in progress.
"Lord Middlethorpe, you simply must meet Miss Marina Thompson, a distant cousin of my husband's." Lady Featherington introduced as Marina put on a fake smile that an idiot could have seen through.
"Miss Thompson, the pleasure is mine." Lord Middlethorpe said politely.
"Entirely." She shot back and I had to hide a snicker that tried to escape my lips.
"Marina." Penelope said as she raced over, trying to give her cousin an out.
"Penelope, allow us to view some of the paintings over here." Portia said as she tried to lead her daughter away.
"I had a brief question to ask Marina." Pen insisted as her bitch of a mother wasn't having any of it.
"Now is not the time, Penelope." The woman insisted as she forced a wicked smile to stay on her ugly face.
"I believe now to be the perfect time." Marina interjected as she grabbed onto Pen like her life depended on it.
"Miss Thompson?" Middlethorpe asked, trying to get her attention back on him and regretting it soon after.
"I certainly was not addressing you." She snapped as the dude looked like he had just been struck across the face.
"I do not believe that I have ever met such a lovely girl with such an ugly countenance." He growled, looking insulted as he stormed off without a backwards glance as Lady Portia looked seriously pissed at the both of them.
"You are a meddlesome little wench, and you clearly do not understand the gravity of your situation; that will need to change." Portia growled as she stormed off, no doubt cooking up a wicked scheme in her nasty head. Meanwhile, I decided to make my presence known because someone needed to give a damn about these 2 decent ladies and Portia would prove time and time again that she was not up to the task.
"You're not a meddlesome little wench." I insisted as both girls turned around with surprised looks on their faces at me having been there and hearing that conversation. "Pen, you are a wonderful lady and your mother is blind if she can't see it."
"He's telling the truth, Penelope." Marina added as she squeezed her cousin's hand in a show if sympathy. Pen nodded with a smile as she looked at me with gratitude.
"Thank you Colin, you are very kind indeed." She replied as I assumed that she was overjoyed that Colin had come to comfort her as she more likely than not, had often dreamed he would when her mother was being a supreme bitch.
"Miss Thompson, I was wondering if you might want to come look at these works of art with me for a bit?" I inquired as she looked all too eager for some time away from the watchful eye of Lady Portia Featherington.
"I would be delighted, Mr. Bridgerton." Marina said as she laced her arm in mine with a genuine smile on her face. I bid good day to Pen as Marina and I took a tour of the gallery. The paintings were very interesting to look at, but I was honestly more interested in the 3 dimensional lady next to me than the 2 dimensional ladies on the wall.
"It would appear that Lady Featherington is wasting no time in attempting to get you married off to some old codger." I commented as Marina's face fell.
"She believes me to be competition for her young ladies. She believes that once I am wed, the suitors will come flocking for the others." Marina replied, which wasn't exactly a lie. The had been her major concern before learning about the bun George Crane had put in Marina's oven.
"To be fair, you don't have to put forth much effort on that front, Miss Thompson. Other than Penelope, courting one of the Featherington girls would be a fate worse than death." I teased, earning a laugh out of Marina. Prudence and Philippa were stupid, petty, or both. Even a fool know that Penelope was the only Featherington daughter of any worth.
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