I DO NOT OWN BRIDGERTON.
Bridgerton House. London, United Kingdom. The next day.
I sat in the parlor while everyone else was busily preparing themselves for Queen Charlotte's luncheon. I was frustrated about everything. I had no earthly business being in this place, in this time. I didn't belong here, but I had no way to get back. I missed being a college student, I missed Melanie, I missed Nolan. As I was pondering all the things and people I missed, Daphne stormed into the parlor and she looked steamed.
"Brother, I do not know what is the cause of your coldness towards me, but I insist that it ceases at once!" Daphne exclaimed as I refused to rise to her bait.
"It has sister, I refuse to drag this out by explaining the reason for my anger against you; only that it is no longer relevant. From now on, I will treat you with the respect you are owed." I replied as Daphne looked surprised by statement; as if she expected a bigger fight out of me. Luckily, she decided to drop the issue was there were clearly bigger problems than whatever I had been butt hurt about.
"Very well...I must ask: did you want to marry her?" Daphne inquired, changing the subject.
"Not even a little bit." I said wistfully as I looked at her. "I saw Lady Featherington trying to pawn her off on that sake of wine Rutledge and...I wanted to save her."
"So, this was mere chivalry; you had no knowledge of miss Thompson's pregnancy?" she asked.
"None; and now that I know, I am prepared to do right by my family and wash my hands of her." I lied, as I wasn't going to tell duchess Daphne that I was willingly going to bring a bastard child into the Bridgerton family.
"Good...for if you had known, I doubt Anthony would ever forgive you." Daphne said as she excused herself to prepare to attend the luncheon with her estranged husband as I went off to do the same. In her defense, she was probably right about Anthony. He would have surely disowned my ass if I had told him how far my chivalrousness was going to go.
Buckingham Palace. London, United Kingdom. Later that day.
The grounds at Buckingham Palace were quite splendid indeed, I had to admit. I would have enjoyed my visit far more however, if people weren't gossiping about how Marina had tried to pull a fast one on me. The entire family had shown up, Simon included in an attempt to put on our best face for the Ton.
"Oh, is this not lovely? All of us together again?" Violet asked as she held Hyacinth and Gregory close to her like little ducklings.
"Lovely indeed, we should tempt scandal more often." I quoted as I fought back a snicker. Meanwhile, a couple of older noble ladies made their way up to Daphne and Simon.
"Duchess, may I say how well you look?" One of the ladies remarked.
"Oh, you are too kind." Daphne replied graciously.
"Is it not marvelous to be wed?" The other replied gleefully.
"It is both a joy and a wonder indeed." The Duke remarked sarcastically, which earned a smirk on my lips.
"Make way!" Queen Charlotte commanded as we all bowed and curtsied to the English queen who quickly went up to the Hastings's. "Must you all act like sheep flocking to the trough? I have 100 guineas wagered on there being a Hastings heir within the year. Are you yet with child?"
"We have certainly been devoting our energies to the endeavor, Your Majesty." Simon lied out his ass as Daphne only smiled along as Violet would do in such a situation. "We should hope to see our queen soon satisfied."
"See to it that you do." Charlotte insisted as she walked off to more bows and curtsies. I grabbed a glass of lemonade as I saw Eloise sneak away to talk with Penelope, whose family was being justly ostracized. I wanted to go over to Pen so badly, to discuss what had occurred the night of the botched dinner. But I knew that this was neither the place, nor the time to have that particular conversation. I would be able to do so when the Hastings ball came around during the season 1 finale. I watched Eloise and Pen talk for a moment before walking away. I returned to Violet just in time to see Portia Featherington make a she ass of herself. Lady Violet looked exceptionally pissed off and she wasn't buying her fake woe is me act for a lousy second.
"My dear Lady Bridgerton is this not a dreadful circumstance, for us both to have been so duped by that scheming hussy?" Portia asked with faux humility; as if she hadn't gone along with Marina's scheme to fool me into marriage and claiming her bastards. "To think that Miss Thompson would take advantage of my kindness after I opened my home to her."
"You truly expect my mother to believe that miss Thompson did not have your backing in this endeavor?" I asked straight up as Portia looked like she wanted to throttle for having the balls to call her out on her horse shit.
"You must believe, I had no idea of..." The Featherington matriarch started to say before she was stopped by Brimsley: Queen Charlotte's lap dog.
"Lady Featherington, I must ask you to leave." Brimsley said as Portia looked utterly mortified.
"But I have an invitation." She protested in vain.
"Not anymore, I am sure you wish to avoid any further unpleasantness." Brimsley replied as he made it clear that there would be no discussion on the matter. As I watched them go, I felt so sorry for Pen being treated this way; but I won't lie, it was pretty enjoyable seeing Prudence and Philippa being spurned like the bitches they were.
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