A/N : Well, well, well. We do have a fun scene from the books weaved in here. Does anyone wanna guess?
Also, Mama Bridgerton definitely gets her POV. Although I could have done without it, why not play with the scenes a little.
CHAPTER - 16 - LAYING CHARM
Anthony arrived at the Danbury house by quarter past ten. Although some part of him had hoped there would be a lesser number of suitors waiting for Miss Edwina, what would the diamond's residence be if not occluded by all the eligible gentlemen of the ton. And lo and behold, the line extended from somewhere outside the drawing room, to the entrance of the house. Gentlemen lined up by the wall with gifts or geraniums or carnations. He might have even seen a ranunculus. Fortunately, Anthony had come bearing pink roses, and he came prepared to charm everyone.
As Anthony entered the foyer, bypassing the line and moving forward, he saw none other than the elder Miss Sharma walking a gentleman outside and leading the next gentleman in line to be seated inside.
"So, how does the diamond fare?", asked someone, breaking the line.
The gentleman who was leaving stopped and rolled his eyes. "Oh, she would do, if only the eldest just got out of the way. The spinster is dreadful. Good luck to you, my friend", he seethed and patted him on the shoulder before leaving in a huff.
Anthony laughed at the idea. He was not the only person Miss Sharma extended her meddlesome courtesy to. How exceedingly selfish of the spinster to gate-keep her sister from making the most illustrious match of the season anyway?
"Miss Sharma", began another one standing in the line. "Am I to be kept at this threshold all day?"
"Yes, Lumley has already had an inordinate amount of time with her. I shall have you know that he rejoined the queue," someone else cooed.
The others looked on for an answer.
"That is because my sister is so enraptured with him at the moment", she replied calmly. But Anthony could see right through the politeness and sense the poison in her words. None of you are good enough for my sister, was what she meant. "And you wouldn't want me to interrupt your discourse when it is your turn would you?" she added.
For a moment, Anthony wondered if she could get on his nerves by saying the same things. But this was the time to charm her, for otherwise, he would never get to reach the diamond, let enough woo her.
"I say we heed the young lady and wait. Accept the grace that our hostess affords us", Anthony said from the back.
Kate's eyes instantly darted towards his voice, seeking out a supporter perhaps. Only, an infuriated expression overcast her face upon recognition.
"Why, thank you, Lord Bridgerton", she scowled anyway. "Though, whatever brings you here this morning?"
"It is customary for suitors to call upon young women, yes?" he said, adjusting the pink roses tucked under his arm. "Or did I misplace my etiquette book?" he added cheekily.
"I am afraid your support will not provide you any special treatment in terms of meeting my sister. You are much too late, and you must find your way back to the considerably long queue" she smiled cunningly.
"Then I wonder if you might offer these to her? Lest they wilt like the other ones out there" he teased, eyeing the gentlemen behind him, and brought out the roses. It was then she noticed that in fact, it was not one bouquet, but three smaller ones.
"These," he said, handing her the first of the three bouquets "are for Miss Edwina. And this one" - he said handing the second one - "is for Lady Mary." And then he saw her face soften with the knowledge of what was about to happen. The mighty wall had to crumble down in front of him, certainly. "And these are for you, Miss Sharma", he finished, leaning in.
Kate simply blinked in response, as she held the roses. The pink blossoms certainly stood contrasting her earthen tone, and the dark blue day dress she was wearing. But the image was rather picturesque, Anthony could not help but think.
"Thankyou", she breathed, "It was very thoughtful of you to think about mama and I", she said in a confused tone.
Anthony nodded graciously, although he did wonder if he could proceed with his plan. Was she charmed enough by the roses, or would he need to do more.
"My pleasure", he began. "Last season, one of my sister's suitors did the same for my mother. And I don't believe I have ever seen her more delighted" he smirked.
She chuckled, letting a tiny fragment of the barrier down again. "And what happened to the suitor, My Lord?" she played along.
"He…" Anthony whispered. "... is now married to my sister," he said, bringing out his rakish grin as she laughed out momentarily. That should have done it. The anecdote always warmed people's hearts around him, especially women. So he raised.
"Miss Sharma, might I have a word with you?", he asked, as he walked her aside.
Kate obliged.
"I wish to escort Miss Edwina to the races this afternoon", he began. But suddenly, something in her shifted.
"My sister already has an escort this afternoon", she mused innocently. Almost too innocently.
"Tomorrow then", he approached with optimism.
"She is engaged tomorrow too."
Anthony was now confused. How could Miss Edwina be so occupied until so long so soon?
"And the day after?" he asked again.
Miss Sharma stopped in front of a door and turned to face him. "Now that I think of it, My Lord, she may be free …" she paused thoughtfully. Finally, thought Anthony, only to be disappointed again "...After december. Unless of course she is on her honeymoon by then" she finished with a smirk.
This made Anthony laugh. Cheeky. Impressive. Vexing. Unyielding.
"Did I say something funny, Lord Bridgerton?", she questioned him with a grimaced expression.
"I believe you did", he touched. She was being very cruel towards him. For a moment Anthony wondered how Miss Edwina would take this gatekeeping shown by her sister, and if Miss Sharma had already poisoned her sister's mind with her version of the story.
"What is funny my lord, is that you are here now, after not only what I overheard the other night-"
"-It was not for your ears-" he hurried through gritted teeth. If only she would let him explain. And if not, could she let this go? But she interrupted him again.
"-But also in addition to everything I have now read about you."
Ah. There it is. Whistledown strikes again, anthony thought as she continued.
"Your dubious and libertine reputation precedes you, my Lord, and I now know that you are not for my sister. So I suggest you either join the queue, or leave", she said simply, and gave him another of her false smiles before walking into the drawing room and closing the doors on his face.
This woman was maddening. He did have a reputation, but did she really need to throw that in his face. But Anthony decided he would proceed with what he had already planned for the day. He would approach his diamond at any cost. Because, although unknowingly, Miss Sharma gave away their next move. And now, without further delay, he started towards the Bridgerton house, as a plan formed in his mind.
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Violet Bridgerton was for sure an exasperated mother of eight children. May god rest his soul but whatever did Edmund Bridgerton think would happen with all of them in the house. And now that he was gone, she was unsuccessfully handling his scions, who were all like him to some degree. While her quest to find Daphne a husband and a suitable life was successful the previous year, lest she say easy as well, Eloise was making it much harder this year around. Of all the balls she could drag her daughter into, she barely danced with any gentleman and ran around hiding in corners or bribing Benedict to rush her home. And the poor young Marquess. He may not have been the right boy for her, but she sure hoped she could ease Eloise into the marriage mart and courting rituals with his company. But he turned out no better than Gregory or Hyacinth. And Eloise seemed to have completely deviating interests from what she was expecting of her, and reading the Whistledown column again.
"Is that a copy of Lady Whistledown?" came a pitched voice that Violet recognized as none other than Penelope Featherington. Turning around to look at the doorway, Violet saw the young girl peering at the pamphlet in Eloise's hands. Poor girl was again trussed up in a yellow dress by her mother, but at least today she was wearing a pink overcoat.
"It is", Eloise smiled in agreement.
"I thought we were done with her", Penelope quipped.
Eloise being done with Lady Whistledown. That girl would rather have a horse give birth to a donkey than set aside that pamphlet.
"Do not discourage her, Penelope", said a defeated Violet, looking up from her embroidery. "If she has taken an interest in Lady Whistledown again, perhaps she is interested in what she has to say about the season's available gentlemen too." she quipped at Eloise.
Penelope drew a chair to sir, and listened to violet attentively. However, Eloise just nodded her head in disbelief.
"I cannot think of any cleverer way to say this, but no", she said, turning around to face her friend again. "Her latest is not exactly the philosophical treatise on the rights of the fairer sex I was hoping for, but -"
"Come now, I do not think Lady Whistledown has changed her entire style of writing since her last issue", mused Penelope.
"Perhaps not. But perhaps she still can, Penelope", said an excited Eloise.
"Perhaps she does not want to. Perhaps she is quite content. And if she even sparked your renewed interest, El, then perhaps whatever she is doing is working", Penelope sighed.
Eloise admitted defeat. "Yes, but she could do so much more. I know I could convince her of it."
For a moment Violet wondered if interrupting the young girls in the middle of their conversation to forbid them from going on a quest to find Lady Whistledown's true identity was a good idea. But somewhere, Violet knew the bunch she had birthed. If the idea had not already occurred to them, giving them new ideas, ones that can certainly be destructive, will not do anyone any good. So she kept her silence and continued with the embroidery.
"If I find her this time, that is", Eloise added.
"What you must find, my dear, is happiness", Violet chipped in. She was not about to give them bad ideas, but she would certainly pester them with good ones and after a certain amount of time, those will be the only ones her children could think of. But she might have to accept some day that she was too optimistic with her kids than she should. "Penelope, assist me here. Eloise could indeed find that with someone else, could she not?"
"I believe she could, Lady Bridgerton", Penelope agreed as Eloise groaned. Violet handed over her embroidery to Benedict who was leisuring on the opposite couch to finish up tying the loose ends for her. "...And not Lady Whistledown", she continued at Eloise. As if that needed explaining, but well, what could she do. "Someone more like - COLIN!"
Colin? What.
"My brother?" said Eloise in disbelief. The redhead girl rose from her chair andbegan walking towards the doorway. Violet turned to look, and surprisingly found her third born. Colin. Standing in the doorway.
"No, not Colin - Colin!", Penelope pointed at the doorway. And quickly her house was full of laughter again.
"Glad to see things have not changed", he quipped. Somehow amidst his travels in greece, he had fashioned a beard somewhere.
"Brother!",joined Benedict, handing Violet her embroidery back, which she immediately set on the settee.
"Could you set aside the latest family squabble and embrace me?" Colin asked. Eloise joined immediately and Violet obliged as well.
"I did not expect you to return so soon dearest".
"Well, I missed you all. What can I say?"
Hyacinth and Gregory came running along as well, joining Colin in an embrace.
"I believe we must get you to the doctor post-haste", began Benedict as soon as he let go of Colin. "This strange, fuzzy growth on your chin is some kind of disease".
"You seem to have taken to the sun too. How peculiar", Franchesca chimed in.
"I think he looks distinguished."
"I am now two inches taller than Gregory".
"You are not".
Colin laughed. "And where, may I ask, is our intrepid viscount?"
Oh, my first idiot child, thought Violet. If anything Benedict had informed her was true, then he was on his way to court the diamond of the season.
"He is -" she began. However, the unmistakable sound of loud footsteps alerted her to the presence of that very eldest child close by. " - back from courting already", she finished. With the face he made walking in, whatever was the result of today's courtship, she did not wish to know. Truth be told, she had lost interest in asking him about his approaches the moment she heard the word 'interview' leave his lips. But she kept trying to set him up with eligible ladies, and hoped that there would be some give away on his face that would alert her to having found an agreeable partner.
"Colin," said a surprised Anthony. "You have returned. Even better." but even before Colin could muster a reply or be thankful, Anthony continued with his haste.
"Family, I should like you all to get ready for the races today. We will be attending, united as one. There is someone I would like for you to meet", he ordered with a smirk. Dear god he had a plan for something, thought Violet helplessly. To the races it is.
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A/N: Well, the scene with Violet has not changed. Although writing from her perspective was fun. As you shall see some time in the near future.
However, what I really want to know is, how did you like the roses Anthony brought for Kate?