Dear my lovely readers.

With the season over, I truly thought I'd have nothing to write about. And I am very much relieved to say that I was proven wrong. This week's rumours surround one of my favorite topics: the Bridgertons. One rumour passing through the ton is that Anthony Bridgerton was seen arriving home with a black eye. Was it a result of another fight at the gentlemen's club? My guess is it was something more. Perhaps a scorned lover? Well knowing Anthony Bridgerton, that would be the case now, wouldn't it? The word in the square is that Lord Bridgerton is not ready to settle down just yet. Is that really the reason or is he actually as arrogant and smug as he looks and there isn't a soul in this ton who could tolerate him? Seeing his younger sister has already gotten settled, isn't it time for the oldest Bridgerton to give up his promiscuous ways as well? Or will this rake always be a rake?

Yours Truly,

Lady Whistledown

-

"A rake? Promiscuous? ARROGANT?!"

"Anthony, calm down," his mother said. "It's just a rumor."

Just a rumor? You clearly didn't feel that way when Whistledown wrote about Daphne!"

Anthony paced around the room, "Just wait until I find out who she is."

"Anthony, please calm down. We'll figure this out."

"It's all just complete lies Mother! What will people think about us when they read this?"

"I mean is she completely wrong?," his sister muttered under her breath.

"Eloise...," her mother whined, knowing her daughter's comments were only going to make the situation worse.

"No, I'm serious mother. Anthony, you are... promiscuous, in some sense or another. And is what Whistledown is saying not true? I mean, why do you have a black eye?"

"I told you. I ran into the door as I left the club!," Anthony huffed.

"I'm perfectly sure that's what happened....," Eloise grumbled sarcastically.

Anthony glared, in a manner in which only Anthony Bridgerton could glare.

"Anthony, would it be so awful for you to find a wife?" his mother asked as she sat him down on the couch.
"I know you don't have any current .... um diversions, right now. So isn't it time, as Whistledown says, to settle down?"

And by diversions, his mother was referring to Siena.

Since the night of the Hastings Ball, he hadn't seen her once.

She didn't frequent the modiste anymore and she wasn't singing at the opera either.

Last he heard, she had moved away but he didn't know where.

And well why should I care where she went?  he asked himself.

He was over her, or at least he thought he was.

There was never going to be a future between them, no matter how hard they tried to make one.

But even though he would never admit it out-loud to a soul, if he couldn't make it work with Siena, was it possible he could make it work with anyone else?

Was that relationship the best he was ever going to have?

"Why don't you come with me to the Trowley ball tomorrow? If you make an appearance, dance with a few young women, your reputation won't take as bad as a hit as you might you think."

Anthony pondered his mother's proposition. A ball would truly be horrible, but disgracing his family's name would certainly be worse.

"Fine... only to prove what Whisteldown declared is false. Don't expect me to fall in love by the end of the night," Anthony scoffed.

"Just a few dances is all I ask," his mother replied, smiling softly to herself.

~~~~~~~

Eloise walked around the market, eyeing the shops hoping to find herself a new quill.

It had taken several tries, but she finally found a black one with large, delicate feathers.

"It's pretty," she heard a voice say behind her.

She turned and it was as if Eloise was at the ball all over again.

In front of her stood the dark-haired girl that found herself a place in Eloise's mind these last few days.

"Mabel," Eloise smiled and she half-curtsyed,half-bowed, unsure what she was doing with her body.

"Eloise," Mabel said back, her voice silky and soft as the feathers in Eloise's hands. "No need for the formalities," she said laughing at Eloise's weird greeting.

"What are you doing here?"

"I needed to get out of the house, my younger brothers were driving me crazy. And you, what brings you here?" Mabel inquired as she stepped closer to Eloise, reaching over and touching the quill in her hands.

"Oh..," Eloise muttered, her voice suddenly dry. "I'm a writer, and I was in need of a new quill."

"A writer? How fascinating!," Mabel exclaimed. "It's nice to see a girl who does something else but sew and play the piano. Is it just me or are those the only 2 things a girl needs in this ton to qualify to be a wife?" she quipped as Eloise laughed loudly.

"I like your laugh," Mabel said, catching Eloise off-guard.

"Oh," Eloise could only mumble in reply, her throat suddenly dry again.

"Well-" and before Eloise could say anything else, Mabel interjected "Hey, do you want to get out of here?"

Eloise's eyes widened at Mabel's proposition.

She had never gone anywhere unattended before.

She looked around the shops for her lady's maid, Mrs.Wilson, who seemed distracted by the other housekeepers for the time being.

"Okay," she quickly replied and Mabel smiled as she grabbed Eloise's arm and ushered her out the market.

~~~~~~~

"So, Miss Bridgerton, what do you write about?,"  Mabel asked as she scooted closer to Eloise.

They were sitting by the lake, not too far by the market.

Their shoes and socks laid nicely beside them, as the feet dangled in the cool water.

If only Mrs. Wilson could see me now, Eloise chuckled in her mind.

"I write about a lot of things," Eloise confessed, not really sure how to answer.

No one had really asked her that question before.

"I basically write what I know. Just about what I see in the world. How I feel about certain.... subjects , I guess...." Eloise muttered, not sure where she was going with this.

"Do you write about romance?" Mabel asked inquisitively.

"Well, no - wait why are you asking all the questions here?" Eloise asked laughing, finally feeling  her witty self returning. 

"Okay, that's fair,"  Mabel nodded, giggling at Eloise's snappy retort.

"So you have younger brothers?"

"Yes," Mabel smiled. "I have an older brother who's currently in Spain right now. And I have four younger brothers, so you could imagine how obnoxious my house is right now. Do you have any siblings?"

"7 siblings, actually," Eloise breathed out. "I have three younger siblings, so I think I have a pretty good idea how rowdy they can be."

"Oh my, I thought I had it bad."

"Why did you move here?" Eloise asked, changing the subject.

She desperately wanted to know more about this mysterious girl she'd never seen before.

She looked down, and noticed that their hands were an inch away from touching.

"Oh that is quite the tough question..." Mabel mumbled, looking down at her feet dangling in the water. "Do you really want to know?," she questioned, with a certain sadness in her voice.

Eloise raised an eyebrow at Mabel wondering why this was hard for her to answer.

Several seconds passed before Mabel finally answered.

"I caused some trouble for my family back home. I was quite the rebel," she exhaled, letting out a small laugh.

"I did something I wasn't supposed to." Her usual cheery demeanor instantly became filled with sorrow in the moment.

More seconds of silence passed.

"My mom thought if we moved here to my grandmother's, I would be "disciplined" to her liking. And it helps to be far away from everyone who once knew you."

Eloise glanced at Mabel, she had never seen her look so sad before.

She looked back at their hands, her body basically begging her to reach over and hold Mabel's hands.

To let her know it was okay.

"What did you do?" Eloise asked softly, not wanting to push any buttons.

"No no, excuse me it's my turn to ask you a question now, isn't it?" Mabel said smiling, trying her best to seem like her normal, lively self.

Eloise nodded, chuckling at Mabel whose words echoed Eloise's.

"Will you do me a favor and don't tell anyone about what I said. I don't need rumours going around about me being troublesome and what not. And the last thing I need is it ending up on those Whistledown scandal sheets."

Eloise looked at Mabel intently. Did Mabel even need to ask? Of course, Eloise was always going to keep it to herself.

"Yes, you have my word."

"Thanks," Mabel smiled as she pulled her feet out of the water. "We should go now, before our lady's maids find out we're missing and then they really go crazy."

"Wait," Eloise stopped Mabel, suddenly feeling bold. "What happened? Back home, I mean."

"Don't worry Bridgerton, I'll tell you next time."

"Next time?"

~~~~~~~

A/N

heyo, violet here

honestly i went back and forth over this chapter so many freakin times
it was so hard for me to write idk why

but i really wanted to update so here ya go :))

i hope u guys enjoyed

Vote if you need someone like mabel in ur life

see y'all tmrw 🤩

violet
21/01/21