A Solemn Vow [BRIDGERTON]

The Dinner

   The Duke of Hastings was in London. That was the news that her father had delivered that morning, coming into the sitting room where Sophia had sat with her mother, working on her needle work. Soon, the Duke would be coming to join them for a private dinner that would only consist of the Lorington's, Lady Danbury and himself.

Sophia was nervous at the realization that she would meet the Duke at this small event. However, her mother was gushing excitedly about going to the Modiste in order to have a new gown made for the upcoming ball while, simultaneously, nearly harassing the servants to make sure everything was perfect for the dinner the Lorington's were hosting.

After her father had delivered the news of arrangement, Sophia had spent a lot of time alone in her room. No one cared to bother her there- except Helen, her lady's maid.

  "I've heard some talk of him," Helen had said that evening when she'd entered to help Sophia prepare for bed. At the sight of Sophia's gaze locked onto her face, Helen had continued. "He is said to be very handsome and has a way with... erm, well, he should be a good dancer."

But Sophia hadn't needed Helen to finish that sentence; she knew what direction she'd been headed in. The Duke of Hastings was a rake. Of course, many men in society were and the women of the ton often whispered about them behind their hands at social functions. And Sophia knew a few of her friends who were married to these men, but she had never thought herself the type of woman to pick such a man to be her husband. But, alas, she is stuck with the Duke of Hastings, the rake of London.

Sighing, Sophia peers up from where she finds herself now: sitting in front of her vanity as Helen twists her onyx colored locks into a pretty up-do that leaves a few tendrils to neatly frame her oval shaped face. She traces her eyes over her appearance, pausing on her slight nose and closely looking for any sign of freckles. There were none; only her milk colored skin appeared.

  "What jewels will you wear tonight, my lady?" asks Helen.

  "The new necklace Papa gave me. It'll pair well with this dark blue gown, don't you think?"

Helen smiles and nods before carefully removing said jewels from Sophia's jewelry box. The Lady's Maid sets the elaborate necklace daintily onto Sophia's neck. It glimmer's prettily under the glow of the candles in her room, making her smile.

A knock at the door interrupts her small moment. It is her mother and the woman enters with a wide smile plastered on her aging face.

  "My," she starts while sweeping into the room. Helen is dismissed and quickly replaced by Sophia's mother, who begins to tuck a few more pins into her intricate up-do. "Dark blue has always complimented our skin coloring well, don't you think?"

Sophia says nothing, but sits up straighter and hardens her jaw as she peers at her mother in the vanity mirror. This seems to anger her mother, who pulls a little too hard on a lose strand of hair.

  "You will behave like the prim and proper young lady that I raised, Sophia," she hisses, pleasant tone from earlier melting away to one of sourness.

For a moment longer, her mother peers heatedly into her daughters eyes and then is deeming Sophia ready before leaving the room. Sophia swallows thickly and sucks in a steadying breath that she hopes will settle all the chaotic feelings roaming rampant in her system.

Her mother had never been a kind woman, but Sophia had hoped that as she'd gotten older that she would ease her torment some. But this philosophy had failed as the older woman had seemed to lose even more patience for her only child and daughter as she'd blossomed into a young woman.

  "He's here, my lady," says Helen from the doorway.

Sophia quickly takes on more look in the vanity mirror, smooths a hand over her hair and down her silk dress, and then turns to follow Helen down the stairs to the sitting room.