Liebe Pfingstrose

This Seasons Flower

Peonies mean love, honor, happiness wealth, romance, and beauty, the peony is traditionally given on special occasions as an expression of goodwill, best wishes, and joy.

Grosvenor Square, 1813.

Dearest reader,

The time has come to place our bets for the upcoming social season. Consider the household of Baron Featherington. Three misses foisted upon the marriage market like sorrowful sows by their tasteless, tactless mama. Far better odds might exist in the household of the widowed Viscountess Bridgerton. A shockingly prolific family noted for its bounty of perfectly handsome sons and perfectly beautiful daughters, this year joined by the daughter of a duke and duchess of Clarence. Today is a most important day, and for some, a terrifying one, for today is the day London's marriage-minded misses are presented to Her Majesty the Queen. May God have mercy on their souls. It is only the queen's eye that matters today. A glimmer of displeasure and a young lady's value plummets to unthinkable depths.

"Miss Daphne Bridgerton, presented by her mother, And Lady Peony Ardoin Presented by her aunt the Right Honorable, the Dowager Viscountess Bridgerton." The page announces the three women as the grand doors open, Peony and Daphne walk ahead of the viscountess, their innocent beauty on full display. Daphne represents the family name well, while Peony looks as beautiful as the flower she was named for. They bow gracefully to the Queen as they approach where she is seated. They keep their eyes down, waiting for the Queen to acknowledge them. Slowly she rises, every mouth in the room closes holding its breath as the Queen makes her way to the young Bridgerton girl.

"Flawless, my dear." The Queen says to Daphne before turning to the other young lady on the left, "Like a flower." Both girls try their best to withhold their smiles. As the queen plants a kiss on each of their foreheads

Daphne the older of the two whispers to the mother "Did that really just happen?"

"Keep smiling, darlings, They are watching you...now more than ever." Violet Bridgerton tells the girls.

But as we know, the brighter a lady shines, the faster she may burn. It has been said that "Of all bitches dead or alive, a scribbling woman is the most canine." If that should be true, then this author would like to show you her teeth. My name is Lady Whistledown. You do not know me, and rest assured, you never shall. But be forewarned, dear reader, I certainly know you.

"You absolutely sparkled, Sister". young Hyacinth complemented her older sister.

"Come, now. I merely simpered and minced in a pretty dress like everyone else." Daphne is humbled, as the true lady she is.

"Come, dear cousin, it was the best of compliments. The Queen only spoke the truth." The younger cousin, Peony said, had already been dressed in her lilac dress, and sat with her cousins in Daphne's room.

"Not exactly like everyone else." Francesca, the third daughter chimed.

"Oh, I shall need to go and visit with Penelope. Her presentation was anything but..." Eloise paused, ''What was it the queen called you again?"

"Flawless...or some such thing. Trust I was astonished that Her Majesty offered me, and Peony out of 200 young ladies present, a most gracious remark." Daphne spoke, it caused Peony to slightly blush, she had been called a flower.

"Yes, it was quite a distinction. And now 200 young ladies have a common adversary. I wish you luck, Sister, Cousin." Eloise teased the older two girls.

"Eloise!" Francesca scolded her older sister.

"What? It is true." Eloise laughed.

"Our success on the marriage mart influences all of your prospects. We will all need to find love one day. Indeed, a love as pure as what all our parents once shared, if we are so fortunate. Daph and I hope to be able to continue such a grand tradition." Peony finally spoke, lifting her head away from the writing she was doing about the day.

Following Peony's outspokenness, Violet entered the room "Your dresses have arrived." Each girl jumped up to look at what the woman held in her arms.

"This one is quite ravishing." Daphne gushed. "Mary Edgecombe wore a similar shade last season. And secured three offers the very next day, one from an earl."

"Mary Edgecombe, now the Countess of Fulton, apparently spent the last year living in a cottage hundreds of miles away from her earl. She is miserable. It says it all here." Eloise was not as interested in the new dresses as the other girls were.

"Do not tell me that is yet another scandal sheet. Eloise..." Her mother questioned.

"No, no, this one is different. This one lists subjects by name, in full." Eloise what is clearly exciting. The youngest two in the room rushed over to grab the papers.

"Lady Whistledown," Francesca spoke before Daphne grabbed the paper walking into the other room, Peony hot on her tail

"Lady Whistledown?" the older girls questions,

"The author." Eloise shared"

"Do we know a Lady Whistledown?" the matriarch asked.

"Surely Lady Whistledown cannot be her true name." Peony commented.

"What does it say, dearest?" Violet asked her daughter.

"She loathes the fact that we've been named alphabetically, oldest to youngest." Daphne read aloud,

"Your father and I found it orderly."

"Lady Whistledown finds banality," Daphne told her mother as she handed her the paper.

"The papers were distributed across town today without charge," Eloise told them.

"Without charge? What kind of author...well, at least she has one thing right. She has named Daphne as the season's Incomparable. She calls you a "diamond of the first water.", and you Peony are mentioned to be as beautiful as the flower which you are named for," The older woman told the two older girls. "Well, how lovely!" The girls all began to talk excitedly about what was being said about the oldest two.

_____________________________________________________-

Peony Ardoin