thirty-eight • colin unhinged

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•••"But I'd follow you to the great unknown

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"But I'd follow you to the great unknown."
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Grosvenor Square, July 1814

Nola truly felt for young Eloise, who had no interest of marriage.

The crowd chattered loudly, giving the girl a headache. Anthony stood off with Benedict, while his wife engaged in conversation with Violet and Eloise, who looked anything but happy to be where she was.

"I am sure she has many duties to attend to as duchess." Violet told Hyacinth, who questioned the absence of her eldest sister. "Things you should be learning for your debut." Nola wished she could understand Eloise, but all she knew is that when a young lady wasn't ready for the season, nothing could change her mind.

Nola, only a year older than the girl, knew how it felt to not want to grow up. She, herself, had longed for an education, beyond her mother's pianoforte and voice lessons, that is.

"Making simpering conversation, pretending not to wince every time a man treads on my toes during a waltz?" Eloise scoffed, causing Nola to snort, quite an unladylike sound, but it certainly gained a round of giggles from young Hyacinth.

"Eloise!" Violet scolded.

"I'm not good at those things, mama!" Eloise tried to explain as Hyacinth ran off. "I'll only make a fool of myself." Nola frowned, knowing how Eloise viewed herself, she wish she could rise self confidence within the girl.

"Well, perhaps if you devoted as much time to your deportment lessons as you did to writing in your journal, you might feel rather better."

Nola could not take the conversation anymore, walking over to join Benedict and Anthony- who were engaged in a conversation with another young lady. Nola simply smiled at her before taking the spot next to her husband. "Hello, love." Anthony smiled, bringing her hand to his lips, "where were you?"

"Caught up with Violet and Eloise," she kept hold of her husbands hand, "you know, my lord. Eloise is not ready for marriage." Anthony sighed, giving her the look. The look screamed to keep out of it, but when it included her young sister-in-law, there was no way she was about to allow Anthony to force her into something she was not yet ready to participate in. After all, marriage wasn't anything small.

He introduced her to the young woman, Harper Simmons, a beautiful young woman, but it appeared Benedict had no interest.

Conversation was quickly interrupted by the sound of someone tapping on their glass. In the middle of the garden stood young Colin, and the Thompson girl, looking quite beautiful, she noted.

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