How To Love A Prince - A. Bridgerton

Chapter Three

"What a lovely day! Advise the cook for lots of biscuits, put on your prettiest day dress. Annual courting season starts today! Who will be the first suitor on your doorstep? In the case of Eloise Bridgerton, who looked that dashing at yesterday's ball dressed in a dream of pale blue that no other than the Prince himself shares not one, not two but three dances with her before moving on to walz with Miss Edwina Sheffield, there might be a royal guest.
And for the diamond of the first water, there will be sure many gentlemen left to choose from."

- Lady Whistledown's Society Papers April 1814

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The Bridgerton household was filled with excited chatter and the smell of freshly baked biscuits. The expectations were rising with every moment ticking by. Eloise, dressed in a silvery new day dress her mother had chosen in the belief it was the most suitable for a potential future princess, was pacing up and down the drawing-room. She was scared the prince's attention might have sparked an interest in other young men, who would now try to pursue her hand in marriage. Violet Bridgerton was also pacing, but out for a different reason. The mother was hoping to find none other than the prince of England at her doorstep, most ideally proposing. Her heart was fluttering in her chest at the thought of her second eldest daughter becoming a princess. What luck it would be to have her marry such a handsome man she clearly had enjoyed dancing with. A happy sigh, the third in ten minutes, escaped her mouth as she caught a glimpse of her daughter, clearly nervous as well. Anthony Bridgerton, present as the head of the family, was sitting on one of the pale-blue sofas, reading his newspaper, ears perking up at every sound coming from outside. His handsome face was wrinkled in a deep frown as he would prefer being out as a suitor himself at Miss Sheffield's house. Now someone else would have the opportunity to make the first move on her while he had to watch a nervous man trying to impress his sister. He turned the page, the loud rustling of the thin paper causing his mother to glare at him. Behind the paper, Anthony rolled his dark eyes. This was going to be a long afternoon. "My Lady," one of the servants approached, holding his head low. "There are visitors for Miss Eloise. Plenty of visitors.", he announced." Let them in," Violet chirped with a wide smile on her lips. Over the hem of the wedding announcements, Anthony watched as man after man entered the drawing-room, equipped with flowers and exquisite gifts of all sorts. Half of London's eligible bachelors presented themselves to Miss Eloise Bridgerton, who looked lost between packets of fine chocolate and bouquets, her big blue eyes begging him for mercy. Their mother, on the other hand, watched every conversation with delight. Not even Daphne, named diamond of the first water in the previous season and now married to a duke, had attracted that much attention. Anthony huffed as the suitor tried to take a seat beside Eloise, who slid over, so her dress spread all over the seat. With a sour expression, the young man withdrew himself from humiliation and almost ran into the butler carrying a massive bouquet of highly expensive red roses. "Miss Bridgerton!" he exclaimed in excitement, and Eloise perked up at the mentioning of her name, glad to have a reason to excuse herself. She hurried over, her delicate fingers searching for the cart that would identify the man behind the gesture. "They are from the Prince!" the butler added as soon as she had found the gold-rimmed card with the neat handwriting. "Edward sends greetings to you, mama," she read out aloud. A gasp ran through the air at the improper form of address. "Prince Edward." Eloise quickly corrected her mistake. "And there's a letter to Lord Bridgerton." 

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Edward entered the salon of the gentlemen's club he knew he would find the handsome Lord in. He had sent an invitation to an extended hunt at his hunting lodge right outside London, along with the roses he'd picked out for his new friend Eloise. But he was too impatient to wait for an answer. So he had sent someone out to gather information about Lord Bridgerton, specifically where the man liked to spend his evenings. All eyes laid on him as he walked through the salon elegantly, eyeing the gentlemen for a familiar pair of brown eyes. As soon as he had found what he was looking for, his most dazzling smile spread across his plump lips. "Lord Bridgerton, it is a pleasure to see you again." "Your Highness," Anthony quickly responded, jumping to his feet, bowing his head in respect. Edward chuckled: "I never liked these formalities. Please, sit. Have a drink with me." With a hint of confusion in his pretty eyes, the Bridgerton fell back into his seat, and Edward, waving for a waiter, took the seat vis-a-vis." Have you considered my invitation yet?" Edward wanted to know, holding the other's gaze captive with his own. Anthony cleared his throat: "I'm honored, but I'm afraid I have to decline. This season is of great importance to me." A waiter in a black and white suit approached, carrying a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. As he set them down on the marble table, Edward took his time eying up Anthony Bridgerton. To him, the man was even more beautiful in the dimmed light of the club that made his eyes even darker and glimmering with light specs. A faint smell of musk belonging to expensive men's perfume was radiating from the Lord, the scent drawing Edward even more in. He was craving this marvelous man with every pore of his body, the attraction almost unbearable. Pink lips parted as Bridgerton waited for the Prince to show a reaction, perhaps waited for an offended outburst so typical for a man of high status. But Edward just kept watching him with keen green eyes, his mind working out a plan. "Well," he finally spoke up. "I'm afraid refusal is unacceptable. I have to insist on your visit." Edward rarely used his status as a royal to influence people, but with the Lord in front of him, he had to make an exception, or he would die yearning after him. Anthony was lost for words. But before he could beg to differ, the Prince already added: "But of course I understand your reasons. So I have a proposition to make. I will gladly provide my personal carriage to bring you to every ball you like to attend during the evenings as well as every assistance I can offer you to impress Miss Sheffield, as long as you'll spend the day at my hunting lodge an hour ride outside London. I haven't been to the area in a long time, and all my old confidants happened to be out of town. Hunting on your own is miserably lonely, and I would appreciate the company of a good man as yourself." The Lord blinked in confusion, and Edward was confident he had managed to convince him.  "Under these circumstances, there is nothing to do for me than to accept.", Anthony said with another slight bow of his head. Prince Edward beamed brightly at him. "Excellent! I will send my carriage to pick you up on Friday morning. I'm utterly thankful for your company. Partridge season has just begun." With that, Edward took a sip of the golden beverage, his gaze constantly lingering on the Lord's face, his mind already wandering off to all the joyous things the two of them could spend the days with.