emeralds and diamonds ♔ bridgerton

Part 6

hey guys!! i normally won't write a little note but i need to let you guys know that i start school again this week which means i won't be writing as much. i will try to write everyday, but just don't expect 2-3 chapters a day <3

-remsupport ;)

two weeks in london.

that was all the time i spent in london before traveling to aubrey hall. the bridgertons invited me two days before the rest of the ton. which meant i had to be overly perfect because if i wasn't, violet bridgerton would start talking to the other mothers of the ton and i would be left without a husband. and then i would be without an inheritance.

the carriage ride there was the worst. the last 30 minutes was bumpy and i thought our carriage ought to tip over. "they should really fix this road when they are not staying here." anne remarked.

"i suppose i shall comment on it." i had gotten to know the bridgertons a lot better these last two weeks. they were a kind family, although i really did like benedict. he was a painter and wished for me to see some of his works.

i looked out of the opening in our carriage that acted as a window, "look the house!" well i didnt do it any respect calling it just a house. it was massive, for some reason i had low expectations for it.

anne looked up from her embroidery to take a look at the property that we were rushing towards. "i don't know what else you were expecting victoria, they're bridgertons." she was right. over the two weeks that i had gotten to know them better, the only common thing throughout the family was their love for the biggest and best.

"anne?"

"yes ma'am?"

"can you promise me something?"

"of course."

"anything that's happened in the past, that's i've done, that we've done, it stays in the past. i don't want to speak of it, not anymore." i reached out for her hands.

our hands both cupped each other, "nobody shall know." we both smiled. if the wrong person heard what we've done, everything would be gone in an instant.

i retracted my hands. instead, moving them to push my last belongings into my small bag that i kept with me for the journey. she followed as we began to pull into the front of the house. most of the bridgerton's came out to greet us. colin came and opened the small door. he set out his hand, "hello victoria, anne."

i used his hand to step out, "hello colin." i said with a smile. "mr. bridgerton." anne followed out behind me.

i began to say my hello's to everyone, daphne came last but without her husband. from what i heard they were deeply in love, but they have not always had the best relationship.

hyacinth grabbed my hand and nearly dragged me into the house. we only made it about 10 steps before anthony caught up to us, "i think our guest would like to freshen up before our game of pall mall."

i nodded with a smile, "we can continue our tour later, but how about you show me to my room hyacinth?" i had seen some people carrying my cases up to the room, so i would at least have a dress to change into.

"colin made sure you got the best guest room in the entire household!"

"i don't know what i did to accept such an honor."

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pall mall has never been such competitive game. we had played it when i was staying with the dowager baroness of d'cuz. i have never been good at the game so in the 4 times that i've played (including today's) i have lost every time.

colin and i were sitting in the estate room, of course the door open with servants passing through. the fragrance of champagne floating through the air. sure, we may have had a few to many glasses but we were just having fun.

"and duke archibald, he's alright. but i cannot imagine living and spending the rest of my life with him." we were talking about our potential matches, "and my parents grew to love each other over time, but i can not imagine loving him." i shook my head but my face read disgust.

all colin could do was laugh at my remarks about the duke. "what about the prince?" he took another sip from his flute.

we both agreed that anything said when we were alone stayed between the two of us. so that's why i felt so comfortable speaking like this. "the prince?" i groaned.

"if we're being honest, i don't even like the prince. with his prussian accent and his perfectly presses naval uniform which i've never seen him where anything else. and then the fact that so many ladies have turned him down gives me some suspicions about him."

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benedict was just walking about the house, no where to be, no where to go on a certain time. he had heard some murmurs from down the hall but could not tell who was speaking. the smell of baked bread with a hint of fruitiness and wet limestone could be smelt from a few doors down. but he had just guessed that it was his elder brother and his new wife from the last marriage season having some fun. until he heard her.

heard victoria.

she was rambling on about some gentlemen who was reaching for her hand. he stopped behind the door that was wide open, obviously to make sure she was not compromised by benedict's younger brother colin.

he stood there, listening in on their conversation. just wanting to hear her voice.

"if we're being honest, i don't even like the prince."

that sentence made him feel like fireworks were going off in his stomach. in his head, he didnt want to marry her. but in that moment something changed. something about her saying she didn't like any of the gentlemen made him want to be her dancing partner, him to be the one to go out riding with her, him to be the one flattering her. did he want to court her?

his train of thought was lost by the sounds of heels clicking on the floor. he looked down the hall to see anne, who was directed towards the estate room. the pair locked eyes for just a moment before he put up his pointer to his lips as a sign for don't tell.

she walked into the room, "victoria." she dipped down as the howard girl stumbled upwards.

"you need to write to your mother."

victoria walked forward and into the hall way, "good night colin!" she threw her hand up into the air before walking down the hall, anne shuffling behind her looking behind the door that benedict had further hidden in.