Take My Hand [Bridgerton]

[07. The Plan]

LADY WHISTLEDOWN'S SOCIETY PAPERS, 1813.

Dear Reader,

For those not in attendance at the Vauxhall celebration, you missed quite the night. Miss Marina Thompson was absent, unfortunately for her suitors but perhaps fortunately for the other eligible young ladies of the Ton. The attendance of the Baron, Lord Sheffield, shocked quite a few party-goers. In the year of his absence from society, it is clear his goal of finding a match for his daughter has remained unchanged.

As for Miss Winnifred Sheffield? She continued to attract some suitors despite her holier-than-thou attitude. Of course, she was seen arguing passionately with the Viscount Bridgerton, a common occurrence I assure you, but she did seem to enjoy her dance with Sir Sloane Beckett. Shall we see a match between the two in the future?

Moving on to more pressing matters, the most remarkable coup of the season belongs to Miss Daphne Bridgerton. It appears that our diamond has captured the interest of the newly returned Duke of Hastings, sharing not one, but two dances with the season's most eligible and most uncatchable rake. How the young miss secured her newfound suitor is yet to be determined. Yet, if anyone shall reveal the circumstances of this match, it is I.

Winnie hummed as she methodically pulled a brush through Newton's hair, untangling knots and smoothing down his coat as she went. Most of the time, Newton was a menace, terrorizing the staff when he needed to go on walks and Winnie happened to be out, sneaking into the kitchen during meal times when platters of food were going in and out of the room, and when he was a young puppy, he chewed on everything. Multiple pairs of shoes had been sacrificed in the name of his teeth. However, when Winnie brushed him, Newton was calm. Winnie mused that it was because he loved her so much, that spending any time with her calmed him down. However, everyone else in the house–the staff who took care of him when she wasn't available–knew that he just liked being brushed, the repetition of the brushing movement soothing.

Like her dog, Winnie found the time spent grooming Newton to be relaxing. She certainly needed to relax after reading the morning's Whistledown. She was glad to see the consensus opinion of Daphne changing, but she found herself rather stuck on her own description within the paper.

Did she give off a holier-than-thou attitude? Is that why people didn't like her?

Winnie had spoken with Daphne, Eloise, and even Penelope on the subject of mean girls of the Ton, specifically Cressida Cowper, but what if she was one of them all along?

Hold on, she steadied herself, slow down.

People were inherently imperfect. It's what made them human, after all. And Winnie certainly wasn't perfect, this she knew. But she also knew in her heart that she tried to be kind to everyone she came across and she knew she treated people as fairly as she could. There were people she certainly disliked, but she did not hate them or wish death upon them–although a little maiming, depending on their crime couldn't exactly hurt too much. Whiistledown calling her holier-than-thou was just simple-minded and untrue!