'Do people always fall in love with things they can't have?' 'Always,'
Eloise Bridgerton, The 5th child in the Viscount's household. She was different. She wasn't what society expected her to be or what her mother wanted her to be. A spinster in mak...
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Eloise couldn't bear the confines of her room any longer. The weight of her family's disappointment and the burden of societal judgment pushed her to seek solace elsewhere. As her family departed for the end-of-year ball, she seized the opportunity to slip out unnoticed, determined to meet her dear friend Penelope.
Navigating through the dark alleys and hidden paths, Eloise found her way to Penelope's residence. The grand ball was in full swing, but she managed to sneak in undetected. Hastily, she made her way up the stairs, seeking refuge in Penelope's room.
Eloise: (whispering urgently to a passing maid) Please, find Penelope and tell her to meet me upstairs immediately. It's urgent.
As she waited anxiously in the room, Eloise's eyes fell upon a pile of discarded papers. She picked them up and to her shock, realized they were unfinished drafts of the infamous Whistledown writings. It suddenly dawned on her—the truth that had eluded her for so long.
Penelope rushed into the room, breathless from the haste of her arrival.
"Penelope, how could you? How could you be Whistledown all along? I trusted you, and you used our friendship to expose my secrets to the world!" Eloise shouted
Penelope tried to justify herself " Eloise, please, listen to me. I never wanted to hurt you. I did it to protect both of us. The pressure, the scrutiny, it was becoming unbearable. I thought if the focus shifted to a third person being whistledown, it would save you from further harm."
El was baffled " Save me? Do you think this is saving me? You've humiliated me, Penelope! You've betrayed our friendship, our trust. I can't believe you would stoop so low!"
Penelope was short of words " I never meant for it to go this far. I thought I could control it, keep it under wraps. But the truth has a way of coming out, Eloise. I'm sorry, truly sorry for the pain I've caused you."
The anger had got to Eloise " Sorry isn't going to change anything! You've tarnished our family's name, you've exposed me to ridicule and judgment. How can I ever trust you again?"
"Eloise, please understand. I never wanted any of this. I never wanted to hurt you. I was just trying to protect us both from the scrutiny and judgment of society. Can't you see that?" Penelope could not find words but still tried to pacify her best friend.
Eloise was fuming she couldn't believe pen "Protect us? By destroying everything we had? Our friendship meant something to me, Penelope. I trusted you with my deepest secrets, and you used them against me. I can't forgive you for that."
" Eloise, I don't expect you to forgive me right away. But please know that I never intended for it to turn out like this. I value our friendship, and I hope that someday, you can find it in your heart to forgive me."
Eloise had given up there was no talking left " Right now, forgiveness feels impossible. I need time to heal, to find my own path. Maybe someday, we can rebuild what we once had. But for now, I need to be on my own."
A tense silence hung in the air as their emotions clashed. Eloise, feeling betrayed and shattered, couldn't find the strength to stay. With tears streaming down her face, she quietly turned and left the room, not willing to return home just yet.
Eloise's heart was heavy as she ventured into the night, seeking refuge in the quiet streets of London. Her trust had been shattered, and she felt utterly alone.
