Mister Bridgerton's Scandal

Chapter One: A Spinster's Life For Me

You must be civil.” Lady Eleanora Bennett tells Eloise as she leads her and her new maid, Sophie through the house. My Uncle Bartholomew's  house. No, she reminds herself, it's Edward's house now. We didn't need to fear Uncle Barty anymore.

“I don't see how you can still be her friend after what she did.” Eloise folded her arms. “She could have utterly ruined me. Luckily, Theo forgave me and Anthony didn't ship me off to France for a season.” 

“Pen has always been my friend as have you. And I didn't call this tea for you to bicker.” Lady Eleanora spins to face her. Her emerald eyes searching Eloise's. “This is our third season and none of us have any prospects to speak of.” 

Eloise bit her tongue looking at her petite friend. She was beautiful. Pale and had a killer sense of style. She had large emerald eyes and perfect pink lips that perfectly matched her rosy cheeks. She had long, curly  thick auburn hair that every girl in the ton envied. Unlike Eloise, Ellie not having suitors wasn't her fault. 

Eleanora Bennett was the sister of the newly titled Edward Bennett, Duke of Brimley. The only reason she hadn't had suitors was because of her Uncle Bartholomew. A cruel man who had been Eleanora & Edward's guardian since their parents died in a tragic carriage accident when Ellie was 10. The man had turned away anyone who tried to call on Ellie. Even her brother Colin. And now that Edward was the duke, Eleanora was truly on the market. Though Eloise doubted she realized that with the way she was speaking…. And that she was defending Penelope. 

“You're still seeing Theo?” Eleanora asks Eloise, a bit surprised. 

“Why not? Anthony is distracted by Benedict and his searching for the mystery lady in silver from our masked ball. They won't notice if I'm missing a few afternoons. And Colin is pouring over his manuscripts.” She shrugged. “And mother is getting Francesca perfect to try and repeat her success with Daphne.” 

“I see.”  Eleanora nods as she opens the french doors leading to the terrace. Penelope was sitting and waiting for them in one of her typical yellow dresses. They were truly atrocious but Ellie knew that it wasn't Pen's fault. 

Penelope saw them and rose to her feet. The anxiety was evident in her eyes as she found the words to speak. “Hello Eloise.” 

“Are you going to write a special column about today?” Eloise quips quickly as she takes off her gloves and takes her normal seat. 

Penelope immediately looked down quite hurt. It pained Ellie to see her two best friends fighting like this. They were the closest things she had to sisters and she didn't wish to lose either of them. But then to Ellie's shock, Penelope spoke “Never. Though I did come to ask you both if you would help me with Whistledown. I…I think I need to be kept in check.” 

Eloise's tea cup clattered back to the table. Luckily not breaking or cracking. “You want us to help you?” 

She turned to look at Ellie before both of them looked at Penelope. Penelope seemed unfazed by their shock. Instead, she took two books from the chair beside her. A lilac that she placed before Eleanora and a blue she placed before Eloise. 

“Imagine what we would do together. I would be able to give you both the freedom you desire and we could take suspicion off any of us easily with no fallouts. Plus you go and see Theo anyways. So why not take our order in when you do?” Penelope replied calmly. “We are nearly three spinsters on the marriage mart. Myself and Nora are entering our third season with no prospects while you are entering your second unwilling to entertain anyone.” 

Eloise gulped. Penelope was right. They could do this together. The three of them and make it less dangerous. Penelope had already taken the heat off of Eloise when she exposed her at the end of last season. Luckily, Anthony's marriage to Kate had vastly overshadowed her scandal and everyone had already forgotten. 

“I will if Ellie will.” Eloise said looking to Eleanora but also making sure that Sophie had not heard a word of what was said. She had not, thank goodness, as she'd already gone to join the Bennett’s staff in the kitchen. 

Both of her friends eyes moved to the young Lady Bennett. She'd recently acquired freedom from her uncle…. But she wished to make him pay for everything he'd done in the last nearly 11 years of her life. 

“I will” she says confidently. 

“We shall begin at tonight's ball for your brother, Nora. Keep your notes in these books and we shall meet again tomorrow afternoon. We will discuss more then. But for now, let us celebrate.” Penelope smiled as she lifted her tea cup in a celebratory toast. “To the life of a spinster.” 

“To the life of a spinster.” We all clinked our tea cups together in a most unladylike fashion before breaking down into a fit of giggles. The tension dissolved and our normal witty banter resuming as it had always been.