athena crauford has been best friends with daphne bridgerton since childhood, they spend every waking moment together. which means the bridgerton's have become very acquainted with the crauford's, benedict bridgerton has always had an eye for athena...
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Somerset ball, the last ball before dearest Anthony is to be wed. We are still a week from it, after Anthony's request for it to be brought forward. I only hoped he was making the right decision. I was personally in favour of Kate, I had no objection to Edwina, she was a most accomplished young woman, I only imagined Anthony to be with someone as bright, and competitive as him. Kate was also most pleasant company. She may be the only person who enjoyed teasing Anthony as much as I.
Spending the day at Bridgerton house was enjoyable. The house was abuzz with wedding preparations, and I think Hyacinth's violin drove her mother up the wall slightly, so we switched to the piano, which was much more pleasant. I too found the squeaking irritable, and far enjoyed pianoforte over the violin. She progressed easily and excelled in her study of literature, she now read completely for enjoyment and has updated me on all the books she has read in the past few days.
After around an hour, we sat outside with Colin, Eloise and Gregory. Though Gregory and Hyacinth ran circles around each other and the length of the garden several times.
"I think Benedict is hoping to speak with you this evening Athena." Eloise informed me,
"You were not supposed to mention that Eloise." her brother shushes,
"Colin, you must be sorely mistaken if you believe I of all people can keep a secret from anyone, much less Athena! Have you just ignored me these past eighteen years?"
"I have tried my best." Colin chuckles,
"Your jokes are pitiful at best Colin." I laugh at my own, just as Eloise does.
"As usual, I completely agree Thena."
"Do you both enjoy tormenting everyone so?" he scoffed,
"Is that not evident from our laughter, brother?" Eloise does not look up from her book, as she deals that insulting blow.
"Clearly not, since I felt the need to ask!" he huffs, now insulted at our amusement in torturing him.
"Come now Eloise. We do not wish to be too harsh, otherwise he will never speak to us again and how are we supposed to tease him so relentlessly is he ignores us?"
She laughs, and Colin pouts at me. I stick my tongue out in his direction, much like a child.
"Afternoon all!" I hear a chipper voice exclaim,
"Anthony, where have you been? Fishing perhaps?" I already start on the teases,
"You did not tell her!" he takes a pointed look at Eloise,
"I did not." she says, "Gregory did."
His eyes narrow, and I start again, "It looks as if you are to turn into a fish at any moment! It is finally starting to take effect!"
"Has she been like this all morning?" he asks Colin who gives a simple nod, before returning to the paper.
"Traitor." I mumble, and Anthony takes a seat next to me.
"Are you certain you don't wish to dry off before sitting with us?"
"How many of these do you have?"
"As many as it takes to piss you off." I giggle,
"Athena, I would prefer if you did not use such vulgar language in front of the children." he whispers,
"Eloise is no child, you must stop treating her as one. And as for those two," I nod to the children at the other end of the garden, "they cannot hear a word we say."
"Right." he says, snatching the paper off Colin.
"Hey! I was reading that!"
"Now," he opened it and stretched his legs out, "I am reading it."
Colin sulked in his chair, "Why does everyone feel the need to be quite horrible today?"
"Because, you are an easy target with your moaning and sulking like a toddler." I answer,
"Fine, I shall go do some sulking in a place where they shall take pity on me."
"Benedict will not pity you, rather tease you even more relentlessly than we have." Anthony replies,
"Very funny, I meant I shall go play with my smaller siblings."
"Perfect, but even they might be too intellectual for your toddler brain." I chuckle and Eloise smiles at me. "I am teaching Hyacinth, Shakespeare."
He gave me a death stare before running along the garden.
"Anthony," I turn to him, as he folds his paper down to see me, "how have the preparations for the wedding coming?"
"May you too not ask about that. I have had enough with mother pestering me day and night about what champagne we shall serve or what colour the fireworks Her Majesty has arranged for us should be?" he massaged his temples,
"You should be lucky Her Majesty is involved, that relieves some of the pressure off your mother. She would have a difficult time arranging it all without the Queen's intervention."
Anthony returned to his paper now slightly agitated.
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Although I did not have a talent for art, I did enjoy it so. The gorgeous landscapes, portraits and people were so intricately crafted. Some of my favourite pieces were in the Somerset gallery, and whilst parties raged on outside, I preferred the gentler gallery that left me feeling altogether more content then when I had entered.
I chose carefully for the occasion in terms of my dress. I decided on a sage green dress, with forest green ivy climbing the bottom half, with gold detailing. The two shades of green matched the ribbons intertwining in my hair, and gold coloured pins dotted the up-do.
Eloise was waiting for me to arrive, she seemed eager to greet me.
"You must help, I wish to visit Theo but her majesty has a guard trailing me. I have no clue what for, but he won't leave me!" she squeaks,
"Calm yourself," I allow her a minute to breathe, "now, you must wait until, everyone is at their most distracted before you are to take your leave. Likely when her majesty has just arrived, I shall be departing to the galleries then too, so watch for me to go before leaving too. I assume this guard will stop for the Queen."
She nods, and smiles. "Thank you. You do not hold me back, but rather allow me the necessary time I desperately need."
"I am here for you, El. You must know that, now I must try to allow your brother to apologise."
"Who, Colin?" she asks, "Oh! Benedict, sorry I forgot about that. What happened between the two of you?"
"He disappointed me recently, and I have stubbornly ignored his apologies."
"I am sorry Thena, he can be a dimwit at times. I only hope the two of you can return to normality once more." she smiles apologetically,
I take her hand and give it a light squeeze. We smile at one another before heading straight for the lemonade table.
