𝐀 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐬 | 𝘌. 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘰𝘯

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧: 𝐋𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲'𝐬 𝐚𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭

┉ˏ͛ ༝̩̩̥͙ ⑅͚˚　　 ҉　　⑅͚˚ ͛༝̩̩̥͙ ˎ┉

As the morning sun cast its warm glow over Aubrey Hall, the guests prepared to depart. Agnes stood by the carriage, her maroon suede dress from the previous night replaced with a more practical traveling ensemble. She glanced around, taking in the grand estate one last time before their journey back to London.

Her family bustled around her, making sure everything was in order for the trip. Sansa was chatting animatedly with Arya, Rickon, and Bran, while Jon and Robert oversaw the loading of their luggage. Their parents, were saying their farewells to the Bridgertons.

Agnes's thoughts drifted to the events of the previous night. She was definitely still on cloud nine, and Jon noticed the change in her attitude. Less icy and more lighthearted, he knew what had happened last night. He sensed a change between Agnes and Eloise and Jon just chuckled but he was proud of his sister.

Agnes spotted Eloise standing with Benedict near the entrance of the estate, their attitude seemed goofy.

With a deep breath, Agnes walked over to them. "Mind if I talk to Miss Bridgerton alone?" Agnes spoke with clarity as she gave them a small smile.

Benedict raised an eyebrow but nodded, stepping back. "Of course. I'll leave you two ladies to your conversation." He took a step back but stayed close enough to observe, curiosity evident on his face.

As Benedict watched, Agnes and Eloise stepped a little further away, finding a spot where they could speak privately. He couldn't help but chuckle softly, noticing the subtle but undeniable connection between them. He'll definitely question Eloise later about their attitude towards each other.

From afar, Penelope also observed the interaction, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. She couldn't hear what was being said, but the body language and the way Agnes and Eloise stood close together did not escape her notice. She filed away her observations for later, determined to get to the bottom of it.

Agnes turned to Eloise, her voice soft and filled with warmth. "Ready to head back to London?"

Eloise nodded, a small smile on her lips. "Yes, though I must admit, I'll miss the tranquility of the countryside."

Agnes returned the smile. "There's something special about Aubrey Hall, isn't there?"

Eloise's gaze softened. "Yes, but I'm looking forward to seeing what awaits us back in London. And I want you to join me in a little adventure."

Agnes raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms playfully. "Please don't tell me you're still on the hunt for Lady Whistledown?"

Eloise laughed, a playful glint in her eye. "Pfft...maybe? Well, it's not related to Lady Whistledown this time, but it's an assembly for women's rights, and I want you to accompany me."