Midnight Rain:

Chapter 83: Plans and Panic:

"It is lovely, my dear." Lady Mary smiled as Edwina kept looking down at the ring that was a little big for her finger.

"Yes... Yes, it is." Edwina nodded, sighing as she look at her new ring from her new husband.

"James." Lady Florence called after her eldest nephew. "James." She called again, since he continued down the stairs, ignoring her.

James sighed, stopping on the stairs as he turned to look at his aunt.

"Is this plan going to be a problem for you?" She asked as he sighed.

"Aunt Flore--" He went to say.

"I ask because of what happened the last time you found yourself in such close proxmity to Miss Sharma. We'd not be in this situation if--"

"You have nothing to worry about. I will play the part." He sighed, keeping a straight face, then he resumed walking down the stairs.

Once he got to the bottom, Lady Florence spoke again. "And then?" She asked, causing him to stop again. "This plan... Well, it is a temporary solution." Lady Florence continued as she walked down the stairs, standing in front of James. "If it is successful, of course, the rumors of scandal will die. Yet, no matter what, it still leaves you with no one to marry. Unless your designs for the season have changed?" She asked him as he sighed.

"You do realize it is still possible for our family to endure whether I decide to marry or not? Because you and Elijah have absolutely no right to my title, when the line does not end with me. My father, His Royal Highness, will just bestow it to another illegitimate child of his. Or give it to a nobleman."

"No. No, it does not, but--" Lady Florence went to say, but stopped. "Are you to rely on your father as your solution--"

"Do you need me to admit I made a mistake? Is that what you want? For me to tell you I never should've asked Miss Edwina for her hand? That I never should've taken things this far?" He asked, gradually getting more upset. "I realize... I realize I have indeed failed at more things than you... you and Mother... and even my father will ever know." He sighed as she looked up at him. "This plan will work. I am... quite certain both you and Lady Danbury will make sure of it." He scoffed, finally walking away from his aunt and heading out of the Danbury house.

The Bridgerton House.

Eloise grunted in frustration, throwing all of her copies of Lady Whistledown on her bed. She scoffed, throwing herself onto her bed as her head pounded.

"You saved them all?" Penelope asked as the maid led her up to Eloise's room. "You must have, what... every issue ever printed." Penelope asked, walking over to the bed as she chuckled a bit.

"Double that. There are two copies here of every one." Eloise sighed, moving to sit up.

"Eloise, why ever--" 

"The queen thinks it is me. That I am Lady Whistledown." Eloise confessed.

"Are you being humorous?" Penelope asked but with a straight-lipped expression.

"She has given me three days to confess. She is threatening my family, Pen... Except for my brother, obviously, since he is married to Evelina." Eloise sighed, getting up as she paced around her friend. "I should get rid of these. If the queen discovers I have all of these in my possession, it will only make me appear that much more guilty." She frantically began to pick up the pages.

"But you are not guilty. El, this is a terrible mistake." Penelope said, grabbing Eloise's hand to make them sit on the bed. "We will somehow arrange to see Her Majesty. We must implore her to listen to reason... Maybe the new viscountess could help--"

"Oh, yes, because Her Majesty has always been so reasonable." Eloise scoffed at her.

"But why would the queen think it is you? Yes, you are outspoken and opinionated and--" Penelope began to say.

"One of her footmen saw me visiting Theo." Eloise sighed, watching Penelope scoff at her. "I know. I should have listened to you. I was selfish, and now I may have even put Theo into harm's way too." She sighed, getting off the bed to pace again. "The queen must think he has something to do with Whistledown." She continued to panic.

"But he does not, and neither have you. El, this is madness." Penelope exclaimed, standing up too.

"I should warn him." Eloise said, walking toward the door.

"No. No, you should not." Penelope stopped her. "You should stay as far away from Theo and that print shop as you can. You should wait for Lady Whistledown to print her next issue. Then, with any luck, you can use that in order to prove your innocence." She continued to tell Eloise, who nodded, walking back over to her bed with all of the Lady Whistledowns.

~season 2, episode 7: "Harmony"~

~809 words~