Lingering touches | Eloise Bridgerton

Chapter 1

Eloise

        I am sitting in the drawing room with my family waiting for suitors. Daphne is waiting anxiously like any are to actually show up, my brother has sacred off all the suitors for my sister and no one is ever going to be interested in me because I shut them down before they even utter out a full sentence. But to my surprise someone walks through the door, Daphne looks up excitingly to be welcomed by the one and only Silas Scout. I can't stand Silas, the way he walks and the way he talks, he thinks he is some sort of genius king, maybe even god himself. He irks me in a way no one else does.

"Mr. Scout! It's a lovely day today isn't it?" Daphne looks up at him and smiles, "Well yes it is," he smiles back. I just wanted to vomit, No way my sister is still sweet on him, I mean he is quite attractive but in no means am I interested in him in anyway. "Sister do not tell me you are sweet on Silas." I whisper in her ear, "That is Mr. Scout and Future Viscount, not Silas show some respect." My sister whispers back quite rudely actually. I only scoff before moving to the couch opposite of my sister, I no longer wanted to be seated right next to her with that attitude.

It's been about 15 minutes, my sister and mother are talking and Silas and my brothers are talking, I am reading because I feel if I have one more conversation about suitors my brain will start to turn into mush. I was shaken out of my thoughts when a felt the couch sink under me slightly and look up to see Silas seated next to me. "Are you enjoying that book, I wasn't sure you were capable of reading." I can feel his breath on my ear and I feel shivers go down my spine "I am quite capable of reading," I turn to face him and he is incredibly close. "Are you sure because I haven't seen you turn the page in 5 minutes, are you sure your intelligence reaches this level of a book." He gives me a wicked grin before I hit him in the chest with the book and than stood up to walk to the tray of biscuits, abandoning Silas and the book on the couch.

He let out a groan before laughing, "Eloise Bridgerton you must apologize at once!" My mother shouts at me but I just shrug. "It's fine Lady Bridgerton I was the reason of this little outburst of hers." Silas walks towards me and hands me the book, "That is not an excuse for that kind of violence." Silas only nods at my mother's words. "He's fine, I didn't even hit him that hard," I can barely keep my laugh from coming out. Daphne only glares at me before turning back to my mother.

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"Eloise, you must make haste!!" I hear my mother calling from outside my bedchamber. My dress is a light shade of purple with pearls scattered all over it, I am wearing a pearl neckless and earrings. I never liked the way I look with pearls but Daphne gets to wear the family diamonds because she is the 'Diamond of the first water' I do not think it's fair that I don't at least get to wear what I want. I honestly like the way I look with Diamonds, but I guess I'm stuck with pearls.

I make my way down the stairs and see my family waiting for me, "Only took you years sister, almost made me think you actually care about your appearance." Benedict grins as he holds his arm out for me, "I was only hoping that you would forget about me and leave me here," I lope my arm through his and we start walking to the awaiting carriages outside.

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The ballroom is lively, Daphne is having a hard time finding suitors and apparently I am too, but I don't really see that as a bad thing; I don't have to dance with strangers all night, don't have to make useless and boring conversations, and I don't have to stress about embarrassing myself or my family. It's perfect.

"hello sister, who was that you were talking to earlier before brother interrupted you guys? It didn't look like a pleasant conversation," I ask my sister who rejoined me in the corner we were hiding in earlier, she seemed a little hot headed in the moment. "That would be the Duke of Hastings. I tried to just act like he was having a conversation with me to avoid Lord Burbrooke but he was being quite uncivil." My sister slightly stomps in her place with rage.

The one thing that annoys Daphne the most is ill mannered people, I mean I am not the best mannered but I am definitely not the worst. "Well I hope the rest of your night goes well Daphne," I grab lemonade from the table next to me and take a large sip, but it nearly slips out of my hand when I see Silas scout walk in. He has never showed interest in things like this, I wonder why he does now? "Oh great, as if these nights couldn't get any worse, Silas decides to attend them now." I voice my opinions, I always have. "This is wonderful now I have someone to dance with!" Daphne scurries off to meet with Silas.

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I am twisting and turning in bed, I can't stop rewatching Daphne and Silas dance with each other at the ball, laughing and touching each other. I don't know why I care, I shouldn't care I mean both of them are free to dance with who they want. This feeling in my stomach it's unrecognizable, It's almost like if hatred and sadness met, almost like jealousy but it feels different. Silas usually causes an uncomfortable feeling in my stomach, I just assume it's hatred because what else could it be?

I don't know what caused this constant back in forth between me and Silas but it's been happening ever since I've known him. He is incredibly smart, but I always had to be smarter. It was always a battle of whose brain could understand and solve the problem faster, but it was never an easy battle. With Silas being a man he got to attend school and actually learn stuff while I had to teach myself. I was jealous of him for that, he had all he needed for education, the teachers, the supplies, and the support. I lacked all of that but I still beat him at everything.

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A/N: I know this chapter is short but it's whatever. Also I do not know If i am going to continue my other story because I don't know what to do with it anymore. It was really rushed and I feel like I can do better than that because that story just didn't feel like they actually fell in love. So i am going to try again with this one and hopefully take it a bit slower.