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𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑢𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑟 ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑜𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑎 𝑚𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠, ℎ𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑛𝑒𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑜𝑛 𝑛𝑜𝑟 𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑘.
𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑚𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑀𝑖𝑠𝑠 𝐵𝑟𝑖𝑑𝑔𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑜𝑛 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑢𝑖𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑎 𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑏𝑎𝑟𝑜𝑛 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑠ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑒𝑚𝑠 𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑎 𝑑𝑢𝑘𝑒? 𝐶𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑏𝑢𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑒'𝑠 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑏𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑠？
꧁꧂
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Rosalind sat comfortably in the shade, reading Whistledown's society papers. It was a lovely summer morning, with the sun casting a warm glow over the park and the river flowing gently nearby. The Featherington family had settled nicely in one of the few outdoor arbours, their laughter, and chatter blending harmoniously with the sounds of nature. Nearby, the Bridgerton family enjoyed their own peaceful spot,
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𝐿𝑒𝑡 𝑖𝑡 𝑏𝑒 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤𝑛, 𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟, 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑏𝑖𝑧𝑧𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑏𝑒ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑜𝑟 𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑦𝑒𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑙, 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑏𝑒 𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝐼 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑢𝑛𝑐𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑡. 𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑎𝑛 𝑒𝑥𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑠𝑒𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑢𝑒.
꧁꧂
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- Mama, might I go play with Eloise?
Penelope asked, noticing her dear friend walk to her
- A lady does not play, Penelope.
Lady Featherington said, holding a bite of cake in her hands.
- Forgive me, mama. Might I go promenade for suitors with Eloise?
- Very well, then.
Lady Featherington brushed off, watching as Penelope ran up to Eloise with a smile on her face.
Rosalind smiled softly as she observed the two girls stroll away, their laughter fading into the distance. She carefully set down the Whistledown scandal sheet, stifling a yawn behind her hand as she glanced around. Despite the lively atmosphere, she couldn't shake the boredom that settled in without her sister's lively presence beside her.
Her thoughts turned to Marina, and a pang of sympathy washed over her. She couldn't imagine how Marina must feel, confined to her room and subject to Lady Featherington's strict rules. Rosalind sighed inwardly, frustrated by her inability to check on her sister and offer comfort during such a trying time.
- Bridgerton!
Nigel appeared out of nowhere, storming into Bridgerton's arbour, a paper in his hand. Rosalind narrowed her eyes due to the sunlight, interested as to why is Nigel making a scene, besides, he looked awfully beaten up.
- I bring cheerful news, Bridgertons. I have taken matters into my own hands and sought a special license for my wedding to Miss Bridgerton.
Nigel said, handing the papers to Lady Bridgerton with that awful smirk on his face.
Rosalind covered her mouth with her hand politely, remembering the scene they made at yesterday's ball.
- There is to be no wedding.
Daphne said, the duke standing behind her.
- I told you. The arrangement is canceled.
Lord Bridgerton said
- Lord Berbrooke, you look in a great deal of pain. Shall we continue this in a more private location?
Lady Bridgerton suggested, smiling polity to the man as she pointed to the arbour
- I require no further conversations. Though, perhaps I am finally speaking to the true head of the Bridgerton house.
Nigel said, that smug smile never leaving his face as he turned to look at Lord Bridgerton with disgust,
- For if it were you, I imagine you would have instructed your sister to take better care than to encourage certain attentions while alone with me on the dark walk at Vauxhall.
He continued, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Daphne.
- Of course, more hearsay of such a scandal could wreak havoc on even the most influential of families. What would someone like, say, Lady Whistledown do with such unseemly information?
Nigel added
- Is that a threat?
Lord Bridgerton shot back
- It is certainly not. Because in three days, I am to marry. I have the diamond of the season. I have the very best the ton has to offer. I have a Bridgerton.
Nigel said, looking at Daphne like a maniac.
- And I shall save her, as well as your entire family, from the ruin which you could not protect them.
Nigel finished, looking around the Bridgertons, chuckling to himself once he noticed Benedict stopping the duke from going any forward near Nigel.
- I look forward to the union of our great families.
Bridgerton, Hastings.
Nigel said, storming off.
Rosalind looked at the look of defeat on Daphne's face. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭 𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯? 𝘐𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘭？
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