LIMERANCE,, benedict bridgerton

xv | alls revealed

Alexandria had decided to wander around aimlessly looking for either Eloise or Penelope as they had all mysteriously vanished. Alexandria had gone down one of the corridors down the Featheringtons home where she found Eloise pacing up and down looking furious.

"El?" Alexandria approached cautiously and Eloise spun around to look at Alexandria, her eyes manic. "Goodness! What's happened?" Alexandria questioned taking in Eloise's appearance.

"It's Penelope." Eloise got out her teeth gritted. "What has happened to her?" Alexandria said now panicking something had happened. "Nothing has happened to her she is fine." Eloise scoffed.

"Then what happened? Why do you look so angry." Alexandria asked truly at a loss. "She is Whistledown." Eloise said bitterly.

"What?" Alexandria laughed in disbelief. "Why are you laughing? this isn't funny Lex." Eloise said seriously. "I am not. I am just shocked is all." Alexandria shook her head.

"How do you think I'm feeling?" Eloise snapped. "Is it not utterly appalling she is Whistledown?" Eloise asked Alexandria who just stayed quiet.

"You don't think it is?! She's lied for years to all us. The quiet little wallflower we all know is a viscous gossip!" Eloise shouted. "Don't be horrid, Eloise!" Alexandria snapped. "Me being horrid? The stuff she has written about my family and me!" Eloise exclaimed.

"Yes I admit what she wrote about Colin was harsh! But having a spat with her over this is so utterly stupid, It's not like she's tearing families apart El!" Alexandria shouted back in defence for Penelope. Eloise scoffed back and went silent.

"Did you happen to forget that she also wrote that cruel piece about me not even a week ago?" Eloise shouted her voice now going shaky. Alexandria cast her mind back to the piece being published about her hanging around 'political radicals'. She had no idea what Whistledown meant by that, so she took it to be just a false, hurtful rumour.

"About the political radical?" Alexandria asked and Eloise nodded in confirmation. "Surely that was just a rumour, I did not believe it." Alexandria said but now Eloise's expression took on that of hurt.

"It was true, and he was not a political radical?" Eloise defended herself, Alexandria suddenly felt guilty. "He? Who Eloise?" Alexandria asked feeling totally confused. "Someone who works at the publishing house." Eloise said shyly. It all made sense now.  "Why does Whistledown— Penelope, care that you were conversing with someone at the publishing house?" She asked at a total loss.

"You would not get it." Eloise said drawing back. "Of course I would not!" Alexandria snapped. "I am always being kept in the dark about absolutely everything." Alexandria exclaimed, letting her true feelings spill out of her.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Eloise asked stepping closer to Alexandria. "You and Penelope! Always keeping secrets between the two of you, I do not know if you have both forgot but I am also your friend." Alexandria said her voice going shaky as things she wish she said years ago came coming out her mouth at rapid speed.

"It is just that I sometimes feel like an outsider in this friendship..." Alexandria trailed off, rubbing her arm up and down in a self soothing method. Eloise stared back at her, guilt written all over her face. She had not been aware Alexandria felt like that all of these years.

"Look, this places me in a difficult situation because I am friends with the both of you. But I am not picking between the two of you I just won't!" Alexandria said suddenly when Eloise would not say anything. "You are still going to be friends with her?!" Eloise said in disbelief. "Yes! I am going to still be friends with you, I am not picking sides. I have been friends with both of you since we were practically in nappies for goodness sake!" Alexandria exclaimed.