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Eloise Bridgerton had not been looking for love, instead it rather happened upon her one breezy afternoon as she and Penelope walked through the market. Their time together was a welcomed reprise from the pressures and expectations of the ton now that a new season was in full swing. The girls passed from stall to stall with no real purpose other than to forget their worries and enjoy one another’s company.
“Just imagine,” Eloise began, swinging her arms with Penelope. “if neither of us ever had to think on the subject of love or marriage again. We could attend university and do things that mattered with our lives instead of waiting for men to complement us on our hair or whatever it is debutantes are supposed to care about.” she said, wistfully .
“I don’t think the idea of love itself is horrid.” Penelope offered. “But if we are to be subjected to another Smythe-Smith musicale this season, I would much sooner run away.” she finished, ready to move on to the next stall but found herself stuck seeing that Eloise had frozen in her spot and fixated her eyes on a particular thing, or person.
Following Eloise’s line of sight, Penelope watched as her best friend admired you from afar, with a dreamy look in her eye, as you stood with your mother at the flower stall. After a brief interaction with a customer, you sat back on the stool you had brought and opened your book back to the page you had left off at and become reabsorbed within the pages.
“Eloise?” Penelope asked, giggling when she received no response.
Taking matters into her own hands, the Penelope dragged Eloise towards the flower stall, and it was only when they were mere meters from the stall that Eloise snapped back into reality and tried to drag Penelope in another direction. The two had a silent argument with their eyes until they found themselves directly in front of you, meaning there were no means of escape.
It took a moment for you to notice the two girls of your age in front of you, but once you did, you sheepishly put your book aside and stood up, instantly noting the beauty of the girl with the chestnut hair. “My apologizes. How may I help you today?” you asked politely.
Eloise continued to stare at you after you asked your question, but with a nudge of the ribs from Penelope, she found the words to speak. “You like to read?” she asked, completely ignoring your own question.
“I do.” you answered with a smile. “I’ve fallen in love with Ms. Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Have either of you found your way to the story?”
“I’m afraid I haven’t had the chance yet.” Eloise admitted, while Penelope simply shook her head, not wanting to interrupt the conversation.
Glancing down at your book for a moment, you took a deep breath before you looked back up at the girl. “Perhaps, you could borrow it once I’ve finished, Miss…” you offered sheepishly, trailing off at the end once you realized you did not know her name.
“Eloise.” she stated rather suddenly, then cleared her throat. “Uh, my name is Eloise Bridgerton, but please call me Eloise.” she clarified, offering her hand out to shake, which you accepted. “Oh, and this is Penelope Featherington.” Eloise added once she remembered her best friend was still there.
“y/n y/l/n.” you introduced, looking for something else to say without making an utter fool of yourself. Suddenly, you glanced to make sure you mother was otherwise occupied before you grabbed two flowers from your cart and turned back to Eloise and Penelope. “Flower?” you asked, your eyes on Eloise as you watched her accept both flowers and hand one off to Penelope.
Eloise looked at the flower than back up at you, almost in awe. “Thank you, y/n.” she said breathlessly before she felt a small tug on her arm from Penelope. “We must be off, but I hope to see you again soon.”
“I would very much enjoy that.” you told her and waved goodbye as the two girls walked off back towards Greenwich Park.
All the way home, Penelope squealed to Penelope about the interaction that had just occurred, though for once Eloise found herself speechless as she gazed at the flower and thought only of you and your enchanting y/e/c eyes.
oOoOo
True to her word, Eloise found herself back at the market, two days later, and made a beeline towards your stall as soon as she saw it was free from costumers. Trying to hold back her enthusiasm, she waved at your form and offered a smile, shaking away any butterflies that fluttered in her stomach.
“Eloise, hello!” you greeted warmly, excited to have a friendly face to converse with. “I’m glad you’ve come back, I have something for you.” you told her before turning towards you bag and producing your copy of Pride and Prejudice.
Eloise grinned as she reached for the book and felt of spark when your hands brushed against each other. “Thank you, y/n. I’ll make haste to read it and let you know my thoughts.” she promised.
With permission from your mother, you took a short break so that you and Eloise could take a small walk around the square to get to know each other better. Of course, you had heard of the Bridgerton name, but not being directly connected within London’s high society, it was thrilling to learn more about her and her rather large family and the hijinks they had gotten themselves into. In turn, you shared more about your life and your job to run the flower stall and shop with your family, along with your passions for reading, art, and further your education if that were ever possible.
Eventually, you had to part ways, but promised to keep in correspondence, and Eloise vowed to come down to the market as often as she could.
As the weeks passed, you and Eloise only grew closer and you found yourself wishing to be near her as often as possible. Even at home, the rest of the Bridgertons noticed a change in their Eloise who seemed even more secretive with her writing, and had an airy deposition about her.
“And who might you be writing to in secret?” Benedict asked as he sat next to his sister one afternoon when all the Bridgerton children and Violet were gathered for tea.
Defensively, Eloise shielded the papers close to her chest and glared at her brother. “That would be none of your business, thank you very much.” she commented hurriedly.
“That’s all she does these days.” Hyacinth butted in from her own chair.
“Nosy busybody.” Eloise muttered under her breath, ignoring Violet’s pointed look at her words.
Thinking she was in the clear, Eloise relaxed back against the couch until Colin came out of nowhere and ripped the paper out her hands. Immediately, Eloise jumped to her feet and glared at her brother. “Give that back to me, Colin!” Eloise demanded.
“Who’s y/n?” Colin teased as he stared at the page that, luckily, only had a greeting directed towards you written upon it.
With a sigh, Anthony grabbed the paper from Colin’s hands and walked over to Eloise to return the letter who offered a weak smile to her eldest brother. She knew she liked him for a reason. However, before Eloise could grab the paper, Anthony pulled it just a few inches out of her grasp with a devilish grin. “Yes, Eloise, who is y/n?”
Damn it. Eloise thought before she let out of dramatic huff. “If you must know,” she paused to finally retrieve her paper. “she is a friend of mine.”
“y/n?” Violet mused. “What’s her last name, dear?”
“y/l/n.” Eloise responded hesitantly, not sure in what direction the conversation would take a turn.
The rest of her family pondered the name until Daphne finally spoke up. “I don’t recognize that name. Is she from London, Eloise?”
“Yes, she is. And of course you would not recognize that name, oh Duchess of Hastings.” Eloise good-naturedly mocked. “Penelope and I met her a few weeks back when we strolled about the market. Her family owns the flower stall in town.” she explained.
“Well I’m glad to see that you’ve made a new friend.” Violet said warmly and turned back to her tea just in time to watch Gregory fling a biscuit at Hyacinth.
With the conversation laid to rest, the Bridgerton family turned back to their previous activities, leaving Eloise to her own devices. She mulled over the word friend in her mind and your relationship, feeling that it was the wrong word to describe you. Penelope was her friend, but with you, Eloise felt at home, almost as much as she did surrounded by her family. Not only that, but she wanted to be around every second possible and hang onto to every word that you spoke. Around you, Eloise felt as though she didn’t have to fake a smile or dumb herself down to be accepted.
With slight hesitation, but a renowned sense of determination, Eloise sat up and restarted the conversation once more. “Mother,” she called, waiting until she had Violet’s full attention. “would it be alright if we invited y/n to our dinner on Friday?” she inquired.
The Bridgertons were to host a dinner party for the ton that coming Friday, and though invitations had already been sent, Eloise wanted you to be there with her because not only would it make the night more manageable, it make her truly happy to spend the evening with you by her side.
Violet watched her daughter’s hopeful face and felt her heart warm at the look she recognized as the same one she shared when she spoke of her beloved Edmund. “Of course, dear. I’ll make a note of it. I’m very excited to meet this young lady.” she commented, amending her previous statement.
“Oh, mother!” Eloise gasped as she jumped from the couch. “Thank you so much, you are the best mother anyone could ask for!” she gushed, giving Violet a kiss on the cheek before running off to her room.
oOoOo
“A dinner party…at your house?” you spoke slowly, trying to comprehend Eloise’s invitation as the two girls walked through the market on your break.
Eloise grinned. “Yes! And now you can meet my family, and perhaps, for once, I won’t get dragged into a conversation with any dull gentlemen. And for dinner we’re having…” she began to explain than trailed off once she noticed that you had fallen behind. “What’s wrong, y/n?” Eloise asked, briskly walking back to link arms with you.
“It’s just, I’d love to come, Eloise,” you began and took a deep breath as you tried to say that one part of your ‘relationship’ with Eloise that had nagged at the back of your mind from the day you met her. “I don’t really belong, do I? I’m not part of the ton.” you whispered, looking down at your shoes.
Stopping in her tracks, Eloise stared at you. “Of course you belong, y/n!” she reassured. “I promise that we’ll have a splendid time.” she told you, hands squeezing yours as she gave you that charming, Bridgerton smile.
“Well,” you started hesitantly. “then I cannot wait for Friday to come.” offering Eloise a gracious hug as acceptance.
Once Friday came around, you were able to leave your stall at the market early so that you would have enough time to prepare for the dinner party. Donning your nicest gown that was reserved for special occasions, you fixed your hair accordingly and made sure to grab the bouquet of flowers you had arranged specifically as a gift for Lady Bridgerton.
One of your neighbors had been kind enough to lend you their carriage for the evening, and once it pulled in front of the grand, Bridgerton estate, you felt your palms begin to sweat through your gloves. Before you could give yourself a chance to escape, you exited the carriage with your head held high and made your way inside where, almost instantly, you heard your name be called by a familiar voice.
“y/n!” Eloise shouted, moving through the crowd in a rather unladylike fashion - pushing through the throng of people - to get to you. “I’m so glad that you’ve arrived.” she told you as she pulled you in for a hug. Stepping back she noticed the flowers you held in your hand.
“For your mother, as a thank you.” you explained, rather embarrassed because it seemed as though no one else had brought a housewarming gift.
Instead of a response, Eloise simply smiled and began to drag you off, something you had gotten quite used to in the few weeks you had known each other. It wasn’t long before a clan of similarly looking, chestnut haired group of people came into view, whom you assumed to be her family. Yes, Eloise had shared so much about them through your walks and letters, but meeting them was a completely different thing. However, before you could worry about it one second longer, Eloise had already begun introductions.
“Everyone, this is Miss. y/n y/l/n.” she introduced, to which you smiled and awkwardly curtsied, not completely certain what the proper response was when one was in such elegant company.
“These are for you, Lady Bridgerton.” you said, offering her the bouquet of flowers. “And it is lovely to meet you all. Eloise has spoken so much about all of you.” you told them, taking the time to look at each Bridgerton.
The tallest, who you knew to be Benedict, nearly snorted. “All horrible things, I suppose.” he commented, followed by a swift swat on the shoulders from his mother.
Before any of her other children could comment, Violet spoke up, looking at you warmly, nearly melting all your worries. “The flowers are lovely, Miss. y/l/n, and I do hope you’ll feel comfortable calling me Violet. Any friend of Eloise is a friend of us all.” she told you before looking behind her with a troubled expression. “I am terribly sorry, but you’ll have to excuse me for a moment.” Violet explained before hurrying off to deal with some hostess problem or another.
For the next half hour, you, Eloise, and her siblings had a grand time talking and getting to know each other a bit better. Even Penelope made her way over to the group, which helped you to relax even more. Eventually the group dispersed, leaving just you, Eloise, and Penelope. That was, at least, until Eloise was called away, leaving you and Penelope to battle the rest of the ton.
“I didn’t know that Bridgerton let just any street rat walk in from off the street.” a shrill voice came from behind you, and you noticed how Penelope immediately tensed up. “Oh, and look at that, she’s become friends with the ‘overripe lemon.’
“Good evening, Cressida.” Penelope murmured, voice rather clipped.
It seemed rather obvious that this girl was trouble and you felt your body freeze as she glanced over you, a look of disgust not hidden from her features. “You must be our guest for the evening.” she infered with a faux smile. “I can see the Bridgerton’s pity couldn’t be extended to a proper outfit.” she said which elicited venomous giggles from the girls that surrounded her.
Not trying to dignify her taunts with a response, you sent Penelope a silent plea to remove yourselves from the situation as quickly as possible. However, before that could happen, you felt a cold, wet substance splash across the front of your dress. Horrified, you looked down to see the front of you dress completely stained while Cressida feigned innocence despite her, now, empty cup.
“Oops, my hand must have slipped.” she whispered before stepping back. “I didn’t know this was a costume party” she said, circling back to your slightly dated, and now stained dress, this time louder for the rest of the ton to hear. “Who are you trying to be? Let me guess. A poor little servant girl trying to play dress up for the night?”
In response, a large majority of the people around you looked in your direction, and, to your horror, began to snicker along with Cressida. Although you knew that high society was not the easiest to navigate, you didn’t expect such cruelty. Even if they were not laughing at you, you knew that you had caught their attention and they were silently judging your every move and knew that you did not belong.
Without another thought, and despite Penelope’s protests, you pushed your way through the crowd and ran outside, not knowing, nor caring where you would end up. The rest of the Bridgerton’s, lead by Eloise, caught the end of the scene and rushed to Penelope with looks of concern written across their features.
“Where did y/n go, Pen?” Eloise asked urgently, eyes wide and filled with worry.
“She didn’t say.” Penelope rushed out. “I just watched as she pushed through the crowd and ran outside. I didn’t see which way she went.”
Pushing her own way through the crowd, Eloise shouted back to her family. “I must go after her.” before they could get a word in otherwise.
The cool, summer night air hit Eloise’s bare arms, but she could only worry about where you had run off to. Outside her house, she looked left and right for any clue as to where you might have gone. It was than that she remembered how much you loved the parks when the two of you were able to escape for a longer walk, and so she began to run in that direction, not caring that she should have been accompanied by a chaperone.
Once at the park, Eloise stopped to catch her breath, then suddenly heard the soft sniffles and whimpers you made. Spinning around to catch sight of you, she felt her heart ache as she watched you sit on a nearby bench, dress effectively ruined and hair a disastrous mess. Despite all that, Eloise still thought you looked beautiful, and she marched in your direction and took the open seat next to you.
“y/n, are you alright?” she first asked, then scolded herself. “Of course you’re not alright, but I am so sorry you had to experience that.” she said trying to find the words to make the situation better.
With your back slightly turned to Eloise in embarrassment, you listened to her speak, but the only thing your mind truly comprehended were the harsh words that Cressida had thrown your way. And for what? Not being of the same social class as herself?
“It’s not your fault.” you finally muttered, defeated. “I should not have fooled myself to believe that this could have worked.”
At your words, Eloise placed a hand upon your back and gently urged you to turn around. “What do you mean, y/n?”
“Look at me, Eloise. My family’s life is selling flowers to the ton. Flowers that callers buy to send to people like you and your sisters. I don’t belong with you, and we were both fools to think that the rest of the ton would accept me.” you began to explain, tears trickling down your cheeks. “I-I care for you Eloise,” you admitted. “but I don’t think it is wise for us to continue down this path.” you finished with one final sniff before you stood, ready to make your leave.
“You’re wrong.” Eloise boldly stated, effectively stopping you in your tracks. “You do belong with us - with me - and if those in the ton cannot see that, then they are the fools. y/n, you have captivated me before we even officially met, and I don’t want to let you go. I care for you as well, more than I have for anyone. Even if we are the fools, I’d rather be a fool with you than a sensible lady of the ton with the rest of them.” she explained, taking small steps closer to you with every sentence until you found yourselves only inches away from one another.
Hesitantly, you reached out to grab her hand. Every part of you wanted to make this work, and even if only half of what Eloise said was true, than you knew it was worth it. “Well, it appears as though we are to be fools together, Miss. Bridgerton.” you informed her, rather smugly.
“Perfectly fine by me, Miss. y/l/n.” she replied with a smirk, flicking her eyes between you and your lips.
In that instant, you felt you body pulled to Eloise’s, as if she were a magnet, and your lips found hers. Wrapping your arms around her neck, you felt as one of her hands found your waist while the other found your hair. Her soft lips molded with yours and it felt as though time stopped for just the two of you, the rest of the world melting away. Pulling each other as close as possible, you felt the warmth Eloise’s body radiated, and you never wanted to let go.
Though the kiss was neither incredibly long nor experienced, when the two of you pulled away, you couldn’t stop the massive grin that forced its way onto your face. Wordlessly, Eloise interlocked your hands and began the walk back towards the party, and you were ready to face the ton with Eloise by your side.