babypink224221

[babypink224221]

Colin is definitely besotted. She just needs to give him a chance!

Also, my heart goes out to Colin. Cause she’s so upset with him and he doesn’t even know why. I mean she’s has a right to be. She should just tell him why, so they can talk.

But, I know you have a plan to get them together.

Chapter 9: I cannot be your friend, so I pay the price of what I lost

series masterlist previous part || next part

pairing: colin bridgerton x enemy!fem!reader WC: 3.4k words

Warnings: period-typical gender roles, small part of the dialogue in French, colin being incredibly down bad it's insane, Penelope DOES NOT have feelings for colin in this, the bridgertons being tapped in as fuck

Summary: It took precisely two days in England for you to utterly despise Colin Bridgerton. It took him approximately twelve hours after that to hate you right back. But he doesn't care that you're the only person in the ton who doesn't like him. You're set to marry someone else anyway, right?

June 6 – It seems that one Mr. Nigel Berbrooke has returned after an extended unexplained absence. He was spotted at the gentleman's club last night, though only for a very short time. This author heard that Mr. Berbrooke was asked to leave only an hour into his appearance due to a particularly aggressive threat he made toward Simon Basset. It’s safe to say that he has been uninvited from the Duke’s ball this evening, and perhaps from the rest of the social season’s events as well, depending on how lenient the Duke and Duchess of Hastings decide to be. 

However, information regarding his whereabouts for the past month is scarce, and this author lacks any reputable sources about what the man has been up to while away from London. But rest assured, dear readers, that any information I receive will be relayed through this very column.

Colin looked nervously at his reflection for what seemed like the hundredth time, adjusting his cravat ever so slightly. He sighed in frustration, accepting the fact that his appearance wouldn’t look quite right no matter what he did. 

Tonight was Daphne’s ball, and he knew for a fact that you would be in attendance. As much as he was trying to convince himself that this ball was no different, he knew it wasn’t going to be the same. Not after his talk with Anthony. There were some concerningly similar aspects between Kate and Anthony and his friendship– could he even call it a friendship? –with you, and Colin was not too hard-headed to be able to admit that. 

But he didn’t want to scare you off. As much as he liked you, he knew you were skittish after everything that happened with Lord Barlow. Besides, Colin didn’t even know if you liked him, too, or if you considered all of this as just an attempt to make you look desirable to other candidates. 

Frankly, Colin wasn’t even sure he could convince you to ever marry him. Maybe just being friends, or whatever it was the two of you had now, would suffice. Truthfully, he would take anything. 

Tonight, he just wanted a dance. And perhaps a chat, too. 

Based on the past few times Colin had spoken with you, he had concluded that you might be his favorite person in the ton to talk to. The mere thought of speaking with you tonight stirred excitement in his stomach. Every time you engaged in conversation, he found himself utterly captivated, forgetting everything else around him. What's more, you seemed genuinely interested in his what he had to say, a rarity among the ton. For the first time, he felt truly understood, and he hoped desperately that you reciprocated his sentiment. 

“You look fine,” assured Eloise. “Now can we please go? We’ll never hear the end of it from Daphne if we’re late!” 

Colin grumbled in annoyance but begrudgingly made his way to the carriage. In truth, he'd do just about anything to be near you. Even if he didn’t immediately dance with you– knowing full well you would be flocked by hordes of gentlemen wanting your hand in marriage– he still liked to simply… observe you. How your eyes crinkled shut when you laughed, the way you nervously bit your lip when someone you didn’t particularly like asked you to dance, the way you fiddled with your gloves when you were itching to get out of a conversation.

Bloody hell, Colin thought, maybe he did have feelings for you. Well, not love, that would be absurd. But certainly something more than the petty rivalry that had consumed your interactions for weeks on end. It was a sobering realization, especially after relentlessly antagonizing you for the better part of seven weeks.

He was so caught up in his thoughts about you that Colin barely noticed once the carriage had arrived at Daphne and Simon’s residence.

“Colin, darling, is anything the matter?” his mother inquired, tapping him on the arm and gently leading him toward his sister’s home.

“No, no, sorry. Everything’s alright, just got a bit distracted there,” he smiled back. 

Christ, he had to get a grip. You’d be put off immediately if you saw how he was acting now. He smoothed his coat down as he entered the ballroom, eyes immediately searching for you in the crowd.

He quickly spotted you speaking to a man he’d never seen before with Isabelle and Carlos by your side. Damn, thought. He’d have to wait to ask you to dance. 

But it was no bother. In the meantime, he attended to his duties as the most beloved Bridgerton. He sought out his sister and Simon to thank them for hosting the ball, of course, and danced with Penelope Featherington. 

Yet his focus stayed on you. He found himself glancing over to where you were every few minutes, just needing reassurance that you were still there. And also because he quite liked looking at you in general.  

Colin shook his head, bringing his attention back to Penelope. He had to remind himself to pull himself together. Even though Colin had spoken to Anthony, you had no reason to believe anything was different between you two. And it wasn’t. Everything was the same. It was only Colin who had changed. Who wanted something different, something more. 

“What’s on your mind?” asked Penelope after she noticed Colin’s drifting attention.

“Ah, nothing,” he responded dismissively. “Does Lady Montclair look particularly… subdued tonight, do you think?”

“Y/N?” Penelope clarified, looking over at where you were standing next to Louis. 

“Oh heavens, don’t look now!” Colin whispered, panicked. “She’ll see us both looking and know we were talking about her.”

Penelope laughed in disbelief. “Could it be? That my dear friend Colin Bridgerton is finally falling for someone? Have you truly found roots in England? Is that why you’ve stayed for so long this season?”

Colin could only smile bashfully. She had never seen him quite like this. And though it was unusual, it was fairly endearing to see him so flustered over a girl.

“Well, go talk to her, then. What are you doing dancing with me?”

“Penelope, I dance with you at every ball. I can go speak with her after. And don’t tell anyone! I’m not even sure if she likes me.”

“Very well then,” relented Penelope, but Colin did not miss the knowing smile she sent him.

After the dance concluded, Colin chatted with his brothers for a few minutes before making his way over to you and Louis, wanting to avoid seeming overly eager. But once he started walking toward you, your head shot up, as if you could tell that he was getting nearer. 

Your eyes met for a split second, but you immediately turned your head away, choosing instead to look at your gloved hands, which were fidgeting nervously. Colin frowned in confusion at your reaction, but continued walking, thinking that perhaps you had seen someone else behind him. 

As he reached your side, he saw you chewing anxiously on your lip and his frown deepened. But he pushed through. This was what he wanted, after all. You were what he wanted. 

“Lady Montclair,” he bowed. “Would you care for a dance tonight?” he asked, a hopeful smile on his lips as he reached for the dance card on your wrist.

But you pulled your hand away abruptly, refusing to meet his eyes. “No, thank you, Mr. Bridgerton,” was your curt response. 

Colin’s confusion morphed into frustration. What was the matter with you?

“That’s alright, I understand if you want to save space on your dance card for more…serious suitors,” he cringed as he heard himself speak. But at the end of the day, he was well aware that you were looking for a titled gentleman to be your husband. “We could take a turn about the ballroom and chat for a bit,” he offered, looking at you hopefully once again.

You finally met his eyes, and he could tell you were searching for something as you looked at him, a pained look on your face.

“No, thank you,” you repeated firmly, an edge to your voice. 

Colin rolled his eyes. This was so typical of you. You let him in for about three seconds and then went back to keeping him at arm’s length for whatever unknown reason.

“Are we really back to doing this?” asked Colin, exasperated. “I thought we were friends, at the very least.”

Your spine was suddenly rigid, and a fury ignited in your eyes. “We were never friends, Mr. Bridgerton,” you ground out. “You were simply doing Eloise a favor. Now, if you’ll excuse me, there’s someone else I must dance with.”

Your voice was cold and uncaring, and Colin was slapped with a reminder of how things used to be as you sidestepped him to go toward the other side of the ballroom. 

Three steps into your journey, it was clear that there wasn’t actually anyone waiting to dance with you, but he couldn’t for the life of him figure out why you were so desperate to get away. Even at the peak of your hatred toward him, you were always open to verbally sparring. 

Colin turned around to Louis, shooting him a questioning look. But your brother could only shrug. Who knew what went on in the depths of your brain? Louis had noticed you had been slightly on edge ever since you returned from Hyde Park with your sisters yesterday afternoon, but he wasn’t expecting you to be this hostile, especially after getting along so well with Colin.

Feeling his desire to speak with you outweigh his pride, Colin turned back and grabbed your hand, turning you to face him. “If what you want is to go back to arguing, I’m happy to do that,” he said, heart sinking to his stomach at the thought of going back to how things were.

He sounded positively pathetic. But he didn’t care. All he cared about was keeping this fragile dynamic alive, keeping you near him. If Anthony and Kate could do it, couldn’t the two of you?

You seemed on the brink of tears, but your voice held an unspeakable fury. “What I want is for you to leave. Me. Alone,” you emphasized each word with a pointed jab at his chest. “Please,” you whispered, your voice faltering. “I do not wish to dance with you, or to chat with you, or even to be near you at all. Good night.”

With that, you pivoted away, heading towards the refreshment table, tears welling in your eyes. And Colin was left standing there, hand lingering over the spot on his chest you had prodded.

He felt a familiar anger rising through him. It didn’t matter that you were the only person in the world who understood him. It didn’t matter that you were completely beautiful and incredibly smart, either. And it certainly didn’t matter that he’d fallen for you. Because you still hated him. And he was a fool to ever think things could be different.

Colin was rooted to the spot, unable to move as he watched you smile and greet some gentleman or other. He flinched as he saw the man kiss the back of your hand, and watched, seething, as he led you to the dance floor. 

Deciding he needed something stronger than lemonade, Colin turned around and grabbed a glass of champagne, downing it in one go. He couldn’t believe you didn’t think he was your friend. What the hell else could you call it?

He spotted Eloise and Penelope chatting close by and stomped over to them. He was sure he looked like Gregory after a fight with Hyacinth, pouting with his arms crossed, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care. 

“I thought you were going to talk to Y/N,” said Penelope, confused to see him back so soon. 

Colin shot her a murderous look. “She wants nothing to do with me, apparently. She said the only reason I talked to her was out of a favor to Eloise.”

Eloise coughed awkwardly. “Well, didn’t you?”

“No!” shot back Colin defensively. “Not entirely, at least. I don’t know. I need to leave.” 

You were still dancing with the unnamed man, and Colin was very much still seething as he watched the pair of you twirl around and smile at one another. 

Usually, it was frustrating to watch you dance with other people because you were never like that with him. But this well and truly hurt. It hurt to see you like this when he knew, now for a fact, that he could never have that with you again. 

���I need to leave,” he repeated. He couldn’t bear to watch you do this all night.

Snatching another glass of champagne and downing that one, too, he bid his goodbyes to Penelope and Eloise and made his way across the ballroom to the exit.

“Are you leaving already, darling? You’ve barely been here an hour,” Colin heard next to him as a hand reached out for his elbow. 

Turning around, he faced his mother, who looked like she was in the middle of a conversation with Anthony and Benedict. 

Colin nodded. “I’m sorry, mother. I just can’t. I can’t stay,” he responded, voice breaking as he glanced back toward you again. 

Seeing you lean to whisper something in your suitor’s ear, he slumped forward, practically feeling physical pain at the sight. 

“I must go,” Colin said firmly, giving his mother a quick squeeze and rushing to the door. 

Violet nodded, bewildered, and followed where Colin’s gaze had been. Finding you dancing with Lord Norcliffe, Violet sent a knowing look to Benedict and Anthony. 

“I suppose Hyacinth was right,” she said sympathetically.

“And don’t you dare tell her! It’ll get to her head,” responded Benedict. 

---

“The Bridgertons will be in attendance tonight,” your mother informed you carefully as you sat in the carriage on the way to yet another ball. 

“And by the Bridgertons you mean…”

“She means Colin, yes,” answered Jacques, earning a stifled laugh from his wife, Chiara. 

Ever since they’d been back and learned of your intense hatred for Colin, Jacques had not been able to stop making a mockery of it. Usually, you were quite agreeable, and it was rare that you found yourself at odds with someone who wasn’t your sibling, so this seemingly unprompted hatred was quite amusing to your brother. 

You groaned and glared at him. “No one asked you to come tonight, you know. In fact, no one asked you to come to England at all! You could have stayed in Tuscany, and I would have been much happier.”

“Ah, but then I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to tease you about this,” answered Jacques, completely unbothered by your biting tone. 

“Whatever,” you grumbled in response, only slightly comforted by Chiara’s apologetic smile as she softly scolded her husband.

It had been four days since your run-in with Nigel, and three since you saw Colin at Daphne’s ball, and the thought of seeing him again made you feel sick. It was already bad enough that he was disgusting and had no respect for you, but it was made infinitely worse by the fact that you had let yourself grow to care for him. In a friendly way, of course. You could never have married him, anyway. But it was still embarrassing that you fell into his charming trap and thought that you could become something more than a conquest for him.

“Be nice,” your mother whispered in warning as you approached the Bridgertons. 

You shrugged her off, not needing a reminder. You had been brought up to be the perfect lady. You weren’t about to forget yourself now. You refused to give Colin that power. 

You greeted the family warmly until you got to Colin. “Mr. Bridgerton,” you said, giving him a curt nod.

Not waiting for a response, you moved to stand away from him as you looked out at the crowd. Perhaps you would find a gentleman who was actually enjoyable to talk to, though your chances seemed slim. 

Colin shifted uncomfortably on his feet, watching you intently. It seemed that your behavior at Daphne’s ball hadn’t been a fluke, after all. He ground his teeth in annoyance, growing increasingly irritated by the fact that you were just standing there.

Why weren’t you doing anything? It was infuriating. Perhaps it would have been less infuriating if it were anyone else, but it seemed like anything you did was particularly vexing to him.

Making his way over to you, he stopped beside you. Wanting to slip back into the comfort of your tumultuous dynamic, Colin took a shot at your attire. “I see the modiste-”

“Don’t,” you interrupted, your voice shaking, barely above a whisper, and your gaze locked ahead of you. 

Colin was taken aback. You had never, in all the time that he had known you, backed down from an argument. It seemed that you just… didn’t want him around at all. You hated him enough that you didn’t want to be near him. And in any way that mattered, it was worse than when you were antagonizing him.

“I’m sorry,” Colin said desperately. “I didn’t mean- Look, can we please talk? Just quickly, I just want-”

But you didn’t even let him finish. “There’s nothing to say.”

Colin scoffed, a futile attempt to hide how hurt he was really feeling. “What do you mean there isn’t anything to say? I have things to say, at least. Just talk to me.”

You finally turned to face him, feeling your stomach drop as you looked at his desperate eyes searching yours for an answer. 

“Let me rephrase. I do not wish to speak with you, in any capacity, now or any time in the future. I do not care to hear what you have to say, Mr. Bridgerton, and I would appreciate it if you could respect that, though I know that’s not usually in your nature.”

Colin could only sputter, staring at you in disbelief as you walked away. He felt his stomach turn uncomfortably as you reached a man he didn’t know, but whom you’d danced with at Daphne’s Ball. 

He had to have done something wrong. Colin hadn’t the slightest clue what, but you obviously had something against him, and it clearly wasn’t just you being silly. 

He swore under his breath. You were impossible. Not even Eloise knew why you hated him! How on earth was he supposed to know how to fix this when you refused to speak with him? It was almost easier when all you did was hurl insults at him and step on his feet as he poured lemonade down your dress.

Over on the dance floor, you couldn’t help but steal glances at Colin, mentally scolding yourself every time you did. This was not how you were supposed to be acting toward the man who had jumped at the first opportunity to compromise you.

The only reason you were dancing with Lord Norcliffe now was because he had not arrived in London until after your whole debacle with Lord Barlow. You supposed he could have heard what happened from someone else, but he was safer than the rest of the men of the ton, you thought grimly. It would’ve helped if he was interesting to talk to, or even nice to look at, but you supposed you couldn’t be very selective.

Curtsying and thanking Lord Norcliffe for the dance, you made a beeline toward Carlos and Philippe across the room. 

“You look like you don’t want to be here,” commented your brother, amused. 

You rolled your eyes at him. “Astute observation, Philippe.”

Carlos laughed and gave you a comforting pat on the head. “But what happened to your season in England? I thought you were excited to be here?”

“My mother and father were certainly excited,” you mused, taking Philippe’s lemonade and drinking from it. 

Seeing their confused looks, you briefly explained your encounter with Nigel Berbrooke, and they suddenly became very concerned. 

“Ce connard! Il est où? Je vai le tuer,” growled Philippe under his breath, not wanting the rest of the ton to hear his threat (That asshole! Where is he? I’m going to kill him).

“Philippe, it’s alright,” you assured him, glancing over at Carlos and seeing that he, too, had understood your brother’s words despite not speaking French. “I believe Simon Basset took care of him at White’s a few days ago.”

“That’s just as well, or I’d have done it myself,” he grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“You can just come to Spain next year, cariño,” Carlos said warmly.

You smiled up at your brother-in-law, silently thanking him for the offer even though you knew your parents would never allow it. 

Colin watched enviously as you had a conversation with your older brother and your older sister’s husband. He wished he could talk to you again. Even if nothing got resolved between you, he liked to hear your voice. He loved how stubborn you were and how frustrated you got when you forgot the English word for something. He just missed you, he supposed. 

Which is why, as Colin watched yet another man approach you and write their name on your dance card, he decided he couldn’t do this anymore. The watching, the waiting, the wanting. He couldn’t do any of it anymore. 

“I need to leave,” he said firmly.

Daphne, who had been standing beside him, turned to face him, startled. “Leave where?”

“India, Egypt, Morocco, back to Greece. I don’t care. I just need to get out of here.”

“What? Why?” asked Daphne, still confused. 

“You know why,” Colin responded flatly, giving her an unimpressed look. 

Daphne instinctively turned to look at you, laughing as the man you were dancing with whispered something to you. She turned to look back at her brother with a disappointed look.

“I can’t imagine leaving would be the best option.” 

“Why not?” Colin shot back. “What good can my presence possibly do?”

Daphne put a hand on her brother’s elbow, giving him a sympathetic look. However, her voice was firm. “You always leave when it gets hard, you know? You’re always the first out the door and onto a different continent. Why are you so scared of staying?”

Colin was stunned. He didn’t know his motives were that obvious. But he supposed it made sense for Daphne to know since she knew him better than most people.  

“I’m not scared of staying,” Colin insisted defensively. “I just think it’ll be better for everyone if I go.”

Daphne furrowed her eyebrows and shook her head. “And do what? What could you possibly be doing that is so important that you would abandon the woman you love?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Colin argued, his voice growing strained as he felt his chest getting tighter. “None of it matters. She doesn’t love me back. I could be down the street or in Brazil and she wouldn’t even notice. She clearly hates me and wants nothing to do with me, so why should I stay?”

Daphne crossed her arms, looking more than a little disappointed. “Well, I won’t be the one to stop you if you decide to go. But really think about whether you want to be the person who leaves time and again. Things could change. It's only been a few days since she's been like this.”

She had a point, but Colin was too upset to admit it. Daphne was right. He couldn’t just leave now. If anything, it would hurt him more than being near you with you not speaking to him. It was the strangest feeling, knowing you loved someone but feeling powerless to do anything about it. 

Colin knew he couldn’t continue like this. Perhaps he couldn’t leave, but he could certainly stay as far away as possible. 

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#bridgerton #enemies to lovers #bridgerton fanfic #bridgerton fanfiction #bridgerton imagine #bridgerton x reader #bridgerton x you #bridgerton fluff #bridgerton angst #tumblr #the just need to fall in love #my heart hurts for them #i love this fic so much

[babypink224221]

I can’t wait for Colin and Y/n to fall for each other. ☺️

Chapter 5: I fear I have fallen from grace

series masterlist previous part || next part

pairing: colin bridgerton x enemy!fem!reader WC: 3.4k words

Warnings: period-typical gender roles, a small part of the dialogue is in French, our girl is in her feels asf, some small hints of ~feelings~, Eloise being the best

Summary: It took precisely two days in England for you to utterly despise Colin Bridgerton. It took him approximately twelve hours after that to hate you right back. But he doesn't care that you're the only person in the ton who doesn't like him. You're set to marry someone else anyway, right?

May 23, 1816 – Of course, this author saved the most scandalous tidbit for last. It seems something dark lurked beneath the waters of the seemingly perfect courtship of Lady Montclair and Lord Barlow. Yesterday evening, Lady Montclair retired early from the Bridgerton ball, citing a debilitating headache as the reason for her early departure.

And the Duke… Well, this author can say that he had a very productive evening, indeed. A quick trip to the private Bridgerton courtyard found him locking lips with Lady Barrington in what seemed like a very passionate affair. 

But what of Lady Montclair? One can be certain she has deftly avoided a most unfortunate situation, for what use is a Duke if he is not truly yours? Shall we witness Lady Montclair's endeavors for another match this season, or perhaps she will retreat to the sunlit hills of Tuscany? Hopefully, today’s races will reveal more about her intentions.

You crumpled the gossip column in your hands, eyes wide in shock as you felt your heartbeat in your ears. It seemed like the walls of your bedroom were closing in around you as tears blurred your vision. Surely this couldn’t be true. Surely Lord Barlow hadn’t completely betrayed you so far into your courtship. There had to be another explanation. 

The longer you read and re-read Lady Whistledown’s words, the more you needed to convince yourself that they weren’t real. You felt anger rising in your chest, your chest constricting as your breathing quickened. It had to be Louis. There was absolutely no universe in which you got so close to getting everything you had worked for only for it to be taken away from you in such an unceremonious way. 

You felt tears prickling your eyes and aggressively wiped them away, too angry to care about your appearance. 

Standing abruptly and rushing to your door, you slammed it open and yelled into the hallway, “Louis!” 

If he had somehow managed to create a fake Whistledown column as his idea of a sick joke, you were quite ready to kill him. But this was your only hope. It had to be him.

Not receiving a response from your brother, you desperately screamed out, “Je vais te crever !” (I’m going to kill you!)

Rushing out of his room, bewildered at your agitated state, Louis stopped in front of your open door. “Qu'est-ce qui ne va pas chez toi ? Arrête de crier.” (What the hell is your problem? Stop yelling.)

You shoved the crumpled gossip sheet into his chest, forcing him to take a step back with the force of your push. He steadied himself on your doorframe, a questioning look on his face, and you felt your hope dwindling.

Shoving the paper into him once again, you cried, “T'as vu ça? C'était toi qui as fait ça?” (Have you seen this? Did you do this?) Tears were streaming down your face as you unsuccessfully tried to contain your emotions.

Though it certainly would have been cruel of Louis, you wished more than anything that he had been the one to do this. That Lord Barlow's betrayal wasn’t real. That you would go to the races today and see the Duke and that he would greet you with a soft kiss on the back of your hand as the two of you walked pleasantly. 

But your hopes quickly came crumbling down. Louis looked as confused as you felt, and you came to the realization that Whistledown’s words were, in fact, accurate. You choked back a sob, covering your mouth with the back of your hand as you fought to keep yourself under control. 

“Attends, attends,” Louis said nervously (Hold on, hold on). 

Recognizing that you were very much in the middle of a crisis, but having absolutely no idea why, he grabbed your hands and gently pushed you back into your room. Sitting you both down on your bed, he took the paper from your hands and smoothed it out to read as he placed a comforting arm around you, rubbing your arm up and down. 

His comforting touch did away with the last of your resolve. You started crying freely, and you could do nothing but sob into his shoulder as he read, feeling him tense as his eyes scanned the words on the page.

As he got to the part where Lady Whistledown outlined the Duke’s promiscuity, he abruptly stood up, face contorted in what you knew to be fury. You would have been relieved that it wasn’t aimed at you just this once if your situation wasn’t so dire. 

“Putain,” he muttered under his breath (Fuck).

He grabbed your hand and dragged you down the stairs with him as fast as possible. You stumbled after him, anxiety mounting as you realized he was taking you to your mother. 

What would she think now that you had lost everything? You and the Duke were finished, evidently. But you were still unmarried. You were still out in society. Could you even bear the shame of having been rejected by Andrew? Would any gentleman ever look at you again, or would Lord Barlow’s impatience reflect too negatively on you?

After what felt like an eternity, you reached the open doorway of the sitting room. You could see your mother chatting pleasantly inside, and fear gripped your chest as you realized you were about to shatter any semblance of peace she might be feeling right now.

“Maman!” yelled Louis angrily as he stormed into the room, still clutching your hand.

Your mother let out a startled gasp, bringing a hand to her chest.

“Louis, darling, you scared me! Charlotte and Edward are here,” she said warmly, assuming that you and your brother were having nothing more than another silly argument that would be resolved in a matter of minutes. 

But Louis was not in the mood for pleasantries. 

“Y/N and the Duke are finished,” he announced, slamming the Whistledown column on the table in the middle of the room. 

You sniffled as you saw the looks of confusion on your family’s faces, no longer crying but your breathing was still uneven.

“Pardon?” questioned Charlotte. “I don’t understand; I saw them dancing last night! She’ll be lucky to receive a proposal this week.”

“He’ll be lucky if I don’t kill him,” growled your brother. 

“Louis!” your mother snapped, appalled by his language. “That is not-”

But Louis quickly interrupted, reading directly from the sheet in front of him.

“And the Duke… Well, this author can say that he had a very productive evening, indeed. A quick trip to the private Bridgerton courtyard…”

As your brother read, you saw the faces in the room slowly turn from confused to horrified, and you couldn’t help the choked sob that escaped your lips. Your mother quickly reached out to you, holding you tightly to her as you cried into her dress.

“Bloody bastard,” said Edward, shaking his head once Louis was finished reading. No one commented on his strong language, given that it encapsulated exactly how everyone else was feeling. 

“Louis, go fetch your father,” ordered your mother, immediately falling into her protective mode. 

Without complaint, Louis nodded and headed toward your father’s office. 

"Y/N, my love, I do apologize terribly. We didn't catch a glimpse of anything last night," Charlotte insisted, sinking beside you on the settee.

"If I'd laid eyes on him in that courtyard last night, he'd be wishing he hadn't walked out of there," your mother grumbled with an edge to her voice.

Slightly unsure about how to react to three emotional women in one room who seemed ready to kill a man, Edward fidgeted while he decided what to do. Of course, he knew he wasn’t the duke you wanted to kill, but it couldn’t hurt to be on the safe side.

“Shall I ring for some tea? Yes, I think I’ll go fetch some tea,” he bumbled, awkwardly patting you on the head and making his escape toward the kitchen. 

As Charlotte stroked your hair and your mother held you in her arms, you heard your father’s footsteps storming down the hall. 

“Louis has explained everything,” Philippe said, crossing his arms as he entered the sitting room. “Y/N, you must go to the races today.”

You no longer had any prospects and all your father could think about were the horse races today. Was he serious? 

“I can’t!” you argued. “I’ll be a pariah! Everyone knows I’m the girl who couldn’t keep a Duke.” You choked back a sob. 

“What exactly happened between you two last night?” probed your mother, wanting to know just how badly your reputation was damaged. 

Lady Whistledown’s account did not implicate you in any way, but Catherine knew how vicious the ton could be. She needed to know what level of damage control would be necessary to secure your standing in society.

“Nothing!” you insisted, sniffling. “He said he liked my necklace, we danced, and he asked to go outside. I was unsure about whether he wanted to propose or… do whatever he ended up doing with Miss Barrington.”

Louis’ eyebrows shot up, disbelief and newfound anger taking over his features. “He asked you to go to the courtyard with him? Alone?”

“Surely you said no! That’s ridiculous!” exclaimed Charlotte, equally as upset.

“I told him I had a headache and couldn’t stay the rest of the evening,” you said, fiddling with the hem of your dress nervously. “I don’t know what I did wrong! Should I have gone with him? Did I lose my only chance at a proposal?”

“You’ve certainly done nothing wrong,” your father shot back firmly. “No daughter of mine would act in such a crass manner, and the Duke’s shortcomings are most definitely not a reflection on you. Nor us.”

Your mother sighed. “He’s right, dearest. The Duke is simply a man lacking in character, and now the ton knows he is not to be trusted. It’s a horrible thing, what he did. But you’re not at fault,” she insisted, looking at your father. “Which is why you must attend the races today.”

You groaned at the prospect of facing the ton with their judgmental stares and wagging tongues. What your parents were saying made sense, though. You rubbed your temples, frustrated that you were now in such a precarious social standing. 

Perhaps you had been right at the beginning of the season. Lord Barlow, along with Colin and Nigel and the rest of them, viewed women merely as breeding stock. There was nothing in it for you. No hope of romance, no hope of ever finding someone who could respect you. 

“If you stay home today everyone will wonder if you somehow were involved,” chimed in Charlotte, ignoring your glare. “If you go and act like nothing is wrong, you can prove that the Duke is nothing but a man with a debilitating lack of self-control.”

You looked around to the rest of your family, who all seemed to agree with your sister. 

However, seeing Edward walk back into the room followed by a lady’s maid carrying a tray, you tried one last time to get out of leaving your home today, or for the next three years.

“What about you, Edward? Do you think it’s a bad idea to go to the races today?”

“Oh, certainly not! In fact, it might be the best way to assure your future,” he said sympathetically. 

You threw your head back in frustration. He had probably heard the conversation as he walked up and didn’t want to disagree with the rest of your family, you thought glumly. Nevertheless feeling quite defeated, you slumped back in your seat and crossed your arms.

“Fine. I’ll go,” you conceded as if you even had a choice. 

The horrible feeling in your chest had subsided somewhat, but you were still devastated. At least your family was on your side. However, you were still feeling dreadfully embarrassed, and you knew being out in plain view today would only make it worse. 

---

“And you saw them?” asked Eloise, a disturbed look on her face as she walked toward the bustling paddock. 

Colin nodded, careful to keep his voice down. “I wish I could claw my eyes out. I think his tongue was so far down that-”

“Colin!” scolded Violet, failing to hide her small giggle at her son’s retelling of the previous night. 

“I’m sorry, Mother, but it was a horrific sight!” said Colin, also struggling to contain his laughter. 

But as soon as your family came into view, the Bridgertons sobered. It might have seemed funny at the moment, but Lord Barlow’s actions had the potential to ruin your future. It was doubtful that they would, since you were from a titled family and had done nothing wrong, but Colin could sense the whispers and pointed looks aimed at you as you walked toward the racetrack. 

“Oh, Y/N!” called Eloise, quickly leaving her family as she rushed to your side. “Colin’s just told me what happened. He found Lord Barlow in the courtyard last night! Are you alright?”

Colin felt a bit ashamed of himself for making light of the situation as he saw tears welling in your eyes at his sister's words. The regret gnawed at him; he wished he could have told you himself, or at least had his mother break the news more gently. Yet, time had been against them.

For all the sorrow he felt at seeing you hurt, a selfish part of him couldn't help but feel a flicker of relief that the impending marriage was off the table. But he quickly quashed that thought, not quite sure where it had come from and not caring to understand why he felt this way.

You blinked quickly to try to keep your tears from spilling as you looked at Eloise making her way to your side. Taking a few deep breaths, you grabbed onto her hand. Nodding at the rest of your family, you waited until they were a few paces ahead of you to answer Eloise.

“Oh, El, it’s dreadful,” you sniffled. “I don’t know what I did to lose him is the worst part. I can barely believe it. I thought it was Louis at first, trying to wind me up.”

Eloise cooed sympathetically. “I know, it must be horrible. I have no idea how he managed to get into our private courtyard. But at least he hadn’t proposed yet! Seeing the kind of man Lord Barlow is, it’s lucky that this happened now and not three months into your marriage.”

“I suppose,” you answered, not quite ready to see the positives in the situation yet. 

Suddenly, you heard snickering behind you and turned to see two women who looked to be your age pointing at you and talking in hushed tones. 

Turning around back to Eloise, you hissed, “The nerve! Why are they laughing at me? It’s Lord Barlow they should be laughing at.”

“I assume they would be if he was here.”

“He’s not here?”

“No one’s heard from him since last night,” Eloise remarked, linking her arm with yours as she guided you back to the stands. “And it’s all for the better. I daresay I might have given him a swift kick to the face if I laid eyes on him today.”

You chuckled, the first glimmer of lightness since reading Lady Whistledown this morning, thankful for Eloise’s friendship. Giving her arm a grateful squeeze, you found comfort in her mischievous smile.

“Our mothers are likely already planning the Duke’s demise as we speak,” she quipped, gesturing towards where your families were seated together.

But a deep weariness overtook you at the thought of being the subject of ton gossip for the next few days. “It’s all anyone’s going to be talking about for the next week, isn’t it?” you sighed.

Eloise’s heart twinged with empathy, knowing the delicate balance you now faced in the unforgiving eyes of society. She wished desperately that your worth wasn’t tied to another man’s title or fortune.

“Well, actually,” she began with a twinkle in her eye, “the real scandal will be that the beautiful Lady Y/N Montclair is still unclaimed by any suitor. You’re in a prime position to be selective now! It might just be a bit of fun.” 

You shot her a wry look. “How much more selective can I get than a duke?”

Eloise was intimately familiar with the high pressure you faced to get married. She knew that you had been preparing for this your entire life, but she also suspected you weren’t entirely aligned with your parents’ view of marriage. She had seen the uncertainty in your gaze whenever Lord Barlow walked away, the fluttering nerves you disguised as excitement.

“Tell me honestly,” she pressed gently. “Is there not a small part of you, deep down, that feels a sense of relief now that your courtship with the Duke has ended?”

Pausing thoughtfully, you mulled over her words. Maybe you weren’t actually as attached to Lord Barlow as you thought. After all, you weren’t upset that you had lost him, only that he had embarrassed you and that you had to begin your search for a husband anew. 

With a tentative smile, you nodded, admitting, “Just don’t let my mother hear you say that.”

Stepping onto the stands, you and Eloise quickly found your way to your families. Unfortunately, the only empty seats were next to Colin. You were tempted to turn around and leave, but Eloise placed a hand on your back and pushed you forward, forcing you next to your least favorite member of the ton. 

You unsuccessfully tried to hide your disdain as you sat next to Colin, who looked the picture of serenity. It made you unreasonably angry that he seemed completely unaffected by last night’s events while you had to face the social repercussions. 

“I’m sorry about Lord Barlow,” he spoke softly, a hint of sincerity in his voice that caught you off guard.

You hesitated, the anger in you momentarily waning as you looked at him. It was a rare moment of vulnerability from Colin Bridgerton, and you found yourself unexpectedly moved.

“I’m sure you are,” you shot back, tone more biting than you intended.

“Pardon?” Colin’s brow furrowed, a touch of offense creeping into his voice at your sharp retort.

“Oh, spare me,” you rolled your eyes, a familiar frustration you only felt around Colin coming back to you. “You expect me to believe you just happened upon the Duke and Miss Barrington? It’s a bit too convenient, don’t you think?”

Colin’s eyes widened, a flicker of hurt crossing his features before it was masked by indignation. Did you really think he was capable of something like that? Of making up a lie that would sabotage your future marriage to a duke? The thought stung more than he cared to admit.

“Other people saw them, you know,” he retorted, a hint of anger seeping into his words. “And I wouldn’t lie about something like that,” he snapped.

The two of you had spent enough time that he was thoroughly offended that you thought so lowly of him. You were just entrenched in your grudge against him and refused to budge. He regretted trying to be agreeable at all. 

“Really?” You raised an eyebrow skeptically, feeling your own anger rise in response. “So they just magically appeared in your private courtyard without being given access?”

Colin opened his mouth to respond, but the words caught in his throat. He was too angry, too upset that you thought so lowly of him.

“Fine,” he finally bit out, his jaw clenched. “Believe what you will.”

Colin turned away, unable to face you any longer. His reputation among the ton be damned; why did you think he was some kind of monster? He supposed he hadn’t made a good case for himself, tormenting you whenever possible, but he was still furious that you were acting like Lord Barlow’s actions were somehow his fault. Why was he chronically unable to be in your good graces?

—

previous part || next part || buy me a ko-fi!

Tag List (get added here): @marvelspogue @5sosmakesmelaugh5 @maddiebaddie1 @livingthatprovinciallife @willieoo @jessica-1120 @dreadity @h0eforwadewilson @ziarah @wordsgodeep @mrs-c-bridgerton @dianxiaxiexie @like-gabriel-and-castiel @snapeeballsack @sosasi521-blog @saturnssunflower @indecisive-empanada @invisible-dreamers-world @angerpearl @ssexsellls @smugrogerina @cherrysxuya @theonekaysstuff @idkwhatimdoing6 @ella33 @tiger1357890 @mswwvaleska @bozoqt @unadulteratedwolfcrown @anthonylockwoodandco111 @beamuont @adxrekyun @stevenwithav01 @peter-parker-tony-stank-trash @none-of-this-makes-any-sense @superhighschoollevelnerd-blog1 @patty2191 @expensiveinnocentgurl @erysione @hockeybabestars @inkwriter122 @nighttimemoonlover @chamomiletea-beforebed @sydneygal3107 @alexendria-rose @watersevn @funalpaca @babypink224221 @littlecoffeeadict @agoldenwoe

#bridgerton #enemies to lovers #bridgerton fanfic #bridgerton fanfiction #bridgerton imagine #bridgerton x reader #bridgerton x you #bridgerton fluff #bridgerton angst #lost in translation #i love it ❤️❤️

[babypink224221]

BRIDGERTON (2020—)

#bridgerton #bridgertonedit #bridgertons #tvshowedit #perioddramaedit #netflixedit #violet bridgerton #anthony bridgerton #benedict bridgerton #eloise bridgerton #current mood #mood #lol 😂 #felt that

[babypink224221]

THIS IS THE BEST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN

#lol #literally the best #the lion king #vine #rafiki #tumblr #funny

[babypink224221]

That collie is the ringleader 😂

#tumblr #funny #dogs #border collies #husky

[babypink224221]

boop-boop-a-doop

#artists on tumblr #fanart #redraw #illustration #art #betty boop #heart #pinup #forgotten idols #Esther Jones

[babypink224221]

#oh what the hell #let's see you work some magic mr potato #potato #5k #10k #15k #25k #50k #75k #100k #need some luck 🍀 #not feeling lucky #I like potatoes 🥔

[babypink224221]

Cowboy Glen Powell’s doppelgänger.

#tumblr #funny #glen powell #topgun #top gun #top gun x reader #hangman #jake hangman seresin #jake seresin #hangman x reader #jake seresin x reader #doppleganger #alan jackson

[babypink224221]

#da stamps #stamp #deviantart stamps #tumblr live #tumblr

[babypink224221]

Giggle 🤭

*The Batfamily: hiding to try to throw a surprise party for Y/N*

Jason: *from behind a chair* Stop moving, Dickie-Bird, you’re louder than a bulldozer!

Dick: *from behind the couch* Well, sorry that Steph won’t move out of my way!

Steph: *kicking him* This is my hiding spot! Find your own!

Damian: *rolling his eyes* You imbeciles are acting like children

Tim: Everyone shut up- I think Y/N’s walking into the house!

Jason: Oh, really? Because I couldn’t hear anything over your loud ass breathing, replacement!

Dick: *whining* Why can’t anything ever be easy?

Tim: You guys are all going to ruin the surprise, shut up!

Y/N: *crouching beside Dick* Who are we waiting for?

Batfamily: *all let out high pitched screams*

#batfamily x reader #batfamily incorrect quotes #dc incorrect quotes #batfamily #dc x reader #dc #damian wayne x reader platonic #damian wayne x reader #damian wayne x sister reader #damian wayne #funny shit #hysterical

[babypink224221]

Me reading fanfics about characters in shows/movies I don’t plan on watching anytime soon:

#it’s not my fault the actors are sexy #aemond targaryen x reader #frank castle x reader #matt murdock x reader #ari levinson x reader #andy barber x reader #black!reader #funny #tumblr #me in a nutshell

[babypink224221]

Look at all these useless rulers

#house of the dragon #yandere house of the dragon #ewan mitchell #hotd #hotd fanart #hotd oc #aemond one eye #aemond targaryen #aemond targaryen imagine #aemond x reader #aegon ii targaryen #aegon targaryen x reader

[babypink224221]

This is a magnificent series! It almost broke me…almost😅. My emotions rolodex came into play🥹. I absolutely loved to reading it! ❤️👏

Marcus Moreno Masterlist

MM Good.

Sorry

I’ll see myself out.

Taglist Form!

Author Masterlist

_________________________________________________________

The Strongest Member of the Team

Marcus x reader (eventual wife)

Part 1 “Pandas”

Part 2 “Static Cling”

Part 3 “The Reveal”

Part 4 “Ducks”

Part 5 “The First Date”

Part 6: “The Second Date” *rating increase 

Part 7 “The Third Date” *mature rating

Part 8 “Two is Optimistic” *mature rating

Part 9  “Double or Nothing” *mature rating

Part 10– “Half Orange” *mature rating

Part 11– “Mine” 

Part 12 – “You Can Quote Me On That”

Part 13 – “Twenty Times Braver”

Part 14 –  “Well Fed” *mature rating

Part 15 – “Forwards, Backwards, Inside Out”

Part 16 – “Moving Day” *mature rating

Part 17 – “Crapshoot”

Part 18 – “Taco Bell”

Part 19 – “In a Rut” *mature rating

Part 20 – “Home Furnishings”

Part 21  – “Ring Pop” 

Part 22 – “Next Steps” *mature rating

Part 23 – “Baby Steps" 

Part 24 – The One About The Russian Nightclub 

Part 25 –  Def Con 1 *Mature

Part 26 – Wheels   

Part 27 – Tag 

Part 28 – This Is How The AI Take Over 

Part 29 – The Magic Password  *Mature 

Part 30 –  It’s Time  

Part 31 – The Nightmare 

Part 32 – The Dream  ** if you are avoiding the sad ending you stop here :) **

Part 33 – Pandas  

After the main story ends, choose your own adventure:

Extra Slice (keeps the ending established in Part 33)

Miles to Go Before We Sleep, or, The Lotus Eaters (challenges the ending of Part 33)

This fic is now complete <3

____________________________________________________

One Shots:

These are within the Universe of the longer story, but can be read separately

“Second Chances” Rated T (Marcus and Missy, mostly, implied Marcus x reader) 

“Impress Me” or “Crustacia” (Marcus Moreno x reader, one shot, rated T)

Time Goes By (Marcus Moreno x reader, one shot, rated T, fluffy angst)

“Foul on the Play” (Marcus Moreno x reader, one shot, rated T, fluff central)  Bonus Chapter/One Shot–300 follower celebration piece and prompt request

Marcus gets a puppy HC

Marcus gets an Amazon Astro 

Dad Behaviors HC

_____________________________________________________

General One Shots/ Not in the Universe of “Strongest Member of the Team”)

“Surprises” (Marcus Moreno x reader, one shot, rated T)

“Overexposed Underexposed”   (Marcus Moreno x reader, one shot, rated T-ish)

What Do You Think They Called Us? (Marcus and Missy, Halloween Contest entry, rated T) NEW

________________________________________________________

New Series: Marcus Moreno and the Teddy Bear Universe

a one-shot series where each piece can be read separately but also can be tied together. they will be presented in order here but written out of order. 

“Self Check-Out” (Marcus Moreno x reader, one shot…with series potential?) complete 

Ready or Not (Marcus Moreno x reader, slow burn, one shot) complete

Communication Skills (Marcus Moreno x reader, slow burn) complete

______________________________________________________

#marcus moreno #marcus moreno x reader #marcus moreno x you #marcus moreno fanfic #marcus moreno fanfiction #blueeyesatnight #marcus moreno ff #we can be heroes #we can be heroes ff #the strongest member of the team #10/10 would recommend #it broke me in a good way #read + reread #👏👏👏

[babypink224221]

#naruto #tenten #ten ten #chunin exams #90s anime #anime #manga #lol memes #dank memes #funny memes #i cant 🤣🤣🤣

[babypink224221]

happy first Bella From Twilight Depression Month

#there's a possibilityyyyyyyyyyyy........ #this scene... cinema #twilight #personal #tumblr #funny #memes #tw depressing thoughts #depressing shit #depression

[babypink224221]

That’s my girl! Clover was like “ I will cut a bitch”.

Garden of Secrets [41] - Daylily

A.N: The last 2 chapters! ❤️Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback and support my loves, it made my whole week, you’re amazing!❤️ I hope you’ll like this chapter as well, and please don’t forget to tell me what you think❤️

Summary: Healing comes with patience.

Warnings: Regency era society and social rules, some gender specific language and terms, mentions of sex, mentions of threats.

Word Count: 2500

Series Masterlist

You had never been the type for surprises but you had to admit, you were quite looking forward to this one.

“If I fall down—”

“You won’t fall down.”

“I might!” you said with a giggle, extending your arms in front of you while Benedict kept his palm over your eyes, guiding you to the room. “And the next thing you know…”

“Y/N.”

“The next thing you know, I’m dead—”

“Don’t joke about that.”

“And you’re like uh, a widow artist.”

“A widow artist?!”

“Is this what you’ve been planning all along?” you teased him, making him huff out a small chuckle.

“I think you will change that theory pretty soon.”

“You don’t know that,” you sang. “Ben, I’m pretty sure your studio wasn’t this big for me to walk this much.”

“I changed the place of the canvas because it has better light over there—actually wait, I’ll change it again,” he said. “Keep your eyes closed.”

You squeezed your eyes shut when he lowered his hand, and heard him shuffle the easel around the room while you waited patiently. He soon came closer to you to get behind you, sneaking his arms around your waist to hold you close to his chest as always.

“Ready?”

“Very much so,” you said with a smile. “Can I open my eyes now?”

He heaved a shaky sigh, then cleared his throat. “Yeah.”

You opened your eyes and as soon as you did, your breath got caught in your throat.

Oh.

This was what Benedict had been working on for months; your portrait.

You couldn’t take your eyes off of the portrait and you took a step closer to it almost in a haze. It looked almost surreal, both familiar and unfamiliar because you were certain that you didn’t look as—

Mesmerizing.

Now you could understand what Benedict had said about getting the look in your eyes right, you looked nearly alive on the canvas. You already knew Benedict was talented, of course you did, but even you couldn’t imagine this. It didn’t look like it belonged to here or this century for that matter, it looked like one of those paintings that you would see in a museum from a century ago, something that would be looked upon with wonder and admiration for years and years.

“Benedict…” you whispered and he rested his chin on top of your head.

“Mm?”

“How did you—when did you—?” you stammered. “How?”

He chuckled. “I taught you how, remember?”

“No but this is something else completely,” you said. “You weren’t jesting about being inspired.”

“Oh I certainly wasn’t.”

“You’re so talented,” you murmured and he smiled against your neck before kissing the spot beneath your ear, making your heart skip a beat. You bit down on your lip, still staring at the portrait.

“So I thought of something but I want to get your opinion first,” he muttered and you turned around in his arms so that you could look up at him.

“What is it?”

A look of hesitation crossed his handsome features and he cleared his throat, stealing a glance at the portrait before turning to you.

“I know I kept saying I wasn’t ready to apply to the Academy,” he said. “And they normally open up the applications for next year at the beginning of the next season, but you can in fact send your work for the next year before they finish this year’s classes and such and it’s finishing next week and I was thinking…Maybe I could send this one and apply.”

Your eyes widened. “What?”

“The wiser decision would be to improve myself until the next season starts,” he added in a haste. “But I don’t know, it—it feels right, you know?”

A bright smile warmed your face and he let out a breath.

“Is it a terrible idea?”

“I think it’s a wonderful idea.”

“Do you think—do you think I could get in?”

“Ben, you’re the only person who doubts that,” you reminded him. “I’m completely sure that you will get in.”

“Really?”

“Really,” you nodded, stepping into his embrace. “I believe in you, always.”

He smiled softly and leaned in to kiss you, then rested his forehead against yours, his long fingers running over your back.

“You’re going to do amazing,” you said, wrapping your arms around his neck and standing on your tiptoes to peck him on the lips again. “You’ll see.”

He heaved a pleasant sigh. “I love you, you know that right?”

“Oh I know,” you said, grinning up at him. “I still like hearing it though. Quite often I might add.”

                                       *

Lottie and Anthony’s wedding was tomorrow and you were going to go to her house to see whether she needed anything, but before that, you and Josie had a visit you two had been delaying for quite some time now.

“Do they know?”

“I sent them a letter to tell them I have the letter,” Josie said as you followed her into the inn, and raised your brows at the sight of the run-down place. Josie approached the innkeeper to ask him something and he answered, so she looked over her shoulder and nodded at you.

“Upstairs, come on.”

You followed her suit, climbing up the stairs until she stopped in front of a door, then threw her shoulders back and opened the door.

“Hello father,” she said and you leaned sideways to the door, taking a look inside. The room was small and very messy, not very different from their bedchambers back at home. A shiver ran down your spine and you cleared your throat, crossing your arms.

“Came to gloat?” your mother spat and you shrugged your shoulders.

“Not really.”

“Well aren’t you two brave?” your father growled while your mother kept pushing the clothes into the chest. “Coming here like this.”

“What’s there to be scared of?” Josie asked. “You?”

Your father took a step towards her but stopped when you pulled out your knife from your cleavage.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” you said in a sweet tone, flipping the knife open. “This inn doesn’t appear to be safe for everyone after all.”

Josie repressed a smile as your mother shook her head.

“Don’t you have any shame?” she spat. “Threatening your father like that?”

“No I’m alright,” you said and turned to Josie. “Are you alright Jo?”

“Absolutely.”

“Why are you here?” your father asked while you turned the knife in your hand, and Josie heaved a sigh.

“Well first of all I wanted to make sure you were leaving,” she said. “And to remind you what might happen if you accidentally happen to be here the same time as us in the future.”

“And what exactly will happen?” he asked and you clicked your tongue.

“Your nose doesn’t appear to have healed,” you pointed out. “I’d hate to have to see it broken again.”

“You’d love it.”

“Yeah I would actually,” you pointed out and Josie nodded.

“So that’s the deal,” she said. “You stay away from us and we will stay away from you from now on. As far as I’m concerned, you’re dead.”

“Teddy deserves—”

“Teddy deserves better than you,” you said. “And I’ll make sure he gets it.”

“He’s my son!”

“By blood only and blood means nothing,” Josie said. “You made sure I understood that, remember?”

Your father eyed the knife in your hand before narrowing his eyes.

“And who’s going to stop me if I want to see my son again?” he asked. “You two?”

“Oh I don’t think I’d be bothered with you to be honest,” you mused. “Not when I can simply send people to deal with you. At night.”

“We didn’t go to your house ourselves to get the letter after all,” Josie reminded them and your mother gritted her teeth.

“I’m ashamed to call you my daughters.”

“Don’t call us your daughters then,” Josie retorted. “God knows I do not see you as my mother. If you ever show your face here again—”

“Oh so you came here to threaten us,” your father interrupted her and you scoffed.

“No, we came here to tell you what’s going to happen if you dare threaten me or Josie, or Teddy,” you growled. “And I can assure you father, though I may not deal with you myself, I will personally make sure that you suffer if you ever cross me or my wishes ever again.”

Josie tilted her head, grinning wide.

“Well I don’t need to add anything to that I suppose,” she said with a sigh. “Have a nice trip back home, I hope we never see each other again.”

“I didn’t say we’re finished—”

“We are finished,” you cut him off. “For good.”

Josie grabbed your hand as you both walked away from them, the sound of a vase smashing to pieces on the wall reaching you while you went down the stairs, and it was only when you two stepped out that you let out a breath, feeling like a weight was lifted off your shoulders.

“Are you feeling alright?” Josie asked and you felt yourself smile.

“Yeah,” you said, flipping the knife close and putting it back in your cleavage. “Are you?”

“Better than how I’ve felt in a long time,” she said. “Nice touch with the knife.”

“Learned it from you,” you said and Josie let out a laugh, then threw an arm over your shoulder to pull you close before you both started walking to the carriage waiting for you across the street.

                                             *

Anthony and Lottie’s wedding breakfast was more fun than you had imagined it would be. It was always lovely to see Lottie being her usual cheerful self, but today, both in the chapel and in the Bridgerton house she looked like she was on cloud nine which made you very happy as well. Every guest in the house was dying to talk to her or Anthony, but you made sure to keep an eye on her and get her out of the crowd when it looked like too many questions were thrown at her.

Like now.

“Excuse me ladies—Lottie?” you said, reaching out to touch her arm. “May I borrow you for a moment?”

“Of course!” she said and let you lead you away from them, then linked her arm with yours. “God, thank you! They’re already asking me what my first ball will be like as a Viscountess, can you believe that?”

“Unfortunately I can,” you said as you both passed the foyer to step outside. She heaved a deep sigh and turned to you, still holding your hand.

“This is not a dream, is it?” she asked. “I mean I married the love of my life, and I fear I might wake up anytime.”

You let out a laugh and shook your head.

“It’s not a dream Lottie.”

She tilted her head back and smiled, enjoying the sunlight falling on her face for a moment before turning back to you.

“And I could barely talk to Tony,” she said. “You think—I mean…do you think he’s as happy as I am?”

“I had the chance to talk to him about an hour ago, while you were upstairs with your mama,” you said. “I can assure you, he’s as happy as you are, perhaps even happier.”

“Not possible,” she giggled and pressed a hand over her chest, bouncing on the balls of her feet. “How about you? Are you having fun?”

“Lottie my dearest, will you please stop worrying about everyone else?” you asked with a smile and she shook her head.

“I’m trying?” she said as if apologizing and you squeezed her hand.

“It was a wonderful ceremony,” you said. “And it’s a beautiful breakfast. Everyone is delighted to be here, just…not as much as you and Anthony will be tonight.”

She repressed a laugh. “Shh!”

“So how was the wedding night talk?” you asked. “With your mama?”

A mischievous look flashed over her face. “She didn’t tell me anything I don’t know already.”

“Scandal,” you deadpanned and grinned. “So you’re leaving for Aubrey Hall after breakfast?”

“In the afternoon yes,” she said. “And um—we’ll be there until everyone comes to Kent next week—you will visit, will you not?”

“I feel like you won’t want visitors for a while.”

“Y/N!”

“I’m just saying,” you teased. “What, can I not ask questions now that you’re a Viscountess?”

She fixed her beautiful wedding gown, then threw her shoulders back, adapting an expression of exaggerated seriousness.

“I shall have to think about it,” she joked, then burst into a laughter. “No I’m serious! Benny’s house—well, your house now— is not very far from Aubrey Hall, so you must come to visit every day.”

“Well—” you started but before you could say anything, you heard Lottie’s mother calling out her name, making you both turn to look at the house. She waved at you from the door, motioning for Lottie to come and she shot you an apologetic look.

“Duty calls,” she said and kissed you on the cheek, then walked back to the house. You looked around the garden, smiling to yourself before making your way back to the house as well. You walked through the foyer but before you could reach the stairs, someone grabbed you by the wrist.

“What—Ben!” you hissed, trying to keep a straight face even if the urge to smile as soon as you saw him was stronger. “There are people here!”

“And they’re all very much focused on the newlywed couple,” he said, pulling you into the nearest room and you leaned back to the door as he closed it. “Hello my beautiful wife.”

“Hello to you too, my handsome husband,” you smiled up at him, wrapping your arms around his neck as he leaned down to kiss you. “I thought you had best man duties.”

“Mother and Lady Danbury are giving Anthony a huge speech about marriage and responsibilities,” he said. “I have to say, it’s quite entertaining when he’s the one who’s on the receiving end of a speech.”

“I can imagine,” you grinned. “So I saw you talking to Henry. Was he very happy that you will apply?”

“I haven’t told him yet,” he admitted. “I haven’t told anyone but you.”

You frowned slightly. “Why not?”

“I mean Henry and Gordon will probably hear about it because they’re friends with the director of the Academy and many people there,” he said. “But…I don’t know, it just feels like it’s something I should do, you know?”

You hummed, then nodded your head.

“I understand that,” you said. “Well then, I suppose we will have to celebrate by ourselves when you do apply, just you and me. Others can wait.”

He gave you that lopsided grin and cupped your cheek, running his thumb over your cheekbone.

“I like the sound of that,” he murmured, then leaned in to kiss you again, his other hand leaving your waist for a moment before you heard the lock sliding into place, making you pull back.

“This is your brother’s wedding breakfast!” you exclaimed with a giggle and he shrugged his shoulders.

“Exactly,” he said and leaned down to pick you up, making you let out a squeal that turned into a laugh as he made his way to the sofa with you in his arms. “We have a lot to celebrate darling.”

#benedict bridgerton #benedict bridgerton x reader #bridgerton #bridgerton x reader #regency fic #tumblr

[babypink224221]

When you can’t get through a movie without pausing every 10 secs 🫣🙈. Especially knowing you’ve seen/read worse 👀💀

2nd hand embarrassment is a real problem 😂.

#tumblr #funny #idk lol #sorry lol #bashful #why am i like this #why just why #embarrasment #embarrassed 🙈 #when you’ve read worst…but can’t watch a movie 😫🙈 #10 sec pause #when you pause a movie every 10 secs #red white and royal blue x reader #alex claremont diaz #prince henry rwrb #prince henry george edward james hanover stuart fox #henry hanover stuart fox #2nd hand embarrassment 🫣🙈 #taylor zakhar perez #nicholas galitzine #rwrb #rwrb on prime