Chapter Seven - The Aftermath of Vauxhall

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Lady Whistledown's

SOCIETY PAPERS

There will forever be just two words that come to this author's mind that morning after any good party, 'shock' and 'delight.'

Well, dear reader, the scandalous accounts from last night's soiree at Vauxhall are quite shocking and delightful indeed.

Emerging, phoenix-like from the ashes of irrelevance, is one Miss Daphne Bridgerton. The illustrious debutante was seen dancing not once, but twice with one of the season's most eligible, and in their case most uncatchable rakes, the Duke of Hastings.

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Walking down the staircase towards the drawing room, I am greeted with the sight of a rather large, rather expensive-looking arrangement of flowers.

"They arrived just this morning, my dear," Mama said, taking a sip of her tea as she glanced away from the morning's Whistledown paper.

I puck the letter from within the flowers and open it, smiling when I see a familiar name scribbled at the bottom.

Miss Florence Huntingdon,

It would be a pleasure and honor to be able to accompany you for a promenade this morning around Hyde Park.

I do hope that you agree to this seeing as I am presumably already in a carriage bound for your lovely home.

Yours,

Frederick, Duke of Windsor

"What does it say, my dear," Mama asks, putting down her Whistledown to look at me.

"The Duke of Windsor has asked to promenade with me this morning at Hyde Park," I reply, smiling down at the letter before putting it back in its envelope and glancing up.

"Well, then you must get ready, my dear! Go, go!" Mama ushered me upstairs, following close behind as she rattled on about what dress I am to wear.

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We had been walking for a fair few minutes, already deep into a conversation when we pass Cressida and her mother, who were promenading with some fine-looking gentleman. As we passed each other we grinned and nodded respectively at each other's choices.

"I am happy that you agreed to promenade with me this morning, Miss Huntingdon," Frederick announces, smiling over at me as we continue to walk around the park.

"Well... how could I say no when you sent such beautiful flowers, You Grace?" I retort, chuckling slightly as we round the bend.

"Please, just call me Frederick. I told you at the Opera that 'Your Grace' sounds far too posh for someone I consider a good friend to say to me..." Frederick says, stumbling slightly when he said 'friend'.

"If I am to call you Frederick, then please, just call me Florence... no 'Miss Huntingdon' it too sounds far too fancy for someone who I see as- for you to say," I retort swiftly. Blushing slightly as I fumble my words.

"Oh, I never got a chance to look at your cheek... is it okay?" Frederick turned his head to look closer at my cheek, which has healed nicely since last night.

I wave off his worries and smile, "it is nothing, Yo- Frederick... just a little cut, that is all."

"However did you acquire such an injury?"

"Daphne had run off into the gardens and I tried to race after her and tripped... it was a harder fall than I had originally expected and, well, I had scrapped my cheek." I shrugged and glanced over at him, frowning slightly when I saw his troubled expression. "You need not worry, though. My mama made sure that I was looked over by a doctor the moment we got home... I am the perfect bill of health."

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"Miss Florence Huntingdon, ma'am."

"Good morning Bridgerton family," I greet, stepping into the room and bowing my head towards Lady Bridgerton. "Lady Bridgerton."

"Florence... you look lovely this late morning... how was your promenade with the Duke this morning?" Daphne asked, quickly dragging my arm and pulling me towards the piano bench.

"It went well... I believe that your promenade with the Duke went well also?" I inquire, turning towards her and listening as she slowly began to play the pianoforte once more.

"It went as well as it could," Daphne mutters to me.

Suddenly Eloise storms into the room with a troubled look on her face, "how does a lady come to be with child?"

Daphne stops her play and we both turn to look at her in confusion.

"Eloise, what a question!" Lady Bridgerton shoots up from her seat and starts towards her daughter. Her eyes were wide as she tries to get out a coherent sentence.

"I thought one needed to be married," Elosie continued.

"Whatever are you talking about?" Daphne asked, leaning forwards with a puzzled look.

"Yes, where did this even come up, El?" I ask, nodding along with Daphne as we both look at her.

She glances back at us and shakes her head. "Apparently it's not even a requirement."

"Eloise, that is enough," Lady Bridgerton declares, looking at her daughter with wide eyes.

Eloise freezes before reluctantly nodding her head and walking to sit between her two older brothers, Collin and Benedict.

"Oh, well..." Daphne faltered as she watched her sister leave, glancing over at me with a confused look.

"Daphne, you were playing so lovely," Lady Bridgerton says, rubbing her forehead slightly before glancing at her. "Please, do go on."

"Miss? Humboldt is coming?" Daphne's maid, Rose, announces.

Daphne stops her playing once more and looks up at Rose with eager eyes, a smile appearing on her face. "Humboldt is coming?"

"Humboldt?" Lady Bridgerton repeats, rushing towards Rose with confusion.

"Why is Humboldt coming," Hyathincth asks, taking a bit of her biscuit and sitting back in her chair.

"That's what we are all wondering, dear Hyathincth," I say, glancing back at her and winking.

She giggles and grins back at me before turning her attention back towards her mother.

"Has someone arrived, Humboldt?" Daphne asks, stepping away from the piano and moving closer to the door eagerly.

"Caller for Miss Daphne, ma'am," he informs.

Daphne spun on her heels and let out a squeal, laughing as she looked towards her mother.

Lady Bridgerton, looked anything but happy, if anything, she was confused, studdering over her words as she looked at her daughter. "But... the Duke. You- you already have a caller, dearest."

"Well," Daphne looks away from her mother and back towards Humboldt with a smile. "I suppose now I have more."

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"Um, Daph..." I look away from the window and towards Daphne, but she is too enthralled by her callers to hear me.

I purse my lips and look back towards the window, watching as Lord Bridgerton storms toward the house, with Lord Berbrooke following close after him.

A few moments later, I watch as Anthony stormed into the room, his eyes wide when he sees the sheer amount of callers that were inside.

"Dear god," he mutters, glancing around the room.

"I shall speak to my soon-to-be-"

"No," Anthony reaches his hand out and stops Berbrooke from coming any closer, a pleasant smile coming across his face as he looks around the room. "Lord Berbrooke, you must go."

"You said you wanted this handled quickly," Berbrooke exclaims, he glances over at Daphne with a furious expression. "You gave me your word."

"I intend to keep it," Anthony retorts, "you are the only man who proposed, therefore the only one I considered. This is nothing more than a terrible confusion. For now, you must go, along with everyone else."

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-T