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silverhallow · 2 months

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Every Breath You Take

Violet Bridgerton II x Edward Becker (OC) Love Story

Chapter 2: Hope to Hopeless

FOUR YEARS LATER

April 1842

The summer of 1838 had lived long in Edward’s memory, everytime he had stopped at My Cottage in the intervening four years he had longed for another glimpse of Violet, to be introduced to her formally, but he had been unsuccessful.

She had started spending more time at Romney Hall, the Parsonage or even in London with the Viscount and Viscountess so he had not had the pleasure of meeting her but following their brief meeting, he found it easier to speak to Will about his sister.

When she wrote to him at Eton, Edward had started asking what Violet was up to, asking more questions and enquiring into his best friends sister and thankfully William had not really thought that his friend was harbouring a crush on his sister, or at least he had managed to hide it until Edward had asked when his sister was planning on debuting in Society.

“Why are you asking? Are… are you interested in my sister?” William had asked, his brow raised in an amusing joke figuring it was just a joke as he looked at his best friend over his music sheets. Edward had come to visit him at his lodgings at the Royal Academy of Music and William had been packing his things for the end of term and relocating to Bridgerton House where he would be watching his sister’s season unfold.

He had witnessed Charlotte’s debut and season alongside Edward, watching Edmund and Miles attempt to scare off any suitors and there was no way he was going to miss Charlie and Alex attempting to meddle in his sister’s debut season.

He had suspected that Edward had been disappointed last season but he had not realised it was because Violet had not debuted at 17 as was the norm but William had explained their father had had a meltdown at the thought of his daughter debuting and because Charlotte had waited until she was 18, though it had been so she and Violet could have debuted together.

His father and Uncle had put their foot down and said Violet could debut when she was 18 as was the Bridgerton custom so Violet was forced to wait and therefore Edward had to wait.

“I was merely curious” he lied but he felt his cheeks burning giving him away and he saw William’s face light up

“You are interested in Vivi!!” he practically yelled, his voice full of glee and joy as he lowered the music in his hands and burst out laughing.

“It’s not a laughing matter,” Edward said grumpily, crossing his arms over his chest. “I was merely curious as to if she was going to be debuting as I’d like to get to know her more…” he said. It was mostly true. He did want to get to know her better but he did have an ulterior motive, he might only be 20 but his father was close to his 60’s now and he knew it would not be long before his father would either arrange a marriage for him with some horrific woman or would die and leave the title to him and expectations would be on him to marry and he’d have every society mama throwing their daughter at him much like his sister’s had to bare a few years earlier when it was their debuts.

If he could get to know Violet, court her, he could marry her before his father had a chance to either die or marry him off… She was his choice and he had been flawed by her beauty at 14 and seeing her miniatures that William carried that had been painted by her father, he knew without a doubt there would be a queue of men lining up around the ton to have her hand and he wanted to get in there first.

William snorted “Ed, i’ve known you for nearly 10 years, you are a diabolical card player because you cannot lie… I know your “tell”, so be honest with me… and i’ll help you”

“You will?” he asked, blinking in shock, he’d expected to get the stuffing punched out of him as it was almost like an unwritten commandment “thy shalt not covet thy best friends baby sister”

“Well, Charlie and Alex’s friends are all foozlers and imbeciles so there is no way I want Vivi marrying one of them… so if she can marry my best friend, then I can rub it in my brother’s face that I have the better friends and I know you’d never actually do anything to hurt her and if you did i know i’d beat you in a fight” William laughed.

“You wouldn’t” Edward grumbled

“Unless it was a fencing match then i’d agree with you but boxing is not your strong point” William pointed out

“It is not yours either”

“No but I am better at it than you and Charlie is built like my Uncle Phil so even if i didn’t… Charlie would murder you… and Alex would kick your arse and get away with it as he is friends with the Prince Consort”

Edward sighed “very well, you are right there. And yes, I may harbour a small affection for your sister and have done for some time. I wish to try and find a wife before my father tries to pair me off with one of his boorish friend’s daughter’s…” he had to pause and chuckle as William shuddered at the thought on his behalf.

“Not the smythe-smith girls”

“Or worse… he knows the Finch’s through a business connection and threatened their daughter’s on me when I was younger so I'd not put it past him to do it now” he said with a shudder.

“Well when we get to London i am sure I can throw in a good word for you with her” William said honestly “I know my father and brother’s aren’t keen on Vivi making her debut and Charlie and Alex were planning to be basically her guards but I’m sure the have learned from Neddy’s mistakes with Lottie last year…”

Edward shuddered “I heard about that, she was rather furious with her brother”

“I’ve never seen her like that, even after David and Alex accidentally set fire to her favourite doll…” William sighed “but back to my point if you want me to speak to her for you..”

“No, don’t say anything to her please, i’m not sure how it would come across having you basically selling me to your sister. I’d rather try my luck first, but if you could introduce us that would be…” Edward said but he was cut off by a knock at the door.

“Yes?” William said to his door and the doorman to the lodgings appeared

“Beggin’ your pardon Master Bridgerton but there was a messenger here looking for the Viscount, it was urgent and he’s waiting for a reply” he said holding out a note and Edward looked confused as he looked down at it, his sister’s scrawl on the front of the letter.

He had only popped over to William’s lodgings for a few hours and he’d planned to return to Somerhouse, so he didn’t see how anything could be that urgent but as he opened the letter his heart sunk.

Becker House Somerset

Edward, I am sorry to write to you in such haste and interrupt your plans for the season but we need you to return to Somerset with all haste. Your Mama has taken poorly and is confined to her bed and the doctors are telling us the prognosis is not good. Please hurry and return home. Your sister is close to being confined to her rooms with the baby so she cannot do too much and I worry about them. Your Father has disappeared into his rooms and Louisa is in America and I’ve sent a letter but it will be at least two months before she will return and I know it will give your mother great comfort and Jane will need all the help she can get with the babe and your mother. I’ve requested the messenger wait for a reply so I can request the servants sort things for your return. Your sincere friend and brother in law, The Honourable George Spencer

Edward’s heart stopped as he read the words, his mother, the paper fell from his hands as the colour drained from his face, “good god Ed what is wrong?” William asked, worry etched all over his face as he picked up the letter and read it quickly and swore which caused Edward to jump and remember what he had read,

“I’ve got to go” he said, looking haunted

“I’ll come with you” William said but Edward protested “no, i’ll come to Somerhouse with you, make sure you’re okay and I can write to George so you can pack and be on the road quicker”

Edward nodded, knowing it was fruitless to argue but as he climbed into the carriage three hours later, heading out of London and heading home, he was grateful for his friend’s help but he couldn’t help but be afraid for two reasons, was he going to lose his mother, or missing his chance with Violet…

He had to hope no one swooped in and stole her heart before he had a chance to meet her, and he had to hope his friend kept his word and not say a thing to his sister…

But as the darkness fell around the carriage, he felt like hope was nothing but a heartache waiting to happen…

#bridgerton #bridgerton next generation #benophie next generation #violet bridgerton ii #benophie next gen #ash writes #william bridgerton

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unfortunate-arrow · 1 year

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Benedict and Sophie’s children

Mr. and Mrs. Benedict Bridgerton had four children: Charles, Alexander, William, and Violet. All four were known for their quiet and even dispositions, matching their parents’ temperaments. As the eldest, Charles was, perhaps, the least serious. While not an overly outgoing person, Charles found a calling in medicine and was always fascinated by the new developments that came each day. He had an open mind and found it easier to accept the changes to his field than some of his medical peers. Even without holding a title, Charles was considered a highly eligible man to the ton, and many were disappointed when it was announced that he was engaged to a governess. As the second son, Alexander was the most protective. He kept an eye on his younger siblings and cousins, and was often involved in numerous scuffles during his time at school. Alexander found his niche in architecture, combining the creativity that he had inherited from his father with the knack for numbers that he had inherited from his mother. He shocked the ton when he announced his engagement to the duke of Ashbourne’s youngest daughter, as the dowager duchess of Ashbourne had declared that the second son of a second son was not a suitable match for her granddaughter. As the third son, William was the quietest. However, his quiet nature often hid the turmoil that was brewing beneath his calm demeanor as he struggled to find his calling and purpose in life. An eligible choice for the ton’s debutantes, William broke hearts and caused scandal when he announced his engagement to an Irish Catholic woman. As the youngest and only daughter, Violet ended up becoming the most guarded of Mr. and Mrs. Benedict Bridgerton’s children. Having a personality that was extremely similar to her mother’s, Violet attracted her fair share of suitors. However, all of her serious suitors let her down… except for the fourteenth marquess of Insley, who succeeded in fulfilling all that Violet had wanted in a suitor, but also had his own scandalous past to contend with.

Charles Edmund “Charlie” Bridgerton

Born in 1818, Charlie is a momma’s boy. He’s always been very close to Sophie. He looks to her for advice, even more than he does his father. He also trusts Sophie’s advice a little more than he does Benedict’s advice.

Charlie’s godfather is Anthony and his godmother is Posy.

He doesn’t go by “Charlie” until he starts school and there happens to be two other boys in his year who are also named Charles and have a surname starting with B. He also cannot go by “Bridgerton” because his cousins, Edmund and Miles, are also at school at the time as him and then his brothers and more cousins join him.

Charlie stands at 6’1”, making him shorter than his youngest brother, William, but taller than his brother, Alexander. However, both height differences are only an inch. He also has the Bridgerton chestnut hair and Sophie’s green eyes.

Charlie is the Benophie kid most in touch with his emotions. He’s an introvert at heart, but he enjoys spending time with people more than his younger brothers do, although not as much as his sister does. He also sometimes feels like he’s missing out on something when he doesn’t want to go out.

Charlie has always been curious. He wanted to know everything about everything and loved to learn new things. He also likes trying out new ways to do things.

He becomes a doctor. This was driven by feeling helpless after his little brother’s accident and taking a few medical classes during university that ended up completely grabbing his attention. Charlie even readily accepts it when new advances or theories emerge in the field of medicine and will actively rant about them to any willing (or even unwilling) listener. He ends up mostly as a country doctor, and doesn’t mind not being in the city. In fact, he’s quite happy with being a country doctor as long as he can read about the new advances in the cities and try to implement them in his own practice.

In the summer of 1846, Charlie spent a few months visiting his Uncle Gregory, Aunt Lucy, and little cousins. He met his wife, Helena “Nell” Shepherd there. She had been hired to be a governess for Gregory and Lucy’s youngest five children. Charlie falls for her quickly.

Charlie’s marriage to Nell places him on the list of scandalous Bridgerton marriages, especially given the stuff that goes down shortly after they get engaged.

Charlie married Nell in November of 1846, when he was 28 and she was 25.

Charlie and Nell have five children together, Norman, Sophia, Meg, Franklin, and Linus. Their eldest son, Norman Benedict Bridgerton, is eighteen months older than their eldest daughter, Sophia Abigail Bridgerton. Their second daughter, Margaret Helena “Meg” Bridgerton, is two years younger than Sophia. Their second son, Franklin Charles Bridgerton, was born three years after Meg. Their third son, Linus Edmund Bridgerton, was born four years after Franklin.

Alexander Nicholas Bridgerton

Born in 1820, Alexander is a bit of a momma’s boy. However, he’s never had a strong preference for either parent, although he is a bit closer to Sophie. He’s more likely to go to Sophie with his problems, though.

Alexander’s godfather is Colin and his godmother is Eloise.

He never goes by “Alex” or “Alec.” He just never wanted to and never had to. He’s content being “Alexander.”

Standing at 6’0”, Alexander is the shortest of Benedict and Sophie’s three sons. He’s not short, but it does drive him a bit crazy that his younger brother is two inches taller than him. Like his older brother, Alexander has the Bridgerton chestnut hair and Sophie’s green eyes.

Alexander has a protective streak. He doesn’t put up with anyone saying negative things about the people he cares about. He got into a lot of fights during his school days because he refused to put up with bullies picking on the smaller boys. This streak became a little more noticeable after his little brother’s accident.

Alexander is the most artistic of Benedict and Sophie’s four children. This leads him to become an architect, as he also discovers that he has Sophie’s knack for numbers.

Alexander is a talented fencer. He really enjoys fencing and is the only one of his brothers who can regularly beat their sister in fencing bouts.

He is an introvert and prefers to spend time with a select group of people, who do mostly end up being his family. He’s not the biggest fan of balls. Although, he’s not as introverted as his younger brother. He’s also not as extroverted as his older brother or younger sister.

In the 1847 season, Alexander agrees to attend more events than he usually does and at a ball hosted by his aunt and uncle, he sees Lady Emma Rutledge across the dance floor. He’s immediately intrigued by her and eventually falls hard for her. However, Alexander finds himself branded unsuitable by Emma’s grandmother, as he doesn’t have a title and isn’t an appropriate husband for a duke’s daughter.

While he appears uptight, Alexander is, at heart, a romantic and enjoys doing small romantic gestures for the woman he loves. The first ever gesture he does for Emma is gifting her a pair of spectacles after he noticed that she kept squinting while they were dancing and that she continually bumped into people or stepped on their toes. (Emma insists on wearing them at the next ball, despite her grandmother’s insistence that men do not want a lady in spectacles.)

Alexander married Emma in 1847, when he was 27 and she was 23.

Alexander and Emma struggled to have children in their early years of marriage and they only had one successful pregnancy which occurred about nine and a half years into their marriage and resulted in identical twin boys, Vincent and Beckett. Vincent Charles Bridgerton was older than Beckett Nicholas Bridgerton by fourteen minutes.

William Benedict Bridgerton

Born in 1822, William is a bit closer to Benedict than he is Sophie. He doesn’t have a strong preference for either parent, but he is more likely to consult Benedict when he has a problem.

William’s godfather is Gregory and his godmother is Francesca.

William was born prematurely. He was born early enough to scare his parents, but late enough to survive without modern medicine. (Here’s the link to the story I wrote about his birth, as he’s the one Sophie had difficulty with in my Next Gen ‘verse.)

William was also a late talker. He didn’t start talking until he was nearly two, which was influenced by the fact that he was born prematurely.

At the age of ten, while attempting to keep up with his older cousins during a family party at the Hastings estate, William was thrown from his horse. The first one to notice was Edmund, who as the eldest at 17, immediately took charge. He sent David to get the dads and Miles to take Charlie and Alexander back to the house while Oliver calmed William’s horse. It was Edmund’s quick actions that saved William’s life and by some miracle, William walked away without any life altering injuries. Sure, his right arm was badly broken as were both his legs, he had a concussion, and needed stitches in a few different places. But there was nothing permanent… unlike his cousin-in-law, Neil Pemberton, who was left with a limp after his own horse riding accident. William did have to relearn how to write, mostly because he was right-handed and wasn’t able to write for a while. Perhaps the biggest thing was that William never wanted to ride a horse again.

William has always been the quietest of Benedict and Sophie’s four children. He didn’t confide in many people and kept most of his thoughts to himself. This tendency was exacerbated by his accident. Sometimes, it seemed that the only people who could pry things out of him were Benedict, Sophie, and his cousin, Charlotte. He’s often found alone, enjoying things that can be done in his own company.

Due to his quiet and reserved nature, no one really discovers how difficult it is for William to find his profession in life. His brothers both have their own passions for their chosen professions and his sister had her own passions, but William cannot seem to figure out what his passion is or what he wants to do with his life.

Of Benedict and Sophie’s three sons, William is the tallest and stands at 6’2”. He also looks exactly like Benedict. Sometimes, his grandmother thinks she’s looking at his father when he was William’s age.

In 1848, William literally runs into Róisín O’Connolly outside of a shop. He stops to help her pick up her fallen belongings and is immediately smitten. She has an Irish accent and is just a tad awkward around him. He thinks that he’ll never see her again, so imagine his surprise when he sees Róisín in a parlor, arguing fiercely with a politician about the policies dealing with the famine in Ireland. Of course, the idea of someone in the aristocracy marrying an Irish Catholic is met with scorn from most of the ton.

William married Róisín in 1848, when he was 26 and she was 24.

William and Róisín have four children together. They have three daughters named Maeve Sophia Bridgerton, Kathleen Mary Bridgerton, and Ivy Róisín Bridgerton each born two years apart, and a son named Oscar William Bridgerton, who was born three years after their youngest daughter, Ivy.

Violet Maria Bridgerton

Born in 1824, Violet is a daddy’s girl. She’s always been very close to Benedict. She generally looks to him for advice, even more so than she does her mother. However, as she grows older, Violet becomes closer to her mother. She’s also close to her grandmother and namesake.

Violet’s godfather is Phillip and her godmother is Daphne.

Violet is the only one of Benedict and Sophie’s children to inherit Sophie’s blonde hair. She also has Benedict’s hazel eyes. In addition, she has her mother’s more petite stature, standing at 5’4” and looking like she’s in a hole whenever she stands next to her brothers, who are all 6’0” or taller.

Violet is the most extroverted (but she’s still an introvert) of Benedict and Sophie’s four children. Violet has always been the most social. She loved to hang around and chat with her cousins or the aunts. Although, she would disappear, sometimes for hours on end.

However, despite being the most social, Violet is also the most guarded. She has five seasons of poor and horrid suitors, most of whom were only interested in what she could give them. This resulted in Violet beginning to be more guarded with her emotions and herself, mostly with people who were not the family.

From the ages of four to six, Violet brings home injured animals to help them heal. Benedict and Sophie aren’t necessarily impressed, but they do end up adopting a retriever puppy when Violet is five as it was the runt of the litter and no one else wanted the puppy. And Violet got her brothers invested in the puppy too.

Violet took fencing lessons with her brothers and is quite talented. Alexander is the only one who can regularly beat her in bouts. There’s a more even playing field when she fences with Charles or William.

In 1848, Violet decides that she would only do one more season. She’s tired of suitors who aren’t interested in her and think that she would be an easy target to join the power of the Bridgerton family. Luckily, Violet meets Jonathan “Jack” Fullerton, the new (and awkward) marquess of Insley and makes it her mission to make him feel comfortable. He’s different and has a complicated family history, but Violet finds herself losing much of her guard and falling hard for Jack on her crusade to make him feel more comfortable within the ton.

Violet married Jack in 1848, when she was 24 and he was 27.

Violet and Jack have four children together: Thomas, Levi, Josie, and Leo. Their eldest son, Thomas Benedict, is two years older than their second son, Levi Jonathan. Their daughter, Josephine Sophia (or Josie, as she’s more commonly known) is three years younger than Levi. Their youngest son, Leopold Harry (or Leo, as he’s more commonly known) is eighteen months younger than their daughter, Josie.

Anthony & Kate’s children • Colin & Penelope’s children • Daphne & Simon’s children • Eloise & Phillip’s children • Francesca & Michael’s children • Gregory & Lucy’s children • Hyacinth & Gareth’s children

#charles bridgerton #alexander bridgerton #william bridgerton #violet bridgerton ii #bridgerton next generation #bridgerton next gen #benedict x sophie #benophie #benophie babies #bridgerton #check out acefgh’s kiddos too!#i’ve also noticed that there’s apparently a running thread through my bng ‘verse: horse riding accidents (not always directly tho)#william + neil pemberton + timothy hatcher + christopher barrington + isabella st. clair… all have some history with horse accidents #am i the only one who thinks that violet wasn’t the difficult birth?#i don’t think that sophie had difficulty with violet #it was william… who was born like five weeks prematurely and who they stressed over #(ben swears that this boy aged them 10 extra years solely from those two incidents)#ben also totally wanted violet’s middle name to be sophia #but sophie didn’t want that so he decided that they should use maria instead #ps: i absolutely hate the idea that ben plays favorites with his kids (hate it with violet i)#like this is the man who felt so lost within his family that he would never favor one kiddo over another #like yes he has a special relationship with violet but he makes time to spend with his boys #and purposely tries to make sure his kids are all equally represented in his life #idk why but william’s giving me professor vibes like he teaches at cambridge or oxford or something

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white-queen-lacus · 4 months

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God bless the Moriarthree~

#yuukoku no moriarty #moriarty the patriot #yuukoku no moriarty the remains #albert james moriarty #william james moriarty #louis james moriarty #albert my love you look so handsome~~~~#bridgerton bros vibes~~~~

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bookofbonbon · 1 year

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William & Edward coming to Charlotte with Prince Regent George cocksure of themselves because they’ve found a loophole and gained the upper hand because George has to approve their marriages and ‘he hasn’t approved them and he will not’ only for Georgie to immediately approve their marriages after Charlotte tells him to 😭😂

#the tap on William’s arm 😂#Queen Charlotte #Bridgerton #queen charlotte: a bridgerton story #Queen Charlotte spoilers #Bridgerton spoilers

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nope-nora · 3 months

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happy valentine’s day!

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deuces-sunglasses · 5 days

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now that we’ve got Francescas first husband, i NEED Kedar Williams-Stirling to play his cousin and her second husband :)

he’s even got STIRLING in his name!

#DO YOU SEE THE VISION😭😭#bridgerton ships #bridgerton #bridgerton season 3 #francesca bridgerton #john stirling #william stirling #bridgerton netflix #bridgerton books #when he was wicked #bridgerton spoilers #bridgerton season three

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randomgirl005 · 4 months

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loz37 · 2 years

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My favourite aesthetic, behind the scenes period drama. The mystique of the surroundings and clothes ruined by phones and coats and shiz. Magnificent.

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itsmecoolpersonsstuff · 3 months

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FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEE PALESTINE WILL BE FREEE!!!!!! Never stop takin it about it y’all!!!!!

#ellie williams x reader #clarisse x reader #dick grayson x reader #batman #gojo fluff #bridgerton x reader #abby anderson fluff #megumi fushiguro x reader #jason todd x y/n #batfamily x batsis

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thesimoneashley · 7 months

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🖤 Simone Ashley photographed by Greg Williams for Hollywood Authentic (2022) 🖤

Source

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bridgertonbabe · 3 months

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I got genuinely excited every time I saw you post something 😅 May I ask a HP question: how will the yule ball turns out for each Benophie babies?

Well I can tell you how a Yule Ball turned out for one of the Benophie babies (purely because I haven't got something for all of them 🤭)...

"Hey, sissy." William smirked as he swung his bag down and dropped into the seat next to Violet, who rolled her eyes in lieu of greeting him.

"Shush!" the disdainful librarian, Madam Hinchcliffe, hissed over at him, giving him a parting glare before she stalked off.

"What's that your working on?" William enquired, paying no mind to the sour-faced librarian as he peered over at Violet's homework.

"Any particular reason you've come to annoy me or you just being your normal irritating self?" his sister shot back without raising her eyes from the parchment in front of her.

"Well it's nice to see you and all." William snorted. "Get out of the wrong side of the bed this morning, hm?"

"I just want to focus on my Arithmancy in quiet."

"Seriously though, what's got you in a mood?" William continued to poke. "Jealous that Lottie, Aggie and Penny all have dates for the ball?"

Finally he had said something that had gotten his little sister's attention as she whipped her head towards him. "How'd you find out they have dates?"

"Pft! Are you under the impression that Georgie doesn't spread gossip like she's employed by the Daily Prophet?" he raised an eyebrow and his sister responded by grumbling under her breath in acknowledgement. "There, there sissy. I'm sure someone will ask you to the ball." he assured her in a teasing tone, giving her a patronising pat on the back for intended irritating emphasis.

"For your information I have been asked!" she snapped back, cracking her neck round to throw him a pinched look.

"Okay, then why are you so pissy about it?"

At this, Violet's frown ceased and she cast her gaze back to her essay. "I turned them down."

"How come?" William cocked his head curiously. "Not good enough for my precious ickle sister's high standards?"

"Fuck off." she muttered.

"No go on; tell me, please?" he begged her. "I want to know why you turned them down. What, too ugly?"

"Nothing's wrong with him." Violet hissed. "I just couldn't go with him, that's all."

"And why not?" William pushed.

"Because if I take him up on the offer then Bernadette will be all by herself and I don't want to abandon her like that." she explained. "We thought it'd be like last year again, the five of us; Charlotte, Aggie, Penny, Bernadette and I, and we'd have a fun night altogether. But then the others all got asked and they said yes and it's not fair on Bernadette to play the ninth wheel to the rest of us."

William genuinely hadn't expected his sister's reasoning for turning down a date to the Yule Ball but now that Violet's best friend Bernadette had been brought into the equation he understood why Violet had rejected a potential date. His heart warmed for his little sister's loyalty to her friend and though he enjoyed teasing her to no end, he could acknowledge just how selfless and kind-hearted she was in picking Bernadette over some guy.

"Well what if you asked the guy who asked you if he had a friend who could go with Dette instead? Then she wouldn't be by herself." William suggested, seeing no reason why the problem couldn't be easily solved.

Violet looked sadly to her brother. "Will, you know people are cruel to her." she sighed in a small empathetic voice. "They're mean and nasty just because of her size and I just... I don't want to run the risk of asking Grant if one of his friends would ask her only to have them laugh in my face. Bernadette deserves better than that, she shouldn't be made to feel bad about herself. Not when she's one of the best people I know."

William chewed on the inside of his lip, frustrated to acknowledge that people at school were indeed very cruel towards Bernadette when she didn't deserve it. He had spent the last five years trying his best to protect his sister's best friend from the school bullies and the bitchy jibes they aimed at her, and he had even gotten himself into trouble for punishing those who dared to breathe a bad word against her when they were in his presence. He couldn't understand how people could be so shallow and rude especially when Bernadette was the sweetest and one of the cutest people he had ever met. In fact, he was so fond of her that she was one of the few people he never teased or played pranks on - which speaks volumes of just how much he regarded the girl.

In that moment, William knew the perfect solution to solve the matter at hand.

"Vi, you're a very good friend." he said to his sister in all sincerity. "But you should go take up that offer for a date to the ball."

"Will, I just told you-"

"Yes, I heard you. But don't you worry; I'll make sure Dette's got a date." he told her and got to his feet.

"William, please don't confund anyone." Violet groaned.

"Hey! What sort of person do you take me for?" William scoffed.

"The person who confunded Denny Horlicks into mooning your NEWT Defence Against the Dark Arts class."

"That was different." he shrugged off (plus Denny deserved it for making fatphobic comments about Bernadette).

"And don't slip anyone any love potions either!" she hissed as he swaggered away.

"Violet, Violet, Violet." he shook his head in amusement. "O ye of little faith."

💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫

Later on that afternoon William managed to track down Bernadette as she came down the stairs from Ravenclaw tower.

"Hey, Bernadettie!" he chirped.

"William!" she squeaked in surprise.

"On your way to dinner?" he guessed and she nodded. "Great, I'll walk with you the rest of the way."

As they made their way to the Great Hall he asked her how her day was, cracking a few jokes and prompting her trademark adorable giggles that he always delighted in hearing.

"I've got a question for you." William said as they reached the last flight of stairs.

"What is it?" Bernadette asked, her tone bright and laced with lingering amusement from his last quip.

"Fancy being my date to the Yule Ball?"

"Your - oh!" she squealed as all of a sudden her foot missed a step and she nearly ended up falling down the stairs - but luckily William caught her by the waist and steadied her as quickly as she had lost her balance.

"It's alright, I've got you." he assured her and only let go once he was sure she was safe. "So how about it?" he asked and continued making his way down the stairs.

"You... you want to go with me?" she questioned him incredulously as she trotted after him.

"Yeah. Why else would I ask?" he shot her an amused grin.

"But why would you want to go with me?" she asked him.

He drew to a halt and turned to her, and then he noticed the uncertain glimmer in her eyes, questioning why he would want to go with her out of anyone else.

"Well I figured we'd have fun together." he told her simply. "Unless you planned to go with someone who's more fun than me-"

"No, no, of course not." Bernadette giggled nervously.

"And as this is going to be my last Yule Ball I want to spend it with the person I like the most - and there's no one at this school I like more than you, Dette."

"R-really?" she asked, her eyes shining up at him in awe.

"Please; you're the best person here by a mile. Do you know how bored I'd be if I didn't have you around?"

Bernadette's face warmed from his flattery - flattery he meant in all sincerity. She was one of the most genuine people he had met at Hogwarts; there was no side to her or any sort of facade, and that was the very reason why he thought so highly of her.

"So what's your answer?" he smiled at her. "Will you do me the honour of being my date?"

"Yes." she nodded eagerly. "Yes, of course I will!"

Instantly William mirrored her ecstatic little face and celebrated by squeezing her into a hug, before draping an arm around her shoulder and leading her into the Great Hall.

"You and I, Bernadettie, we're gonna have the best night ever!" he declared assuredly.

💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫

Violet's face had been a picture when he revealed he would be Bernadette's date to the ball, knowing full well she had expected him to use some sort of underhand means to go about acquiring a date for her best friend; "Now really, Vi. You've really got to stop holding me in such low opinion." he had smirked as she gawped at him.

"And Bernadette agreed?" Violet asked before her expression of surprise swiftly changed into a frown. "Hang on, you didn't confund her did you?"

"Of course not!" he scoffed. "Dettie's thrilled to be going with me. We've even discussed what dress she's wearing so I can colour-coordinate." he smugly informed her. "So now that's all settled, why don't you run along and take that guy up on his offer."

Violet narrowed her eyes at him as she got to her feet, peeved as she generally tended to be with him, but then before she left she quickly ducked down and gave him a hug.

"Thanks, Will."

"No problem, sissy." he grinned and then watched her hurry off to get her date to the ball back on track.

Two weeks later William was leaning against the wall outside of Ravenclaw tower when the door opened and out stepped Violet and Bernadette all dressed up for the winter formal.

"Wow, Dettie!" William beamed as he took in the sight of his date as she dazzled in her sapphire gown. "You look incredible."

"Thank you." she smiled back at him sweetly.

"And I guess you made an effort too, sissy." he said to Violet, who flipped him off in response.

William escorted Bernadette and his sister down to the entrance of the Great Hall, where Violet met her date for the evening before they all headed in. There they met their cousins and soon enough they began taking photos altogether and while William always made it his mission to photobomb others pictures and pull the dumbest faces possible, he did ensure he and Bernadette took a few nice photos together so she could have some pictures from the night where he wasn't being a total prat as per usual.

"I can't believe Vi said there was nothing wrong with him." William remarked as he and Bernadette drank some punch and watched Violet take to the floor with her date.

Bernadette turned to him with a preemptive amused look on her face. "And what is it you think is wrong with him, may I ask?" she enquired, her lips twitching in excitement to hear his answer.

"I mean; what kind of name is Grant?" William said and instantaneously made Bernadette snicker. "Like for real, I can't believe his parents looked at their newborn baby and went lets call him Grant. Seriously, based on name alone I'm surprised Violet agreed to go with him. Merlin almighty I hope this doesn't develop into anything serious between them. I wouldn't live it down, having a Grant for a brother-in-law. Like imagine the father of my future niece or nephew being a Grant. Having to make small talk with a Grant at family get-togethers."

"William, stop!" Bernadette wheezed from his endless disdain for the name.

"Fucking Grant. Doesn't even sound like a name, does it?"

"Please." Bernadette gasped for breath, clutching her stomach with one hand and his arm with another.

"You get my point." William relented, more than satisfied with tickling Bernadette into borderline hysteria for his running commentary on his sister's date's stupid name. "But good for Violet. Being able to see past his name. She's so kind like that." he smirked as he prompted another snort out of Bernadette.

"She really is." Bernadette giggled along.

"I mean I'm assuming he must have more going for him than his name... and his dancing." he commented as he watched Grant shuffle awkwardly on the dancefloor.

"Probably." Bernadette sighed - but it was a response that immediately piqued William's interest and he quickly observed Bernadette watching his sister and her date warily.

"Hang on; you think there's something wrong with him too." he deduced. "Beyond the name and dancing, obviously."

"No." Bernadette replied in a tone of voice William knew full well she only used when she was lying to be kind.

"Yes you do! If you really liked him for Vi then you would be all girly and excited for her and hyping her up and cheering her on; but you're not. You don't think he's good enough for her!" he clicked his fingers.

"No, no; it's not that."

"Well it must be something. Come on! You can tell me."

"It's not that I don't think he's good enough or anything... it's just my own personal thing." Bernadette said, and William recognised right away that she was quietly dismissing her own feelings on the boy for the sake of her best friend's happiness.

"You're entitled to your own opinion, Dette." he reminded her in a more measured tone, removing all gossipy excitement to let her know she could open up to him. "I won't breathe a word to anyone about it, I promise."

For good measure he even extended his little finger out to her, letting her know he meant his word. Bernadette shyly smiled and shook his pinky with her own.

"Well?" he gently prompted.

"It's just..." she hesitantly sighed before continuing, "it's just whenever Grant comes up to us to talk to Violet... I'm sorry, it's stupid." she shook her head.

"It's not stupid, Dette." he assured her, sensing something must genuinely be causing her concern about Grant for her to be so reluctant to share.

"Well he... he doesn't look at me." she deflated. "He doesn't speak to me, he doesn't acknowledge me; it's like Violet's by herself. And I get it; he's just there to talk to Violet, that's his main focus, no reason to even bother with me... but like... even a glance would be polite, you know? Just the bare minimum acknowledgement that I'm also standing there instead of acting like... like I don't even exist."

William's heart sunk as he listened to Bernadette express her feelings on the matter, especially as he quickly reflected on the brief interactions from earlier on in the evening with his sister's date. Grant had greeted him and Violet when they arrived outside the Great Hall, and his sister's date had even told him how funny he found his commentary at the last Quidditch match; but now William thought back on it, not once did Grant say a word to Bernadette or even look her way.

"It's silly I know, it's entirely my own issue. And to be honest I shouldn't have even said anything. I mean even if he did acknowledge me it'd probably be with a look of disgust, like I'm something gross he just stepped in, so it's probably for the best."

William clenched his jaw, incensed that Bernadette had been made to feel so awful about herself that she felt she had to make do with people either being cruel to her face or rude and refusing to even see her properly. He found it appalling that anyone could treat another person like that, that Bernadette should be made to feel lowly and unworthy of anyone's time or energy. How most of their peers could treat her so wickedly was beyond him; how could they not see just how sweet and lovely and delightful she was?

"Dette, listen here." he exhaled as he tried to keep a lid on his emotions (and thus prevent himself from pulling some stunt to ruin everyone's night to avenge Bernadette's hurt and sadness), and rested a hand on her back. "You don't deserve that. You don't deserve any single person making you feel like shit, like you're unworthy of being treated with basic decency. You deserve so much better, not just from that twat but from every last person who has ever made you feel less than. I wish I could cure every last one of them of being foul loathsome evil little cockroaches and make them open their eyes to just how wonderful a person you are, hand on heart I really do - but you know what; fuck them. Fuck every last one of them. It's their loss that they haven't made the effort to get to know you, that they don't see you for the amazingly talented, intelligent, witty, beautiful person that you are. They're not worthy of you, Dette, and I cannot wait for the day when you outshine every last one of those actual fucking losers."

Bernadette gazed at him in awe, her mouth hanging open as he finished his gloriously impassioned speech, never having heard him speak with such intense sincerity before - in fact, even William was a little taken aback by himself, though not by his sentiments; he meant every last word of them.

"William, I... that's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me." she uttered.

"You're the best person I know, Dette." he stated. "Simple as that. And just remember whenever you feel like nobody sees you; I see you. I can't not see you. I wouldn't ever not want to see you. You're everything that's right with the world."

"Oh..." she exhaled with teary-eyes. "Oh, Will."

He didn't hesitate to pull her into a hug, holding her tightly, letting her know just how much he valued her, how much he adored her, how he'd do anything to make her feel the best she possibly could about herself.

Once he was positive she was feeling better about herself, he of course insisted it was time to dance ("and show that twat what dancing with rhythm's meant to look like"). Bernadette's mood lifted even more as they danced about together, loudly singing along with the rest of the crowd to the band, spinning each other around and just having the time of their lives.

Eventually they exhausted themselves out and settled at their table where several of William's cousins and their dates were also catching their breaths. They sat around chatting and laughing until Violet came marching up to the table and right away William knew his sister was upset.

"Vi, what is it?" Penny asked.

"Grant." Violet pouted.

"What did he do?" William's face darkened, already gearing himself up to put the little shit in his place for upsetting both his sister and Bernadette.

"He's just a jerk!" Violet huffed and dumped herself into a chair. "Can't believe I even agreed to be his date."

"Did he say anything?" Bernadette asked, grabbing her hand to comfort her.

"He was just being vulgar and insinuating stuff-"

"Do you want me to say something?" William asked, his frown deepening the longer he listened to his sister's melancholy.

"No, it's fine. Charlotte wiped the floor with him anyway." his sister sighed and immediately William's temper was quelled, knowing Charlotte would have given the pathetic twat hell for whatever he had said to Violet.

Despite the disappointment she had suffered, after half an hour of her brother, best friend, and cousins all boosting her up Violet was sufficiently feeling much better about herself to not let some stupid boy spoil her night. Along with Bernadette and her cousins she returned to the dancefloor to let loose and enjoy herself and after watching Violet and Bernadette cracking up as they danced together, William decided to head outside to get some fresh air.

He was taking his time stretching his legs around the rose garden, contemplating what prank to pull on Grant to get back at the guy for upsetting his sister and Bernadette when he rounded the corner and stumbled across Nina Chenoweth - Gryffindor chaser, rumoured half-Veela, and the crush of pretty much every single male student at Hogwarts - leaning against the wall with a cigarette in her hand.

"William Bridgerton." she grinned as she brought the cigarette away from her lips. "Punch bowl not spiked, no one's formal-wear stained, no firecrackers being set off..." she shook her head with faux disappointment. "You're losing your touch."

"Eh. It's my last year. Figured I may as well kick back and enjoy the festivities without disrupting them." he shrugged off with a grin.

"How very noble of you." she exhaled with amusement. "And it was very cute of you to ask that Bertrand girl to be your date." she added with a sincere lilt to her tone. "Did your sister ask you to do that?"

"No, no, no. I asked her." he informed her, moving a few idle steps forward. "My sister had turned down a date because she didn't want her friend to be on her own, so I asked Bernadette so she didn't feel left out."

"That's so sweet of you." Nina cooed. "Just so long as you didn't lead her on or give her the wrong idea,"

"No, of course not." William scoffed. "She's sweet and adorable but I don't see her like that. And I'd never do anything to make her think there's something there when it's not."

"Ah, so no kisses under the mistletoe for you two?" she teased.

"Merlin no." William snorted. "Absolutely not. That's the last thing I'd want to go anywhere near with Bernadette."

"Anyone else you fancy standing underneath it with instead?"

His eyes met Nina's and she held his gaze as she exhaled downward before dropping her stub to the ground and squashing it.

"Maybe." he replied with a crooked grin slowly pulling on his lips and he took another step forward.

"Sure would be a shame for those lips of yours to go unkissed." Nina breathed, reaching out and pulling him in by the lapel of his jacket.

"Mhm, it would be a shame." he hummed as his hands traced along her hips, riding along the red satin of her slinky dress as he eyed up the curves she had in all the right places.

"Well let me fix that." Nina uttered before her lips met his.

William couldn't believe his luck as he kissed her, grinning into their snogs as his hands made their way across the dips of her body, pushing her up against the wall as she hungrily explored his mouth with her tongue and ran her hands through his thick curls.

His night truly couldn't have gone any better; there was no way he'd ever have to contend with Grant worming his way into any sort of relationship with his sister, he had provided Bernadette with the best night possible and boosted her self-esteem, and now he was getting hot and heavy with the girl of every boys dream; things couldn't have worked out more perfectly for him.

(Except unbeknownst to him, the girl he had asked to the ball - the girl he had no idea had fallen in love with him from their very first meeting - had overheard the way he had scoffed at the idea of there ever being something between them and dismissing any suggestion of ever kissing her like it was one big joke, and had watched with oncoming tears in her eyes as he made out with the most gorgeous girl in the school. Far be it from providing Bernadette with the best night possible and boosting her self-esteem, he had unwittingly given her the worst night of her entire life by breaking her heart in two and shattering any hope that he could ever love her back.)

#asks #harry potter au #benophie babies #william bridgerton

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silverhallow · 1 year

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William, Alex and Charles Bridgerton captured by their mother in a rare moment they weren’t fighting.

#bridgerton #William bridgerton #Alexander bridgerton #Charles bridgerton #bridgerton next gen #Benophie next gen #benophie #sophie beckett

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unfortunate-arrow · 2 years

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In Which William Bridgerton is Born Prematurely

Summary: “A third child did not come early.” Or, William Benedict Bridgerton makes his appearance a few weeks earlier than his parents expected. (Prompt: Benophie babies for Benophie Week)

Setting: My Cottage, 1822

Warnings: Discussions of premature birth and possible child death

Benedict Bridgerton didn’t know much about pregnancy or childbirth. However, he had been relatively certain that a third child did not come early. But that belief had been shaken hours earlier, when Mr. Crabtree informed that his wife had gone into labor a month early, give or take a week or two. A third child did not come early. A first child could, usually as the result of a couple having premarital relations.

“It’s too soon, Benedict. What if he’s very, very ill?” Sophie whimpered, her green eyes welling with tears, and Benedict would give anything to remove the pain and fear in her eyes… emotions that were probably reflected in his own eyes as well.

“I know, love. I know,” he responded, squeezing her hand tightly.

“Benedict?”

“Hmm?”

“When the baby starts coming, please stay. I don’t want to be alone. Please don’t leave me this time.”

He blinked back the tears, hastily wiping them away with the back of his free hand. “The doctor will be here,” he replied.

Sophie shook her head. “No. I want you. I… I’m scared, Ben.”

“Okay, Soph, I’ll stay. And I'm scared, too.”

Sophie’s lip trembled and tears threatened to spill out of her brilliantly green eyes. He paused for a moment, before shaking his head and making the decision to climb into the bed next to his wife. His lips pressed against her forehead and temple, as he muttered sweet nothings in the hopes of providing comfort.

Benedict knew this was risky. Even though women had been doing it for all of history, it was risky. Women died, babies died. It seemed nothing short of a miracle that his mother had survived eight births and hadn’t lost a single child. He didn’t know how his father had done it, waiting for hours on end for something women routinely died from. (Hell, he didn’t even know how he had managed to wait during Charles’s and Alexander’s births.) Sophie’s mother had greeted death after, or maybe even during, birth.

“Benedict?” Her voice broke his trance.

“Yes, my love?” he asked.

“I think this one will be harder than Charles or Alexander.”

“Me too. They seem so easy, when compared to this.”

They fell into an easy, yet tense, silence. Benedict’s fingers combed gently through Sophie’s blonde locks.

“Who do you think he will look like?” she asked.

“She will look like you,” he replied, keeping up the same pointless argument that they’d had during each of Sophie’s pregnancies. She thought the baby would be a boy, while he thought the baby would be a girl. It didn’t matter either way.

“The boys both have your hair.”

“With your eyes.”

“I want one with your eyes.”

He smiled. It was true. Charles and Alexander had both inherited his dark chestnut hair and her brilliantly green eyes. Somehow, the boys were an amazing mix of the two of them, each in their own little ways. Charles had his nose and Sophie’s mouth. Alexander had his ears and Sophie’s nose. He’d wager that this little one would be the same.

The knock on the door had him kissing Sophie’s head and then slipping out of the guest room to answer the door to let the doctor in. Both Charles and Alexander had been born in that room, because it was easier and then Sophie could be gently moved to the clean bed in their room with the baby. It was highly unusual, but Sophie had insisted on it with Charles. It had stuck and who was he to determine how Sophie gave birth?

It was nearly midnight before Benedict, Sophie, and a tiny baby boy were quietly ensconced in the master bedroom of My Cottage. Sophie had fallen asleep the moment she had hit their bed, which left Benedict marveling at his third son, a finger stroking over the baby’s smooth cheek. The baby was tiny, much smaller than either of his older brothers (who were currently sleeping at the Crabtrees’ daughter’s home). He’d also only emitted soft, weak cries. The doctor had told them that the baby’s lungs would probably be weak and that the next few days and weeks would be critical in determining the baby’s survival.

“Ben? How is he?” Sophie’s sleep roughened voice made him look up from the baby.

“He’s okay. Still breathing, thank God,” he replied.

“Can I try feeding him again?”

“Of course. Do you need any help?”

“Just hold him until I’m ready.”

“Okay.”

He waited as Sophie positioned herself and then gently handed her the baby. He woke up at the handover, but thankfully was receptive to Sophie’s attempts to feed him.

“He still needs a name,” Benedict whispered.

“What about William? I remember seeing that it has something to do with strength. And after you. We haven’t done that yet,” Sophie replied, stroking the baby’s head as he nursed.

“William Benedict Bridgerton. It suits him.”

“But he’ll live right?”

“God willing, yes.”

“He’s eating. That’s really good.”

“Yes, but he’s not truly crying yet, Soph. The doctor said that his lungs might be weak.”

“I just want William to be strong, just like his papa and brothers.”

“Me too, darling. Me too. Should we let the family know?”

“Maybe your mother? She might know something.”

“Okay. I’ll write to her now, and ask Mother not to tell anyone.”

He stood from the bed and crossed the room to the desk. He took out some paper and scribbled a quick note to his mother. He sealed it and walked quickly to the place where outgoing mail was to rest before returning to his wife and new son.

“Are you disappointed with another boy?” Sophie asked, once he had settled on the bed again and William secured in his arms again.

“No. I could never be disappointed with our children. I wouldn’t trade our boys for anything. Would I still like a girl? Yes, but not instead of our sons,” he replied.

Sophie smiled, and her head came to rest on his shoulder. “I’m scared. Charles and Alexander were both healthy. William isn’t.”

“I know, Sophie. I’m scared too. He’s so much smaller than either of them. But he’s breathing and eating. That’s got to be a good sign.”

“I don’t think that I’ll ever stop worrying, Benedict.”

“I know. I think that’s just part of having children. We worry over Charles and Alexander and they’re fine. Unfortunately, all we can do is wait.”

“Are you going to sketch him?”

“William? Of course. I did Charles and Alexander when they were babies. Of course, I’m going to draw William, too. No matter what happens, William Benedict Bridgerton will get a portrait.”

#benophie week #benophie #benedict x sophie #benedict bridgerton #sophie beckett #william bridgerton #benophieweek22 #bridgerton #my writing #bridgerton next gen #william is born early enough to scare his parents but late enough that he still survives with the limited medicine #i also have two more preemie!william fics!!#(the first strong cry & a reprisal of “are you disappointed with another boy?”)#which let’s have more of benedict absolutely adoring his sons as much as his daughter

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eyesfullofsttars · 26 days

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— I can't decide if it's a choice getting swept away, I hear the sound of my own voice asking you to stay. . .

sypnosis; the beginning of the relationship between duchess abigail and the new viscountess ellie seems complicated by their own prejudices against each other, causing animosity. although, as they get to know each other better, they may be able to find a middle ground, right?

notes; just finished the second season of bridgerton (way too late...) and got totally obsessed, so i ended up here writing a little something about the beginning of the relationship between these two in a similar universe... (even though none of them wear dresses, i dunno why, but i just can't picture ellie or abby in those dresses!!!)

warnings: none! just historical inaccuracies

The beginning of their relationship sparked a genuine scandal, with Abigail brimming with prejudice toward Ellie's poor manners and defiant nature, never fearing to question everything, excessively abusing her newfound position as a newcomer to the Miller family.

Ellie, on the other hand, proudly rebuffed Abby's feigned courtesy, fully aware of her true sentiments. After all, it was the prevailing opinion when eyes scrutinized her from head to toe.

Thus, their relationship evolved into a constant competition at balls, where they vied to invite more ladies to dance, paying more attention to each other than to their own partners. (Even if Williams detests dancing with her life)

Ellie would purposely brush past Abby, aiming to test her patience, yet she couldn't help but stare whenever Anderson rolled up her sleeves and flexed her muscles, though she would never admit it aloud.

Abigail would murmur uncertain rumors about Ellie in the company of her friends, relishing in how Williams had mastered the skill of lip-reading to uncover secrets and complain about it.

"God! I can read her lips from here and tell she's speaking ill of me," Ellie comments to Dina, completely outraged, rolling her eyes and letting out an annoyed huff, unable to believe it.

Dina simply looks at her curiously. "Why are you even looking at Anderson's lips?" she questions teasingly, causing Ellie to release an even more exasperated sigh.

Though the Anderson dukes' family maintained a cordial relationship with the Miller family, who held the title of viscounts, Jerry often accompanied Joel on hunts, enjoying long evenings discussing business and their families, both having daughters in their legacy.

Thus, in the summer, while in the countryside, Ellie and Abby found themselves forced to spend even more time together, much to their horror, competing in croquet matches in the vast gardens. Ellie used every turn to distance the ball as far as possible from Abby.

However, Anderson returned the gesture, using her strength to push her away, taking up more space than necessary, blocking Williams' view for her next strategic shot, ruining the few occasions Ellie decided to focus on herself.

"It was my turn!" Ellie exclaims, utterly indignant, continuously tapping Abby's shoulder to get her attention. "Move!"

"Miss Williams, you're only going to use your turn to sabotage me, aren't you? Leave me alone," Abigail replies, rolling her eyes and not even paying much attention, too focused on calculating the perfect shot.

"You're tricking. How low you've stooped, Anderson," Ellie mutters under her breath, defeated, crossing her arms and stepping back to judge her with her gaze. "Unfair..."

Ultimately, the supposedly friendly match ended with both arguing, demanding the other to surrender, but neither would yield to the absurd, pathetic victory of a simple family game aimed at improving their relationship.

That seemed impossible until one night, when Ellie, unable to sleep, wandered through the grand corridors of the country house admiring the artwork, she encountered Abby, who seemed to be in the same predicament.

That night, they argued again, but this time not about each other, but about their views on the art talent reflected in the paintings, with Ellie contradicting Abigail, who reluctantly gave her the floor knowing she was an artist, albeit ashamedly denying it.

"You're much more intellectual than I am..." Abby whispers that statement near Ellie's ear with a slight smile on her lips, which the latter isn't sure whether to interpret as genuine or playfully teasing.

"Not at all." Williams quickly shakes her head, her hand moving to tuck a strand of Abigail's blonde hair behind her ear deliberately and effortlessly. "You're not so bad yourself..."

"Shut up." Abigail responds teasingly, letting out a small laugh, her warm breath brushing against Ellie's freckled cheek. Without hesitation, she leans in to accept the touch she offers. "Accept the compliment, will you?"

"You're so irritable, Miss Anderson." Ellie retorts with the same tone, not backing down but also not feigning any innocence about her own words.

Well, it seems they can't even agree on that!

And although they tried to ignore it, that night they both went to bed with a shared complicit smile. Ellie continued to compete relentlessly with Abby, who never seemed to be beaten, willing to play along without any annoyance, but rather enjoying it.

Upon their return, the rumors about Williams ceased within society. And if anyone dared to spread misinformation, Anderson would swiftly intervene, considering it unnecessary to mention Ellie's surname, not because he liked her, but because it was... repetitive.

Thanks to that encounter in the countryside, perhaps Anderson softened towards Williams. They spoke sparingly, but always about specific topics, something they found difficult with others. In Abby's case, it seemed everyone agreed with her due to her position, while with Ellie, no one seemed willing to listen.

And what better than two intellectual women arguing over tea time, where tranquility was supposed to reign? There they were, contradicting each other, but no longer with the desire to feel superior or with pure malice derived from dislike, but rather finding pleasure in the discussion, spending hours without reaching a conclusion.

Over time, Ellie and Abby's discussions became a regular ritual, a moment awaited by both to exchange ideas and opinions on various topics, from politics to art, literature, and science.

"You can never grant credence to such thoughts. It's illogical," Ellie argues with a smug smile, leaning back in her seat with her legs comfortably spread, albeit not in a very ladylike manner. "They should revoke your right to speak."

"And yours to partake in society," Abby retorts wryly, tapping her foot against Ellie's ankle to prompt her to sit upright and formally, even if they were alone.

"Oh, please," Ellie sighs exhaustively, rolling her eyes and ignoring Abby's indirect commands. "I've seen you sit the same way countless times."

"Not that I can recall," Abigail counters, shaking her head slowly, adjusting in her seat similarly, sitting rather ungracefully with her knees apart, her arms resting there, holding her chin with one hand.

Williams, once seen as an intruder, was now a necessary companion in Abigail's life, sought after at every gathering, dance, or event, for a chat, even if only for a few minutes of silly, sarcastic banter. It seemed Ellie was able to amuse Abby like no one else.

Ellie, on her part, was more than pleased to leave behind her indifference toward Abby. Now she greeted her without hesitation, with a smile on her freckled face, offering her hand with the need to maintain minimal contact. She always found herself standing by Abby's side at balls, no longer seeking other dance partners.

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