Chapter Text
The Bridgertons had returned from their house in countryside, Aubrey Hall, just a few weeks ago. They were back in London to start the preparations for the upcoming season.
Eloise was laying in her bed holding Theo's latest pamphlet. Even she didn't know how many times had she read this pamphlet, just like the previous ones. At the end of this pamphlet was an open invitation to his readers to attend his first ever speech.
How fascinating! she thought. They were introduced when she went to attend a speech like this, but of course Theo was on the crowd alongside her and not the speaker. She smiled on this memory. But, this time people would listen to Theo, she found herself being proud of her friend.
Friend? Was he ever a friend?
She stood up. She would go and attend his speech. It would be the perfect chance to see him and maybe have a talk about their last meeting. The speech was to take place that evening, so she should find an excuse. And that wasn't that easy anymore since she put an end to her long friendship with Penelope.
She was supposed to be her best friend and yet she betrayed her. She was always open to Penelope about everything, even about Theo, she didn't want lies or secrets between them and Penelope was the one that was keeping the biggest secret. Penelope was lady Whistledown, and because of that Penelope lost Eloise and Eloise lost Penelope and Theo.
But Eloise wanted to save one of those friendships and, to this point, Theo was the one that deserved an apology. She had to act, not only talk. That, she said to herself, was something that Penelope was right about.
She left her room and walked down the stairs. She entered the drawing room. Her mother was there, busy with some kind of embroidery. When Violet saw her daughter she said;
"Oh dear child, finally you realised that the house has rooms other than your bedroom?"
Eloise smiled briefly. She wanted to answer in a way that only she knows how to answer, but she didn't. For two reasons; first of all, because she deeply inside knew that her mother was right. Ever since she found out the truth about Penelope, she spent most of her time reading in her room to avoid any question regarding her fallout with Penelope. And secondly, she couldn't allow herself to start a conversation with her mother when she had to find a very convincing excuse in order for her to go and attend Theo's speech.
But, when she was about to sit at the sofa next to her mother, footman John entered the room.
John was, among the house staff, the only one Eloise could call a friend.
He bowed and said;
"Marquis of Ashdown is here for miss Bridgerton", he looked towards Eloise.
She never pursued a man's interest and of course she could never expect a suitor to visit her for a second time and especially off-season.
"Why has this man, or should I say boy, decided to visit me on this very day?! And why me when the last time he came here he certainly enjoyed more the compamy of Hyacinth and Gregory?" Eloise thought out loud without even realising. Hearing the last sentence John almost laughed.
"Eloise don't speak like this about the Marquis! And why shouldn't he visit you on this day specifically?" Violet asked looking suspiciously at her daughter.
Eloise closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Because... Because I need to go to the bookstore...?"
"Are you asking me?"
"No.Yes. I mean, I need to go to the bookstore, but I guess I need your permission first", Eloise knew she would never convince her mother with an excuse like this.
"Very well then. Of course you can go to the bookstore, dearest..." Eloise couldn't believe it. She had an excuse to both avoid a totally unpleasing meeting and attend the speech. She could spend hours upon hours on a bookstore, that wasn't a secret. This would secure enough time for her to go and return from Bloomsbury "...but first you and I will welcome our guest. And if you don't mind I will join you in the bookstore. Lady Danbury recommended a book."
The happy expression on Eloise's face gave its place to a desperate one.
"John, please, say to Marquis of Ashdown that he can visit Eloise"
John obeyed his mistress and looked at Eloise with sympathy.
Eloise reluctantly greeted the young man and barely took part in the conversation he and her mother started. The hours were passing and she was trapped in the drawing room with an annoying boy and her mother. Eloise wanted a saviour immediately.
It was that moment she heard footsteps just outside the room.
"Mother, is Eloise in her bedroom? I need her help to buy some books for a meeting with some other artists that share-"
Benedict didn't finish his sentence while he was walking rapidly into the drawing room looking for his younger sister.
Of course Benedict would save her. Who else?
Benedict remained in his position for a few seconds looking at Eloise, his mother and their guest. He quickly realised that he didn't greet the young man.
"Hello, sir. Good to see you here again", he said.
Then Benedict quickly turned to his mother, totally neglecting the young man who greeted him back.
"Mother, I'm afraid I need to go to the bookstore with a Eloise right now."
"Eloise has a visitor and it's not appropriate to leave him here like that", Violet replied with a calm and steady voice.
"Don't worry about me, lady Violet. Actually, me and my mother plan a trip for the weekend and I have to return home to help with the preparations. It was a pleasure to see you, miss Bridgerton", he said looking towards Eloise.
He left the room after gently bowing towards every Bridgerton that was present in the room. Eloise instantly stood up and thanked Benedict inaudibly so that her mother wouldn't listen to her. He took her hand and smiled.
"Mother, we might come back late", he said and they both turned around to leave the room.
"Not so fast children. As I said before to your sister, I want to buy a book that lady Danbury recommended", Violet said while she was placing her embroidery to the table next to her.
Eloise had completely forgotten their conversation. She was defeated, she had to accept it.
"Mother couldn't you visit the bookstore on another day? We will buy some books for me and Eloise and it won't be easy to carry them home if we have to buy books for you too. Not to mention that you are in the middle of an exceptional work of art", Benedict said using all of his charm as he was looking at his mother's embroidery.
Violet smiled.
"Very well then. I see you are in a hurry and you can't wait for your mother. Go then and, please, don't let Eloise buy more than four books."
Benedict and Eloise smiled and waved goodbye to their mother
As they entered the carriage Benedict said to the footman to take them to a specific bookstore. Eloise was holding tightly Theo's pamphlet. She was the first to speak;
"Thank you so much for saving me from this intolerable boy, but I'm afraid I can't join you."
"You don't want to visit a bookstore? Are you sick?"
"No, I'm totally fine, but I need to go somewhere else".
He looked at her rather curious crossing his hands in front of his chest with squinted eyes.
"Huh, and where is that 'somewhere else'?"
"That, my brother, I cannot tell you".
"Why?"
"Because we have maximum ten minutes until we arrive at the bookstore and at this time I can either tell you where I'm going or give you the book recommendations you asked for. Should I ask why you need my help for books related to art?"
"Yes, I didn't finish my sentence before"
She agreed with a nod.
"Well, I don't need books about art. Those artists seem to share the same thoughts as you. They were supposed to attend a speech today as well. I couldn't follow them but maybe next time. Will you help me?"
Eloise got lost to her thoughts the moment he mentioned the speech. They possibly went to Theo. She didn't know if she had to be happy for that or be worried that with artists around him to talk about their ideas, Theo wouldn't need her friendship.
"Eloise, are you listening to me?"
She was brought back to reality by her brother's voice.
"Yes, of course I'll write you a list with some books."
She ripped the last page of Theo's pamphlet, which was almost blank and with the pencil she always had with her wrote some book titles for her brother. Benedict took the list and before he had the chance to take a look at it, the carriage stopped.
"Well, here we are. Promise me you'll stay away from trouble and you will be back in 3 hours maximum". Benedict said.
It was enough time for her. Now the speech would be over and with some luck Theo would be delayed talking with a like-minded person.
"Don't worry brother, I won't be late. Oh, I also wrote the titles of two books for me. They have a mark next to their title".
"You know what? You might actually be a smart woman. Well, not as smart as you think you are, but still smart", they both smiled.
"Where are we going Miss?", John asked.
Instead of an answer Eloise gave him the pamphlet. John didn't say a word. He just looked at Eloise and smiled.
"Please go as fast as you can".
She would meet him. She knew it.
~•~
Theo Sharpe had just finished a rather interesting conversation with a group of people from the attendance and was about to collect his notes and leave.
He was really pleased with his first speech. The crowd was big enough and they were reacting to his words by asking questions or by telling their own arguments. His speech wasn't a monologue but an open conversation.
As if that wasn't enough he was told that he might have another speech within this month. Exciting, isn't it?
After collecting his papers he took a moment for himself. In the last six months (since he last saw Eloise) he was working really hard. Both at the printshop and with his pamphlets. He, from time to time, was offered a little column to write in political newspapers and he just had a successful -he would dare to say- first speech. And the only person he had to thank for that was Eloise Bridgerton.
She was the one to point out his mistakes, which improved his writing, and also working hard was the only way for him to not think of her, even though he was constanlty failing on that. After all, if you have to remind yourself to forget about someone you still think of that person, right?
He shook his head in an attempt to send away his thoughts and moved towards the exit while he was placing his papers on his pocket. At this momemt Eloise Bridgerton had just entered the building looking around for him.
And a moment before they crashed into each other they stopped. They were both socked and pleased to see the other, the distance between them really small. For a few seconds, maybe even minutes, they were standing still looking at each other.
He was the one to break the silence;
"Miss Bridgerton, what are you doing here?"