Chapter Text
That morning Nikola Romanov woke up in a bed in the Danbury house. It all happened so quickly. One minute she was the princess of Russia, the next she was being shipped off to England to survive. She never wished to be a princess, she never asked for any of this. She was simply born as one. She knows she should be grateful to be alive but she certainly didn't feel like it. She could still hear the screams, and the loud bangs, she could still smell the gunpowder in the air. Her family was dead. Now she didn't know that for sure but she felt it. She was the only one left and she could never come back. She wasn't Nikola Romanov anymore, now she was Nicolette Danbury. Lady Danbury's distant grand niece. The flow of her thoughts was interrupted by the entrance of a maid.
While the maid brushed her hair, she remembered last night and smiled sincerely for the first time in a long time. When in Russia, she loved dressing up as a common man and sneaking into gentlemen's clubs. For the most part, she really enjoyed the conversations. Now seeing London's club for the first time seemed really exciting so she didn't waste a single second and went there as soon as she could. The clubs here were a lot different than the ones in Russia. As much as she missed her country she couldn't help but think that she could get used to her new home. She was just leaning against a wall listening to a conversation between the two gentlemen next to her when a tall man walked up to her.
"I must admit I never thought the gentlemen here so weak-minded," he said and Nicolette turned to face him. He was very handsome. His hair was dark but his eyes were blue. His smirk gave him a boyish look.
"I beg your pardon?" Nicolette frowned.
"Have none of them noticed?" he asked.
"Notice what?" she raised her eyebrow but she knew what he was going to say. He recognized her. What now? Are they going to throw her in jail? Can they even do that? One thing's for sure. She will be ruined. Her reputation will never recover.
"Have none of them noticed that you are in fact a woman?" he laughed but made sure to whisper the last part so that nobody, besides Nicolette, could hear him. Nicolette froze. She has to do something. Quickly.
"Am not!" she protested because she couldn't come up with anything better, "this is no place for a woman!"
"Yet here you are," he smiled at her and she knew there was no point denying it. He knew and nothing she said would change his mind.
"Yet here I am," she sighed.
"Do not fret, your secret is safe with me," he winked at her and she felt as if she could breathe again.
"How did you know?" she hurled at him, without even thinking about what she was going to say.
"You do know that you look like a woman right?" he chuckled, "How long have you been doing this?"
"About a year," she shrugged.
"And has nobody truly noticed?" he raised his eyebrows, "the men here must truly be blind."
"More so wrapped up in their arrogance," she scoffed.
"Whatever do you mean?" he asked.
"I do not think it has never crossed anyone's mind that I might be a woman but they quickly abandoned that idea because how could a woman possibly converse about anything other than fashion, marriage or children?" she raised her eyebrow at him.
"Touché," he smirked and took a sip of his drink, "Tell me your name."
She shook her head and he gave her a pleading look. "Why would I do that?" she questioned him.
"Because if you don't tell me I won't tell you mine."
"And when did I say that I want to know your name?"
"You break my heart," he said and put a hand on his chest. His face was in a grimace that made him look like a wounded animal.
"I simply think that names are irrelevant my lord," she shrugged, trying to hide a laugh. He was funny, she liked that.
"My lord? When did we become so formal miss?" he raised his eyebrow.
"Do you want me to stop?"
"Addressing me as lord? Yes. Talking? Never," he smiled at her and she blushed. She wanted to say something but when she looked at him he just stood there, looking somewhere, completely frozen.
"My lord?" she asked him.
"We have to go, I mean you have to go," he said and grabbed her hand but luckily quickly realized that for tonight she was a man so he put his arm around her shoulders instead.
"Why?" she asked, "what has gotten into you?" He was guiding her through the sea of strangers towards the exit.
"My brother and his friend from Oxford are here, and they will surely uncover the fact that you are a woman," he said. She looked up and saw two men wrapped up in a conversation. She quickly recognized one of them. The Duke of Hastings. She met Simon earlier that day. His father died recently which was the reason for his sudden visit to London. Lady Danbury was like a mother to him so naturally he went to visit her as soon as he got to London. Now Lady Danbury knows everything about everybody and she loves to share those pieces of information, which is why Nicolette knew that Simon Basset went to Oxford with a certain viscount. Specifically with Viscount Bridgeton.
"Now my brother might give you a long lecture about going out without a chaperone but he would never tell a soul, but I do not know the second gentleman well enough to speak of his discretion."
Brother? That could only mean one thing. The man she was talking to tonight was none other than one of the Bridgertons brothers. Known for their handsome physique and refined manners.
"Benedict?" Antony suddenly spoke and Benedict pushed her towards the exit.
"Ahhh... Anthony! And you must be Simon!" he said but Nicolette didn't hear more as she was leaving out of the front door.
As Nicolette was sitting down at the breakfast table she had no idea that in a house close by a certain Benedict Bridgerton was silently recalling their yesterday's meeting as well.
"Mother?" Benedict said and Violet turned to face him. She was a beautiful lady, known for her warmth and kindness.
"Yes my dear?" she smiled at Benedict.
"Do you know if there are any new families in London for this season?" he asked the question that had been weighing on his mind since last night.
"Ohh Benedict, are you finally looking to find a wife?" Violet smiled and she couldn't possibly be more overjoyed. That was another thing she was known for. The unquenchable desire to marry off all of her children.
"No! I assure you Mother that I have no desire to marry anytime soon, I was simply wondering if there were any new families, for Daphne you know? She might need a friend now that she was named the season's diamond," he lied. But not completely. He truly had no desire to marry anytime soon. Why would he? Not even Anthony is looking for a wife and he is the oldest, the viscount. He simply wanted to know more about the woman he met yesterday. He had met plenty of interesting people in his life but none quite as interesting as her. Now that he thinks about it he doesn't know anything about her, apart from the fact that she is a woman and she's not from here.
"Hastings told me that Lady Danbury's relative is in town and she will be here for the entire season. He said she is a very kind, intelligent and beautiful young woman," Anthony said without a single ounce of enthusiasm.
"I shall like to meet her, do you think she will be at the ball tonight?" Daphne asked.
"At the ball organised by her family? Gee I don't know sister," Colin grinned at his sister but Benedict wasn't listening. Could it be her? Could the mysterious woman be Lady Danbury's relative?