Work Text:
Eloise’s jaws were starting to hurt from forcing herself to smile for the happy couple. Her tension was compounded since Cressida had inserted herself into her brother’s and future sister-in-law’s engagement party a few nights ago. Invited herself? She offered moral support in an effort to soothe your ire and you took her up on it, said a small voice inside her that she did her best to ignore. Eloise also tried to ignore the memory of Cressida’s expression from the sidelines as Eloise made her toast about truly knowing each other, as if in disappointment. Well what business did Cressida have being concerned about her treatment of Penelope? Cressida had spent years tormenting her. In the distance, Eloise saw a wisp of candy pink. Speak of the devil. Cressida beckoned. Eloise excused herself from her mother’s presence to go join.
“Cressida, I would’ve thought you’d make your presence more known.”
Cressida looked like Eloise had slapped her.
“I am not Lady Whistledown, Eloise. I have not even read her column this season.”
It was Eloise’s turn to feel slapped. “Why, then? What would have possessed you to do something so harebrained as to pretend to be Whistledown?”
Cressida’s eyes glistened and her voice sounded close to breaking. “I shared with you my father’s plan to marry me off to Lord Greer, who’s thrice my age. I tried to tell you about my ideas of escape. But you were too obsessed with ruining your brother’s engagement to Penelope to even pretend to be concerned for my welfare.”
“You’ve been nothing but cruel to Penelope in the past. And now you presume to lecture me about her?”
Cressida’s eyes flashed. “And you took me to task for that, and as your friend, I listened to you. But I also want to point out that in all the times I have been cruel to Penelope or any other young lady, I have not done so while pretending to be above the marriage mart itself!”
Eloise scoffed. Who did she think she was? “What are you saying, Cressida?”
“The night before your brother’s engagement was announced, I sat and listened to you rant about the stupidity of the marriage mart. I did that when I could have filled my dance - do not look at me so skeptically. I may still be a spinster, but I have been considered an excellent dance partner in the Ton since my debut. But I listened to you, because I care about you and I found merit in your ideas. You speak of my unkindness, but I saw the way you sneered at the other debutantes this season. Your hypocrisy is absurd. And it bears repeating, you are not the one who was being forced to marry a man thrice your age.”
“Listened to me? You abandoned me to swoop in on Lord Debling!”
“Speaking of Lord Debling, your brother interrupted his dance with Penelope! How have you been dear friends with her, to say nothing of being his sister, for so many years and not noticed that they had feelings for each other? I noticed that during our first season out together!” Cressida scoffed and shook her head. “I don’t know what support I thought you could offer to me. And as it happens, Lord Greer rescinded his offer of marriage.”
Eloise smiled tentatively. “So you achieved your freedom?”
“I won the battle and lost the war. I am condemned to live with my Aunt Joanna in Wales, and she makes my father look like the very epitome of affection.”
“Bloody hell,” muttered Eloise.
“It doesn’t signify,” ground out Cressida. “Perhaps I shall take cold comfort in knowing that you hold Penelope in just as low regard as you hold me. Good-bye, Miss Bridgerton.”
Cressida turned on her heels and stalked off, and Eloise was left with a weight in her gut that she could not understand.