Work Text:
RECONCILIATIONS
A printer’s apprentice, merely making a living for himself, has been taking up all day trying to accomplish one of his simplest tasks, to live. It has been almost a year since he last saw the lady from high society, Miss Eloise Bridgerton. Sometimes, even muttering her respectable name out of his mouth makes him wince, physically, emotionally. “This is absurd” Was one of the last sentences the miss has uttered before completely barging out of the print shop, This sentence alone has made him furious enough to burn in fire the remaining books that he set aside for her, Theo Sharpe used to feel nothing but respect and adoration towards miss Bridgerton, but then after that last interaction of them, It made him change his whole perception of her.
Eloise is nothing but a lady from the riches who wanted to experience something out of her little secured bubble, he was nothing but fun, exhilarating, a new experience for her, that’s at least what he concluded for the sake of his own peace. He did not want to think that Miss Bridgerton could’ve felt something for him, something other than mere…company? Friendship? He doesn't even know what to call their connection with each other, nevertheless he does not want to think of the possibilities that the miss could’ve felt something more…like he did. Because it will only cost him disappointment of what could’ve been.
It was all going so well, so so well. He already convinced himself that he loathes her, He already is in fact trying to connect with a girl his age, with the same social standing. It was all going so well, not until one sunny afternoon, a familiar sound of footsteps came barging into the print shop and uttered his name.
“Theo.”
It’s Miss Eloi–Miss Bridgerton.
Standing merely 10 meters away from him is a grown up Eloise Bridgerton, Her hair was now longer than he last saw it, Her eyes are still the same as they were, unbelievably gorgeous. It appears that the young Miss Bridgerton that he once knew is now a fully blossomed lady—no! He practiced this already, numerous times already. When the miss decided to come back into this very print shop again he will display his stoic face, will be cold, and will utter no words until she gives up and barges outside of the print shop once again.
Well? He did nothing but stare at her. Yes, stare.
“I–I came back to give you back the books that you lent me.” The miss stated.
Oh, please. Theo could still vividly recall the shock and rosy hue that adorned her cheeks when he had first given her those books. And now, she dared to return them? No, no, no—this could not be allowed.
The memory of that moment was seared into his mind. He had seen the genuine surprise in her eyes, the slight flush of embarrassment, the delicate way her fingers had brushed against the worn covers. It had been a fleeting yet profound connection, one that he had thought might have meant something more.
And now, here she was, standing before him, attempting to sever that connection by handing the books back. He would not let this happen. No, he would not allow this gesture to erase the significance of their shared past, however brief it might have been.
Determined, he straightened his posture, ready to confront the reality of the situation. He would not make this easy for her; he would stand firm, his heart resolute, and his gaze unwavering. He would not let this chapter of their story end so simply.
“Miss Bridgerton, I did not lend that book to you, I gave it to you.”
“I know–but I just wanna clear the past between us, and me giving these back to you right now seems to be the right first step”
Clear the past? He silently screams inside his mind. What is she even talking about?
“ I don’t see the need for you to return these ….. books that I gave Miss Bridgerton, I have moved on from the past there’s no need for you to clear it.”
Theo Sharpe considered himself as a man of words, If he did not mean it, He would never say it…However he wanted to make Miss Bridgerton think that he no longer cares for her, that she doesn't have that effect on him anymore.
“Well, I did not.”
There it was again—the thumping sensation in his chest that only Miss Bridgerton could ignite within him. It was as if his heart betrayed him, pounding fervently against the resolve he tried to muster.
He clenched his jaw, trying to steady his composure . "Miss Bridgerton, returning these books will not alter the past nor the feelings associated with it."
Eloise took a step closer, her gaze unwavering. "But it is a step towards understanding and perhaps mending what was broken. Ignoring it will not make it disappear, Theo."
He could see the earnestness in her eyes, the sincerity of her intentions. It was maddening how she could so effortlessly stir emotions within him—emotions he had painstakingly tried to bury.
"Eloise," he began, his voice softer, almost tender. "I appreciate your attempt to clear the air, but some things are better left undisturbed. The past... it serves as a reminder, not a chapter to be rewritten."
"But what if I want to write a new chapter, one that starts with honesty and ends without regrets?" she countered, her voice trembling slightly.
Theo's resolve wavered. He took a deep breath, searching for the strength to resist the pull she had on him. "And what of my peace, Eloise? Must I sacrifice it for the sake of a past that refuses to stay silent?"
She looked down, her fingers nervously tracing the spine of one of the books. "I do not wish to cause you pain. I only seek to make amends."
The sincerity in her voice was disarming. Theo's defenses began to crumble, piece by piece. “Very well, Miss Bridgerton. If returning these books is what you believe is necessary, then so be it. But know this—it changes nothing of what has transpired.”
Theo was about to turn his back to the lady, fully determined to erase her whole existence from his life but then…
“Every night, I lay in my bed thinking of what could’ve been if I didn’t step away from your advances that night. I tried and tried to engage with this so-called gentleman of the ton, but there’s no one quite like you, Theo. No one. You who have been relentlessly chasing me in my dreams–dreams that me myself are not precise if it’s proper to have them, dreams that have been making me stare at empty walls all afternoon and evening…These dreams of mine Theo, was the very first reason of why I came back to you, to us, to these very printshop–so tell me, Theodore James Sharpe. Are you sharing the same feelings too?”
Theo, still in shock that the miss knows his whole name, was left with his mouth slightly opened, probably gasping up for some air…He convinced himself that he loathes her, yes. So why is his heart beating so fast merely just because of the few words that left the young lady's mouth?
“B-but last time you came here you declared that our connection was absurd did you not?”
“You truly believe that what I said back then was a genuine statement of mine? Theodore, truly you should’ve known me better than that I–”
“Well, It seems like I didn’t..”
Eloise was left silent, communicating with Theo through her eyes, asking for more words.
"Know you better, indeed. For had I truly known you, I would never have dared to dream of engaging in another conversation with you the moment you inquired about my knowledge of Lady Whistledown. I would not have imagined indulging in another episode of witty banter when you attended the women's rights assembly and charmed me with your unique manner of flirtation—yes, what we did was indeed flirting, do not deny it. I would have remained content with the notion that you were like all the other young ladies of your standing. But no, I was captivated by the thought of a woman, of my age, who shared my passions and interests. And indeed, for a brief time, we experienced the best moments of our lives, did we not?
That was until the last night of our acquaintance, when I made my advances towards you. For that, I am truly sorry. I need you to believe that I punish myself daily by exhausting myself with work. That is how deeply I regret my actions. But do you know what made me realize that I did not know you as well as I thought? It was because I had formed an entire perception of you—your persona as a woman who did not care about the opinions of others. Yes, you mentioned that you could not bear it if I were the one to face the consequences of our meetings. But, Eloise, you should have known that there could be no greater consequence for me than having you out of my life."
“You’re a fool”
Eloise Bridgerton, the fifth sibling of the infamous Bridgerton family who was known for her distaste over the opposite sex, had found herself walking towards the man three meters away from her, and decided to seal their hearts with a kiss.
“What we did back then was flirting, Indeed,” The two young people shared a laugh while their foreheads stick with each other.