An Offer from a Gentleman with 2nd Epilogue (35 page)
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Authors: Julia Quinn
“I'm calling her Minty. Araminta will do well in the family Bible, but I do believe she's a Minty.”
Sophie pressed her lips together in an effort not to smile. “Your mother would hate that.”
“Yes,” Posy murmured, “she would, wouldn't she?”
“Minty,” Sophie said, testing the sound on her tongue. “I like it. No, I think I love it. It suits her.”
Posy kissed the top of Minty's head. “What kind of girl will you be?” she whispered. “Sweet and docile?”
Sophie chuckled at that. She had been present at twelve birthingsâfour of her own, five of Posy's, and three of Benedict's sister Eloise. Never had she heard a baby enter this world with as loud a cry as little Minty. “This one,” she said firmly, “is going to lead you a merry chase.”
And she did. But that, dear reader, is another story . . .
The Bridgertons are by far the most prolific family in the upper echelons of society. Such industriousness on the part of the viscountess and the late viscount is commendable, although one can find only banality in their choice of names for their children. Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory, and Hyacinth (orderliness is, of course, beneficial in all things, but one would think that intelligent parents would be able to keep their children straight without needing to alphabetize their names).
It has been said that Lady Bridgerton's dearest goal is to see all of her offspring happily married, but truly, one can only wonder if this is an impossible feat. Eight children? Eight happy marriages? It boggles the mind.
L
ADY
W
HISTLEDOWN'S
S
OCIETY
P
APERS
,
S
UMMER
1813
| WHO: | Daphne Bridgerton and the Duke of Hastings. |
| WHAT: | A sham courtship. |
| WHERE: | London, of course. Where else could one pull off such a thing? |
| WHY: | They each have their reasons, neither of which includes falling in love . . . |
The season has opened for the year of 1814, and there is little reason to hope that we will see any noticeable change from 1813. The ranks of society are once again filled with Ambitious Mamas, whose only aim is to see their Darling Daughters married off to Determined Bachelors. Discussion amongst the Mamas fingers Viscount Bridgerton as this year's most eligible catch, and indeed, if the poor man's hair looks ruffled and windblown, it is because he cannot go anywhere without some young miss batting her eyelashes with such vigor and speed as to create a breeze of hurricane force. Perhaps the only young lady not interested in Bridgerton is Miss Katharine Sheffield, and in fact, her demeanor toward the viscount occasionally borders on the hostile.
And that is why, Dear Reader, This Author feels that a match between Bridgerton and Miss Sheffield would be just the thing to enliven an otherwise ordinary season.
L
ADY
W
HISTLEDOWN'S
S
OCIETY
P
APERS
, 13 A
PRIL
1814
The 1815 season is well under way, and while one would think that all talk would be of Wellington and Waterloo, in truth, there is little change from the conversations of 1814, which centered around that most eternal of society topicsâmarriage.
As usual, the matrimonial hopes among the debutante set center upon the Bridgerton family, most specifically the eldest of the available brothers, Benedict. He might not possess a title, but his handsome face, pleasing form, and heavy purse appear to have made up for that lack handily. Indeed, This Author has heard, on more than one occasion, an Ambitious Mama saying of her daughter: “She'll marry a duke . . . or a Bridgerton.”
For his part, Mr. Bridgerton seems most uninterested in the young ladies who frequent society events. He attends almost every party, yet he does nothing but watch the doors, presumably waiting for some special person.
Perhaps . . .
A potential bride?
L
ADY
W
HISTLEDOWN'S
S
OCIETY
P
APERS
, 12 J
ULY
1815
April is nearly upon us, and with it a new social season here in London. Ambitious Mamas can be found at dress-shops all across town with their Darling Debutantes, eager to purchase that one magical evening gown that they simply know will mean the difference between marriage and spinsterhood.
As for their preyâthe Determined BachelorsâMr. Colin Bridgerton once again tops the list of desirable husbands, even though he is not yet back from his recent trip abroad. He has no title, that is true, but he is in abundant possession of looks, fortune, and, as anyone who has ever spent even a minute in London knows, charm.
But Mr. Bridgerton has reached the somewhat advanced age of three-and-thirty without ever showing an interest in any particular young lady, and there is little reason to anticipate that 1824 will be any different from 1823 in this respect.
Perhaps the Darling Debutantesâand perhaps more importantly their Ambitious Mamasâwould do well to look elsewhere. If Mr. Bridgerton is looking for a wife, he hides that desire well.
On the other hand, is that not just the sort of challenge a debutante likes best?
L
ADY
W
HISTLEDOWN'S
S
OCIETY
P
APERS
. . . I know you say I shall someday like boys, but I say never! NEVER!!! With three exclamation points!!!
âfrom Eloise Bridgerton to her mother,
shoved under Violet Bridgerton's door
during Eloise's eighth year
. . . I never dreamed that a season could be so exciting! The men are so handsome and charming. I know I shall fall in love straightaway. How could I not?
âfrom Eloise Bridgerton to her brother Colin,
upon the occasion of her London debut
. . . I am quite certain I shall never marry. If there was someone out there for me, don't you think I should have found him by now?
âfrom Eloise Bridgerton to her
dear friend Penelope Featherington,
during her sixth season as a debutante
. . . this is my last chance. I am grabbing destiny with both my hands and throwing caution to the wind. Sir Phillip, please,
please,
be all that I have imagined you to be. Because if you are the man your letters portray you to be, I think I could love you. And if you felt the same . . .
âfrom Eloise Bridgerton, jotted on a scrap of paper
on her way to meet Sir Phillip Crane
for the very first time
F
or Michael Stirling, it was a hidden love, an insatiable longing for the one woman who could never be his.
F
or Francesca Bridgerton, it started with a single kiss, placed on her lips by the one man she never thought she'd desire.
F
ind out in Julia Quinn's most breathtaking and passionate romance yet . . .