#Araminta Gunningworth

[sea-owl]

I say for the benophie season, if they are bringing in new blood for Sophie's family (we're going to ignore certain theories right now), then they should cast Lucy Punch to play Araminta. Let her graduate from evil stepsister to evil stepmother.

For those curious this is Lucy Punch

Look familiar? If you're a fan of Cinderella and it's many retellings you might know her from one of these four movies/tv show.

Cinderella (2000)

Ella Enchanted (2004)

Into the Woods (2014)

There was also Fairy Tales (2008), but I couldn't find a good picture of just her. But this woman has played the evil stepsister on four separate occasions, and she loves that role. In my personal opinion she's good at it too. Obviously, now she's aged out of the role, but I would love to see her take on evil stepmother Araminta. Especially if we get Portia and Araminta beefing over maid stealing that season, too.

[lilasprincesse]

hi I was wondering if I was the only one who wondered if Tilley Arnold might have a connection with Sophie?

I know it's very unlikely that Lady Arnold and Sophie have a connection together because Lady Arnold's character is only there this season to be Benedict's sex friend but a side of me still imagines a connection between her two characters

so I wonder if I was the only one who imagined a link between his two characters?

[the-other-art-blog]

NEW CHAPTER! FINAL CHAPTER OF MY WHAT IF RICHARD HAD LIVED? AU

Here it is, the final chapter of Love Story. It includes:

A conversation between Violet and Richard

Sophie standing up for herself

1797 flashback

Richard and Benedict

SOPHIE AND RICHARD

Benophie cuteness

[bridgertonbabe]

Bridgerton Drabble - Harry Potter AU Edition

Sophie had thought the bars wholly unnecessary as the workmen had fixed them to the outside of her bedroom window. It was bad enough that the cat flap had been installed in the door to her bedroom as a means for her stepmother to shove a plate of dinner through (and the occasional bar of chocolate from Posy whenever she got the opportunity), and it made Sophie wonder if any of the workmen who had been called to install these fixtures had even stopped to question the reason for them or at least show concern for what Araminta was doing. 

It wasn’t as if Sophie had meant to do what she did to Rosamund. In fact she didn’t understand how she had managed it herself.

Rosamund had been her unnecessarily mean and spiteful self as per usual, mocking her own sister when Posy had treated herself to a second biscuit from the plate by calling her a pig and oinking at her. Sophie’s heart immediately felt for Posy as the ten year old burnt pink with embarrassment and Sophie only grew angrier as Rosamund cackled heartlessly. She hated the way Posy was treated by her own flesh and blood and couldn’t understand why Rosamund could be so cruel to her little sister. Sophie had felt herself shaking with fury, savagely thinking to herself how Rosamund was the one who resembled a pig in that moment as her stepsister snorted - and then it had happened. 

Without warning Rosamund had let out a sudden shriek and sprung to her feet. Sophie and Posy were mightily confused as they watched her clutching her bottom and it was only when she brought her hands away that they realised the source of Rosamund’s distress - protruding from a newly-made hole in her trousers was a small and curly pink tail, resembling that of a pig’s. 

Both Sophie and Posy had gawped at the sight in shock, neither knowing how to react until Rosamund screamed for her mother. Araminta entered the room with a precursory peeved scowl on her face for being disturbed but all it took was one look at her daughter for the woman to begin squawking incredulously. Sophie wasn’t sure what her stepmother was even reacting to, considering Rosamund’s newly sprouted tail was not within her train of sight, but then Rosamund turned back round to Sophie and Posy and the two younger girls gasped - Rosamund’s snub nose had transformed into a pig’s snout. 

Rosamund had continued to squeal, sounding more and more like a pig as she did, and her typically icy white complexion had turned pink. Sophie had been too stunned by her stepsister’s steady transformation to escape the slap she received from the back of her stepmother’s hand before she was hauled upstairs and flung into her room with the door locked after her. 

That had all happened ten days ago and still Sophie remained a prisoner in her own room. Posy had managed to speak through the door to her a few days after the incident to tell her that whatever magic Sophie had inadvertently used on Rosamund had now worn off, much to Sophie’s relief. She had never intended to partially turn Rosamund into a farm animal and she had been guilt-ridden to think that it might be permanent or irreversible. She didn’t even understand how she had done it - after all, she hadn’t even had her wand on her when it happened and it wasn’t as though she had cast a spell on Rosamund. It’s as if the unbridled grievance with her stepsister had manifested into magic within Sophie and had reverberated from her without her even realising. 

She wondered if Araminta would ever let her out, let alone return to Hogwarts in a fortnight’s time, and the thought of never being able to return to the one place where Sophie finally felt at home pained her terribly. To think she had ruined it all because she had no control over her emotions and how they ended up charged into magic had left her in a state of despair - and then there was a knock at her window.

Sophie had sat up straight in bed, bewildered by the sound. She thought perhaps a messenger owl was trying to alert her to a letter but when she got out of her bed and looked to the window she nearly stumbled from the shock of seeing her best friend, Colin Bridgerton, peering in.

She ran to the window, pushing it up and gaped at him.

“Colin? What on earth -”

“Why does it look like you’re in jail?” Colin asked from outside the bars. 

She opened her mouth to explain but stopped short once she took in the whole sight before her. Colin was talking to her from the backseat of a turquoise car that was parked up in midair directly outside of her bedroom window. 

“Why do you have a flying car?” she spluttered. 

“Dad enchanted it.” Anthony Bridgerton, Colin’s older brother, answered from the driver’s seat. 

“You didn’t answer my question.” Colin noted. 

“I... I accidentally used magic.” she admitted.

“Sophie!” Colin gasped. “You know you’re not supposed to -”

“I know, I know! But I didn’t mean to! I didn’t even have my wand on me; it just  happened and now Araminta’s locked me away so I don’t do it again.” she explained. “Now she hates me even more than ever and... and I don’t think she’ll ever let me out again.” she confessed tearfully.

“Sophie, it’s okay.” 

Her watery eyes darted towards the passenger’s seat and landed on the kind and handsome face of Benedict Bridgerton, and just like every time she had ever encountered Colin’s second oldest brother, her heart skipped a beat. 

“It’s perfectly natural to perform magic without even meaning to. It happens to all of us.” Benedict said to her and Sophie’s oncoming tears quickly dried up from his soft reassurance as her heart warmed from the way his eyes gazed at her fondly. 

“And it doesn’t matter if your stepmother doesn’t let you out because we’re breaking you out of here!” Colin grinned at her cheerfully.

“You’re what?” Sophie’s eyes widened. 

“Well we’re not gonna leave you here to be a virtual prisoner now! What sort of best friend would I be if I did that?” 

Before Sophie could respond, Anthony had passed his younger brother a rope and Colin began tying it to the bars of her window.

“Stand back, Soph!” 

Sophie wordlessly obeyed and stood by the wall opposite her window, watching as the car revved up before Anthony drove it skyward. The bars came flying off and though they had caused some noise it didn’t appear as if Araminta or anyone in the neighbourhood had been awakened by it. The car then pulled back up and Colin hopped in through her window. 

“Well, come on then! Grab your stuff and let’s go!”

“But my trunk, my school supplies, my wand; she’s locked them all under the stairs.” Sophie informed him.

“No worries.” Benedict chirped as he and Anthony clambered into her room too.

Sophie tried to ignore the rosiness blushing her cheeks at the fact that Benedict Bridgerton was standing in her bedroom. She had spent the best part of her summer dreaming of him in her room; keeping the loneliness away with his company, flashing his crooked grin at her, amusing her with his wit, holding her hand to comfort her...

She snapped out of her thoughts, paranoid that there could be a slim chance that Benedict - who had only just celebrated his 14th birthday in the last month - had somehow been expertly trained in the power of Legilimency and could read her very thoughts and laugh in her face for having a crush on him. 

“We’ll go fetch your stuff from downstairs.” Benedict said as Anthony used a simple hairpin to unlock Sophie’s bedroom door. “Just gather your things in here and pack them in the car and we’ll be right back.” 

Anthony and Benedict then ventured out of Sophie’s room (after she quickly warned them that the bottom step of the staircase creaked), leaving her and Colin to hurry around packing her clothes and few belongings up. By the time Sophie had passed Colin a pillowcase filled with the last of her stuff into the car, the elder Bridgerton brothers had reappeared with her trunk. Anthony joined Colin in the floating car before Sophie helped Benedict pass the trunk into the backseat. 

Benedict then turned to Sophie, offering his hand to assist her climbing into the car. She tried to settle the butterflies giddily fluttering around in her stomach at the prospect of Benedict holding her hand in his. 

“Oh!” she gasped as her hand hovered over his as she suddenly remembered something. “I almost forgot.” 

She scrambled towards her bed, dropping to the floor and from underneath her mattress retrieved her already well-worn copy of A History of Magic. It had been the one school book that she managed to keep from Araminta and she had cherished it dearly for the last ten days as she remained under bedroom-arrest. She had turned back to Benedict, elated to finally be escaping this awful house, when suddenly a shriek sounded from behind her. 

“What is the meaning of this?!” Araminta trilled and when Sophie looked over her shoulder at her she saw just how red and apoplectic with rage her stepmother was.

She supposed the sight of a teenage boy in Sophie’s now unlocked bedroom, plus the two teenagers peering in through the window from a flying car was a lot for anyone to take in. Sophie would have laughed at the absurdity of it all if she wasn’t so scared of her stepmother and what she about to do. 

Araminta stormed towards her, her hand already drawn back to strike Sophie with, and just like the many times she had experienced it before, Sophie froze up and mentally braced herself for the smack that she was about to be on the receiving end of.

“No!” Benedict suddenly cried out - and then something rather peculiar happened. 

Following his exclamation, Sophie felt a strange shift in the air. She barely had a second to register it before all of a sudden Araminta was lifted off her feet and hurled through the air back out into the hallway with the door slammed firmly shut after her. Sophie stared in astonishment at the now shut door where Araminta’s screams were coming from. It was almost as if a gust of wind had blown her clear out of the room but that was surely impossible. It was a still, warm August night without so much as a summer breeze in the air. 

Sophie looked to Benedict for explanation but he seemed just as stunned as she was. His eyes met hers, puzzlement passing between them as they both wondered what on earth had just happened. 

“Merlin’s beard; hurry up!” Anthony barked at them. 

A second later Sophie found herself in Benedict’s hold and then in the next second she was in the backseat of the Bridgertons’ floating car. Benedict just about climbed in after her when the door to her room burst back open and Araminta came screeching to the window, hurling abuse at Sophie and the brothers as Anthony kicked the car into gear and flew off, leaving Araminta wailing far behind them. 

As soon as they had all caught their breath and exhaled a collective sigh of relief, Sophie thanked them all profusely for freeing her before questioning what had happened to cause Araminta to be sent flying through the air. 

“That was Ben.” Colin said from the passenger’s seat, twisted firmly around without a seatbelt so he could face Sophie in the back. “We saw the shift in the air coming from him when he saw your stepmum going to hit you.”

Sophie looked to Benedict curiously. When they had looked to each other initially after Araminta had been blown out of the room he had appeared just as flabbergasted as she was by what had occurred. He still seemed perturbed now as he processed what his brother was telling him. 

“But how did you do that?” Sophie asked, her eyes filled with wonder as she gazed at him. 

Benedict gave a small shrug. “I guess I proved my earlier point that sometimes we perform magic without even meaning to.”

Before Sophie could extend her gratitude for him for saving her from her stepmother’s hand, Colin jumped on the subject of unintentional magic by asking Sophie what she had done to cause Araminta to lock her up in the first place. She explained to them how she had nearly turned Rosamund into a pig and the Bridgerton brothers roared with laughter, championing her for serving her stepsister her just desserts, and for the rest of the journey back to the Bridgerton home they all kept making jokes about it. 

Anthony apologised for the slight bumpy landing upon arrival and then Sophie followed the brothers as they snuck back into their humble abode in the middle of the Kent countryside. The sun was only just taking to the sky and they were hopeful that they could get a few hours shut-eye before introducing Sophie to the family and pretending like she had just shown up in the middle of the night of her own accord - but just as they crept into the kitchen, they were met by a very irate woman. 

“Beds empty! No note! Car gone! Do you have any idea how out of my mind with worry I’ve been?!” Violet Bridgerton shouted at her sons. 

Colin and Anthony had both tried to interject but to no avail. The lambasting continued for several more minutes and Sophie nervously stood by the door, preparing to be told by Colin’s mother that she wasn’t welcome regardless of what her sons may think.

“Oh, Sophie, dear.” Violet then turned to the young girl, her voice and demeanour softening instantly and her eyes shining with compassion. “It’s so wonderful to finally meet you. Colin’s told me so much about you. I’m more than happy to host you here ahead of your return to Hogwarts.” 

Sophie was then engulfed in a loving motherly hug, one of which she had never been lucky enough to experience before. As Violet drew back she beckoned her daughter Daphne into the room, who was a couple of years younger than Sophie and Colin, and asked her to show Sophie to Colin’s room so she could get some rest. When Colin went to follow right behind his best friend, his mother hauled him back by the collar, telling him she wasn’t quite done with chastising him and his brothers just yet. 

Violet continued to admonish her three eldest children for their secrecy and their stupidity for flying a car all the way to London where any Muggle could spot them, despite Anthony’s protestations that it had been cloudy and in the middle of the night. Just as Sophie was about to follow Daphne up the stairs, she looked back to the kitchen and caught Benedict’s eye. A small grin pricked on his lips and he gave her a wink in spite of the scolding he was enduring for helping rescue her. 

As Sophie climbed up the stairs, she felt all warm and fuzzy inside as she looked ahead to the next two weeks residing with the Bridgertons. She would get to hang out with her best friend all day long, she would never feel lonely as she became one of the family, and (most importantly in her affection-filled heart) she would get to see Benedict Bridgerton and (hopefully) spend time with him every single day. 

The worst summer of her life had just become the best summer of her life and in that moment Sophie Beckett held absolutely no regrets for nearly turning her stepsister into a pig - the only regret she had was that she hadn’t accidentally done it sooner. 

[silverhallow]

Now I'm wondering why Sophie's dad didn't foster her out to a safer family away from Araminta.

He could have done it before he died even.

I think before he died, he was determined to keep her, she was ultimately his responsibility.

He could have given her to another family, he could have easily given her to a tenant or sent her to an orphanage but he assumed responsibility of her.

He didn’t have to make her his ward but by doing so accepted her and gave her the best possible chance at life…

I think it was the way he showed he cared for her and loved her in his own little way.

Had he have grown SICK and then died I think he would have done something more to ensure Sophie was cared for…

But since he literally dropped dead unexpectedly…

He didn’t have a chance to.

I honestly believe he would have had a couple set up to take her should Araminta refuse, he probably expected her to refuse or perhaps she didn’t show as much visible distain for Sophie in front of Richard…

Maybe didn’t like her but he probably never expected her to do what she did…

[fandomcen]

With Yerin Ha now announced as Sophie Beckett it’s so crucial to keep the diversity going on screen besides just Sophie.

Shonda has to make Sophie’s father Lord Gunningworth casted by an East Asian actor!!!

If Lord Gunningworth is casted as an atypical British man it could easily discredit Sophie. In the books, the moment Araminta sees Sophie she immediately clocks that Sophie is the Earl’s daughter because of the resemblance!!!

AND in the book Sophie looks just like her paternal grandmother Sarah, the Earl’s mother!

The show needs to keep the resemblance! So Earl Penwood has to be an East Asian man. Absolutely crucial.

[tilly-tilly-2827]

Leave it by Degrees #2

The unhinged love story loosely based on Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost that I can't get out of my head.

Synopsis: "So you shall go to the ball!"

AO3 post from here!

Previous Chapter from here

“Bring me my shoes now!”

Rosamund’s high-pitched shriek almost broke her eardrums. The mobile that Sophie managed to place between her shoulder and her ear slid off to the ground, but she could still hear her howl. Putting the paper bag on the ground, Sophie quickly picked it up and tried to speak calmly.

“Rosamund, you know that the traffic is terrible a mile around the Bridgerton House tonight, so I had to get out of the car and…”

“I don’t want to hear any excuses,” Rosamund spat, clicking her tongue.“It’s your fault that the heels suddenly broke in the middle of the dance with Benedict Bridgerton!”

“I told you that those shoes don’t have strong endurance, Rosy, so I recommend you wear the second pair…”

“Just hurry up and get me those shoes.”

“I’ll be there in five …” Sophie quickly replied but the phone was hung up, only hearing the lifeless beeping from the speaker. 

It was the last day of May, the day of the Bridgerton Masquerade Ball. All the celebrities, company executives, and the media were invited to the Bridgerton House, and Araminta, Rosamund, and Posy, being the wife and the daughters of Richard Gunningworth were on the guest list as well. Sophie had spent half a year contacting the designers for their new dresses, and after hours and hours of refits and rearranging, she was glad that the Masquerade had begun and could finally get her hands off from that particular job. 

“Aren’t you going to the ball, Sophie?” Mrs. Gibbons had asked her while washing the dishes in the downstairs kitchen. 

“I was going to, actually,” Sophie replied, trying to keep a neutral tone as she placed the plates back in the cupboards. “I was planning to go with the press from the Foundation, but Araminta wants me to work on the guest list for the upcoming board meeting.”

“Oh, I’m sorry my dear.” 

Mrs Crabtree's voice was sympathetic. 

“But I’ll have the whole flat to myself for a night!” Sophie smiled weakly, trying to find some light. She had been looking forward to the Masquerade Ball, finally a chance to officially enter the Bridgerton House. It was one of the Listed Buildings of the United Kingdom, often used for period dramas and movies. But it was normally closed off (being the residence of the Bridgerton family) Sophie had been excited to see the building in her own eyes. But as soon as Araminta heard about her plan, she quickly turned it down saying that “ Sophia has better things to do, doesn’t she?” 

It was nice to have the flat all to herself, the night being truly peaceful and quiet as she had imagined. After a chaotic afternoon with Aramintia and the two sisters (“ The waist is too loose for me, Sophia. I need them tightened immediately,” Araminta had ordered her. “My dress is ripped on the hem!!!” A cry from Rosamund and Posy timidly asking which earring would go on her mermaid dress. “ I thought the green one would look like seaweeds, Sophie! ”) and quite honestly, Sophie was exhausted. Staggering on her bed, Sophie looked up to the silver dress on the wall of her bedroom. She was going to wear that to the Bridgerton Ball. It was one of the few things her mother had left for her, a memento of her short lived life. Sophie never knew her mother, having died at birth, but the stories about her from her grandmother were still engraved in her mind. 

Your mother was a fashion student , her grandmother would repeat the same story over and over again, Fervish obsession she had with dresses, I remember….. 

The silver dress was one of the works that won her an award and a scholarship to France when she was just 19. With a deep sweetheart neckline, it was a beautiful A-line dress, made with a light, airy white chiffon. Every corner of the fabric was decorated with floral embroideries, sewn with a shimmering silver thread. Intricate beads were sewn into the material here and there, making the dress glow even in the darkness. 

Sophie had always admired the dress, often begging her grandmother to take them out to see it, but during her adolescence, it had once become a constant shadow of her nightmares, the petite girl with brown almond eyes dripping with anger and regret, screaming why did you kill me? and Sophie would wake up soaked in sweat. 

What if she wasn’t pregnant with me? 

The question always haunted her mind, but she hadn’t had the nerve or the heart to throw away the dress altogether. Somehow, she always kept it hanging before her eyes. 

She could feel herself sinking deeper and deeper into the sheets, knowing that this emotion wasn’t exactly healthy. She quickly grabbed a cup of tea from her bedside table, draining its contents in a sip. Blasting 80s pop from her phone, she tried to focus on the music and the beat, gripping herself from the abyss. 

Oh, what the heck. 

She wasn’t going to the ball, but she could make herself pretty for one night, couldn’t she? Hopping off the bed, Sophie gently took the dress and locked herself up in the upstairs bathroom. Hoping that Rosamund wouldn’t notice that she had borrowed her makeup, Sophie softly applied a rogue on her lips, also nicking an eyelash curler. Maybe a bit of a shade on her eyelids? She was becoming weirdly bolder and bolder as she sprayed the perfume that lay forgotten in the corner, admiring the soft lavender smell that surrounded her. Satisfied with her work, Sophie slid into her mother’s silver dress and looked at herself in the mirror. 

Sophie never considered herself as beautiful. She was too thin, too scrawny, with bony elbows and knees. If it was the makeup or the dress that did her justice, she did not know, but she noticed that the girl in the mirror looked just like her mother. The soft curls that reached her chest, the round almond eyes, and the glowing skin, she was the girl smiling at her in the old picture frame, except for the dark blond hair and the green eyes she inherited from her father. 

Maybe her mother had made it for her , she softly thought, as the curves seemed to fit her perfectly, the hems at just the right length. 

Suddenly the phone rang shrilly from the corner. Sophie flinched, seeing the name Rosamund on the screen, shuddering at the fact that she might have had a secret camera in her room, catching her red-handed nicking her makeup collection. With slightly quivering hands, Sophie answered the phone, only to drop it again in surprise. 

“Soooooooooooooooooophieeeeee!!!!!!”

Hastily picking up her phone, Sophie hesitantly answered back.

“Rosamund, any trouble?”

“Bring me my new shoes.”

Sophie softly sighed in relief. Being pushed around with mundane tasks was so much better than being screamed at for theft for hours and hours. 

“…All right. Which shoes?”

“The red Jimmy Choos.”

“Got it. I can go to the Bridgerton House in an hour…”

“An hour?!” Sophie winced as Rosamund’s voice began to become hysterical. “I need it right now Sophie, or I can fire you right now…”

Sensing the danger (and panic?) in her tone, Sophie quickly put her phone on speaker mode and started rummaging through the walk-in closet. She wanted to wash off her makeup and the perfume in a shower, and slip off her dress but Rosamund’s voice and tone told her that she had to leave NOW. Quickly grabbing the shoes from the racket and pulling on her denim jacket over her bare shoulders, tripping over her worn-out converses, she sprinted down the stairs. 

“I just found your shoes, so I’m going to get the chauffeur to take me there, all right? He said I can be there in 20 minutes. I’ll drop them off at the reception.”

Sophie heard a huff and the phone was hung up. 

So she wasn’t exactly expecting to dart across the London streets in her silver dress and a denim jacket with a shoe in hand at 10:40 in the night. Sophie had sprinted off from the car after realizing it would be much faster to go on foot. She was lucky that she was wearing her usual shoes because, after Rosamund’s following call, she was in the Bridgerton House in five minutes. 

The entrance was decorated with blooming colorful flowers, the lamps lighting every petal. Sophie was almost starstruck, taken by its beauty. But quickly reminding herself of Rosamund, Sophie hurried to the front reception.

“Good evening, can I have your name please…”

“Oh, um, I’m not a guest. I was asked to deliver a package by Rosamund, Rosamund Reiling from the Gunningworth Foundation. I’m her assistant, Sophie Beckett.” 

“Can I have your employer’s name again?”

“Reiling. Rosamund Reiling. Gunningworth Foundation.”

As the receptionist scrolled his iPad, Sophie noticed that his lips twitched slightly as he found her name. 

“Mind if I have some qualifications?”

She quickly showed him her employee ID card. Checking its contents, the man gave a tired sigh, but his eyes relaxed slightly, knowing that she was a fellow corporate slave like himself. 

“Do you mind if you could deliver the package by yourself? “He had a guilty look on his face. “Everyone’s wearing a mask tonight, and I assume you will be much faster at spotting her than me.”

“Oh, of course!” She could feel her heart leap. She was going to go inside the Bridgerton House! “Should I write an application form or a visitor form or…?”

“Don’t bother.” The man smiled cheekily. “Judging by the dress, you just look like a guest at the ball. Just sneak in from this door and deliver the package, Ms. Beckett. ”

Sophie blushed slightly. She must look like a fool, wearing a formal dress over a jacket with some random sneakers. She quickly took off her jacket, and surprisingly, the man took it off her hands.

“I’ll hold on to your jacket, Ms. Beckett.”

“Oh, thank you. Er…”

“John.”

“Thank you, John.”

“You also might need this.” John reached out under the desk, taking out a black semi-mask. “There’s a stock for people who forgot the theme…”

“Oh, no. John. There’s no need, I’m just going to deliver the shoes.”

“Come on, Ms. Beckett. I do believe that us people can enjoy ourselves a little. Besides, you’ll stand out if you don’t have a mask.” 

Sophie still hesitated, not knowing how to respond.

“You’ve already done me a favor, delivering a package to Rosamund Reiling whom I don’t really want to attend to. So take this mask as a token of gratitude?”

A little bit of fun wouldn’t hurt, would it?  

“Thank you, John.”

“I’ll hold on to your jacket, so maybe nick a sandwich or two for me on the way out?”  John grinned mischievously. 

“Sure” Sophie grinned back, noticing a spark in his eyes. “I probably have to get on my way, Rosamund's…”

“So, see you later?”

“See you in a few minutes.”

Sophie softly smiled as she went through the entrance, slipping her mask on her head. Maybe this might be the start of something? She mindlessly thought to herself but she was completely taken over by the magnificent view that was spread before her eyes. 

There must have been hundreds of people in the grand hall of Bridgerton House, all dressed in gleaming shimmers and shining jewels. She saw a brightly colored leprechaun on her right, along with a Tinkerbell in an orange-colored dress with an eccentric design. She saw Queen Elizabeth in a booming dress, the intricate botanical embroidery stitched on every inch of the velvet fabric. There was a handsome knight with crisp gray eyes on her left, the silver armor shimmering in the candlelight. Feathers, fans, jewels everywhere, flowers blooming all around, the hundreds of candlelights in the hall, Sophie simply stood there in awe, taking in the storybook-like scenery before her. 

“If I profane with my unworthiest hand This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this,”  

A deep gentle voice whispered in her ear, feeling a warm hand against hers. Only with his presence behind her back, her heart suddenly leaped, her stomach suddenly fluttered, the warmth sparking inside her like fireworks. When she turned around, she was met with the pair of the most beautiful ocean eyes she had ever seen. His eyes twinkled in the candle light under the black mask, the dark fabric enhancing the burning spark in his eyes. His eyes were the blue of the dark sky, lit with dancing northern lights. So, so beautiful. 

“My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand, to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.”

He gently took her hand and placed a small kiss, and Sophie could feel herself blushing furiously. Tall and Broad, with curly brown curls that almost look red in the candlelight, it was almost as if he jumped out of a fairytale. 

A soft smile appeared across his lips and she noticed that she was staring, almost dazed at his presence but she couldn’t avert his passionate gaze as if she was enchanted by the gods in heaven. 

So this is love, The song she listened to when she was a little girl echoed through her mind, So this is what makes life divine,  

“May I have the next dance my lady?”

His deep, dreamy voice was the only thing she could hear, and she could feel the heat rising up inside her, her heartbeat beating. She knew that he felt it too, the burning flame in his eyes. She could just kiss him there , she thought, it was such a perfect moment….

But in the corner of her eye, she saw Marie-Antoinette with an extravagant wig decorated with thousands of pearls. 

Rosamund, Rosamund, shoes…shoes!

Jerking away from the trance, Sophie took a step away from the man, escaping from the sweet garden that the man had led to in their mind. 

“You’re incredibly kind, but I really really can’t?”

“……I don’t understand?”

There was a look of puzzlement in his eyes. But Sophie knew that she had to leave, perhaps some other time, some other life, she would have danced with him all night. But this was no fairytale. 

“I really need to deliver shoes.”

Tightly gripping on her paper bag, she knew she sounded awfully foolish. And as she thought, the man’s eyes narrowed slightly. 

“Aren’t you the one who’s supposed to drop a glass slipper?”

“Sadly, I’m the servant that delivers one.” Sophie quickly ran down the stairs, with a guilty look on her face, seeing the man’s mouth hanging open in confusion. "I'm sorry you are really sweet, but I really have to go…”

She had to deliver this to Rosamund, wishing fervently that she had not seen her flirting with a random fellow. Maybe she’ll have time to flirt with him later…

“I can find you!!”

She heard his desperate cry from her back, but she knew she didn’t have time to turn around. 

“What took you so long?”

Rosemund snatched her paper bag from her hands with a deep frown. She had just happened to catch Rosemund in the corner of the room, a place dark enough to hide herself in the shadows. 

“Just like I told you,” Sophie said breathlessly. “The road, the traffic, and…”

“Oh well, at least I got it. You can go now.” Rosemund waved her hand nonchalantly, and Sophie sighed in relief, knowing that she wouldn’t have to spend the week in a crappy mood Rosemund. Maybe she’ll grab a sandwich on the way back, or perhaps find her prince charming again…

“What are you doing here?”

The cold distant voice froze Sophie in the very spot. 

“Mother!” Even Arinina’s voice was slightly tense. “I had Sophie deliver me new shoes, Mother. The ones broke…”

“What did I tell you about tuning up in public events, Sophia?”

Sophie could feel herself shrinking into pieces. Although she was twenty-three, Aramita’s tone never failed to make her fingers tremble. 

“Do you plan to disgrace the face of your father in public? The legacy of the Gunningworth Foundation?”

“No, Araminta.” Sophie quickly mumbled. “I was planning to leave as soon as I delivered the package…”

A sharp pain crossed her cheeks. I’ll need an ice pack later, Sophie quietly thought to herself.

“Then, why the Demi mask and the dress?” Araminta asked her coldly. “Don’t lie to me, Sophia. You were planning to embarrass the family name..”

“I will be out of your sight immediately.”

“Why do I always have to remind you of your position?” Araminta replied cooly. But as Sophie quickly turned her back, she was again smacked in the head by her fan. 

“Where do you think you're going?”

“The entrance, I was going to go…”

“Leave from the back door, Sophia.” She said sternly, her voice sharp as a knife. “I don’t want you to be seen by other staff on the way out. Sophie almost rolled her eyes, telling her that she had already used the front gate and had a chat with the receptionist. But she knew it was useless to talk back. 

“Enjoy your night, Mrs. Gunningworth.”

[thekatebridgerton]

Love your stories so much.... Can I have more of the Sophie taking Benedict's virginity and him wanting to marry her while Kate tries to hide her AU.... I can't get it out of my head... You have brilliant creativity.

You know I might actually write this and post it one day. I'm going to call it 'Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girlboss' Kate, Sophie and Penelope's comedy of errors during one unfortunate house party

Whereas Kathani Sharma attempts to gaslight Viscount Bridgerton into beleiving that

1) No such girl named Sophie took his Brother's Virginity

2) Sophie Gunningworth doesn't exist, and that her suspicious maid Sophie Beckett, is not in fact the daughter of an Earl wearing a maid's clothes

3) that Kate has not kissed him repeatedly in the library to keep him from asking more questions about Sophie. Because really to imagine someone like Kate pushing him against a bookcase and kissing him like Sophie's life depends on it? honesty that sounds like a crazy story, Viscount Bridgerton must have been quite in his cups

4) that Kate did not show him her decolletage to distract him from seeing Sophie hiding in her room and that the subsequent hickeys of that encounter are simply allegic reactions to Kate's cosmetics. Because if Viscount Bridgerton had in fact seen Kate's breasts and done unspeakable things to her, then that would be scandalous and wrong and he obviously imagined it and she can't believe he would go so far as to fantasize about something that never happened. Kate Sharma will not stay here to encourage the delusions of Viscount Bridgerton's senile old head. His imagination and delusions of kissing and seducing Kate in the library are too wild. really.

Sophie, will continue to gatekeep to death, avoiding Benedict's attempts at finding her, because she absolutely doesn't want to get married and he's out there carrying her glove and proclaiming she's his one true love. When Sophie just wanted to have a hot night with a handsome lover. No ammout of good intentions in bed are worth losing her inheritance to Araminta if she marries before she's a spinster. Also Sophie came out to have fun and now she's feeling so attacked. Was she really that good at taking his virginity that he's so obsessed now??? #VirginGate

And finally Penelope is encouraged (tricked and ambushed more likely) by Sophie and Kate into well.. girlbossing her way into becoming the center of attention of the ton... and making Colin Bridgerton explode in jealousy (did we mention he's back from Italy?) . Because apparently if Anthony and Benedict are trying to keep Colin from killing every man who looks at Penelope's plump kissable lips for too long. Then they will be too distracted to notice Kate sneaking Sophie back to her father in London with the nearest bribable carriage available. Yup! Penelope's job is to drive Colin crazy. Then of course said mad idiot will become a nuisance to his brothers in an attempt to deny his feelings for Penelope. And Sophie and Kate will be free to avoid the Viscount and the not-virgin for the rest of the house party

Their plans will not backfire. At all

You know maybe I will write it this weekend. Who knows.

[ao3feed-kathony]

The Heart Doesn't Forget

read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/58432300 by fictionfrek101 In 1803, sixteen-year-old Benedict Bridgerton is spending the summer in Paris when the Napoleonic Wars are declared and he becomes a prisoner of war. The Bridgertons constantly worry about their missing brother, working to find a way to bring him home when suddenly the letters stop. In 1807, eighteen-year-old Sophie Beckett is illegally sold as a maid to a family in Verdun, when she meets Benjamin Sojourner, a mysterious and handsome young Englishman who lost his memory in an accident three years earlier. In 1815, twenty-six-year-old Colin Bridgerton is touring France when Sophie Lefèvre, a happily married seamstress invites him home for dinner. Upon arriving to the Lefèvre residence, Colin is shocked to run into his long thought dead brother, Benedict, now happily married with three children and has no idea what the hell Colin is talking about when he calls him “Benedict” much less “brother.” How Colin is going to explain this one to the family is anyone’s guess. Words: 3386, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: Bridgerton (TV), Bridgerton Series - Julia Quinn Rating: Explicit Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Categories: F/M Characters: Benedict Bridgerton, Sophie Beckett, Colin Bridgerton, Penelope Featherington, Charles Bridgerton, Alexander Bridgerton, William Bridgerton, Araminta Gunningworth, Anthony Bridgerton, Lord Ledger (Bridgerton), Violet Bridgerton, Eloise Bridgerton Relationships: Sophie Beckett/Benedict Bridgerton, Colin Bridgerton/Penelope Featherington, Anthony Bridgerton/Kate Sheffield | Kate Sharma, Simon Basset/Daphne Bridgerton, Benedict Bridgerton & Colin Bridgerton Additional Tags: Amnesia, Napoleonic Wars, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Human Trafficking, Brotherly Love, season 3 retelling, Married Couple, Indentured Servant, farmer - Freeform, artist, Protective Colin Bridgerton, Benedict Bridgerton Needs a Hug, Historical References, Prisoner of War read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/58432300

[gimmiesophiebaek]

The Bachelor

Chapter 2: Pre-Production Chaos

“Araminta, we have a problem!” Agatha rushed over to Araminta’s desk, feeling stressed. “We’re one short!”

“What do you mean? We have the list completed and all the ladies were notified.” Araminta scratched her head as she looked at the list. She made sure each of the ladies were available and ready to be on the show. “We’re four days away from Night One. Did someone drop out because of COVID? Someone died?”

“Worse!” Agatha pointed at the contestant’s name in annoyance. “Seems like her ex boyfriend convinced her to take him back before she was due to leave. Romantic but it leaves us with one contestant short.”

Araminta listened to Agatha’s plight and instantly got an idea. She found the perfect person to subject to humiliation. It’s long overdue, she thought. 

“I will take care of it.” She smirked. “You will get your final contestant by morning!”

Later, Araminta swung open the door to her sleek El Segundo home, a triumphant smile plastered on her face as she stepped inside. The idea she had been perfecting for weeks had finally taken shape, and she couldn't wait to share it.

“Sophie!” she called out, her voice ringing through the spacious house. "Sophie, come here!”

From the kitchen, Sophie appeared, her expression weary. Her hands were still damp from washing dishes, a chore she had just completed after chauffeuring Araminta’s daughters Rosamund and Posy from school to their endless activities, feeding the ever-demanding but charming cats Pusheen, Stormy, and Pip, running errands, and ensuring the bathroom was spotless. And there was still more to do.

“Finally! Sophie, pack your things,” Araminta announced, barely containing her excitement. “We’re heading to Malibu in a couple of days. You’re going to be on The Bachelor!”

“The Bachelor?” Sophie blinked, struggling to process the news. “Araminta, I don’t—”

“Oh, don’t worry, dear,” Araminta interrupted, waving a dismissive hand. “I’ve got it all figured out. You’ll just need to be there for the first episode. All you have to do is show up and let him eliminate you. Easy as pie! And I’ll make sure you’re paid handsomely for it.”

“Okay?” Sophie’s brow furrowed in confusion and a touch of resentment. “But why me? I’ve got enough on my plate as it is. The last thing I need is to be on some ridiculous reality show, especially not one about—romance.”

“Because, Sophie,” Araminta’s eyes narrowed slightly, her voice taking on a sharper edge. “I’m the boss. And you’re my employee. What I say goes. Remember, it was my husband and I who took you and your mother in when you came here from China—”

“Korea !” Sophie corrects her with a sigh. “We left Korea before I was born.”

“Same country.” Araminta rolled her eyes before narrowing her eyes at Sophie. “And when she passed from cancer, we took care of you. Richard always had a soft spot for you. When he died, I kept you around out of duty, to continue that care.”

“Care?” Sophie shot back, her voice tight with barely suppressed anger. “You mean like a slave?”

“Pack your things, Sophie.” Araminta’s gaze hardened. “You’ll be ready to leave in two days. That’s final. Now, sweep the foyer. It’s dusty.”

Sophie returned to her room after the curveball that was thrown at her. She dropped onto her full size bed and screamed into her pillow. She is always appreciative of the Gunningworths for giving a job to her mother and a roof over their heads after leaving Korea all those years ago. She looked up and glanced at the room, cramped and filled with second-hand furniture, a far cry from the luxury that surrounded the rest of the house. 

The thought of being paraded on national television as a contestant on The Bachelor filled her with dread. The whole idea felt absurd, like some twisted game Araminta had devised purely for her own amusement. Sophie wasn’t interested in finding love—especially not on a reality show. She had enough to worry about without being thrust into the spotlight.

She sighed at one memory that happened over two years ago. They had to film an episode of The Bachelorette in New Orleans and brought everyone along for a “family vacation”. Being that it was in the middle of Mardi Gras, she snuck out one night with a mask to take in the sights. 

And that’s when she met him. 

The entire time was no more than an hour, but it felt like it was packed into one lifetime. And the brief kiss they shared before she ran off remains in her mind since. 

It was a fleeting memory, she thought. A small hint of romance to remain in her dreams. 

She got up and began folding her few belongings, her mind drifting to her mother. Sophie was several weeks away from being born when they came to America from Seoul. Her mother had worked tirelessly for the Gunningworth family, doing everything from cleaning to cooking, often working late into the night. Despite the grueling hours, she had always found time for Sophie, always reminding her to stay hopeful, that their sacrifices would lead to a better life.

But when her mother passed when Sophie was 14, that hope had faded. Richard was kind to an extent and promised to pay for Sophie’s college education just like he provided funds for her mother’s cancer treatment. Sadly, he died before he could assure her tuition was saved when Sophie was 16. His widow Araminta had stepped in, claiming to continue her mother’s legacy of care, but it never felt like care to Sophie. It felt like an obligation—like ownership. The tasks had piled up, the expectations had grown, and the promised future never materialized.

Dreams of attending Berkeley or Stanford were pushed back by attending a local community college. Even after receiving enough scholarship money to transfer to cover her time at nearby Fullerton since USC and UCLA were “too expensive”, Araminta made sure that she will take Sophie out of school at any time, not allowing Sophie to enjoy her brief time of freedom. 

Dreams of pursuing a career needed to wait. Araminta made sure after graduation, Sophie will have no chance to or have a social life beyond catering to her and her daughters. 

And every time Sophie threatens to leave, Araminta would say she will contact the authorities and ship her back to Korea despite being born in Los Angeles, calling her an “anchor baby who don’t belong” and “Kim Jong Un sends his regards.”

As Sophie packed, she glanced at the small framed photo of her mother on the bedside table. It was one of the few personal items she had kept all these years. 

"What would you do, Mom?" she whispered in Korean, her voice barely audible. But no answer came, just the oppressive silence of the room.

The next morning, Agatha received an email from Araminta with the final list. A smile came from her face, knowing this season promises to be a wild one. 

From: Araminta Gunningworth >ARGunningworth@bachelor.abc.com< To: Agatha Danbury >ADanbury@bachelor.abc.com< Date: September 18, 2024

Subject: Benedict’s muses

We got our official lineup! Who will capture this artist’s heart? 

Contestants

Anne Elliott, 30, Elderly Caregiver, Madison, WI

Annie Hartigan, 24, Grad Student, Gainesville, FL

Becky Sharpe, 24, Miss Texas 2023, Waco, TX

Catherine Morland, 24, Administrative Assistant, Littleton, CO

Cathy Earnshaw, 23, Stylist, Savannah, GA

Charlotte Heywood, 27, Teacher, Norfolk, VA

Conchita Closson, 24, Brand Ambassador, Las Vegas, NV

Cressida Cowper, 25, Influencer, Chicago, IL

Delilah Weston, 23, Ice Girl, Durham, NC

Demelza Carne, 28, Innkeeper, Kennebunkport, ME

Dolores Stowell, 22, Bachelor Superfan, Davenport, IA

Emma Kenworthy, 24, ER Nurse, Houston, TX

Emma Woodhouse, 27, Fashion Consultant, Laguna Beach, CA

Estella Havisham, 28, Psychologist, Dallas, TX

Fanny Price, 26, Librarian, Topeka, KS

Fantine Thibault, 24, Jeweler, Lafayette, LA

Genevieve Delacroix, 31, Wedding Dress Designer, Montreal, Canada

Jane Eyre, 26, Nanny, Ithaca, NY

Jo Ann Robinson, 30, Project Manager, Bronx, NY

Maggie Goring, 22, Harpist, Provo, UT

Marianne Dominguez, 23, Grad Student, Dorval, FL

Mary Bennett, 25, Pianist, Morristown, NJ

Nancy Sikes, 27, Bartender, Cranston, RI

Priya Eaton, 26, Hat Designer, Brampton, Canada

Roanna Wilson, 43, Realitor, Pasadena, CA

Sita Malhotra, 22, Voice Actress, Los Angeles, CA

Sophie Baek, 26, Cat Whisperer, El Segundo, CA

Tess Todd, 23, Gamer, Tuscaloosa, AL

Tessa Rupert, 28, Model, Atlanta, GA

Tilley Arnold, 34, Pilot, Seattle, WA

[apinchofm]

My dream An Offer From a Gentleman Cast

Sophie Beckett

Posy Reiling

Araminta Gunningworth

Rosamund Reiling

Hugh Woodson

[sea-owl]

What if I add the housemaid wars to the Isekai au?

Isekai!Portia probably would only roll her eyes at Araminta's baiting. She is the bigger woman, and she has Sophie as one of her precious children, so Portia knows she truly won even before the war started. She may have done something if Sophie wanted it, but Sophie was in a secure place with her life, and Araminta was beneath her.

Araminta was real confident until she made the mistake of calling Portia a conniving, ill-bred thief . . .in public. . .in front of witnesses. . .in front of Violet.

Yeah, Araminta may not see the end of the season. Especially since she not only made Violet's shit list by insulting Violet's object of obsession, but she also pissed off Portia's precious children.

[loveseternla]

name:    sophie    marie    beckett    (    gunningworth    unclaimed    ).    monikers:    soph,    fie.    titles:    nil.    age:    twenty    five.    birthdate:    september    eighth.    orientations:    pansexual    &    panromantic.    gender:    woman.    pronouns:    she    +    her.    place    of    birth:    london.    current    location:    mayfair,    england.    faceclaim:    anya    chalotra.    height:    five    foot    four.    hair    colour:    black.    eye    colour:    deep    hazel.    family:    richard    gunningworth    &    maria    beckett,    step    siblings    rosamund    &    posy    reiling.

life    was    made    for    romance    and    laughter    ,    that’s    how    sophie    beckett    saw    it    .    perhaps    it    was    as    such    due    to    the    fact    she    was    born    a    motherless    child    ,    her    mother    in    the    world    moment    after    her    birth    before    she    was    gone.    only    here    long    enough    to    name    her    only    child    ;    sophie.

she    remembers    very    little    of    her    childhood    ,    only    that    she    was    raised    by    a    dying    grandmother    before    being    sent    to    her    father    ,    though    ,    the    word    father    would    never    be    uttered    ,    despite    the    resemblance    to    him    and    his    sister    ,    he    would    only    ever    claim    her    as    a    ward    .    she    was    never    named    of    his    own    blood    .    and    spent    many    of    her    years    raised    by    servants    of    the    penwood    park    estate    while    he    attended    his    own    affairs    in    london.

only    seven    years    pass    without    so    much    as    real    family    but    the    earl    returns    with    a    wife    and    bringing    along    with    them    two    daughters    ,    a    family    that    she    was    so    HOPEFUL    for    and    yet    araminta    wanted    nothing    to    do    with    the    warden    of    her    husband    and    voices    her    wants    of    sending    sophie    away    ,    to    which    richard    never    let    happen    .

forced    away    from    any    type    of    warmth    and    family    ,    sophie    lived    in    the    estate    alongside    and    yet    so    distanced    from    her    family    ,    that    was    until    shortly    after    another    birthday    passes    alone    and    her    father    leaves    stipulations    in    his    will    that    araminta    would    receive    triple    her    yearly    income    if    she    kept    sophie    in    the    household    .

but    the    will    never    stipulated    how    she    would    be    kept    and    soon    enough    the    young    girl    was    a    lady’s    maid    to    three    ,    araminta    ,    rosamund    and    posy    and    unfairly    treated    ,    now    headed    to    the    ton    with    them    as    nothing    even    close    to    family.

[the-other-art-blog]

Richard Gunningworth: *ignores Sophie for years, barely acknowledges her existence, makes her feel unloved, gets married without considering Sophie, does nothing to defend her against his wife’s abuse, doesn’t take the proper measures to secure her future if he dies*

The Bton fandom: “I think Sophie’s father really loved her. He must have been in love with her mother. Yes! It was forbidden love! Poor baby, he ignored Sophie because it was too painful to see her.”

Violet: *loses the love of her life when she was 8 months pregnant, suffers depression, has a traumatic birth, suffers post-partum depression, recovers and dedicates her life to raise her children and makes sure her children live a HEA*

The Bton Fandom: “what a horrible mother, she should have been there for Anthony. She’s an absent mother! She’s the worst.”

Make it make sense.

If Violet would have died and Edmund would have crumbled, everyone would have made excuses for him. Stop acting as if Anthony raised those children alone. Violet was depressed for a while, but then SHE raised them. And before Edmund died, they were loving and involved parents.

People forget too easily all the damage Richard did to Sophie.

Let's just recap all the shitty things he did in the book.

He abused his power as a wealthy heir to take advantage of a poor maid.

He left said maid alone, even when he knew there was a possibility of getting her pregnant. And yes, we don't know why she left, but if he cared he would have done something.

He let Sophie live with him because he had to. The book is clear in that he is not happy about her arrival and decides to treat her as a ward. Now, yes, this technically gave Sophie many opprtunities, but he only did it to safe his reputation. He made her pay for his mistakes.

He abandoned her in the country while he spent most of the year in London doing who knows what. Sophie grew up completely alone, except the servants. She had no friends ebcause everyone knew she was an illegitimate child.

When he is in the country, he barely spent time with her. Although I believe he asked for reports from the governess and knew she could be an accomplished woman.

He married Araminta without ever considering Sophie. If he cared about Sophie, he would have mentioned her to Araminta before proposing to her. No loving father would have made any decision without making sure that his new wife treated his daughter with respect. In fact, Araminta was treated as a fool here too, cause she deserved to know. As horrible as she was, she deserved to know Sophie existed, and the fact that Richard didn't think it important to tell her shows how privileged and horrible he was.He was a very wealthy earl, he could have had anyone. He was only 36 years old and if Sophie looked like him, he should have been handsome.

When he presented to the whole staff, he totally forgot about Sophie. He wasn't even planning on making a formal presentation!!! That scene breaks my heart cause Sophie beams when he tells her he didn’t see her. Like how despicable you have to be to make her feel like she’s forgetable and more insignificant than a scullery maid. Let’s not pretend that this messed up with Sophie’s self-esteem.

He didn’t take measures to protect Sophie’s dowry. He left her money... and then what? There were no further instructions on what to do with her. Did he plan to arrange a marriage? How could he have trusted Sophie’s only opportunity for a good life to a woman who hated her?!?!?!?! An ambitious woman who only cared about money and status.

He was aware of Araminta’s treatment towards Sophie and he allowed it. As horrible as Araminta was, the only reason why that woman came near Sophie was Richard. And Sophie knew it.

I know the dowry was extremely important to Sophie, and it does prove that he acknowledge her existence and his responsibility. But honestly, it wasn’t enough. Even if he was already thinking about a future for Sophie where he dies, he could have been more specific in the will. Or, he could have left instructions to his lawyer. What if Sophie didn’t find a husband? Could she have gotten access to the money? I do believe he would have searched for a decent man, but I don’t think he planned a HEA for Sophie, merely a man willing to overlook her illegitimacy. I don’t think they would have had contact once Sophie got married.

And frankly, the fact that people tend to brush off his conduct and abuse and just focus on Araminta pisses me off. Men really can get away with everything.

NEGLECT IS ABUSE!!!!!!

Richard made Sophie carry all the weight of his crimes. He went on being an earl in London and being wealthy and influential. Sophie couldn’t have done anything, she was just a child. The servants didn’t have the power to defend her either. And then Benedict came and he tried to do the same. He wanted her to carry with all the shame of being a mistress while he continued with his life. But this time Sophie could say no and forced Benedict to make sacrifices.

[bridgertonbabe]

Haven’t read the entirety of your Royals AU, but I get Samantha Markle vibes when I think of the ones I’ve seen about Araminta trashing Sophie 😬

Yeah, Araminta's trashing of Sophie to the tabloids is very Samantha Markle inspired.

Sophie's step-mother couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the front page photos of Prince Benedict's new love being none other than her late husband's wretched excuse of a daughter. Araminta thought she had seen the last of her when she kicked her out of the house on her eighteenth birthday but to then see that she had snagged a prince of all people? (Especially when her perfect Rosamund couldn't even get a guy to text her back.) She was seething with jealousy and resentment. It made no sense that her second husband's bastard could ever be in the position of one day becoming a princess. Surely the royal family wouldn't let someone like her anywhere near their inner circle? Prince Benedict must have been out of his mind to be taken in by her - but then Araminta supposed she was her whore of a mother's daughter. Whatever Sophie's mother had done to seduce Richard must be what Sophie had done to dig her claws into the most eligible bachelor in the country. In Araminta's eyes she was wholly undeserving of coming anywhere close to having a princess title and she made it her mission to let everyone know this. And she didn't even have to reach out to the press - they sought her out after investigating Sophie's background and unearthing the link between them. Of course Araminta lapped up the attention (and all of the money that came with it) as the tabloids flocked to hear her side of the story. She sung like a canary for them, providing them with the perfect headlines for the public to pick up and read, and she made herself available to them at any time of day to give her insight and commentary into whatever was being reported on about her detestable step-daughter. Araminta couldn't wait for the day it was announced that Sophie had been dumped by the prince, or better yet rejected from the family altogether. But then, much to her eternal shock, she learnt that Sophie had moved in with the prince to the palatial apartment he resided in. And then further on down the line it was reported that the royal family had officially met Sophie and that according to palace insiders they all absolutely adored her. The news only fuelled Araminta further in her ongoing campaign of hate towards Sophie and she was still desperately rooting for the day Prince Benedict finally gave that bitch the heave-ho - until the news broke of the prince's engagement to Sophie. Araminta was apoplectic with rage and stuck to her warpath. There was no possible way that wretched girl should ever make it down the aisle to marry the prince and she voiced her disparaging opinion to whoever would listen. But then once Sophie made her first public appearances and started attending royal engagements, those in the general public who had been initially taken in by everything Araminta was spouting quickly recognised that Sophie Beckett was an absolute angel in human form and the tide of opinion turned against her step-mother. There were still tabloids and magazines that entertained Araminta's poisonous perspective of Sophie but general interest and paid opportunities began to wane. Even more people turned against her when Posy released a video publicly supporting Sophie and painting her own mother out to be a bitter and spiteful cow who was selling every vindictive word that came out of her mouth just for the attention and notoriety. Araminta had tried calling her miserable excuse of a daughter to make her rue the day she publicly sullied her name but Posy had blocked her out of her life, wanting as little to do with her mother as Sophie did. Then the day that Araminta thought would never actually happen finally came about and she ground her teeth and glared at the TV as Sophie married into the royal family, growling every time the crowds cheered for the bride, and throwing a glass vase at the wall when the camera showed Posy in attendance at the royal wedding. And so while Sophie went on to live her best life, Araminta spent the rest of her sad little life forever bitter and filled with unwarranted hate towards the nation's sweetheart.

[silverhallow]

I guess I just can't forgive him that he was so stupid to trust that Araminta would actually do something for Sophie. Yes, the money was his condition, but I don't know how he didn't appoint an additional tutor to see that Sophie was being taken care of and that her dowry would remain hers and safe. He could have asked the solicitor to check on Sophie every week or month.

Oh I know. Clearly Sophie’s brains come from her Mama.

I think with the inclusion of the dowry and the instructions of the increased income he probably assumed someone would.

But i wouldn’t put it past Araminta to haul Sophie out, put an old dress on her and make her say she’s okay even if he had instructed someone…

And she’d have just fired the tutor probably.

She’s that Fucking evil…