#i think of Eloise making taking care of a man and his children her life's work and being happy about it

[sunflowerdigs]

Eloise's story ending at a rich man's country estate with marriage and babies instead of at the start of years full of education and travel would do a fundamental disservice to her character, not to mention erode the legitimacy of her very good arguments against the institution of marriage as it existed in 1825. The solution for Eloise shouldn't be miraculously falling into one of the 5% of marriages that were actually happy and equitable at the time with one of the .5% of men who could be considered a feminist. Because that's not a solution to the problem that she has brought up since s1, that's not a strike against a patriarchal system that doesn't want women to be educated or have dreams beyond having babies. Plus, it's already kinda happened to Kate (which is fine - Kate's goals and reasons for them were slightly different, as were her previous experiences) and a repetition of that plotline would be kind of boring.

Not wanting to be a wife and mother isn't a sign of immaturity. Those aren't goals that Eloise needs to grow to want, especially if they are goals that every other female character ends up wanting. That greatly limits the scope of what women in the Bridgerton universe can be and do and no one should want that. We should want to see women bucking the patriarchal rules of the time and living lives according to their own interests and desires, not the paths chosen for them by men.

"But if she doesn't start wanting marriage and babies, she can't have her happily ever after" THAT IS A VERY BAD SET UP TO BEGIN WITH I'M JUST SAYING.

[thataddylady]

Analysis: 'To Sir Phillip with Love'

Ok y'all i can't sleep so here is part two.

When we meet Phillip in 'To Sir Phillip with Love', he is trying to claw his way out of depression himself.

He's on the other side of a very unhappy and lonely marriage and has just finished burying his wife who he frankly thinks died to get away from him and return to her first love. He is the only person who is aware of Marina's suicide attempt.

The only thing that terrifies him more than his own temper (which he got from dear old dad) is sadness. He is deeply triggered by it. This is important to keep in mind.

In the books Marina is Eloise's cousin, so he writes to the family to inform them of her death and Eloise responds. They strike up a correspondence and Phillip, who has two motherless children takes a shot in the dark and asks Eloise to marry him. If she's willing to visit his home he'll make arrangements (get a chaperone etc) to see if they will get along in person and take things from there.

Hot Take: Phillip treats Eloise shabbily when she arrives, but this is... a bold take.

Eloise, freshly freaked out by her spinster buddy marrying her brother, legit disappears during a ball and takes off to Phillip's estate without notifying her family or more importantly, Sir Phillip. So our girl shows up on this man's doorstep, talking non-stop as she is wont to do and he has had no warning or inkling as to who she is or why she has arrived there. He's not expecting her as weeks have passed since his last letter suggesting marriage with no response from her. Like a normal person, he thinks "Welp, it was nice having someone to talk to while it lasted. Back to the wilderness of my life."

When Eloise shows up he is flabbergasted as her appearance and generally awkward because he has no idea what to do next. He hasn't had company in around ten years, he hasn't had much social interaction at all outside of his kids (who are delightful little gremlins) and his servants. Our scholar is now a socially awkward adult with trauma and low self-esteem.

Hot take: Phillip is a distant father who doesn't care about his children and just wants a housekeeper/ nanny he can have sex with so he doesn't have to bother with them.

So first of all, Phillip loves his children, those are his damn babies. And a close reading will show that his children are in fact going off the rails because they are used to him being a present and engaged father. They are used to hanging out with him in his green house or going on nature walks with him. He was the active parent with them while their mother was alive. But Phillip is not in a place where he can cope with them when we meet him in the books and hasn't been for months. As a result, they are doing what children do in a bid for attention. They are causing havoc.

And as a parent who is already overwhelmed Phillip is doing his level best. He deeply loves his children but he is overwhelmed by what they need from him because he is drowning mentally and emotionally in PTSD. He needs space and time but they need him so what do they do? They riot. When they riot he gets angry but as noted before he is a large man who is terrified of losing his temper with his children and hurting them. So he avoids them most times.

Think the first Nanny McPhee movie.

But it's important to note this has only been the state of affairs for around six months. The ten years before he was an active loving parent. His daughter seeks his comfort and jumps into his lap without hesitation. When she calls him "Daddy" at the end of the book, he remembers that she used to call him that before he drifted away from them and he misses it. So calling him a deadbeat dad is not fair.

What Phillip desperately needs and craves is help. He knows his children need a mother, he knows he hasn't been able to step up to the plate lately and so his check list for a wife is as follows, someone who

manages his children (and his life) but is still kind and loving to them.

takes control of his life and household so he can breathe for a minute while he processes a lifetime of trauma in his greenhouse.

Isn't sad. She doesn't have to be wildly happy she just can't be sad.

Hopefully doesn't mind talking to him upon occasion or having sex once in a while.

That's the list. No romance? Look at his life up until this point. There is nothing to let him think he deserves to be loved or should expect more than the bare minimum. His hope is that he can be tolerated and his best case scenario is that his wife likes him.

The bar is in hell.

It is also clearly stated that he knows their behavior is due to his failure as a parent, and that his anger is not just because of them. He sees himself as a failure. His father didn't love him because he failed to be as good as his brother. Marina couldn't get over his brother's death and find the will to live because he failed as a husband/protector.  His children are wild gremlins because he is a failure as a father.

Then Eloise shows up and everything changes. She comes from a large crazy loving family as we all know so wrangling kids is a walk in the park. They prank her? She pranks back. They wanna be sneaky? She wrote the book. They want to play mind games? She is the queen of psychological warfare. She is fun, she is engaging but most of all she can handle basically anything and because of that Phillip is able to breathe.

Hot Take: They are boring and Eloise deserves better than a boring scholar who just wants to have sex.

So... I mean to each their own, but here are some facts about our baby girl, Eloise. She is a loud, opinionated, bossy little thing who doesn't like to be told no. She can be a HUGE brat. She is intellectually curious, she loves conversation and she in interested in the world around her to the point of being nosey and obnoxious. But while she is entertaining to read, she is also A LOT.

By her book she is a LEGIT spinster (28 years old) everyone her age or near to it is married and pregnant or about to be and she is finding herself by herself. She knows she is a handful, she knows people find her to be too much so what is she hoping for? A man who doesn't mind her entire personality cause it's not changing any time soon.

Does she expect love? No. Why? Because to her if her own family loves her but mostly tolerates her then what hope does she have of finding a man who doesn't mind being ordered about but isn't a weakling?

When Phillip and Eloise start interacting the truth is neither knows what to expect from the other. There's attraction, sure, but there is also a genuine appreciation. He LOVES that she always knows what to do and has the energy to make shit happen. He loves how bossy she is. He is shocked that she cares enough to take an interest in his hobbies because literally no one ever has.

Eloise loves that he always listens to her. Does he tease her sometimes about how much she talks? Yes. But he always listens, and participates when she is talking. He isn't cowed by her strong personality, her intelligence, or the fact that she is a better shot than he is. Beyond that, these are legitimately some of his favorite things about her.

By now we know what Phillip is getting out of this. A loving mother for his children, a manager for his life who is more than capable, a companion who seems to care about him and his interests and the sex life he never thought was possible for him.

So what is Eloise getting out of this deal?

Well, for starters, a man who:

Adores the air she breathes and the ground she walks on.

Has the body of a lumberjack and the sex drive of a retired priest (think Fleabag).

Possesses the intellectual vigor to keep up with her talking and her mind.

Is interested in everything about her

Is loyal and honorable (never broke his marriage vows to Marina)

Is sweet and cares deeply about her happiness to an almost pathological degree.

LOVES her mind and her mischievousness

Appreciates her skills even/especially when they edge into unorthodox territory

Supports literally everything she does. (If she wanted to take over the world he would be the first to vote for her and enlist in her army).

Will fight anyone who tries to talk smack about her (even her scary brothers)

Now we can argue about what she deserves, but to me that list is a winning list. That is a dream list.

Hot take: Phillip doesn't listen to Eloise.

There are two instances where Phillip has notably bad reactions to Eloise.

One is when she takes his kids swimming in the lake where Marina attempted suicide. Again, he is the only one who knows about that. He freaks out because A) It's THAT lake, and B) He never taught them to swim and didn't realize they had learned. So a trauma response, and one he apologies for.

The second is when Eloise is trying to tell him she doesn't like the nanny. Who is a b*tch. He is in honeymoon mode, she implies that they have a problem in the marriage and he spirals at the thought that she isn't happy. Again it's not his best moment, again it is a trauma response. Outside of those two times he's always listening to Eloise and most of the time he's agreeing with her.

On to part three. What do we Philoiseers love so much about them?

@whatsaweekend Part 2

[mcalhenwrites]

A bit of a rant.

My dad is abusive and misogynistic. He claims every bad driver is a woman. He has treated my mom as an object and a house servant, all while berating her because she couldn't do everything he wanted of her. It was hard to watch. My dad mistreated his kids. He isolated my mom from her friends after they married. He tried to isolate his children as much as possible. I have begged my mom to try to get away from him almost my entire fucking life. I have gotten mistreated because I stood up against my dad to defend her, and he would tell me it was none of my business - even in my adult life. I'm so mad for her, and mad at myself for not being able-bodied and successful enough to make an income that supports me, much less affords my brother and my mom. (And I would admittedly choose my brother first, he's disabled as well and didn't sign up to be in my family either.) Now I am a trans man and have been out for 20 years. I was out before I even knew what the fuck BL was. I am pro-abortion and so many other things. Like, I do not even care what your reason is for terminating a pregnancy, that's your business. I'm upset by unequal pay. I do not like that we have a culture of men dominating households. Been there, done that, do not recommend. And I still have to live my life straddling this strange space where everyone only wants to see me as a woman, even though I'm just unable to afford top surgery and wasn't exactly in a safe place to do it either. And even if I never get it, that doesn't matter: I shouldn't be misgendered. So hearing the young ones say that I'm upholding patriarchy, that all men are bad (and deciding this changes between cis/trans so that you know you're never actually a man if you're trans!), that writing BL makes me a misogynist... I'm sorry, but some of you have no fucking clue. And it really shouldn't take my years of trauma to explain to people who aren't going to listen anyway that I'm not interested in IRL misogyny. Also, I have written women together! I have Seth and Bertina, Lydia and Alexia, Adelaide and Cora (but I'm sure they don't count in a lot of people's minds), Andy and Lucinda, Daphne and Eloise, and more as far as OCs go. I also have Wendy and Ruth and many others who aren't in relationships yet, and I have another ship in a new untitled story. I also have trans characters and some of them are also in relationships! Robin (she/her), Beau (he/him), Ambrose (he/him but I think he'd like neo-pronouns if he thought about it), Todd (he/him), Mish (they/them), my dragons are canonically gender apathetic and don't really care about pronouns as much as humans do, Mir (they/them)... honestly Seasons has a lot of trans characters. So yeah, I'm... tired. Very tired. Glad to know I'm sooooo on my abusive shitty dad's side of things because I like to write BL, which I'm sure he's not weird about at all, considering he got mad that my mom watches gay movies on Netflix.

[visxionaries]

ooc: Below we finally have the reveal of what truly went on regarding Cedric Tyrell’s family, his life, and his parents. It is the final journal entries written by Lady Eloise Tyrell, Lady of Highgarden during the Dance of Dragons.

TW: domestic abuse, mental abuse, suicide, murder, poison.

The hour was late, and whatever women had filled the space in the bed beside him had slinked back into the shadows of the night as the King of the Reach fixed his gaze upon the canopy above his head. Sleep evaded him this night, slipping in and out of his mind like a ghost; for he knew what day had dawned upon him when the sun rose. 

It felt as though the sun would never rise on this day; the one in which all memories of Brightwater’s pearl ended in an ivory and gold shroud being wrapped around her body. How was he supposed to make her laugh by attempting to speak the Brightwater old tongue now?

There were two shrouds, the Lord and Lady of Highgarden; and yet, there was only one Cedric was unable to look away from that day. The tombs of both his parents had remained unvisited since the day of the funeral, and Eloise Tyrell still did not see her beloved son, even in death. For their deaths were seen as utterly twisted, utterly strange; for the two of them to leave this world together, leaving behind their children. 

To deny themselves the heavens, for taking their own lives. The Gods did not deserve Eloise Tyrell. It would be she who denied them. “I don’t think mother killed herself...” Words that were sliced at the neck as the Pearl of Highgarden’s crimson blood spilled at her own wedding day, tainting a gown of white. His family was cursed. He was cursed, he knew this. 

The movement in which he rolled onto his feet from laying upon his bed was so quick it almost made him dizzy, but he knew in that moment, he needed to do this now. He needed to do this now, or he would toss it into the flames and stop letting it haunt him. Sacrifice it to something bigger than he cared to know.

And finally, the diary was in his hands and away from the bottom of his personal desk, beneath parchment on parchment, letters on letters, petitions on petitions. The man seemed to move and behave in a way that meant his body moved first, and his mind thought after; for if he allowed himself to think, then he would never be able to stop. Or he would stop. He could not stop, not now. 

And so, Cedric Tyrell read the thoughts of Brightwater’s pearl in her own unique, slightly scribbly hand. The dead had no privacy, didn’t they? Didn’t she want him to be able to read this? Why else would it have been hidden amongst the rows of books within the Tyrell’s personal library? 

BELOW IS A DIARY ENTRY BY LADY ELOISE TYRELL, DATED OCTOBER 10TH, 135AC. It is a draft of a letter to send to her brother, Lord Allun Florent of Brightwater, father of Lord Omer Florent and Lady Rhea Tarly.

My Lord Brother of Brightwater, I implore you to reconsider your rejection of wardship for your nephew. Cedric is sharp in his wit and sharper still with his tongue, and has been raised as a son of Brightwater in his own way. I wish for him to be safe within this world, especially now more than ever. There is none other I would trust with looking over my son but you, my gracious Lord. The concern and insult for Oldtown’s ambitions continuing beyond this war are shared; in this, I assure you, Highgarden and Brightwater remain the most steadfast of allies. No son of Brightwater would be sent to ward with Oldtown; as you have always taught me. Concerns are, very high. A constant priority. A constant thought. Tá amanna is cosúil m'fhear céile as a meabhair. Tá amanna ann is dóigh liom go ndéanfaidh sé dochar dom. I wish for my son to see a piece of what it means to have Florent blood, my Lord - and if this were possible, you would have my utmost and undeniable gratitude. Perhaps my Lord can consider the strengths of having a Tyrell ward; it will give your own noble and virtuous son another to depend on. Má tharlaíonn aon rud dom, le do thoil a ghlacadh mo mhac. Please tell my nephew his aunt thinks of him. I have tried to send him some correspondence, however believe to have yet gotten a response; perhaps it is not getting through for I do not know where to reach him. Guím ort, a thiarna. Deartháir mór. Yours, Lady Eloise of Highgaren. Do dheirfiúr beag.

//

His kiss was one that was intimate and loving, as though they were once again the Pearl of Brightwater and the Lord of Highgarden within the many mazes that surrounded them. Watched them now, it felt like; as it felt like the whole realm watched and whispered of them. As it felt as though the Hightowers watched them, ready to turn their force upon Highgarden should they emerge victorious; to take everything from them. 

Her forehead remained against the one of her husband for a moment, and she reached her hand forward to gently rest it upon his beard; closing her eyes. She knew what they needed to discuss, and yet for a moment, she wished to hear of anything but news of the war; wished to feel anything but the sense of impending weight and doom. He still loved her, he still loved her and only her; the Tarly woman meant nothing, and the boy...the boy did not displace her or their three children. 

“It’ll all be over soon.” He whispered, moving to quietly stroke his thumb across her cheek; and perhaps if she were not so desperately wishing to feel nothing but his embrace, she would have noted the slight shake in his voice. Tasted something strange on his lips, that no doubt must be some new wine. They remained like that for some minutes, holding one another.

“For how long?” Her voice quietly muttered, her face turning into his gentle, loving touch; for how long could the Reach go without ripping themselves apart? “Until the Gods put another mad Targaryen on the throne?” 

She feared she saw the disunity of the realm reflecting within her sons now. Saw how distant they were. How they were strangers within their own homes. She did not want them to think it were something light, something easy, to turn family against family; blade at the throat of brother. 

“Forever, sweet angel.” Hector Tyrell’s voice sounded different now. He felt her still in his hands, still in the quiet realisation that something was terribly wrong; and when she looked up and saw blood trickling from his nose, it felt as though all the blood had drained from her own face. There was such intense guilt within his eyes, within broken eyes carrying the weight of a broken realm and a broken man; who decided he did not want to do this anymore.

Who decided she would not remain within the realm of the living without him. How could she? 

“Hector-” She muttered, raising a shaking hand to wipe at the lips he had just kissed her with, and her voice broke into a small noise of fear upon realising what stained her dainty porcelain hand. Crimson, crimson blood; her own. Not his. Her own. “No-” 

“Shh. Shh now.” His grip on her tightened as she struggled, and tightened more as her slurred sobs echoed and bounced around their chambers, and her body only fell limper and limper until it moved no more. 

And as she slipped into eternal darkness, as she begged the Stranger and spoke in the Brightwater tongue to explain could not yet travel upon the river of death; her candle blew out forever. There were dried tears upon her face when the maids found her, still wrapped within the arms of her loving husband, who too had passed to face the Gods. And fresh tears. 

[quotergirl19]

Random thought 🐝💭

For those of you who think that Anthony or the Bridgerton family in general will never forgive Penelope being Whistledown because she wrote about them, I think you should keep in mind that if not for Whistledown:

1. Daphne would have been forced to marry Nigel Berbrooke, a man who likely raped & discarded his maid when he impregnated her with no means of support for her or the child.

He tried to force himself on Daphne before implying she was no different than a prize horse to Simon and then he threatened her family with ruin.

Nothing deterred this scumbag. Not Daphne’s objection or the threats or desires of two highly regarded titled gentlemen such as the Viscount & Duke.

If not for Whistledown, who knows the hell Daphne’s life would have become, not to mention that Simon would still be alone and sweet baby Augie would not exist.

2. Colin would be stuck in a loveless marriage to a woman who he couldn’t trust, and he’d be father in name only to not one, but two children fathered by another man. And in retrospect I think Marina will be glad things went the way they did because I believe she loves her babies and in fairness to her innocent son, had she married Colin, baby Oliver would not be in line to inherit his birthright and be Lord Crane in the future.

Pen pleaded with Marina for weeks trying to make her see that she would be ruining Colin’s life by lying to trick him into marriage and force him to raise another man’s bastard as his own child and it didn’t work.

When Penelope tried to gently let Colin know that Marina did not truly care for him because she loved another man, he dismissed her concerns just like he did with his family.

If not for Whistledown, Colin would have been trapped and given his reaction to Marina finally confessing, it definitely would have destroyed him to have married and discovered that he was duped. Plus it destroyed Penelope to hurt two people she cared for deeply and I believe at her core, Pen is a good person.

3. Finally we have Eloise who, let’s be honest, has some major impulse control issues and doesn’t think before she speaks or acts.

Eloise knows she’s a well-bred young lady who has just entered society. She knows how quickly any small deviation from societal rules can spiral if only from witnessing Daphne’s drama last season. She knows it’s improper for her to be alone with a man unchaperoned but she sneaks off with her footman whenever she pleases and begins an inappropriate relationship with a working class young man.

She calls Theo her friend but she knows she wants more than friendship with him. Every part of their acquaintance is scandalous but the most dangerous and thoughtless thing she would have done this season was thankfully prevented by Penelope.

Eloise was accused by the Queen herself of being Whistledown and was telling Penelope that she intended to LIE TO THE QUEEN and pretend she was Whistledown to protect her family. Penelope writing about her visit to a political rally saved not only Eloise but the entire Bridgerton family from a ruin which they never would have been able to come back from. Just look at how the Queen wanted to shun Lady Mary simply for leaving high society because she fell in love with & married someone outside of the ton, and that was nearly twenty years earlier!

Eloise could not have kept up her lie and when the Queen discovered that she wasn’t really Whistledown, who knows how she might have reacted.

Let’s not forget that this is all taking place in the early 18th century and Eloise would have lied to the reigning sovereign. Disloyalty to the crown was considered a form of treason at the time. Not only could the Queen have written off the Bridgerton family and ruined them forever, she could have decided to exile Eloise from England for her audacity. And if Queen Charlotte were feeling particularly vicious, she could have decided to revert all the Bridgerton family holdings, property and titles back to the crown as punishment, essentially stripping their family of everything and leaving them all destitute outcasts.

The idea of lying & intentionally making a fool of the reigning monarch during the 18th century is crazy & Eloise was insane to even consider it. Penelope may have broken her friend’s trust but even Colin pointed out that Penelope has sense when Eloise does not. Pen did the only thing she could to prevent Eloise from doing something dangerously ruinous.

I believe when everything comes out, the Bridgerton family will be stunned and shocked. They may not be happy with Penelope but I think they will recognize that she was instrumental in protecting them from multiple disasters and if anyone is going to appreciate that, it’s Violet, Anthony and Kate. I believe once Penelope has their appreciation and support as the heads of the family (even if it takes a bit of reflection and perspective), that will be hugely helpful & appreciated, especially by Penelope who will likely be expecting them all to hate her and write her off the way Eloise did.

[iliveiloveiwrite]

A Truth Universally Acknowledged // Anthony Bridgerton

Request: Hi angel! I love all of your stories, especially your Bridgerton and work! Is there any way you could write something soft and fluffy for Anthony and a female reader! PLEASE AND THANK YOU - Anon.

A/N: I haven’t written for Anthony in what seems like forever! As much as I love Benedict, I do love writing Anthony fics. This isn't overly long, I just wanted to write something soft and fluffy that’s entirely domestic as well. I hope you all like! Title is a quote from the first line of Pride and Prejudice (further quotes from the book are in italics).

Pairing: Anthony Bridgerton x Fem!Reader.

Warnings: none - fluff, books, marriage, happy relationships, cute.

Word Count: 1.6k

The house is silent as Anthony strides through the waiting, open door. He nods his greeting to the Butler, Wilkins, before letting the weariness that had haunted him all day settle over his bones.

“Wilkins?” Anthony asks; no need to voice the question. Wilkins knows.

“Lady Bridgerton is in the Green-and-Gold, sir.”

Anthony smiles at the Butler. “You really do know everything.”

Wilkins smiles; nods his head. “It is my job, sir. Lady Bridgerton has already told me that you will take your final meal of the day in there, too.”

Anthony takes the stairs two at a time; refusing to accept his laboured breathing by the time he reaches the top. He was not an old man yet; he was still a very active man.

Turning left, he wanders blindly to the Green-and-Gold room named for the colour scheme of the walls and the furniture. His late grandmother had decorated the room; so fondly remembered by her ancestors that each refused to change a thing in the room save for any upholstering that needed to be done occasionally.

He finds you sitting on the left hand side of the room; the comfier side as argued by everyone who visits the room. Your legs are curled underneath you as your eyes pour over the page of an open book in your lap. From here, Anthony cannot possibly hazard a guess as to what you might be reading, but he feels a twinge of jealousy at the attention being paid to the book and not to him.

Well, love makes fools of us all, Anthony thinks to himself. “Darling,” Anthony greets in one single breath, as if the sight of you makes it all the easier for him to breathe.

“Darling,” You smile, standing from your seat, coming to greet the man you love with every fibre of your being. “How was your day?”

Anthony groans as he removes his jacket before tugging at the knot of his cravat. “Long,” He complains, struggling with the neckpiece. You smile at your husband, batting his hands away from his neck so you can take over. You feel the heat of his gaze as your hands work to do undo the knot he had tightened with a single tug; as the fabric unravels under your nimble fingers your husband reaches out to squeeze your waist.

“Thank you,” He whispers, voice full with an emotion you can’t quite decipher. Love? Weariness? A combination of both? Anthony looked ragged as you run your eyes over his face.

“I’m sorry that your day has been taxing, my love.”

“It’s all the better now that I’m here with you.”

“Flatterer,” You tease with no real heat behind your words. Anthony beams at you; eyes crinkling in the corners from the force of it as his hands tighten on your waist and his head dips to capture your lips in the kiss he has been thinking about for the better part of his day.

Breaking away, Anthony plants one, two, three kisses to your lips in quick, chaste succession leaving you breathless and highly amused. “How was your day?” He asks, curious as ever to find out what his wife does when he isn’t at home to distract you.

“Dull,” You answer plainly, enjoying the feel of Anthony’s strong arms around you.

“Dull?”

You purse your lips, thinking over your plans for the day so far. “I suppose dull doesn’t work. It hasn’t been dull at all.”

“Oh?”

“I’m only saying it because I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” He murmurs, kissing you once more. “What are you reading?” Anthony asks when he pulls away, spying the book laid delicately on the couch.

“Eloise let me borrow it. She gave me it when I called to see her this morning,” You answer, leaving the comfort of Anthony’s arms to take your seat on the couch.

“Darling, you know we have an entire library full of books, don’t you?”

Fixing him with an unimpressed look, you counter, “Your sister read this and thought of me. The least I could do is read it.”

“Alright,” Anthony sighs, knowing a losing battle when he sees one. “Budge up.”

“Pardon?”

Anthony gestures to the couch. “Make some room for me.”

A puzzled look settles across your face, but you follow the request, nonetheless, shifting on the couch so Anthony has room to sit down.

Anthony settles with his head on your lap; offering you a self-satisfied smile when you raise an eyebrow at him. “Comfy?” You ask, voice laced with humour.

“Very,” He responds. “Will you start from the beginning? I don’t want to miss anything.”

Chuntering about high maintenance husbands, you mark the page you got to before returning to the beginning. “Anything else before I begin?”

“Nothing… Oh, one thing.”

“That is?”

“I love you.”

Any previous ire you felt towards your husband disappears at those three magical words. The frustrated slant to your brow evens out as you reach out to stroke a hand through his hair and down the side of his face.

“I love you too,” You answer earnestly, feeling the power of the emotion running through you.

A peaceful look crosses Anthony’s face as your words sink into his skin like a balm on an open wound. He had felt neglectful lately; not spending as much time at home as he would have liked. He felt bad for leaving you so alone. Without children, you were your own companion throughout the day, and whilst you had both discussed having children, Anthony was to be left mildly vexed at the thought of you spending your days alone until a child was born.

The opening of parliament combined with Anthony’s seat in the House meant that he was spending more and more time in Westminster and less time with you.

A ratio Anthony was not fond of.

“I’m ready when you are,” He whispers; eyes focused on your face so he can watch every reaction and see every syllable leave your mouth.

Flashing an annoyed look at your husband, you take a deep breath and begin:

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”

“What?” Anthony asks, eyebrows furrowed.

“Hush,” You admonish half-heartedly before continuing.

“However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered as the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters.”

“This author is a genius,” Anthony exclaims, his voice awed as he tries to catch a glimpse of the cover to see the author’s name. “Who wrote this?”

“Are you going to comment the whole way through? I’ve barely read two paragraphs.”

“Sorry, darling, but I have to know. Who wrote this?”

“Her name is Jane Austen.”

“Well Jane Austen is a genius. In two paragraphs she’s captured what it is like to be a single man with a fortune in and amongst the sharks with unattached daughters.”

“Sharks?” You ask, highly amused at your husband’s words.

“Mothers,” Anthony shudders, remembering what it was like to go through so many seasons still unmarried. A Viscount with two seats of power combined with a hefty ancestral fortune – many mothers didn’t care whether Anthony would love their daughters; they simply wanted a fortuitus marriage that would leave them set for life.

Anthony thanks any and all gods and deities out there that he found his love match in you. You had taken him by surprise; Anthony had already resigned himself to a season with countless mothers forcing their daughters onto his arm. Until one evening early into the season, he had been listening to Gregory whine about the workload at Eton when his eyes met yours from across the room. In a total state of cliché, Anthony met your gaze, and he knew. He knew that he was going to spend the rest of his life loving you, worshipping you. He knew that whatever his future held, you would be right there weathering it alongside him. In a single glance from across the room, he knew.

You were married before the season finished; a special licence dispensed after a favour from the Archbishop called in. Anthony couldn’t wait; didn’t want to wait – he wanted to start the rest of his life with you as soon as possible.

Your light laughter breaks Anthony out of his reverie. “They aren’t all that bad,” You argue. “I suspect you’ll be worse than me when it comes to our children.”

Anthony snorts; doubting your words but loving the way you speak so openly about your hopeful future family. Clearing your throat, you continue to read on.

Anthony settles further into your lap; letting the calmness of your voice wash over him. After a moment of watching the concentration on your face, Anthony lets his eyes slip closed. He has no intention of falling asleep; he simply wants to enjoy this moment to its fullest.

“Mr Bingley was good looking and gentlemanlike; he had a pleasant countenance, and easy, unaffected manners. His sisters were fine women, with an air of decided fashion. His brother-in-law, Mr Hurst, merely looked the gentleman; but his friend Mr Darcy soon drew the attention of the room by his fine, tall person, handsome features…”

A snore interrupts your rendition of Pride and Prejudice. Pausing mid-sentence, you look down to your lap where Anthony has fallen asleep so peacefully. Smiling softly at the man, you close the book, placing it to one side before running a hand through Anthony’s ever-unruly hair. He hums contentedly, pushing his head further into your hand as you begin to scratch at his scalp.

As you watch Anthony doze dreamily, you feel your eyes lose the fight against the growing tiredness. Your hand stills in Anthony’s hair as you fall asleep alongside your husband, utterly content at the path your life has taken considering it led you to him.

*****

Bridgerton Taglist: @heloisedaphnebrightmore​ @dreaming-about-fanfictions​ @now-its-time-for-a-breakdown​ @janelongxox​ @aspiringsloth20​ @wallwriterstuff​ @magicalxdaydream​ @darkestbeforethedawn16​ @gryffindors-weasley​ @spideysz​

[bridgertonbabe]

What do you think about Eloise/Theo and how do you think they will incorporate her furture with sir Phillip? Also with Marina being more prominent?

I think Eloise and Theo was simply a gateway to show Eloise that she can be open to taking fancy to a guy. It was a typical first crush scenario and allowed Eloise to acknowledge she could become infatuated with another and that romance isn't as strict and ordered as the Marriage Mart makes it look. It was her first chance to meet a man who wasn't trying to sell himself to her or boast of his wealth and status. Eloise now knows that there are men out there who she can connect with intellectually - but beyond Theo being cute on the eye, sharing her outspoken opinions, and being different from the gentlemen of the Ton; I personally didn't see anything deeper between them. It does lay the path for her eventual romance with Phillip; he is her intellectual equal, he allows her to voice her opinions, and he is different from the gentlemen of the Ton with all his sweet plant boy energy. He is a man of honour, integrity, and respect; and more importantly, he is a man who doesn't have to voice these attributes, he proves he is a good man in all of his actions and graces. He is humble and modest and unassuming and he's not like any other gentleman Eloise has had the misfortune of being forced to dance with at balls.

It'll be interesting to see how much more of Phillip and Marina we get going ahead. Obviously when Eloise's season comes they'll be front and centre, but in the meantime I wonder if we'll get a cameo from them each season. I like the idea that Phillip meets each one of Eloise's siblings without ever meeting her until she appears on his doorstep - and it would add to the hilarity once her family discovers she's been writing to and has gone to visit him, seeing as he's such a good!boy in their eyes.

And it'll be interesting what they do with Marina. In S2 she's very happy with her babies, compared to the depression she suffers with after their birth. She might not love Phillip or care for his love of plants but she's making the best of the situation and recognises Phillip to be a good man; she could have ended up in a far worse situation. I'm curious if the show will still have Marina's depression storyline and of course her eventual death after she tried to drown herself. At the moment in the show she seems alright, but obviously depression strikes at any time. In the books Phillip is a guilt-ridden man not just in the way he struggles to be a good father to the twins but in the remorse he feels for his late wife's struggles. Phillip might not have played any part in Marina feeling the way that she does but he spends his days wondering if anything he did or said or even just by being with her caused her to take her own life. In the show they could play it as Marina developing her mental illness gradually over time until it consumes her - or there could be a different catalyst. Perhaps bored with her marriage she begins an extramarital affair, one which Phillip turns a blind eye to. She might fall for her lover - and then tragedy strikes and her lover dies suddenly. The horror of losing a second man she loved would be her breaking point and spark her depression, and over time she loses interest for everything in her life, even her own children as she is consumed with grief and ill thoughts. Whether this would be shown in the seasons leading up Eloise's season or if it would take place in a flashback, I'm not sure.

I think Penelope, being Marina's cousin, would hear of her passing and mention it to Colin, who in turn would tell his family; and it's from this information that Eloise sends her first letter to Sir Phillip to give him her condolences (I imagine this would take place during Polin's season, or even earlier). I think Eloise will then run off to meet him when she finds herself left behind by her siblings; Benedict is happily married in Wiltshire, Francesca (with the hint of the show not being in the same order as the books, I can see Franny's story taking place before Colin and Eloise's) is remarried up in Scotland, and even her long-standing unmarried brother has just wed her best friend. Her life is far emptier without her siblings all around her and she makes the snap decision to accept Phillip's proposal, and leaves behind her family to seek out a man who might make for a very agreeable husband.

[kepnerandavery]

My favourite quotes from To Sir Phillip, With Love..

1. “When she looked up to meet his gaze, he saw that she had the largest, most achingly beautiful grey eyes he'd ever seen. He could drown in those eyes.”

Sighhh 😍

3. “If she'd only alerted him of her arrival, he could have prepared himself, thought of a few poetic things to say. Did she really think he'd scribbled all those letters without labouring over every word?”

Phillip is such a mood 😂

4. “But as he watched her across the table, watched her face transform with a mere smile, it occurred to him—he didn't much care why she'd left. He just needed to make sure that she stayed.”

They only met a day ago, and he’s already starting to fall in love 🤗

5. “Phillip had never thought the day would come when he'd be frightened by a woman, but as God was his witness, Eloise Bridgerton scared the living wits out of him.”

I think she scares a lot of people, Phillp. Also, him being afraid of how talkative and extroverted she is before getting to know her, is one of my favourite things about them 😂

6. “You're a bit bossy this evening,” he said. She turned, caught that he was smiling—half-smiling, at least—and offered him a wicked grin. “I prefer to be called managing.” “A managing sort of female, eh” “I'm surprised you didn't deduce as much from my letters.” “Why do you think I invited you?” he countered”

Soo cute 🥰

7. “Sometimes,” he said with a satisfied smile, “silence is a good thing.” Her mouth fell open. “Are you saying I talk too much?" He shrugged, having too much fun teasing her to do anything else. “I'll have you know that I have been much quieter here than I am at home.” “That's difficult to imagine.” “Sir Phillip!” “Shhh," he said, reaching out and taking her hand, then taking it again, more firmly this time, when she snatched it away. “We need a bit of noise around here.”

He’s so used to silence, and it hadn’t even been out of choice 😥 One thing for sure, there will no longer be any more silence in his life 😂

8. “I enjoy your company.” “Then why,” she asked, “have I been sitting alone in the garden for three hours?” “It hasn't been three hours.” “It doesn't matter how long—“ “It's been forty-five minutes," he said. “Be that as it may—” “Be that as it is.”

The banter, ladies and gentlemen, is top notch 👌

9. “Phillip stared down at the roses in his hand. He'd spent an hour choosing exactly the right ones.”

“He'd then painstakingly picked them, careful to snip at the exact right spot so as to encourage further blooming, and then meticulously sliced away each thorn.”

Get you a man who not only personally picks out flowers for you, but also makes sure to remove all the thorns to keep your fingers from getting pricked. Wait you can’t, because men like Phillip are too precious for this world, and are sadly super fictional 😭

10. “She wanted to erase that shattered look from his eyes; she wanted to heal him. She wanted to make him the person she knew he was, deep down in his heart.”

He has spent so long being neglected and hurt by people, and he was forced to conceal his real personality and put aside his needs. And now someone finally wants to not only get to know him, but help heal the pain of his past 😥 It's truly what he deserves. I can’t 😭

11. “Brothers. He should have considered that. It was probably best to avoid courting a woman with brothers.”

Haha. If only he knew what was to follow 🤣

12. “He wanted to come along,” said the one in the corner, the only one who hadn't yet tried to kill Phillip. Phillip decided he liked this one best, especially when he wrapped his hand around Gregory's forearm to prevent the younger man from launching himself at Eloise.”

So according to the books, Colin is both Eloise’s and Phillip’s favourite Bridgerton bro. Honestly, I get it. He’s an icon. Penelope would be so proud 👏

13. “Phillip decided that he needed to learn how to glare like Anthony Bridgerton. He'd have his children in line in no time.”

Haha, omg. No one glares quite like Anthony Bridgerton, both in the books and in the show. But Phillip should meet Kate and see her super, counter-glare to Anthony’s glare 😂

14. “My children, as you will come to realise should you remain long enough to meet them, can be rather, er”— he searched for the least unflattering adjective— “rambunctious,” he said, satisfied with his word choice. “I'd been hoping she would be a calming influence on them.” “Eloise?” Benedict snorted”

Omg, I can’t. I can literally picture Benedict saying this 😂 To his defence, she is a completely different person around Oliver and Amanda, and Benedict has yet to see that 😂

15. “Your sister,” he said, his voice coming off sharp, “has been a marvellous influence upon my children. You would do well not to disparage her in my presence.”

The best way to find out if the man you're dating is marriage material - wait and see if he would defend you to your own family 😎

16. “So, did you? Ever?” “Gregory!” Eloise practically yelled.”

“Phillip just shook his head. She's married,” he said. “As was I.” Anthony turned to Eloise and whispered in her ear, “He'll do.” “I'm glad you have such high standards for your beloved sister,” she muttered. “I told you," Anthony remarked, “I've seen Lucy. This is a man with restraint.”

This whole conversation is so hilarious. A few minutes ago, they were practically trying to kill each other, and now they’re bonding over their shared fascination for Lucy lol. And Anthony’s comment about Phillip having restraint 😂😂

17. “Phillip walked to her side. “Is something amiss?” “I was worried they were going to kill you,”she hissed. “Oh.” He smiled, that lopsided, three-glasses-of-wine sort of smile. “They didn't.”

Drunk Phillip is the best. I NEED to see him being all adorably drunk on the show 🤗

18. “She knew she was considered to be attractive, but she was no legendary beauty, and he was examining her as if he wanted to catalogue her every feature. “You're so beautiful,” he murmured. “Do you know what I thought when I saw you the first time?” She shook her head, desperate for his words. “I thought I could drown in your eyes. I thought”— he moved in closer, his words now as much breath as sound— “I could drown in you.”

Okay, he thinks he sucks at relationships and saying the right thing, then he goes and says things like this? Hate to break it to you Phillip, but you are way too good at romance, you just don't know it yet 😋

19. “Will you all shut up?” Anthony ground out. Then, his cheeks colouring slightly, he turned to his sister-in-law and mumbled, “Not you, of course, Sophie.” “Glad to be exempted,” she said cheerfully. “Do try not to threaten my wife,” Benedict said mildly. Anthony turned to his brother and skewered him with a glare. “The lot of you should be drawn and quartered,” he grunted. “Except for Sophie,” Colin reminded him.”

This exchange is pure gold. Anthony being so respectful of Sophie, Benedict being all cute/protective of her, and Colin just having a blast by making fun of the entire situation 😂

20. “No!” she answered, loud enough so that Anthony actually turned around, forcing her to smile and wave at him, assuring him that all was well. “Just a bee,” she called out. Anthony's eyes widened, and he started to stride in their direction.”

Ahhh, Anthony Bridgerton and his fear of bees, a tale as old as time 😂 Is it too soon to laugh about this? Probably 😅

21. “I'm sorry if I've disappointed you,” Eloise whispered. Violet gazed at her with a wise expression. “My children never disappoint me,” she said softly. “They merely... astonish me. I believe I like it that way.”

Violet is so sweet, but if we’re being honest, she has no choice but to think this way. Her children are pretty much the worst at following the rules when it comes to finding a spouse/getting married. They wreak their own versions of havoc, and it literally gets more chaotic each time😂

22. “So strong,” she whispered, her hand sliding gently along his skin. “I had no idea it was such difficult work, toiling away in the greenhouse.” He felt like a boy of sixteen, so pleased was he by her compliment. And the memory of his father quietly slipped away. “I do work outside, too,” he said gruffly, unable to simply say thank you.”

Awww cuties 🥰 Also, Eloise complimenting Phillip is the best thing ever. It heals my soul 😇

23. “You are magnificent.” “I keep telling everyone that,” she said with a nonchalant shrug, “But you seem to be the only one to believe me.” He chuckled at that, shaking his head in wonder, barely able to believe that here he was, on his wedding night, and he was laughing. Twice now, she had made him laugh, and he was beginning to realise that this was a gift.”

I can’t 😢 How can you not love them? 😭

24. “Marrying Eloise was, quite simply, the best thing he could have done. Hell, he'd even go so far as to say it was the best thing he'd ever done. He was, for the first time in recent memory, happy.”

He’s finally truly happy after so long, or maybe for the first time 😢 He deserves all the love in the world ❤️

25. “If she'd died... He was unprepared for the pain he felt in his gut at the mere thought. When had she come to mean so much to him? And what was he going to do to keep her happy?”

“The irony was well aimed, indeed. He'd told himself, over and over, that he'd married her to be a mother to his children, but just now, when she'd declared that she would never leave their marriage, that her commitment to the twins was too strong— He'd felt jealous. He'd actually felt jealous of his own children.”

Men, it literally takes a blow to the head to make them realise their feelings. But you can't really blame him, he was too hurt by the world to even recognise love 😢

26. “She fulfilled his every desire so well that he hadn't noticed that she'd done something more. She'd found his heart. She'd touched it, changed it. Changed him. He loved her. He hadn't been looking for love, hadn't even given a thought to it, but there it was, and it was the most precious thing imaginable.”

I’m so happy for him. Phillip, my son, you’re finally free 😇

27. “She loved the way he smiled, slightly lopsided, a little boyish, and with a little lilt of surprise, as if he couldn't quite believe in his own happiness.”

“She even loved the way he told her she talked too much, because he almost always did it with a smile, and because, of course, it was true. And she loved the way he still listened to her, even after he told her she talked too much.”

Ahhaaa 😭 They’re so different from each other, yet they complement each other so well 😢

28. “But until you live through what I lived through, until you've been trapped in a hopeless marriage, to a hopeless spouse, until you've gone to bed alone for years wishing for nothing more than the touch of another human being... Until you've lived through all that, don't you ever complain about what we have. Because to me.. to me.. This—us—is heaven. And I can't bear to hear you say otherwise.”

This right here is the best quote in the book for me. It literally wraps all of his feelings into one paragraph. They may not be perfect, but they make each other happy in a way that the both of them have craved for so long.. I just can’t 😭😭

29. “I think I've waited my entire life for you.” “I know I've been waiting for you,” Eloise said.”

She waited so long to get married because she couldn’t find the man she was looking for, and he ended up being the one. And the fact that all of this happened because of a single letter 😭

30. “Today,” he said softly, “The twins told me it was the best day ever. And I realised they were right.” Eloise nodded, beyond words. “But then,” he continued, “I realised they were wrong.” She looked up at him, question in her eyes. “I couldn't choose a day,” he confessed. “Any day with you, Eloise. Any day with you.

This man, lived in darkness for years, surrounded by horrible memories of his past, and now he finally gets to be happy, to get over the pain he’s been through, by creating new memories with his wife and children 😭🥰

[v-world]

RATING the characters of Bridgerton (s2)

WARNING: SPOILERS!!

1) Lady Danbury - 10/10. What can I say, she's that b1tch in so many ways. Queen sh1t.

2) Daphne - 10/10. She is amazing, for lack of a better word. She could see through Anthony and Kate's pathetic facade. TBH though, they made it way too obvious. But she did something about what it is she saw and tried to convince Anthony to reconsider. She ATE.

3)Marina - a very generous 5/10. Her character just wasn't giving this time around. Probably because she wasn't the main focus but I just really didn't like her attitude towards Colin. It felt unnecessary. But shoutout to her for pointing out the he's had someone who cares for him all along. She pointed him in the direction of Penelope.

4) Colin Bridgerton - A hard 5/10. The ONLY reason I even gave him a 5 was because he 'protected' Penelope regarding the new Lord Featherington's schemes. But then he turned around and said that he wouldn't court her even in his bro's wildest dreams. Because first off, fvck him. She is a prize, and his dumbass can't even see that. His trashy ass kept leading her on halfway through the season AND I just don't respect his character.

5) Kate - 10/10. First off, she is GORGEOUS. She puts others before her (a feature in her character that puts her in a difficult situation/ position many times) but it's something in her that makes me adore her even more. I take siblings very seriously. And they did a wonderful job with her character and storyline. They showed she was willing to put aside her feelings for a man, for her sister. It was just beautiful.

6)Edwina - 10/10 because the queen loves her, she's so elegant and graceful and filled with beauty. Not just facial beauty (though she IS stunning), but her personality, it's beautiful as well. I am so happy she got a happy ending.

7) Eloise - There's nothing for her here.

8) Lady Violet Bridgerton - 9/10. She's a good mother. She too, as a good mother would, was able to see that he wasn't really in love with Edwina. And she did actually do something to make him reconsider as well.

9) Lady Portia Featherington - 10/10. Now I know what you're thinking. How does she get a higher rating than Lady effing Bridgerton?! Hear me out before you get all rowdy. Although she did make her daughter marry her cousin, and called her dumb and spineless ( in the sense that she is breedable and easy to manipulate) she made her do it for the sake of her and all her daughters. The whole season, really, she was just her looking out for her family. She really loves them and she loves them so much that she went to such lengths. In the end, she fvcked over the new Lord Featherington (putting aside her - what I think may be- feelings for him) and successfully protected her daughters. I think my favourite line of hers ever on the show is her response to Lord Featherington when he said "You are cruel." And she immediately responded with "I am a mother". I loved her character so much more when she said that. And that is because she aligns with me and my life and my views and what I admire. Good mothers willing to protect their children. No. Matter What. She's a bad bitch for letting Lord featherington think he was manipulating her (completely fallen for him) when really, it was her pulling the strings the entire time.

10)Lord Featherington - 0/10. He tried to manipulate Lady Featherington and he never even cared about her daughters, A.K.A his cousins!

11) Anthony - 1000/10. Great tension scenes and, might I say it, great sex scenes (and no, I'm not talking about his amazing sex game, I'm talking about how passionate it was and just... yeah. The girls that get it, get it.). Speaking of the tension, he was really great this season, because last season, all I could think was how he was just a fvck-up, who couldn't keep his pants on and get his sh1t together. I did not like him AT ALL. But now...now? Now I'm biting my lip and sweeping my hair behind my ear. I'm calling him... attractive. I'm.... yeah, y'all get it.

12)The Queen - I LOVE HER. Y'all can't say nothing to me, argue with your mom, not me. I love everything about her. Her sassiness. The way she knows her status and the way she uses it. I love her posh lifestyle and how tender she is towards someone when they've broken through her walls (specifically Edwina and Lady Danbury). Also, how cute is her and Lady Danbury's friendship? Lowkey goals.

~Thank you so much for reading~

If you agreed or enjoyed, please leave a like<3

[thekatebridgerton]

Hi

How do you think philoise will develop in the next few seasons?

Will Theo be a major factor in that? Will Marina die the same way as in the books? Will they change the couple?

My head is exploding from the internet comments.

You know anon at this point I'm ready for anything really. I hope they don't change the couple, so here's my theory

I think Theo was supposed to Eloise' Sienna, her first love, to show she's okay with falling inlove as long as it's in her own terms. I agree with the comments Claudia Jesse has made I want to see Eloise date in the next few seasons.

Given that she's sort of the female version of Anthony's Alpha personality. I want to see Eloise in all her commitment phobic glory stubbornly keep discovering love again and again.

Because by the time she meets Phillip, Eloise is technically supposed to be more experienced than him in most emotional areas. And I think that could be a good direction for the show to take with Eloise, who by all means is meant to surprise Phillip and take his world by storm.

If the show builds up her character arc as someone who has dated and fallen inlove before and is tired of things not working out for one reason or another. While all her siblings are finding perfect matches. It could very well end up being the reason she decides to start a family once she does find someone she clicks perfectly with. Like Phillip

Hear me out okay. I'm not crazy. Eloise is a feminist, right now she's going about it in a ... Unorthodox way. But hopefully with Kate, Penelope and Sophie's influence next seasons she will learn the realities of the world of women liberation and find some work she can do to help women equality, without needing to go behind her family's back to do it.

So if she finds a man who instead of judging her for her ideals or trying to control her every move, agrees with her approach, let's her take the lead and 100% supports her in whatever scheme she devises. Yes I do think even Eloise would be okay with getting married and starting a family.

And then we have Phillip, who's only requirement in a wife is that he needs her to be a 'happy' sort of person. (I don't think that's any different for show Phillip).

I think with Phillip's arc the show will go in one of 3 ways since Bridgerton is neither historically or book accurate at this point:

-Either Marina gets fed up with life as Lady Crane and leaves Phillip with custody in order to live the life she's always wanted. While ascertaining that leaving them with Phillip what's best for the twins.

-The show introduces the concept of divorce to regency england, which meh might as well. And Phillip and Marina get amiably divorced.

-Or the most likely option, Marina gets either a tragic illness or dies in an accident saving her children+ Phillip.

All three options would preserve the integrity of Phillip's angst and Marina's possible depression without entirely butchering her character.

So by the time Phillip and Eloise meet. He's been hurt but he's also a lot more innocent than her from a relationship point of view. Because he's been in a loveless marriage for however long the twins have been alive. He's a mature family man but also dorky and kind. And he cares very little about social climbing and the ton gossip and the scandals and whatever the Queen says. Simply because he hasn't been exposed to it in years. What with Marina's scandal and all that

I can see Eloise meeting Phillip and just finding home. The main conflict of the story in the philoise season I think would be a reverse Anthony in the sense that she has the perfect man Infront of her and she DOESN'T want to get married ever.

I can see Eloise slowly getting attached to Philip and his kids and just making up 100 reasons why things between them won't work out, like they didn't work out with Theo, or any other suitor. So she can remain safe and single and not risk her heart.

She's NOT getting married

Meanwhile Phillip also having an identity crisis thinking he's not good enough for her and she deserves better than a guy who has (insert manpain of preference here) and two kids. And basically being the annoying angsty P.I.T.A that Simon and Anthony were when they were trying to convince themselves that falling inlove with Daphne and Kate wasn't a good idea

Add in some unnecessary contrived storylines that give a reason why half the season storyline is set in London and not Romney Hall, like in the books, maybe something scandalous about Phillip's past. Or Eloise urgent need to flee from her house.

Plus Maybe something sinister plotline about the evil nanny in the house, Possibly flashbacks of Marina and Theo. Some well meaning but disastrous Bridgerton meddling and the obligatory ballroom scenes where Phillip and Eloise must dance to the string quartet version of Clean bandit's 'Rather be'

And there you have it, my theory on how I think Philoise may advance in the show.

Also dear readers if I'm robbed of the eye of the tiger, Eloise vs Twins prank wars montage (as I was robbed of the Kanthony sex montage) you will bloddy hear my wrath. I want to see Eloise go full gremlin level chaos against those kids and have the most fun ever. I need that scene ok!

To those of you who like Penelope think Eloise needs an adventurer like Colin. I'd like to venture my opinion that the kind of man Eloise needs has one characteristic only: he let's her be the boss in the relationship.

Because since unlike Anthony, she's not a man who can be fully independent, Eloise personality is such that she always needs to feel like she's in control, like she's got the reins of her life, like love is something she owns, but doesn't own her, any love interest who voices even a smidge of doubt that this may be the case would be dropped by this Alpha girl like a hot potato. No thank you, she's either the boss of the relationship or she's alone, there's no in between.

And the greatest irony of all is that at least in the books, this is exactly what Phillip is looking for and finds attractive. Sure he's got a backbone and can stand up for himself, but if his love interest is the boss he's more than happy to let her be. She's loud and opinionated, he NEEDS loud and opinionated, his former marriage was filled with uncomfortable silence.

Not that Phillip is perfect, he's still got things to work on, (starting with his communication skills). But darn does he appreciate Eloise for how she takes charge. And I like that about him.

I am really looking forward to the fanfiction mess that Netflix will play out for Eloise, she's a wonderful character. Let's hope for the best don't you think dear reader

And that's the tea

[forzalando]

The Perfect Arrangement | George Weasley | Pt. 1

Pairing: George Weasley x F!Reader AU: Bridgerton!AU Word Count: 2.1k Warnings: Bridgerton spoilers, mentions of alcohol

Summary: As a woman in the early 19th century, you’ve been told all your life that marriage should be your ultimate goal, however, you do not share that sentiment. When the insufferable George Weasley devises a plan that may solve your problems, how can you say no?

A/N: hi friends! this will be a multipart (probably 3-4 parts) George fic inspired by Bridgerton. i’m so excited for it and i hope you all are too :) thank you for reading!

The start of the social season had been, as you had expected, the topic of conversation around the ton for the past few weeks. It was impossible to go anywhere without hearing whispers of who would snag an engagement in the next few months.

Particularly, people had been interested in who the Queen would declare the “diamond of the season”. Your mother was positively convinced it would be you, but you had other plans in mind for your life other than parties and dresses and loveless marriage. However, when the Queen took one look upon your face, she quickly declared you incomparable, as she had done the same for Daphne Bridgerton, now the Duchess, a few years prior, and your fate was sealed.

As a member of the distinguished and esteemed Y/L/N family, and as the eldest daughter, you had a trivial, yet necessary and important role to play, even if you longed to free yourself from it. Your mother and father, as wonderful as they might be, had high expectations for you, and you would not and could not let them down.

Your mother fluffed your hair and primped your dress in preparation of the Danbury Ball, admiring you fondly and gushing about how beautiful you looked.

“Maybe your luck will be as wonderful as the Duchess, her love match was indeed unprecedented but oh so joyous. Do you think your fortune might align with hers, dear?”

“Mama,” you sighed. “I have no interest in a life like the Duchess’s. All the parties, teas, and properness. Besides, there isn’t another Duke for me to marry.”

“I did not mean that you would have to marry a Duke to share her fate; only that you may marry for love.”

You huffed as you turned away from the mirror. In truth, you had no interest in marrying for love, or marrying at all for that matter, but the duty of an eldest daughter was set in stone.

All too soon, you arrived at the Lady Danbury’s spectacular first ball of the season; the sea of gowns and tailored coats causing a queasy feeling to settle in your stomach, and you wished with all your might that anything at all would ruin the festivities.

A glass of champagne was placed in your grasp and you let your eyes wander around the room; Lady Eloise Bridgerton, a close friend of yours, donned a similar look on her face though her mother enthusiastically tried to get her to waltz across the dance floor.

Glancing to your left, you noticed Lord Farley, a rather grotesque older man, eyeing you up and down; his beady eyes causing the queasy feeling to return and for your feet to take off in what could almost be considered a sprint.

When he was no longer in your line of sight, you began to slow down your gait, but a shoulder roughly bumped into yours and an unattractive yelp escaped your lips.

The unmistakable chuckle that followed your outburst made you groan due to your detestation of the man you knew you had bumped into.

Lord George Weasley; a man, nay, a boy, with hair of fire and a wit to match. You had known him for years as you were the same age and his sister Ginevra was the best of friends with your younger sister.

“I want to believe, Miss Y/L/N, that you would not take such drastic measures to capture my attention, but I must say I am flattered nonetheless,” George teased, his hand reaching out to steady you as you recovered from the collision.

“Mr. Weasley, I believe you to know me better than that,” you spoke with gritted teeth as you swatted his hand away. “Besides, there are plenty of young women here that would kiss the ground you walk on. Might you bother them instead?”

“Ah, but where is the fun in that? I’ve noticed that you still have room on your dance card?”

“I always have room left on my dance card.”

You tried to step around George and escape his company, but his impossible height made it so easy for him to evade your attempts.

“Is that by choice or because you’re just so pleasant to spend time with?” he inquired with a smirk.

“Suppose a bit of both. Now, if you would be so kind, I’m quite parched and would love another glass of champagne.”

“Perfect, I shall accompany you.”

George Weasley, you surmised very early on, was nothing but a flirt. You wouldn’t go so far as to call him a rake, because as far as you knew he was an honorable man, but he was also most intolerable with his boyish charm, sense of humor, beautiful eyes…

Yes, you were quite sure that he was entirely intolerable.

“Have you told your mother you have no interest in procuring a husband, yet?” he mused, breaking you out of your trance as he carefully handed you a glass of champagne.

“Don’t call it procuring as if it’s a transaction. And no, I haven’t. Do you think I’d be standing here alive if I had?”

“Good point,” George hummed as his eyes surveyed the room, no doubt searching for the next woman so unlucky enough to be graced with his presence.

“How is your family?” you asked as you sipped on your flute of bubbling liquid.

“They’re doing well, thank you for asking. Work has been a bit hard on Dad but – ”

Before George could finish, a man approached you and bowed; taking the hand not holding the champagne flute and pressing a kiss to your knuckles.

“Miss Y/L/N, would you like to join me for a dance?”

You noticed George looking on angrily at the sight before him, probably because his ego couldn’t take the interruption.

“I’m flattered, Lord Rainier? I believe?” When you received no objections, you continued. “As I was saying, I’m flattered by your offer but I simply must decline. I am feeling a bit ill and all that spinning might make me sick.”

“Yes, yes, of course, Miss Y/L/N. Perhaps another time?”

You gave him a small, soft smile and let out a sigh of relief when he walked away. Turning back to George, you urged him to continue. While you held him in contempt, or so you told yourself, you did enjoy his family as they were all simply lovely.

“You were saying, George?”

“Right, work has been a bit hard on Dad, after his accident a few months ago. He’s been doing better but Charlie had to take a break from his travels to come home and help out since he’s the eldest. Fred and Angelina are expecting again, if you haven’t heard. They’re hoping for a girl this time.”

“Maybe if you were more like your brother you’d be married and having children by now,” you teased.

He gasped and clutched his hand over his heart, drawing the attention of anyone near.

“You wound me, Y/N.”

Much to your dismay, you laughed at his actions, devastated that you gave him the satisfaction of knowing he was entertaining you. However, the moment was short lived as another man interrupted your conversation.

“Miss Y/N, I must say you are looking exquisite this evening. It would be a shame for your dress not to take a twirl on the dance floor. Might I accompany you?”

You tried not to groan when you noticed a line forming behind the man currently asking for a dance.

“Actually, Lord Beverly, I’m feeling a bit warm. I was just about to go outside for some fresh air.”

“I shall accompany you, then.”

“Without a chaperone? Goodness, no, please find another young lady to dance with. There are certainly many that would be delighted at the chance.”

You looked around Lord Beverly to see at least four other men waiting for their chance to ask you for a dance, and the thought of making up more excuses made your head spin. You graciously bid Lord Beverly a good evening, and turned on your heel towards the nearest exit.

In your haste, you did not notice George following you into the gardens.

“Well, you sure like to let them down easy,” he joked.

“George!” you cried. “We can’t be seen alone, are you daft? Trying to ruin me and my family?”

“Calm yourself, my Mother is just right there.”

You looked a bit to George’s left and saw his wonderful mother keeping a careful eye on the two of you, graciously leaving the attention of her husband to ensure that none would suspect foolery between you and George.

“As I was saying, it’s awfully obvious that you do not want any man to court you. Your mother will realize well and soon enough of your…aversion to marriage.”

“The only reason you know that is because you eavesdropped on a conversation I had with Eloise. But yes, I have no desire to marry, and I’m quite certain I never will. I’ll have to fight off suitors and think of a million excuses until I’m considered a spinster and men no longer want me.”

Silence enveloped you both as a tear slid down your cheek. You hastily wiped it away, hoping that George hadn’t seen, but of course, you were not so lucky.

“Is the idea of marriage really that upsetting to you, Y/N?”

“All those men, all they want is a woman to wear on their arm and to give them children. That’s what a woman’s life is in marriage. A husband doesn’t care about his wife’s passions, desires, intellect, among other things, and I can’t bring myself to entertain the idea of a life that has no room for my happiness.”

George was quiet; pondering your response and your feelings, when he was suddenly struck with the most brilliant of ideas.

You see, Mr. George Weasley was in love with Miss Y/N Y/L/N, has been for several years in fact. He couldn’t tell you exactly when or why, but he knew that the fluttering in his chest and the way his whole world became brighter when she entered a room meant that Y/N was more than just someone to engage in friendly banter with.

“I’ve thought of an idea,” George muttered, piquing your interest.

“Whatever might it be, Mr. Weasley?”

“Your…situation, can only go away if men were to believe you were taken, correct?”

“Yes, I suppose, only I can’t fool them into thinking that. It would become quite suspicious when I’m seen alone everywhere. And, there’s no way I could ever fool my parents.”

“Except you wouldn’t be alone, you’d have me!”

“I don’t believe I’m following your idea, George.”

“Marry me.”

You choked and sputtered on your own spit, unable to take a breath through your coughs and gasps. George’s hands flew to your shoulders to steady you, helping you to breathe easier and calm yourself down.

“George, you must be joking,” you said quietly.

“I am as deadly serious as I could ever be. Not a real marriage, of course. Real in every sense of the word in terms of legality, but not real as in, well, us together. I’ll spend this social season courting you, and at the end of the season I’ll propose. We’ll get married in a few months’ time, and then we can travel the world, doing whatever our hearts desire.”

“Why on earth would you want to marry me?”

“It’s quite simple. You need to get the eligible bachelors of the ton to leave you alone and you never want to marry because your husband would restrict your freedoms. I, as your husband, wouldn’t dare. You’re not entirely awful, I suppose there are far worse people to spend my life with, even if you utterly despise me, and marriage, real marriage, isn’t something I want either.”

You looked at him quizzically, searching for signs that he’d had far too much champagne or had gone completely mad in the head, but he looked right as rain, and your mind was spinning.

“I find it hard to believe you do not want to marry, after all the times you’ve said you cannot wait to marry the woman you love.”

“Honestly, the woman I love is….unattainable, I’ll put it that way. I won’t ever love anyone but her. I’m also waiting for an answer, it’s not every day you have to have a discussion after a proposal.”

“You’re sure this will work, Mr. Weasley?”

“How hard can it be to pretend to be in love with a woman as beautiful as you?”

“I always knew you were a flirt, but God, do you lay it on thick.”

George looked at you expectantly, almost a glimmer of hope is his eye, but as quickly as you thought you’d noticed it, he looked away.

“My answer is yes, George. Let’s fool the ton, our families, court, get married, and then travel the world platonically.”

“That sounds like the perfect arrangement, darling.”

@theweasleyslut @vivacesole @weasleyclaw @nuttytani-reblogs @theweasleysredhair @hufflepuffbaby9 @theboywhocriedlupin @swellwriting @fortisfiliae @thoseofgreatambition @woakiees @wildfire-whizbangs @gcdric

please let me know if you’d like to be added to my taglist! 

[geraltcirilla]

Just so everyone knows CVD did an interview stating that they were not changing the main romances for the show.

I read TSPWL and liked it a lot. I also like Phillip. But I was nervous about Philoise for the SHOW because Eloise in the show is outrageously different than she is in the books. In the books she is open to marriage, wants love, says she hopes to be treated like a queen, and likes children and is very good with them. Eloise in the show is against marriage and thinks it's a prison, scoffs at love, wants to be valued for her mind and have someone who challenges her intellectually, and is very awkward with children (she wasn't interested in Augie and he immediately started crying when she held him).

Why this matters is marriage and parenthood are HUGE themes in TSPWL and Oliver and Amanda are pivotal characters that drive much of the story along.

I love Eloise in the show and because of her very extreme changes these themes no longer work for her as a character and if followed through with could be detrimental to her character, her purpose, and her vision. Eloise dreams of not only independence and freedom, but also success. She's also quite politically active. She can't devote her life to raising someone else's children and she can't hide away in the countryside away from society. That's not who SHE is.

That all being said, that doesn't mean Philoise can't work in the show. It simply means much of the book will need to be reworked.

Phillip as a character needs to change about as much as Eloise did, and I notice the show has already made some steps in that direction. If you've read the book you know the man in the show looks quite different and even acts, from what I can tell, a little different. (I say from what I can tell because we haven’t actually gotten much from him yet in the show.) He's quite polite, excited about his work, and a little shy, where in the books he can come off as standoffish, introverted, pompous, and a little condescending (as all JQ men do). His giddy conversation with Colin over a textbook isn't something I can't imagine happening with book Phillip, he'd probably get drunk with him instead. Book Phillip is quite stereotypically masculine despite being a botanist (words used to described him being large, rough, and elemental) where Show Phillip is... I don't want to say feminine, but certainly not stereotypically masculine (and not large, rough, or elemental).

And not just Phillip, but the actual events of the book need to change, including instigating moments. Like Eloise running off to Romney Hall because Phillip proposed in a letter. Phillip only looking for a mother for his children and not loving Eloise until after they are married. Phillip only proposing BECAUSE he’s looking for a mother fill-in (let’s change his entire proposal scene please). Phillip and Eloise being forced to marry (this is an essential change because it would be utterly devastating for a character as vocally progressive and feminist as Eloise was then forced into a marriage by a man). 

But also Eloise's role IN the Crane family needs to change. I wanna see Phillip be the male wife and stay-at-home dad. I want him to be the one to look after the kids, and I want Eloise to fulfill her dreams and be a published writer and successful and famous. I'd like them to subvert gender roles in their relationship. And I do think this is possible, as we’ve seen in the show Phillip does seem attentive to the children. (I know it was only a small moment, but just the fact he went to bid the children goodnight was amazing because it’s something book Phillip would avoid or think was unnecessary.) It wouldn’t be a stretch to make Phillip primary caretaker. But yes, I am aware that would change a huge part of the books (Phillip being unable to take care of the children and avoiding them due to childhood trauma). Phillip can still have those insecurities about being a father and think poorly of himself while also not actually being a bad dad, because a lot of that stuff is psychological and all in his head.

And I'm quite hopeful of all this happening because if season 2 I'd any indicator, the writers are down for drastic rewrites of the novels. TVWLM is one of my favorite books yet I loved season 2 more. Half of what happened in season 2 was entirely made up for the show. I'm quite excited and hopeful to see what the writers come up with for Philoise and how they adapt this story to be respectful of the new Eloise. How they ‘modernize’ it, as CVD would say. At the end of the day although CVD confirmed the main romances would not change, he also reinforced that the journeys there would be different and things that work in books don’t always work for live action.

At this point in the show they’re two seasons in and have established archetypes for these characters, and it would be a disservice to the characters to ignore what they have evolved into in the name of being “loyal” to the books.

Now that I’ve said everything I think should change, it’s fair I add what I would like to stay the same. Just so you all know it’s not that I don’t appreciate the book. 

I want Phillip’s backstory to stay the same, the details with his childhood abuse and the whip scars on his back. Eloise seeing Phillip’s scars for the first time was quite a vivid and intense image and I think it would be a shocking moment to see in the show, it maybe even end up being one of the top moments of the whole season. (Although I’d like it moved up to be before they marry as a way to help Eloise understand Phillip better and also closer their relationship.) 

I’d like to keep the detail that Phillip and Marina weren’t intimate during their marriage (and change it so they were NEVER intimate since Oliver and Amanda are already born before they marry). Phillip being sexually repressed and wound-up is sorta his “thing”, it’s the kink of this book and what makes Phillip sexually different than the other Bridgerton lead men. It would be interesting to see the show do a ‘freak in the sheets gentleman in the streets’ sort of situation with Phillip.

I’d like the show to keep the pen pal situation between Phillip and Eloise, although rework how it fits into the story and what it means for the two characters. In the books the letters were only a set up for the story. The show could keep letters going throughout the season (or perhaps in multiple seasons, starting the letters before s5) and make them more significant than they were.

[lukealvezhimboextraordinaire]

Prompt — wearing their lover’s clothes! (also, “can I get my shirt back? ’'no.”)

Philioise 🥰

okay so i tried to fill the bill this time! things get a bit hot at the end but nothing worth an r rating!

let's see philoise + wearing their lovers clothes.

It had taken some convincing on Eloise’s part.

Phillip was a man with a very defined style and that style didn’t involve hoddies - an absolute pity according to Eloise. He liked his cardigans, his pleated pants, and his wingtips. He liked to look good and yet be comfortable and wasn’t here to be ashamed for taking care of his appearance. And really, it was fine. Eloise loved it. The only problem was that Penelope had been bombarding her with snaps of her wearing Colin’s oversized hoodies and although she would never admit it out loud, she was starting to feel the green-eyed monster burning in her chest. Goddammit, she wanted to take cute pics clapped in one of Phillip’s extra-large hoodies and post them on every social media account she owned.

But Phillip was not having it. Not even when she went out of her way to make obvious hints as to how she wanted to steal his clothes. Or rather, how she wanted to be given his clothes.

And really? What was the problem? Eloise had full access to his closet. She could just walk into it and grab whatever she wanted and he would not protest. But he was a smart man and smart men did not engage in couple wars with their girlfriend’s siblings. Especially not with Polin. Because out of every two words Colin said, one was Penelope. And Phillip loved Eloise but he preferred to keep his displays of affection a bit more subtle and he preferred his love confessions to be for Eloise's ears only. Nothing wrong with proclaiming your love and devotion for the woman you were sharing your life with every two sentences, really. But being around Colin was, in all honesty, a bit sickening.

But even if his love language were light, casual touches or his quiet but calming presence or listening to her ramble about her day, that didn’t mean he loved her any less. Where Colin’s love was loud, grandiose, overwhelming, Phillip’s love was quiet, nurturing, gentle. It was waking up to fresh flowers resting on a vase every morning, it was coming home after a long day at work to the table set and dinner ready, it was finding little notes scattered around the house, reminding her to take her keys with her, to drink some water, to drive safely. It was a soft kiss on her cheek every morning before leaving for work, a cup of her coffee exactly like she liked it placed on her hand. It was pressed flowers under her pillow. It was a back rub while they read together in the afternoons. It was books with his favorite parts and quotes underlined showing up on her bedside table randomly - full pages circled with this reminds me of you all over it. It was gentle praise and sincere encouragement. It was words of affirmation. It was a sense of finally belonging, being taken care of, and being put first, of mattering.

Phillip loved Eloise in all the ways she had ever wanted to be loved but didn’t dare to allow herself to yearn for and even in ways she never knew a person could love another person. He understood her silences as well as her words and always seemed to know how to make her feel better. There was something in his presence that never failed to make her feel safe.

There was nothing she could complain about.

But she wanted to take a bloody picture wrapped in one of his shirts and post it, dammit.

And then a brilliant idea crossed her mind.

She would see Penelope’s hoodie and raise it. Go big or go home.

And go big she did, indeed.

Phillip had one of those botanic conferences he loved so much that weekend, which meant she would (practically) have the house for herself. Or at least she would have the house for herself once the twins went to bed. The smart woman she was, Eloise had already crafted a detailed plan to tire them out so much all through the day, that the moment they came back home they would pass out, giving her the time to put her second master plan into action. It was genius if she herself said it.

-------

The twins had drifted into a peaceful sleep as soon as their heads touched the pillows. The day had been filled with excitement, laughs, and a couple sugar highs that Eloise had made sure to schedule to last until they were on their way home. The plan had almost taken a turn for the worse on the ride home when their eyelids started to flutter. Nothing a good old banger couldn’t avoid. They ended up singing to the top of their lungs to songs Eloise had never heard before walking into those amazing kids’ lives but now she often found herself humming absent-mindedly.

She placed a sweet kiss on the top of their heads and made sure to tuck them in before closing the door quietly and making her way to the bedroom she had come to share with their father.

As much as she would have loved to take her time

Everything was ready; the lights settled to the perfect intensity, the phone resting on the tripod, and the throw pillows placed in a way that only added to the scene. All that she had to do was get in front of the lens. Surprisingly, the hardest part had been to pick the perfect garment to wear. Phillip had such a collection of nice shirts that it had taken Eloise a good twenty minutes to narrow it down to just two and then five more to come up with a winner. The soft baby blue cotton fabric looked very nice against her skin and it even made her eyes stand out so it became an easy pick. Even though the light yellow one was very nice too. Eloise took a mental note to keep it for a late date. Maybe she would have to ask Daphne to keep the twins for a night one of these days.

Eloise tried a couple poses on the mirror before settling for a suggestive yet not very explicit one. Her legs slightly parted, the hem of the shirt covering just about enough skin to allow the word tasteful to be used but to still spark the curiosity about what was (or wasn’t) behind, the first few buttons of the improvised attire open, allowing the valley of her breasts to peak over the lace brasserie, offering a glimpse of what was to come. The wicked smile adorning her features and messy hair the perfect last touches to her ravishing look. The camera snapped once, twice, thrice. Eloise studied the pictures, nodded with satisfaction, and with one last look at them hit sent.

My sunflower: A little something so you don’t forget to think about me tonight;)

Jesus, El, I almost crashed against the wall.

Just so you know, I always think about you.

My sunflower: I hope so.

Is that my shirt?

My sunflower: Maybe?

You little thief.

My sunflower: Do you want it back?

I think you ought to show me if you had stolen more of my clothes.

Like my boxers, for starters….

Eloise didn’t get much sleep that night.

The next morning she made sure to send Penelope a nerdy snap, Phillip’s shirt looking huge on her smaller frame, making her look like she was wearing an oversized dress. Judging by the dry response she got from her best friend, Colin was about to make a trip to the mall to get a couple dressing shirts. The bar had been raised. Hoodies were no longer good enough. It was pressed shirts or nothing now. Good.

Eloise surprised herself by how reluctant she was to take off his shirt. It had been only a day and she already missed him. His laugh, his hugs, his arms lazily thrown over her shoulders as they laid on the couch, the way he wrinkled up his nose with the first sip of tea… she missed having him around and the peace knowing he was close brought her. And it was funny because until that moment the realization of how used she had gotten to having Phillip by her side had not hit her. Their broken souls were two sides of the same coin, joined and twisted and embroiled until they became one.

So she threw a pair of jeans on, tucked the shirt in the pants, and went on and about with her day. The twins didn’t even bat an eye when she descended down the stairs muffled in their dad’s favorite gear. It was almost as if they had been expecting it for a while. In retrospect, they probably had not given it any thought because they were kids, smart kids, but kids and children didn’t tend to have the same worries as adults. For them, sharing clothes didn’t have a special meaning.

And Eloise realized that she should have gone digging into Phillip’s side of the closet a long time ago. Thinking about it, she couldn’t come up with the exact reason why it had gotten her so long to finally do something that had been on her mind for a while.

But Eloise didn’t have much time to dwell on the reasons behind her actions - or lack of them. Because the door sprung open, startling everyone inside, to reveal a smiling Phillip, bag hanging lazing from his shoulder.

“Daddy!” The kids rushed to his encounter, screaming happily, and attached themselves to his legs. He scooped them up, each in one arm, and when he looked up his eyes locked with Eloise’s. A knowing smile immediately overtook his features. Eloise knew that smile knew what it meant. It was the promise of something to come and it never failed to send a wave of heat down her stomach.

“Hi,” he had to lean in slightly to give her a soft kiss on the lips. The kids made disgusted noises and Phillip took it as his cue to let them run free. He watched them disappear up the stairs and only then did he turn his attention back to the brunette, his eyes burning into hers. “Is that my shirt?”

Eloise licked her lips. “Maybe.”

He grinned, closing the distance between them in two long steps, his lips brushing against her neck, tentatively running down her collarbone until they reached the valley of her breasts. The air caught in her lungs. Her eyes closed. And then he stopped. When she opened them again, he was smirking down at her. “Can I get it back?”

Somehow she managed to find the strength to talk. “N-no.”

Phillip grinned evilly. “Not even if I do this?” His fingers teased the hem of the shirt, sending a wave of electricity down her spine whenever they grazed her skin. Slowly, agonizingly slowly, he started unbuttoning the shirt, leaving a kiss on every inch of exposed skin.

“If you want your shirt. You are going to have to rip it off of me.” Eloise breathed out. And Phillip's eyes burned with desire and something that looked a lot like a promise.

Let’s just say, the shirt ended on the floor.

------------------------

When she came into their bedroom later that night, there was a bag resting on her side of the bed. She looked around for him but he was nowhere to be found. Never one able to resist the temptation of satisfying her curiosity, she looked inside. Tears filled her eyes because there, resting in the bottom of the bag was a brown hoodie. Strong arms wrapped around her from behind, the warm breath against her neck making her hair stand up. "I would give you the world, my sunflower. All you have to do is ask."

It had taken some convincing on Eloise's part. But she never needed to try so hard.

[hb-writes]

The Firstborns

A Sylvie Bridgerton Story - 1815

Sylvie (OC) is the eldest child of Hugo Bridgerton, the older sister to George (OC), and a cousin raised alongside the infamous Bridgerton brood. Born in-between Daphne and Eloise, Sylvie has made it her mission to delay her season again and again. Will 1815 be her year? 

A/N - I’ve read the books and watched the show, so fair warning there are likely spoilers and it’s also likely a mix of both media because my mind honestly didn’t separate them - it just choose what it wants from the books/ tv show. 

---

It was often said that elder brothers could be the worst sort of thing to happen to a young woman of marrying age, but Sylvie Bridgerton had three elder male cousins and could rightfully attest to the fact that they could be similarly problematic. 

Sylvie supposed they were essentially siblings, the Bridgerton brood labeled tidily from A through H, because she had been raised mostly by their side as an alphabetical outcast, the elder of the two children born to Lord Hugo Bridgerton, left in the care of her Uncle Edmund at her father’s passing, the responsibility then left to her cousin, Anthony, only a year after that. At least that was the way society dictated it. 

Sylvie had always been quite certain it was really her Auntie Vi who was in charge of her and her younger brother, George, though. Or more precisely, Sylvie was quite certain that Auntie Vi was in charge of everything, her Viscount of a cousin included. 

But as Sylvie sat twiddling her fingers in Anthony’s office for the third time in less than a week, she was starting to question that certainty. 

Sylvie had assessed that her cousin looked rather disgruntled, though she supposed Anthony had simply had that look about him for about a week or so now.

“So, are we to have a little chat or…?”

Anthony had ignored his cousin from the very moment after instructing her to take a seat a little over a quarter of an hour before. He focused instead on whatever was keeping him chained to his desk at this time of night, some paperwork regarding the estate and the family finances.

“If not, maybe you’ll allow me to borrow a book to pass the time?” Sylvie gestured to his brimming shelves. 

“Sylvia.” 

Anthony set down his pen, eyebrow raised as he interlaced his fingers, settling them on top of the papers before him. He was surprised she’d humored his silence for so long, nearly fourteen minutes when he’d expected no more than three to seven.

“Is my given name truly necessary?” she said, allowing only a moment of silence before continuing. “I suppose from that alone I should gather I’m in some sort of proper trouble?”

Anthony only stared at her and then, despite himself, he sat back in his chair, rubbing his temples and rolling his neck. 

If anyone thought raising girls was an easy business, they’d clearly never done it themselves. They’d never met Daphne or Eloise or Francesca or Hyacinth Bridgerton. And they’d certainly never met Sylvia. 

It still shocked him a bit, the differences between the Bridgerton girls, his younger sisters and his younger cousin. It was impressive, the way they could each vex him in such creative and distinct ways, their ability to bring him to laughter matched equally by their making him wish he had remained an only child, and entirely cousin-less as well. 

On some days, Anthony wondered if every Bridgerton below him in age didn’t actually gather in the drawing-room at an agreed-upon hour to arrange a schedule designed solely for agitating him, deciding who would next take a swing and what technique would be employed. It seemed that Sylvie had been assigned extra vexing duties as of late, though that was not entirely surprising to him. She had always seemed to enjoy it a bit more than the others. And she was bloody good at it too.

“Are you ever not in trouble, Sylvia?” 

Her eyes longed to roll, his continued insistence on using her full name bringing her the slightest bit of frustration, because despite all of the evidence otherwise, she did prefer when Anthony wasn’t lecturing her. She actually quite enjoyed his company when he wasn’t scolding. 

“On those precious few evenings when you actually do go out, or better yet go to your own home, I find myself in a distinct lack of trouble. No one else deems me fit to be scolded, however—” 

“However—” Anthony sat up and straightened his jacket. “—I am seemingly required to do so three...or four,” he said, allowing for the chance they’d find themselves in the same situation the following evening, “nights a week, all because you think a little untoward behavior will allow you to put off your season for another year.”

Sylvie was left with her mouth open, her elder cousin’s words an effective silencer and stunner, finally coming straight to the point after the two of them had danced around it for weeks. 

“I—”

“Hear precisely what you are saying, my dear cousin, and will stop all this nonsense at once?” Anthony suggested. 

“That’s—That’s not what I wanted to say,” she answered.

“No, of course not. I would never dream to expect as much.”

Sylvie took a breath as she considered her options. She wanted to ask for another year of reprieve. That’s what she had planned for, waiting at least another year before subjecting herself to the same torment Daphne had endured only two years prior.

She was still young enough to justify a delay and she’d successfully done so for two years already, citing a need to finish out a few academic endeavors the first year and an ankle injured in a particularly ruthless game of Pall Mall the next, but she hadn’t postured herself correctly for her cousin to be amenable to a conversation on delaying yet again. But then again, Sylvie hadn’t truly postured herself very well for Anthony to be amenable to her requests for nearly a decade by this point. 

“But Georgie—”

“You do not need to concern yourself with matters concerning your brother. The boys will be at Eton come the next fall. They’ll be home for the summers. No matter who you marry, you shall always be welcome to visit him here or at Aubrey Hall, and I’m sure George should like to come to visit you as well.” 

Sylvie’s mouth opened and closed a few times before she cleared her throat and regained the ability to form proper words. “Actually Anthony, I had expected that Georgie would be living with me.” 

Anthony shook his head, sitting up in his chair. “George will be at Eton. He and Gregory will both be at Eton and then—”

“He is my brother,” Sylvie answered. “My responsibility.” 

“I think you’ll find that both you and George are both my responsibility. And that responsibility extends to seeing you settled in a comfortable marriage and your brother receiving a proper education before, when he is ready, he also settles into a comfortable marriage.” 

“When he’s ready?” Sylvie repeated. “Why is it that you boys get to marry when you’re ready and we young ladies are simply commanded to join the parade when you men determine it’s the proper time? Why do you get to decide everything?” 

Anthony could have been honest and told Sylvie that he wanted them all tucked away into the safety of marriage because he didn’t know that he would be around to see to it if there was a delay. 

Or he could have spoken to her from firstborn to firstborn, appealing the fellow eldest child he found in his younger cousin, aligning them through their common thread, and insisting that he only did these things because it was what he thought was best for them, same as she did for the younger ones and George especially. 

Or he could have been quite frank and informed her that he had no desire to have multiple Bridgerton girls in season at the same time, though the prospect of settling Sylvie, Eloise, and Francesca down all in one go was enticing. 

But Anthony didn’t tell her those things. He offered a much simpler explanation, one which he suspected would allot less room for argument on the part of the cousin who was testing his capacity for patience at such a late hour.

“Because I am Viscount, Sylvia.” 

Sylvie released a quick breath and turned her face down to focus on her fumbling fingers as she considered it. Anthony had only uttered four simple words, but there was a whole lot of complicated meaning built up behind them.

Because you are Viscount.

And a man.

And I am nothing.

A woman, and therefore, nothing. 

Property. 

A dowry. 

A machine for use of creating an heir. 

Meant to be seen and not heard. 

Nothing.

She found it all hard to swallow after her upbringing even though she knew Anthony, and the other male Bridgertons, didn’t truly live by those beliefs. But society did. The ton did. And so the second she entered society, it would become reality, in a way. 

Sylvie had never before been discounted on account of being female. As a young Bridgerton girl, she had frequently gone out into the fields tagging along behind her older cousins, playing the very same games as the boys, climbing trees and forging streams. Even once they moved to London year-round, Sylvie had retained a certain amount of autonomy. 

And though they often went toe to toe, Anthony had always respected Sylvie’s position as George’s older sister, and he’d always acknowledged the importance of the common ground that stood between them, that of the firstborn sibling, affording her an extra measure of respect that he’d not afford to even Benedict in certain matters. It often came out in shared glances across the room, or their lending one another support with simple nods in response to “Right, Sylvie?” or “Right, Anthony?”

Although they had never explicitly discussed it, Sylvie assumed when she did one day marry, her brother would come to stay with her, assumed that if he were still of a certain impressionable age, George would officially become the responsibility of her and her future husband. 

And if she didn’t marry until later in life, until her younger brother was fully grown, or if she never married at all, she was alright with those scenarios as well. She loved Bridgerton House and Aubrey Hall and being surrounded by family, her wild cousins and brother running about and shouting at all hours. She didn’t long for the solitude of marriage. And despite loving children, she wasn’t entirely sure whether she wanted to bear her own.

“But—”

“What could you possibly have to say to argue that point?”

“I’m not going to argue whether or not you’re the Viscount, My Lord.” 

Anthony rolled his eyes, but didn’t comment. He rued the day that his cousin learned that she could somehow twist his title into an insult. 

Sylvie smiled, considering his silence permission to continue, not that she was truly waiting for it. 

“I’m going to argue against this season. Daphne didn’t meet Simon until the season in which she turned one and twenty, and your own wife didn’t have her season until one and twenty, and—”

“And you’re telling me that I should allow you to wait until you are one and twenty?” 

“No,” she said. “You, my dearest cousin, are the Right Honorable Viscount Bridgerton, and I am well aware that I cannot tell you what to do. I am merely asking that you consider my humble little request.” 

Anthony snorted. “Sylvie Bridgerton? Humble, eh?”

“My ability to be humble is not the question at hand, Anthony,” she muttered. “And neither truly is the time at which my season should take place because... well, your wife has already agreed with me. Kate thinks one and twenty is the perfect age for a first season.” 

Anthony’s thumb rubbed at his temple, an entirely subconscious gesture on his part. “My wife has already agreed with you?”

“Yes, the Viscountess has agreed that I should be allowed to wait a year. We had tea this afternoon while you, Ben, and Colin were at the club.” 

“Of course you did.”

“She also said that you’ve lost a bet to her and as such, you will have no choice to go along with us.”

Anthony closed his eyes and his nostrils flared before he released a deep exhale. “You’ll be the death of me.”

“Me or Kate?”

Anthony waved a hand in the air. “I’ll let the two of you work that out. Not as if my opinion on the subject matters.”

“So, you’ll tell Auntie—”

Anthony’s booming laugh cut off Sylvie’s words. “No, no, my dearest cousin. I shall leave that particular discussion for you.” 

He stood up from his desk then, taking his hat as he stepped towards the door. “Best of luck. Do let me know how that goes.” 

[bee-kathony]

positions | Eloise & Phillip 

“At night, he pounced upon her like a man possessed. A starving man, really. His energy seemed endless, and he was always trying new things, positioning her in new ways, teasing and tormenting until she was screaming and begging, never sure whether it was for him to stop or keep going.” - TSPWL, pg. 286-287

Eloise had thought about what it would be like to be married ever since she was but a small girl of six. Her elder sister, Daphne would play with dolls in their nursery, standing them at a homemade alter, saying the wedding vows for bride and groom respectively. Her thoughts first focused on what she would wear on her wedding day, and then when she reached the ripe old age of nine, Eloise declared that she would not be getting married… ever!

After all, she had three older brothers, and one younger, but Gregory was only four years old. Boys were annoying, sticky, and very loud little pests that Eloise wanted nothing to do with. There was much to be said about Eloise’s own volume, as she was not known for being a polite and quiet young lady. On the contrary, she was often lumped in with the boys, always ready to play a sport with them or go riding with them if their mother allowed.

But she knew she would never marry, because there was no way she would ever share a room with a boy. That’s what she overheard her brother Anthony talking about one day… sharing a room with a girl. Well, he said bed, but Eloise knew he obviously meant sharing a room, with both people having their own beds of course.

When Eloise turned sixteen, she rethought her declaration of never marrying. Her older brothers did have very handsome friends after all. And by now, she understood that kissing a boy could be quite a thrilling experience.

And when her sister Daphne married the Duke of Hastings just two years later, Eloise couldn’t help but admire the way Simon looked at her sister, with love and warmth. Perhaps marrying wouldn’t but such a bad thing.

With one daughter married however, Violet Bridgerton turned her focus to the rest of her children, her attempts at matchmaking doubled… no, tripled.

Over the next several years, Eloise shrugged off any potential suitors, until one day no one was asking her to marry them. She’d only had a handful of proposals, but soon there were none. A spinster she would be, and she didn’t mind one bit. As long as she had her best friend Penelope by her side, they could grow old together. That was all she really needed.

That is until Penelope, traitor that she was, left her on her own to marry Colin, Eloise’s own brother for heaven’s sake! That sharp stabbing pain in Eloise’s chest hurt more than she cared to admit. Of course, she was thrilled for her friend, and her brother. If Penelope was going to marry anyone, then she was glad it was Colin.

But now… now Eloise was well and truly all alone.

Alone, but with a pen pal; one Sir Phillip Crane that she’d never actually met.

It was writing those letters to him that saved her. For more than a year they had traded correspondence. Until finally, Eloise worked up the courage to meet him face to face. It had been an awkward meeting, one that she should have prepared him for.

Eloise had not lasted two days at Romney Hall before her four brothers came bursting in the room, and demanding that Sir Phillip either marry their sister for ruining her reputation or meet the end of a barrel.

The choice was made before Eloise could open her mouth. She and Sir Phillip were to marry, and that is how Eloise, the girl who had thought of her marriage since she was six years old found herself married to a man she barely knew.

If she was honest with herself, he wasn’t necessarily a stranger. They had gotten to know each other through their letters, and during the few days they had been together before her brothers rudely rushed in. Eloise thought it was impossible to fall in love with a man one barely knew, but here she was, three days into her marriage and her heart belonged to him.

There was no one she would rather lie next to every evening, and wake up to every morning. Even his two meddlesome children had captured her heart. What Phillip, Oliver, and Amanda really needed was someone to simply care for them, and show them that they were unconditionally loved, and Eloise thought herself up to the challenge.

Besides, her new husband was ravenous in the bedroom. His appetite knew no bounds, and Eloise found herself counting down the hours until they were joined in bed together at the end of a long day.

She was preparing for bed now, brushing her hair and splashing cold water on her face, when she heard Phillip’s steps pacing outside of the door. He had grown more impatient as the days went by, the time he allowed her for her toilette dwindling from twenty to five minutes.

Deciding that he had waited long enough, and honestly so had she, Eloise stood and opened the door. She was greeted by a large man, who picked her up at her waist and twirled her around in circles. Her feet lifted off the ground and she swung around, holding on for dear life, her arms hooked around his neck.

“Phillip!” She squealed, her stomach flying.

His lips met her neck, and she could feel him smiling against her skin. In the days since their marriage, Eloise had seen him smile more than all their time spent together.

“Please!” She laughed, clinging onto him. “I’m getting dizzy!”

Phillip spun her around one more time before gently depositing her onto the floor. Her head was spinning, and it continued to spin as Phillip crushed his lips to hers.

“What took you so long in there?” Phillip sighed, his hands settling on her waist.

“I was but a few minutes,” Eloise swiped at his chest playfully. “You are in need in a lesson on patience, husband.”

Husband. Oh how she loved to say that word.

“I cannot have patience when all I can think about is ridding you of your nightgown,” Phillip said softly, kissing her cheek, her jaw, her neck, all while his hands moved to cup and squeeze her bottom.

Since Eloise was but a virgin only four days ago, she allowed Phillip to take lead in the bedroom… for now. Already she had grown more confident, but she was still tentative in take matters into her own hands, literally speaking.

Besides, Phillip worked with his hands in his greenhouse all day, he was a man that knew what to do with them. He was surprisingly strong, his muscles lean and as he lifted her onto the bed, it seemed effortless.

Eloise kissed him fiercely, her heart pounding for what would come next.

They had made love six times already, but still she craved more. She craved to touch him, and see him, and memorize every bump and crevice on his body. She wanted to count every strand of hair on his head, and give them all names. Oh, she was a fool in love, that was positive.

Years ago, Francesca and Eloise had paid one of their house maids, Annie Mavel, to tell them what actually occurred in a marriage bed. So far Eloise had performed all of the acts Annie had spoken of, but also many she had not.

Eloise had never dreamed of so many different positions one could twist your body into to have sex. She thought the woman would simply lie down on the bed, and the man would cover her. They’d done that on their first night together, as Phillip said it would hurt for her first experience. But as soon as she assured him that it didn’t hurt anymore, Phillip had moved and positioned her body into all sorts of impossible ways.

At one point during their love making, Eloise sat atop him, her legs straddling him as she taken him fully inside of her. Just thinking about it now made her wet between her legs, so wet that she could smell her own arousal.

“What did you accomplish today in that greenhouse of yours?” Eloise asked as he climbed onto the bed.

“I touched plants,” Phillip stroked her arm from shoulder to wrist. “I cut flowers.” He twined their hands together. “I wrote in my journal.”

“Sounds very boring to me,” Eloise joked, moving to sit on her knees before him.

“It was,” he leaned in to kiss her. “My mind cannot focus on anything these days when all I want is to have you under me, on top of me,” he placed a wet kiss to her ear. “Anyway that I can have you, Eloise.”

“Then take me,” she closed her eyes, shuttering at the sensation of his touch.

This time, he did not push her to lie back, but he reached for her nightgown, pushing the sleeves down until they fell off her arms, exposing her breasts. Phillip’s eyes lingered on her already hard nipples a moment or two before he quickly rid himself of the rest of his clothing. Then his strong hands gathered the delicate material at her waist and lifted it above her head, leaving her naked before him.

“Come here,” he said softly, reaching for her hands.

Phillip sat in front of her, both of his legs spread wide. He took her hands and brought her closer, and as she sat in front of him, he brought one of his legs to rest over hers. They were now completely twisted together, and there was no way to know where one began and the other ended.

Face to face, Phillip trailed one hand along her back, his fingers softly stroking. Eloise could feel the calluses on his hands, the rough bits of skin he had earned from handling tools and tough greenery. Shivering, she brought both hands up to his face, letting her fingers explore the planes of his face.

Her breath hitched as he scooted closer, his heavy cock now resting against her thigh. Eloise could sit like this for hours, simply touching him and staring into his eyes. But her belly burned, and her body ached for him to be inside her.

Phillip reached between their bodies and took hold of his cock, stroking it one, two, three times before guiding it along her cleft. She was wet, and he slid along her opening, coating the head of his cock with her arousal.

“Lift up your hips,” Phillip instructed, licking his lips. He helped her by grabbing her bottom and lifting her, angling her until she had to place one hand behind her for leverage.

Eloise looked down at the place of their joining, her mouth open as she watched him enter her. Like butter takes a hot knife, he disappeared into her, sinking deeply. Their joint sighs mingled in the air between them.

“You feel heavenly,” Phillip squeezed her bottom, pushing her onto him, and urging her to move.

Pushing back against the bed, she began to rock her hips, sliding back and forth on his cock.

As much as she loved to talk, Eloise was often struck speechless as they made love. Words left her and she was overcome with emotions she could not describe. Instead, she showed him how he made her feel.

“Faster, please,” Eloise begged, reaching for his shoulder and pulling him closer. She claimed his lips, seeking entrance into his mouth. Flicking her tongue against his, Eloise moaned.

Both his hands grabbed her hips, helping to push her against him. With every snap, every twist, Eloise felt more of herself becoming one with him.

“Phillip,” Eloise cried out, burying her face into his neck.

He wrapped his arms tightly around her, and she knew she would never be as close to someone as she was with him, not only physically but spiritually.

“I need you, Eloise,” he kissed her shoulder sloppily, evidence of his own peak approaching. “I need you more than air,” he twisted his hand into her hair, bringing her face to his. “I need you now!”

Tears sprang to her eyes as she thrust against him, bouncing on his cock. She wanted to take him deeper, to allow him entrance into every hidden spot.

“Oh!”

Eloise clutched him, hands beginning to shake as waves of pleasure took over her body. She arched against him, and as she squeezed around him, she felt him explode inside of her. Phillip cradled her body against his, gently rocking back and forth.

“I need you,” he kept repeating softly, again and again as he stroked her hair.

Yes, he needed her, but not as much as Eloise needed him.

Later that night, after they had unwound themselves from one another, Eloise lay with her back against his chest. He had one arm tightly wrapped around her, his hand cupping her breast. She found this comforting, and pleasant. While they were passionate in bed, they were also gentle and tender.

“Do you really have to work in the greenhouse tomorrow?” Eloise asked to the dark, letting her hand rest upon his.

She felt him move against her, settling his chin on her head.

“I guess there is no rush,” he said.

“It is our honeymoon after all,” she smiled, even though he could not see. “Aren’t we supposed to lock ourselves in this room and not come out for a week?”

“I suppose you’re right,” he laughed. “However, I’m not sure Oliver or Amanda would allow that. They’re much to taken with you.”

Eloise scoffed. “I’m sure they are just plotting their next prank.”

“True,” Phillip couldn’t help but laugh. “But they do care for you. More than they would let you believe.”

“I know they do,” Eloise smiled, pulling his arm tighter. “And I care for them a great deal. Just as much as I care for you.”

Phillip was silent for a moment.

“You care for me the same amount as them?” His hand began to squeeze her breast gently.

Eloise bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing. “Well, I guess you can say that I care for you a great deal more. In a different way of course. The feelings for you are… stronger.”

She did not want to be the first to say those three words… I love you.

While she felt them with all of her being for this man, she needed to give him time. He cared for her deeply, that much was plain. Phillip’s happiness radiated off of him, and anyone nearby was struck blind by its brightness.

“I feel the same for you,” Phillip said softly and her heart squeezed.

His fingers moved along the swell of her breast, then circled around her areola. She held her breath in anticipation as he pinched her nipple with his thumb and forefinger.

Eloise shifted, parting her legs as he quickly slid his leg between hers to hold her open. Since they had entered their bedchamber, she had not stopped being aroused. One look from him sent her into a burning inferno of wobbly knees and insides.

Phillip wasted no time in sliding his cock inside of her, but he held still, content to simply fill her.

His fingers did not stop moving on her nipple, gently flicking and bringing it to attention. Soft moans left her lips as he slowly bucked his hips. He was moving slow on purpose, dragging out her pleasure, torturing her.

“Phillip,” she tried to press back against him, but his other hand steadied her hip, and he continued his slow and steady pace.

He brought her to the edge with his fingers tweaking her nipple, his tongue sucking on her skin and his cock between her legs.

With a small cry, Phillip emptied his seed for the second time that night, and once he pulled out, he turned her to face his chest.

“Let’s stay in bed all day tomorrow,” he kissed her forehead. “Besides, I don’t think I’ll be able to stand on my own two feet after this.”

“Neither will I,” she laughed quietly and nuzzled against his warm embrace.

Eloise drifted to sleep, sated and feeling perfectly content. Marriage, she thought, suited her quite well after all. Phillip… suited her. He suited her more than she had ever allowed herself to dream.

[quotergirl19]

Random thoughts 🐝💭

On Bridgerton Season 3

It would not surprise me at all if Nicola’s mirror comment wasn’t what we assume (a reference to Colin’s mirror comment in the book) at all, but rather that the storylines for Colin & Penelope from season 1 will be a mirror to their story in season 3.

Penelope wasn’t brave enough to just ask Colin about his feelings for her so as much as it hurt her to overhear, she finally knows from Colin himself that he’s never thought of her as a potential bride. And Penelope is smart, she knows that if she’s ever going to escape her mother and a future as a spinster, she needs to take the marriage mart seriously because this is her 3rd season with zero prospects. She spent her first season focusing on Whistledown, and getting between Colin & Marina, and her second worrying about Whistledown, Colin, and getting between Eloise & Theo.

If Penelope were thinking about marriage to someone she knew she didn’t love but with whom she could have a safe and content life, she would consider it because if she can’t ever be with the love of her life, the next best thing is to have the security and comfort of marriage to a decent person with a chance to have children if she wants.

But if Colin knew the man didn’t love Penelope, I could see him trying to warn Penelope only for her to brush his concerns off like he did when she warned him about Marina not loving him in season 1.

Penelope could explain to Colin in minimal detail that she fell in love a long time ago with someone who doesn’t want her so she’s choosing security because she cannot have love.

I think before Colin can have his love epiphany, he needs to realize how high his opinion of Penelope really is and just how much he relies on being able to confide in her. I’m not sure he has considered that if Penelope were married he could not take her hand and have private moments with her without looking improper.

I bet he even calls the man she loves a fool for not realizing how wonderful she is only for her to defend him just like she did season 1 by saying that the man she loves is no fool, he merely doesn’t see her the way she wishes he did.

I think Colin will be shocked to learn Penelope has secretly been in love and he’s probably very curious who the man is. I imagine that making him really consider what kind of man wouldn’t want to marry Penelope because she’s so warm, kind, clever & beautiful. That’ll be where he begins wanting her for himself. And if he mentioned any of this to his family, you know one of them is going to call him out & say he’s in love with Penelope the same way Marina called out Penelope and accused her of being in love with Colin.

Colin also loves a damsel in distress. He wants to be a hero in a love story. He’s a dreamer. If Penelope admitted that she is Whistledown and she’s giving up writing because it started out being fun but now it’s dangerous to people she cares about and she was sorry for the trouble she caused everyone, I think he would forgive her. We already know Colin doesn’t think like Eloise, he may prove very understanding and forgiving toward Penelope.

I even sorta wish he bulks up boxing with Will to better protect Penelope from anyone who might find out her secret and try to hurt her in revenge for something she’s written.

There’s so much potential for season 3 to mirror season 1.

For the record though, I want the book-mirror scenario too.💜