Not a walk in the park

The morning after, everyone was flocking to the Davenport family home, the garden set up with beautiful decorations of soft pinks and light blues. Teas and cakes set out for everyone to enjoy. The latest pamphlet of Lady Whistledown circulating through the crowd. People whispering excitedly. Abigail looking over the words, her hands quickly balling the paper up.

A annoyed look on her face. She thought the young women around her shouldn't be objectified in such a manner.  "Surely you are not planning on throwing that." A male voice said beside her. Abigail quickly lowered her arm and moved her hands behind her. Knowing her actions would reflect on Lady Danbury as well, normally she wouldn't care.

"Mister Bridgerton." She greeted with a deep of her head. Colin looking at her with his kind eyes. "If you had read the things this woman has written about your friend you would not mind me throwing it." She said with a simple tilt of her head.

"Jose? She is stronger then anyone else would know. She cna handle what Lady Whistledown writes about her in gossip sheets." Colin spoke with more certainty then he had before in his tone. Abigail arched her eyebrow at his defensive tone. "Very well." She started to walk away from him. "Don't I get your name?" Colin asked after her. Abigail pausing as she looked over at him. "You'll figure it out." She flashed a smile towards him.

Ambitious mamas, rejoice, for the new
Duke of Hastings continues to grace our fair
city with his presence.
And, oh, what an impressive presence is it!
It should be noted that the duke has been
overheard announcing to mamas everywhere
that he has no plans of ever marrying.
This author wonders which brazen matchmaker
shall rise to such a challenge, for this
competition is well underway.
It has reached my ears that
Mr. Colin Bridgerton shall be awarded the
year's grand prize when he sweeps
Miss Thompson off her pretty little slippered feet.
In other news, a most peculiar suitor for
Miss Daphne Bridgerton has emerged.

Phillip was a bit unsure why Delilah had invited him as the two were not that close. But he had to admit the place looked fantastic as he strolled through the garden. Making brief and polite conversation with a few of the mamas that stopped him.

Robert spotting him as he spoke to Molly, the two got along well enough as long as Robert wasn't trying to tell her what to do. His eyes trailed Phillip as he went over to where other men sat, playing a round of cards. The men laughing happily as they played.

Emilio and Phoebe were walking together, her hands folded behind her back. "What about her?" The girl asked as she looked towards a rather beautiful young woman. "No, I've heard that she is quite loose with the young men and I rather not have a woman like that." He said with a sigh. The two walked and discussed yet he seemed to turn down almost every opinion that she presented.

"If you wish for my help you must be more open." Phoebe said exhausted as she planted her hands on her hips. "Help him with what?" Delilah asked as she appeared behind them, causing Phoebe to jump slightly before she scowled in a playful manner. "I am trying to help him find a match but he's impossible." She said sassily. 

"I'm not impossible the selection you have shown me are not to my taste." Emilio replied with a soft smile curving up the edge of his lips. Delilah chuckling at the two of them, bickering playfully back and forth. "Well I shall leave the two of you to playing Match maker, I am going to greet some others." She said politely to excuse herself from the two.

Gwendolyn was walking through the party, laughing loudly at something someone said. The girl was almost avoided in polite society as she was louder then any respectable woman should be and she drank far to much in that manner as well.

Other mamas hope to get their daughters
in the good will of Duke Brandon Edgerton and
their sons with Dutchess Estella Di Giovanni.
But perhaps they are too late?
Not much escapes my sights, dear reader.
Not the dutchess having a lovely chat with none other then  Lord Rowlington himself, did we lose the duke and Dutchess both to the Rowlington household?
But who will stay after the news of Miss Josephine
Rowlington's scandalous behavior?

It should also be noted that Marquess Phoebe
Flanagan has been spending a good amount of time
with Lord Emilio Duénes. Could there be some romance blossoming between the two or just another coupling
that will disappear before it can truly begain.

The Rowlington siblings have arrived to the garden party. Delilah instantly taking note of their arrival, she ran over, taking Clara's hands in her own. "You made it!" She almost squealed with delight. Clara couldn't help the blush that decorated her fair face. A fact that Josephine noticed as she glanced between her sister and her best friend.

Thomas stood by Josephine's side when his eyes caught Charles across the garden. The two boys turning pink, Charles turned his eyes down but Thomas kept eyes contact as he tried to figure out what he should do or say to the boy.

"Excuse me, mother." Thomas excused himself from Ida but to the woman's disappointment he did not make his way over to a young lady but towards Charles. Ida thought it was time for all her children to find a match yet she figured Thomas was just messing around with friends, not really caring at the idea of settling down with someone.

"Hi, Charles." Thomas spoke softly as he got closer. Charles head lifting to look at him, a gentle look in his stunning eyes. "Hello Thomas." He greeted. There was nothing hostile in the greeting which relieved Thomas some but there was a awkwardness in it.

"I apologize for what I did, forget I have done it. Can we go back to how we were?" Thomas spoke desperately as his cheeks heated up with a nervous blush. Charles gazed at his friend with such fondness. "We can't go back to how we were, Tommy." He said gently as he placed his hand on his arm. The look that crossed Thomas's face nearly broke his heart so he added the next part quickly.

"You were brave enough to do something I haven't been. I-I do not know if what we have would survive in this world." He lowered his voice so no one would hear them. A new spark of hope flashed through Thomas's eyes. "I will not let anyone damage this Charles."

"It must be a secret Tommy, do you understand? Your family are going through enough with Josephine. I'm new here I can handle not being thought well of but you...you have so much to lose and I will not let myself be the one who breaks it." Charles stated firmly. A firmness Thomas hasn't heard from him before. The boy slowly nodding his head in agreement.

Josephine looked with disgust as she saw Nigel and his mother there, Lord Davenport having invited them to conduct some buisness. But she was defenseless with just Ida at her side. That's when Nigel saw the opportunity.  Now that she was considered almost ruined he was all she would have if it fell through with Daphne.

The man started walking towards her. "I must go mama." The girl said quickly, but Ida saw where her gaze was. "But lord Berbrooke is coming to speak with you." She said softly with a polite smile on her face towards the man. "Mama, I have not the time for Berbrooke....there are more important people I have to see." She almost whined with the desperate fear of getting away.

"Like who?" Ida demanded with a roll of her eyes at how dramatic her daughter was being. "Me." A voice said behind them, causing the women to turn around. Ida falling into a curtsy. "Your Grace." She greeted, tugging on Josephine's hand but the young girl didn't bow, just looking at Brandon who always seemed to be coming to her rescue.

"Your Grace." Josephine finally greeted him as he gave her a charming smile. The smile left his face as he looked past them, Nigel watching the two interact. "Come, Miss Josephine Rowlington, shall we walk?" Brandon offered his arm. Josephine with the small nudge from Ida moved forward, placing her hand on his arm, not liking the way her heart seemed to jump at the contact.

He swept her off to the side, partly hidden behind a bush as he bent down to her height. "Are you okay?" He asked, his forehead going to rest against hers. The young woman moving back slightly at the contact. "I am. Thank you." She said in a soft voice as she looked at him. "I will always come to your rescue, no matter if you hate me or not. Now let's go on that walk around the garden before others grow suspicious of us." He said with a small smile on his face, brushing a loose piece of her hair back.

She placed her hand back on his arm as they walked together around the garden, many casting them looks and whispering. Josephine, not even noticing, that she moved herself closer to him under such judgmental eyes. "Since when do you care what others think?" Brandon asked with some amusement in his voice, trying to lighten the situation. "Since it reflects on my family..also in case you haven't noticed I'm a woman-"
"You are?! How scandalous." His heart soared hearing a small laugh leave her. "Oh hush. I am a woman and the only value I have is marrying someone." She finished her sentence.

"You have more value then that." He said as he looked towards the girl at his side. "Not to them, not in our time." She said with a small sigh. She was oddly secure with Brandon, she didn't shift what she wanted to say to fit to his standards and he was the only man she mocked and insulted openly to his face. "You are to me." He told her softly. Her eyes going towards him. "Lovely." She said as she moved her arm from his, starting to walk towards Eloise and Colin but she paused to look back at him. "I have never said I hated you, Brandon." She said before walking away, leaving him with the last words she said.

Estella noticed Louis standing off to the side, his eyes on the crowd to make sure everything was okay. "Are you a guard or a brother?" Estella asked as she walked up to him with amusement in her eyss. "Both." He answered simply as his attention went to her. A little hint of a smile crossing his face.

"How are you this day?" He asked her as he gave her his full attention. "I am well and you?" She asked as she had enjoyed there conversation from the day previous of last.  "I am good, just trying to keep a eye on my family." Estella laughed softly. "You are very protective. I can admire that but you must take a step back as if you look over them to much, like Lord Bridgerton is, they will retreat from you." She spoke wisely.

Louis gave her a thoughtful look at that. "That is very wise but..my sister needs me even if she won't admit it herself." He said with a small sigh. Estella found something charming in how much he was willing to protect his family.

Estella had rarely found a man that she felt like she could talk to, someone who was open to her. Perhaps Louis Rowlington could be more then she originally thought of him to be.

The dead of night, a man walked through the streets, newspapers folded under his arm as he went to each house, placing a paper down at each door step, giving a small knock to the door.

Maids asunder butlers a bit nerves in each household opened the door to see who could have been there. Shocked to find the paper. Bring it in they left it on a table for the lords and ladies of the house to read in the morning. Bold letters written across it with a drawing of a eclipsed sun.

THE MIDNIGHT SUN

Writing Lady Whistledown original pieces are hard so she's gonna keep hers and I'm doing my own thing. If you haven't finished opinions please do that soon. Thank you! I need something so Charles and Thomas are going to be that something XD