. 。・゜・✫ II. OLD ACQUAINTANCES ✫・゜・。.
" it would be my honor if you saved me a dance. "

Even though the Harrisons lived only a few homes down from the Laffertys, Rosina ordered a carriage for the baron, baroness, and their eldest daughter to take to the ball. In the back of her mind, Bex found the carriage ride unnecessary, but given the fact that her corset threatened to suffocate her with each breath, she wasn't sure if walking to the party was a good idea, even though she could see the Harrisons' home from her bedroom window.

Besides, if Fred was to actually make the whole night, he couldn't exert himself anymore than was absolutely necessary.

"Are you excited, Elizabeth?" Rosina asked as the family settled into the carriage seats. Rosina had long given up calling her eldest daughter by her preferred nickname, one given to her by Fred as an infant. It was fine for a child, Rosina said, but entirely inappropriate for a lady. Still, anyone who truly knew Bex called her just that — Bex.

"I'm not sure excited is the correct word, Mother," Bex muttered, fanning herself as she peered out the window. It wasn't even that hot out, but between the layers of clothes she was wearing and her nerves, Bex felt as if she'd melt into a pool of sweat at any moment.

"Well, you look beautiful, darling," Rosina said, smiling proudly at her daughter.

Bex supposed she should have been glad she didn't have to parade in front of Queen Charlotte again. She'd done that once, when she first came out into society, but she didn't have to do it again, even though this was the year she was actually looking for a husband. She'd see the queen of course, at different events throughout the season, but she doubted the monarch would attend the Harrisons' party.

It took only a few minutes to get to the Harrisons', and before she knew it, Bex was out of the carriage, walking in the doors of their grand home.

Montgomery and Georgia Harrison were long-time acquaintances of her parents. Bex remembered playing with their daughter Maggie as a child, though Maggie had married a wealthy American businessman and hadn't been seen in London since.

Their eldest, Samuel, was set to inherit Monty's estate and title, and the middle child, Peter, was galavanting through Europe, last Bex had heard. Bex was jealous of Peter's freedom — he wasn't the oldest, so he didn't have to worry about taking over his father's position, and he was a man, so he didn't have to worry about marriage. He came from a wealthy family, so he could essentially do anything he dreamed of. Bex couldn't fathom such freedom. A world without responsibility.

She followed her parents to the ballroom, where they stopped in front of the door so they could be introduced to the rest of the guests. It was a silly tradition, one that occurred at each party they went to. As if the people in that room hadn't known each other since they were children.

"Presenting ... Lord Frederick Lafferty, the Baron Vaughan, Lady Rosina Lafferty, the Baroness Vaughan, and their daughter, Miss Elizabeth Lafferty."

She followed her parents inside, curtsying when necessary and smiling at every person that met her eye. She'd been playing the part of a baron's daughter so long that it was all a natural reflex nowadays.

"Lord Lafferty! It is so great to see you here!" Monty Harrison pulled Bex's father into a handshake, shaking his arm vigorously. "How have you been, old pal?"

"Oh, I've seen better days," Fred replied, forcing out a short laugh as he leaned against his cane.

"Well, we are so glad to see you," Georgia Harrison replied, smiling politely. "You and the baroness both. Oh, and Miss Elizabeth! Why, you look so grown!"

Bex resisted the urge to roll her eyes as Lady Harrison zeroed in on her dress, critiquing everything about her appearance, as she did with all of her guests.

"Have you seen that our dear Peter is home?" Georgia said, beaming as she pointed behind Bex. "He's finished his studies."

"Mother, I hope you'll talk about more than me tonight," a voice called from behind Bex. She turned around, coming face-to-face with Peter Harrison.

Bex hadn't seen the middle son of her neighbors since he'd left for university. Peter Harrison had studied abroad, in Spain and France, if she remembered correctly. When he'd left, his face was covered in a spattering of blemishes and he could never quite seem to get his hair to lay correctly.

The person that stood before her, however, had clearly blossomed under a worldly education on the continent. He wasn't the skinny, pale boy she'd known as Peter Harrison. Peter Harrison was a man.

"Miss Elizabeth," Peter said, smiling as he bowed to greet her, his dimples creasing ever so slightly.

"Mr. Harrison," Bex curtsied, politely returning his smile as she gave her hand to him.

"It would be my honor if you saved me a dance," Peter whispered, a kind smile on his face.

Bex, despite herself, felt a blush creep onto her cheeks. "Of course. My first dance is yours."

Peter smiled and nodded at her before turning to greet the rest of his guests, leaving Bex to move through the crowd with her parents.

"It's nice to finally see Peter Harrison home," Rosina quipped, feigning innocence as she glanced over at her daughter.

"It is," Bex agreed, sharing a side-eyed glance with her father, who was holding in a laugh.

"He was studying to become a barrister, last I heard," Fred offered, taking Rosina's hand as she helped him over to a seat.

"Well, good for him," Rosina said, nodding. "Seeing as he won't be inheriting his father's title. Poor lad."

Bex knew their goal was to find her a husband this season, but she was already finding the probing and prodding from her parents unbearable.

"I think I'll go get a drink," she said.

She stood near the punch table, waiting in line for a drink, when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"I hope you've saved a dance for me on your card," a voice said behind her.

Bex turned around, a smile filling her face as she saw the man that stood in front of her.

"Benedict Bridgerton," she said, resisting the urge to immediately pull him in for a hug, in what he would say was an attempt to "squeeze the life out of him."

"Elizabeth Lafferty," Benedict returned her smile as Bex settled for a squeeze of his hand. A hug could wait for later, when they weren't at a ball in front of a bunch of prying eyes that would see the gesture as something more than a greeting between friends who hadn't seen each other in a while.

"Of course I've saved you a dance," she said, holding up her dance card so he could scribble down his name. "Dancing with you is the only way I'll be able to escape the insanity of these events this season."

Benedict chuckled as he pulled Bex to the back of the room, where they could catch up over crystalline glasses of red punch.

"It's good to see you," he said, smiling. "You look great."

"As do you."

Benedict Bridgerton was perhaps Bex's oldest friend. They'd been as thick as thieves since before she could remember. She didn't remember how their friendship started, or why they clicked the way they did, but they just did. He was the second son of the late Viscount Edmund Bridgerton, and just like Peter Harrison, he inherited no title, meaning that he was far more carefree and, dare Bex say it, happier, than his brother Anthony, the current viscount.

"I see your father is here," Benedict said, nodding towards Fred and Rosina. "How is he doing?"

Bex's smile fell, and she found herself staring into her punch glass rather than meeting Benedict's blue eyes. "He's not well," she admitted. "But he insisted on coming tonight. It's a big night, after all."

"Ahh, yes. The matter of finding your future husband," Benedict said, frowning. It had once been a teasing subject between the two, how ridiculous it was that Bex's husband would inherit her father's estate, rather than Bex herself. Now, with Fred's health on the decline, and the very real possibility that the distant heir could kick Fred's surviving family out of the house upon his death, it was a serious subject indeed.

Bex forced a smile, and she brushed Benedict's arm gently with her hand. "Well, enough about me! What have you been up to?"

Benedict studied her face for a moment, and upon understanding that she needed the change in subject, he obliged.

"I've been well. Got a lot of drawing done," he said, smiling. "You'll have to come over so I can show you my latest portfolio. Or, I suppose, I could come over to your house. I think your sisters may never forgive me if I don't pay them a visit soon."

Bex let out a laugh. Her younger sisters were quite infatuated with Benedict, and almost every time he visited the Lafferty home, they stole him away from her.

"I guarantee they would be overjoyed to see you," Bex replied as she and Benedict shared a smile.

"Excuse me, Mr. Bridgerton, Miss Elizabeth," a voice from Bex's left interrupted them, and she turned to see who it was.

"Peter Harrison," Benedict gave the man a polite nod. "Back from France?"

Peter nodded, a smile on his face. "Yes, I've finished my schooling," he said before turning to Bex. "If you would allow me to steal you away from Mr. Bridgerton, I think it's time for that dance you promised me," he said, winking at her.

Bex's face flushed and she nodded. "Excuse me, Ben."

"Of course," Benedict responded, waving them off. "I see Anthony over there, so I'll go check in with him."

Benedict headed for his brother, the viscount, and Bex followed Peter to the dance floor, where the musicians were beginning a new song.

"You'll have to excuse me if my dance skills are a bit rusty," Peter said, smiling. There it was, that dimple again. "It's been a while since I've attended one of the ton's society events."

Peter was, of course, a flawless dancer, despite how humble he seemed to be. He was a charming conversationalist, and Bex found herself blushing on numerous occasions throughout their dance.

"I hope I wasn't interrupting anything, with you and Mr. Bridgerton," Peter said, nodding towards Benedict, who was now standing with his brother and sister-in-law, Kate.

"We were just catching up," Bex explained. "It's been a while, and he's a dear friend."

"So I remember," Peter said, smiling. "You two were always like peas in a pod." He swallowed, as if preparing to say something, and Bex watched his Adam's apple bob up and down. "Excuse me if I'm out of place for asking, but ... well, I've been away for quite some time. Is there something, you know, between you and him?"

Bex let out a surprised laugh before immediately reaching up and covering her mouth with a gloved hand. "Oh my, Ben and me? No, we are just friends."

Peter's face flushed and he joined her in laughter. "Pardon me, I just wanted to make sure."

They finished off the dance and left the dance floor, heading back towards the punch table. They exchanged a goodbye, Bex promising Peter to another dance, before parting ways.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ author's note ✫・゜・。.
i can't seem stop writing for this story! hope you enjoyed it.

thanks for reading!

xx,
madi