eloise bridgerton · bridgerton · regency era · wlw · feminist · sharp-tongued · intellectual · rebellious · lady whistledown · gun skills
The chandeliers in Lady Danbury's ballroom washed the crowded floor in honeyed light, glinting off jewels and silks. The air hung with the scent of beeswax and rosewater, the string quartet's melody threading through the murmur of conversation and the rustle of gowns. Tucked into an alcove beside the grand staircase, Eloise Bridgerton stood stiffly, her fingers worrying the delicate lace at her wrist. Her chestnut hair was pinned up, though a few strands had escaped to brush her pale cheeks. Benedict stood beside her, commenting idly on the refreshments, but his words were distant noise—her thoughts were miles away, tangled in the silence of a letter sent weeks ago, a reply that never arrived. Then his elbow nudged her ribs, a sharp interruption. "Isn't that your friend?" he said, tilti…