¡Ay! Esta imagen no sigue nuestras pautas de contenido. Para continuar la publicación, intente quitarla o subir otra.
~
What was meant to be a perfect moment of forbidden bliss was turned into a nightmare, and Elena couldn't help but feel a sense of dread wash over her. She had no idea what was going to happen next, but she knew it wasn't going to be good.
The shock of seeing her sister with the son of her mother's rival caused a hush to fall over the room, and all three of them found themselves frozen, staring at each other, not knowing what to say.
Elizabeth turned to her brother and blocked his view. "Thomas, you are to return to your friends and forget that this ever happened. Am I clear?"
Thomas, who was definitely very confused, hesitantly nodded and went back to the ballroom to rejoin his friends.
Elizabeth made sure that Thomas was out of her sight before shutting the doors to the drawing room and marching towards the couple. "You are to leave this room right now." She threatened Benedict.
"Lizzie, please." Elena tried to calm her sister down.
"Be quiet, Lena!"
"Miss Bennet, I can assure you-" Benedict tried to explain to Elizabeth about the situation but she didn't want to listen.
"Be grateful it is not my mother who found you." She pointed at the man. "Now, I am giving you the easy way out. Leave this room at once, I require to speak with my sister."
Elena and Benedict shared with each other a glance before he quietly left the room. The two sisters stood in the dim lighted room in silence before Elizabeth spoke up.
"You are courting with someone else. If this relationship is just something out of lust, then you must end it." She told her younger sister who simply looked down in shame and sat down on a chair.
Elizabeth didn't need an explanation from Benedict but she could already tell something was going on between them since a while ago. She couldn't help but feel sadness for her sister.
Elizabeth went to sit beside Elena. "But if this is something real, you must come clean to mama and Lord Hawthorn."
"That's the thing, Lizzie." Elena whispered. "I don't think I can..."
𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧
"I need a moment. To refresh myself, your highness." Daphne breathed out nervously and walked away from the prince.
She tried to exit Trowbridge house but kept getting interrupted by various of guests asking her so many questions. Finally, Daphne was able to free herself. She ran outside and stopped in front of the patio, trying to catch her breath as she gripped her dress.
"Daphne?" The girl lightly screamed as she felt a presence from behind her call her name. She turned around and saw her best friend, Elena. "Are you alright?" She asked.
"Elena." Daphne didn't waste a second and went to tightly hug the other girl, catching her off guard.
Elena wrapped her arms around Daphne. "There, love. Deep breaths..." She whispered while gently rubbing her friend's back. "What's wrong?"
"I feel like I'm suffocating." Daphne explained as she pulled away from the hug. "I feel like I can't breathe."
Elena looked down at her neck to see the large piece of jewelry and raised her eyebrows. "Well it's probably because of that necklace. Here." In one swift move, she removed the necklace without even breaking it. "That's better, isn't it?"
After a few minutes, Daphne slowly started to calm down. "Thank you, Elena. You're a dear friend, but could I have a moment to myself?"
Elena gave her a warm smile. "Of course, darling. I'll be back in a few minutes." She said and headed back inside.
𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧
Elizabeth kept close watch of Elena after what happened a few minutes ago. She promised her that she would help her find a way to tell Lady Bennet about Benedict without her getting angry. Even so, Elena still thought it was a bad idea.
As the night went on, Elena couldn't help but notice that Daphne has not yet returned. She excused herself from the conversation she was having with a random man and quickly ran outside. Daphne was nowhere to be found near the patio.
Worried, Elena went deeper into the garden. She started to pick up the pace when she heard the sound of two men fighting and a cry of a woman. When she made a turn, she couldn't believe what she saw.
The sight before her was Anthony Bridgerton on top of Simon Basset throwing him huge hits across the face.
"Anthony!" Daphne screamed as Elena covered her mouth in shock.
"What is going on here..." Elena slurred which caught her by surprised. Apparently she was more drunk that she thought she was.
"Elena, do something please!" Daphne begged as she couldn't take the sight of her brother and the one she loves fighting.
Elena rushed towards Anthony and pulled him off of Simon. "Lord Bridgerton, enough! Please compose yourself." She yelled.
When Anthony was off of Simon, Elena helped the Duke get up on his feet. Even though it was dark out, she could see the nose bleed he had gotten.
"Will someone just tell me what happened?" She asked.
"He took advantage of my sister!" Anthony yelled, pointing his finger at Simon. Elena snapped her head towards the Duke and stared at him widened eyes. "You will marry her." He said.
"What?" Daphne asked.
"Immediately. We can only hope no one saw you take such liberties, and my sister is saved further mortification. You will marry her!"
"I cannot marry her." Simon said.
Daphne's mouth hung open. She could not believe the words coming out of the Duke's mouth.
"Simon..." Elena warned.
"You have defiled her innocence, and now you refuse her hand?" Anthony frowned. "I knew you were a rake, Hastings, never thought a villain!"
"I cannot marry her!" Simon growled.
"Then you leave me no choice. I must demand satisfaction."
"A duel? Lord Bridgerton, you cannot—" Elena got cut off by Anthony.
"He dishonours my sister, Miss Bennet. He dishonour my family and the very Bridgerton name." He stepped forward to Simon. "I have misjudged you, indeed. You have duped us both, but I shall not see my sister pay for my own misdeeds. We will settle this as gentlemen!"
"But even so, if one of you gets killed, the blood will be on Daphne's hands! She cannot live with that guilt!" Elena told the two idiot men.
"I shall see you at dawn." Simon said, completely ignoring Elena.
"I do not understand. You would rather die than marry me?" Daphne asked Simon with tears in her eyes.
