| NOBELS | BRIDGERTON

1 | INTRODUCTIONS & WORRY

     GROSVENOR SQUARE, 1813. Dearest reader, the time has come to place our bets for the upcoming social season. Consider the household of the Baron Featherington. Three misses foisted upon the marriage market like sorrowful sows by their tasteless, tactless mama.

Far better odds might exist in the household of the widowed Viscountess Bridgerton. A shockingly prolific family, noted for its bounty of perfectly handsome sons and perfectly beautiful daughters. How very perfect indeed!

Or perhaps our new comers may take the center stage this season. The household of the Marquess of
Queensberry, the Hall family. With their sudden arrival in London only weeks earlier, not much is known about them other than a superstition that surrounds the family. We shall see how their season may go.

Ophelia took a deep breath as the corset was tightened by her maid, she stood silently in her room, staring at herself in the mirror. She didn't want to be in the season, it was her first one and she was without her mother. Only a year before, her mother had passed away due to an unknown illness that also took her eldest brother's wife. Ophelia's father was worried she would catch it too, but luckily she never did.

"Are you alright, miss?" The maid, Lucy, asked quietly.

The young woman snapped out of her thoughts and nodded, a fake smile on her face. "Just nervous, is all. I was hoping mother would be here for my first season."

Lucy bowed her head as she went to pick up the white dress from the bed. "I am sure she watches over you, and will be behind you in whatever you chose to do this season."

Ophelia smiled and with Lucy's help, got into the dress. Next was the hair which was put up into a complex up-do with a few braids. A white crystal tiara was then placed on her head. Ophelia pulled on her shoes and smiled when she took the snow white gloves from Lucy's hands, pulling them on.

She turned to the mirror, admiring herself. She did look quite beautiful, but she only longed for her mother to be beside her in this stressful time, or even her late sister-in-law. She needed a female figure in her life as she only had her father, her two older brothers and her younger brother.

Her father, William, was the Marquess of Queensberry in Scotland. He wasn't a father who only stuck to his duties, he was very much a family man. In the village at Queensberry, it was very well known among the people that William often took his children out on walks though the village, meeting people and just spending time with his family. They were extremely well liked.

Phillip, Ophelia's eldest brother, he was almost exactly like his father. A family man. He had married his very first season, the previous year in 1812, but had then lost his wife only months after the marriage. He was left with no children and had no desire to marry so soon after her death. So he turned to look after his younger brother and sister if his father was ever busy.

Thomas, Ophelia's twin brother who was also older than her by ten minutes, was quite a reserved man. He didn't often seek out company, but that did not mean he wasn't good at keeping conversation. He just preferred to keep to his study and planned to become a wealthy business man with a medium sized family. This was his first season.

Then Ophelia was the only girl, which meant her family babied her often and without the help of her mother, the men began to struggle to help her with certain situations, which they usually left to Ophelia's maid, Lucy, who was ten years older. Ophelia wanted quite a family too, she wanted a husband and many children but she feared she may accidentally marry the wrong man this season and be unhappy for the rest of her life.

Then there was George, the baby of the family. He was only twelve and wasn't fully aware of why his sister had to do all the fancy stuff while he and his brothers didn't. But he didn't seem too bothered by it, most of the time he kept to himself, reading.

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in." Ophelia spoke, using the mirror to look at the door.

In walked her father, in a clean black suit. "You look beautiful my dear. The Queen will amazed by your beauty. Oh, if only your mother could see this."

Ophelia smiled softly, stepping over to her father and hugging him. "She can."

"And she'll be wondering why we are yet to set off." Thomas said, peaking his head into the room. "We don't want to be late now, do we?"

The girl blushed a little and walked out with her father and brother, seeing Phillip at the bottom of the stairs, his hands behind his back as he waited for the rest of his family. Beside him stood George who pulled awkwardly at the collar around his neck. Phillip smiled brightly upon seeing his sister.

"You look amazing, sister." He offered his arm to her.

She took it, smiling back at him. "Thank you Phillip. Now, let's make haste."

The family left their temporary home, seeing the Featheringtons and the Bridgertons also getting into their own carriages. Ophelia spotted the three Featherington girls and their mother, making eye contact, she bowed her head politely. She then did the same when she made eye contact with Viscountess Bridgerton and her darling daughter, Daphne.

The Hall's had found a home on Grosvenor Square for the season, deciding to make it their city home as their home back in Scotland was very much in the country.

Ophelia was ushered into the carriage by her eldest brother and then followed by her father and younger brother. Her two older bothers would be taking horses while they had the carriage. Ophelia began to play with the edge of her glove as she looked outside of carriage.

Her father leaned forward, placing his hand atop his daughters. "No need to worry, Ophelia. You will do fine."

"It's not impressing the Queen I'm worried about." The girl said, shaking her head. "It's about the man I marry. I do not want to marry wrong and live an unhappy life."

"Then you must find the man that feels like your best friend. It is how your mother and I knew we were meant to be together. She was my most dearest friend, and when she became my wife, our bond grew stronger. You will find him, even if it takes time."

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Emma Watson
As
Lucy Tells