Yearning for Felicity | A BRIDGERTON Fanfic

Chapter 3

It was a fairly warm morning and Felicity was standing in the hallway watching her mother ordering her servants to carry her luggage into the already filled Featherington carriages- because it would simply be too embarrassing to be seen traveling in Felicity's tiny coach. "Mother," she started to say to the overly excited Lady Featherington. "You do know that the ball doesn't begin in three days?"

Portia Featherington looked at her impatiently. "And yet we have been invited early."

"I'm just saying- Mother," she tried to catch her attention as Portia hastily ordered a footman to call the cook for an extra basket of meat pies for the road. "Mama!"

Portia whipped her head towards her. "Goodness, Felicity! Can you not wait until we are peacefully seated in the carriage before you start complaining?"

Felicity took a deep breath and slowly said, "I'm just saying that we need not rush the staff this early in the morning. Kent is only a few hours away."

"It's never less wise to be early, my dear. That is something I had hoped you'd learn after years of being out in society," the baroness said in one breath. With that, she kept her mouth shut so as to not extend the tedious conversation till it turned into a scolding.

She walked past her frantic mother and went inside their grandest coach. She sat and opened the book that Hyacinth had lent her, and read throughout their journey, occasionally answering questions Portia bothered to give whenever she woke from her naps. Sometimes, Felicity forgot that her mother was growing old due to her excitable energy, which fortunately lessened by the time Felicity had married.

Upon reaching Aubrey Hall, she was reminded of the sheer beauty and splendor of the manor. It had been months since she had been inside and just standing outside, showered her with memories of her days as a young girl, being pulled by a similarly young Hyacinth in numerous servant passages and listening to the secrets they held. Maybe that was when the love for history had begun to foster in her as she navigated the house and land that had been in the Bridgerton's care for years upon years.

She was lucky that by the time she was well above her days in the nursery and just some years before her debut that the Bridgertons made it a point to visit their ancestral seat every summer, inviting their close friends to join them. She may not have said it often, but Hyacinth truly had been a godsend to her, as well as her sister Penelope's marriage to Colin Bridgerton. She could not imagine how utterly simple-minded and shallow she would have become had she none of the sensibilities of such people among the ton.

"Lady Featherington," came a greeting. "I'm very pleased to see you. I hope your journey was just as pleasing."

"It was quite," was Portia's reply. Viscountess Katharine Bridgerton had found a way of remaining polite while obviously not expecting a lengthy reply to her almost non-questions. She smiled brightly but before the baroness could expound on her answer, she turned to Felicity.

"Felicity! Oh, how I missed our watercolor sessions!" Kate took her hand in hers. "Why don't you two please follow me. The other ladies are in the salon by gardens, unless you want to retire to your chambers, with which Cole will bring you to them." She gestured to one of the footmen holding their luggage.

Lady Featherington stopped to think. "I think it best if I rested for a while. I'll be happy to join dinner later."

Kate discreetly raised her brow at Felicity, surprised that the baroness denied the opportunity of sitting down at tea. "She started her day a little earlier than usual in quite an energetic fashion," Felicity whispered.

Kate nodded and said, "Well, we'll be happy to have you join us." When Portia walked away, Kate grabbed her arm and led her inside. "And we have much to catch up on."