EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED | bridgerton

nine

Due to not reading anything published by Lady Whistledown, she was quite surprised to multiple new callers waiting on her doorstep until she allowed her footman to bring them into the drawing room.

Most of them were as boring as usual, only bragging about their adventure stories that were probably all made up or their wealth.

They were all talking to her at once, but one question was able to get her attention, "Is it true that you and Mr. Bridgerton are courting?"

"What?" she mumbled dumbfounded.

Another man spoke up now, "It's just that you two are seen together at every social event."

"Or every time Lady Whistledown writes about you, Mr. Bridgerton also gets mentioned. In her latest paper, she confirmed that he was courting you," another man cut in, holding out the latest paper to her.

She ripped it out of his hand, reading over the words multiple times, before ripping the paper apart, "I can assure you that I am not being courted at the moment, especially not from Colin Bridgerton."

After that none of the men dared to even mention his name again, and she felt herself feeling relieved when finally the last man left as well.

For a while she sat there in silence, enjoying it, before she sprung up and collected the ripped pieces of paper and made her way to the Bridgerton house.

Barging into the drawing room, she spotted her best friend and some men around her trying to charm her.

She approached her with quick steps, halting in front of her, "Where is your brother?"

Daphne raised her eyebrow, surprised, "Which one?"

"Have you read the latest Lady Whistledown paper?"

"Yes," Daphne mumbled, not daring to take her eyes off her friend.

"Then you know which one."

The Bridgerton sighed heavily, "I believe he's up in his room."

She turned on her heel and strutted up the stairs, barging into Colin's room without even knocking, finding him standing there shirtless.

With a gasp, she turned away from him with a loud exclaim, while Colin let out a surprised shout, "What are you doing here?"

The girl still stood with her back to him, "Have you read Lady Whistledown's latest paper?"

"No!" he was still quite out of breath, from the shock of her barging in like that.

"Well, you won't need to, because you need to simply stay away from me," her voice was stern.

Colin had by now found a shirt and threw it on, stopping when he was about to bottom it up upon hearing her words.

He stepped behind her, the heat from his skin radiating off to her, as he breathed against her neck, "And why is that?"

She turned around, almost stumbling back from the proximity, and looked at him seriously, "Because every caller today seems to have more interest in the rumor that you are courting me, than wanting to actually court me."