diamond of the first water

𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐧𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐨𝐧.

[diamondbridgerton]

"oh, well," a gentle smile spread across her lips while her hand pressed gently against her chest, "that relieves my mind."

closed starter for @frannieb

[diamondbridgerton]

"how does it look?" daphne asked, eyes moving from her painting and onto clara. "be honest."

closed starter for @cchvn

[dukescharming]

he's quick to join her, though before he reaches her, his fingers snap the stem of a single daisy from the bush beside them, offering it to her with a gentle smile. ❝ surely not, miss daphne, as their mistake is my gain. ❞ he's easy to flirt with the young bridgerton, offering her his arm without so much as a question. her company was preferable to the other simpering woman. ❝ i consider myself truly lucky to be in your company, i fear i shall never be one to leave you alone, unless you ask for it. ❞ he chuckles, though his thoughts weigh heavy, their is a lightness in her company that he likes, an ease of conversation. ❝ should you care to promenade or should i accompany you to where you were headed ? ❞

[diamondbridgerton]

her expression brightens as she reaches for the daisy, taking the flower from him with an appreciative nod. "thank you, sir colby." she replies, linking her arm with his. the air surrounding her suddenly feels lighter, less dull and melancholy, and she is confident that the gentleman before her had a hand in the change. although the day's previous interaction still remains, she pushes the thought to the smallest corner of her mind. "it may be that we are both lucky ... do not fear for i shall not ask such a thing of you. i am much too generous to deprive anyone of my presence." she jests, chuckling softly. however pleasant the sentiment, daphne cannot refrain from wondering if he had used the same turn of phrase to charm another young lady. "i had planned to search for my eldest brother as i am certain he is sufficiently perturbed by your wager on miss kate's basket but now that you are here, i do not feel the urge to rush to his side ... and it would be an utter shame to rush on such a lovely day like this, would it not?"

[dukescharming]

━ › @diamondbridgerton ! ━ › 𝑐𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑟

his time with kate dwindled to a close, the woman run off with her husband to be, and he's happy for her, truly he is, but that certainly does nothing to discredit the envy he feels for the viscount, kate was a friend, and her company he much enjoyed, and perhaps early on he considered a potential future with her, she was easy to get on with. he could be himself, but that had not come forth and she had chosen her own path and he admired her for that. but there was no denying that his heart didn't want for what it was clear she had. colby had never had any intention of marrying a love match, he just wanted his rightful titles, after all, marriage was his fathers condition to his inheritance, lest it go to a cousin. but he's lost in his thoughts as he moves along the lakeside, eyes darting the surroundings before they fall upon an unaccompanied daphne bridgerton. ❝ miss bridgerton, do not tell me someone is foolish enough to have left you on your own ? ❞ he jests lightly, in greeting.

[diamondbridgerton]

her exchange with the spanish prince occupies her every thought despite her wishes to think about anything else, even the haunting prospect of her mother finding a gentleman to spend her days with. anything was preferable to fixating on the strange truths she learned. with a sigh, she attempts to shift her focus to the scenery as she walks along the lakeside. it truly was a beautiful day — sun shining, climate pleasant, flowers blooming. immediately, she finds herself wondering if she should locate her siblings and occupy herself with their wants and needs for the remainder of the day. she was certain anthony was terrorising everyone around him whilst kate and colby were on their outing. that is where she should be, she decides, with family. however, when she moves to search for her eldest brother, a familiar voice pulls her out of her thoughts and she directs her attention toward the voice. "duke ledger," she greets with a gentle smile, offering him a curtsy. "it seems that they are," she nods, chuckling softly, "one hopes that you are not as foolish?"

[wxntofly]

Eloise looked up towards her sister and hummed softly. "Well, you've got to not get into any altercations with people. Don't start any fights." She told Daphne.

[diamondbridgerton]

"Indeed," she nodded, taking note of the advice offered. "However, if I find myself in a situation where a fight has been brought to me, would it not be appropriate for me to finish the altercation?"

[wxntofly]

Eloise let out a little laugh and smiled at Daphne. "Well, you shouldn't draw so much attention to yourself." She told her. "Don't try and take the limelight no matter what Mama says."

[diamondbridgerton]

"I do not understand how I draw attention to myself, sister, for it is unconsciously done." Her features crinkled in confusion as she considered her sister's advice. "One cannot take what is freely given ... what shall I do if I find myself in the limelight?"

[wxntofly]

"Daphne, you don't have to pity me." Eloise assured her and gave her sister a small smile. "You should be a lot sneakier. But, you're like one of the girls that everyone has their eye on this season. It's no word of a lie that you catch both suitors attentions and other women."

[diamondbridgerton]

"Pity you? For what exactly, sister? You are intelligent and beautiful." She chuckled, scrunching her nose up at Eloise. "Teach me to be sneakier then, how can I evade everyone's eye? If I must hope that others generate better gossip then I am truly done for."

[wxntofly]

"It's not that I don't care. I just haven't done much of any gossip for Lady Whistledown to write about." Eloise told her. "I'm not pretty like you are Daphne. People aren't going to look twice at me."

[diamondbridgerton]

"Eloise—" Her sister's name left her in a whisper unconsciously. Although Eloise's voice did not have any self-pity she could identify, it still wounded Daphne to hear her sister undervalue herself. "You are beautiful, and even though you do not wish to hear it, any man would be lucky to call you his wife, should you decide to marry one day." A slight smile tugged at her lips as she reached forward, giving Eloise's hand a gentle squeeze. "I, on the other hand, must get sneakier."

[diamondbridgerton]

"Well," She paused to consider her words. She did not aim to upset the other but she feared that she might because she did not truly understand the gravity of the situation. "What is so strange about that?"

@francoisbombshell

[diamondbridgerton]

“how do you do it?” the question leaves her suddenly, as though she cannot handle holding onto the thought for longer than a second. “how do you cease caring about what is said about you .. in whispers, in looks?”

@wxntofly

[charmingsharma]

the little amount of time edwina had spent in the presence of the bridgerton family is apparent to her now as she entered their home. there were many portraits of the family and while she had seen these faces around the ton, and had even spoken to a few on occasion, she couldn't help but feel as though she ought to make more of an effort to get to know them all. especially now that her sister was involved with the viscount. from her interactions with them, they seemed to be lovely and inviting people. she was certain that it would be no chore to be around them. "thank you for the invitation, miss bridgerton." she offered with a gentle nod upon entering the drawing room, arm linked with her sister. her eyes followed daphne's hand as she relinquished her sister's arm, moving forward to the seating area. she chuckled politely at the playful jab daphne made against her brother. "it is a wonderful selection," she turned to glance at her sister. although she seemed well enough, there was something different about kate, but edwina could not put her finger on what exactly. "it is such a lovely day to spend with friends, is it not?" she asked, her gaze moving between her sister and daphne.

[ccquettish]

since anthony's proposal , kate had been attempting to figure out a game plan in how to announce their engagement to their family . her future husband had rightfully so decided to leave the announcement in her hands and who was better than to test out their plan than with his sister and her sister ? as the eldest sharma entered the bridgerton home , a soft smile graced her lips as she nodded her head in greeting to her friend , " thank you for the invite , daphne . " it felt awfully formal for kate to refer to her friend by her last name than her first . as they took a seat in the drawing room , subconsciously , the dark haired woman begun to fiddle with the newest item that adjourned her finger . when was the best time to announce the news ? startled by edwina's words , kate gave a soft nod and a smile as she observed the other two women . " it most certainly is . it is also a lovely day to inform such friends of life changing news . " she attempted to play coy before a large grin graced her lips as she picked up the tea cup with her left hand . it was intentional as she knew both would see the ring .

[diamondbridgerton]

daphne's thoughts remained fixated on the ring on kate's finger, barely paying attention to the polite conversation taking place. it was definitely unbecoming but a part of her could not believe it, the day she was impatiently waiting for had finally arrived. she almost turned to edwina to enquire if she saw the ring too, or if it were merely a figment of her imagination. however, when kate raised her hand to showcase the ring, daphne could no longer remain quiet. truthfully, it was an achievement that she had been quiet thus far. "it is such a lovely day to be correct," she all but exclaimed as the sheer excitement and happiness she felt upon learning of such news claimed her features. "an even better day to inherit two lovely sisters ... congratulations, indeed."

[dukescharming]

perhaps he should not of addressed it as such, but certainly he could not help himself, the way she spoke had drawn his attention to her lips, and from there he found himself lost in the thoughts of the feel of them against his own and he lost of sense of propriety. ❝ if you'd be so kind as to agree. ❞ part of him would respect a decline on her behalf, after all, a women like daphne bridgerton, well, he doubted she was to go around kissing just anyone.

[diamondbridgerton]

her heart races and she cannot help but notice the way he looks at her, nor can she ignore her own desire to draw closer to him with every breath. she can only imagine what it must be like to press one's lips against another's, having been tempted by the thought once before. her gaze darts down to his lips once again before locking onto his eyes, a mischievous smile on her lips. "perhaps i do, perhaps i do not ... i have heard many a story about you, sir colby."

[diamondbridgerton]

after exchanging pleasantries and greetings, daphne led the sharma sisters into the drawing room for tea and conversation. when she turned around to face the pair once more, her gaze fell on the new ring that adorned miss kate sharma's finger. it was a ring she would recognise anywhere. she had spent many hours of her youth admiring the ring and begging to hear her parents' beautiful love story, despite having heard it many times previously. all conscious thought stopped, unable to think about anything except the ring. this could only mean one thing — her eldest brother had made his intentions with miss kate sharma clear before it was too late. finally. pride swelled in her chest at the mere thought of the conversations she shared with anthony regarding the eldest sharma. her predictions were right and now she would inherit two wonderful sisters. "please," she said, trying to contain her sheer excitement as she gestured towards the seating area and plates of food. "help yourself to whatever you like, i requested a selection but if colin returns home, we will require much more food."

@charmingsharma / @shvrmas

[diamondbridgerton]

once again, the eldest bridgerton daughter found herself alone in the gardens whilst the rest of the ton enjoyed the merriment of the ball. it was strange to flee such a scene for she had been desperate to begin her first season, to find a true love match and finally begin her life. tonight, however, she could not withstand the looks of pity, and in some cases delight, or the whispers that followed her wherever she went. it was mortifying to know that all of the ton were privy to matters of her heart. with a sigh and her gaze concentrated on the ground below her, she continued to pace back and forth before unceremoniously colliding with a man. "apologies," she said immediately, offering the gentleman a curtsy before she glanced up to view his face. "your grace."

@unbented

[diamondbridgerton]

@wardenofjoy asked: "Your laugh is so.... I missed it."

A warm smile pulled at Daphne's lips upon hearing such a kind sentiment. "Thank you," she said with a nod, reaching forward to give Isolde's hand a gentle squeeze. It was enlivening to be in the presence of a friend, to return to some sense of normalcy. Especially since she hadn't been feeling like herself in weeks past. "I do hope that you will stay in London for the remainder of the season. I suspect the intrigue has only begun, dear friend. I can only hope that my name will no longer appear in those scandal sheets."

[diamondbridgerton]

@dukescharming asked: “ i think you should kiss me. “

the smile on daphne's lips dims ever so slightly, considering the thought. while she would not admit such a thing aloud, she found herself wondering if she intrigued him the way he fascinated her — his smile, warm and effervescent, could easily convince any young lady to do just about anything. herself included. her eyes quickly flicker down to his lips before meeting his eyes again, a slight smile returning to her lips. "—you do?" she asked quietly, as her heart rate began to pick up pace.

[diamondbridgerton]

what is going on with you and colby?

"the duke is a considerate gentleman. he comforts me."