The Duke and I - Rewrite Pt. 1
Rewrite by MissCeliaRavens
Original book by Julia Quinn
With scenes from the Netflix show Bridgerton Season 1
Also posted on AO3 here
It has been said that of all bitches, dead or alive, a scribbling woman is the most canine. If that should be true, then this author would like to show you, her teeth.
My name is Lady Whistledown. You do not know me, and rest assured you never shall. But be forewarned dear reader, I certainly know you.
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 household noted for its bounty of perfectly handsome sons and perfectly beautiful daughters…
Such industriousness on the part of the viscountess and the late viscount is commendable, although one can find only banality in their choice of names for their children. Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory, and Hyacinth. Orderliness is, of course, beneficial in all things, but one would think that intelligent parents would be able to keep their children straight without needing to alphabetize their names.
Today is a most important day, and for some a terrifying one, for today is the day that London’s marriage minded misses are presented to Her Majesty the Queen.
May God have mercy on their souls.
It is only the queens eye that matters today. A glimmer of displeasure and a young lady’s value plummets to unthinkable depths.
But as we know, the brighter a lady shines, the faster she may burn.
Lady Whistledown's Society Papers. 5 April 1813
Inside the Bridgerton family home in the middle of Mayfair, the household felt alive with chatter from children and servants alike.
The fifth Bridgerton, Eloise, groaned “I am already roasting!” she complained. Both she and her younger sisters, Francesca, and Hyacinth, all wore frilly white dresses with pink ribbons, for the special occasion. Their mother had wanted them to look the very height of fashion for young London girls.
“Are you to complain the entire day Eloise?” Francesca asked.
“Surely I cannot be expected to bear these fashions the entire day?” the young woman replied in terror.
Besides them the youngest Bridgerton, Hyacinth, practically skipped down the stairs, “I feel like a princess! Do I look like one?” she beamed at her sisters.
“You truly wish to know what I think you look like?” Eloise asked, knowing full well that she felt entirely too uncomfortable to make even a single kind remark about anybody in that moment.
“On your left!” Gregory, the youngest son, ran past the girls, pulling out the ribbon from Hyacinths hair.
“Oh! Gregory!” Hyacinth cried out, sprinting after him.
Down the stairs the second born Bridgerton, Benedict was waiting for his siblings. “Is our dear sister still not ready?”
“Oh, she’s only been readying herself the entire night!” Francesca replied.
“You mean her entire life.” Eloise budded in.
Colin Bridgerton, having proven unsuccessful in getting back Hyacinth’s ribbon for her appeared besides his older brother “I shall run upstairs and hasten her along.”
“Colin wait I’ll do it.” Benedict rushed along with his brother towards the stairs.
“She likes me much better than you Benedict.” Colin stated matter-of-factly.
“Ugh,” Eloise sighed in frustration with the two and called up the stairs “DAPHNE! YOU MUST MAKE HASTE!” She turned around to face her brothers who are staring at her with equal looks of amusement and bewilderment and asked them in a tone far too prim and proper for the display she just made; “should you think she heard me?”
The question was a silly one considering that all her siblings present, along with a maid and a footman, had all stopped in their tracks to stare at her sudden outburst.
Half an hour later The Bridgertons all stepped outside their home to enter the carriages waiting for them on the street. Gregory and Hyacinth came racing out the door past Francesca who told them to “stop it!”
At that same moment, the door to the house directly across the street opened, and the three misses Featherington’ stumbled out the door in each other’s heels. Their mother, Portia Featherington came out behind them, ensuring that everything was in order, while her husband, Lord Featherington, looked as if he would rather spend his time doing anything else than spend the day with his wife and eldest daughters.
Eloise stopped in her tracks, spotting miss Penelope Featherington, the youngest of the three present Featherington daughters, before waving at her.
The two had been the best of friends for years, and Eloise knew that Penelope was going to need all the encouragement she could get if she wanted to make it through this most harrowing of days.
Penelope, spotting her friend, gave her an exited smile and wave in return before she was hurried inside their carriage by her mother.
Behind Eloise, her mother walked out the door followed by the last of her siblings, miss Daphne Bridgerton. She was adorned in a golden diadem, an exquisite diamond necklace and a long white gown intricately embroidered with gold and silver patterns.
Daphne had never felt this nervous or exited before in her life. She looked back at her maid, Rose, multiple times just to ensure herself that she was in fact still holding the train of her dress.
From inside her carriage, Lady Featherington caught the eye of Lady Violet Bridgerton and the two gave each other polite nods of recognition. Turning her head away from the Featherington carriage, Violet looked up at her second oldest child, Benedict and asked him; “Any sign of him yet?”
All the young man responded with was a shrug and a sigh.
“Should your brother wish to be obeyed as lord Bridgerton he must act as lord Bridgeton. Where is he Benedict?” his mother demanded.
“Hm.” With little more she could do, the dissatisfied dowager viscountess entered her carriage where Daphne was in the midst of making sure her hair looked just right.
What the eldest Bridgerton brother was doing was in fact not a what but a who. A one Sieana Rosso. She was an acclaimed opera singer who currently resided in London. And where was he “doing her”? Up against a tree in regents park, his valet standing a mere twenty feet away, holding his horse trying hard to ignore the loud moaning behind him.
Somehow, between thrusts, Anthony managed to pull out his pocket watch and look at it. He knew he had to be at the palace soon and so he sped up his pace.
Once he had finished, he quickly cleaned himself up and instructed his footman to bring miss Rosso back to her lodgings before jumping on his horse and speeding off to St. James's Palace to meet his family.
Daphne peered out the window of the carriage in admiration to get a good look as they passed by Buckingham House. The queen’s residence. It was under construction but it still looked marvellously grand.
A loving smile spread across Lady Bridgerton’s face as she looked adoringly at her oldest daughter, pride filling her chest at the woman she was becoming.
Soon the carriage entered St. James’s palace courtyard where several young ladies and their mothers’ were all arriving just the same as Daphne.
Just as the Bridgerton carriage came to a halt, Anthony Bridgerton arrived on his horse, greeting his brothers who rode in in front of the family’s carriage.
One palace footman opened the door to the carriage, while another gave Daphne his arm to lean on as she descended from the carriage. She did not even look at the man, all too enamoured by the grandeur of the palace at which she had just arrived. She was so taken by the scene that she barely noticed the rest of her family leaving the carriage. She only managed to look away from all the young ladies entering through the palace doors with their mothers at their sides when a figure appeared directly next to her.
“Anthony, you are here!” she exclaimed.
“Of course I am here, sister. I’d never miss such an important day for you and our family.”
“No, you would just be late for it.” Their mother stood besides Daphne, giving a challenging look to her oldest as she took Daphne’s hand in her own.
Anthony opted to not take the challenge and instead turned to his sister. “Shall we?” he asked as he too offered her his arm.
Daphne could not be bothered to care about their bickering as she happily took both their arms and her whole family entered the palace in which she would soon make her debut into society.
Inside the palace waiting room it was cramped, packed full of chattering women. Daphne tried hard not to let herself be overwhelmed and instead let her mother fix her hair.
Around her other debutantes and their mothers gave each other dirty looks, all of them hoping that they would be the ones who would impress the queen.
Daphne tried to ignore the glares sent her way by the other women in the room, but her breath quickened none the less.
Across the room the Featherington girls looked as uncomfortable as Daphne felt. Penelope, the youngest of the three, looking all together terrified, while her sister Phillipa tried to slow her breath much like Daphne was doing herself. Prudence, the oldest Featherington girl, is fanned herself frantically while her mother absentmindedly adjusted her daughter’s sleeves.
Daphne stood inside the room for what felt like hours, waiting to be presented. Close by the Featheringtons were told to stand by ready at the door, as it became their turn to be presented.
Behind the door she heard the muffled sound of the presenter state their names to the court. “Miss Prudence Featherington, miss Phillipa Featherington, and miss Penelope Featherington. All presented by their mother, the Right Honourable Lady Featherington.”
The doors opened to the throne room with all three girls standing beside each other, the eldest standing in the middle while her sisters stood on either side of her. All three of them went forward at the same time which resulted in them having to shove awkwardly past each other to get through the door. Their mother, having figured out that there was not space for all four of them in the doorway, entered behind them.
The doors closed again once they entered the throne room, and the sound of murmurs and gasps faded out again. Just as Daphne managed to calm her breath again it got caught in the throat as the entire throne room let out a collective gasp. What had happened in there? Her heart was beating fast in her chest and her thoughts began racing, but her mother’s calming hand on her shoulder made her breathe more steadily again.
A few moments later a palace servant walked up to her and her mother and told them to stand ready at the door. This was it. The moment that she had been waiting for all month. All her life, really. Just do as you practiced Daphne, she told herself. Breathe.
On the other side of the door the presenter spoke once again. “Miss Daphne Bridgerton, presented by her mother, the Right Honourable, the Dowager Viscountess Bridgerton.”
The doors opened to the throne room and daphne let a soft practiced smile sit on her lips. There she was. Queen Charlotte, sitting on her throne at the opposite side of the throne room. Focus on the painting she told herself. A huge painting places behind her majesty would be where she kept her gaze. No matter how much she wanted to look at the rest of the room and find her family in the crowd, she kept her gaze on the painting, occasionally braving a look at the queen.
Her mothers presence besides her helped calm her nerves as her majesty’s four ladies in waiting, the crowd on either side of her, as well as of course the queen herself all looked at her with discerning eyes.
She did not see her sister Eloise’s look of resignment to the fact that next season she too would have to be a debutante, or her sister Hyacinths pure excitement at the prospect of her one day having to do the same. She saw only the queen.
When she arrived in front of Her Majesty she took a small breath, gave her a careful smile, and went into a deep curtsy. She counted in her head. one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. She prepared herself to rise again when she heard a shuffling from up in front of her. The sound of footsteps, and then-
A gloved hand reached under her chin, and she lifted her head. Her Majesty Queen Charlotte stood in front of her and gestured gently for her to get off her feet. She was smiling. The queen was smiling at her!
She felt her mouth fall open ever so slightly and she could not stop her smile from spreading wider as the queen took her face in her hands and leaned down to kiss her forehead. She gave her a quick smile before turning around once again and being led up the stairs by one of her ladies in waiting.
A palace servant took Daphne’s skirt train, and she stepped backwards towards her mother. She leaned in and whispered to her in disbelief, “Did that truly just happen?”
Her mother whispered her response, “keep smiling dearest. They are watching you… now more than ever.”
She let out a breath she hadn’t realised that she had been holding and did just that; she smiled.
As her maids helped undress of her of her debutante garments back at her home, Hyacinth beamed up at her. “You absolutely sparkled sister!”
She laughed and smiled adoringly at her youngest sibling “Come, now. I merely simpered and minced in a pretty dress like everyone else.”
“Not exactly like everyone else.” Francesca broke in.
Eloise put down the paper she was in the midst of reading and sighed. “Ugh, I shall need to go visit with Penelope. Her presentation was anything but- what was it the queen called you again?”
Daphne showed her beaming face from beneath the blue frock she was being put in and responded, “Flawless!” she smiled at her maid Rose, “Or some such thing. Trust I was astonished when her majesty offered me out of two hundred young ladies present a most gracious remark.”
“Yes, it was quite a distinction.” Eloise looked at her with a teasing grin, “and now two hundred young ladies have a common adversary. I wish you luck sister.”
This comment wiped the smile right off of Daphnes face and Francesca’s soft voice reprimanded her sister for making such a remark “Eloise!”
“What? It is true.” Eloise laughed and held up her hands in exasperation.
Daphne decides to bite back at her sister, reminding her of what they all know to be true. “My success on the marriage mart influences all of your prospects. We will all need to find love one day. Indeed, a love as pure as what mama and papa once shared, if we are so fortunate.” Hyacinth smiled wide, having heard many stories of her parents grand love, and dreaming of one day finding the same. “I merely hope I am able to continue such a grand tradition” Daphne said.
And before Eloise could make a retort their mother barged in the door and practically yelled with excitement, “Your dresses have arrived!”
“Oh!” was the response from three of four young ladies present who all rushed to the servants who followed their mother in with packages full of new dresses for them. Eloise sighed and trotted behind them.
The room broke into giggles from the girls, their mother and their maids as the dresses were pulled out of their boxes and inspected.
“This one is quite ravishing!” Daphne commented on the dress her mother held out for her.
“Mary Edgecomb wore a similar shade last season.” Her mother told her.
Daphne knew very well of Mary Edgecomb and her success, “And secured three offers the very next day!” she said, both to let her mother know that she knew exactly why her mother had picked that dress and to let Hyacinth know why this was so important. “One from an earl!”
“Mary Edgecomb, now countess of Fulton, apparently spend the last year living in a cottage hundreds of miles away from her earl. She is miserable. It says is all here.” Eloise countered from the door showing off the sheet of paper in her hand.
“Do not tell me that is yet another scandal sheet. Eloise-“ her mother tried to tell her, but Eloise quickly replied.
“No, no, no! this one is different. This one lists subjects by name in full.”
Hyacinth gasped and ran with Francesca towards their sister “Let me see!”
Francesca grabbed the scandal sheet out of a protesting Eloise’s hands and read out; “Lady Whistledown.”
Daphne, all too curious to wait reached out for the paper “Lady Whistledown?”
“The author.” Eloise informed them.
“Do we know a Lady Whistledown?” Mrs Bridgerton asked.
“Surely lady Whistledown cannot be her true name.” Francesca pointed out.
Violet looked at her daughter who was reading the paper curiously “What does it say dearest?”
“She loathes the fact that we’ve been named alphabetically, oldest to youngest!” she answered.
Lady Bridgerton leaned in to read alongside her, “Your father and I found it orderly.”
“Lady Whistledown finds ‘banality’.” Daphne told her.
Eloise rushed behind them “the papers were distributed across town today without charge.” She informed.
Lady Bridgerton rolled her eyes “without charge well what kind of author-“ but before she could finish her thought she caught herself as she read the next line. Both her and Daphne gasped in delight and chuckle merrily. “Well at least she got one thing right. She has named Daphne the seasons incomparable!”
Eloise mimicked her mother’s earlier gesture and rolled her eyes behind them, somewhat disappointed, but unsurprised at how quickly her mother’s opinion changed on the paper.
“She calls you a diamond of the first water!” their mother delighted as she clasped the paper to her chest “well, how lovely.”
Across the road at the Featherington house Lady Featherington picked up the scandal sheet from her coffee table “I should not be surprised if this ‘Whistledown’ is revealed to be Violet Bridgerton herself!” she stated as she grabbed the papers out of her two eldest daughters hands. “These pages certainly report on the viscountess’s family with much indulgence indeed.” She claimed as she handed the papers to a servant to take them outside.
“The pages report nothing but the truth Lady Featherington.” A lady sitting on one of their drawing room sofas concurred “Daphne has bloomed exquisitely and the sooner she is taken from the market the better for the other young ladies. Even ones prone to hysterics in front of the queen.” She finished, taking a sip of her tea. The name of the woman was Lady Araminta Cowper, another mama of one of the newly debuted young ladies of the ton, miss Cressida Cowper.
Lady Featherington decided not to justify her comment with a response and instead turned to her daughters “Ladies hurry up with your miniatures before our guest arrives. And Penelope put down that book at once! You shall confuse your thoughts.”
“So,” said Lady Cowper. “Tell me about this cousin. Joining you for the entire season?”
“She is a distant cousin of my husband” Lady Featherington informed her. “And with no close female relatives to sponsor her debut Lord Featherington has directed me to take her in for charity.”
“Hm” Lady Cowper brought her cup to her lips “You are known to be quite charitable.”
“Precisely what this new rumourmonger should have published, instead of erroneously specifying that I shall only have three young ladies under my care this year. She knows nothing.”
Finally, Penelope put down her book and approached her mother. “Unless you shall like to have only three young ladies under your care. I should gladly sit this season out.”
Lady Featherington gave her daughter a condescending look before turning to lady Cowper “Penelope is quite nervous. This shall be her very first season.”
Behind her the oldest Featherington sister, Prudence snickered and said under her breath; “What she is, is covered in blemishes.”
“They are quite difficult to conceal.” Phillipa agreed. “Oh!” she gasps delightedly “perhaps some arsenic and lead might help.”
Penelope decided to ignore her older siblings cruel remarks and instead continued pleading with her mother. “Should you allow me to delay only year, I may remain dedicated to my studies, perhaps.”
Her mother gave her a deadpan look and tonelessly responded; “the answer is no, Penelope.”
Penelope sighed and resigned herself to looking at portrait miniatures with her sisters, while their youngest sister, Felicity, stalked up behind her, curiously viewing the men in the drawings.
“You may wish to listen to her, my Lady.” Lady Cowper whispered to Lady Featherington. “Shepherding four young ladies through these endless rounds of affairs at the same time-“ she scoffed “Can you imagine the competition?”
Lady Featherington considered her words for a moment “Well how much competition can this cousin provoke? She came of age on a farm, she has a mere four figure dowry, and as for her appearance, well, let us hope Miss Thompson is more presentable than the legions of unkempt animals she has spent her entire life tending to back home.” She let an ugly laugh escape her lips at her own jab at the young miss.
Lady Cowper responded with fake laugh in return only to humour her hostess, when a footman walked in.
“Lord Featherington’s cousin has arrived, Madam.”
Lady Featherington gasped and turns around to her daughters and ushered them towards her “Now remember to be kind ladies. And charitable.” The girls stood in a line behind the sofa, Felicity picking up her dog so as to not let it run towards their guest when she entered. “The poor are our burden.” Lady Featherington reminded them.
Another footman arrived in the door, showing a young lady into the room. She wore a simple dress and hairstyle and unlike the Featheringtons who are all wore an endless number of accessories she only wore a single portrait necklace. She was beautiful.
The smile faltered from Lady Featherington and her oldest daughters faces, but Penelope and Felicity responded to her careful smile with kind ones of their own.
“she’s beautiful.” Penelope remarked.
Miss Thompson curtsied “Good afternoon, Lady Featherington.”
Instead of responding to the young lady, Lady Featherington simply let out a long exhale.
The church bell had just finished chiming at noon when a dark figure rode in on his brown horse onto the streets of London. He was headed to the outskirts of Mayfair to visit the London home of Lady Agatha Danbury.
Once he arrived at the estate, he was greeted by a servant of the house who gently took the reigns of his horse. The young man took out a flask from his inner pocket, taking a swig of the liquid inside before jumping off his horse to let it be led to the stables.
“Well, if this is not a sight for my sore eyes!”
He turned around to see Lady Danbury herself headed towards him.
“My condolences, Your Grace, for your father.” She said and took a small bow in front of him.
“Kind of me? You hated the man!”
This finally brought a smile to the young man’s lips. “It is so wonderful to see you, Lady Danbury.” He said as he took off his hat.
“Words I do not hear often enough.” She jabbed her walking cane into the ground “Come!” she turned around and they walked towards her house. “You must excuse the, uh, disorderliness. As you know I am to host a ball this evening.”
“Yes I-“ The man attempted to start a sentence but was cut short by the old woman.
“I have managed to keep the details of your return quiet. But when those vulgar mamas discover that there is an eligible duke present at tonight’s fete, I shall be able to keep such a secret no longer.
“That, is what I was hoping to discuss.” The young duke cut in before she could go on once again. “I have only returned to London to deal with my late father’s affairs. I’m afraid it leaves me no time to… socialize. And so, while I appreciate your most gracious invitation, Lady Danbury, I must ask you to accept my regrets.”
Lady Danbury looked at the man for a moment before saying; “Your regrets… are denied.” She gave him a cocky smile.
There was no arguing with Lady Danbury he had come to know that long ago and so he said; “Well I suppose a brief appearance-“
“Excellent!” she pointed her staff at his pocked “You may leave that flask you carry, at home. Most undignified.” And with that she went inside her home.
Across town at the royal opera house Siena Rosso was practicing for an upcoming performance when Anthony Bridgerton walked in. A smile spread across her face as he looked at her with ravenous eyes.
As soon as she had finished her practice, they hurried backstage to her dressing room where she shoved him against the wall, not caring that a painting fell off it’s hook on impact. She delighted in the moan he let out at the sight of her, and it was a matter of seconds before her lips were on his.
“Someone may hear us, my lord.” She smiled into his lips, beckoning him to keep quiet.
Anthony’s only response was a growl as he grabbed hold of her hair, kissing her more fiercely than before. He let out a grunt as he picked her up, knocking over a vase of flowers in the process, and carrying her towards the chaise lounge in her room.
His hands glided up her thighs and the room filled with the sounds of their pleasure.
“One day I shall seize that watch and take it apart bit by bit.” Siena told her lover once they were done ravaging each other’s bodies. He had picked up his pocket watch from the coffee table besides the chaise where they lay together, their naked bodies tangled up with one another.
He smiled at her endearingly “That belonged to my father. Should it disappear, I would miss it sadly.” He told her.
“Then you shall know precisely how I feel, every time you disappear.” She countered and leaned up to kiss him. “Stay with me today.”
He kissed her back before breaking from her to say; “I’m afraid I cannot.”
“I must chaperone my sister at the Danbury ball this evening.”
Siena stood and grabbed a blanket laying nearby. “Daphne, yes?”
“Mm.” he responded, rising to his feet as well.
“What might they be like, these grand affairs your sister must attend?”
“You… would hate them.” He stated as he put on his breeches.
“Every eligible Lady of breeding dressed in some lavishly trimmed frock. Bloodthirsty mamas at their sides… and wary fathers making arrangements for only the most advantageous of matches. And of course, without my father here, that responsibility falls upon me.”
Siena lay on the chaise covered only in a blanket. “A significant duty, no doubt.”
“Someone must guard my poor sister from the bucks and pinks, ensure her virtue remains free of any kind of defilement. And I am afraid that this duty will keep me busy for a fair while.” He turned to look at her, now fully clothed. “I cannot see you any longer Siena.”
This caught her of guard. Her brows furrowed as she wondered what this meant for her. “Then… what shall I do now?”
Anthony took a deep breath and told her what he believed was necessary. “You shall find another patron.”
