in which you and grayson find yourself in the most absurd situation.
set in the 1800s, based on bridgerton.
a little bit of everything!! enjoy - feedback welcome as always! <3
âso, let me get this right, your graceâ
âitâs graysonâ he interrupted clearing his throat as you both promenaded along the river, your mama and his aunt following behind.
âyou want us to pretend to court? may i speak freely, graysonâ you asked looking up, grayson rolled his and nodded, loaning you were going to speak to him whatever way you wanted with or without his permission.
âwe have nothing in common. and i do not like your manners and the way you treat me and others around youâ you rambled looking around at the people, also promenading and looking for potiental suitors.
You also noticed how the men were gazing at you in a way youâve never seen before. Like you were a prize, the feeling didnât feel good, it felt as if you were some trophy.
But you guessed that is all what women are to certain men, a trophy they can win and put up high in their house. sometimes you didnât feel opposed to being someoneâs trophy, but with the duke beside you, that feeling never came. All that came was disgust and wanting to cover up your body even more than your mother already made you.
âdo forgive me if iâm wrong, but have you the way the suitors have been looking at you, and all weâve done is look at eachother and smile a few timesâ grayson said, moving his hand over towards the group of men to prove his point.
âyouâre a duke, grayson. Iâm not yet prepared enough for thatâ you say and he nodded, obviously agreeing.
âthatâs why courting exists, and iâve seen how impatient your mama is. It might get her off your back for a little bit. You have a little more time to properly talk with the pointer suitors.â grayson argued, stopping infront of you.
âso this is a rouse then?â you asked placing your un opened umbrella infront of you, leaning your hands on it. Grayson nodded and stepped a little closer, your breathe hitched as you felt his breathe close to your face. âan agreement if you will. you get more time, i donât have any mamaâs trying to wed their daughters to me. Itâs a win win.â he said trying to convince you.
âitâs not like weâll actually get married. tell your mama youâre leaving your options open, or tell her youâre madly in love with meâ he teased earning a slap on the arm from you and wide grin. he looked around and smirked.
âso are we in agreement?â
Soon enough people started noticing you and grayson together â more people meaning more potential suitors for you. your drawing room was filled with men and your papa was not one bit happy about it, and suprisingly neither was your mama.
They had both taken a liking to grayson.
You werenât sure if it was his charm or because of his title, but nevertheless they were set on you and him courting for more than a week. you even overheard your mother talking to the head maid about a wedding sometime in the spring.
A wedding in the spring sounded superb.
A wedding with grayson in the spring sounded traumatic.
âGraysonâ you asked both of you sat beside each other, eating a rather delicious piece of cake. Grayson even bought the most expensive one, just for the both of you. That rather impressed you, you admit.
âY/Nâ he mocked leaning back in the seat.
âIâd like to know you a little better. I mean, i know your name, your title and that you have a twin brother. That is all, your graceâ
âjust how i like it to beâ grayson replied. Grayson was rather young when he became the duke, his brother didnât want this life (grayson had to be the bigger person). The stress of being a duke, has made him sour and cold, and not up for anything to do with marriage. If he was ever to marry heâs sure it would be the most awful thing to come to his short life. He doesnât understand what the fuss is all about, if you love someone, why do you have to go through all of the dramatics, surely just saying it enough?
Grayson didnât understand the fascination and heâs not sure he ever will.
âWell, whatâs your favourite colour?â you asked earning, a loud laugh. you smiled at the sound, it was nice to see him smiling for once. You knew he had it rough, so you could take the coldness and moodiness if this it was came out at some points of the time you guys are âcourtingâ.
âItâs green. like forest green. Itâs a dark but rather happy greenâ
âjust like you, graysonâ you added, grayson raised any brow making you blush âi just met, that you seem rather broody and dark but once you actually sit down and talk youâre a very warm manâ you rambled. God, you were just trying to make some sort of conversation and your witty comebacks were not helping you.
âLetâs get you back home, shall we?â
you frowned standing up, you saw the governorness walking slowly behind you both. even though you were very much out in the open, you still had to be chaperoned, a part you hated very much.
âforgive me, your grace. I didnât mean to be so rudeâ you say touching his hand ever so lightly. Grayson cleared his throat shaking his head ânever mind that. shall we finish the game of 20 questions?â he teased, easing the butterflies in your stomach.
âmy brother is called ethan. Smart man. Married last spring. I still donât understand how iâm the duke, the man is quite smart and orderly. And a sister Cameron, who moved to the country with her family some years backâ he said you nodding and listening very carefully.
âI think youâre quite smart, grayson.â you smiled, you reached home a lot quicker than expected. And for some reason, you wished he would ask you out again.
âHmm. Have a good evening, y/nâ
And with that the duke left, only you and your governorness. âi think heâd make a great husbandâ your governorness, anna, whispered.
You were in the drawing room playing piano when the duke was announced.
âLady Y/L/N, The duke of jerseyâ
you turned around to see the duke, your parents bowing and praising every move grayson took. you stood from the piano and met grayson halfway.
you smiled and bowed âyour graceâ you teased earning a laugh. you looked behind grayson and saw the smiles on your parents face and the nod the both gave you before sitting back down.
âi came here to formally invite you and your family to the ball iâm hosting.â he said his hands becoming weirdly sweaty and his heart beating rapidly awaiting your answer.
you looked magnificent today, you hair was up in braids and your dress was simple but beautiful. The necklace that adorned on your neck was something he wished he bought you himself, it looked rather beautiful on you. Grayson had to remind himself numerous times during the two weeks you have been courting that itâs not real, that this will end soon and you will both go seperate ways. But a part of him wants to just pretend itâs real, he wants you to look at him the way you do without any agreement or rouse.
but of course, that would never happen.
you were both too different, he was a duke for christ sake. It just wouldnât work out. So he pushed those feelings deep, deep down. And hopefully theyâd never reappear, like they are doing right now.
âoh, of course! iâd never say no to a ball!â you squealed, your mother cleared her throat to remind you of your manners.
âforgive me. It would be an honourâ
âI was thinking i could buy you a dress? Go to the tailors, pick out anything and iâll get it for youâ he said, grayson insisted on spoiling you. Buying you flowers and now dresses, your mother thought it was sweet, you did too. But it was very unnecessary, you didnât want him wasting his savings on you.
âOh! my grace, i couldnât ask that of youâ
âiâm buying and thatâs itâ he smiled bringing your hand up to his lips, making your breathe hitch and your heart speed up.
The next couple of days were spent preparing for the ball and of course accompanying you in picking a gown. He never actually knew how much went into making and choosing a gown, heâd never speak bad about shopping how, he was exhausted.
âi like you better, graysonâ you say browsing the fabrics. Grayson snorted causing some of the people around him to stare.
âand why is that?â he asked leaning against the wall as you picked out a few fabrics. It was honestly quite relaxing seeing you in your element. It made him happy to see you happy.
âyouâre more open. you smileâ you grinned looking over at him âand i must say youâre manners are magnificent, your graceâ she giggled making grayson shake his head. âyouâre strangeâ he mumbled, his heart doing that weird thing again, and this time he doesnât push those feelings away, he lets them stay. And it feels pretty good.
âhow many dances should we have tonight? i think two should sufficeâ you mumble looking up at your âsuitorâ. You wished it was real, there, you had admitted. you wanted to know what his lips felts like and his felt like without gloves. you wondered what he was like early in the morning and late in the evening. what he had on sundays and did he ever eat too much he was sick? all these questions would be answered if you just admitted your feelings, but no, you knew grayson did not want to marry.
And sadly, you donât think youâd be an exception.
âNot too worry, my lady. Iâll take these from you. My graceâ the lady bowed taking the fabrics from y/n.
âi shall have this complete in no time, i have your measurements and such, so i only need you to try it on againâ
You had already tried on the main part of the dress, but you wanted some sparkly fabric to add to it and maybe a bow. It was just last minute (anxiety induced) details, you wanted to add before the ball.
âthank you so much. weâll be back in an hourâ
âi donât know how you do itâ grayson said as you put your arm around his. âwell, i like to shop, i like designâ you smile âitâs quite fun actually.â
grayson thinks itâs quite fun too.
âI can feel the glare of your governess. how about some miniatures?â grayson asked getting a smile out of you. you nodded âthat sounds lovely, graysonâ.
The ball looks so amazing, itâs not like anything youâve ever been to before.
Thereâs chandeliers and lights everywhere and the paintings are the most magnificent things youâve ever seen, why had grayson been hiding such an extraordinary home from you? You could love in this room, ignoring the massive castle the duke resided in. This room was something you could only wished you could pull off when you finally marry.
Maybe, one day, you sighed.
âwhy the long face, ms Y/L/N?â a voice called out, making you turn around with a grin.
grayson looked just as beautiful as the lights and paintings, dare you say handsome. Something about the way his hair feel and his skin glimmered did something to you.
Grayson could say the same about you â god, your smile and the way your eyes lit up just for him was nearly enough for him to propose on the spot. Your hair was done up, but grayson just wanted to run his hands through it and head you sigh in complete relaxation.
âNo frown. The ball is so beautiful, your graceâ you say bowing causing grayson to laugh.
âCome with me, i have something you might likeâ
The duke dragged you out of the room ignoring the looks of mamas and debutants. He pulled you into what you could only describe as some sort of exhibit. Paintings adorned all over the walls and a fire place right in the middle of the wall. This had to be your favourite room thus far â excluding where the ball is taking place. The paintings were absolutely extraordinary and somehow even with a handsome duke beside you, you couldnât take your eyes from them.
âMy mother painted most of these â i think all, forgive me if iâm incorrectâ grayson started moving to a beautiful painting off the sky. âShe used to go to this cottage every summer, she brought me down last year when i became the duke. I painted with her and we talked. Sheâs extraordinary at art a shame my father never let her sell any or earn any moneyâ he said with a shaky breathe. âShe died this fall, along with my father. So these are the only things i have as a reminder of her, or of them. My sister took all of their belongings for safe keeping. Ethan does not care too much. I wish i was trusted moreâ grayson admitted, basically knocking the wind out of you.
You knew his parents had died, but you never knew how much hurt he still felt. Of course, thinking back that was such a stupid thought. His parents had died one after the other, leaving such a young duke behind.
âYour mother is very extraordinary indeed. Just like youâ you say getting a smile out of the duke. âi must say the clouds and the river one must be my favourite.â you say easing the tension.
grayson nodded in agreement.
You turn to the duke, only now realising how close you actually were. âi trust you. a lot more than i should, my grace.â you whispered looking up at him, a flush appearing in your cheeks.
âi wish i had gotten to know you soonerâ he admitted making your breathe hitch. âi wish i never came up with this agreement. i wish i just asked you to marry me then and there. Because you are the smartest, most beautiful woman i have ever had to privilege of meetingâ
your eyes filled up with tears, as grayson held your hand. He started to pull down the sleeve of your glove, you eyes widening but there was no objecting. You felt your glove fall down the ground and the duke big, soft hand take its place.
âAnd you will be my dutchessâ