"Please, do join me. Whilst I was not expecting company I'd certainly not be against it this afternoon." Natalie was a frequent visitor to the various team rooms in town and as she looked up to see a shadow over her table she was eager to give the invitation out. Although not always social she improved after tea.
“ah- well-“ it would be very rude to decline such a polite invitation despite the fact that she had not necessarily intended to enjoy her tea with anyone. even so, perhaps a dash of company would do her some sort of good. perhaps she will be better at making conversation when it was simply one person rather than a pack of women all making conversation regarding topics that on some days could bore her to tears. “of course, yes, thank you,” she stumbles over her words for a brief moment, making much too loud of a noise with the chair as she pulls it out to sit down upon it. “do you spend time here often?” such riveting conversational skills, eloise.
location : the park
tagging : @loveternls @gildedgloryhq @themiddlebridgerton ( anyone )
" you do realise that when one yells at another in warning, the warning usually should be heeded. i suspect you did not anticipate being whacked by a ball. "
“when one yells at another in warning, it would most behoove the person being warned to be addressed by name,” eloise grumbles in return, rubbing her knee rather pitifully. her book has subsequently been abandoned but not before placing her bookmark inside of it to mark her place. “perhaps you ought to spend more time improving your aim in an area where innocent victims are not in your path of destruction.”
HER HAND STEADYS HER BALANCE on the others shoulder , a wave of nausea settling in , she'd tried to find fresh air , but never made it to the outside balcony . ❝ forgive me , s'il te plaît . ❞
eloise startles, her reaction a bit disproportionate considering how much the intrusion has truly bothered her. mild irritation gives way to genuine concern. she looks unwell, and an illogical urge to summon her mama wells up in eloise. "are you all right?" is the first thing that comes out of her mouth, which is a bit stupid, considering. eloise amends it quickly. "how can i help?"
HIS SKIN ITCHES WITH IRRITATION , though not the type to come with redness and pain , but rather annoyance , his hands finding the nearest class of something stronger than lemonade . ❝ before you start , i'm not in the mood for company . ❞
for a split second, her expression is wounded. however, she refuses to allow that to show on her face for very long. in fact, she had been in a relatively good mood, if a bit bored, when seeking out her brother's company. "all right, then. what's got you in such high spirits?" a more direct question would be which of their siblings has done something now, but she must not look too eager for gossip, and a part of her really does wish to know if it is that or something else.
❝uhhh i suppose both?❞ he said in an unsure voice. he wasn't sure who this pretty chestnut haired young women was, but he rarely talked to women in general, so he felt awkward. however he knew he simply could not remove himself before he put his foot in his mouth, and embarrass the crane name, so he simple stated ❝i take it you do not care too much for small talk?❞
"and am laughably bad at pretending otherwise," eloise confirmed his question with a half smile, pleased that at the very least he is being direct with her in turn. "though it does make me wonder how many of us genuinely enjoy the forced small talk these occasions require of us, and how many are simply more skilled in the art of pretending," she mused. then, matching his directness. "what do you think?"
→ @themiddlebridgerton
→ philip crane & eloise bridgerton
philip smiled uncomfortable, repeating in his head this is for george, this is for george. he would do anything for his brother, and said ❝the uh.. air is very nice❞ he had to meet and make nice so when his brother, sir george crane came to town he would be able to know who was from a good family and who would not be.
“the air,” eloise repeats, eyebrows raised in dubious skepticism just before she remembers social pleasantries and decides to somewhat shift her attitude, so it at least seems like she is trying. but truly, how is it fair that she has to be the one trying when this fellow is the one extolling the virtues of the air? “by the air, do you mean that which we breathe, or the air of genteel ladylike charm that i am attempting to equip in order to placate my mama?” too direct, as usual. a self-deprecation rooted in societal woes that no one cares to hear of.
ELIAS WAS SMART , AND KEPT a far distance between himself and the lady , though could being alone in any vicinity with her be smart ? not for his sake , but for hers ? ❝ you raise a point , miss , though , the gardens are vast and truthfully , i wandered to far in search of peace and quiet . ❞ he admits , a scratch to the back of his head as he glances around them . ❝ no ulterior motive , i can assure you , i'm just , useless , as my father would say . ❞
her brow furrows and she frowns, an unbecoming expression of a lady, not that she's ever bothered herself much with worry of such things. even more unbecoming is being alone with him like this, but in truth it only matters if someone else sees them. a matter of impropriety is only relevant if they're caught. besides, her mama is... somewhere nearby. "pay him no heed. often, those who are critical are the most in need of self-examination." it was a never ending point of frustration for el, how the corrosive fathers seemed to live on forever, and her kind one is... departed. "that was not the matter upon which you sought my advice," eloise states aloud, an acknowledgement that she has all too likely once again found herself overstepping. "come along. but do continue to maintain the respectable distance in the event we are..." she hand waves the sentence of the way, knowing that he must understand what she is referring to even as she hates to subscribe to society's absurd rules for them all.
open for 𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 ° ♡ • post ball ; 𝚋𝚛𝚒𝚍𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚝𝚘𝚗 𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚎 .
❛ pray tell , ❜ saccharine tone rivals that of the honey stirred into tea ; the silver spoon chiming against the fine bone china as the beverage is raised to lips . the dowager takes an appreciative sip before continuing , as eager as she is to hear of their evening , libations take priority ; it was , after all , a long night and her youthful days of boundless energy have long since departed her . ❛ how was your evening ? i feel as though we barely saw heads nor tails of one another – i trust you found it pleasant , if not enjoyable ? ❜
it is a blessing indeed that all three of her sisters are still out, so she rarely has to field her mama's questions about her goings on. in truth, eloise has no interest in marriage. she would much prefer to be a spinster. to take care of her siblings' inevitable children for a mere night or few days only, encourage their worst habits, and return them the picture of innocence. to pursue her own intellectual pursuits rather than engaging in all of the same humdrum conversations that ultimately result in the same words in slightly different arrangements. unfortunately, rarely does not mean never, and el is torn between what will please her mother to hear and what will technically constitute the truth. she nods and tries not to give anything away with her facial expression. "pleasant, yes, as it usually is in the presence of certain company." she does manage a convincing smile at the thought of certain company being penelope featherington, one of the few she has met who does not limit the topics of conversation to dance cards and types of stitches and the pianoforte. "how was your evening, mama?"
❝ YOU WOULDN'T HAPPEN TO KNOW the way out of this maze ? ❞ elias questioned , finding the first person after what felt like hours . ❝ i've got no idea up from down right now . ❞
"of course i do," eloise replies with a bit of an affronted expression, chin jutting out in as much of an act of defiance as she is allowed to express regarding a man presumably insulting her competence. "although i am curious as to what has caused you to be so directionally impaired. is this a usual predicament for you, or has it perhaps been invented due to some... ulterior motive?" she has reason to be wary, after all, he is a man she is not related to.
dearest reader, i am ever so delighted to introduce eloise bridgerton, the two-and-twenty mistress, known among the ton as adventurous + curious but their foes would certainly tell you that they are more selfish + hypocritical. perhaps that is why many seem to think they had something to do with the ongoings around the ton, but here they are anyway !
basic information
full name: eloise bridgerton
nicknames: el
age: twenty-two
gender: cis woman
pronouns: she/her
orientation: pansexual
title: second daughter of the viscountess bridgerton
languages: english, french, italian
physical appearance
face claim: claudia jessie
hair colour: dark brown
eye colour: blue
height: 5'6
build: slight
personality
positive traits: adventurous, curious, passionate
negative traits: selfish, hyprocritical, spoiled
mbti: entp-t
enneagram: 8w7
skills/hobbies: reading, socialising with friends, spying on her siblings, pall mall
girls shouldn't talk back. this behaviour is unbecoming of a young lady. eloise bridgerton became far too acquainted with such phrases, has heard them for what feels like forever. never from her doting mother who graciously accepts all of her children and their quirks. never from her loving father who she cherished for all of six years before he was ripped away with little explanation or reason. she understood to an extent how she must avoid bees. how the tiniest creature can kill. the question no one really seemed to be able to answer was why.
but she mustn't dwell on that. she learned from watching her older siblings to keep her grief to herself. to hold on tightly to the family she did have left, irksome as they may sometimes be. she learned from daphne what a woman of their station should be. eloise could pretend if she wanted to, but why pretend when she could find little ways to push back against a narrative she never once agreed to? she has dreams, after all, ideas, and why should she let a little thing like society stop her?
although eloise would rather have her nose in her book than her entire body squeezed into a ballgown, she can't bear the idea of truly disappointing her only remaining parent. nor would she be able to manage the guilt associated with any scandal associated with the bridgerton name that could possibly negatively impact her siblings' prospects. she may dance directly on the line of what society deems appropriate, but it would be a rare thing indeed to find her crossing it if she thought it would truly damage her family's reputation.
