Today wouldn’t break her. She refused to be defined by societal expectations. Throwing on a simple yet elegant emerald green dress, she surveyed herself in the mirror, a playful smile tugging at her lips. The dress mirrored the vibrancy she felt within, a stark contrast to the expected subdued tones most unmarried daughters favored.
Downstairs, the morning bustle was in full swing. Servants scurried about, polishing silver, arranging a profusion of flowers, and preparing a feast fit for royalty.
Bridget greeted Mrs. Higgins, the head housekeeper, with a warm smile. Mrs. Higgins, with her kindly face, had practically raised Bridget alongside her own children.
“Nervous for the garden party, Lady Bridget?” Mrs. Higgins inquired, a knowing look in her eyes.
Bridget chuckled. “Maybe a little,” she admitted playfully, “but mostly amused by the sheer chaos.”
Their conversation was interrupted by a hurried shout from the library. Hector burst in, his usually mischievous grin replaced with a grimace.
“Bridget, you wouldn’t happen to have seen Father’s favorite silver polish, would you?”
“Hector,” Bridget sighed, rolling her eyes, “not touching the silver again, are we?”
Hector, ever the charmer, flashed his most innocent smile. “Just a little shine, Sister. Can’t have our guests thinking the Earl’s gone soft, can we?”
Bridget knew better than to argue. Hector, despite his occasional antics, possessed a genuine warmth that endeared him to most.
“Just don’t overdo it,” she warned, a smile playing on her lips.
Her mother appeared in the doorway, her face etched with concern. “Bridget, darling, everything seems to be going wrong this morning. We—” She spotted Hector standing in the corner. “Well, bother, you will have to do. Come now.”
Hector groaned as the Countess hauled him out of the room, giving him instructions in a torrent—instructions that Bridget was certain Hector was going to abandon the moment he was alone.
“Lady Bridget? Are you well?”
Bridget blinked and turned to Mrs. Higgins. How long had she zoned out, staring off into nothing? “I am. It’s just… seeing Elliot settled feels strange, and Virginia…” she trailed off, the pain of her estranged sister still raw even after a decade.
“Oh, My Lady!” Mrs. Higgins rushed forward and threw her arms around Bridget, much as she used to do when Bridget was younger.
She was always more family than a servant, and the laws of propriety didn’t apply to her here.
They let each other go, and Bridget felt much better. The pain would always be there, but there were some good days.
“Thank you, Mrs. Higgins. You’re as steady as a lighthouse in a storm.”
“My pleasure, dear.” Mrs. Higgins gave Bridget one of her warm smiles, then went back to folding napkins on a counter.
Bridget slipped quietly out of the room, feeling lighter than she had felt all morning. She glanced into the library as she walked past and saw Elliot sitting at the desk, his nose buried in a ledger.
“Come on, Brother dearest,” she chirped. “Less accounting and more preparation for your impending nuptials! Don’t you want to impress Olivia?”
Elliot, ever the composed one, looked up with a smile. “Don’t worry, Bridget. Olivia and I are perfectly prepared.” He blushed slightly. “Besides, it’s Father whose approval I’m truly worried about.”
Bridget squeezed his shoulder. “He’ll come around, Elliot. He just needs to… thaw a bit. I still don’t see why you have to work on the estate accounts now of all time, though.”
“I find that it settles me,” he said. “Helps me clear my head. Moreover, Hector avoids this room passionately. Be a dear, and close the door behind you when you leave, please.”
Bridget chuckled quietly and waved, shutting the door as Elliot had asked. The entire ground floor was in chaos as she made her way to the porch. She found Hector leaning on the railing, watching the activity in the garden with a bored expression on his face.
“Ready for the inevitable, Sister?” he inquired.
Bridget raised an eyebrow. “What are you planning, you mischievous devil?”
Hector chuckled, feigning innocence. “Oh, nothing elaborate. Just a few strategically placed… let’s say, conversation starters amongst the floral arrangements.”
Bridget couldn’t help but laugh. Hector was always good for a bit of harmless fun, a necessary antidote to the ton’s stuffy propriety.