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Dearest Gentle Reader,

We have been apart for far too long. At last, London's fashionable set has made its return. And so too has this author. As the season begins, the question on everyone's mind is, of course, which newly minted debutante will shine the brightest? The crop this year appears to be rather dazzling. However, there is one lady in particular who has a certain bright season ahead of her. Making her debut this year, Miss Adelaide Windsor radiates with spark and courage, a true contender for the title of diamond of the season. But let us not forget, should we all need a little excitement, there is another Bridgerton also making her debut. Debutantes aside, there is also the question of which gentleman will reveal himself as the prize of the season. Whoever it is that makes the finest match this year, let us hope that their pairing brings some titillation. For, of the status quo, this author quickly grows weary.

Lady Whistledown, 1815

Elizabeth strided up the staircase with haste with Anthony trailing after her. She had just arrived from Windsor Manor after helping her sister prepare for her debut. It was a hassle getting Adelaide into her white dress and convincing her to wear the giant feathers, but it was the anger of the latest Lady Whistledown that fueled her determination to prove the columnist wrong.

Feeling more at ease that Adelaide was heading to the queen's palace, Elizabeth rode her horse the fastest she ever did back to Bridgerton House to support Francesca. It was quite an important day, so she prayed to the heavens that everything would run smoothly.

"You are going way too fast, Liz. Everything is fine," Anthony tried assuring her through his out of breath voice. "Francesca is not a flight risk, but your sister, well, that is a different case."

She abruptly stopped, her heart dropping and worry for the next few hours returning. "Do you really think she might attempt to run away? She has never been fond of her debut, but she's surrounded by my mother and Aurora. Perhaps that would be enough, or maybe I should make sure-"

Anthony cut her rant short by gently rubbing her arms, "Breathe, my love. Breathe. Everything will be fine." He spoke softly and took deep breaths with her, "Adelaide is in good hands. She won't do anything irrational."

Elizabeth actually laughed at his sentence, "Have you met her? She is the representation of all things irrational."

He paused for a moment as he remembered the time when she gave him an ultimatum. Perhaps he should worry as well, seeing as Adelaide is much a greater flight risk than Eloise was. "Well, when you put it that way..."

She leaned away and groaned in frustration, "You are not helping me relax, Anthony. Now I keep thinking about the possible things she might do to ruin her presentation to the queen."

Anthony stroked her cheek and softly shushed her, "Liz, everything will be fine. Have faith. For all we know, Adelaide might surprise you."

"I hope it is a good surprise," she remarked.

"Perhaps she has been stunned into silence by that beauty of the giant feather," Hyacinth's voice could be heard from across the corridor, her optimism bringing a profound ease to the chaos in her mind.

Elizabeth gestured in her direction, "Now that is how you reassure someone that everything is going smoothly – through positivity."

Anthony narrowed his eyes and scoffed in disbelief, "I am the most positive person there is. Where do you think Hyacinth learned it from?"

She gaped at him with a deadpan expression, "From your mother or perhaps Colin."

"I am offended," he declared. "My beloved wife does not view me as an optimist. I am wounded."

Elizabeth chuckled as she laid her hands on his waist to pull him closer, "You are the light of my life, so there is never a day that your warmth does not reassure me."

Anthony came closer, his face now a couple centimeters from hers, "Good thing you are my sun, so we both complete each other."

"Indeed we do," Elizabeth landed a kiss to his lips, diving deeper into his sweet comfort and tenderness. "Now, shall we see if Francesca is ready?"

"We shall," Anthony interlocked his arm with his wife's, both of them now turning the corner into the hall where everyone was gathered. To his surprise, they were hovering in front of Francesca's door and his mother was clearly worried, "We are not ready to go?"

Gregory shushed him in response.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Elizabeth asked.

"Would you mind asking whoever is playing downstairs to quieten down so I might hear?" Violet suggested.

Music coming from the drawing room was heard and Elizabeth recognized the song to be Mozart's "Funeral March," which was definitely not the right song to be playing on such a momentous occasion.

"I am afraid that is not possible," Elizabeth admitted when realizing who was playing. "Not unless we wish to upset Francesca."

Everyone perked up at the realization. It seemed they were standing in front of an empty bedroom and their debutante had been ready for a very long time.

"Who else would be playing pianoforte in this house?" Benedict stated as they headed to the drawing room.

"How about Lizzie? She has been teaching new songs to Francesca nearly every day," Eloise remarked.

Benedict rolled his eyes at her and sighed heavily, "Well, I do apologize for forgetting at the moment, dear sister. It won't happen again."

"Better not," Anthony threatened in a lower voice. "My wife is unforgettable, so it is inexcusable."

Elizabeth couldn't prevent from smiling at his defense, "Come now. There is no need for this."

Benedict smirked at him with satisfaction, "You see? She is not offended and quite frankly, I value her word more than yours, brother."

Anthony's eyes widened in offense, "Oh, really? What am I now? Just a spare?"

"Indeed," both Eloise and Benedict said in unison.

Elizabeth glanced at him with a prideful expression, loving the disbelief in his eyes and the way his mouth was hanging agape. "Point for the wife. No point for the husband."

Anthony shook his head in disagreement, "This isn't over yet. I will emerge as the victor."

She narrowed her eyes, nodding along to his declaration, "Sure. Anything you say."

"Francesca?" Violet called her daughter and approached her gently. "Why, there you are. Dear." Francesca kept playing, entirely entranced by the instrument. "Francesca," Violet called her again in a much louder voice, "Francesca."

Francesca finally looked up, startled by her mother's loudness, "There's no need to shout."

Anthony softly smiled, "I must say, all those piano lessons in Bath and your afternoons with Liz have reaped their reward. You've gotten rather good."

Francesca smiled at his compliment.

"How did you get down here?" Hyacinth asked. "I've been outside your door all morning."

"I woke up early. Got dressed. Took breakfast in the garden, because it is just another day," Francesca stated as she reluctantly left her spot from the piano and headed to her younger sister. "Shall we go?"

Elizabeth had always known that Francesca was soft-spoken and not very explicit with her emotions. She reminded her of Aurora, but she thought there would have been excitement over her debut. Many young ladies were, but perhaps she was wrong in believing this day was thrilling for many. Just look at Adelaide, who was probably coming up with different ways on how to ruin her presentation.

God, she truly hoped nothing wrong would occur.

Anthony met her halfway as they headed to the exit. Now was the time to head to the palace and wait for all the debutantes to make their presentation. Elizabeth was just glad she didn't have to do it herself. All the perks of debuting later than it was expected. Now look at her. Everything went smoothly (after all the hassles), and she's extremely happy now.

"I take it based on your smile, you're feeling much better now?" Anthony asked.

She faintly nodded, "I am still worried about Adelaide, but I trust that everything will be alright. This year feels like nothing will go wrong."

"Exactly," Anthony agreed. "What more can possibly happen after last year?"

Elizabeth was now able to laugh at the memory. It was certainly a story they would tell their children, one that would bring both frustration and joy. "We were definitely a handful. How our mothers were able to endure us, I do not know."

"I can only wonder what our children will put us through," Anthony pondered about the future, worried his impulses and stubbornness would be passed on. It certainly doesn't help knowing Elizabeth was just as headstrong, so it meant their kids would be quite a handful like they were.

"Lord have mercy on us," Elizabeth's eyes widened to their upcoming years, but she couldn't wait to see what chaos their children would ensue. Of course, there would be stress, but at least there would always be entertainment.

"What are they all squawking about?" Hyacinth narrowed her eyes to the end of the street, curious as to why many ladies were gathered and chattering with excitement.

"Like they spotted a side of beef," Anthony remarked.

The ladies reluctantly paved the way for the gentleman in question, making the rest stare much more attentively for a better glimpse. To their shocking surprise, Colin emerged from the swarm sporting a different look from last year. He was more refined, more mature, if you must say. There was a difference in his confidence, almost suave-like. It seemed his travels certainly paid off and brought a different Colin to the ton.

Benedict gasped, "Is that-"

"Our brother," Anthony pointed out, equally surprised to the new individual that arrived.

"Colin," Violet called out in a disbelieving tone.

Colin smiled as he approached them, a sense of satisfaction covering his expression and accentuating his charisma. "Family," he greeted. "Apologies for my late arrival. I got stuck in presentation traffic. Do you not wish to greet me?"

The Bridgertons smiled happily and welcomed him back. Each taking turns to offer their greetings and bombard him with questions about his travels. However, Colin seemed to be searching for a specific person. One that filled his mind for the entirety of his trip.

__________________

Queen Charlotte seemed to not be amused by any of the ladies being presented. She waved each of them off or offered a disappointed frown. It brought worry to all the debutantes and their mothers as they feared the lack of impression would affect any marriage prospects. It seemed this season would be much more complicated than anticipated.

"That is not a very good sign," Elizabeth pointed out in a whisper when noticing the queen yawning at a young lady's presentation.

Anthony agreed, "It seems the queen is being much more particular this year."

"I truly hope Francesca and Adelaide receive better looks," she said, praying everything runs smoothly for her sisters.

"I hope Adelaide falls," Aurora whispered back.

"I hope so too," Eloise agreed through a laugh.

Elizabeth gaped at them in disbelief, but just because she was a married woman, it didn't mean she would forget about their sister rivalry. "It would be quite comical."

"Whatever happened to hoping for the best?" Anthony questioned through a smile.

She nonchalantly shrugged, "I am still hoping for the best, but it doesn't mean I won't enjoy her presentation."

"You are quite the strangest person I know," he teased.

"But you love that."

Anthony reached for her hand and squeezed it, "Of course I do."

Aurora and Eloise rolled their eyes and frowned at their open affection. They exchanged equally disagreeable looks before glancing back ahead.

"Miss Francesca Bridgerton, presented by her mother, the Right Honorable Dowager Lady Bridgerton."

Elizabeth and Anthony perked up at the announcement, their excited and proud anticipation making them nearly tempted to cheer on Francesca. They waited for her to walk forward, but a tense silence and waiting became obvious. The queen noticed and leaned forward in curiosity at the sight of a Bridgerton being nervous on their debut.

Francesca took a deep breath of composure and walked forward in a quite elegant and graceful way. Her head was held high and her expression remained neutral in the way the queen preferred her debutantes. As she approached the front, she glanced at Anthony and Elizabeth, smiling gently and receiving their reassurance.

Queen Charlotte offered a tight lipped smile just when Francesca stood in front. A sense of triumph flew through the air, offering alleviation and pride that her presentation would be favored amongst the previous debutantes. Francesca curtsied just the way she was told, but everything went downhill once the queen dismissed her with a disapproving frown.

Confusion overcame the Bridgertons as they wondered what went wrong. Francesca was perfect. She held the same elegance the previous diamonds did and did everything right. Her presentation was beautiful, but it seemed the queen was searching for more, or perhaps she lost interest in the season and was taking it out on every young lady.

"Oh, God," Aurora started to whisper in a panic. "If Francesca was dismissed, then what hope do we have for Adelaide? She's definitely screwed now. She won't be able to find love and she will end up alone-"

"Aurora," Elizabeth cut her frantic rambles and held her hand. "Do not worry. Our sister's got this. Have some faith."

After a few more presentations, it was finally time. The nerves were at an all time high and now with the worry that the queen was dismissing everyone for no apparent reason, there was the concern that Adelaide would receive the same treatment as well.

"Miss Adelaide Windsor, presented by her mother, the Right Honorable Dowager Lady Windsor."

"It's happening. Dear, God, it's happening," Aurora was practically held down by Eloise and Elizabeth to refrain her nervous jumps from getting noticed. If anything, she seemed to be the one more worried about the presentation. If she was this nervous for her sister's debut, imagine what hers would look like.

Adelaide walked forward in a rather careless way. It was clear she didn't care about impressing the queen, but her nonchalant behavior made her appear confident. Her small smile that was filled with slack was alluring, almost like it was purposeful and meant to be intriguing.

She looked toward her sisters, more specifically at Elizabeth, who made the motion with her hands of her falling to the ground. This, of course, made Adelaide loosen her smile and frown at her, something the queen noticed, but found interesting.

On the other hand, Victoria appeared to be more on edge. She worried her daughter's carelessness would be viewed as an offense to the queen. These presentations were the most important and if Adelaide was viewed as the lady who offended the queen, everything would go downhill.

Adelaide reached the front and paused for a moment. The time to curtsy needed to happen, but she remained still just gazing at the queen. Whispers scattered all around and the uncertainty of what would happen placed everyone on edge. When Adelaide finally curtsied, there was an attitude placed into the action. She glanced up and softly smiled, awaiting to be dismissed like every young lady was.

Elizabeth waited for the worst. She was practically holding onto Anthony's arm as if her life depended on it. Her sister's carelessness could be taken as an insult and she worried about the possible repercussions that could be given. She continuously glanced between Adelaide and the queen, but suddenly, her worries disappeared when Queen Charlotte gave her a nod of approval.

Adelaide's eyes grew wide as she walked away. She thought acting careless would make the queen disapprove of her, but it only impressed her. Her plan on not receiving any attention went downhill and Lady Whistledown's beliefs that her season would be bright could possibly turn out to be true.

Why did Penelope have to write about her? Especially when they haven't spoken since the Featherington ball.

"She was approved," Elizabeth sighed in relief, a proud smile taking place as she hugged Aurora and kissed Anthony's cheek. "Who would have thought?"

"She won't be a spinster!" Aurora cheered, now allowing herself to jump with excitement.

"You both had nothing to worry about," Anthony told them as he embraced his wife.

"But I do have a feeling Adelaide's not ecstatic about it," Elizabeth pointed out as she thought of the tantrum her sister would be making on getting noticed. "Oh, well. It seems her attempts to ruin her presentation failed."

"You seem extremely happy about that," he said, chuckling at her satisfaction and glimmering in her eyes.

"How could I not be? The time for teasing will be extremely great," she told him as they walked out of the hall toward the carriages.

After all, the presentation was a success and now it was time to celebrate.

Author's Note

Hey, everyone! Welcome back to act two!

I'm so excited for season 3 and have so many ideas, and yes, Elizabeth and Anthony will have way more scenes than Kanthony did.

Also, the story will include Adelaide's point of view for some chapters. I just feel that since it's her debut and due to her knowledge about Penelope being Lady Whistledown, it wouldn't make sense if she didn't have many scenes. Hope you guys don't mind this little change.

Anyways, hope you guys liked the chapter!
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