Bridgerton

Art of the Swoon- Part 2

Adelaide POV

"Addie" Cole screams from across my Courtyard and I feel myself begin to panic. I had just spent all day comforting Daphne from her heartbreak with Simon and the horrible things he said to her before he left her standing alone. It had been hours since she had ran into my room crying and I had finally left her when she fell asleep in my bed before going outside to catch some air. But when I see Cole my feet start to move back indoors

"Go away your grace" I say loud enough for him to hear as I pick my dress up and start storming inside once I've reached the door I jump back as the door gets slammed in front of me 

"Why are you running from me?" Cole breathes seeming to be breathless 

"I am not running from you your grace" I state before turning around to face him 

"Your grace?" Cole states before he lets out a horrific laugh that has my body turn cold

"Your grace?" he yells louder before slamming his hands against the door behind me and resting his head on my chest seeming to breathe heavily to calm himself 

"Cole you must leave" I say quietly seeing his head move whenever I let out a breath and he lets out a growl before moving back away from me 

"So what are we then? Enemies because our friends are enemies? I thought we were friends, I'm so fucking stupid for actually thinking you gave a shit" he hisses before he starts laughing again "I was right about you the first night I met you. You're just like every other girl" he states and I feel the tears swell up in my eyes and for a second he looks guilty but I watch as he fumbles with his trousers getting out a cigarette and placing it in his mouth before he turns and leaves me sobbing against the door. I quickly wiped my tears as I walked back inside. It was finally the next day and as expected Daphne did not want to go to the ball 

"You must go" Lady Bridgerton says to me 

"No, no dear lord no please" I beg as a maid starts styling my hair 

"You must If Daphne does not attend you and Anthony simply must attend for us" she states handing me a dress I let out a dramatic sigh before grabbing the dress from her hands. I already knew tonight was going to suck and If it wasn't for Cole being there it would be having to see Simons dumb ass face. I just wanted to break his nose honestly. As I arrived at the ball Anthony was still no where to be seen and I realised my night would be even worst because I'd have to go into a ball with 2 men I hate the man who was meant to be my buddy was now not here. I swear I would kill all men. I took a deep breath as I began to walk down the stairs and I feel everyones eyes go directly on me but the only eyes I lock with are a familiar blonde who stands too close to a pretty woman for my liking. I feel some sort of emotion run through my body and my jaw tenses. When I reach the bottom of my stairs I come face to face with the Prince  

"Miss Waters,I simply must have your first dance." he says and I smile as I something drops out of my hair. I see one of my hair pieces on the floor and when I look back up at the prince we share some sort of look of challenge and he smirks before he bends down to pick up my hair piece. I hear the gasps around me and when I share eye-contact with Cole his face has gone cold and his body is stiff before I can do anything else the Prince places the hairpiece back in my hair and takes my arm. Damn this will be an interesting night. 

Lady Whistledown POV

Could it be true? The season's diamond even more precious and rare a stone than previously thought? For it now appears this treasure is set to join the likes of the queen's ever-so-cherished

crown jewels themselves. The Duke of Windsor, I hear, was left looking rather tongue-tied last night, as Miss Waters seems to have finally grown tired of waiting for him to pose that all-important question. Or, perhaps, the young miss has simply traded up. Surprising? Quite. Unreasonable? Of course not. After all, why settle for a duke when one can have a prince?