A Pact With The Prince | Bridgerton ~ Prince Friedrich

Chapter Two

Dearest Readers,

It has come to my attention that this season will be graced with our favorite foreign royal this season. The handsome nephew of our esteemed Queen Charlotte will make a return to season to dazzle and woo another lucky young woman. Let us hope he does not go empty-handed yet again as the rejection by the incomparable of last season, the now Duchess of Hastings is still fresh. Who can blame her? The shine of the crown seems to out light the shine of a love match. Will the young Prince finally find his Princess, or will he yet again be doomed to another failed catch?

Yours Truly,

Lady Whistledown

The next morning, Diana was up early. She had convinced her mother to let her go home as soon as she escaped from the adventure in the billiard room, feigning a headache. When she returned, she set to work to sketch the knife. Now, on the beautiful sunny day, she donned dress, gloves, and book she set off with her maid to the tea shop Gunther's where she would meet Pen and Eloise for their morning rabbles.

"Oh good! You are not deceased!" Eloise stood to greet her.

Diana laughed settled in the chair. "Where is Pen?"

"Her mother has detained her." Eloise rolled her eyes. "They are attempting new beauty treatment for the ball tomorrow in the Queen's honor, it is rumored her nephew the Prince will be there so of course, we reap the benefit of empty tea shops as every single lady and their daughters are at home frantically getting ready and changing their minds about dresses!"

"The Prince you say? The one that your sister rejected last year for the Duke?" Diana asked, it was quite the story indeed. Even though she was not out in society and away in the country for last year's season, the story had reached the family country seat in Derbyshire.

"Yes, the very one Lady Whistledown wrote about this morning," Eloise replied hastily growing bored. "Enough of Prince's misfortune tell me how the adventure went."

Diana started her story by explaining the beauty of the jewel and omitting the man that appeared in the room. It wasn't that she did not trust Eloise but Diana did not want to admit she was more fascinated by the strange man than the knife itself.

"How incredibly fun!" Eloise sighed. 

"What happened with you?" Diana asked curiously.

"My brother was trying to introduce me to some odious badger." Eloise sighed making a face.

"You have not told him of your pen pal have you?" Diana asked. 

Eloise glared at her, "Of course not."

Diana held her tongue, her poor mother and brothers were throwing interested men at her left and right and did not know that her heart had been captured by a faraway intellectual who had won her with words rather than flattery and dancing. Diana and Eloise spoke for what seemed like hours but soon the clock struck that they were to return to their respective homes.

"Will you be going to the ball tomorrow?" Eloise asked as paused in front of her home. 

"Of course, my mother won't let me miss the opportunity." Diana rolled her eyes.

"Perfect, we can both disappoint them together." Eloise waved dashing off to her home which was only a house away.

When Diana arrived the home seemed to be in chaos, maids rushing around quickly and people with fabric running up the stairs.