-

"Your mistress will not know the household staff at the duke's country home, so it will be your business to attend to her needs and ease her arrival. Her happiness is your greatest concern." Wilson turns to the baker. "Oh no! No, no, no! The icing must be white as lilies. This is a proper family."

"A shipment of find sugar went down at sea. There is no more in London, for love nor money." The baker replied.

"Does Miss Daphne wish for roses or lilacs for the ceremony?" A maid asked rose, holding the two types of flowers.

"Does your mistress wish the cake to be soaked in rum or brandy?" The baker asked.

"Will it be tongue or ham with eggs for the reception?" Another baker asked.

"I am not sure. I shall ask." Rose answers to all of them.

"Rose, you are the future duchess's lady's maid. You must know these things." Wilson says and leaves the kitchen.

Rose pouts and drops her hands to her side.

-

"Your highness?" A servant called for the prince, entering the room. The queen and prince turn around. "Miss Bennet is here for you, your highness."

The Queen's face lightens up. "Well? What are you waiting for? Send her in."

The servant nods and opens the door. Elena enters, all properly dressed up, holding a fancy purse with Miranda behind her. She sees the queen and the prince and curtsies. "Your highness, Your majesty."

Prince Friedrich approches Elena and places a kiss on her gloved hand. "It is a pleasure to see you again, Miss Bennet." He smiles.

"Likewise, your highness." She smiles back.

From behind the prince, Elena notices the queen staring at the 2 intensely. Elena looks back at the prince. "I shall need to talk to you, my prince. Privately."

"O-of course. Shall we promenade in the garden?" Prince asked and she nodded.

They walked around the garden but stopped to sit on a bench and properly speak. They stayed seated in silence for a few minutes, but the prince broke it.

"I believe you heard the news?" He asked awkwardly.

"Uh, Yes." She sighs and looks down. "I cannot marry you, your highness." Elena starts as the prince looks at her surprised. "I do not know what my mother has told you, but I apologize on her behalf and mine. She has promised me to you without my permission and it was a very foolish act. I also feel very bad because you had just gotten over of Miss Bridgerton. I'm deeply sorry, but my heart belongs to another. I hope you can find it in your heart to understand." Elena explained to the prince with saddened eyes.

He takes a moment to himself before speaking. "I completely understand, Miss Bennet. I mean we hadn't even got to know each other a lot, and I was with Miss Bridgerton at that time. It would have been weird if we got married, right away. I'm happy that both of you found your true love and I wish you both the best. As for me, I shall be leaving London, tomorrow morning.

Elena sadly smiles. "I appreciate that a lot, my prince. I wish you the best as well." She stands up as he does the same.

"Farewell, Miss Bennet." He kisses her hand.

Elena curtsies one last time and makes her way out of the Royal garden. Now, she had one last task to do.

-

"Your wedding gown is a long way from being finished, Miss Bridgerton. I promise you will not be disappointed." Madame Delacroix said while sewing Daphne's dress.

"She will need a new pelisse too, and then the more intimate items. Four nightdress, perhaps? Or five?" Lady Bridgerton added.

"What could I possibly need with five new nightdresses?" Daphne asked.

"There are not for you, ma chère, but for your amoureux. What else do you think a honeymoon is for?"

"It will be a most special time, dear. Yes, five. Five nightdresses will do nicely." Lady Bridgerton chuckled.

Madame Delacroix goes to the other room and Daphne spots Cressida coming near her. "Daphne! How lovely to see you. Oh I do hope your wedding dress will be ready in time. Madame Delacroix must be working so fast."

Daphne turns to her mother. "Mama, might you spare me a moment? I must have Cressida's opinion on some fabric. Her taste is impeccable."

"Of course, dear." She nods.

"I am to have a new pelisse for my honeymoon." Daphne tells Cressida while walking towards the fabric section. "What about this colour? Trimmed with fur, perhaps."

"Fur, at this time of the year? Well, I suppose it depends on how much time you and the Duke spend outdoors. But you are fine of a midnight garden stroll, I believe." Cressida lowers her voice.

"I do not know what you mean." Daphne looks at her with fear in her eyes.

"I am almost certain I saw the two of you in the gardens at the Trowbridge ball. No chaperone in sight." Cressida says in a threatening way.

"How strange. I do not recall leaving the ballroom. Though I dare say it would have been difficult to see the gardens with any clarity at night, unless you were actually out in them yourself."

"My view of the garden was perfectly clear from the safety of the terrace, Daphne. You dallied with the prince purely to rouse the Duke's jealousy, and then you lured him into those gardens to trap him into marriage. I never would have imagined that a Bridgerton would ever come to know such shame." Cressida I was about to leave but Daphne stops her.

"You should consider your words more carefully, Cressida. In a matter of days, I am to be a duchess, and you shall be just as you are now, unmarried and untitled. So you can either be a duchess's friend of her enemy. It is entirely up to you." Daphne warns her.

Cressida smiles bitterly and scoffs. "First, let us see if you can actually manage to drag him down that aisle at all. I would imagine a man like the Duke does not take kindly to being forced into anything." She glares coldly to Daphne and leaves the modiste.

-

Elena looked for Benedict everywhere, his house, the club even his hiding spot of where they first met but she could not find him anywhere. The sun was now gone, it was late and it was starting to rain. Elena could only think of one last place.

She arrives in front of Mr. Granville's door and knocks on it 3 times. He opens the door with a shocked face. "Miss Bennet, you're soaking wet! Come in." He brings inside a shivering Elena and closes the door. "What can I do for you?"

"I've been looking for Benedict all day, Mr. Granville. Is he perhaps here?" She asks, drying herself.

"Certainly! He came in a few minutes ago." He leads her into the main hall. "Search as much as you like. I would help you but, host duty calls." He said and left her.

She sees many things, walking around. Beautiful women dancing in silk dresses, artists drawing nude people but she saw one thing she did not like.

While looking for Benedict, a smile appeared on her face when she heard his voice, not too far from her. But soon disappeared when she found him. He was drunk. And 2 other drunk women were lying on him. One being the modiste and the other being Mr. Granville's wife. She could not believe it, the man she was going to confess her feelings to, was drunk with two other women.

She stood in front of them but he did not seem to notice Elena standing there. "Benedict." She called in cold voice.

He stops talking to the girls and looks at the woman of his dreams in front of him. Standing there with a not so happy face. "Oh- oh look who it is, girls! It's the future princess of Prussia!" He screamed, throwing his glass of champagne in the air while the 2 women chuckled.

"H- how did you know about that?" She asked getting choked up in her words.

"Oh~ it's all over London, my dear! Read it in the latest Whistledown." Benedict laughed while Elena looked at him with disbelief.

"Where have you been? I've been looking for you all day. "

"You know, getting druuuunk~" Benedict slurred.

"Yes, I can clearly see that." Elena cleared her throat. "Benedict, I need to talk to you."

"But why would you need to talk to me when you can talk to the prince? He can be your best friend~"

"Benedict, this is serious!" Elena raised her voice at him.

"No! Come on, El. Join the party!! You can make out with me when it's your turn."

Elena couldn't take is drunk behaviour anymore. She bit her upper lip while nodding. "Ok." She whispered to herself and started walking to the exit.

"Hey, no come on, Elena~ It was just a joke." Benedict followed after her and grabbed Elena's hand, turning her around. "Don't take it so seriously."

"I feel sorry for you, Benedict." She pulled her hand away from Benedict's grip.

"Wh- Why do you feel sorry? Thank you, but why?"

She lets out a loud chuckle. "Is that a serious question? I mean, look at yourself. Imagine what your mother will think of this. Drunk the night before your sister's wedding. And even half-naked. I congratulate you, Mr. Bridgerton." Elena said and sarcastically applauded.

Benedict's drunk smile faded away. "Do you know why your parents sent you away, Elena? What was the reason again... Oh that's right they were scared. Scared that you would become a rude, disgraceful woman. And did sending you away and teaching you manners and discipline stop that from happening? No, it did not."

Elena just kept staring at him furiously while he insulted her.

"So why don't you just go back to your prince, and live your petty little princess life." Benedict spat at her.

Elena did not cry. She knew that he was drunk and that he didn't mean it, but it still hurt her feelings, very badly. She shook her head and glanced at him. "You're something else, Benedict." She said and got out of the house.

Elena entered her house and rushed upstairs to her room with Miranda who was hurrying after her.

"Did something happened, Miss?" She asked but Elena kept running, fighting back her tears.

She entered her room, closing the door and locking it. She leaned on the door and let a few of her tears drop.

"Miss? Miss?" Miranda constantly knocked on the Elena's door.

"Leave me be, Miranda." She told her, wiping off her tears.

"As you wish, my lady." Miranda was about to leave but Anastasia came walking towards her.

"What has happened? Why are you home so late?"

"It is my fault, Lady Bennet. We made a stop before coming back home. She told me to wait in the carriage. Next thing I knew, she came back in with a saddened face." Miranda nervously explained.

Lady Bennet knocked on Elena's door. "Elena? Open the door, we need to talk."

"I do not want to talk, and certainly not with you. Now will you please leave me alone, both of you." After she said that, she heard silence. Meaning they have already left.