28. He Saw Me

"Miss Bridgerton? Is everything alright?" I perked up with surprise at Prince Frederick's query. Both he and the duke were gazing back at me perplexed, balancing their teacups on their knees. It was the day we'd gone for tea with his majesty; the rest of my family insisted on coming but Lord Hastings assured them that he'd be a keen escort. Ha, keen indeed. He positioned himself squarely between me and the prince, with his highness and I sitting at opposite ends of the table. In truth, I'd been waiting for this day on pins and needles, but….. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't slightly ruined by that G.G.B. and his package for me. Not to mention the hand-written poem…..

My lips swiftly shut as I forced a grin up at the prince. "Y-Yes, your highness; everything is fine….. Perfectly fine," and I heard the duke snort quietly before sipping on his tea. I shot him an indistinct look which Prince Frederick thankfully didn't see. He simply smiled, nodded, and took another drink from his cup; I did the same, trying to appear as normal as possible. I really should stop obsessing over all that; nothing's sure to come of it. I didn't even know who this G.G.B. could be. Certainly not the "Lord Byron"- the man who wrote to me once before. No, it couldn't be; that's impossible. What would this man surrounded by beautiful women possibly want with someone like me? Course not, it must be a different "George".

It has to be.

"You're being awfully quiet," my fiancé's voice made me jump again, causing me to blink at him wildly. "Perhaps the tea is not to your liking," Prince Frederick added, setting down his now empty cup. "What? No! No, it's lovely, your grace." "It's jasmine. I brought some bulbs from Prussia," he explained. My smile grew for real this time. This man is so thoughtful- perfect future husband material. If only I was attracted to him… But that would come in time I'm sure! I'm sure of that. And in the meantime, I have to be good to him as well. I mirrored his actions by setting down my own cup and folding my hands out in front of me, facing him straight on.

"Thank you, sir. I also want to thank you again for the book you gave me. I've been reading Kant's philosophy every night and must say, I believe myself to be a deontologist." "Oh, I think you are, my lady. I can't see you hurting a fly, even for the greater good. Your morals are absolute, just like your principles," the prince said this and my cheeks flushed a little. I could only glance down at my clasped hands, I was so flattered and embarrassed. "T-Thank you, your highness. You praise me too greatly; I am not worthy of such kind words." "Nonsense! A lady who desires to read the works of Kant and other philosophers is rare…. Exceedingly rare. I admire women like you, Miss Bridgerton; not only do you nurture your intellect but there's something else, something more…. I think…." He paused here for a moment- only a moment. His eyes wandered out before gently returning to mine. "Yes, I do think it's your kindness; it's a beauty that only comes from inside. You make every room you enter brighter; every heart you touch softer. That's even rarer, and more precious, my lady…" "Your majesty," I breathed in a half gasp. No one had ever talked to me that way before, except for my family. Even Lord Hastings looked taken aback. He stared at the prince with wide, concerned eyes.

Setting down his cup, he caught Prince Frederick's attention with a single glance. Lord Hasting's head tilted downward a bit in a domineering fashion. "Forgive me, your grace, but how could you possibly know all that her? You've only met her once, and while I'm sure your aunt wrote highly about Miss Bridgerton in her letters, I can't imagine you've received an accurate picture." Instead of being offended, as I currently was at the duke, the prince responded with a light-hearted laugh, throwing his shoulders back a tad. "Ah, you are right, my lord; of course you are. True, I scarcely know Miss Bridgerton yet, but there's plenty of time for that. We'll also get to know each other better once we're back in Prussia."

Lord Hastings shut his eyes and leaned back in his chair gently, spreading out his arms. I was silent by now, merely observing these two; it was an interesting spectacle. Very interesting to say the least. The duke let his casual, usual smirk return; genuinely now. "Well, can't say I envy you there, your highness." "What do you mean, my lord?" Prince Frederick asked confused; so was I. What kind of remark was that? But the duke continued to smirk that heart-stopping smirk of his…..

"Once you get to know Miss Bridgerton, you'll start to see her everywhere." "Really?" The prince blinked, as did I. He nodded sincerely. "It's rather annoying. I've told Miss Bridgerton before that such foolish little things reminds me of her. Endless foolish things… You think she's kind? Aggravating's a better word." "My lord!" I cried mortified and Prince Frederick laughed again. "Oh, come now; don't tease the poor girl. I'm sure she's had enough of that from her brothers over the years." "I'm not teasing her; I'm being honest. If you spend enough time with her, she'll infect your vision and ears. I hear Miss Bridgerton's voice in tinkling piano keys and the crash of summer waves. She's in a fresh batch of peaches, a child's innocent laughter, the bookmark in the middle of book, that first taste of sunlight in the morning. It's infuriating! I can't even leave my house without encountering the beauty that is spring…." Lord Hastings paused here for a second, taking in a deep breath. His head tossed back a tiny bit and his smirk grew in the corners as if to be thinking of something wonderful. "So you better prepare yourself, if it's not too bold of me to say, your majesty. If you become better acquainted with Miss Bridgerton, her ghost will haunt- there's no escaping it. Such foolish things…. You'll end up seeing her in all of them."

The prince laughed light-heartedly yet again, leaning forward. "I think you're being too serious, your grace. I never thought of such things. What's the point of being reminded of Miss Bridgerton if she's right here? I can't imagine such a world!" "Really?" The duke peered at him, resting his chin on his palm. He was looking at the casual prince, while I was looking at him. I gawked at Lord Hastings jaw dropped and wide-eyed.

I saw him, and wondered just how many times he saw me in a day.