Chapter 12

Charlotte and Friedrich shared a carriage, and after a half an hour, finally arrived at the gallery. He hopped down first, offered his cousin her hand, and helped her down.

Before they could walk inside the building, Friedrich was surrounded by young ladies who begged for his attention.

"Your Royal Highness," she recognize the voice of the man who approached her with his usual charming smirk. She looked at him and chuckled. "You look rather lovely this evening."

"Thank you, Your Grace. As always, you look breathtakingly handsome," she said, and he smiled. "Have desperate mamas already approached you yet?"

"Thankfully, no, they have not," he looked briefly at Friedrich before looking at her again. "I know you are no damsel in distress, but I can tell right now you need a man's rescue."

"Anyone's rescue, for that matter. But it seems my luck never fails me, for my rescuer is the one and only, Duke of Hastings," she smirked. "Shall we head inside and escape from ambitious mamas and desperate young ladies for my cousin's attention?"

"I could not have said it better myself," he nodded at her, and then nodded in greeting at the guard behind her. "Good evening, Martin."

"Good evening, Your Grace," Martin nodded back.

Simon and Charlotte two locked arms and made their way to the Somerset House. People stated at them, and started whispering things, not being at all discreet.

"The last thing I need is for you to join Lady Whistledown's list of who will court me," she stated. "Even my cousin is in that list."

"I will be with you until the Bridgertons arrive, and then, you will be with...whichever of them, and I will join Miss Bridgerton," he said and she nodded with a smile.

"Speaking of Miss Bridgerton, how is she?" She asked and looked at him. "And your...arrangement."

"It's going...quite well," he said with a small smile. "It is going better than I thought it would."

"Oh, I see," she smirked. "It appears feelings have awoken between the two of you, Your Grace."

"Feelings?" He scoffed. "There is no such thing as ''."

"Oh, there is, trust me..." She sighed. "I know about that."

"I see," he chuckled. "Is it about certain Bridgertons?"

"It's funny how you said it in plural," she said and he chuckled. "Yes! I will admit it. It is about certain Bridgertons."

"Which one?" He asked, and she sighed.

"A and B," she smiled weakly and he looked down at her with a frown. "I am not saying their names out loud if that is what you want."

"Alright, I won't push it," he sighed and the two looked at Prince Friedrich walking through the door with Miss Cowper in his arm.

"Now I am regretting coming with him," Charlotte shook her head in disbelief. "'', he said. '', he said."

"Well," Simon chuckled. "If you are worried about being alone this evening, I believe that should be the least of your worries."

"Why are you so sure?" She asked.

"With which Bridgerton you told me shares the same passion as you over art?" He said, and her eyes grew wide. "I believe it was B. Am I wrong?"

"No, Your Grace. You are not," she chuckled.

"Well," Simon placed his hand under her chin, and moved it to the side. When she looked at her right, she saw Benedict Bridgerton staring intently at a painting of a woman. "Speaking of feelings... What are you feeling right now?"

Charlotte didn't answer, and Simon chuckled at that. And he wondered, was that how she was feeling? Lost for words just by seeing him? Her grip on his arm loosened a bit, and that is when he let go completely.

"I'll leave you two be," Simon said, she finally looked at him and nodded with a small smile. He lightly bowed his head and walked away.

Charlotte stared at him from afar before heading over his way. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she could almost feels that it's goal was to pop out of her chest. She took two deep breaths and finally arrived to his side.

"Mr. Bridgerton," she greeted him with a smile.

"Your Royal Highness," he lightly bowed his head with a smile, and did a small wave to greet Martin, who was keeping a fair distance from the two.

"Such a lovely evening, is it not?" She smiled and he nodded.

"Yes! Yes, of course it is," he chuckled nervously.

Then, Charlotte walked a bit closer, and hugged his right arm. She rested her head on his arm and stared up at the painting in front of them. He was looking at her, longingly, with a goofy smile, and sighed contently before turning back to the painting.

Then, the Princess heard footsteps coming towards them. She looked to her right and saw Lady Danbury, with a man she recognized very well. The woman placed her finger in her lips, motioning her to be quiet, the Princess only smiled, lightly nodded, and went back to resting her head on Benedict's arm.

"It's much too cold," he commented, and Charlotte placed her free hand on her mouth, to contain herself from laughing. Lady Danbury raised her eyebrows at him with a small smirk. "Where's any sense of the subject's spirit? And the light! Given the quality, I do wonder why the piece was not skyed with the other daubs."