Chapter Text
Cressida Cowper had been hesitant when Eloise Bridgerton first approached her after the end of last season. She had tried to keep friends in the past, but the pressure and ruthlessness of the marriage mart eventually drove them all away from her. But that wasn't a concern with Eloise. She seemingly had no interest in the men of the ton, and spoke much against marriage. Instead Eloise would rant to her new friend about the rights of women and how they were being trussed up as a winning pig being sold off to slaughter. Or in this case, to the man with the most interest and money. Cressida couldn't find it in herself to disagree.
Still, Cressida would listen to Eloise and think about how lucky she was. She was a Bridgerton, her mother or brother would never marry her off to a man thrice her age just for some money and an heir. She and her mother had been receiving much pressure from her father for her to find a match. Each year, she went without finding a husband, the more worried she got.
When Cressida had met Lord Debling, she knew she had found her future husband. Sure, they didn't have much in common and she certainly couldn't see herself falling hopelessly in love with him. But she knew that with him, she could have a happy life. He would be off chasing after his birds up north, and she would be left to run the household. She would be allowed to do as she pleased, and she would be away from her family. But then Penelope Featherington appeared, and once again all the interest that had once been shown to her had disappeared.
Cressida thought it was all hopeless. Lord Debling would marry Penelope Featherington and she would be left to marry a man of her father's choosing. She would be sold off to one of his friends or business partners to live a miserable life. Living with the hope that the man dies at a young age and that she will be left a widow. That is until Penelope got herself engaged to Colin Bridgerton of all people. And then Eloise, going against all that she preached, helped Cressida Cowper catch a lord.
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Eloise stood at the door of Lord Debling's home questioning, as she did the entire carriage ride over, what exactly she was going to say, and how she got here.
She didn't have any interest in finding a match for herself. She had only ever had interest in one man, and she had gone and destroyed it. She had always claimed to not have any cares for what society thought of her, but she cared what people thought of him. She didn't want him to be torn down in papers the way they tore her down. Eloise wasn't that oblivious, she knew his feelings. She knew that if given the option he would have continued on with her, even at his own detriment. If Penelope had done her one act of kindness it had been not spreading his name around in her gossip magazine. Eloise didn't know if she could have lived with herself if he lost his apprenticeship, his livelihood, his happiness because of her. So when he moved to kiss her, she pulled away. She regretted what she said, she should not have said "absurd". Their relationship was not absurd, it was her sole happiness in the suffocating pressures of the marriage mart and society.
And after it had ended, Eloise found herself immensely lonely. Worst of all, she hadn't even had Penelope any more to comfort her on the matter. She knew Penelope had not approved but she would have at least been willing to distract her. But then Eloise found out that Penelope was Lady Whistledown, that she had betrayed her. And it had hurt worse than anything she had ever experienced. Penelope had been her best friend, her confidant, practically a sister.
Her family had had too many questions for her on why she was suddenly avoiding Penelope. Even Colin had written from Paris asking about it. Benedict, the traitor, had leaked the gossip to his younger brother. So Eloise had found herself not just avoiding her former best friend, or a certain print shop, but her siblings and mother as well. Which is how she had devised her great plan.
Eloise had known that if there was one family her family and Penelope couldn't stand, it was the Cowper's. And who could blame them? Truly? Eloise had never spoken to Lord Cowper as he had only ever been willing to speak to the men of her household, but she had heard horrid things from her mother. Lady Cowper was always off to the side making snide remarks about not just the Bridgerton's but every other family in ton as well. And Cressida would join along with her mother. Not to mention that she always dressed in the most ridiculously poofy gowns Eloise had ever seen. But Eloise had known that within those mean comments and the horrid fashion sense was her salvation.
So Eloise had begun her friendship with Cressida Cowper. Cressida was very hesitant in the beginning. No doubt she had known that she was not well liked by the Bridgerton's. But as the two had spent more time together Eloise found that she was actually enjoying herself. They didn't have much in common, but Cressida was far from the vapid and shallow debutante that she had been expecting.
By the time the next season had come about, Eloise and Cressida were close friends. Meaning that Eloise knew about Cressida's worries with marriage. She knew that if Cressida didn't find someone to marry this season, that she would be given away to one of her father's friends or business partners. So when Eloise had overheard from Lady Featherington that Lord Debling had decided not to propose to Penelope after all, she knew what she needed to do.
Which is how Eloise found herself standing at the door of his home, unsure of how she was going to convince him to marry her friend.