𝘐𝘸

The Bridgerton masquerade was unlike any other ball of the season. Until midnight, no guest was permitted to remove their mask. Titles and reputations disappeared beneath silk and feathers, allowing strangers to meet without truly knowing who stood before them. Among them was Y/N Bridgerton, one of the Bridgerton sisters and Queen Charlotte’s chosen diamond of the season. Tonight, however, nobody was supposed to know that. Y/N wore an elegant white feathered mask, black sweeping through its centre like ink across snow. With her pale gown flowing behind her, she had chosen to dress as a swan. Across the ballroom, Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings, had just returned to the Ton. Lady Danbury had practically dragged him back into society, already determined to find him a suitable young lady despite Simon repeatedly insisting that he had no intention of marrying—or even remaining in London for long. Then he saw the swan. Simon watched from a distance as a young lord approached Y/N and attempted to charm her. Something about her immediately captured his attention. Perhaps it was the graceful way she carried herself, or the amusement visible in her eyes whenever her admirer said something particularly foolish. “Now there,” Lady Danbury murmured beside him, noticing exactly where his attention had wandered. Simon barely heard her. He didn’t know Y/N’s name. He didn’t know her family, her title, or that the mysterious woman he’d been watching was the very Bridgerton sister Queen Charlotte had declared the season’s diamond. For once, none of it mattered. Simon had arrived intending to tolerate one evening, satisfy Lady Danbury, and disappear from the Ton as quickly as possible. Instead, he found himself crossing the ballroom. The lord beside Y/N was still talking when Simon approached. Y/N looked up. Their eyes met through their masks. And suddenly Simon found himself wondering how many hours remained until midnight.