Bridgette paces in her large, spacious bedroom at her parents' manor in the Northampton countryside of England, thinking and talking to herself, making pointing gestures in the air as she paces-- her face a mask of determination.

"I WILL tell him! I will! Oh wait...tell him what? He'll laugh right in my face, he will! Make fun of me! Oh it will be unendurable! HE will be unendurable afterwards! Oh but what if he feels the same? Oh geeze, Bridgette! Why would he feel the same? You a 'snooty little rich daddy's girl!' He looks down on you and your life more than your people look down on his! Hmph! What does HE know!? I've never spent a day laying about doing nothing! To hear HIM talk, I'm eating bonbons by a pool all my waking hours!"
Bridgette clenches and unclenches her fists as she mutters this, jaw clenched and bottom lip pooched out. She paces near the stack of books and paper and things she'd unpacked from this last school-year in New York and stops pacing, looking down at them as if transfixed as she thinks. Beside them is her cigarette case and holder with a book of matches from Professor Skat's club. She lets out a sigh.
"If you DON'T tell him..." She blows a honey-blonde curl off of her forehead in frustration. "If you don't tell him he may think his only option IS the cigarette-girl. Talk about lowering your standards..." she mutters with a hint of worry. "He's already...already...s-s-slept with her!" she says, her mouth twisting around the word and her cheeks coloring. "Already ruined himself..." Bridgette sighs. "I'm sure a...guy like him has already...s-s-slept with someone else before her, anyway..." Bridgette flops down on her stool in front of her vanity and stares at her reflection in the mirror.
'Am I pretty?' she wonders to herself, turning her head this way and that, studying herself. She tries sitting up straight and sticking her chest out like the cigarette-girl does, but she feels foolish doing it and slumps again.
"Oh he's so mean to me all the time-- I don't know why I even bother!" she mutter, standing up hastily from the vanity and pacing past the window.

She only just arrived last night from London. In trying to avoid her enthusiastic suitor Christopher Wentworth, Bridgette now spends most of her summers in London living at the University of London where her mentor Sir Robert Kensington is an honored professor. But after barely visiting her parents at all last summer, her mother put up such a melodramatic protest that Bridgette promised to spend a week at the manor...on the condition that her mother NOT tell Christopher when she was going to be there! Bridgette wonders how Joe would react to hearing THAT little piece of news-- that she earned her own keep last summer and stayed in a simple dormroom on her own! Hmph!
Bridgette paces past the window again...and then does a dramatic pause and U-turns, rushing back to the window, her mouth hanging open and eyes wide. There, rolling down the lane to the manor, is Christopher's car!! Bridgette stands there gape-eyed and gape-mouthed for a moment, and then turns and shrieks "MOTHER!!" When she turns back to the window she sees why she didn't get a response from her mother! Her mother is hurrying out to the drive to welcome Christopher!! The traitor!!
Bridgette quickly rushes to her bedroom door and turns the lock, and then jumps into her bed and pulls the covers over her head.

"Oh so good to see you, Christopher dear! Pray tell how did you know my darling daughter was here?" Jane says her blonde hair bouncing as she steps happily towards the car. Christopher gets out of the car and straightens his tie and jacket.

"Where else would she be?" Christopher asks crisply. "Is she inside or round the back at the stables?"

"Oh she's inside," Jane says smiling happily. Oh these two are such a good couple.

Christopher nods and walks up to the house and walks in. "Bridgy? Bridgy are you here?" he calls out, his voice echoing in the large manor.

Jane follows behind. "Maybe she's in her room. I'll go rouse her," she says hurrying up the stairs. There is a knock on Bridgette's door.
"Oh dear you have a visitor!" Jane calls through the heavy oak door.

Bridgette makes a startled squeal-noise from under her covers, and hunches up tighter-- as if this will somehow make her invisible! Well...TECHNICALLY she COULD make herself invisible...if she studied the Forces of nature a little longer. A dark shadow standing in a brightly-lit room in the middle of the day would never do, however.
When Bridgette's mother knocks and calls again, Bridgette peaks her head slowly out of the covers. She reaches her hand over to her nightstand and grabs the little African figurine standing there and clenches it in her hand. She concentrates on the door, scanning for who's on the other side of it. She lets out a breath of relief when she sees it's only her mother, but she knows Christopher cannot be too far away.
She slides out of bed-- blonde hair tussled and dress a little rumpled from hunching under the covers-- and tip-toes across the floor to the door. She unlocks it slowly and peers out.
"Mother! How COULD you?" she whispers, eyes darting around the hallway.

"Could I wot? I didn't do anything dear he just showed up," Jane says. "Oh do be a good sport and come visit. I'm sure Christopher has been dying to see you!" she says. "And he's such the handsome one isn't he? Come along dear I'll tell him you'll be right down."

Bridgette makes a loud "EEEEE!" squeal-noise, giving her mother a look of desperation, but no matter how she stomps her foot or glares at her mother, she can't seem to break the look of happy contentment on her mother's face.
"Fine!" she cries and slams the door-- quite rudely-- in her mother's face. She walks over to the vanity and glances at her reflection, and then gives a nod of satisfaction. Hair tousled...dress rumpled...perfect! Oh wait--
She grabs her cigarette holder and sticks a cigarette in it and then lights up. Trying to stand straight and tall with her head held high, she strides back to her door, opens it, and descends the stairs. Better to get this over with, anyhow.

Christopher stands there at the bottom of the stairs. When he sees the condition of Bridgette's countenance he raises an eyebrow. He smirks. "Did I awaken you from your afternoon nap?" he asks as she gets closer. "I didn't wish to disturb you." he says.

Jane looks at her daughter mortified. How could she do this? Wait...a cigarette??? She doesn't smoke. "Bridgette what is THAT in your mouth??"

Bridgette smiles at Christopher and her mother and waves her hand in a dismissive gesture. "Oh Mother, it's a cigarette! Very in-vogue in New York City!" she says nodding in an authoritarian manner. "And I wasn't napping, I was...unpacking!" she quickly finishes. "Women in New York like to have a look about them as if they just got out of a bed!" she say, and then her cheeks color when she realizes how that might have sounded. She quickly sticks the cigarette-holder in her mouth and takes a drag to draw attention away from her blush, but ends up taking too deep of a drag and starts hacking and coughing, bent over and holding her chest.

Christopher chuckles and walks over to her and takes the cigarette holder from her. "Now now, Bridgette must I remind you of how malleable you are to fads. You are no more a New Yorker than I am." he says. "Come get yourself cleaned up. I'm taking you for a drive." he says. "Chop chop make it quick." he says.

Bridgette stares at Christopher in confusion and surprise as he takes her cigarette holder away and orders her upstairs. And then she's even MORE confused when she finds that she IS turning and heading up the stairs as he commanded!
'Bridgette! What are you doing!? Don't do what he says! Stand up to him!' she thinks to herself in dismay, but her feet continue carrying her up the stairs. She can't figure out what it is, but Christopher has always had some power about him where she finds it hard to stand up to him! Quite the opposite as with Joe! She never misses a chance to stand up for herself when Joe says something she doesn't like!
She finds herself walking into her room and standing in front of the vanity again. Now that she's out of Christopher's overbearing presence her stubborn-streak comes right back.
"Hmph! Order ME to get ready will he?" she mutters to herself. "I'll show HIM!" And then instead of brushing her hair she grabs one of her hats and pulls it onto her head. She straightens her dress a little, and then grabs a shawl and slings it about her shoulders. In HER mind Bridgette is being rebellious by not actually cleaning herself up, but rather hiding the messy hair and dress, but deep down she's doing it to try to appease both Christopher's ego and her own.
She sighs, and then gets a grin on her face and grabs her cigarette holder and lighter from the vanity and puts them in her handbag. Then she turns and walks back down the stairs.

"That's better," Christopher says when he catches sight of her. He stands by the staircase alone and leaning upon it. "Your mother left for a bit to give us some time to talk." he says. He offers her his arm and gives her that cold smile. "Come and take a look at the new car I bought."

Bridgette pauses on the stairs a moment, pulling the shawl more tightly around her shoulders, and then slowly comes the rest of the way down. Her mother gone, and she back in Christopher's presence, her courage seems to run out of her veins. Oh she HATES this!!
She reluctantly takes Christopher's arm and clutches her handbag tightly in her free hand. Feeling the cigarette case, she has a flashback to the time she snuck into Joe's room to peek at the magical items he was hiding in there and she got a hold of his gun-thing. She remembers trying to hide when he came back, and then the look on his face when he discovered her there looking guilty! She didn't realize at the time that he could have had her KILLED for sneaking into his sanctum if he'd wanted to! Bridgette covers her mouth to try to stifle a little giggle. Not much of a sanctum when there were no spells protecting it! Then she freezes a little when she wonders where Joe took that...that cigarette-girl to...to...to defile her. Was it in his room at the school?? Bridgette's face falls and she lets out a sad sigh, feeling depressed and momentarily forgetting where she is.

Christopher, oblivious to her expression, takes her out to the driveway. There sits a brand new silver rolls. "It's a Rolls Royce. Beautiful isn't it? I just bought it today and you, lucky girl," he says opening the door. "Get the first ride," he says. "Come along hop in."

"It's...very...lovely..." Bridgette says, looking it over. She doesn't know what's so special about a Rolls Royce, but the men seem like they can't stop talking about them! It IS rather pretty and shiny. She knows what Joe's reaction would be! Contempt! He wouldn't be able to see the beauty for the price! Just like with her! Hmph!
She gets into the passenger side as Christopher holds the door open for her, and then sits demurely as he shuts her door and walks around to the driver's side. She wonders where Joe went after school. She'd actually snuck over to London's East Side when she first arrived back in London and got settled in at the university, but she couldn't find Joe or his people anywhere! She thought she'd surprise him firstly by just being there on the East Side, and secondly with the news of her job and self-sufficiency, but she supposed that would have to wait until fall. She had left on the first boat back to England...Joe was supposed to catch the next one...oh no! What if he was still back in New York! What if he'd decided to just live there and move in with that cigarette-girl??
Bridgette feels her lips beginning to tremble, so she quickly turns and gives Christopher a big, toothy Bridgette-smile to stop the tears.
"It's lovely and shiny!" she exclaims, talking about the car. "But what makes it so popular?" she asks, genuinely curious. She reaches into her handbag and takes out her compact and quickly dabs at the corners of her eyes, pretending to be primping but really making sure no tears leaked out.

"Why the prestige, Bridgy. Everyone who's anyone owns a Rolls." Christopher says. "But I wouldn't expect you to understand of course. It is an automobile after all." he says. He starts the engine and drives out of the driveway and onto the road. "Isn't this lovely. Just travelling the countryside?"

Bridgette puts her compact away and glances around. 'Hmm...come to think of it, it IS lovely travelling the countryside...' she thinks to herself. 'Ooh! I need to peek at the leylines when I get the chance!'
She turns to Christopher and nods her head. "Yes! Quite lovely!" she agrees. Then she makes sure he's not watching and carefully pulls the ankh medallion out of the front of her dress. The circular part at the top of the ankh is set with a clear crystal, and she quickly turns and peers out at the countryside through the crystal, searching for the Prime element of nature.

The ley lines glow a deep green over the grass, all seemingly stretched tightly over the earth.

Bridgette beams happily and continues scanning the horizon.

"So of course he said yes and so I..." Christopher looks over at Bridgette. "Bridgy you haven't been listening to one word I've been saying have you?" he says knowing the answer by looking at the distracted look on her face. "Pence for your thought?"

Bridgette fumbles the medallion and quickly sits up straight, looking guilty and a little flustered. "Oh sorry! I DO apologize, Christopher! I...was just admiring how the sunlight makes prisms when you hold this crystal up to the light!" she explains, and then does a big toothy Bridgette-grin as she holds it up to demonstrate. Little rainbows shimmer around the interior of the car as if the crystal, too, is in on the little white lie! "I'm sorry-- what were you saying?" she asks, her blue eyes large.

Christopher chuckles. "I'm sorry I was boring you with how I bought this car." he says. "But that's not why I wanted to take you on a drive, Bridgy." he says. "I did it because I feel it is time to set the date on our coming nuptials."

Bridgette's eyes get even larger and her mouth falls open, but the look on her face isn't one of surprise and happiness, but rather horror and incredulity. She'd thought he wasn't going to pop that little question until after she'd graduated from school, at the least! She'd thought she was safe! Now she feels like a deer trapped in headlights!
"Oh oh oh..." she stammers, trying to get a hold of herself. "Christopher...I mean, really...we...we haven't ever officially been ENGAGED, you see..." she continues to stammer. "I don't even want to discuss it until I've graduated! I don't want to be distracted, you see! Only 1 more year and all..." she rambles, and then gives him a forced smile and distracted laugh.

Christopher gives her a look of annoyance. "Yes...college. Look dear you'll be my wife. There won't be any need for college. You'll stay at home while I work at the firm. You do not need a degree for that." he says.

Bridgette leans back a little in her seat, looking at him like he's a snake. 'Stay at...at HOME??' she thinks to herself in horror. 'That would KILL me!!'
"Oh but...but Christopher...really...I...I don't want people to look at me and say, 'There's Mrs. Wentworth, school must have been too tough for her,' or 'oh there's Mrs. Wentworth, the girl who couldn't finish what she started!' PLEASE, Christopher...let me finish this? It means so much to me!" she pleads, chiding herself internally for not having picked up that invisibility-trick! Somewhere in her mind it dawns on her that she could just tell him she doesn't want to marry him, but then another part of her mind recoils in horror at the thought of doing that-- imagining what his reaction would be!

Christopher sighs. "You're not getting any younger, my Bridgy. I didn't wish to bring it up, but you know all your classmates from finishing are married or to be married very soon. I wouldn't wish you to be called an old maid." he says. "Come along Bridgy no one will think you are a quitter. Instead they'll say, look at how smart Mrs. Wentworth is. She left to be with her very successful husband." he says with a smile.

Tears of frustration come to Bridgette's eyes. She KNOWS what she SHOULD say, but somehow it's like this wall has been erected in her mind that prevents the brave Bridgette from emerging whenever Christopher is alone with her!! She feels trapped! TRAPPED!! Oh and she CAN'T get trapped!! Especially not now!! Oh she will NEVER EVER forgive her mother if she was the one to let Christopher know she was home!!
She bites her bottom lip and clenches her fists, trying desperately to work up her nerve. "But...but Christopher...I feel like we don't even KNOW one another! Why do you want to marry ME?" she asks, desperately stalling.

Christopher looks over at her and shakes his head. "Bridgy, just what is there to know? We both are single and come from good families. Getting to know each other will come in time. My parents did it, yours too, I assume. It is the way it is done." he says. "Trust me, Bridgy, this is simply the way it is done and if not us then who? The Timminies down the street? Their son can barely put two words together much less manage their fortune. Or how about the Simmons? I hear their son is very bright...if you don't mind the unibrow."

Bridgette covers her mouth to hide a little laugh, not wanting her fumbling determination to abandon her again.
"That's all true...if that's the arrangement one wants to have..." she says carefully. "But honestly, Christopher, I HAVE to finish my last year! You don't understand..." she says, not quite knowing where she's going with this. "Daddy's already reserved my place, and it would be a terrible dishonor if I were to withdraw now-- not to mention Daddy would be out my tuition and board. Non-refundable, you know...terrible waste..." she says, making an internal promise to herself that she's going to learn to teleport SOON!! At this rate it may be the only thing that keeps her from walking down the aisle! "I know, I know...Daddy can afford it...but I will be filled with terrible, emotionally-crippling guilt for the rest of my life!" she cries melodramatically, flinging her arm up to her forehead and swooning a little.

"Well worry not. I can pay your father off and you'll not feel beholden to him at all." Christopher says. "Now Bridgy I absolutely insist we set a date, today. Is that quite clear? I will not be put off again like the last time." he says.

Bridgette pales and clasps her hands tightly together in her lap. She thinks she might faint. That would be good! That would stall for more time, wouldn't it! Oh but Christopher would wait until she was conscious again and she'd be right back where she is now!
She takes a deep breath, and then turns quickly to face Christopher. "I don't WANT to get married right now." she says in one breath, forcing it all out before her courage can fail her. Then she lets out a little internal gasp of shock that she actually said that out loud, and her lips tighten-- eyes wide.

Christopher looks at her and furrows his brow. "Bridgette. Now you know it is not proper to raise your voice to me. I'll ask you again and this time I want a proper response," he says pulling the car over and parking it. He turns to her and wags his finger. "Now be a good girl and tell me when." he says.

Bridgette's face turns red as she feels her control collapsing around her. She clenches her fists again and suddenly bursts into tears. "I don't WANT to get married right now! I don't want to I don't want to I don't WANT to!" she cries. "I know you've been seeing other girls when I'm away! Not nice girls, either! Scandalous girls! Not proper girls! Well...maybe I want to see other boys! Not nice boys! Very scandalous boys! Maybe I want to do that, too!" she cries, and then sits there shaking like a leaf, feeling a little weak after such an outburst.

Christopher purses his lips and clenches his fist. "Bridgette, you...will...not speak to me in that tone again, you foolish little prig! Fine, if you don't wish to set a date I will. I will make all the arrangements myself!" he says. He takes a breath and then smiles at her calmly. "There was that so hard?"

Bridgette sits there looking at Christopher in shock. No one has ever spoken to her like that before. Oh sure...she and Joe have gotten into it many times over the last 3 years, but it was always mutual banter! She gave as good as she got, and vice versa! And there was never this threatening feeling in the air...like how if she pushed Christopher much harder she might be in physical jeopardy! She wishes so badly that she would have stayed back in London and not come home to visit!!
She sits there in stunned silence for a moment. Then she realizes she needs to say something. When she speaks her voice is trembling and quiet.
"A proper engagement is always at least a year long. That would place it about next summer, wouldn't it?" she asks, looking down at her hands.

"It would but let's buck the system shall we? Let us say in September? Yes indeed, September 12th. That will do fine," Christopher says smiling. He turns back to the wheel and starts the car. "There there dear, that wasn't so bad now was it," he says smugly.

Bridgette sits there numbly. NOW she's done it. Instead of fighting and refusing she'd practically offered a date to him!! She'd walked right into his trap! All because she was afraid of him. Lovely. Just lovely. LOVELY fianc�.
Suddenly she realizes...September 12th! She'll be long-gone to New York by then! Even if her father won't help her get there Sir Kensington will! Oh she's saved! SAVED!! THEN she will finally tell Joe how she feels! She'll have a real motivation to do it this time-- desperately hoping he feels the same! If not...well...she doesn't want to think of her fate once school is over and she has to return to England. She already knows she can't stay in New York. She's training to take her mentor's place on the council.
Bridgette glances at Christopher's smug face and her eyes narrow angrily. She digs into her handbag and pulls a cigarette out of her cigarette case and then quickly lights it, turning away from Christopher and inhaling. She smokes socially...only when she's out a clubs, really...but enough to look like she knows what she's doing in front of non-smokers. It's a last desperate attempt to be rebellious and maybe turn Christopher off, but she knows that if her temper-tantrum couldn't turn him away, and the cigarette she had out earlier didn't, either, that this will be a futile effort, but she does it anyway.

Christopher looks askance at her and then reaches over and plucks the cigarette out of her mouth and tosses it out the window. "And I'll not have my wife smoke." he says. "I realize you'll be in New York on the twelfth so I'll come personally to pick you up for the wedding. That way there will not be any confusion." he says. "Isn't it wonderful, Bridgy? You and I finally setting a date. Your mother will be thrilled."

Bridgette slumps down in her seat, feeling like the plucked-out and run-over cigarette now laying in the road, its spark, too, rapidly fading. He would actually come to New York to kidnap her!! She won't even be safe THERE! Oh, but she'll still have a couple of weeks to try to...rearrange her arrangement! MAYBE.
'Oh Sir Kensington!! You're going to have to help get me out of THIS one if you want me to take your place!' she thinks to herself in a kind of desperate prayer.
She slumps in her seat even more. "It seems you're more concerned with how my mother will feel about it than with how *I* feel about it..." she mumbles grumpily, folding her arms with a humph.

"You'll grow into the idea," Christopher says. "I know I will have to make certain adjustments as well, however the both of us will be better off together." he says. He turns the car around and heads back towards the Fairbanks manor. "So shall I tell your mother or shall you?"

Bridgette glances incredulously at Christopher when he says HE will have to make adjustments, too! THAT was a shocking thing to admit!
"Oh YOU shall, Christopher, YOU shall..." she says, tapping her fingers on her arms. Suddenly the tapping stops and her eyes open wide. EUREKA!
"Have you asked Daddy for my hand yet? Don't tell me you tried to set a date before talking to Daddy!" she says, trying to keep the smirk off her face.

"No actually...I haven't. I had assumed your mother's permission was all I needed. But..." he says smiling. "I cannot see why your father would not allow it. He values his career doesn't he?" he says looking at Bridgette with a smirk.

Bridgette feels her blood run cold and the color drain out of her face. She stares at Christopher as if seeing him for the first time. She cannot believe what he just insinuated!! She needs to get out of this car and away from him right NOW before she says something that puts herself, or her father, at risk! If she doesn't get out of this car she's going to suffocate or go crazy!
Little does Christopher know that she's paid attention to SOME car-things she overheard her father and his driver saying back and forth! She closes her eyes and starts thinking two phrases over and over again, her lips moving slightly as she does.
'R'a cur'ma ha'raa! Yeh Raaste Hain Chori! R'a cur'ma ha'raa! Yeh Raaste Hain Chori!' she thinks faster and faster, concentrating on causing the water in the radiator to become so hot that it evaporates.

Christopher chuckles as they pull into the driveway when suddenly there is a hiss and a pop and steam begins to rise under the hood. The car rolls to a stop. Christopher puts it in park and curses under his breath. "Blast it! I just bought this car!!" he says. "Someone at the factory will pay for this!!" he says as he slams the car door shut. He opens the hood and then squeals like a girl when the steam hits his hand.

Bridgette wastes no time in throwing her car door open and dashing down the driveway towards the house.
"I'll...I'll go get help!" she lies, calling over her shoulder to Christopher. Clutching her handbag in one hand and holding her hat on her head with her other hand she runs as quickly as she can until she reaches the front door. She runs into the house and past her confused-looking mother and up the stairs to her room, locking the door behind her and standing with her back against the door, her chest heaving while she tries to catch her breath. Her eyes dart around the room until they spot her suitcases, and she hurries forward and hastily starts re-packing them.

Christopher holds his hand and takes a good look at it while he backs away from the car. A first degree burn is all but it still hurt! Oh yes someone will get fired for this!!

Jane watches Bridgette run past her and up to her room. She sees Christopher holding his hand and she thinks a moment. Oh no she hurt Christopher! Jane turns and heads up the stairs to speak to Bridgette. This is not how a young couple in love should act.

Bridgette-- used to super-fast packing from being Sir Kensington's apprentice and having to pack at the drop of a hat whenever a new find was uncovered around the world-- gets her suitcases packed in record-time...before she realizes her mother's been knocking on her door and calling to her. Lucky thing she hadn't unpacked ALL her suitcases! She'd only just gotten in last night!
She glares at the door and exhales in frustration. What does her mother want NOW?? She hurries over to the door and opens it an inch. "What is it Mother?" she asks, her face a little flushed. "You should probably be seeing to Christopher-- he's burnt his hand on his fancy car." she sniffs.

"He did?" Jane says. "How awful. What happened dear? Why are you in your room? Did you make advances towards him and he refused?" Jane says, her voice getting a little hysterical.

Christopher walks into the house and runs some cold water on his hand. 'Well at least I got what I wanted. The silly bint. Soon all this will be mine,' he thinks.

Bridgette's jaw drops and she stares at her mother in complete surprise. "ME?? ME make advances?? Now why would I do that when I don't even LOVE him!!" she cries, tears starting in her eyes. "I don't even KNOW how to make advances! For your information he's forcing me to marry him, and I'm very angry with him because of it! THAT'S why I'm in my room, Mother! He's NOT a very nice young man! Not nice at ALL! But YOU think because he's single and rich that he's PERFECT! Well, Mother, you should go ahead and marry him yourSELF!" she exclaims and slams the door again, locking it.

Jane stands there aghast. 'Not a nice...oh my...' she thinks. "When your father gets home he and I will have a very long talk!" she shouts and storms away.

Christopher hears Jane shout and he nods to himself. Time to leave," he thinks. He shuts the water off and heads to the car. He shakes his head at it and then begins to push it away towards his home.

"GOOD!" Bridgette shouts back, her voice now muffled behind her bedroom door. But her mind is made up. 'I can't stay here another night!' had kept running through her head as she was running up the drive to her house. She finishes packing and then stacks her suitcases beside her door. She stands very still, listening, and then finally scans for life in the hallway. Nothing. She creeps out of her room...down the stairs...and makes it into her father's study without running into her mother. Very softly she closes the door behind her and creeps across the spacious room to her fathers huge oak desk where the house telephone sits.
She dials the operator, speaks Sir Robert Kensington's name and University of London, and a few moments later she's pouring her heart out to her most trusted advisor. Sir Robert tells her that he knew Christopher must have been up to something all along-- all men of his caliber and wealth are-- and tells her she's welcome to hole up in his equally-spacious study at the university until school starts in the fall. He has a bed behind a false bookshelf that pulls down out of the wall for those nights he stays at the university too late to come home, or doesn't want to interrupt his study by coming home, and Bridgette is welcome to it.
Bridgette's face lights up and she tells her mentor that she'll be on the first train back to London! She hangs up and tip-toes back to the door of the study, peeks out, and then tip-toes out and across the entryway. Finally she sneaks out of the house and runs back to where the driver and cars are kept. The driver and one of the cars is missing. Drat! NOW how is she supposed to get to the train station??

Fifteen minutes later her mother's favorite cream-colored convertible comes roaring out of the garage, Bridgette's luggage piled haphazardly in the back-area, and a whooping, squealing Bridgette behind the wheel! She has to let go of the steering wheel for a moment to hold her hat on her head-- her shawl blowing out around her-- and the car veers dangerously to the left for a moment, but the look on her face is sheer joy!
She speeds down the driveway, humming to herself, and then a little ways ahead she makes out another of her father's cars. She slows down a little as she approaches. AH! THERE'S where her mother had been! Her mother had sent their driver and their muscliest car down the drive to Christopher's car and were now towing Christopher's car slowly back to his parents' manor. Christopher was sitting in his car, steering.

Bridgette grins and reaches into her handbag, pulling out a note she'd written-- sure that she'd be passing Christopher up on the road in one way or another-- and pulls up next to Christopher.
"Good-bye, DARLING!" she grins, adding extra emphasis to the word "darling" and flinging the note to him. Using her minor control over the Forces of nature, she ensures the letter makes it to his hand, despite the soft breeze blowing.
She waves at him with her fingertips and speeds ahead to her father's car and matches pace with it. The driver looks beside him and then does a double-take as he sees it's BRIDGETTE driving one of their cars!
He rolls down his window. "Miss Bridgette! What are you doing in your mother's Chrysler??" he calls.

Christopher opens his mouth to say something when the note lands squarely in his hand. He raises an eyebrow and looks back at her. "But Bridgy dear. You can't drive!!" he shouts.

Bridgette smiles. "Don't worry about ME, Rollins! Just have someone come pick it up from the train station in an hour! I'll leave the keys under the floormat! Bye-bye!" Bridgette calls brightly, waving her fingers, and then she floors the gas and roars down the road-- Rollins choking in the dust left behind as he hastily rolls his window back up.

Christopher watches her gun the car and head down the road in a cloud of dust, he looks at the note in his hand and opens it.

"Dearest Christopher,
For a man of such refined taste and discrimination, you have completely botched our engagement. First you do not ask my father for my hand, second you do not even ask ME for my hand, and then third...well, you know the rules: no ring, the engagement is not official! So I regret to inform you that there will be NO wedding for we are NOT engaged. You're welcome to try again next year, but I think, at this point, your chances of getting a yes from my father or I are quite nil.
Yours no more,
Bridgy"

His face begins to turn red as he reads it and a vein in his forehead begins to throb. He crumples the note in his fist and watches her drive over the horizon and gone.
"Goodbye indeed, Bridgy. Oh we shall see about this. You haven't heard the last of me," he hisses through clenched teeth.