Chapter Text
Despite being so vastly different, Daphne, Eloise, and Francesca were incredibly close when they were children. Eloise and Fran being an exact year apart practically made them twins and Daphne had not even been two years old when El was born.
By the time they were 6,5 and 4, they were practically best friends.
They were a unit in the house, banding together against their older brothers before and after their father died. And while the Traveling Pants group chat with Hyacinth, Kate, and Pen was lively and full of lovely sister time. It was the Powerpuff Girls with the 3 of them and only the 3 of them where they all talked about serious things when they couldn’t get together for brunch or dinner via FaceTime.
Everyone knew that Eloise and Daphne knew more than the boys, more than Mama, and definitely more than the babies.
Daphne knew that Fran’s composing job paid a lot more than Anthony and Mama thought. Fran had asked Simon and Daphne for investment advice a few years ago and they both had been shocked at how much money Fran had had to start off her brokerage accounts. Fran’s grandchildren would never have to work a day in their life and they would still have money to pass down.
Eloise knew that Fran dated women after they both made eye contact at a gay club in London one night. How did they end up in the same club when they had no mutual uni friends? They don’t know. Eloise and Fran just exchanged nods and went back to their night. Never mention it again.
They were Fran’s emergency contacts and knew her home address. Despite the level of trust, they didn’t know the daily minutia of Fran’s actual life.
Daphne was her oldest sister and knew Fran had a good head on her shoulders. She was not combative like El or impulsive like Hy. Fran was smart, level-headed, and actually thought before she spoke.
But Daphne wanted to be close to Fran and celebrate the good things in her life. She started posting more IG “boyfriend pics” so someone was in her life. Someone she really loved if you looked into her eyes.
Daphne showed El another post from Fran’s sparse IG where she is sitting at a table at a cafe, with a soft smile on her face. Her eyes stare down at the camera.
“So?” El responded while glancing in the rearview mirror of the Uber. Her eyes caught the driver again, ugh.
“So. Fran never posted pictures of herself. It was usually Scottish landscapes or pictures of her sheet music. Very aesthetics based. This is Fran’s face.”
“It’s a good picture of her. She looks great.”
“She looks beautiful. I want to know who took this photo.”
“Alright, Daph.”
“Admit it, you want to know too.”
“If Fran wanted us to know. She’d tell us.”
“Would she?”
“She would tell us.”
Daphne nodded as the Uber rolled to a stop. They got out, in front of a beautiful home in Portobello. Lovely tan stone facade with a charcoal gray Mercedes in the driveway. Daphne could see a peek of a gorgeous green backyard as well.
It was probably paradise for Fran.
El let out a whistle. “How is Fran affording this? That’s what I want to know.”
“Maybe it’s a rental.”
Taking a fortifying breath, Daphne walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell. She glanced around the neighborhood, the early Saturday morning air quiet.
She heard the murmur of a voice before the door opened and a gorgeous dark-skinned woman stood in the doorway in a very short silk floral robe. Her hair was back in a bun with some curls poking out.
“Can I help you?”
Daphne glanced at El, who is staring at the woman’s legs so hard she might be having a stroke. Daphne rolled her eyes.
“Hi. We’re looking for Francesca.”
The woman smirked, opening the door wider and ushering them in. She pushed the door closed behind them and waved them into the kitchen.
Standing at the stove with their back to them, was Fran, making scrambled eggs, in her own very short silk robe.
“Darling,” the woman purred. “There are some beautiful women here to see you.”
Daphne watched Fran turn around and jerk in surprise, almost dropping the pan before the woman pulled it out of Fran’s hand and shut the stove off.
Fran stands in shock, eyes moving from Daph to El before handing the spatula to her girlfriend? Fran had a girlfriend. You don't wear short robes with roommates.
Fran pulled them both into a hug. “What are you doing here?”
“We wanted to see you in your natural habitat instead of when you are let out for good behavior.” El snarked back.
“Fran is never on good behavior.” the woman quipped back.
Fran rolled her eyes and pulled back, holding the hand of each of her sisters. “Michaela, these are my sisters Daphne and Eloise.”
“Daph, El, this is Michaela.”
El gave Michaela a wave while Daph smiled before she gripped Fran’s hand and then looked down when she felt a cold spot.
“You’re married?!”
El’s head whipped to Fran’s. “What!?”
Never let it be said that Francesca was the most boring Bridgerton ever again. Being married in a huge house in Edinburgh to a woman that no one in the family has ever met is the peak of "Franny Phantom" behavior.
Eloise could laugh until she cried if Daphne wasn’t having a panic attack. Apparently, they have to be the big sisters now.
El sat on a leather couch in a wood-paneled office, watching Daphne pace in the tiny space while Fran sat behind the desk and sighed.
Fran and Michaela got dressed right after Daph’s outburst, and then Michaela just kissed Fran on the temple and muttered something about going to eat and work in the shed before walking out with her breakfast.
They had spent a quiet breakfast with the elephant in the room glimmering on Fran’s left ring finger before Fran put their dishes in the dishwasher and led them to this gorgeous office.
El looked around the walls, seeing pictures of them all growing up and some fancy party pictures with Fran and Michaela, and above her head were some plaques. El turned and started reading.
“Married. You’re married. When did you get married?”
“Two weeks ago. We eloped.”
Daph ran her fingers through her hair. “Were you going to introduce us to her? Were you going to tell any of us?”
“We were coming down for Mama’s birthday.”
“That’s in 6 weeks.”
“I’m technically honeymooning right now.”
El cut her laugh off when Daphne’s glare reached her eyes. “Do you have anything to add, Eloise?”
El turned back to reading the plaques. “Not really. I didn’t know you worked with Wulver.”
“Well…”
Fran twirled the strings of her hoodie between her fingers. “Well, what?”
“Those are not mine.”
El read the plaques again and leaned forward to read the songwriters and composer list. “You’re married to Michaela Stirling?!”
Fran scrunched up her face and nodded.
“I’m missing something.” Daphne’s eyes cut between Fran and El.
“You know who Wulver is, Daph.”
“I assure you. I don’t.”
El flopped back on the couch, her foot hitting Daph’s leg and Daph pushed her foot back. “The group that Greggy likes.”
“The duo with the wolf heads?” Daph grimaced.
“Yeah, all techno and robotic.”
“It’s Michaela and her cousin John,” Fran whispered.
Daph sighed and leaned back into the couch. “Any other surprises you want to give us? Is this your house? Is this even your office?”
Fran giggled. “No. Yes. No, It’s Michaela’s. But she lets me sit in here sometimes.”
“Can’t believe you married a rock star and didn’t brag about it. Greggy is gonna be sick.” El joked.
“I was going to tell you, Daph. Soon. Michaela has been suggesting it since we eloped. I was just…I wanted you to like her.”
Fran’s face looked heartbroken at Daph. At that moment, El realizes that Fran, despite being a woman with her own life, still wants her big sister’s approval.
She was the first person, or the second if Daph was at family brunch, to tell their mother and Anthony that Fran not living in London or visiting often had nothing to do with her love for them. They weren’t kids anymore. Fran wanted to live her own life where she wasn’t Number 6 or Franny Phantom.
“We’re not mad, Fran. We just saw your pictures on Instagram and realized how happy you looked and we wanted to be a part of it. That’s all. And if that life includes a Grammy award-winning, Oscar nominee then that is a sacrifice we’re willing to make.” El responded.
Fran grinned before she popped up and moved to sit between her and Daph. Daph met her eyes and they moved at the same time and put Fran in a hug like they used to when they were little.
“I’m so happy for you, Franny,” Daphne whispered.
They sat in that hug before the door opened, and Michaela Stirling poked her head into the room. “Not that I don’t love this little reunion, but this is my office, and I need to get on a Zoom. So I need to kick you out.”
Fran broke up the hug and kissed Michaela. “We are honeymooning.”
“I know that. It’s John. So it will be less than 2 minutes and I’ll be doing most of the talking.”
Fran glanced back at them on the couch. “I’ll give you two a tour. Did you get a hotel room?”
“We did,” Daphne responded.
“Cancel it; you can stay here this weekend.” Michaela offered.
Fran’s face broke into the biggest grin.
“You okay with that, Fran? We don’t want to intrude on the honeymoon.” El asked.
“It’s perfect.” She gave Michaela another kiss, it’s starting to get ridiculous. “Thank you, my love,” Fran whispered.
“Of course.”
Fran opened the door and El and Daphne left the office before Michaela walked in. El listened to them whisper to each other and she heard Michaela say how great it is to meet the older sisters. “They seem as sweet as you said.”
Fran blew a kiss in the office before she shut the door. El glanced at Daphne, who looked like their mother at every wedding she had ever been to.
“You called us sweet?” El asked.
Fran rolled her eyes. “Come on. I’ll show you your rooms then we’ll go get your luggage.”
The weekend was lovely. Fran and Michaela took them all over Edinburgh and let them sightsee. Michaela even let them peek in “the shed" AKA her music studio and they got to meet her cousin John over dinner that evening.
She had her reservations but Michaela is very sweet and just allowed Fran to be herself which Daphne loved. Fran’s smiles were the brightest she had ever seen. Her laughs were louder and easier to come, and she also had a wicked sense of humor that Daphne didn’t know she had.
Daphne watched El wrap Fran in a tight hug and jabber into her ear. She gave a soft smile before looking back at Michaela standing in the doorway.
“It was nice meeting you,” Daphne said.
“You too. Don’t be a stranger.”
Daphne felt Fran hug her and she turned into it, kissing Fran on the cheek. “I love her,” Daphne whispered.
“Yeah?” Fran whispered back.
“She’s going to fit in just fine. Kate is going to freak out.”
Fran's grin somehow grew wider.
“We should get a picture for Fran’s IG before you go. Really make your siblings jealous.” Daphne turned to see a mischievous glint in Michaela’s eye.
Correction, Michaela is going to fit in great.
Michaela waved them into the frame, Daphne and Eloise on each side of Fran, and snapped at least 10 pictures.
“Excellent.”
By the time Daphne got to her window seat on the plane and watched El fight with a man about putting her bag in the overhead compartment without her permission, the picture had been posted and they had been tagged in it.
The caption: Powerpuff Reunion
Every comment from their family was a mix of jealousy and shock.
Daphne just liked the photo and locked her phone.
Group Chat: Penelope Bridgerton’s Number 1 Fan Club
Pen: How was visiting Franny?
El: So Good!
El: Edinburgh is nice. I get why she likes it.
Pen: Next time bring me too.
El: I would have this time but Daph planned everything.
El: But we should definitely go back next year. Make it a Traveling Pants trip.
El: BTW, Fran’s coming down for Mum’s birthday.
Pen: YAY! Does she know about the gender announcement?
El: Yes.
El: She’s Team Girl as well.
Colin: It’s a boy.
Colin: Also jelly you got to see Franny. She looks good.
El: She’s very good.
El: Happy.
Colin: Is the boyfriend coming down for Mum’s?
Pen: Boyfriend?
Pen: Franny has a boyfriend?
Pen: El, did you meet this boyfriend?
El: Franny does not have a boyfriend.
Colin: I heard a voice last time I talked to her on the phone.
El: No boyfriend.
Colin: Well, who is it?
El: Sister cone of silence.
Colin: Whatever. Keep secrets.
Colin: I’ll ask Daph.
El: Daph is not spilling because it is in the cone.
Pen: You can’t go against the cone. Even Pru and Phil honor the cone.
Colin: I want to knoooowwww.
El: Then call Frannyyyy.
Colin: I’ll just ask Ben. He’s going to Edinburgh in 2 weeks.
Colin: They are getting dinner.