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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#254: The Talk of the Ton

Dearest readers,

It has come to our attention that the conclusion of Bridgerton’s third season is nigh upon us. I, for one, can’t wait to be swept up in the latest rumors and scandals of the ton — and so, in my excitement, I am writing to you to request you share your own scandalous tales. If you're not familiar with Julia Quinn's Regency romance novels or Netflix's popular TV adaptation of them, fret not; tales of forbidden liaisons, star-crossed lovers, and gossipmongers are as old as time. Besides, who doesn’t love a bit of Austencore?

In honor of this momentous occasion, I must ask you — gentle writer — to sharpen your quills and step into a world of high society, social scandal, and regency pomp...

This week's prompts

Set your story at a Regency-themed fair.

Short Story – 12 stories

Write a story where a rumor starts to spread. Your protagonist is either the topic or the source.

Short Story – 54 stories

Write a story about two characters who start as mortal enemies but learn to embrace their differences.

Short Story – 37 stories

Write a story where an important conversation takes place during a dance.

Short Story – 78 stories

Write a story in the format of a gossip column.

Short Story – 37 stories

Stories

“Faire Play” by Dawn Bravata

Submitted to Contest #254

It was hard to tell the difference between fantasy and reality at Greenbrier. A few things were obviously genuine. The musicians playing quadrilles for guests engaged in the rigors of Regency dancing. The gardeners planting daffodils and tulips in showy displays along the paths where guests strolled and gossiped. And Greenbrier Manor House, which had been built to impress. And to last.Crafted of Indiana limestone, it served as a private boarding school for wealthy Midwesterners seeking a New England elite education closer to home. A private ...

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“Rain Might Come” by Matt Craig

Submitted to Contest #254

Henry sat at the kitchen table, tapping his finger against the woodgrain. Each tap, a metronome of life ticking away time, each second blending into the next with mechanical precision. He watched dust motes dance in the light that seeped through a crack in the blinds. Lunch lay before him, half-eaten, an egg sandwich with the yolk oozing out, bleeding into the white of the plate. The incessant ticking of the wall clock filled the room. Henry took a bite, chewed without tasting, swallowed without savoring. "Another day," he said to the room, ...

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“The Hotel Great Central Grand Confusion” by Joseph Hawke

Submitted to Contest #254

With more than a trifle of trepidation, envelope in hand, Liza climbed the staircase to Lady Katherine’s chamber. She knocked ever so lightly, knowing that all manner of cacophony were despised, not only by the Lady herself, but by all of her personal staff and ladies-in-waiting, among which Liza, the butler’s daughter, was acutely aware she was not. The door opened, but no more than a smidge: a crack, at most, through which the envelope Liza held could be slid, and, perhaps, an enterprising housefly might intrude, were it so lucky to gain ...

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“Lady Lucinda's Guide to Catching a Suiter's Eye” by Megan Moreland

Submitted to Contest #254

Sometimes a lady must take matters into her own hands. I have tried fluttering my eyelashes and fanning my bosom so as to draw his attention to my ample chest. I have tried impressing him with my skills on the piano forte. And, I have even cross-stitched the most elaborate throw pillows which I then gifted to his mother. All for Mr. Sterling to act as though he had never seen me before. I have read the book “Lady Lucinda’s Guide to Catching a Suiter’s Eye” thirty times over -heaven forbid my mama find out-. And I have tried my hand at nearl...

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“Monstrous Whispers” by Kyla Tavares

Submitted to Contest #254

“Have you seen it?” a woman asked. They were having this conversation huddled in the corner of a small restaurant of a quaint town. This was their normal meeting spot where they would sit all day and talk of all there was to talk about. They would discuss their loud and sometimes rather obnoxious neighbors and their nosy coworkers because they thought themselves the only ones who were allowed to barge into another’s business, a new and rather quickly ending relationship, or even the owner of the restaurant itself! &nbs...

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“What They Were Scared Of” by Delilah -

Submitted to Contest #254

I’ve been residing in my village for longer than I can remember. But the villagers don’t take too kindly to me, I think they’re afraid of me, especially expecting mothers. I can hear their voices in hushed whispers whenever I traverse through the village, they say I’m a monster. They say I feed on the blood of unborn children and their mothers and they know it’s true since they haven’t seen my beloved in moons. It was simply coincidental that she was expecting our first born. No one would look me in the eye, some even quickly evaded the surr...

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“12 minutes and 30 seconds” by Shahnaz T.M

Submitted to Contest #254

The cutlery was spaced out with military precision. The canapes had been meticulously devised to suit everyone's needs. The tables were petalled with the bubbliest champagnes. Violet arrived first to get drunk sooner than everyone else, followed by Sarah and Reggie who arrived late in characteristic fashion for a bickering married couple. The last to arrive was their friend Psi who had been off the grid for close to a year. She had returned back to their lives recently but not before chopping off her lovely long locks and losing tons of wei...

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“To the Races” by Red Herring

Submitted to Contest #254

Sensitive Content: Animalistic love. With the evening dew settling into his oversized buckles, Pierre chuffed at the cold. By no means at all did he measure up to the hale and hearty stockiness of his brothers and sisters working the fields, nor did he quite yet attain the misshapen corpulence of the well statured servants. Simply put, Pierre was a runt. The frills of his court uniform hung limply into his concave chest, while the over-starched tails of his coat outshone his skeletal frame in propriety. With his wig askew (his slick oily hai...

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“Bonds formed in the rubble” by Jeffrey McDonald

Submitted to Contest #254

Ryan's heart pounded in his chest as he sprinted through the chaotic streets of Ferguson. The harsh chaos of enraged voices, broken bottles, and sporadic gunshots created a dissonant symphony that threatened to swallow him whole. His eyes scanned the landscape, desperate for a brief respite from the madness surrounding him. As a business owner, Ryan never expected to find himself caught in the crossfire of the riots that had engulfed the city. He'd immigrated a lifetime ago to America hoping to leave behind the troubles of Northern Ireland, ...

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“Hearts and Hands” by Jennifer Luckett

Submitted to Contest #254

It was finally Joanna Wilson’s moment to shine, and all she wanted was to sprint out of the ballroom. The blinding light of the photographer’s Nikon sent her heart racing, but what happened next thrusted Joanna from discomfort to shock and embarrassment, faster than the blink of a heavily mascaraed eye. Mrs. Manning, the sponsor of the Belles, handed her the Top Shelf prize for the best all-around Belle for 1990 in the Southwest region. When the camera flashed, Lisa Martin appeared at the podium and wrested the plaque from Joanna’s trembling...

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“Shadows of Elegance” by Thomas Greer

Submitted to Contest #254

In the heart of the Montclair estate, where secrets whispered in the corridors and shadows danced in the flickering candlelight, Evelyn found herself drawn into a world of mystery and intrigue. Evelyn had grown up in the whirlwind of diplomatic circles, her childhood spent traversing the globe as her father fulfilled his duties as a respected diplomat. But beneath the polished exterior of her upbringing lay a yearning for something more—a desire to carve out her own path in a world dictated by tradition and expectation. Despite her privilege...

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“En Passant at the Ball” by Cassandra Porter

Submitted to Contest #254

Miss Georgina Grace Gage stepped into the ball room beside her brother William, the eighth Viscount Hood and took a moment to breath in the start of the Season. Parliament had opened and the whole of the ton seemed to be pressed into this one stately home. This was promising to already be a delightful and entertaining event. She and her brother made their way into the corner she most preferred as she looked at the new crop of wallflowers who were arranged along the edges of the room. "Oh dear," she thought out loud. "More than usual I see." ...

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“A Night in the Fairytale” by Gabrielle Bond

Submitted to Contest #254

Tiffany picked at her corsage as she waited in the backseat of the idling car. Her sister's encouraging smile flashed across her face, only making her queasier. The doubt she'd managed to avoid so far was now creeping in like a spider crawling up the drain, just waiting for her usual confidence to wash it away."I'm so proud of you," her sister had said. "You don't need a date. You're stronger than most of the girls you'll be sharing the dance floor with tonight."At the time, these words and her sister's homemade corsage had filled her with l...

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“The Business Proposal” by Melanie B. Gaston

Submitted to Contest #254

Finding a husband was such a dull task. Elizabeth was bored of the ton and their boring social life. Dance, eat, mingle, repeat. Her only job was finding a husband. Compared to women of lower classes, she was privileged to never lift a finger for physical work. Her hands were not calloused, and her skin was soft. But she did not feel free. She did not have a voice. She depended on the men in her life to make the life-changing decisions for her. Hence, why the task of finding a husband was dull, she was shown prospects...

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“A Tempting Offer” by Natalie Portera-Sickler

Submitted to Contest #254

They locked eyes from across the room, making her heart skip a beat. Even though it was a masquerade ball, Percy immediately recognized his smoky eyes, the heat of his gaze searing into her core and warming her skin in a fierce blush. The pounding of her heart quickened as he stalked toward her, navigating the crowd with ease as a panther prowling through the jungle to approach the prey locked within its sight.Percy fanned herself frantically, willing herself to stay calm while simultaneously wondering how no one else reacted to the sight of...

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$250

Prize money

218

Contest entries

88

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jun 14, 2024 EST

Won by Phoebe Barr 🏆

Title: Found Family

Submissions must be between 1,000 - 3,000 words and will be approved and published on Reedsy Prompts within 7 days of the contest closing.

Read the full terms & conditions or check out the FAQ if you have any questions!

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