Spinsters by choice: A bridgerton Fanfic!

"I must admit...I am surprised that you wish to mentor anyone, let alone me!" Clara replied.

Confused, "Does it seem that far fetched to you?" Safa asked.

"No...it's just, you are antisocial...I simply didn't foresee it that you'd desire to be someone's mentor."

"You will not be my time at acquiring a student, Clara... perhaps you might become my first successful experiment."

"Huh?" Clara was opening her eyes even wider, "You had a student before me?! What happened to him? Assuming he's a man of course."

"Yes he was a man and I did have him as a student for a while...he...well...left after our last fight together." Safa replied, her eyes saddened as she took a seat by the experiment table.

"Left? You mean He gave up on being mentored because you had an argument with him?" Clara asked.

"More or less...I never liked the idea of teaching a man anyways...they are too emotional." Safa replied trying to sound nonchalant but her face was still seeping sadness.

"I consider myself pretty emotional and I'm a woman...to be fair most people are emotional...even you...who wouldn't be emotional during am argument?" Clara said, her nervousness resurfacing again.

"At least you are a woman, I have no desire of any sort towards you, I do not have to worry about you the way I would worry over a man." Safa replied between her lips but Clara could hear her, "Oh...I see...so which one of you was in love? Or was it mutual?" Clara asked, "Was it you or him, which of you fell for the other...I assume he did?" She added.

Sighing, "I forgot how good you are at these romantic things..." Safa replied.

"It's a curse sometimes..."

"Love in itself is a curse...and it was both...we both loved each other..."

"You both loved each other? Then how come you're not together?! You never mentioned having a lover before?! I honestly thought you never experienced love at all and that's why you're adamant about avoiding it." Clara asked, "I do not speak of these things for a reason and...We never made it to such titles...him and i...i wanted that stupid attraction over before it starts to ruin us both...

As you know, I had vowed not to choose love...but unfortunately it did not mean I never felt it...

That man was one unlucky bastard to love a woman like myself...he said and did all the right things, I can never forgive myself for allowing whatever that was to happen to him, he deserved his heart to belong to anyone but myself." Safa replied with a smile but despite it, her eyes glistened with tears.

Clara could see the guilt in Safa's eyes so she asked, "You rejected him didn't you...is that why he left, did you tell him how you felt at least? The Truth... that you loved him?"

"No...I did not"

"Do you still... perhaps..."

"Have feelings for him?...all I have left is regret about that unfortunate man."

"Regret over loving him or letting him go?" Clara said, "What is the point of questioning that...He is gone anyways, probably moved on and married another girll." Safa replied.

"Does he live nearby?"

"You ask a lot of questions Clara."

"Yet you answer them...you want to answer them, don't you?...you wouldn't have started to speak of this past love of yours hadn't you wish to release yourself of some of the burden."

"I suppose I do Clever Clara...I rarely ever find myself comfortable enough to talk about these matters...and to answer your question, He has disappeared...right after our fight, packed everything and left without a single... proper goodbye."

"Disappeared as in, missingor travelled?"

"I have no idea...I assume he traveled somewhere outside England, possibly back to China his homeland...although I doubt it since he despised most of his family there...I had people look for him after left, I wanted to apologize...yet he was never found or heard of again, the last sighting of him in England was near a dock few days after he left my mansion." Safa replied making the brunette student frow her brows,

"China? Your student was from china? You mean like the same land where your brother found Yamei and fell for her? Can you tell me his name? This student of yours?" Clara asked, "I promise to keep everything you just said between us."

Sighing, "His name was Boyang, he was actually Yamei's cousin." Safa replied.

"HER cousin?! Safa you fell in love with Yamei's cousin?!"

"Yes...he lived most of his life in china before we met, he was very intelligent and intellectual, spoke multiple languages as well, he wasn't planning to come live in England st first.

but during the time my brother went to china during his years of travel, Boyang who was a young man at the time, was encouraged by his father to go with Yamei's close family to England and settle there...

his goal was to get educated more, but after the tragedy where my brother and his wife Perished, Boyang found himself all alone in a foreign land...same as I... he did not board the ship that day...so I took him in when he came to me around a year later after the tragedy."

"So Boyang also didn't board the ship that killed your family and his...how come he survived?"

"Because Yamei never liked him either...she made sure he knew that...When Boyang was a small child he caught a disease that made him unable to walk without a limp for the rest of his life..." Safa replied.

"Oh ...I see... Yamei seems to have it against crippled folks...I can tell that beyond her beauty she was just an awful person." Clara noted.

"Boyang said the same about her, Perhaps Yamei hated her cousin because Boyang despite his disability, was more loved and appreciated than Yamei by their family and people in general." Safa replied.

"And he's a man, I can see why the favoritism is included...Anyhow, How did the cousin become your student? And perhaps your first love?" Clara asked.

"As I said, I did not meet Boyang until nearly a year after my family's funeral...one day he came knocking on my door...he introduced himself and gave me his condolences over what happened...at first I brushed him off, it had been a year and I was skeptical about his very late visit, but then he just kept coming back.

Again and again.

And at the time he was still healing from a sickness that caught him a while ago, I noticed his symptoms over Time and gave him an herbal remedy to drink, he came back later in full health and fascinated by my work." Safa explained.

"And let me guess? He wanted to learn how you did it?" Clara said chuckling.

"Yes...I do not know why I agreed to teach him at the time but I suppose we bonded over our tragedy and mutual dislike of Yamei... besides...he was...handsome to say the least...I enjoyed eyeing him." Safa replied slightly blushing.

"Ohhhhhhhh! How handsome are we talking?" Clara asked with a smirk.

"He was a bit scrawny but I did not mind that...he was tall which is...was a bit charming..."

"And?"

"His hair was dark long and... luscious..."

"Uh-huh..."

"His smile...was..."

"What about his smile?" Clara asked smiling.

"Nothing...I would rather not tell you." Safa replied teasingly.

"No please, carry on! I want to know!" Clara whined.

Chuckling, "Enough talk about things that do not matter anymore...it is time for you to learn the ropes around here in the laboratory." Safa replied.

Smiling in defeat, Clara nodded her head, "Thank you for trusting me with your troubles...and for the records...I would be honored to be your student.

I hope I live up to whatever standards you have set for me and also...MY lips are sealed, worry not about me telling anyone about Boyang, no one will know how charming you found his height...hehe." Clara said earning a much happier smile from Safa.

Suddenly, A knock has startled both girls into looking at the door.

"I assumed nobody would bother us while we are inside this room?" Clara asked.

"Usually no one dares but if somebody does, it must be Wolfgang and for a god reason." Safa replied.

"I'll see who's at the door!" Clara said hurrying her steps towards the door of the lab, she swiftly Opened the door but only enough to see who's knocking.

"Wolf! Is something wrong?" Clara asked, "Uh...Not exactly, Penelope is here...As in lady whistledown." He replied nervously but smiley.

Safa who heard him from within the room, sighed, "Tell her we will join her in a moment..."

"Yes!" Wolfgang hurried back towards the drawing room.

*Few moments later*

"Penelope Bridgerton, to what do I owe the pleasure of your recent visit?" Safa asked as she walked into the room with the help of her older fancier cane, Clara followed her behind, keeping a polite smile as she greeted Penelope, "It's such a pleasure to see you again soon, Mrs Bridgerton."

Penelope frowned in confusion as she saw that safa wasn't using the cane Fabian made for her few days ago.

"I just simply came to check in on you Safa...I have actually worried you'd be in a bit if a distress...especially since the party." Penelope said.

"Ah...well I suppose you are still unaware of your beloved husband's schemes?" Safa replied smiling, further confusing the redhead woman.

"What schemes?" Penelope asked glancing at a now nervous Clara who dodged her eyes.

"I suppose I can fill you in, since your husband is not being as honest as he should be." Safa's smile turned into a devilish smirk, "Wolfgang please, some tea and refreshments, we will need them, and also bring me little Acacius, I miss my feline friend." Safa called out.

"Uh...yes..." Wolfgang hurried to carry his orders with unease settling in him.

...Meanwhile...

"Fabian! Fai! Can you hear me? What's taking space up there friend, you've been out of it for a good minute now?" Colin said teasingly tapping Fabian's towering head.

The two were out on a shopping spree, trying to find the perfect gift for Safa, Unaware of Safa's current visitor.

"Uhh...col...I just...I am worried... nothing seems to be something I could gift Safa...what do you give a lady who has it all?" Fabian asked.

"Even well-off ladies desire something, some like more fancy things on top of fancy things." Colin replied.

"But much like Penelope, Safa is not a material girl...shall I try and find her something different than what is typically gifted to girls...maybe she would appreciate a sword?"

"A sword? Why would don't you buy her a gun then?"

"That is not a bad idea."

"Fai I was joking!"

"Col I seriously cannot think of one thing she would like, she has an astonishing collection of jewelry, she has the money to buy herself all the dresses she want and she is a woman of science on top of that! So she owns loads on top of loads of books...what can I gift her?!"

"Wait a minute...Acacius!...the cat! She adopted him few days ago, she must not have much belongings for it!" Colin suggested.

"Of course! The furrball is our answer! Wait...maybe I can make something after all!" Fabian replied.

"I suppose nothing is more unique than a crafted gift." Colin said, "But what do you plan to make?" He asked.

"Back home, I used to play with street cats as a child, cats love to have something to play with, so I shall make a cat toy."