3rd Elimination
We're back with another episode of the Bachelor! In the last episode we saw Bobby, our handsome Bachelor, take each contestant on a private date across Champs Les Sims in France and were left with pleasant memories! Today we will be witnessing the third elimination of the season and unfortunately Bobby will have to say goodbye to one of the girls... who will it be? Keep watching and all will unfold soon!
Bobby was still fast asleep while the first girls in the house began to wake up. It was quite late when he got home after his date last night and knew he had to sleep in a little longer than usual to survive the elimination tonight.
In the meantime, Mary-Anne was the first to awake. After getting dressed for the day she saw that the private chef they had at the French chateau was only starting to prepare breakfast so she went and entertained herself while she waited. She quietly played the piano in the front room and kept her fingers busy while she thought back on her date with the bachelor yesterday.
She tried to keep her brain from overthinking, stopping thoughts of worry. Did she do everything right on the date? Did she say something wrong? Was she interesting enough? She shook her head, trying to physically shake the thoughts away and began to play the piano louder, as if she wanted to overpower the words in her mind.
Mary-Anne became fully concentrated on her piano playing but was mischievously interrupted by Theodora, who came up behind her and scared her. She hammered down on the piano keys in fright and screamed Theodora's name. Mary-Anne stood up and looked at her with wide, fearful eyes.
"That's so uncool!" she screamed, "What the hell were you thinking?!"
Theodora was hunching over from laughter before composing herself and saying,
"Breakfast is ready," she chuckled. "I was told to come and get you, wanted to get a laugh out of it too!"
Mary-Anne's face grew into disgust but began following Theodora into the kitchen anyway, trying to breathe and slow her heart down.
In the kitchen they also met Rosie who was still in her pyjamas. They all took a portion of French Toast and went into the dining hall to eat. They mostly ate in silence but made short comments on tonight's elimination, clearly tense about having to endure another goodbye to one of the contestants.
"What's the theme of tonight's elimination again?" asked Rosie.
"It's 'Couture de Paris'!" beamed Theodora. "They're even inviting fashion designers from Champs Les Sims to dress us up for tonight, it's so exciting!"
"I know, right?" replied Mary-Anne, "I wonder how well they'll style us tonight, will they try follow our aesthetic?"
"Oh, they better," said Theodora in a low voice, "I don't want to look bad on my potentially last day here."
"Me neither," agreed Rosie.
Shortly after the girls finished their breakfast and brought their plates back into the kitchen, Bobby was awake. He decided that a nice morning bath would be a great way to freshen up and start the day. He ran the warm water, submerged himself into the soapy water, and relaxed for a short while. This would be the only time he got a bit of peace and quiet for the day and he took advantage of it.
Thoughts swirled in his head, lists of pros and cons of each contestant were listed in his mind, and he could feel the overwhelm deep in his chest. This was the opposite of a relaxing bath, he thought, and he took a few deep breaths to try settle his thoughts. He closed his eyes and tried to think positive thoughts while in the bath. Once he felt at ease he washed himself off, put some clothes on and went downstairs for breakfast.
Once downstairs he greeted the private chef in the kitchen and was presented the option of French toast or croissant sandwiches for breakfast. He's a massive fan of French toast so he opted for that and sat at the counter to eat breakfast alone. As he took each bite he still felt unsure of who he would be saying goodbye to this evening at the flower ceremony so he knew he had to talk to two girls he was most unsure of to make his final decision. His mind was made up as he placed the knife and fork back onto his plate and thanked the chef once more for the meal.
In the dining room he bumped into Pearl who had also just finished her breakfast. They both smiled at each other in an alluring way, the spark between them still strong the night after. He approached her and asked how she slept before asking the important question,
"Do you mind coming with me to chat for a minute, Pearl?"
"Sure, let's go Bobby," she replied.
They walked into the ballroom repurposed into the elimination room and sat at the couches at the end of the room, Bobby sitting in an armchair while Pearl sat at the edge of the long couch. As they settled onto the plush chairs they looked at one another longingly and as Pearl was taking a breath to say something Bobby raised his hand to stop her and talk first.
"I want to talk to you about last night," he began.
"Ooh, do go on," replied Pearl with a melodic tone. Bobby chuckled but put on a serious face before continuing.
"I loved our night and I was very honoured to share a private moment with you... but I really hope you understand that this has to be kept secret."
"Of course, what makes you say that I don't know that?"
"Well, Rosie let me know that you were boasting about us kissing a few days ago." Pearl's face hardened and she looked away for a second, feeling a little guilty now that the bachelor brought it up. "Is that true?" asked Bobby.
"Y-yeah, that's correct," she replied. "The conversation was so heavy between all the girls and everyone was beating around the bush if they kissed you or not so I just proudly told them that we did!"
"Mhm..." thought Bobby, "My concern is, would you start bragging about us last night too?"
"I mean... I would love to show off, it's a competition after all, but if you want this to stay a secret I promise to not tell anyone!"
"It's a secret, Pearl. Let's keep it our secret."
"A secret it is then." They smiled at each other and relished in the excitement of keeping a secret from the other contestants. This moment was abruptly ended with some shouting coming from upstairs. The pair looked at one another with a puzzled expression and Bobby just said "I hope things are alright" before continuing his conversation with Pearl.
"Relax Theodora!" shouted Rosie with her hands up in the air, ready to push back if Theodora got a step closer to her.
"Don't tell me to relax" she retorted loudly, "I can be angry if I want to!"
"I never said you can't be angry, just please don't shout or touch me!" Rosie tried to not have her voice tremble from getting caught off guard by Theodora's temper tantrum.
"Don't be dramatic, I wasn't going to start throwing hands!" she said with a scowl. "I have a right to be pissed off right now."
"Yeah, but not at me, Theodora. I'm sorry that it seems you're the only one that didn't get kissed by Bobby but this is something you should talk about with him, not take it out on me."
Theodora scoffed, "Don't tell me what to do, I don't even want to look at that wretched man. What did I ever do to him to not consider me kiss-worthy?! He kissed you but didn't kiss me?!"
Rosie gulped before saying her next sentence, "m-maybe it's because... oh, forget it. I'm getting out of here." Rosie knew exactly what she had to do and she began to walk down the stairs.
"Yeah that's right, walk away, coward! Ugh!!!" She stomped her foot down loudly before throwing herself onto the couch beside her and folding her arms in anger. Mary-Anne showed up as soon as the conversation ended and said,
"Woah... should I even ask?" Theodora didn't even look her way to respond to her so Mary-Anne shrugged and turned on the gramophone and began dancing away to pass the time before the elimination. Theodora took out a book and tried to read it to calm herself down.
Rosie looked around the castle to find Bobby and found him engaging in a light conversation with Pearl and felt awkward interrupting them. She announced her presence and asked to talk to Bobby, stating it's something important. The pair's faces changed but they both stood up and Pearl started making her way out of the room.
"I think you need to urgently talk to Theodora," said Rosie seriously.
"Oh, what's making you say that?" asked Bobby with concern in his voice.
Rosie took in a deep breath before continuing. "She was just screaming at me and insulting and threating me... all because she found out you kissed everyone but her."
"Gosh, this will be the be-all and end-all huh?" he chuckled nervously. "Don't worry Rosie, sorry she shouted at you but I'll handle it. Are you alright?"
"Y-yeah, just shaken up." Rosie rubbed her neck, "It just came out of nowhere and she completely exploded on me!"
Bobby put his hand on her back and rubbed her gently, "go ahead and relax now, I'll get this sorted." They smiled at each other and parted ways. He went upstairs to try find Theodora and get to the bottom of this.
As Bobby made it up the stairs he was quite tense from what Rosie had told him and was on high alert for another outburst from Theodora. Once on the second floor he was met with a sight that was far from what he was expecting. Theodora quietly sat on the couch in the hall, reading a book, while Mary-Anne was playing an energetic tune on the gramophone and dancing passionately. When she locked eyes with Bobby she blushed a little but said hello to him and continued to dance and have a nice time.
Bobby sat down on the couch beside Theodora and she turned to greet him, closing her book as they began chatting. The bachelor knew he had to approach this slowly and carefully so he calmly asked,
"Care to join me downstairs for a chat?"
"Oh, sure! Let me just put my book back on the shelf" replied Theodora.
They both stood up and Bobby waited for Theodora before heading back downstairs. They were both in high spirits but Bobby felt a twinge of nervousness in the pit of his stomach. He was planning on talking to Theodora even before Rosie came to him to tell him about the conflict she had with her but the conversation will inevitably go another direction...
The bachelor tried to keep things light in the beginning and asked her about her sleep and how she found breakfast. Theodora started going on a tangent and Bobby sighed before stopping her in her tracks.
"We need to have a serious talk, Theodora," he blurted out in a cold tone. Theodora raised her eyebrows in surprise and stopped talking, holding her breath and waiting what the bachelor will say next.
"The elimination is tonight," continued Bobby, "and this is the second time I'm talking to you before elimination... do you have an idea why?"
Theodora gulped. "Are... are you unsure if you like me?"
"No, quite the opposite actually. Are you sure you like me?"
Theodora began to feel her cheeks burn but she couldn't tell why, was it embarrassment? Guilt? Anger? Her chest felt a cacophony of emotions and her mind was trying to find some words to respond with but all she came up with was,
"I- no w-well, I... B-Bobby I-"
"Rosie told me you insulted and threatened her, why did you do that?" It came out as blunt as possible and Theodora gasped, bringing a hand to her face sharply as if she just said all of those things all over again.
Her reaction was more than enough confirmation that what Rosie told him was true. His face grew disappointed and he asked Theodora why she did it. Her face became hotter and she felt a lump form in her throat.
"I-I have no explanation... I just exploded on her."
"That's exactly how Rosie explained it too," he said quietly. "Please, Theodora, don't run away from this conversation like you did in the art gallery yesterday. I need to talk this through with you to understand you and decide who will go home tonight."
Theodora's eyes began to well with tears and she looked away from the bachelor, trying to control her breathing and find some words to explain herself with. She stood up and began to pace around the room slowly to calm herself down. Bobby continued to stay seated until he got an answer from her, and so he did.
"Why haven't you kissed me?" she finally asked in a small voice.
"The timing hasn't been right, Theodora," he explained gently, "I haven't felt like you genuinely think of me romantically."
"But I do, Bobby, I do!" she shouted at him desperately, now walking to him and facing him. The bachelor stood up to meet her and try calm her down before she got any louder; the sounds of her cries echoed across the great ballroom they stood in.
"I'm sorry but I don't see it... you seem to be infatuated with only your interests here and it just seems like we're only friendly with each other." She blinked away her tears and her face began to turn into a scowl, something Bobby thought he would never have to see.
"What have the other girls done to deserve a kiss, huh? What do they have that I don't?!" She flapped her hands around as she raised her voice once again and Bobby knew she was out of control. He didn't want to have an argument here but he knew he would have to fight fire with fire to make her stop.
"You are completely misunderstanding this, Theodora. Please, quiet down and I can explain it to you in a calm manner."
"Quiet down?! Don't tell me what to do!" she roared.
"Quiet down or I will send you home right now before elimination!" his voice bounced off the old walls in an echo, Theodora stood motionless. A tear finally glid down her pale cheek and her posture changed into a hunched one.
The bachelor stood and stared at one of his contestants with an unpleasant furrowed brow. He knew him snapping at Theodora scared her and he didn't want to shout at her but she wouldn't have listened any other way.
"This is a warning," he explained sternly. "But know this, your behaviour I have heard of and seen today is truly disappointing, Theodora. At this rate your long awaited kiss you're dreaming about won't ever happen. May this be a lesson to how you approach jealousy and conflict, sorry for shouting at you. Our conversation is done."
Theodora wiped away her tears with her sleeve that began to stream down her face. She didn't say a word before quickly walking out of the ballroom and running back to her room. Bobby felt awful about the interaction and never wanted any conflict between the girls, but the show must go on and the fashion designers would arrive soon to get the contestants dressed for the long awaited flower ceremony that will determine which one of them will be going home tonight.
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The fitting and styling of the dresses took several hours to complete. From last minute alterations and extra accessories being added to each girl's ensemble did the time tick away quickly from the group. All of the girls were satisfied with their looks and the nerves were settling in finally. The only thing left to do was to do their last minute touch ups on their makeup before heading down to the ball room and get on with the elimination.
Each contestant went back to their rooms to get their makeup and apply it at their armoires and mirrors. As they walked up the stairs they noted that nobody has received flowers for their solo dates with Bobby last night and the tensions grew even higher, thinking that nobody was safe tonight.
To Bethany's luck and surprise, as soon as she walked into her room she noticed something out of place. A small bouquet of pink wildflowers stood in a small bottle vase with a small note attached writing "your serenade still loops in my mind, you really are one of a kind. Enjoy your safety from tonight's elimination."
She began squealing with glee and grabbed the flowers as she ran out of the room. She screamed at the top of her lungs, "I'M SAFE!" as she paraded with the flowers down the long halls. The contestants left their rooms to see and congratulated her while swallowing a lump of fear in their throats. But they couldn't keep the bachelor waiting and so they continued to get ready.
Everyone felt like they stood out in their most authentic way with the way they were dressed, with some feeling like they were a bit more extravagant than they would like to be. Rosie felt a newfound confidence with her long dress and fluffy hairstyle, Mary-Anne was excited how she looked with curled locks, Theodora embraced the fully pink look from head to toe, Bethany cherished her cottage-core dress that honestly looked like a grandmother's curtain, and Pearl was proudly accentuating her body's curves sculpted by the gods.
The contestants gave themselves small pep talks and touch ups in the mirrors in their rooms and made their way down to the ball room one by one. They continued to strike up small talk as they waited for Bobby but Theodora was being excluded from most of the conversations. Her outbursts were loud and the girls really didn't know how to approach her without acknowledging what happened.
But upstairs, Bobby was once again standing at a window and peering out into the sunny horizon. Before getting dressed he always needed a moment to think over the last few days and reach a decision on who to send home tonight. Theodora did leave a bitter taste in his mouth today but is there any reason to excuse her behaviours and send another girl home today? Is a non-existent kiss really going to be the only reason a girl gets sent home tonight?
Once Bobby made an appearance downstairs, decorated in an all-black suit, the girls began to line up on the podium once again, helping one another out with their long dresses and tall heels. Once settled the bachelor began the ceremony with a speech,
"Welcome to the ball room, you gorgeous ladies. I see the local fashion designers have dressed you all to the nines!" His comment got a smile out of every girl before he continued,
"We will now have our 3rd elimination of the competition. I'd like to invite Bethany to come over and sit behind me as you are the only girl safe from elimination tonight... I hope you liked your flowers!"
The contestants all glanced at Bethany as she made her way off of the podium and over to the Bachelor. She couldn't help but express her excitement as she stood in front of him, gratefulness and pure joy ran through her body and she did a little happy dance which got a chuckle out of everyone.
"Congratulations, Bethany," said Bobby as he hugged her tight, "you wowed me the most this week, enjoy your safety from the elimination and take a seat behind me." They smiled at one another and she calmly walked over to the blue couches to secure her view of the elimination process.
Once seated Bobby turned his eyes back to the four remaining contestants and then looked at the three flower bouquets on the table beside him. He brought his hand to his chin and gently stroked it before saying,
"The first girl to receive a bouquet for me tonight is..."
"Rosie."
Her face beamed at him and she straightened her back to walk in her designer dress. The girls behind her still had confidence that they will receive the next bouquet and stood proud. Rosie walked down to Bobby and smiled softly at him.
The bachelor picked up a bouquet of dark red wild roses and presented it to her, "Will you accept these flowers and stay in the competition for me?"
"Of course Bobby, these are so gorgeous!" She took them from his hands and smelled them, sweet and fresh. She gracefully bowed and walked to sit in the armchair next to Bethany and breathed a sigh of relief once she was comfortable on the plush furniture.
The bachelor put his hands behind his back and looked at each girl again before stopping his gaze on one fine young woman. He winks at her and says,
"Pearl, get over here."
She smirked confidently and strutted down to Bobby, showing off every curve of her body in her body hugging designer dress. He fanned his hand in front of his face as he whistled once she got close to him which had her giggling.
Bobby picked up a bouquet of white peonies and handed them to Pearl as he said, "will you take these flowers from me?" Her eyes bounced between the flowers and Bobby's eyes before she gracefully accepted them and said yes to him. He gestured his arm to the couches and off she went.
She sat beside Bethany who turned to her and whispered with a smile, "glad to see you safe!"
"Of course I would be," replied Pearl with an assured grin.
Bobby composed himself and stood tall before he spoke again. "Two girls stand before me, but I only have one bouquet left..."
His voice trailed off as he glanced at the flowers, taking a moment to make his decision final in his mind.
He blinked as he turned his head and he met Mary-Anne's gaze. Her eyes, although far away, had a glint of hope in them yet her face was wearing a slightly worried expression. She stood still as she awaited her fate from Bobby and so he turned to look at Theodora. Her left hand was stroking her right arm in an effort to comfort her nerves but, unlike Mary-Anne, her expression was calm. Her lips curled into a mysterious smile and her eyes didn't look away from the bachelor for a second. He took a deep breath and began to speak again,
"The girl that I would like to see stay in this competition is..."
The room was still and the girls were silent, scared to even take a breath in case they missed the name he was about to call out. The girls on the couches couldn't help but gasp when the bachelor said the name,
"Mary-Anne."
The two girls left on the podium both raised their arms but positioned them in different ways. Mary-Anne placed her hands on her chest with relief as she took her first step and breathed calmly, while Theodora covered her face with her hands, shocked that even with the conflict earlier this morning her fate had been decided and she was to go back home, ending her chance to win Bobby's heart.
As Mary-Anne approached the bachelor he presented a bundle of purple dahlias and she gasped at the beauty of them. "Will you accept this bouquet and stay in the competition?"
"Yes, Bobby! Thank you so much!" She grabbed them with enthusiasm and held them close. She looked to the other girls who looked like they had mixed feelings about the elimination. Rosie stood up first and extended her arms out to Mary-Anne.
The two girls embraced into a hug and exchanged congratulations and that they were both happy to see each other still be here. The other two girls on the long blue couch stayed seated, with Bethany the saddest of all to see Theodora go. They were getting to become great friends and it broke Bethany's heart slightly to see her leave tonight.
Theodora walked to Bobby and she couldn't help but cry, all of her regrets were finally showing in the form of tears and she fell into the bachelor's arms. Even if she wasn't 'the one' for Bobby he still couldn't help but feel sad for her and he held her as she sobbed quietly into his shoulder.
"You'll be alright, Theodora," said Bobby into her ear, "it's time to say goodbye now."
He pulled away and Theodora looked over to the girls who received flowers, sniffling and wiping away tears. Bethany walked over to her right away and tried to console her,
"Hey, hey, look at me," she said in a soft and caring voice, "this isn't the end! We'll all miss you, I will miss you, but you'll go home and find comfort and things will turn out alright... stay in touch?"
Theodora nodded and wiped away a falling tear before hugging Bethany tightly. As they hugged she whispered a quiet "congratulations" before pulling away with a big smile and looking at the others. They all waved at her and she waved back exclaiming, "good luck to all of you, you'll need it!" The group laughed and Bobby stepped in to say,
"Sorry to cut it short but the car for the airport is waiting for you, Theodora... come with me."
He whisked her away out of the ball room and the others stayed behind, chatting about what had just happened before their eyes.
As the pair made it outside Theodora couldn't help but have her bottom lip quiver a bit. She was going to miss the beauty of Champs Les Sims and more importantly the fabulous chateau that she had lived in the past several days. It was sad to be eliminated but she was going to miss the experience more than the man she was fighting for.
Bobby stopped Theodora in front of the fountain in the courtyard before they went down to the car and spoke to her, "I'm sorry things turned out the way they did, Theodora. I never wanted to hurt your feelings but I-"
"Please, don't worry about it... I don't really want to get into the nitty gritty here, I'd like to just leave now..."
She hung her head, fighting back the tears she just stopped, and jumped slightly when Bobby put his hands on her shoulders.
"Just please know that we will greatly miss you here. Even if we weren't compatible, everyone in the chateau loved your endless stories and passionate discussions. I know you'll find the right man to share your interests, sadly it just isn't me."
The bachelor's comment put a smile on her face and they stood in the outdoor breeze for a moment before Bobby extended his hand to her. She accepted it and they both walked down to the car to the airport.
He gave her one last hug as a goodbye and saw her off, watching the vehicle speed off down the hilly road until it became shrouded by the foliage of the ancient trees. He breathed out a loud sigh, turned around and made his way back into the mansion to celebrate the end of the third elimination.
Once inside he met the girls walking up the massive staircase where they have been invited for drinks on the top floor. Once there, everyone enjoyed a French cocktail and went back to friendly banter. Bobby made sure to talk to each girl in the next hour, having a few group conversations and sometimes splitting into private conversations with each girl.
Bobby made sure to make each girl feel like they were talking to a friend over the last few days and he truly felt closer to each one of them. He looked at each girl and was shocked that there were only four left... soon enough the eliminations will be emotionally painful and goodbyes will be harder to say. But he shook those thoughts away and lived in the moment. As the glasses were empty he announced to the girls,
"A round of billiards, anyone?" They all agreed and went down the stairs to the billiard room and engaged in more banter and a game at the billiard table.
Mary-Anne set up the table and although there were five of them altogether Rosie decided to sit the game out. She watched from the bar table and joined in on the conversations throughout the night. Halfway through their game Bobby announced that tonight is actually their last night in Champs Les Sims and that in a few hours they would have to pack their belongings and head to the airport to fly back to Sunlit Tides. Everyone had a pout on their face when they heard the news but they were all more thankful to be taking the plane back with Bobby and not going home alone.
Mary-Anne was paired with Bobby during their game of billiards and she was the one that won the game for them. They all shook hands and went back to their rooms to wash their makeup off, change into comfortable clothing and pack their suitcases.
They each took a moment in between and after packing to enjoy their last moments in their decorative rooms and relish the antique smell of the chateau. They had no idea what awaited them back at Sunlit Tides but some of the girls were very excited to experience the hot summer sun again and lounge by the pool in their spare time. One thing for sure was that none of the girls had mastered French enough to ever stay here!
The bachelor met all of the girls in their rooms and helped them with bringing their luggage downstairs. They all met outside and waited for the large taxi to arrive and send them back home. Once cruising down the Champs Les Sims hills they all waved goodbye to the glorious French castle they stayed in, the quaint town square, the rapid river through the town and just the entirety of the beauty of France. They boarded the plane back to Sunlit Tides and slept the entire trip home after a successful yet emotional elimination.
And that is all for today's episode! The contestants said goodbye to Champs Les Sims and next episode Sunlit Tides will be welcoming them back to the gorgeous and sandy beaches that line the coast. What will the bachelor have planned for them in the next episode? Tune in next time to find out!
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