Falling from Grace - Bridgerton

Chapter Six

*Edited*

"You didn't answer my question Ben," Grace told him. She was long done her drawing and the two were lying on the grass staring up at the seemingly blissful night sky.

"What question was that?"

Grace turned on her side, her body held up by her arm, "If you draw?"

Benedict swallowed before answering, "Yes, I do."

Her eyes seemed to light up, "What do you draw?" Benedict shrugged, "Mainly people, bodies. Here I have my sketchbook with me."

From the back of his trousers, he pulled a small leather book passing it to Grace who smiled at every picture as she flipped through.

"They're not very good though." He added and Grace laughed, "Are you joking? They are amazing!"

Benedict rolled his eyes and took the sketchbook out of her hands, "Would draw me?" She then asked and he nodded and smile coming across his features.

Another silence once again consumed that pair. Both of them hearing each other's intake of breath and feeling the cold air bristle past their skin as Benedict drew.

"You know not everyone thinks of you the way you describe."

 Grace's eyebrows furrowed at the comment. Of course, she knew that others remembered who she was before the incident but in the society they lived in, one kiss could ruin someone's life forever. 

"How do you mean?" She asked.

"Well, for example my sisters often speak of how darling you are, especially your eyes, and Eloise is definitely taken at how different you are than other ladies. And Colin," Ben began to laugh at this thinking back to the memory, "He choked on his drink when you entered the ball after being introduced by the queen to the on after your betrothal. Anthony gave him a glance so fierce at looking at you the way he did that his face turned bright red."

Grace laughed and Ben liked hearing it bubble in her chest, her white teeth shining through the light of the moon, "I like your family, quite a lot. You just all seem so connected its beautiful." 

Ben had never thought of it that way before, perhaps all these years he had taken for granted the family he had.

He didn't know just how much and how long Grace had heard about his family. Summer's spent wondering why Anthony would ever want to be away from them. 

"What is your family like?" Ben asked

Grace let out a sigh, the once happy aura now fell back into its sleep underground.

"Not at all like yours. Strict, quiet," She let out another breath, "Lonely. Well, that was until I met Simon of course, we have become each other's family. I don't know what I would do without him."

"You've known each other for quite a long time then?" He was almost done with his drawing of her now, just trying to get the curve of her lips to perfection.

"Since we were children. He taught me how to read and I helped him to..." Her voice droned out at the nearing sound of horses coming towards them. 

She could see a gold-trimmed hat in the distance and her heart immediately jumped into a panic. She came to her feet stumbling against the hill and Benedict caught her arm.

"What is it, what's the matter?" He asked and Grace just looked at him with wide eyes as a voice yelled out to her.

"Grace!"

Her breath becoming heavier and faster as she looked to Benedict, "You must leave me,"

"Why"

"I'm sorry, I truly am, just he can't see-"