The Second Born Bridgerton's Wife // Benedict Bridgerton

Me and you

I return home, happy to see that the brothers now seem to be getting on once again. "Peaches, tea does not take an entire hour to make. Where on earth have you been, my girl?" Anthony laughs, holding a whiskey in one hand. "You cannot claim you were making tea."

"I got distracted." I smile and shrug, sitting down beside my husband. He holds my shoulders and kisses me and I can taste the whiskey on his own breath. "You two are drinking, is that why you are getting along so famously?"

"I certainly do not think it harms us." Benedict laughs a little and raises an eyebrow, reaching for a third glass so that he might pour me some as well. "Should you like a glass, darling?"

"Oh, no. I am quite alright. It makes me feel rather queasy at the best of times, nevermind whilst I am with child." I smile a little and stroke across his hand. "I shall leave the two of you to it, it seems you are enjoying yourselves. I shall not be the lady who ruins the fun." I stand up, kissing his lips and smiling. "I shall see you later."

"I look forward to it."

I laugh a little, looking at him as he raises his eyebrows, rolling my eyes as I bid Anthony adue too. When I reach my bed, I fall instantly asleep. I feel him get into the bed by the side of me halfway through the night, his body pressed closely against mine as he kisses my cheek. "Peaches, are you awake?"

"I am now. You are heavy on your feet." I smile a little and turn my face gently to look at him. "Especially when you are drinking."

"Good. I am glad you are awake. I wanted to tell you that I love you, and I am sorry, and that I am planning a ball for when we return home. We did not have a wedding or a wedding reception so I thought well, I shall plan something wondeful at Aubrey hall." He trails his hand across my face, leaning in to kiss me once again. "I have ruined the surprise."

"I knew, Benedict. Pen mentioned it also, although she asked me not to tell you she had!" I laugh a little and melt into his arms. "I think it is wondeful of you. I cannot wait to return to Aubrey hall so that we may have such a wonderful ball, my dearest husband."

"Mm." With that, he falls asleep.

We leave the next day. We have been in London for almost a week and the excitement has been rather tiring and strange. I am excited to return home, that is to say the very least. Benedict is as well. We collect the latest edition of Lady Whistledown for the journey, and I watch as he reads through it and let's out a gentle sigh of relief. "Lady Whistledown labels me a hero. I am a hero, Peaches."

"She said that?" I laugh a little, taking the paper from him and reading it with fake surprise so that it seems I am just as shocked as he is. "I told you that it shall all be okay, did I not? She calls you a splendid and kind soul. I am ever so lucky to be married to the hero of the ton, am I not?"

"You most certainly are, my darling. I am glad to be away from London, that was far too much excitement for myself." He takes my hand and kisses each of my knuckles one by one, pressing his forehead against mine. "I never want to argue with you again. I feel as though it was when we fell out months ago and I did not see you. It was... agony. I do not want to endure it again. I wish only to return to Aubrey hall, paint and eat and sleep and do what we wish to, and lead a peaceful and quiet life... would you not agree?"

"I have never agreed with anything so much before, Benedict. This baby shall give us all the challenges we need, we do not need to be involved with the ton again for at least a little while." I rest my head on his shoulder. "We do not need any of them. Only the two of us and all the babies you have promised me we shall have."

"Oh, we shall have many. Many many babies. This shall be the first of a small army of them, my wonderful wife." His hand rests on my stomach. "How did I become so lucky?"

"You did not just become lucky, you are a good man and you got the good life that good men deserve."

"You are too kind to me. Well, we are home once again. And I do not ever wish to leave." He assists me from the carriage, his hand gentle on my back as he is careful that I do not trip or fall onto my face. "Of course, we shall have to endure them all for one more event, you said you shall love a ball, and you already have a dress."

"I do not care for a ball, Benedict, if you do not wish for one. I do not see why I cannot simply wear the dress and we can decorate simply for us. It is for us, is it not, and not for everyone else?" I try to help with the bags but he does not allow me to.

"I love that idea. We shall decorate and we shall dance and I am sure we will have more fun as a result of not inviting members of the ton and all the awful ladies and lords we should have to deal with. It shall be just me and you."

"Just me and you."