𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚗𝚒𝚌𝚎 - 𝚋𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚌𝚝 𝚋𝚛𝚒𝚍𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚝𝚘𝚗

𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚎𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚎𝚎𝚗

Benedict was pushed into a room by one of his brothers, and they followed him soon afterwards, shutting the door efficiently behind them but not locking it. Benedict's face twists in annoyance, whilst his blouse is a mess of crumpled material.

His two brothers are behind him so Benedict is forced to turn around for this whole interrogation.

"How long have you known Florence again for, brother?" Anthony starts, his head is held in one of his hands whilst Colin stands awkwardly to the side whilst confusion swarms Benedict's head, "Well I mean, I've had my suspensions since the first dinner but in a matter of months, you proclaim yourself in love with a woman you hardly know!"

Benedict's lips turned up at the corner in disbelief at what his brother had just baffled about, "Do I have to remind you of the previous scandal you inflicted on London with the Sharma sisters?"

Colin's lips twist but Anthony shoves him even without looking and it is quick to fall off his face.

"You were engaged to Kate's sister before you married her, but now because I have found myself in love, it's wrong and a sin for I have only known her for a numbered months?" Benedict defends, and as soon as the words leave his mouth, he already knows what Anthony will retort with. For the past few weeks, Eloise has spoken none stop of Whistledown, as usual for the season, but Kate has also bought up the topic of a Swedish Duchess in the mix, even without actual confirmation, he understood what his family thought.

"Florence is the Swedish Duchess Whistledown is so enthralled by! Which only means one thing, she would of course marry you in such little time for it brings an elated status!" Anthony hisses, Benedict looks over at Colin but as he does Colin's eyes fall to the ground.

And before Benedict can say another words in Florence's defense, the door is opened by Kate, "Anthony?" She calls before the door hit the wall, Benedict flew past her, and down the hall way.

He loosened off his blouse as he walked hurriedly through the halls, paintings of his predecessors loom over him and he feels as if their eyes follow him mockingly, he stops infront of a hallway where Florence is still sat around a table enjoying and making small talk with some members of his family, she even makes some of them laugh, and he enjoys the smile it brings her too.

Her eyes are distant however and they get distracted and wander but they spot Benedict before anyone else can and they light up instantly, Benedict takes that as his cue to go over to her.

He stops at the head of the table by his mother, bends a significantly way down so he can whisper in her ear an apology but he has to leave, she starts to complain that he can't cut the evening so short but he insists. She reluctantly agrees, he pulls away to place a kiss on her cheek and sees that Florence watched their whole mother-son interaction, he grabs her hand and instructs she gets up, she does so, but not without suspicion rising in her.

"We're leaving, Flo," Benedict whispers into her ear.

"Well it's been a lovely evening, Violet, you've always been such a wonderful host!" Florence compliments, Violet smiles gracefully back to her and then Benedict is walking Florence out, and as he does he makes an effort in slamming the door, but he does it effectively but quietly.

The wind nips at both of them, the clouds illuminate a shadowed sky and he pulls Florence towards him and kisses her.

"I love you," he whispers, and she mutters it back to him before pulling him in again for another kiss.

authors note
im back :))
exams suck and this is a short chapter because 1. im ill rn, i can't tell whether it's covid or tonsillitis but hey ho and 2. im also posting a chapter on monday