Thunderbird - B. Bridgerton

21

„It's too cold to be outside today, don't you think?", Benedict asks his wife, as he approaches her from behind and hugs her. Sofia was standing on the front porch, looking at the street, clearly in thoughts.
The last few days have been so... awkwardly peaceful that Mrs Bridgerton can't help but feel restless. Even though her husband assures her that everything is alright, Sofia still feels like this is the silence before the storm. She knows Karan better than anyone else and the fact that he's not been around the last two weeks, is definetly not a good sign.
"I actually enjoy the cold weather", she forces herself to smile.
„I know, but I have to inform you that you're not alone anymore. The baby might get a cold."
Sofia laughs. „I'm pretty sure that it's impossible for a baby to get a cold while still being in their mama's belly."

"You can never be sure", Benedict tells her. She turns around to look at her husband's face. Benedict, who was waiting for her to do that, immediatly covers her lips with his. Sofia leans in to the kiss, but only for two seconds, before she abruptly pulls her head away. "Someone could see us", she warns him, as Benedict tries to pull her back.
"You're my wife - and may I remind you", he adds with a boyish smirk, while putting his hand on his wife's belly, "that we did a lot more than kissing in order to make this one here." Sofia immediatly blushes and lowers her gaze, avoiding to look at Benedict's face. "I love your cheeks, when they're in this shade of pink." He places kisses on one of this pink cheeks. Sofia laughs. "One should think that I got used of your comliments and your touch by now... and yet, I'm still blushing."

„I'm not complaining", he mumbles between his kisses.
„We are." A voice from the street is interrupting the couple.
„Colin.. Selim!", Sofia shouts, turning even a darker shade of pink.
„Come in", Benedict says with a smirk on his face.
Colin exchanges a side-look with Selim and is surprised to see that the farmer's boy seems to be... okay with the situation. If he ever saw Pen like this with another guy... well, it would definetly not end in good terms. The men enter the house, but Sofia somehow manages to stay outside without being noticed. She just needs fresh air and a moment to herself. In the past weeks neither any of the Bridgertons nor Selim have left her alone.

She looks back to make sure that the boys closed the door behind them, then she fastly starts walking down the porch, to make her way to the street. Benedict has made it crystal clear that she's not allowed to be in the garden by herself anymore - at least as long as Karan is living literally next to them - but Sofia is sure that a walk down the crowded street of London should not be dangerous at all.

„Sofia!", a female voice from across the street reaches out to her. Sofia tries hardly to not make a face, as Mrs. Portia Featherington starts walking towards her.
„Mrs. Featherington." She nods and forces herself to smile.
„Oh, my beautiful girl, we are family now. You can call me Portia!"
„Family?"
„Of course! My precious Penelope is married to a Bridgerton, just like you. Her baby boy and your baby are going to be cousins."
This doesn't make us two related, Sofia thinks, but she doesn't say it out loud. Portia, in the meantime, continues to talk: „And this is exactly why I'm not ashamed of being seen with you."

For a few seconds Sofia is too stunned to speak. „I.. I don't know what you mean, I'm afraid", she finally says.
Portia Featherington's eyes are glimmering, while she simultaneously makes a throwing motion, as if she wants to demonstrate that it's nothing important. „You know... all these things that people are talking about"
„What things?"
„Oh...", she pretends to be embarrassed, but Sofia knows her very well to realize how much she's enjoying it. „You know..people have noticed that your marriage with Benedict started of with some.. scandals. Him seeming to meet other girls.. and then there are rumours about your bethrothed from Turkey coming to London... Mrs. Cowper swears that even this baby is not a real Bridgeron. But I assure you", her voice gets louder and louder as some other people from the Ton approach them, „that I don't believe any of these gossips."

Of course you don't. Once again Sofia manages to keep a nice face. „Well, people always talk, Portia. I can assure you that there is no truth to it."
„So the young boy who lives with you is not your bethrothed?"
„No", Sofia starts, but she's interrupted by a male voice that just comes behind her: „I'm afraid I am that infamous bethrothed everyone is talking about."

Sofia turns around to face a quite bored looking Karan.
„You...?", Portia asks. Her confusion turns into real excitement really quick, as she realizes that she might be about to discover something big.
„Yes, me. Lord Karan Şen - nice to meet you, mylady." Karan grabs her hand to gently place a kiss on it.
„You two are engaged?"
„No", Sofia quickly answers.
„Not anymore", Karan adds. Then he proceeds to explain: „Lord Kaplan - Sofia's father - and my father were close friends. When my parents died, Uncle Mehmed even let me live with him and his daughter and he raised my like his own. Sofia and I were always ment to marry someday, but then... well things turned out differently. Sofia is happy now and this is all that counts."

„Lord Şen is a duke", Sofia suddenly intervenes, „and still not married. I'm sure you know plenty of young girls who would be a perfect match for him."
„My youngest daughter is still unmarried", Portia informs a quite unhappy looking Karan, „The courting season is officially over, but I'm sure we can still arrange a meeting or -"
„I don't mean to be rude, but I'm really not interested in your daughter." He then storms off, without saying a proper goodbye.

„I can totally understand why you chose Benedict", Portia Featherington says to Sofia, who is still looking at Karan, suddenly too afraid to walk home alone.

———— Some hours later ————

Benedict Bridgerton is lying in his bed and listening to his wife's steady breaths. Today is the day. He and Selim - it's still weird to call him by his name - are about to leave the house to meet Lord Şen for a duel.
He tried so hard to make sure that Sofia didn't realize that anything is off, but he knows that his wife sensed something. Benedict tried to calm her by being extra loving and caring and he even went to bed with her at a very early time - to spent as much time together as possible.
Now, she is sleeping and he is watching her, listening to her.
Benedict would never admit it, but he is afraid. He is afraid of dying, of having to leave his wife, of never seeing his child. But most importantly, he is afraid of failure. He is afraid that his plans might not work out and Sofia might end in the hands of this monster.

Benedict slowly raises from the bed, eager to not wake up his wife. Selim has already prepared a set of clothes for him, so that Benedict doesn't have to open any drawers in this room. Just a few steps before he reaches the door, a voice from behind asks: „So it's true?"

Benedict turns around immediately, starting to panic. „I.. I just wanted to drink some milk. Couldn't sleep."
„You just wanted to go and murder someone!"
Benedict is about to decline, but Sofia continues to talk: „Don't even try to lie to me. Selim has told me everything."
„He has? When?"
„Today, after dinner."
„This bastard!"
„Don't blame him for being reasonable. How could you even think that a duel might be the solution to all of our problems?"

Benedict opens his mouth to explain everything to his wife; but he shuts it again, as a wave of realization hits him. „He's going to -" He stops to talk and starts running.
Sofia tries to follow him, but her big belly slows her down. „Who is going to do what?
Benedict runs directly to Selim's room. It's empty.

The bed is untouched and a little piece of paper is on the sheets. Benedict takes it.

Please don't be mad, but this killing him is my job.
Take care of her,

                                                                 Selim

Sorry for making you wait! But I promise it's going to be worth it. The next chapter is one that has been on my mind for so long, and I can't wait to write it down and share it with you 🤫