The Second Born Bridgerton's Wife // Benedict Bridgerton

Sort it

"Benedict... Benedict!" I rush home and grip onto his arm, pulling him upstairs and pushing him into the room. He grins at me, starting to take his jacket off as though he thinks that there is something else going on here, so I have to quickly shake my head and press my hands against his chest. "She is not pregnant at all."

"What?"

"She is not pregnant whatsoever. She said the last time she saw Anthony was three months ago and yet she expressed she was not yet in her second month of pregnancy. You cannot have not seen a man for three months and be pregnant with his child at a single month! It does not make any sense whatsoever. She has no baby bump, she is merely wearing dresses that disguise it as such. She is not pregnant." I watch him, gripping onto his hands. "When did she first send you a letter?"

"It was... two months ago, perhaps. It was on the day that the farmers market was in town, do you recall? When the pig ran past you and you thought it was a child?" He raises an eyebrow at the fond memory, before his face returns serious to the matter at hand. "That should not work... she saw Anthony three months ago, sent me a letter at two months and told you today she was a single month with child?..."

"Yes. She is lying. I do not know why, I presume it is for the money. That should make sense as to why she does not wish to tell Anthony because she knows that he shall be able to tell you that it is not at all true!" I grin at him, rather proud of my detective skills. But as I look at him, he does not seem happy at all. He seems rather sad, actually. "Benedict?"

"I have given her a lot of money, Peaches. A lot. It... I have given her the kind of money that could have supported your entire family, and now you tell me what? I have fallen for a trick?" He shakes his head and frowns, pressing his palm against his head as though he has a dreadful headache. "This is not something you should be grinning about Peaches, this is... oh, this is not good at all."

"You have not been tricked, Benedict. You have fallen victim to her because you are kind hearted. There is a reason she chose to ask you and no one else, because she knows you are a good man who would support her if needs be." I sigh a little and sit up on my knees, stroking his hair gently. "You are only as foolish as Colin last season, you have trusted a woman's word and she has taken advantage of such. It is not your fault."

"How am I to explain this to Anthony? Or mama? They shall think me a true idiot for having believed her!"

"My dear, you are no fool. You saw someone who needed your help and you did not think twice about it. You are not a fool, you are a sweetheart. I love you for it." I kiss the side of his head and hold him close to me, sighing a little. "Do you wish me to speak of it to Anthony? I can talk to him and explain the situation, he might not shout at me. He has been so kind to me recently that I am sure he shall not, in fact."

Benedict only nods, looking as though he is holding back tears, and so I kiss him once more before I go to find Anthony.  "Anthony, may we speak?"

"Yes, of course." He follows me into the office, putting his hand on my shoulder as though he expects he shall be comforting me. "I am so sorry-"

"Benedict is not cheating on me and so you must not be sorry for me. It is an entirely different situation, and you must swear you shall not be angry at him."

"Why should I be angry?" He removes his arm from around me and shakes his head a little, a look of growing concern on his face. "Peaches, what has he done now?"

"Siena contacted him and told him that she was pregnant and that the child was your own and that she needed money to survive. Benedict saw that, and so he asked you for money so that he could help her. She did not want you to know that this was being done and so he did not tell anyone. That is why he has been asking you for money and that is why my mother has not been receiving any of what we thought she had. I went to see her today and she told me she had not seen you in three months and yet her letter to Benedict was two months ago and today she told me she was one month with child." I hesitate for a moment as I can see that his eyes are growing wider and wider with each sentence I explain to him. "She is not pregnant whatsoever. She has contacted Benedict and she has taken money from him and she did not wish for you to know because she knew you could disprove it."

"So... so she is not pregnant?"

"I do not believe so. And if she is then it is not your baby. Unless you have seen her within the last month?" I raise a gentle eyebrow but it is quickly dismissed as he shakes his head insistently. "Well then she is a liar and she has swindled your brother out of much money."

"I... he should have told me. I am not happy he did not tell me. I shall have been able to save us all from much time and much upset and much money! The money I have given him! Oh, this... he should have come to me." He exclaims, calming down once he sees that I am scowling at him and I do not wish for him to continue talking like that. "He has been... this was easily solvable, I... this will be easy. Yes, it shall be. I can sort this."