The Second Born Bridgerton's Wife // Benedict Bridgerton

Protect you

"I have merely walked into the room!" Colin exclaims and laughs as he places a cake in my hands. He knows I like sweets. "What did I do?"

"It is not you, for once, Colin. Think, if someone here were to overhear a conversation then who should take that conversation and tell Pen of it?" Anthony raises an eyebrow and leaves me to make the deduction myself. He is right, all it should take is for Eloise to think she has a wonderful piece of gossip, for it to be told to Pen and suddenly it is in lady whistledown. "Colin, would you go and fetch Eloise for us?"

"Why shall you not fetch Eloise? Perhaps I wish to spend some time alone with Peaches." Colin shrugs and laughs, rising to his feet and leaving.

Anthony looks to me and frowns slightly. "I am sorry that the two of you are arguing, I am. And I never thought I should say that. I hoped you would argue so that he no longer wanted to marry you and then I would have no problems on my hands. Look at all the problems your presence has caused me." He smiles once again, still a little out of character. I think he does so because he thinks that is what shall make me smile too but I find it oddly offputting. A smiling Anthony bridgerton is a rare sight and it is a strange sight. He takes his hand and moves a strand of my hair from my face as Benedict sometimes does, before sighing. "You two are lucky to have found each other. Even if you are having these problems now, they shall not last forever. It is a simple misunderstanding and it shall be cleared up once I have seriously chastised Eloise."

"I am glad we are friends now. You are not so scary any longer." I look at him and he holds my eye contact for a second before Eloise walks into the room. "Good evening."

"Dear Peaches, you look as though you have been crying. You wish for me to challenge Benedict to a boxing match, perhaps?" She leans against the desk and raises an eyebrow, taking the cake from my hand and carelessly taking a bite of it. "Just yummy."

Anthony narrows his eyes and prepares for questioning, and indicates for Colin to close the door, but before he can, Benedict pushes the door open. "You are having a family meeting without me?"

"I am challenging you to a fight, actually." Eloise continues to eat my cake, smiling a little and shrugging.

"No. We are asking you questions, it is probably best if Benedict is here, actually." Anthony looks at me and smiles to reassure me, switching his eyes back to his sister. "How does Penelope Featherington know of Siena's condition?"

"What?" Eloise forces herself to raise an eyebrow, shaking her head and throwing her arms up in a rather awful attempt to pretend she does not know what exactly is going on. "Whatever do you mean?"

"How does she know, Eloise?"

"I... my room is by the side of Benedict's. I heard him conversing with Peaches and I told Penelope. It is a scandal, is it not? She is with child and the child is your own, brother, and that leads me ever closer to the mystery of how women come to be with child, since none of you shall tell me!" She grimaces for a moment before this turns into a wide smile. "At least I can properly defend that it cannot be love, since she quite clearly  did not-"

"Out of my sight, Eloise." Anthony growls and that is much more like him. That is the Anthony we know much better. She rolls her eyes and hands me back the half eaten cake before she skips from the room. "Well that solves the problem of how Penelope knows and so I believe you should apologise to your wife now."

Benedict scoffs. "Excuse me?" 

"You may now apologise to Peaches."

"Anthony, do not... just... leave it. I am aware why I should have been suspected, it is okay-"

"He should apologise to you, Peaches. You did not come to see me crying for no reason at all, did you?" Anthony raises an eyebrow, becoming more insistent with his voice towards Benedict. "You do not think you should say sorry?"

"I do. Of course I do, and I shall. But I do not think that you shall tell me I am to say sorry." Benedict pushes himself from the wall, his eyebrow slightly raised as though he cannot believe Anthony's audacity to suggest it. "I shall apologise to Peaches but you shall not tell me what I am to do."

"She is your wife and she has been crying. You should apologise right away."

"Anthony-" I begin.

"Yes, she is MY wife. She is not your wife and this is not your marriage and so you shall not dare to tell me what I shall do. I have had quite enough of that for one lifetime." Benedict curls his top lip as he steps towards Anthony, shaking his head a little. He looks to me and holds his hands out. "Come, Peaches, my darling. We should talk."

"If you perhaps listened to me more often then we might not be in such an awful situation, hm?" Anthony stands and also takes a step towards his brother, blocking myself from taking my husband's offering. "You have got us into a terrible mess with this Siena business."

This outrages Benedict. "She is your problem! I only did what I thought was best to protect you and this family! I did what I thought would make things easiest for you, Anthony. I did not abandon her or what I thought was your child because it was the right thing for me to do."

"You did not even feel the need to verify the legitimacy of her pregnancy though? Peaches saw her for mere moments and could tell she was a liar. She had one conversation with her and knew what was going on. How could you not tell?" Anthony tilts his head slightly, raising his voice and becoming a little more attacking in his nature. He does as men seem to when they argue, putting their arms to the sides and stretching their chests to make themselves seem bigger. I am glad Benedict does not feel the need to do such.

"I have tried only to protect you, Anthony. I am sorry I did not do it exactly to your liking. Next time one of your lovers approaches me and asks me for money, I shall know what to do now!" Benedict exclaims, turning his head and reaching for the door handle. "I shall not stay here and endure this for another moment. Peaches, do you wish to go home?"

"To Aubrey hall?"

"Yes. Back to Aubrey hall where it shall just be yourself and myself and we shall not have to listen to this any longer."

"Oh, yes. Okay."