It is said that second-born sons have all the fun. This much is certainly true for Benedict Bridgerton, free from the burdens held by his eldest brother, the Viscount. One must wonder, how does the second eldest Bridgerton spend his time?
To the to...
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As everyone played their respective parts in setting up the wedding, Anthony sat in Benedict's dressing room. Benedict was standing at the mirror, adjusting his tie for the fourth time to ensure that it was aligned straight.
He took a deep breath, feeling rather nervous. He was not typically a nervous man, he was very confident in his abilities to speak on the spot and present himself in a proper manner. But this was one of the most important days of his life, if not the most important. He was indeed nervous, but he was also excited. He had not seen Madeleine all day, his mother ensuring that the two stayed away from each other in proper wedding tradition. He was eager to see her, and to finally be able to call her his wife.
"Ben, your tie looks fine. Stop fussing with it." Anthony rolled his eyes at his younger brother as he watched him. Benedict gave him an annoyed look and sighed.
"It is more so that I need something to do than that I am worried about my tie. I can not just sit around and wait, I will go absolutely insane." He grinned, making Anthony chuckle softly. A light knock at the door was followed by Daphne entering, smiling at her brother.
"Benedict, you look wonderful. I was just coming to check that everything was all right." She smiled kindly at him, walking up and gently dusting off the shoulders of his jacket. He smiled at her and nodded.
"Everything is just fine, Daph. How is Madeleine? Is she all right?" His voice was laced with worry, he knew that this day might be hard on her without her mother here.
"Yes, she is fine. Mother is in with her now helping her to prepare." Daphne assured him, but Benedict's eyebrows narrowed as his mother walked into the room. Daphne followed his gaze and turned, a confused look on her face.
"Daphne, I thought you were helping Madeleine get ready." Violet said, walking in with a confused expression.
"I thought you were helping Madeleine get ready." Daphne urged, eyebrows narrowed in perplexity.
"Oh, dear. That poor girl." Violet hurried out, heading straight to Madeleine's dressing room to help her. Benedict moved to follow her, concerned for Madeleine, but Daphne quickly put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.
"Wait, you cannot see the bride before the wedding, it is bad luck." She raised her eyebrows and Benedict sighed, looking behind her at the door. "She will be fine, Benedict. It was simply a mix up, Mother will be there to help her now." She reassured him and he bit his lip, nodding.
"Well, is there anything I can do? I can not simply sit here and wait around." Benedict was clearly anxious, fidgeting with his tie and cuff links. He was typically a very patient man, but he was much too eager to finally marry the girl he loved.
"I think I've got a solution." Colin walked in, waving a flask between his two fingers with a playful look on his face. Benedict sighed in relief and hurried over to his brother, taking the flask from him. Daphne rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless.
"I see you three have everything under control then. I will see you out there, Ben." She kissed his cheek and left the room.
The three brothers sat in the room for about thirty minutes, waiting for the wedding to begin. Anthony and Colin kept Benedict distracted with random chit chat, working in tandem to make sure they kept his mind occupied. It seemed to work rather well, Benedict's nerves dissipating as they talked.
A knock on the door made Benedict's heart jump and he stood up immediately, one of the men entering.
"My lord, it is time."
Benedict let out a deep breath as a smile made its way onto his face. Colin patted him on the shoulder and gave him an encouraging grin as he walked out to sit with their family.
"Are you ready, brother?" Anthony raised an eyebrow, walking over to Benedict.
"More ready than ever." He grinned, walking out with Anthony to stand at the altar.
He made eye contact with his family in the audience and they all gave him big smiles. He chuckled softly and put his hands together in front of him, taking a deep breath. He stared at the doorway to the hall, counting down the moments until she would walk in.
He was certain his heart stopped entirely when the door opened, Madeleine stepping through.
