,wallflower' • BRIDGERTON

chapter 21

"Edmund Was The Air That I Breathed,
And Now There Is No Air."
[21]

✑

The day had passed by as quickly as it came, and we were at dinner with the Sharma family. But, something was completely off with Benedict as I sat next to him. Sweat stuck to his forehead and his eyes were glazed over as he practically stared at the candles lit around. He gulped deeply meanwhile I cut into the piece of steak I had prepared for me. You could hear indistinct chattering and laughing all around the table, it seems everyone was getting along quite well.

"This room is exceptionally well-lit. Have you noticed, Col?" He asked his brother who sat to his right. He looked... nearly guilty, glancing away from his brother at every given moment. "The twinkle of the candles, it is as—. It's as if we sit amongst the stars." He suddenly said dramatically. I looked at him with confusion.

"What is wrong with you?" I asked as the rest of us looked at him curiously. "I was just telling Benedict how brilliant the stars were in Greece." He said, clearly making up some excuse as to why Benedict was now gazing at me, sitting back in his chair. I looked over at him and noticed his brown eyes were completely dilated.

"Are you enjoying your time here, Miss Edwina?" I heard Daphne ask. She was quick to nod her head. "I am, very much. The buzz of the city is thrilling indeed, but I quite enjoy the peace of the country." She declared with a soft smile. Anthony agreed with a hum.

"As do I. Though I dare say. It is not quite so peaceful with my entire family in residence." He muttered to Edwina, who chuckled bashfully. Her eyes seemed to twinkle any time Anthony spoke to her. "I understand, my lord. Certainly, I cannot compare my family with your seven brothers and sisters, but, my sister and I were known to be a handful growing up too." She said to him. Anthony nodded his head with a chuckle.

"But Kate always has had my best interests at heart..." Edwina trailed off before I looked back at Benedict, who was now looking at the beaded gold on my dress. He was completely out of it. What did Colin give him? Some kind of alcohol of some sorts? He pulled at the gold trimming the waist of my dress. "Your dress... is impressively well made." He mumbled to himself before Benedict then drunkingly grabbed a piece of chicken from his plate and took a bite from it. He groaned, chewing obnoxiously as if it was the best meal he had ever eaten.

"It was a revelation. Made all the better by the knowledge that I may have been the Briton to see in decades." Colin said as he looked over at Kate who listened closely. Benedict threw back his head and groaned once more, I sighed before reaching for my glass of wine. But, he thought it would be wise choice to try and grab my glass as well, which made our hands bump against the glass, knocking it over.

I gasped before rolling my eyes, while Benedict threw his body back with a hearty chuckle. He grabbed onto my arm and planted his face into my shoulder. I looked down at him with a stone cold expression. "Benedict, dear, you alarm our guests." Violet said with a straining smile. "It's quite all right, Lady Bridgerton." Miss Kate Sharma said.

"Perhaps... it is time for a toast." Lady Danbury said holding up her glass of wine. "A good idea. To cheer our guests." Violet said with a nod.

"Or to tend to other pressing matters." Lady Danbury said, glancing over at her. Right, this entire little event was for Anthony to engage to Miss Edwina. A long silence settled, no one seemed to say anything. Kate muttered something to Lady Danbury that I could not quite hear. "A toast. Yes." Anthony said as he rose to his seat. I grabbed my now empty wine glass and rose it in the air.