,wallflower' • BRIDGERTON

chapter 26

"Faulty Friends."

[26]

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Dear gentle-readers,

Duty. More than laws or faith, I have often thought it the bond that holds our fragile society together. Duty to rank and title. Fidelity to one's family name. It demands both utter obedience and total sacrifice. But what happens when such duty is in conflict with the heart's true desire? Why, then there is the potential for a considerable scandal, indeed. The only question is will the parties in question heed my warning? Or is it already too late to turn back to duty and away from desire?

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It was the next morning and Anthony Bridgerton was nowhere to be found, most likely pondering on how to fix his very sticky situation with Miss Kate Sharma. While the Viscount had been ensuring the engagement of him and Edwina Sharma, there has been a certain carnal desire for her sister. Which made him hasten along the wedding arrangements.

Now, onto the rest of the Bridgertons.

They sat in the dining room, and everyone sat around at the table, enjoying their English breakfast, the only person absent from this gathering was Hope Buckingham. Benedict ate a bit of the scrambled eggs on his plate and glanced at the empty chair next to him. Violet ordered Hyacinth and Gregory to stop bickering across the table before she looked over at her second son. "Benedict, dear, you've been eating your eggs so slowly. It will go cold before you're finished. Have you decided that you will court Miss Buckingham? It has already been 2 weeks." She said.

Benedict snapped his head up and towards his mother. "Pardon?" He said, Violet rolled her eyes. "Katherine Buckingham. The two of you have been hip to hip for two weeks now, I am due another grandchild soon." She said, making Benedict's face turn sour. "Mother have some manners at the table." He said before looking down his plate in thought. He had nearly forgotten he was courting Hope's sister. Oh dear.

He breathed in slowly before watching Anthony come into the dining room, his skin pale as if he had seen a ghost. "Anthony, thank you for joining us." His mother said passive-aggressively. Anthony took his seat at the front of the table, immediately taking off his suit jacket and laying on the back of the chair. "As always, mother." He said before eating the food before him. Colin glanced around the table, noticing the melancholic expressions, "Is everyone to be in a sour mood this morning? Benedict pouted and Anthony was threatening as usual. There is to be a wedding in two days. I expect my eldest brother to be in a proper mood." He asked before taking a sip of wine from his cup.

"That is right, no gloomy expressions... until the wedding," Eloise said, making her mother shoot a glare. "Eloise Bridgerton now is not the time." She said, Gregory chuckled at his sister's sly comment. Suddenly, in came a very drowsy Hope, her hair was all the way down and she wore a white night gown that was untied at the top so it showed the top of her bosoms which glowed ever so nicely in the sun.

"Hope, my dear, restless night?" Violet said Hope hummed before reaching over the table to grab a cup to pour her tea in. Benedict looked up at her and watched as the sun bled into her brown curls. And how the bright ball of fire in the sky made the cloth on her body turn nearly sheer.

Benedict could see the shape of her body through the nightgown. He saw the curve of her stomach and the way her nipples had gotten sen-.

"Brother. How was your morning?" Anthony asked, making Benedict shoot his gaze to his brother. "It was... ideal." He said with a quick nod, Anthony glanced over at Hope with a puzzled expression before looking back at Benedict.