The Earl's Daughter (Benedict x OC)

Home for the Holidays

" Father, can you please be careful with Sam? I don't need him following off the horse." I said, running towards them. "Lilith, he is five months old, I started to show you how to ride when you were two." My father pleaded. " You can ride for an hour but if there is one hair misplaced then never again." I answered walking away from them. " Lily, how about if the two of us go out tonight, there is an opera playing tonight?" Benedict asked. "I guess we can," I replied.

My mother and father were delighted that they would have the grandchildren for the night but I was nervous to leave them. Ever since the birth, we had been attached at the hip and for my parents to have them in another house for a whole night but mother also reassured her that Violet would be coming over tonight with Belinda and Anthony since Daphne and Simon were traveling for Simon's work. I loved that the cousins would get together and have these playdates because we were a village raising all these children. While waiting for my big date night with Benedict I worked with my father on some business ventures and made sure that everything was going to plan. We had decided to not just become a Gin company but also a Rum company since it did well here. Knowing that this would be my company someday after my father was gone made me nervous but Anthony and Benedict had assured me many times that they would help as long as I needed it. After finishing the blueprints for the Brandy distillery, my father and I quickly had a smoke making sure the window was open so mother didn't catch us but unfortunately she quickly drowned the pipe in a bucket of ice that was meant for my fathers drink. It was funny watching them bicker about that because it was the only habit my father would never break and made her mad. I walked up to my room to see on the bed as my Artemis costume was also laid across the bed neatly with my crown right above it. I assumed one of the newer maids placed it on the bed for the opera since Emily had just gotten married and was on her honeymoon. But Benedict walked out of the bathroom wearing his Dionysus costume and his golden crown of grapes was on the nightstand next to his long Blue trench coat. He walked over and we passionately kissed but before he could glide his hands under my dress I placed my fingers onto his lips and motioned him to look at the bed with my costume on it.

" Why is this laying on the bed?" I asked, it was my Diana dress. " Because we aren't going to the opera, my friends from art school are throwing a party and they are doing a Greek theme." He said. "What about Diana and Sam?" I asked. "Your parents are watching them and my mother might come over later with Daphne and Anthony's children." Benedict explained. "Okay, I will go change," I said as I kissed him then grabbed the dress.

I went into the bathroom and undressed myself in front of the mirror. I had lost the baby weight from carrying the twins but three stretch marks covered my stomach reminding me of the long months they were in the womb. It was hard to be with Benedict in a romantic way again because I was not the beautiful goddess he once thought I was. Instead I felt like a wet nurse milking myself dry day and night to bottomless pits. I loved my children, don't get me wrong and Benedict did all he could by hiring night nurses or making sure my family was here to give me time off to sleep but I missed being on horseback and going on hunting trips and having a sip of gin. I was still nursing my children so I placed some cabbage leaves between my corset and breast to make sure that I didn't leak all over the party. I walked out of the bathroom and saw Benedict's gaze look at me from the bottom hem of the dress to my curly hair casually resting over my shoulders. He slowly walked over and grabbed me by the waist and twirling me into the air. It felt as if we were dating for the first time again, so I let him carry me to the bed and kiss me some more all over my body until it was time to go. I placed my purple long trench coat over my costume and placed my crown into one of the pockets and made sure not to break it. We walked downstairs to see Violet and mother talking while taking care of the girls while my father was playing with Anthony, sword fighting while holding Samuel in one hand and a sword in the other. I walked over to Diana who was playing with her word blocks while Belinda was brushing the hair of one of her ragdolls. I grabbed Diana off the floor to hug and kiss her before she was taken by Violet so it wouldn't be hard to see me go. But once Violet grabbed her she began to whimper and almost let out a cry. Her cry forced me to want her to come back into my warm embrace and not go out but I haven't been out at all and I could tell Benedict and I slowly were getting cabin fever.