Bridgerton - The Lost Royal

Chapter Nine

Sophia

How could he? How dare he talk about me like that? And to make it sound as if I would ever fall in love with him. I could never marry him.

I stalk out of the building, into the darkness, ready to go home. I spot the carriages waiting but decide against it and I take a right turn instead. If Benedict sees me as nothing more than an ordinary thief than I might as well be one.

It takes me a second to find the stables but once I have it doesn't take long before I've found my way inside. There were two footmen 'gaurding' the horses but they seemed far more interested in the party going on inside. I take a look at all the horses and make eye-contact with a dark horse, desperate to leave the stables it seems, as he kicks against the wooden door he is locked behind.

I check on the footmen, but their eyes are stuck to the windows, and so I take my chance. I take a hairpin out of my hair and use it to unlock the door, allowing the horse to step outside. For a moment I fear it might run without me, but it stays still and seems to wait for me to climb on her back.

I try, but as I kick my leg up I realise the dress is far too tight, I can never ride on a horse like this. I run around the stables on my tiptoes and rip open a closet door. To my relief, I find a pair of pants and a shirt, so naturally I steal those too.

After a heavy struggle to get my dress undone, I slip into my new clothes, that fit much better than I expected. Just as I toss my dress aside a male laugh makes me freeze on the spot. I can hear footsteps and I drag the horse back into it's box, ducking just in time to avoid being seen.

I hold my breath as I push myself towards the wooden door, flattening myself the best I can.

"Well what a surprise, they're all still here." One voice says sarcastically.

"Who in god's name would steal a horse when they could sneak inside and attend the ball instead?" The other asks rethorically. They walk past and seem so convinced the horses are safe that they don't even notice the unlocked door.

The moment they've exited the stables, I jump up. With my heart speeding up in my chest, I climb onto the horse and encourage it to leave the stables. I move up and down as we enter the darkness of the night once again and I can feel more and more hairpins falling out of place.

I take a look around the corner, the footmen's backs towards me. I kick my foot against the horse's side multiple times and before I've been able to fully grab onto her we start flying.

I hear a male voice shouting something in my direction and I assume it's one of the footmen. I turn my head, a sly grin on my face, but that same grin drops instantly when I see Benedict near the stables. He takes a horse for himself and I groan, can't he just leave me alone?

He wanted me to stay, he practically begged me to. He was nice to me, he made me laugh and smile and for a second I actually thought that he cared. Rookie mistake. I learnt a long time ago that you can either use others for your benefit or let them use you. And I'm done, I will not be-...

"Sophia!" Benedict is right next to me. He chose a faster horse apparently. I say nothing and gain speed, racing into the woods near the stables. Benedict has no trouble keeping up, though he is out of breath,

"Sophia, please, I'm sorry." He pants. I focus on the road ahead,

"I don't care." I say aggressively.

"I don't care either. I don't care that you're a thief. I don't care where you come from. I really don't. I'm just happy you're here, in my life." He says it so passionately that it's hard not to believe him. I look at him for a split second,

"I'm leaving your life now, Benedict. I'm going home." The road we're on gets smaller and Benedict moves his horse in front of mine strategically, unabling me to run away from him. He looks over his shoulder,

"Sophia I-.." His words fade. Because of my anger, I saw it too late, I didn't notice the tree branch coming closer and closer to us until it was too late. My eyes widen and I try to warn him, I try to scream, but he turns too late and his head hits the branch hard. He falls off his horse and lands on the ground with a loud thud.

I duck to avoid the branch and tumble off my horse in the process, crawling over to Benedict straight away. His eyes are closed and a sea of red covers the side of his head. I take his face in my hands and when I return my right hand it is covered in blood.

"Benedict?" I shake his chest, my body trembles, he couldn't be... dead? Could he? I check his pulse and I let out a shaky breath when I feel a heartbeat. I look around frantically, everything is dark and I'm all alone.

"Help!" I shout hopelessly, "Someone help! please!"

As if summoned, a horse comes out of nowhere and I jump up, looking right at Benedict's older brother, Anthony, who's face blows up with anger at just the sight of me. Then he notices the blood on my hands, the tears rolling down my face and finally his younger brother laying unconscious on the ground.

He jumps off his horse and pushes me aside, kneeling down next to Benedict. All business he looks me in the eye, "We need a carriage to get him back. Quick."

"I-I'll go" I stutter, shivering.

"Dressed like that you're not," he pretty much growls and stands up, towering over me, "You're going to stay right here with him, keep checking his pulse." he says, still angry. I nod, my hands shaking heavily. Anthony turns away from me, ready to leave me, but returns then, placing a hand on my shoulder unexpectedly, "It's going to be okay."

Before I can respond, he's off and I sit down on the ground next to benedict, whose eyes are still shut. I place my hand on his heart and I sit tight, knowing the smarter choice is to leave. The better choice is to go back home and not care about this random man I only just met. If I leave, no one will have the time to find me and I'll be free.

Yet I stay until Anthony returns with a carriage and his other brother Colin. Neither of them say a word to me, they simply load Benedict into the carriage silently. That's when I run. That's when I can't handle it anymore and I slide onto the horse closest to me.

I take one final look back, knowing both Anthony and Colin are too busy to notice me leave. None of this was supposed to happen. We were never supposed to meet. It's time to go home, whether I like it or not.