LIMERANCE,, benedict bridgerton

xxviii | manuscript

Alexandria and Penelope had carefully curated a plan on when they were going to take the manuscript to the publishing house. Alexandria had reluctantly agreed on going in the night on an evening when there was no balls any of their family was attending.

Alexandria could hear the many voices of her family in the sitting room as she crept out of the back entrance, she used the excuse she was still feeling a little under the weather so that no one questioned her whereabouts. It was one of those evenings where it was pouring rain heavily. Alexandria huffed and puffed as she pulled her hood over her head, cursing Penelope a lot.

She briskly walked to the agreed meeting spot which was in the town centre which thankfully was not that far a walk. "Finally!" Penelope exclaimed throwing her hands up in the air at the sight of Alexandria. "I have a whole family and a lot of maids to dodge, my apologies that I took a while." Alexandria scoffed.

Penelope managed to get a carriage for the two of them which Alexandria gladly climbed into. "Remember we must keep our hoods up at all times and put on a fake accent." Penelope said firmly. "Why do I need to do all of this, my actual name will be on the cover you know." Alexandria grumbled. "We are going to my publisher where they don't know my actual identity, if you reveal any real piece of information about yourself you could be tied to knowing the identity of Whistledown all along. You don't want that public disgrace, do you?" Penelope said sternly.

"I suppose not." Alexandria huffed. "Which accent should I do?" She asked. "Any that pops into your head." Penelope answered. "What accent do you do?" Alexandria enquired curiously. "You will find out."

The remainder of the carriage ride was spent in silence. "Okay, just follow my lead." Penelope said as they hopped out the carriage to which Alexandria silently nodded.

It was currently a chilly but rainy evening, the type where you could see your breath in the air when you spoke and get drenched at the same time. Which was particularly unusual for September but this was already an unusual year. Penelope stood on the stoop of the publishers building and knocked.

"My apologies for the late delivery sir." Penelope apologised in a rather brilliant Irish accent. "Anything for you, Lady Whistledown." The man smiled as Penelope exchanged the latest copy along with fees which made Alexandria's eyes a little, he knew she was Whistledown? The mans eyes slid from Penelope to Alexandria, his eyebrows knitting together.

"Sorry sir." Alexandria started in a Scottish accent. "I have my novel here that's all ready to be published, and Lady Whistledown here recommended you as the best publisher." Alexandria said switching on a charming smile which had the man blush a little. "A friend of Lady Whistledown is a good friend of mine." The man smiled coyly.

He told Alexandria the fee for publishing the book which thankfully she had managed to scrape together. Alexandria also gave him information necessary for where to send any information about her book to. "Thank you for your service, sir." Both women said as they made their way back to the carriage.

"I like the secretiveness of this all and the adrenaline it gives me. Like I am doing something bad." Alexandria laughed and Penelope smirked. "You are still publishing Whistledown after everything that happened?" Alexandria said in shock as they took their seats in the carriage, she looked over at a timid looking Penelope expectantly.

"I had to put things right." Penelope said simply and the air was filled with a weird tension Alexandria was now trying to break.

"So..how did Colin find out?" Alexandria asked. "We were out at one of the Queens balls when the latest publication came out leaving everyone in uproar. I quickly rushed back home and wrote a new article, when I left the publishers office Colin was standing right there." Penelope said leaving Alexandria wincing. "Colin overheard the publisher address me as Whistledown and It did not go down well. Eventually I let it slip Eloise knew and they got into an argument too. So he is not speaking to the both of us." Penelope let out a sigh of defeat.

"Oh Penelope I'm sorry." Alexandria said frowning, she did not expect Colin to react like this. But then things that were said about him had to be took into consideration. "Don't worry I didn't mention you knew I think that would have been the last straw for Colin, knowing the closest women in his life were all keeping the same secret." Penelope said sadly.

"Why was Eloise mentioned?" Alexandria asked curiously. "As I said I accidentally let it slip, and also she wasn't as supportive as you were." Penelope said staring out the window of the carriage.

"Fuck." Alexandria sighed, she knew her language was improper. "Your wedding is in less than a week and everything is still frosty." Alexandria said mulling all of this new information over. "I love him." Penelope shrugged helplessly. "And he still loves you, without a doubt." Alexandria reassured and Penelope still looked unsure.

"I will take your word for it." She smiled sadly. "Back to the manuscript." Penelope said changing the topic swiftly. "Why are you being so secretive about it? When it gets published and becomes a hit everyone will know it is you." Penelope said referencing Alexandria's secrecy at not telling her family.

"Nice of you to assume it will be a hit." Alexandria said sadly. "It will be." Penelope said firmly. "Truthfully I don't know why I hid coming here tonight, I guess I was just too scared everyone would not have faith in me that I could really do this. Especially my mother." Alexandria said tearing up a little.

"You are amazing, you do know that?" Penelope asked seriously. "So I have been told." Alexandria joked. "I will sit my parents down when I return home." Alexandria said already mentally bracing herself. "Good luck." Penelope winced.

"Did you.. Did you do this because of everything that went down with Benedict?" Penelope enquired hesitantly. "Yes." Alexandria said letting out a breath. "This was my outlet. Everything just came pouring out my head onto paper as soon as everything happened, it is like my grief took over." Alexandria admitted her voice thick with tears and Penelope nodded solemnly.

"I'm so proud of you." Penelope said reaching over and grabbing Alexandria's hand. The pair embraced eachother in a tight hug all of those years of friendship could be felt in that hug.

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a shorter and filler chapter but important chapter. sorry for the lack of benedict, trust we will be getting plenty of content of him and alexandria over the next chapters! i also planned on uploading a christmas chapter but the way the timeline is at the moment and the amount of chapters i have planned it won't be possible :( unless i bust out all of these chapters in a two week timeframe lol