Balance: Benedict Bridgerton's Tale

Chapter 1: Unfold

ME:

NO. You cannot BEGIN ANOTHER FIC while you have two other WIP's including the one about Anthony Bridgerton. I know you want to write about Ben, but you should finish up the other ones first. You have a job now, a home to manage and no time to write.

ALSO, ME:

I AM GONNA WRITE THE BEN FIC. NOW.

Sigh. Anyway, quick mention: the name Alina is not derived from "Shadow and Bone", I had the idea of calling this character Alina prior watching the show just FYI.

This fic mentions Anthony being married to Mara Kensington but takes place a few months back as to where we are with Last Chance. Anyway. Hope you enjoy. Sorry for errors, as per always.

                                                                                               xxxxxxx

Benedict stretched extensively. Last night had been wonderful, his tryst with the seamstress of spurious French origin (he kept her secret diligently) pleased him. Most of all he liked the fact that she left him free... No, they were both not under the impression that more would come from this 'relationship', which she herself reminded him of.

She had no illusions about the 'class difference' and assured him that he was not her only 'admirer' that she was not languishing in the moments when they did not see each other. Conversely, Benedict also dabbled with other ladies and sometimes... they even did it together.

So he had no reason to complain and he often was so good-humoured in fact that few would be able to catch him angry. He had a kind word for everyone and as he liked to tease his large family, there was never a grain of maliciousness in it. No, Benedict lived a nice life and was content with it.

His mother did nag him occasionally, no that his brother Anthony had married a certain Mara Kensingon in a hurry to prevent scandal a couple of months ago. To their collective shock as a family his brother appeared to be happy and Benedict's mother, Violet reminded him that it was time for Benedict to find a suitable candidate to wed for himself. Benedict was not concerned about that notion, not now at least. Lady Whistledown, however, found it necessary to write about him every x as a 'desirable bachelor' so that at every event he attended he met a frequent variety of daughters and their mothers who spontaneously stopped him for a chat.

Benedict yawned and realised that he hadn't gotten enough sleep last night and that thought made him grin a bit. When he yawned once more, he lay down and closed his eyes... just for a moment.

He was not allowed to fall asleep; his mother expected him to chaperone them to the Bailey's ball since his brother was now married and no longer took on these duties.

He woke up when it was dark and looked around.

It took him a few minutes to realise where he was and when he did, he nearly had a heart attack. He still had time, but he had to hurry, and hurry he would.

The first thing he had to do was to get away unseen, which he usually did, but it sometimes happened that some seamstresses stayed behind who, for whatever reason, were running late for work. He would wait patiently for them to leave so that he could get away quickly, but today he had no time for that!