The Living Portrait of Benedict Bridgerton

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"Keep up." Lady Bennet called, shooting her head back at her daughter. Elena was snapped back to reality and she immediately followed her family into the new room that was added.

Isabella was clinging onto her father's arm. "Papa! Look at that one over there!" She gasped and dragged her father to the other side of the room, separating them from the family.

"Boys, this might be a good opportunity to find yourselves a good wife." Lady Bennet told her sons, walking arm in arm with them.

"I am but only 18, mother!" Thomas groaned as he kept walking with his mother and brother.

"Which is a perfectly reasonable age to start browsing." Lady Bennet pushed Thomas into the crowd and wrapped both of her arms around Arthur. "Miss Anna Vaughn... Speaks several languages, I hear." She stated as she observed every woman in the room.

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Were I looking for a list of debutantes and their dubious accomplishments, I could have stayed home and read lady whistledown." He said, stepping away from his mother. "If you'll now excuse me, mother. I must accompany Lizzie to Lord Watson."

Arthur and Elizabeth walked away from their mother, arm in arm, leaving Elena alone with Lady Bennet. She eyed her daughter before pulling her by the arm. "Come now."

𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧

Elsewhere in the room, Benedict stood in front of a painting, frowning at it. He seemed confused and did not look like he understood the meaning of it. Lady Danbury stepped up next to him along with another man he didn't know.

Benedict began to speak. "It's much too cold." He said, grabbing hers and the other man's attention. "Where's any sense of the subject's spirit? And the light! Given the quality I do wonder why the piece was not skyed with the other daubs."

"Perhaps we should ask the artist." Lady Danbury suggested.

"Well that would be something, Lady Danbury."

She nodded with a grin. "Mister Granville, why was your piece not skyed?" She asked in a teasing way. Benedict eyes and mouth widened as he averted his gaze to Mr. Granville.

"Mister Granville, I——"

"If you will excuse me, I must find my wife." Mr. Granville said and left right away.

"You diabolical... How could you let me rattle on like that?" Benedict whispered in an angry way.

"How could I not, my dear Benedict? It was riotously funny, you must admit. And it is very important to tell your opinion to a professional."

Lady Bridgerton suddenly came up to her second eldest with an unknown woman. "Benedict, dear." He turned around. "This is Miss Jane Agneston."

He stared at her, seeming uninterested as he already knew what his mother was trying to do. But he still flashed a polite smile. "How do you do?" He asked as the girl curtsied.

"Jane is also very passionate about art, like yourself, dear." Lady Bridgerton said. "I'm sure both of you could discuss it over tea and..."

Benedict had already stopped listening to his mother as he gazed passed her, noticing Elena exiting the large room and going into a smaller one.