[1.5] The Duchess of Kent and Strathearn | B. Bridgerton

Chapter 28

A Time To Reflect

North Yorkshire, Ripley, England
A few days later...

No one but Benedict knew how excruciating it was to wait for his wive's letters. Every day he checked with the royal guards or with his colleagues, and all reminded him that letters from London take at least a day to arrive.

Unto His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent and Strathearn,
I hope everything is going wonderfully for you, my love. Not much has changed around here. Both me and our child are doing well, and surprisingly, so is George. He is looking better since the last time you saw him. He seems healthier. He has gone back to being the Prince Regent he is.

A few days ago, I delivered a speech to the soldiers and their families before they were deployed for war. It made me reflect on how lucky we are... I could not stop staring at their families, at the wives being separated from their husbands... As a woman, it made me realize how fortunate I was that I would never be asked to be in such position. Not you or anyone in our families will ever be asked to go to war, unless it is extraordinarily necessary... Now, I appreciate more the presence of all men in my life. And, yes, that includes your side of the family too. All your brothers.

I have also made time for your family. Being around them makes me feel at home, and a little closer to you. Eloise showed me your old book of sketches, filled with scrawls and ripped pages... I know you would have scolded her for doing so, but I am glad she did. Now, when you come back, I will get to witness how much you have truly progressed, how much of an artist you have become.

I love you, and I miss you, terribly... My artist. My Benny. My Duke. My dearest husband.
Yours truly, forever and always, and every day for the rest of our lives,
Your wife and Duchess, Charlotte

The Duke and Duchess exchanged letters weekly, but it wasn't enough. Benedict reflected on the matter at hand, of why he and his wife felt so distant. It was both of their faults, but he finally understood that he couldn't change her or her duty to her country. It is who she is, who she's always been. He knew what he was getting into when he married her, he knows the kind of person he married... But when it all became a reality it felt so different.

"Would that be all, Your Royal Highness?" The man at the shop asked him.

"Yes, that would be all. Thank you," Benedict payed the man and walked away towards Mr. Granville, who was also buying more food for the camp.

"Did they recognize you?" The artist asked the Duke of Kent and Strathearn.

"They did," Benedict chuckled. "It's kind of hard to miss it when you have royal guards following you."

"Well, yes. And who would have thought you would have a change of guard here," Henry chuckled with amusement. "Oh, the life of a royal, it is never dull, but I can only imagine."

Every two days, different guards would arrive to his location and exchange spots to continue guarding him. And every time he would ask, they all had the same answer, 'Because you are the Duke of Kent and Strathearn, Your Royal Highness. Father to the future Sovereign', except for one who was not afraid to mention, 'Because Her Royal Highness asked us to, and we always do as Her Royal Highness says'.

"It can be, according to my wife," the Duke remarked. "Although, I know life with her will never be dull."

"Which is why it is truly important to have the right person by your side," Henry smiled and continued to order more vegetables.