The Muse // Benedict Bridgerton

More Revelations

"Well, some things have happened, actually," Lucy began. There was a hint of nervousness in her voice.

"Oh? Go on," Daphne prompted, raising an eyebrow with a faintly concerned look on her face.

"Benedict asked me to marry him, Daphne" Lucy blurted. She figured she would get to the main point first, then explain, but judging by Daphne's reaction that could have possibly been the wrong move. The glass she was holding in her delicate hand went crashing into the ground, and her eyes widened.

"What?" She asked, sitting up in her chair.

"That's what I said too. In the same tone of voice actually- funny," Lucy tried to joke, but the look of shock and confusion did not disappear from Daphne's face.

"This is all very out of the blue, Lucy- I mean, I knew he had some feelings for you but I wasn't expecting this!" she exclaimed.

"It's a long story, so- wait, what? He has feelings for me- and you knew?" Lucy asked, now equally as confused.

"Well, no, I suspected. Since the last time we were all together, before you went to Suffolk for the year. He acts odd around you, Lucy, so it must be something," Daphne began. She bent down to pick up some shards of glass on the ground.

"But that's beside the point- how did this happen so randomly? I was just in London and the two of you didn't look like you were courting," she added.

"We aren't, not exactly. You see, a man named James Bancroft ravished me in the gardens at my first ball, and now father expects me to marry him and won't listen to reason. Benedict proposed, which my father refused, to try and help me. I spoke to him alone and he explained that he would still do it if I wanted to," Lucy explained. Daphne just sat there and nodded, slightly open-mouthed, so Lucy continued.

"And now I do not know what to do. I don't want to marry Bancroft, but I also don't want to end up in a marriage that makes both myself and Benedict unhappy. I don't want him to feel like he has to save the day and throw away his own chance at finding love. And I would love your advice regarding the situation" Lucy added, trying to keep the mood light. Her friend sat still opposite her, thinking about what to say. The past few days afforded Lucy time to come up with alternative routes, but she felt like there was nothing else she could do. Her father was stubborn, and he would not budge. The only other option would be to enter a nunnery, which was definitely off the table.

"Well, er- I would tell you to listen to what your heart is telling you to do. The fact that you're considering marrying Benedict is telling in itself. And the fact that the first thing that came to his mind was to propose to you is also very telling," Daphne explained slowly.

"That's what I was thinking too," Lucy replied quietly. Her cheeks were crimson, she just knew it.

Daphne smirked knowingly, meeting her friend's eye.

"I think you're just looking for a reason to say no to Benedict, but you have none. Otherwise, you would have disregarded the notion immediately," Daphne said. How could she possibly know Lucy that well? She was making a lot of sense- it did seem as though Lucy was searching for a reason to say no. She supposed, in her head, that this wasn't how her story with Benedict was supposed to go. They were supposed to have time to explore their confounding feelings for one another, and possibly fall in love if that was indeed what those feelings were to lead to, not be rushed into a marriage. That was the thing that made her so reluctant about the situation.

"I think you might be right. But I'm just so scared that it won't work out, Daph," Lucy replied, feeling the familiar sensation of her eyes tearing up.

"I was scared too. I didn't understand what I was feeling when I was courting Simon. But in the end, I knew" she responded, smiling warmly.

"You may not understand now, but you will in the future. And Marrying Benedict can never end badly for you, you two have known each other all your lives. He will try to make you happy regardless," Daphne added. Lucy still looked hesitant, so Daphne continued speaking.