The Living Portrait of Benedict Bridgerton

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Elena smiled at the sight of her old friend. "I should say the same for you, Simon. Oh- I mean, your grace." She said teasingly as she curtsied.

"Please do not torture me like that. The current duke hasn't even passed yet." Simon said making Elena chuckle. "How was living with your aunt in the countryside?"

"I have post-traumatic stress disorder now. Thank you for asking." Elena replied which made Simon let out a small chuckle.

Then, Arthur returned to his sister with a wide smile on his face. "Basset. Basset!" He exclaimed as he saw Simon.

"Arthur Bennet!" He exclaimed as well as he firmly shook Arthur's hand. "How are you, old friend?"

"Quite well." He replied until his face saddened. "I've heard news about your father... my condolences."

Elena's thoughts wondered off as the two men continued to discuss. She bit her bottom lip as she observed every single person in the room, analyzing their characteristics and personalities. She took in the sight of all the people milling about, laughing, dancing and drinking.

She noticed her sister on the dance floor dancing with someone. At first, she assumed it was her mother that forced her to dance with him, but as Elena kept observing, Elizabeth didn't seem uncomfortable. She looked happy to be dancing with the man.

Suddenly her eyes stopped on a certain man across the ballroom. Immediately, she recognized the mysterious man who drew her not too long ago. Unlike the other gentlemen she's come across, there was something about him that drew her in. She felt the desire to know more about him.

Alas, she decided to turn her head away from him and ignore her feelings, remembering the dislike her mother felt towards that family.

𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧

{Few minutes earlier}

"Anthony! Daph!" Benedict called for his siblings from the other side of the ballroom. He made his way towards them, followed by his younger brother.

"Did mother tell you yet?" Colin asked his sister. "About my tour? I'm to begin in Greece."

"Greece? How adventurous, Colin!" Daphne responded happily as Lady Danbury walked towards the Bridgerton siblings.

"On guard." Anthony warned his brothers and they tried to escape but Lady Danbury had already spotted them.

"Too late." She said. "I already noted you."

"Good evening!" Benedict replied with his brothers and they bowed to her.

"Miss Bridgerton, you look rather lovely this evening..."

Benedict had stopped listening to their conversation as he spotted Elena from the other side of the room. She was with her family and Simon as they looked like they were having a nice conversation. Benedict admired her side profile and couldn't stop staring at her, wondering if he should go talk to her or rather stay with his family.

Lady Danbury noticed him staring at someone and followed his vision, spotting Elena as well. "Ah... it seems that Miss Bennet has caught your eye."

Benedict kept staring at Elena. "I suppose so... she's lovely." He breathed out.

"Why not ask her for a dance? She doesn't seem occupied, well for the moment."

He stayed quiet for a moment, as he was too embarrassed to answer. "I haven't the nerve... I'd make a fool of myself, she's the season's incomparable."

"She's more than that... my dear Benedict." Lady Danbury told him before leaving him alone.

𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧

"I'm quite parched." Daphne told Anthony, wanting to be alone for a bit.

"Then I shall fetch you a glass of lemonade." He offered.

"No. You have already done so much for me tonight. I shall return in a mere moment." She insisted and made her way towards the table offering glasses of lemonade.

Daphne took herself a glass of lemonade while looking around the room. Then, Lord Berbrook came walking towards her. "Small glasses."

"Lord Berbrook." Daphne bowed.

"Tiny little things, are they not?"

"The glasses? I suppose."

"Then the matter is settled."

"I'm not entirely sure the matter in which we discuss, my lord." Daphne stated as she frowned.

Lord Berbrook chuckled. "You've always amused me, Miss Bridgerton, ever since I was a schoolboy and you were..."

"All but... five?"

Lord Berbrook simply chuckled at Daphne's respond and slurped loudly while creepily staring at her.

Now Daphne was getting uncomfortable. "My brother, he summons me. Adieu." Daphne quickly left but Lord Berbrook started following her.

"Miss Bridgerton? A moment, please!" He called again but Daphne started to walk faster.

"Miss Bridge-" that was when someone bumped into the man, spilling their lemonade all over him.

"Oh, dear. Due forgive me, Lord Berbrook." Elena said taking out a small cloth. "Foolish me, I wasn't looking where I was headed." She handed the cloth to him with an unnoticeable smirk.

He eyed the young woman up and down before accepting the handkerchief  and awkwardly smiling at Elena.

She then turned her head towards Daphne to see that she was with the Duke of Hastings.

"Thank you." Daphne mouthed and Elena nodded.

She turned back towards Berbrook with a fake smile. "Again. My apologies, my lord." She curtsied before walking away from him, purposely bumping her shoulder against his as she left.

Bored out of her wits, Elena decided to go find her brother so they could get out of here. The room was crowded so she had to push through many people. Some tried to stop her (again), so that they could continue the conversation but she politely declined.

Suddenly, she roughly bumped into someone, slightly bruising her shoulder. "I'm terribly sorry." She turned around to apologize to the man face to face but her breath suddenly got caught in her throat as she recognized the man.

"Oh, it's you." Benedict said surprised, he tried to avoid Elena all night long. "I'm terribly sorry, are you hurt?" He asked, only to lose his train of thought at the sight of Elena. She is every bit as lovely up close, just like he remembered.

"I'm quite alright, thank you." She lightly smiled as she didn't know what else to say. She was about to leave until music started to play again.

The other guests surrounding them started to dance and they both noticed that they were in the way. Elena looked around nervously, having no idea what to do. She returned to face Benedict, only to see his hand reaching out to hers.

"Would you like to dance?" This simple question made her heart begin to race. She looked up at him and gently placed her hand on top of his, keeping her eyes on his.

𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧