•••
"i drag myself up.
weary i walk,
guided by grace."
•••
August, 1813
The sound of laughter filled the large dining room within the Bridgerton House. "He took your ribbon?" Benedict asked his youngest brother, seeing Sevyn mock him to the young boy. "Did you take her ribbon?"
Gregory could not hold back his amused facial expressions from Benedict, spotting the girl act out the mans angst. "Dunno what you're talking ab-"
"I saw him do it!" Hyacinth exclaimed.
Sevyn was always curious on how it would feel to be Hyacinth Bridgerton- the youngest of the Bridgerton herd, with a vast amount of older siblings to keep her company. To any of her elder brothers, the girl could do no wrong. What a life that must be.
"I did see it in your pocket." Benedict admitted, crossing his arms at Gregory, who only rolled his eyes in response.
"I saw nothing." Sevyn smirked, receiving a playful glare from the second eldest Bridgerton.
"It's not fair!" Hyacinth exclaimed pouting. "He does it every time."
Sevyn would be lying if she said she did not feel a certain way seeing Benedict react with the young children, especially when Gregory tossed a grape in Hyacinth's direction. "Gregory, stop!" He scolded.
"Good morning." All heads turned to Colin, who looked as if he was a stranger in his own home.
"Morning, brother." Benedict greeted awkwardly.
"Colin!" Hyacinth shrieked. "Your engagement is in Whistledown!" Sevyn seethed, looking to her friend with a pitiful stare.
"Hyacinth." Eloise sighed, turning from the tea tray.
"What? It is!" Sevyn offered him the seat next to her, but he politely declined as Benedict motioned everyone out of the room
"Alright," he reached from Sevyn's hand, "everyone out, I think." knowing Colin probably wanted the time alone with Lady Bridgerton- currently reading the latest article of Lady Whistledown's.
Eloise hastily followed, sticking the pear in her mouth, attempting to catch up to Sevyn. She loudly huffed, seeing her best friend and older brothers hands entwined, "Seriously?" She rolled her blue eyes. "Right in front of me?"
"Eloise..." Benedict warned, giving a pointed look at the girl. The young girl hastily stuck her tongue out at the man, stealing her friend from his grasp. "Eloise!" He shouted, eagerly chasing after the pair.
Rushing through the wide patches of grass within the Bridgeton garden, "You go that way," Eloise instructed, pointing towards the darker area, holding the tall shrubs. "I will go this way." Without any parting words, Eloise took off in the direction of the swings.
Seeing Benedict's figure through the archway, she took off in the direction she was assigned to. "I saw you." The man taunted, slowly making his way to where she leaned, against the greens. "You can not hide, Sev." He laughed, his footsteps growing louder as he moved closer.
Jumping around the corner, in hopes to scare the girl, he was met with...
Nothing.
His eyes narrowed, quickly circling around himself, suddenly realizing he had become the pray. "Sevyn." He warned, keeping his guard up, reaching into the bush, "I know what you plan to do." He heard the rustling of leaves in the distance, taking off in the direction, and finding her near the rose bush.
Catching up to the girl, he wrapped his arms around her waist, sending them both to the ground. She let out a loud laugh, feeling his hand brace the back of her head, assuring it would not slam against the pavement. "Well," she grinned. "Hello there."
He smirked down at her, "Thought you could run from me?"
"I was hoping." She joked, seeing his false offended reaction.
"Watch it!" He warned, gripping her right hand, bringing her palm to his lips. "We would get in a vast amount of trouble if someone were to find us here." Not being able to hold back, he brought her lips to his, feeling her sudden intake of breath.
Grabbing the light fabric of his shirt, the girl pulled him closer to her. Ever longing for the skin-to-skin contact she had felt not too long ago.
His fingertips ran against the dip of her collarbone, grinning at the muffled sounds of begging. "Benedict..." she let out, eyes widening as his lips trailed down her jaw. "Benedict-" she stuttered, "we must stop." His eyes narrowed at her, "Eloise could return any minute." She excused, pulling herself off the pebbles, extending her arm to the man. "I would not like her to be angry at me again." She quickly turned to make her way back to the house, but her actions were stalled by the mans faster reflexes.
"Must you go so fast?" He laughed, pulling a twig from the girls hair. "You look like a birds nest."
The girl scoffed, throwing another twig, found on her skirt, at the man. "Says the man at fault!"
"At fault?" He reacted, the amused grin never leaving his face. "I was simply having fun, Sev."
"I do not recall having fun to be tackling a young lady into the gravel." She pushed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Or is that something new they are teaching at Oxford?" Receiving an eye roll in response, she continued, "I did not find that very gentleman-like."
"Why be a gentleman?" He asked tauntingly, "you are hardly a lady."
"All thanks to you."
"You wound me." He retaliated, brushing off his own breeches. "You know," he licked his bottom lip, "you are quite enthralling when you are upset."
"Silence yourself." She groaned, removing her arm from his grasp, shocking him. He had forgot she was even in his touch. "You will give me a headache."
"A headache?" He shrieked, covering his mouth. "Why! We must call the doctor right away." Lightly shoving the man, she took off to the front entrance of the estate, hearing his loud strand of laughs behind her. "Sevyn!" He called, rushing to catch up with her.
She truly did have the Bridgerton men on a string.