"I can not believe we are doing this." Madeleine whispered against Benedict's lips, making him chuckle softly. He pulled away from the kiss, placing a hand on her cheek and staring at her with eyes full of love.
"I can. I have been thinking about doing this since the night we danced at the Danbury Ball. You were wearing that purple dress and you looked.. well, you were the most beautiful one in that room." Madeleine's cheeks turned pink and she smiled, looking down. Benedict placed his fingers under her chin, lifting her face back to his gently. He knew how shy she got when somebody complimented her but he had to admit he found it rather adorable.
"You are the most beautiful woman in every room, Madeleine Sinclair. And I am ashamed that it took me so long to realize that." He kissed her forehead, and she smiled up at him.
"You are not the only one. It wasn't until we danced together that I saw you as anything more than a friend. I guess years of seeing each other in diapers will do that to a person." She giggled softly, not able to tear her gaze away from his eyes.
"Hey now, I was three when we met, long grown out of diapers. You, on the other hand.." He made a face and she laughed, throwing her head back slightly. He smiled at her.
"I want to paint you." He said suddenly, a small smirk playing on his face. She raised her eyebrows in surprise and laughed softly, shaking her head at him.
"What? I do not think-"
"Yes, come on, I want to paint you." He guided her to the chair and sat her down, brushing a piece of hair behind her ear as he stood over her. "I want to remember this night for the rest of my life." She blushed and nodded, smiling up at him.
"All right then, but you better be a quick painter. I do not do well sitting still for long periods of time." She quirked an eyebrow.
"Oh, you? I never would have guessed." He smirked and she stuck her tongue out at him. "Stay here and I will get you a drink. Maybe that will keep you busy." He winked, leaving the room and closing the door behind him.
Madeleine's face broke out in a smile as she brought her hands to her face. She laughed softly to herself, unable to believe this was actually happening. Benedict had always been her best friend, neither of them had seen the other as anything more than that for twenty three years. There was something about that night at the Danbury Ball. Something had changed between them and both of them could feel it, but neither had the courage to bring it up until now. She couldn't wipe the smile off of her face and she turned as she heard the door open, Benedict entering with two glasses of god knows what. He smirked at her and handed her the glass, taking her shoulders gently to position her where he wanted.
"Perfect." He whispered. She giggled softly and took a sip of what tasted like wine, watching him as he sat behind the easel and took out his supplies.
"You know, your mother will not like me staying in your room once she finds out about us." She laughed softly. He began to paint, starting with a simple outline of her body. She was sitting with one leg crossed over the other, a wine glass in one hand and the other resting delicately on her lap.
"Well, we will just have to make sure she does not find out then, won't we?" He quirked an eyebrow at her, a playful glint in his eyes, and she scoffed.
"And how do you suggest we do that? You know better than anyone that your mother knows everything. And with seven of your siblings in that house, somebody is bound to see something. She will find out." She gave him a pointed look, and he knew she was right. Still, he smirked.
"Then we must enjoy it while it lasts, hm?" He winked. She giggled softly and nodded, taking a sip of her wine. He continued to paint her, feeling happier than he had in a long time. After a few minutes, she spoke again.
"Benedict?" He hummed in response, not taking his eyes off of the painting. "I am just curious, when did you realize you saw me as more than a friend?" He glanced up at her and chuckled softly.
"Well.." He cleared his throat. "The moment I first walked into the ball and I saw you, I couldn't take my eyes off of you. And then later on, when I saw you dancing with Lord Fife, I felt utterly jealous. It was a horrid feeling. I knew something had changed then, friends don't get jealous when friends dance with potential suitors." She laughed at this. "Daphne noticed it before I did, but apparently she's been thinking we should be together for years now, my mother too."
"They must think we are complete idiots, everyone else seeing something right in front of us that the both of us were blind to." Madeleine giggled, and he laughed at this and nodded.
"It wasn't until Whistledown wrote of us that I began to realize that I truly did feelings for you. Apparently men can be quite dense." He winked and she raised her eyebrows teasingly as her way of saying that it is true. He coincidentally left out the bit about him drunkenly confessing to Colin that night that he was in love with her.
"Is that why you were pushing me away for most of that week?" She didn't sound angry, just curious. It was nice to know that there was an actual reason for it. He nodded, not taking his eyes off of hers.
"I was afraid that if I spent any time with you, I would do something I might regret. I did not know you returned my feelings and I was afraid of ruining our friendship." She smiled softly at this and nodded, telling him she understood.
"Now keep that pretty mouth of yours shut for a moment. I'm about to paint your face." He winked and she giggled, nodding and returning her head to the position he wanted it in. She started thinking about the events of the past two weeks, it had been quite the whirlwind of emotions. First, the dance with Benedict during which she had realized her feelings for him. Then, the Lady Whistledown piece about the two, followed by her fight with Benedict. Then, her mother's passing. And now, she felt happier than she'd been in a long while. Something deep in her gut was telling her that this was a good thing, and that she and Benedict were meant to be together.
She kept her head still but her eyes drifted back over to him. He looked beautiful, so concentrated on the painting in front of him. His bottom lip was between his teeth and his eyebrows narrowed as he focused. He had rolled up his sleeves, exposing his surprisingly muscular arms, and taken off his cravat and unbuttoned the top of his shirt. He looked utterly in his element. She smiled softly, admiring how handsome he was. His eyes met hers suddenly and he smirked.
"Can't take your eyes off of me, hm?" She blushed, realizing she had been caught staring, but rolled her eyes nonetheless.
"Who's the one who wanted to paint who again?" She quirked an eyebrow and he laughed loudly.
"Touché. All right, it is done for now." The two had been sitting there for about an hour and Madeleine nearly jumped up, grateful she could move now. She hurried over and stood behind him, gasping.
"Benedict, it is wonderful!! You are such a talent, the likeness is outstanding. I feel as though I'm looking in the mirror." She kissed his cheek and he chuckled, pulling her gently to sit on his lap. She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, looking in his eyes.
"I am glad you like it. It is not finished though, there is no way I could capture your beauty within just an hour." He kissed her forehead
"You know, you really are an incredible artist. It saddens me to see you do not realize that. I am confident that, one day, it will be your paintings hung in this room. And people will walk around and say, 'Benedict Bridgerton, I wonder what he was like.'" She smirked and he laughed, shaking his head humbly.
"And what am I like?" He teased, tightening his grip on her waist and gently stroking her side with his thumb.
"Absolutely wonderful." She smiled softly, bringing a hand to his cheek. "You are kind, caring, and protective. And very, very handsome." She smirked and kissed his nose.
It was his turn to blush now, which not many people were able to make him do. He kissed her softly, never wanting this night to end. He pulled away and pulled her into him, resting his chin on top of her head.
"Thank you, Oly. You are too kind to me, always have been." His voice was genuine and she smiled, leaning into him and closing her eyes. She had always felt a sense of safety in his arms and she wanted that feeling to last a lifetime. The two sat like that for a while, both lost in their thoughts of each other.
A loud crash outside the room startled them both and they looked at each other in confusion. They both stood, Benedict taking her hand, and rushed into the hall to see what the commotion was. Two men Benedict did not recognize were practically brawling on the floor, a woman who looked close to tears standing against the wall. There was a hole the size of a fist in the wall behind her and Madeleine guessed she had something to do with the fight between the two men. Benedict wasted no time in pulling one of the men off of the other, others helping to separate the two as they fought against the people holding them back. Madeleine walked over to the woman and gently put her hand on her shoulder.
"Are you all right?" The woman looked over with wide eyes and relaxed a bit, nodding softly.
"Yes, I will be. Thank you. The one on the floor is my husband and, well.. You can guess the rest." Madeleine raised her eyebrows and nodded softly, she could indeed.
Granville came storming down the hall, shouting at the two men to stop acting like boys. He was angry, and rightfully so, he had opened up his home to these people and now it was damaged.
"That's enough! The party is over, gentlemen. I would like you to leave immediately." He ordered, grabbing one by the arm and ushering him outside. The woman's husband came over and she gave Madeleine a grateful smile before taking his hand and following him out of the house. Many of the guests rushed after the two, not wanting to bear Granville's anger. He was a very kind man but he did not tolerate disrespect. He looked over at the pair standing by the gallery and his face softened.
"Ben, you two are welcome to stay if you want. You have always been a most amiable guest." He chuckled softly, turning and looking at the hole in the wall as he sighed.
"Thank you, Sir Granville, but we should be going anyway. It is getting late. I am sorry about your wall." He gave the man a sympathetic smile before walking back into the gallery with Madeleine.
"I think I will leave this one here, I would like to make some finishing touches next time I come." He studied the painting of her before packing up his paints. He wrapped the portrait of Madeleine's mother and grabbed it, offering her his other arm. She smiled and took it, following him out of the house.
The evening air was a bit cooler now and the two began to walk home. Benedict moved his hand to around her waist, wanting her as close to him as she could be. Public affection was typically frowned upon, especially between two unmarried people, but there was nobody around at this time of night so he did not care. They chatted away as they walked, neither of them able to wipe the smile from their face.
Unknown to the two, a man stepped out from the shadows behind the Granville house, watching as the two giggled together. His eyebrows narrowed, a frown on his face. Once they were to the end of the block, he began to follow in the same direction, remaining hidden by the shadows of the trees.