The Second Born Bridgerton // Benedict Bridgerton

New wife

From there, we decide as to whether we shall travel home tonight or whether we shall stay the night someplace, and since we are all so exhausted, it is a unanimous vote for the latter. I wait outside with my sister as the brothers ask for what rooms are available, returning to us, Benedict with a huff and Colin with a grimace. "My ladies, we have some rather bad news. There is only a single room available for us. We shall have to either share or return home. I vote that we shall return home, the last thing I want to witness tonight is my brother with his new wife."

"Oh, come off it, Colin." I look to my sister and my husband to see what their thoughts of this are.

"I do not mind sharing. It will be as though we are children once again, do you recall, Peaches? We would stay in each others rooms and stay up all night eating sweeties and talking!"

"I do recall. It shall be nice, Colin. Do not complain any longer." As Pen and Colin wander away to find some wine and some food, myself and my husband enter the room, and it is clear that this was not the right decision almost instantly. In the strangest setup of an inn room I have ever seen, not that I have been to many, there are two large beds. "Interesting. I... I shall... I must stay in a bed with Pen. You must share with Colin. We cannot have it any other way."

"Of course we can. I shall share with you and Pen and Colin shall do whatever it is they should like. Colin can sleep on the floor for all I do care, Peaches. I do not wish to spend our first night as a married couple away from each other. It has been long enough already, do you not agree?" He stands close behind me, running a hand down each of my arms and resting his own head on top of mine. "Perhaps they have a stable for our awful siblings to reside in. I am still unsure as to why they chose to come with us."

"Because they are pleasant company, and they wished to support us. You should be more appreciative, dear husband."

"Husband. Huh. That sounds strange, I like it when you say it. It sounds so pretty coming out of your mouth..." His hands trail across my chest, stopping on my chin as he sighs. "Must we really not share a bed, dear wife? I am sure that I shall be able to do it silently enough that neither collin nor pen shall wake. I am sure that you shall be able to stay silent enough also, you did so in the maze, did you not?"

"It is not that I do not think we could. Rather that Colin and pen simply cannot share a bed. You have ruined me and it should ruin my sister also. Things will be tough enough for dear Penelope when she returns to London without her virtue no longer being in tact. Although I suppose it is not as though Colin should do anything. Unlike you, he is a gentleman." I resist from leaning back into him, knowing that it shall only make it harder to part when our duo of siblings return. "Benedict, we mustn't. We truly mustn't, dear Pen would have no idea where to look!"

"Then perhaps Colin can take Pen on a walk on the cliff tops or along the beach! Or perhaps we shall make use of the time we have now-" As he says this, the door creaks open and we find ourselves in company once more. "And what treasures have you found?"

"Wine, more whiskey and bourbon, and some champagne to celebrate! No where for food but plenty for drinks. The only scraps we could find were these." Colin offers round a tray of cakes, of which I take one and so does everyone else, before carefully choosing our drinks.

"I have never had wine nor whiskey nor bourbon before, and I have only had champagne in moderation at the balls. How much is an appropriate amount for my glass?" I query, watching as both of the boys fill their own up until it is brimming over the edge. Colin indicates I should do the same. "Oh, I an sure that I shall not be able to hold my liquor as you two can. I should not fill my glass as high and neither should- Pen!"

I turn to see she is drinking directly from the bottle of whiskey, wiping her mouth and grimacing as she removes it. "What, Peaches? I am here and I shall be in trouble when I am home, whether I drink or not. So we may as well have a splendid time so that it does make this all worth it. Do you not agree?"

"Hear, hear, Penelope!" Benedict grins, with that charming, beautiful grin, and so I fill my glass and drink it, coughing at the bitter taste and the burning as I swallow it. "Howcome your sister may drink it with such ease, peaches? She shall be much better at holding her liquor, perhaps I have chosen the wrong sister. You shall be such a liability at parties."

"You shall be a libaility when I throw this on you!" I smile, trying to stop myself from grimacing, leaning gently into his side. "And what is on the literary for the evening? Simply drinking until we pass out?"

"I have heard of games that people play whilst they are drinking. Perhaps we could play a game, I am sure one of the boys shall have something, some idea." The way that Pen is grinning so wildly, I am aware that the alcohol has already taken some kind of toll on her, but she continues to drink nonetheless and enjoy it as she does. "Benedict? Colin? Have either of you ideas for something that we should play?"

"I am aware of such games but I am unsure how well they should go down in such company. They are of scandal and things that a young lady should not know." Benedict fills his own drink once again. "But I shall show you anyway, if you should like me to."