A/N: Hi everyone, sorry for such a late update I've had midterms at uni, and I'm completely exhausted and have no creative energy rn but I hope you enjoy this chapter. I was postponing it because I wanted to add more, then I decided to go for quality over quantity so I hope you guys enjoy it!
The ball was a failure for Lucy, but a success for Eleanor. After the previous night, her little sister was the talk of the Ton. Prince Alfred danced with her not once or twice, but three times. It would have been borderline scandalous if a royal had not been involved. The budding proposal that was expected to come was all Eleanor and their parents could talk about throughout breakfast, and it made Lucy lose her appetite. It's not that she was unhappy for her sister, but her feelings were hurt- Eleanor was doing what Lucy thought she herself would be doing. As the eldest daughter, attention was meant to fall on her. Expectations were meant to fall on her. Lucy was the one who should be marrying high- she had the larger fortune. While she didn't necessarily agree with the system, it was all she was used to. She grew up being taught that she was the most important in comparison to her other siblings when it came to marrying well, since Henry had the right to marry anyone who was respectable and Eleanor had the smallest fortune out of the three of them as she was the youngest. With the monumental shift of priority to Eleanor, Lucy felt like she had lost her place in her family. She was going to fail at the one thing she was raised for and yearned to find a new meaning to attach to her life. She did not want her life to amount to nothing, and didn't want to live in the shadow of her younger sister who was an echo of what she could or should have been.
Deciding to ditch her family and their endless talk of the Prince, Lucy went for a walk around the gardens of their London estate. The air in their garden was different from the streets of the city. It was filled with the sweet smells of roses and irises, along with countless other heavenly herbs. While there was always the threat of a bee sting or spider bite, that matter did not phase Lucy. It was a place where she could wander freely, alone yet safe. It provided her a moment in time to be alone with her thoughts, and to evaluate everything that was going on in her life. She sat down on a bench, near a plot of fresh-scented rosemary. In her pocket was a little notebook of parchment and a small quill with an equally small pot of ink- something that she always carried around in case inspiration struck. She opened the notebook up carefully and allowed her thoughts to transfer from her mind onto the rough piece of parchment in front of her, the ink roguishly dripping down onto the page. Writing what she knew was always a habit of hers, but in that moment all she wanted to think and write about was the future. A far away and idyllic life that she dreamed she would have one day. Lucy jotted some notes down for a potential novel- a story following three siblings and their quest to find love. She hoped that by doing so, real life would one day mirror fantasy. Her thoughts were interrupted, though, by two sets of footsteps that sounded like they were approaching her part of the secluded garden. Closing her notebook and tightening the lid of the inkpot, she placed them back into the pocket of her dress where they had been previously. The two mysterious figures finally revealed themselves when they popped out from behind the bush that was covering the walking path- Benedict, along with Lucy's Lady's maid.
"Begging your pardon, my Lady- I know you wished for solitude this afternoon," Jane said somewhat frantically. It seemed as though she was trying to persuade Benedict not to disturb her, which she had evidently failed at.
"It's quite alright, Jane" Lucy responded. She stood up and greeted Benedict, who was standing with the most handsome and devilish grin on his face.
"Lady Lucy, forgive me for the intrusion" He began.
"No forgiveness is needed, Mr. Bridgerton- what brings you here?" She responded. Benedict shot a fleeting look at the Lady's maid who was still lingering awkwardly behind the two of them, and Lucy smiled politely at her.
YOU ARE READING
The Muse // Benedict Bridgerton
Fanfiction"𝚨 𝐠𝛐𝛐𝐝 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐠𝐢v𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝛐𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐦 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝛐𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝛐𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝛐 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝛐𝐮 𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝛐𝐫𝐞" - Atticus ~ In which Lucy Blackthorne and her family return to The Ton for...
