ENCHANTED | eloise bridgerton

twelve.

"Charlotte?" Benedict calls out as he heads outside. He enters the gardens to find her sitting there, twirling a rose between her fingers. He takes a seat beside her and Charlotte looks up at Benedict and he can instantly recognize the sad expression on her face.

"Is everything alright?" Benedict asks her.

"Benedict," Charlotte says softly, "I do not love you."

"Oh," Benedict says. The words hurt him in a sense, but he knew that Charlotte did not love him. He himself was not certain that he was in love with her the way that his parents had been in love. But what he did know was that he wanted to do right by her.

"I'm sorry," Charlotte states, "If you would like to marry someone who is madly in love with you, the way that your mother loved your father, I completely understand."

"I wish to marry you, Charlotte," Benedict states as he reaches out to take her hand, "If you never love me, that is fine. But I proposed to you because if there is not a basis for love, then there is at least one for friendship, would you not agree?"

"Lady Whistledown has written poorly of me," Charlotte tells him.

"I do not care what some gossip has to say about you," Benedict states, "I've gotten to know you, Charlotte and I trust my own opinion over those of others."

Charlotte smiles at him, "You are an excellent man. You will make an excellent husband."

"And you an excellent wife," Benedict tells her with a kind smile.

Charlotte wanted to mourn the loss of true love, but there was almost a certain relief that Benedict still wanted to marry her. That he was kind. There were many husbands that would be far worse than Benedict Bridgerton.

Benedict stands and extends his hand to Charlotte, which she takes with a smile. Charlotte sits with Lady Danbury on the opposite side of the church as the Bridgertons. Benedict takes his place as Anthony's best man. Charlotte focused her attention ahead, knowing that if she looked at Eloise, she wouldn't be able to tear her eyes away.

The band began to play the music as Anthony took his place at the front of the chapel. Kate walked in after him, as she took her place as the maid of honor. Soon Edwina and Mrs. Sharma entered, and everyone rose to their feet as the young woman walked down the aisle.

Mrs. Sharma looked proudly at her daughter before leaving her on the altar to take her place on the other side of Lady Danbury.

"Please be seated," the priest spoke and everyone took their seats, "Dearly beloved we are gathered here in the sight of God, and in the face of this congregation, to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony."

Charlotte listened as the priest droned on but noticed the way that Anthony's eyes were not on Edwina but were rather focused over her shoulder, looking directly at Kate. The pieces had clicked for Charlotte long ago that there was something between Anthony and Kate, but to see him looking at her so openly while he was in the process of wedding her sister made Charlotte's stomach twist unpleasantly.

She couldn't help as she let her eyes wander across the aisle to Eloise, only to find her looking at Charlotte with mournful blue eyes. Charlotte exhaled a shaky breath. They knew that they could not be together, that their lives would be destroyed if they were.

But the fear and the reality of what could happen to them if they were found out still was not enough to deter Charlotte from the way that she felt about Eloise Bridgerton. She was in love with her and feared that she would be until her heart cease to beat.

"My lord," the priest called out as he tried to get Anthony's attention, which broke Charlotte from her shared stare with Eloise. Her gaze dropped to her hand and as she looked up, she found that Anthony's eyes were still on Kate.