Sweet Honour- Benedict Bridgerton

7. Lemonade

The next day was stuffy and hot and remarkable.

The sun rose at six a.m. and the birds chirped excitedly as the cherry blossom trees outside Victoria's window bloomed, and it's petals rained down on the garden grass. She was dying for lemonade but it was way too warm outside to promenade, especially as the diamond of the season, she didn't need the attention after the events of the night before.
Her heart raced every time she thought of Benedict, the softness of his hand, his thoughtfulness despite his resentment of her actions, his duplicity in making her heart sore.
It was agonising, but beautiful.
She made her way down to the kitchen, which was usually occupied by maids and servants but it was seemingly quiet, and began to make herself a fresh glass of lemonade.
It was her mothers recipe, scrawled almost unintelligibly on some parchment and pinned upon the notice board for the servants to learn from, but now Victoria read the instructions adoringly as she bided her sweet time on the lemon drink.
She walked outside and the grass was nearly neon in the stunning spring-summer sun, but she knew as soon as she stepped outside that she would not be able to handle the heat.
She fetched her bathing costume from her dresser and walked the stone laid path to the forest, lemonade in hand.

It had been years since she visited this place, but it felt only fitting. There was an odd sense of hope and fulfilment inside of her and she wished to let it simmer as she took a dip in the lake.
It was so quiet, thank the heavens, and she managed to change into her modest swimsuit without a bird even batting an eye.
She settled the lemonade beside a rock so as it didn't tip over, and lowered herself into the water. It was shallow enough that she could take a brief swim and then sit on the grass that lined the water with her feet dangling in.

Her heart jumped at a sudden snap of twigs and a shuffle of feet along the forest floor. She squeezed her eyes shut, praying to whatever god that it was not Benedict.

"Ah, I see you have made yourself quite at home again, Lady Victoria." No, the voice was too feminine to be Benedict's, and not scolding enough with insults to be her sisters. She stepped up from the grass and wrapped herself in a cloth towel before answering.

"I was wondering when you'd find me, Miss Eloise." She bowed her head and smiled.
"I have seen you wander the ton but still have not had the chance to greet you," she smiled in return , "might I add that it is pleasant to see you again after so long."

"And I return the flattery." Victoria chuckled, "Come on in Eloise, it is quite quiet here and I seem to have scared off even the birds."

"Ah I must not, I will perch myself on a rock and observe like a simple young woman." She added sarcastically.

"Oh you have never been one for societal standards have you, Eloise?"

"You know me too well." She paused and pulled something from her breastplate, a packet of cigarettes and matches.

"You surprise me, I did not believe you a smoker." Victoria gasped, and then extended her hand for which Eloise placed a freshly lit cigarette between two of her fingers.

"Do not tell, even though I know that you wouldn't dare." Eloise concluded.

"You know that I value our friendship greatly." Victoria agreed.

"I have come here so often since you left, I was all but nine and hoped that you would return one day, there's something that losing a best friend does to you." She sighed out a cloud of smoke.

"Please do not chastise me, you know that I left for a reason, and I lost you too so I suppose we felt similarly."

"Hardly. You did not have to live with my brother every day since." Victoria's ears pricked at the very word brother.

"I did not know Anthony considered me such a close friend." Victoria played it off, pretending to have misinterpreted Eloise's statement.

"Ah, you humour me, you know which brother I mean."

"Colin was always a sweetheart was he not? It warms my heart to know he missed me so." This one made Eloise huff.

"You are unbearable and I will not tolerate anymore of your jests, you know that I mean Benedict."
His name spoken was like the gates of heaven opening, a sweet feeling of newfound bliss, but Victoria fell silent and took a long drag of her cigarette instead of making another quip.

"He really did miss you, would not leave his bedchamber for days after." Eloise admitted, but she might as-well have put her cigarette out on Victorias heart, for it burned just so.

"Did he send you here on a quest to punish me for my nerve and sheer imprudence?" Victoria sneered in reply.

"It wounds me that you question my intentions so, but honestly no he did not. I just simply cannot handle any more of his mood swings, so go and have it out in the bedroom for all I care."
Victoria gasped at Eloise's audacious conjecture.

"You know that what I say holds truth."

"That was entirely inappropriate, young lady, you know very little of our relationship." Victoria scolded. "I am having no more of this conversation."

"You are a poor liar."

"Fine, then. What was he like? When I left." Victoria took yet another long drag of her cigarette in order to prepare herself.

"Inconsolable... melancholy... irrational... heartsick. It was all real, I saw it clear as todays fine spring morn. He missed you like hell and the devil and I suspect that he still does."
Victoria couldn't utter a word in response.
"But there was another thing... he was inspired."

"Inspired?"

"Yes, just so. He produced some of his finest artwork in the period after you left, full of depth and emotion, some of them I could even see you in the sky or a shoreline. Just noticeable enough for us that knew you to understand." She paused. "Like the colour of your eyes as the sky or the sea, your hair as the wheat in a field. You were his muse."
Victoria's heart ached at this sudden knowledge, she wished she had just agreed to stay with him that day, she done nothing but blame herself every day since.
"Nevertheless I must hasten home, I fear that one of my other brothers may worry and send for a search party."

"Eloise?"
"Yes?"

Victoria stood up and took Eloise into her arms, entrapping her in a hug. "Thank you." She whispered into her shoulder.
They broke apart.

"It was great to see you again." Eloise smiled. "But really, I am mindful that you hurt for him, I just wanted you to know that there is something inside him that feels the same for you. Do not give up, I wish to become resident matchmaker so, do not fail me."

"You are quite the character, Eloise."

"I am aware!"

They each walked in the direction of their residencies: Eloise stomping out her cigarette and Victoria's hair dripping wet from the lake. Victoria felt some spark within her heart and as soon as she returned home she unpackaged her easel and paints and got to work, something she hadn't gotten around to in almost a year.

It was true, that day was remarkable.