Sweet Honour- Benedict Bridgerton

11. A Pearl

"Why in God's whole Earth would my sister forge Whistledown?" Victoria's eyes glazed over, her heart and entire being filled with unbridled rage.

"I do not know, but I do know that what she said is not true! I would never do that to you!" Benedict shouted, stepping forward with his hands out, attempting to take Victoria's into his.
She pulled hers away, shaking her head as the looked over her shoulder to Will who stood there unmoving, mouth agape.
She felt sorry for the fact that he had to watch this unfold, clueless about the history of herself and Benedict, but there was no way she could explain the complexity that was their relationship.

"I cannot." Victoria muttered, her breath catching as tears rolled down her face. "I cannot be here."

"I understand that my presence is unsavoury." Will whispered and nodded his head, understanding that this was not the time.

"No, no, please." Victoria couldn't bring herself to believe how everything was crumbling apart mere days after she arrived to Ton.

Will began to walk out of the room, hands clasped behind his back and his head hung low. Victoria paced behind him, trying to catch up with him in attempts to mend this pain.
She was almost out of the door when she was pulled back, her hand outstretched behind her, stopping her in her tracks.

Benedict had her hand clasped within his.

She didn't know what to do, wether to rip their hands apart and search for Will, or to finally let him explain himself. To hear him.
To stay with him.
Every fibre of her being fought with itself, but she knew the verdict as soon as she let her eyes flicker up to his. She was completely taken by him and that destroyed her, for she had just shattered another man's heart through false hope.
She felt herself return back to her body and understand that her hand was still in his. There was an odd feeling never to let go.

"I have seen this painting." He said softly. It felt as though they were floating in mid air and their hands were the only thing stopping them from rising to the ceiling.

Victoria did not understand his statement. "How could you have seen it?" She whispered.

"Last year, I travelled to an art exhibition in Bristol, it was the first time my art would make an appearance." He breathed, and Victoria knew exactly where this was going. "I roamed the event until I came across this particular one that stopped me dead in my tracks. It was beautiful when I first set eyes on it, but even more beautiful when I read the name underneath."
She felt his hand draw her closer ever so slightly, and her breathing became as rapid as a wave crashing to a rocky shore.

"I am glad that you admired it." Victoria could only utter these words for her mind was clouded, she had no clue that he had seen her art while it was travelling through England.

"I soon realised that I had been there." Benedict lead her back over to the painting, moving soundlessly. "With you." He said.

Victoria's heart beat became faint in her wrists as she began to feel perplexed with confusion.
"You remembered all this time." He said.

"How could I ever forget?" She whispered.

Victoria's mind was cast back to the summer of 1804, when her and Benedict celebrated her birthday. The seashells underneath Victoria's feet crunched as she walked gingerly because she was completely blind to where she was going, for Benedict's hands covered Victoria's eyes from behind for the duration of the journey.

"I do not know how much longer I can go without knowing where I am going!" Victoria giggled as she walked across the ground.

"You will know soon!" Benedict reassured as he guided her along the shore. "There, we are here." Benedict peeled his hands away, revealing a beautiful seashore covered in peach-pink seashells and grey rocks.

Victoria's face lit up as she turned to Benedict in joy, smiling bright as she had never before.
"I thought that we were getting too used to our sunset locations, so I thought to change it." Benedict's young naivety understood that Victoria did not need a grand gesture, but she was keen to the small things such as this.
Hours passed where they sat beside each other and talked about almost everything, they laughed and talked and talked.
The sun had just set when they decided to make their way back to the centre of Ton, they weren't too far so it would not be difficult to find their way.

"Wait, I have this." Benedict said, calling Victoria over, who was already on her way back to the grassy trail. He walked over to a large rock and hit something against it, which caused Victoria to pick up her pace as she was confused and worried he may have hurt himself.

"What are you doing?" Victoria asked.

Benedict revealed a clam that was freshly cracked open, he took something out of it before placing it back onto the ground, then wiped said something with a cloth before handing it to Victoria.

"For you." He said gleefully, revealing a freshwater pearl within his hand, it glistened and shone in the last remnants of daylight. Victoria's heart jumped at this, for it may have been the most heartfelt gift from anyone she knew.
That night they wandered home, hand in hand, before they had to go their separate ways at the forest next to the lake.

"Happy birthday." He said, leaving her to walk down the stone-laid path, rolling the pearl between her thumb and forefinger.

Victoria looked down at her hand within Benedict's as she was brought back to reality, there was no way in hell she could forget that night, for it was the night that she realised she loved him.
She looked back up at the painting, her painting, and to the open clam laid upon a deep grey rock.
This was her most successful painting and she knew exactly why, it was the only one that truly provoked emotions of longing, warmth and hope.

"I then traveled across three cities to see that painting again, and I did, but I always seemed to miss you there." He said.

"Why would you travel so?"She asked.

"Because I could not forget you. I laid awake at night, thinking about what you would look like five years later, if you had changed, if you were wed. I needed to know."

"I am unchanged." She said.

"Please forgive me." He pleaded.

"Of course." She said. "My sister will suffer the consequences of her actions, not you."
He smiled widely and their hands let go as she stepped back.

"I am afraid I must take my leave." She sighed and he nodded. "I am very tired after the revelations of tonight." Victoria chuckled.

"And I." Benedict said as she walked out of the room, "Do save me a dance?" He asked hopefully.

"Naturally!" She chuckled as she left the room, leaving him to stand in front of her painting alone.

Victoria bid a few of the guests goodbye and thanked Lord Stafford for his hospitality. She walked herself to her carriage and set off on the journey alone.
She found solitude in fidgeting with her bracelet that consisted of a thin gold chain and a freshwater pearl, which she rolled between her thumb and forefinger until she reached home.