by-blows//bridgerton oc

eleven

I have been waiting with Daphne. Anthony and the duke have gone to obtain the marriage license.

"I do not think Cressida will be a problem," I tell Daphne.

"How do you know?" Daphne questions.

"Because now she can force herself onto the prince with no competition," I reason.

"I suppose so," Daphne says.

I smile. "Everything is working out."

Well almost everything.

"Denied?" Daphne and I ask at the same time.

"What on earth for?" Daphne questions.

"The archbishop of Canterbury did not think he owed me an explanation," Anthony explains.

"If we are to wait weeks for this wedding, it gives Cressida Cowper, not to mention Whistledown and anyone else, far too much time to uncover the truth of what happened in that garden," Daphne states. "Simon..."

"Lady Danbury," Humboldt announces.

"Welcome! Welcome!" Mama greets. "Is everyone as famished as I?"

"Now, this is far too grim a mood for the celebration I was counting on. What on earth is the matter?" Lady Danbury questions.

"Anthony?" Mama asks.

"We have been denied our request for a special license," Anthony informs them.

"What?" Mama questions.

"The archbishop did not see a need," the duke tells her.

"It is not the archbishop. It is the queen. Perhaps she has taken your rejection of her nephew to heart, or perhaps she is simply bored. Either way, it does not bode well for your daughter's social future, nor any of the Bridgertons, for that matter," Lady Danbury says.

"Surely we must be able to do something?" Mama insists.

"Give her what she wants. Attention. Appear before her yourselves and make a personal appeal. But she will not respond to begging, and she can sniff out even the faintest whiff of insincerity, so do not lay it on thick. Tell her you are in love, plain and simple and true. You can do that, can you not?" Lady Danbury says. Daphne nods. "Good. Now, where is the dinner I was promised?"

I startle awake when I hear a loud crash. I step out into the hallway and see that Benedict has knocked over a vase. One our mama is rather fond of.

"Benedict?" I question.

He smiles sheepishly.

"You are foxed dear brother," I remark.

Benedict laughs. "I was at Mr Granville's gallery."

I walk towards Benedict so he can wrap his arm around me to keep himself up right.

"I can see it was some party," I state. I force my brother to walk. "Let's get you to bed."

"West was there," Benedict informs me.

"Was he?" I question.

Benedict nods his head rapidly. "He was asking about you. He asks about you a lot."

I barely manage to get the door to Benedict's room open.

"I am very fond of him as well," I assure him.

Much though I try, Benedict falls face first onto his bed.

"Weston plans to marry you," Benedict tells me. He rolls onto his side to look at me. "He told me he plans to ask Anthony soon."