Sweet Honour- Benedict Bridgerton

27. Mischief And Wine

The grass was soggy and dampened the hem of Victoria's dress as she trudged into the woods, but she did not care; the crisp evening air had certainly opened her eyes and mind once again. Twigs snapped beneath her feet as she got deeper into the marshes and a tall figure turned around at her rustling. Benedict stood there, lamp in hand with a smile on his face as though he'd been waiting for her arrival for years. Victoria giggled as she picked up her pace and ran up to him, her feet as light as a hare's thumping along the grass and he put the lamp on a nearby rock as he waited for her.

"Are you to help me sleep again?" She asked, sarcasm saturating her tone of voice as she held onto his arm for support as she regained her breath. He looked away into the dark blue evening sky with a wistful expression and then turned back to her, his smile turned into a smirk.

"No, Victoria." He pulled out a black cloak from where he had tucked it between his underarm and torso. He wrapped the cloak around her shoulders and tied it in a bow at her collarbone with such care, the whole time she was still clutched onto his arm like a limpet to a rock. "Let us go make some mischief." 

"Mischief?" She giggled as he pulled the hood over her head. He didnt reply; just simply tapped the side of his nose knowingly. 

He took her hand into his, picked up the lamp and lead the way through the marsh. They walked past the lake, the oak tree and the lavender and bluebell flower patches. Occasionally he would look back at her to ensure her wellness, and she would answer him with a mischevious smile that made him chuckle. The mossy path soon turned into gravel as they reached the edge of the forest and Victoria watched the lamp light up their exit through some intertwined branches that Benedict swatted to the side. A carriage sat ready and two horses snorted as they waited, digging holes in the gravel with their front hooves. 

"Come on." Benedict signaled to the carriage and opened the door. Victoria felt a sense of anxiousness wash over her- she was but twenty three and escaping her home in the dead of night with no idea where she was off to- but it left when Benedict took her hand to steady her on the step of the carriage. 

She nodded her head to the carriage driver as Benedict seated himself next to her. "What about him?" 

"Not to worry, thats Harcourt. Anthony hired him a few years ago for his own reasons and has since passed him onto me. I paid him an extra shilling to keep his mouth shut." He asserted, squeezing her hand. "Go ahead, Harcourt." He banged on the partition and the carriage soon took off. 

Victoria peeled back the curtain and looked out onto the dark and quiet roads of the Ton. There was something eerie about the quietness, it was nothing like she had ever seen, usually these streets were filled with people. 

"Are you kidnapping me?" Victoria turned to him with a huff.

"You have gone with me willingly," he let out a low chuckle "if I were kidnapping you, you would have kicked and screamed and not gone so easily." She rolled her eyes.

The carriage rolled to a stop as the wheels slowly splashed in puddles.  

"Arrived, sir." Harcourt announced from the other side of the partition.

"Excellent." Benedict replied and opened the door, stepping out before Victoria.

When she stepped out, Victoria was met with a large and stately house that looked inviting and tantalising with warm glowing windows and a faint sound of music drifting from them. She guessed they were just outside of Ton as when she looked over her shoulder, she could see the faint outline of the lane that she promenaded almost daily. Benedict took her hand and led her up the gravel path to the large white door but before knocking, he said: