birdie.

Hope everything is well :)

Hi! You’re so kind for checking in 💛

sorry I haven’t been around for like a month now… unexpected health issues came up and, well, life has been life-ing a little too hard lately 🙃 but things are slowly getting better! i miss writing too so hopefully I’ll be able to post again soon

Excerpt.

“Is it very instructive?” Sophie started. Swiveling her head, she spotted Benedict, who stood in the doorway, one shoulder braced against the frame. He was dressed impeccably as always, ready for the day. “It is,” she began, then glanced down at the page, hesitating. “Yes. I believe it is quite informative.” He crossed the room in a handful of quick strides. Approaching her, he glanced at the cover.  “Practical Education,” he read aloud, brows lifting slightly. “I cannot say, in good conscience, that I have ever been in want of such a thing.” In spite of herself, Sophie smiled. “Why does that not surprise me?” “I cannot imagine,” he returned easily, unoffended. Throwing himself into one of the empty chairs, he laced his hands and leaned forward, inquiring, “Have you any plans for the day?” “Yes, actually,” she replied, closing the book over a finger to mark her place. “Your mother has offered to take me into town. For a gown.” “For Friday evening,” he nodded. “Yes. She mentioned it.” “I see.”  Since their promenade earlier that week, she had begun hearing from him with some frequency.

what a wonderful prompt! i did struggle a bit with this one because i personally do not see benedict getting jealous very easily given where he and sophie are by the end of ep8. that said, this was super fun to write! i tried to make this a bit more humorous, where benedict knows he's being silly with his newfound jealousy... which is really just him reckoning with the fact that he doesn't know everything about sophie's past (yet). anyhow, nonny, thanks for the prompt. i hope you enjoy reading this!

Link given below.

Excerpt:

“Oh, I am glad to hear it,” Sophie replied happily from beside Benedict. “Though I confess, I almost did not recognize you at first.” Belby laughed. “I knew it was you at once, Miss Sophie.” Did he now?  “You looked…” he started, then trailed off, evidently searching for the right words. Finally, he said, quite earnestly, “You look much like the old Miss Sophie.” Out of the corner of his eye, Benedict noted the color rising in Sophie’s cheeks as she waved the comment away. But she was smiling, that half-pleased, half-uncertain smile she wore often these days. Was that too a glimpse of the old Sophie? Or was this a more recent change? There was still so much he did not know about Sophie, he realized with an unwelcome jolt of surprise.  “And Alfie still cannot be trusted with a tray,” the other man was saying now. “Do you remember when he dropped–” “–the entire tea service in the west corridor?” Sophie supplied at once, shaking her head fondly. “What a mess that was.” If possible, the footman’s grin widened, putting his teeth on full display. His perfectly pearly and abundant teeth. God, why did he have so many teeth? Then– Was that a normal quantity? Surely not, Benedict thought wryly, kicking a pebble away with his foot.  He tried to remember what he knew of dental matters, but his mind kept returning to the same thought: Sophie had not mentioned this man before.