#benedictbridgertonxreader

“Flattering as always Mr. Castillon,” she looks over at me, “and Miss Castillon. How are you this evening my dear?”  “Quite well Lady Danbury. Your decorations are magnificent”.

“Why, it took but all my effort to remove her from the staircase so we could move on to other things,” my brother jests. 

“Your compliments are appreciated Miss Castillon,” Lady Danbury replies, giving my brother a teasing smirk before looking back at me. “Have you been making your rounds? I have yet to see you on the dance floor”. 

“Oh yes, we were just making our way around the ballroom ma’am,” I reply, trying my hardest not to look anywhere else in the room. Lady Danbury, while an excellent host and valued member of the ton, is quite an intimidating figure. 

“Wonderful! Well I’ll be intrigued to find out who the lucky men are that fill your dance card,” she says as she walks away, moving on to entrap some other group in conversation. 

“I am quite interested in that as well,” my brother comments as we begin to walk again. 

“What?”

“Which men you have caught the eye of this evening. Countless of them I’m sure”. 

“Oh well, I wouldn’t say countless-”

“Nonsense Em. Look, every eye is on you as we speak”.

“That is because I have delayed my debut by quite a few years. I can feel their whispers whipping past us,” I sigh, uncomfortably glancing at all the viscous mamas who look at me and then whisper to their daughters. 

“You have to see it as quite the opposite Sister. The delaying of your debut has allowed you a few years advantage above the other young ladies this season. You have more knowledge and maturity and therefore all the more reason not to make a rash decision and bond yourself into a less than ideal marriage. I see it as the ultimate win for you Em”. 

“Or, I am older and therefore less worthy of the attention because I have less years ahead of me to breed and bear children”. 

“It is all a matter of perspective my dear sister”. Andrew parks us in front of the refreshment table, handing me a glass of lemonade before grabbing one for himself. The band strikes a last chord as the dancers bow gracefully, thanking each other for the dance. The mothers clap for a few seconds before pushing their daughters not so subtly in front of a potential suitor, offering them up for the next dance. I try to keep my shoulders up high so as to not hide myself in the corner of the room. Being back in London’s social season is much more intimidating than I had imagined. I see Mother making her way over to us, with two of my other siblings trailing behind her. Graham looks like he might tear our mother’s head off before the night is over, and it takes all of me not to laugh and attract more attention to myself. 

“Good evening dears. Anything noteworthy to report?” Mother asks as she finally reaches Andrew and I. I shake my head no before taking another sip of lemonade. 

“Is there any particular reason you look fit to burst Brother?” Andrew asks Graham, a smile fighting its way onto his face. 

“Your brother has spent the last two dances with some wonderful young ladies, haven’t you love?” Mother looks at Graham expectantly. 

“They were lovely, until one of them tripped over both her feet and mine, nearly causing quite the scene. The other I learned had accepted my proposal to dance on the false information that I am talented in both poetry and the pianoforte,” he explains, huffing in anger. It would be clear to anyone who has seen Graham attempt these things, or merely talked to him for a short while, that the arts are not his strong suit in the slightest. 

“Where on earth did she hear that from?” Andrew asks, already knowing but wanting to poke fun a little bit more. 

“I haven’t a clue Andrew, maybe our dearest mother would know something?” Graham retorts, looking directly at her. 

“I was simply boosting your prospects dear. You hardly seem keen on making progress yourself”. Andrew and I burst into a short fit of laughter. “And what about you Emmeline. Any potentially dazzling beaus you would like to tell us about?” 

“Not yet Mama. We have just finished our tour of the room, not without being stopped by Lady Danbury first”. 

“Well, seeing as it is her ball, that can’t be too surprising,” my younger sister, Josephine, pipes in. This is her first season too and Mother thought it best to divide and conquer the dance floor, Andrew taking me around and her taking the younger two. 

“She stopped us as well. I thought she and Mother would never stop talking,” Graham adds, not one for lengthy conversations. 

“What about you Josephine? Has anyone caught your eye?” I ask, trying to lessen the probability of Mother asking me another question. 

“Lord Gershwin seemed quite taken by her during their dance,” Mother butts in. 

“Was he?” I ask, looking back to Josephine to get her honest response as best I could. Andrew scoffs in disgust.

“What was that for?” Josephine asks him. 

“Lord Gershwin is a cheater and a liar. He has left his unpaid debts on our club books for months and insists every time he is questioned that they are paid off. The evidence stares him clear in the face and yet he lies,” he concludes with a nod, seemingly happy with himself for bringing the truth to light. Josephine looks slightly disappointed. 

“Well, people are allowed to change, are they not?” I offer, trying to not crush Josephine’s possibilities in one fell swoop. 

“If he wanted to change, Sister, he would have repaid his debts. The day he does that, I might reconsider,” Andrew quips back, firm in his stance. 

“All the better I wasn’t too interested anyway,” Josephine comments, shrugging. 

“We’ll find you a better husband Jo, do not fret,” Andrew tries to reassure.

The song comes to a finish and the partners bow once more. I look around at them, scanning their faces before glancing at my empty dance card. Before getting too sad about the lack of names on the small sheet that for some reason determines if the night was a success or not, I look back up, catching some couples smiling goodbye at each other. One poor girl looks like she’s on the verge of tears and her dance partner looks like the wind changed and his face is now stuck in a permanent grimace. A few people over from them stands a group of chestnut haired gentlemen, appearing deep in conversation. They look vaguely familiar, but I cannot seem to place my finger on who they are. Lady Danbury makes her way over to them, causing all three of them to turn around as if they could go unnoticed by one of the most observant women in the ton. I cover my mouth to stifle a laugh as each gentleman makes some variation of a straight, closed lip smile. The tallest of the three looks above the group, clearly not engaged as Lady Danbury talks to one of the others. 

He glances in our direction and my eyes widen as we make eye contact, a heat instantly rushing to my cheeks. I quickly look away, choosing to look down toward the floor and sipping on the lemonade still in my hand. I thank the heavens that Mother and my siblings are still engaged in lengthy conversation, much to Graham’s disappointment, and therefore did not catch my flush of embarrassment. I look back up and the taller gentleman is still looking at me, a small smile on his face. 

I turn back to Andrew, and as the conversation comes to a lull, “Should we make another round Brother? Perhaps you can tell me more about the dastardly men of the ton”. 

“Of course Em. We will catch up with you lot later,” he addresses the rest of the present Castillon clan. Then, as we distance ourselves from our family, “I saw you making eyes with a certain gentleman across the way”.

“Oh was I?” I ask, trying not to choke on the sharp inhale I took in response. 

“Indeed. Fortunately for you, there was another man blocking my view, so you are saved from that humiliation for tonight”. 

“How gracious of you Andrew,” I reply, joking to save face and internally being grateful that whoever that mystery man was decided to stand directly in my brother’s line of sight. 

“The human blockade had rather wide shoulders, and a rather wide frame in general now that I think about it. Impossible to look around”. 

“Did he now?” I try not to laugh at his casual use of “human blockade”. 

“I am being quite serious Em, this is no laughing matter,” he is also trying to keep a laugh down. 

“My apologies dear brother,” I widen my face so that I might have some chance of gaining a more look about me again. 

A gentleman takes the few small steps from his spot against the wall over towards us and stops directly in front of Andrew. My brother gives him a look up and down, as if taking in everything he would ever need to know about this man in a matter of mere seconds. 

“Lord Castillon, Miss Castillon,” he nods politely at each of us, giving me a closed lip smile at the same time, “I was watching from over there,” he points back to his spot against the wall, “and I was wondering if I might have the honour of a dance”. 

“Lord Campbell, was it? I believe my sister’s dance card is full unfortunately. Good evening,” he pulls me along, away from Lord Campbell. 

“What was the meaning of that? You know too well that my card is in fact barren”. 

“I know Lord Campbell from my days at university. Trust me Sister, he is not the type of man you want to keep in constant company”. 

“At this rate, Madeline will find a husband before I do”. 

“I’m just looking out for your best interest Em. And don’t be ridiculous, our 12 year old sister is not about to wed before you”. 

“It certainly feels like she might with the way you are behaving. Though if you are anything like this when she’s of age, I wish her the best of luck”. 

“As your brother it is my job to scour the marriage mart as much as you and make sure you have the best options placed in front of you”.

“And you are deciding those best options are you? Andrew, it is already difficult enough with Daphne Bridgerton being proclaimed the season’s incomparable, I do not think I need the extra burden of you shooting down all my potential prospects”. 

“Nonsense, here comes a ‘potential prospect’ now”. 

A gentleman about Andrew’s height had made his way over to us and stood just as Lord Campbell had done a few moments before. He smiles at both me and my brother before looking between the two of us and choosing to address me directly. 

“Would you care for a dance Miss?” I notice he has the same chestnut hair as the group from before, and I conclude that they must be brothers, or scarily similar mates. 

I look at Andrew, half expecting him to have some reason or another why this man is just as much a piece of scum as the rest of them, and when he doesn’t object, an awkward pause fills the space. 

“If I’m not crossing any boundaries, that is. Should your dance card be full, I will gladly take my leave-” “Not a bother there Lord Bridgerton. Emmeline would be happy to dance, wouldn’t you Em?” He asks, turning toward me half way through his thought. My breath hitches as it dawns on me why the group of gentlemen earlier were so familiar. The Bridgertons are recognisable anywhere. 

“Of course,” I smile as politely as I can, as Lord Bridgerton puts his arm out, guiding me to the dance floor. Andrew takes a step back, most likely going to find Mother and tell her the good news. 

“So tell me Miss, you are Lord Castillon’s sister, are you not?” He asks as the dance starts anew. 

“Indeed I am my Lord. You have siblings as well, yes?” 

He laughs, though I didn’t think I had said anything funny, “Seven in fact”. 

“Seven?” I repeat, the shock in my tone quite clear. 

“So it is not as common knowledge as we once thought”. 

“You’ll have to forgive me sir. I knew there was an abundance of you but the number seemed to have escaped me,” I internally frown; this does not seem to be going well. 

“It’s quite alright. I can hardly expect everyone to keep track of the Bridgerton clan. Surely it is not just you and Lord Castillon though”. 

“Oh no. Andrew is the oldest, then there is I, Graham, Josephine and Madeline. Josephine is also debuting this season”. 

“I was wondering about that. She seems of the age for this to be her first season”. 

“And I do not?” I ask, not meaning to sound offended, but to the untrained ear it might have come across as such. 

“No, that is not what I meant at all. Just that her being younger than you-” he starts to ramble. 

“I am merely jesting Mr. Bridgerton. We delayed my debut by quite a few years so I could finish my studies on the continent”. 

“And what is it that you study?” 

“Literature and artistry mostly, in France. There was a time when I was certain I would not debut at all and simply become a governess, so Papa thought it wise that I at least have some training in certain areas with which I could teach children. Then with some convincing from my mother and younger sisters, I decided I would enter the marriage mart and here I am.” I laugh awkwardly, hoping I didn’t say too much. 

“Is that so? Well, you would get along great with my sister Eloise. She is much into literature of different varieties, much to our mother’s dismay on occasion,” he adds with a smile. 

“You are all named in alphabetical order, are you not?” 

“We are indeed,” he nods, almost surprised that I knew that.

“I do remember some things Mr. Bridgerton. Three years away did not melt my memories that harshly”. He laughs, and I can only hope that it means I made a good first impression. 

“I just found out I am to begin my tour in Greece come the end of the season”. 

“Greece? Oh how wonderful!” The song comes to a close, and we bow as is accustomed. 

“Thank you for joining me Miss Castillon. I hope to see you again some time,” he smiles as he rises to full stature again, still having to look down slightly to make eye contact with me. 

“Thank you for offering it Mr. Bridgerton. I greatly appreciate any excuse to be pulled away from my brother, though I wouldn’t go telling him that,” I reply. 

He laughs, nods, and then departs, heading back in the direction of the rest of his family. His mother looks most intrigued when he rejoins them, grabbing his shoulder and no doubt peppering him with questions. I follow suit, finding Mama and my siblings. Josephine looks at me with wide eyes. 

“You got asked to dance by Colin Bridgerton?” she questions me, amazed. 

“That’s his name,” I mutter, trying to recall as much of the order of them as I can muster. 

“You danced that whole time and you did not even know which one you were with?!” Josephine’s interrogation continues. 

“Well, when there are eight of them and all the boys are to be addressed at ‘Lord Bridgerton’, there isn’t much time for guess work,” I explain, thinking it fairly reasonable. 

“Sending you to the continent did much good for your academics, but poorly for your social knowledge,” Mother sighs. 

“I do not think it was that obvious that I did not know the specifics. Besides, three years does a lot in the development of a person. The boys are hardly recognisable,” I try again. 

“Hm, indeed,” Graham hums sarcastically, clearly holding the opposite opinion. 

“When you spend three years not being filled in on the happenings of your hometown and focusing solely on your academics, things tend to slip your mind,” I try once more. 

   “This is my second-born son, Benedict as all you ladies must know,” Violet announced to the other Mamas, and certainly the rest of the ballroom as even more women joined the growing crowd.

   “I’m sure I heard Eloise calling Mama, I ought to accompany her don’t you think?” an obvious lie, but anything to get him out of this nest of shrieking Mamas introducing their daughters. 

   “I’ll tend to her in a moment Benedict, don’t you worry,” she said lightly squeezing his arm in warning. 

   “You know my daughter Prudence Featheri-”

   “Lady Berton, and this is my eldest Charlotte, she is very accomplished in-”

   “My youngest, Sarah is far more-”

   The introductions went on for what felt like decades, and Benedict was unable to free himself until he came up with an excuse, saying he had to greet an old friend, after his mother had finally left to find Eloise hiding from suitors and was currently trying to pry her away from behind a pillar inconspicuously, which met a great deal of failure and stares. 

   Taking this as his chance to slip away, Benedict made a quick trip to the drinks table, grabbing himself two glasses of champagne and fled to the terrace. Now looking over the gardens, he hastily downed one glass down his throat and let out a sigh of relief which formed itself into a mist in front of him in the chill air of the night. He felt like a coward using Eloise as a distraction for his escape and would surely hear about it later, but he couldn’t handle these insistent Mamas. He didn’t now how he would cope with the rest of the season. 

   Taking a sip of his second glass, he jumped as he heard the distant voice of his mother asking about his whereabouts very near the terrace doors. Shit he thought, quickly following the stairs downwards onto a stone path leading around Lady Danbury’s estate, ending at her greenhouse which was being restored; one glass door was boarded and the other broken with, luckily, a large enough gap for him to climb through.

   Once inside, Benedict once again felt relief. Confident that his Mama wouldn’t stray this far from the ball in search of him, he pushed further into the overgrowth of ivy, weeds and resilient flowers until he reached what he believed to be the centre. He was met with a grand cracked fountain in the form of men and women on rocks looking into the distance. He hadn’t felt much inspiration lately, since he learnt of the reason for his place at the academy, but the sight before him certainly needed to be captured. 

   He began to circle the dry fountain to take in the image, sipping what he hadn’t already spilt of his champagne he startled at the rustle of leaves as he continued, dropping the glass which smashed against the stone.

   “Fuck!” he heard a woman curse as the glass smashed, making himself startle again. “Oh it’s- please forgive my language my Lord, you frightened me.” she said, trying to hide a burning cigarette behind her.

   Astounded, “it’s quite alright,” he managed to reply with a hand on his chest in fright, “I didn’t realise there was somebody else here. Forgive my intrusion.”

   “I don’t wish to cause a scandal my Lord, we should leave separate ways a few minutes apart.” clearly panicking, the woman began to smooth out her dress and snub out her cigarette. 

   “Neither do I Miss?”

   “____, ___ ____” she sighed, seemingly relieved but still wary. 

   “Don’t feel the need to leave, I desire the peace as much as you seem to, let me assure you I do not intend to cause scandal, my family has only slightly recovered from near ruin from last season, I do not wish it again believe me,” he chuckled, calmer now and sat on a stone bench opposite her. He hadn’t seen her at the Queen’s presentation ceremony, she seemed to be the age of a debutante, she certainly held the beauty of a debutant, albeit a little less put together most likely from her escape route. 

   “You are Lord Bridgerton, I suspect?” she asked, steadying her breath and taking a long inhale from her cigarette. “Would you like one?”

   “Yes I am Miss ____, but call me Benedict, I think we’ve gone past formalities given our predicament,” he laughed, “Oh I will take one thank you,” he extended his hand to take it as she lit a match, placing it to the end as he cupped her hands in his to avoid putting it out. “Thank you.”

   “Why have you escaped to my haven Lord-, Benedict?”

   “I could ask the same of you Miss ____”

   “Call me ___”

   “___” he smiled, “with two of my siblings married, my Mama has set her sights on my own marriage prospects.”

   “Do you have any marriage prospects?”

   “Not currently, perhaps never. I am perfectly content in living my life as I please, but that’s not an option apparently for my mother.” ___ laughed, he liked her laugh. It wasn’t put on to be lady-like or polite, but genuine. “And what of you? I assume you’re a debutante, though I didn’t see you at the presentation.”

   “Yes I am unfortunately, like you my Mama is set on finding me a suitor but I’m not so inclined.” she sat silently for a moment, contemplating her next words, “I wished for more time to focus on my studies, but as the only child I am expected to marry well. Luckily I am staying with some close family friends who allowed me to miss the presentation, but Mama won’t know that.”

   “My lips are sealed, you don’t need to worry” Benedict said, causing her to chuckle with him. It was freeing to have conversation without the assumption of courtship, no Mamas breathing down his neck for a proposal but to just sit with a woman and talk without the expected wooing. He leant back to gaze up at the fountain, the breeze filing the comfortable silence. He once again imagined painting the scene but now with an addition, her. Her casual posture as she glanced towards him, inspecting him, perhaps looking for any sign of mistruth he wasn’t sure but he most certainly didn’t mind. It was probably the alcohol making him be even more aware of himself than usual but he felt hot and flushed. Her eyes travelled down to his neck, making him pull at his cravat (regency neck tie) as she wandered lower. Like her, he took in the sight before him. She wore a pale green dress with subtly embroidered flowers along the hem and sleeves, long white gloves had been removed and placed beside her, exposing her arms to the breeze making small hairs stand on edge. The back he assumed, as he couldn’t see, was most likely ribbons. His mind fled to the fantasy of unravelling each one meticulously, exposing her back as he trailed his fingers down to the end. He wasn’t certain how long he thought about her in that way but she was now clearly flushed as he met her eyes. Like a deep pool that he wished he could paint, swim within, gaze into longer. I’m doing it again.

   Nervously he coughed and broke his own eyes away, “I should head back,” he said ,stumbling over his words, “to the lion’s den, my sister is no doubt suffering.” He didn’t wish to depart but he wasn’t sure how long he could stay in her presence.

   She smiled kindly, her cheeks reddening further, “well I wish her luck, we’ll need it this season, I hope she can escape the rest of our fates.” Benedict smiled. He rose gesturing to take her hand, lightly kissing the back as a farewell, letting his lips linger a little longer than appropriate. 

   “It was lovely to meet you Miss ____.” and with that she removed her hand from his and, to his shock, lifted his chin to meet her eyes, grazing her fingers lightly across his neck as she adjusted his cravat to look presentable. He lost himself in her touch, it was as if her hands were in flames which spread down his body, cold as soon as she pulled away. 

   “The pleasure is all mine Lord Bridgerton,” she replied softly, again taking his chin in the hand and placed a kiss on his cheek. “I hope to meet you again to steal me away from our torment.” Too stunned at her boldness, Benedict rose to a stand bowed his head and left with a smile. The burning sensation only increasing, consuming his entire being in a single touch. He’d felt lust before, by oh my this was far more extreme. 

   He felt as if he couldn’t breathe until he climbed back through the broken glass door. He let the breeze hit him to wake himself from this encounter but he remained flushed red in colour all the way back to the ballroom. This season would most certainly be unbearable, if he saw her again he knew she could easily draw this reaction from him again. He reminded himself, I am a gentleman, but this woman made him want to cut ties with that statement completely he wanted to be close to her, he wanted - 

   “Benedict Bridgerton! Where have you been?” Oh no, he thought as his mother pulled him inside from the terrace. “How much have you had to drink? You’re all flushed!” she tutted. 

   “Sorry Mama, got carried away with some old friends.” he was grinning from ear to ear, but he knew his mother didn’t believe him and he was lucky she didn’t ask again. They would most likely be having a conversation in the morning. “Where’s Eloise?”

   “Waiting in the carriage, we best be off now. You were gone for ages, all those lovely girls you could’ve danced with.” she tutted again, starting to list all of her potential bride’s for him and how he missed his opportunity. He paid little mind to his mother’s words as he saw ___ sneak away from the greenhouse just before he was dragged through the door to the carriages. This may be a very interesting season indeed. 

   As Benedict left, she remained seated but with her hands firmly planted on the fountain’s edge. Placing the black of her hand to her mouth where he had kissed her, the imprint of his lips burning her skin. She wanted to kiss him in that moment but that would only lead to a very compromising situation had he even wanted it to continue. Perhaps she scared him away, was she too direct? What if he does tell somebody about where she was? He could have easily lied to her about his intentions towards a scandal. No don’t be stupid, she told herself, Benedict’s family almost faced ruin and their unchaperoned meeting certainly would solidify the family’s fate. 

   They were sure to meet again, if his Mama was dragging him to every ball she knew she wouldn’t be able to keep her eyes off of him. But little did she know neither would he.