#hatch

Well, it wasn't everyday one saw Mr Bridgerton in love so Hatch decided to encourage him in his efforts just this once. He figured he would ask for a raise as soon as possible. His encouragement did not come free!

God,he could not help but pity the poor girl! Mr Bridgerton had well-documented dalliances with women and some men of the ton, and Hatch in particular was not too worried, for his employer was careful in not bringing anything home with him. Unfortunately Hatch's job had grown difficult these days, now that Mr Bridgerton was very much interested in continuing his tryst with his sisters' lady's maid. Continuing, yes, for it seemed to have began quite sometime ago. Hatch had written to the Crabtrees, seeking respite and information and Mrs Crabtree was kind enough to inform him that there indeed was, "something happening" between "him" and "her". She did not wish to disclose further information, fearing for the dear girl's safety should the letter fall into the wrong hands.

Initially, Hatch did not opine anything new about Mr Bridgerton's attachment. He knew the ton would not have any favourable things to say about them, but had assumed Mr Bridgerton would have the good sense to end it.

Of course given his employer's history of being capricious, it was almost predictable! Mr Bridgerton hardly entertained a flirtation for more than a week, and spent his company solely with those who held the same priorities as he did. It was remarkable how he'd managed to find such companions to take to bed, given his drunken diatribes about feeling like an impostor. Hatch grew green with envy. Yes, wealth and popularity, but mostly wealth, inordinate amounts of it could buy one almost anything, even friendships.

In a way, he was grateful for Sophie Baek, who did not seem so taken with Mr Bridgerton's treasury. She did not seem so easily impressed. If her lack of response to his handwritten letters was any indicator of the value she had for her own person, then she must be the most righteous person Bridgerton House had ever had the privilege of hosting. Righteous, astoundingly clever and represented everything that was morally just. It felt satisfying to see Benedict Bridgerton brought to his knees, something he could not do himself. Good for her, he thought.

But he did fear for the girl. The ton would forgive a gentleman's bacchanal habits before ever forgiving an affair between a gentleman and a maid. Perhaps it would have been easier if he took her as his mistress, their sordid secret tucked away in a pocket of London, but he seemed to love her.

And oh, she seemed to love him so.

The sort of maddening, all-consuming love that could only result in marriage, no doubt about it.

Mr Bridgerton's proposed tryst in the conservatory with the intention to take Miss Baek by surprise was not the workings of a man who desired to take a mistress, rather a man who desperately yearned for his lover to agree to the possibility of marriage. No. They'd never be able to marry, but there was a real danger of them eloping. Was Mr Bridgerton proposing an elopement in his letters to her? Hatch had tried deciphering his notes — yes, it was wrong to breach the strict lines of privacy Mr Bridgerton demanded, but he never found out about it, so why worry? Anyway, the notes were unhelpful, for Benedict Bridgerton had alluded to some sort of "an answer" from her. If he wasn't proposing already, he must be asking her to elope with him! Dear God!

The candle Hatch was holding fell from his grip as he dealt with the realisation.

Then.. the girl?

Sweet Miss Baek would undoubtedly be with child.

Heavens, what was he orchestrating precisely? A magical proposal? He was no doubt aiding and abetting in their crime! With each passing moment as Hatch further indulged in his worries, the likelihood of Mr Bridgerton and Miss Baek's marriage only grew. He ought to tell someone! Anyone! He ought to put an end to this, but what if Miss Baek was with child and required sanctuary? He could put an end to their dalliance with a word to the dowager Lady Bridgerton, but the girl would be affected the most. Probably sent away, cast aside and her child left to fend for itself. The family would not claim any child born out of wedlock, even if they were kind of heart. Where would Sophie Baek go if her attachment to him came to a bitter end? There really was no easy solution to this. Damn you, damn you, Mr Bridgerton!

But he ought to tell someone! He had to stop this foolishness, but how to handle it delicately was another issue.

If Mr Bridgerton is prepared to defy society to be with her, then no one can save him, he rued. He loves her beyond reason and she seems to love him back for goodness knows what reason.

So Hatch decided to stay mum and spend the evening lighting the candles instead, per his request.

It was not his problem to fix, and he was but a humble valet in the household. What Mr Bridgerton did or who he chose to spend his time with was immaterial. Should the worst happen, he would prepare himself, collect his wages and ask for a raise — which Mr Bridgerton would undoubtedly give (he might be a bit of a dull fool, but he did not jest when it came to his monthly salary) and be on his way to seek employment elsewhere. He'd served gentlemen with dubious intentions in the past and he had no problem serving them again. Mr Bridgerton was a delightful exception in the sense he did not carry the duplicitous qualities of his peers, rather constantly seemed to find himself in ethical and moral quandaries. It was delightful and deeply hilarious, and he would miss it all if it were to end sourly.

"The candles are all lit, Mr Bridgerton."

Hatch found him in his bedchambers in Bridgerton House, as they had planned. He had retrieved more candles from Mr Bridgerton's bachelor lodgings to be brought to the conservatory, for what they had initially was "simply not enough!". He'd nearly burned himself with the hot wax trying to light them all, but had managed to survive nonetheless.

Hatch watched him gather cushions and blankets from his sofa, as much as his arms could carry.

"Do you — plan on carrying all of that from the house to the gardens, sir?"

"Why yes!"

"Would that not raise suspicion?"

"I can be quiet."

The pillows spilled out of his grasp. He leaned down to pick it up, only to drop the blankets in exchange. When he attempted to pick the blankets up, he dropped the pillows again. It was a never-ending cycle of self-inflicted misery with him.

"Perhaps I can handle those…"

"No, no, your duties are not required here." he said, dumping all of them into a trunk. "I have a far more um, important job for you. I would like you to escort Sophie from the house."

"I will not be allowed in the servants' quarters, sir."

"Oh you need not worry. There is a staircase to the left of the house that the milkmaids tend to use. Upon which, you will enter a hallway that leads into yet another staircase. It is about a short two minute climb to the second floor and you will find her bedchambers to your right. I can write the directions for you if…"

"I have committed to memory, sir. You need not worry."

"Good! Excellent! Oh, Hatch, you are simply wonderful!"

Mr Bridgerton took him by surprise by planting a firm kiss against his forehead.

"Though it does worry me a little that you have committed it to memory."

"Ah well."

He refused to elaborate further.

"What of Lady Bridgerton?"

"What of my mother?"

"Will she not.. vehemently oppose your attachment, and your um.. investment in Miss Baek's life?"

"It is what Sophie wants and whatever she wants, I shall bring to fruition." he answered simply. "The rest others will remain as they are."

Mr Bridgerton seldom lost his composure (might be the fact he never had one to begin with), but today he was as shy and giggly as a schoolboy. He had a bright smile on his face that never seemed to disappear, the red returned to his cheeks and ears after weeks of looking as pale as a ghost and that very same morning he had broken his fast on bread and butter instead of gin and more gin. He had a skip to his step, seemed awfully and almost nauseatingly pleasant to be around and kept tracing his lips in a fit of feverish anticipation, as if he could not wait to kiss his beloved again. Those were some of the more major changes.

There were other changes too — the way he seemed more devoted to his work as Viscount, retiring his hastiness for a more methodical approach, his frequent appearances in society. He carried out his duties justly, all for the approval of someone leagues below in station compared to him. It drove Hatch a little mad. He did not fancy Mr Bridgerton, but he was charismatic and wielded it generously to trap unassuming passer-by in his life to fall in love with him. He was the worst, really. Miss Baek must not only be the most steadfast in spirit, but also the strongest among all to be able to resist his wiles.

"Forgive me sir for speaking my mind, but I worry for Miss Baek. Should the worst happen and you are not.."

"The worst will not happen." he retorted.

"What is it that you hope to accomplish?"

Mr Bridgerton heaved a sigh.

"I cannot marry her. I cannot be with her, not in this lifetime. But I have despaired for too long already. I have mourned my fill, I have poured my grief, my truth and my life to her and I now exist in threadbare clothes. I will not grieve, for it is her love that I seek, not grief, and that is enough for me.

"The Crabtrees have received my word, of course, thanks to your timely delivery of my letter. They are to prepare My Cottage — or well, Our Cottage as it would be henceforth called — for our permanent stay there. I cannot marry her, but I can marry her in everything but in name. I've withdrawn myself from the marriage mart. There is no one on this earth I will promise myself to but her. Sophie is.. brilliant and wonderful and .. captivating, far more than I deserve and I shall not squander it any longer than I have already. There is no one I live for but her, and I love her so dearly I cannot even begin to express myself! I live everyday solely for the promise of her delight."

Hatch stewed in the silence for a moment.

"Sir, what of your family?"

"Yes?"

"Do you not cherish them?"

"Not everything is so definitive, Hatch. There is room in my heart for all."

"While your efforts come from a place of good intentions, you will risk upsetting your family if you were to choose Miss Baek over them." Hatch said. "Pardon me sir, but your family will not understand your abstract notions of love."

"Well, they will certainly understand my choice."

"You will risk losing them, sir."

"Then so be it."

"Is it ever worth it to risk everything you have ever known? The ton regards you as a well-to-do gentleman, and I have no doubt your reputation must precede you. I do not mean to discourage you sir, but I simply wish to use this opportunity to echo what your family, or well, people of society might opine if they were to make a discovery."

"Which is?"

"There are — wiser choices to be made."

"Isn't that always the case?" came an acidic reply. "There are always wiser choices to be made, but that does not rid them of their cowardly nature."

"I do not mean to upset you, sir."

"No, of course not, I would not deem your concerns so. Forgive me."

Mr Bridgerton was rarely thorny. Not short-tempered and was easy to please. If he could be brought down from such virtuous heights (virtuous, as if he was somehow not the very picture of sin!) to his rawest form, thanks to a lovestruck arrow to the heart, then goodness knows what he would become if Miss Baek were to accept his hand in actuality. Not even the most skilled of doctors in London could alleviate him of his lovesickness.

"And what would become of you, now that you risk social alienation?"

"I shall return to my art. I shall direct everything I am and I have in service to Sophie."

"At the expense of the Viscountcy?"

"Anthony has come home. There is already an heir."

"But your role is still valued here. If I were you, sir, I would not count myself out."

"I'm only a spare, Hatch."

"Yes, but is it wise to undermine your efforts? The boy is barely of age. No doubt Lord Bridgerton would require you by his side until then."

"Ah. Sixteen years do tend to fly by quickly. Anthony will manage just fine on his own."

"History says otherwise. You have managed these estates for years as brothers. One cannot be left to function on their own, without the other."

"As time passes, they will come to understand that I will always choose…"

"But would Miss Baek agree to being chosen over your own family?"

"I suppose that remains to be seen. Very well. I shall seek my answers tonight."

"If she objects?"

Mr Bridgerton fell silent. Then,

"I pray she does not."

Hatch refrained from speaking further.

"I — oh! Before I forget, if it is not too much trouble, it would be excellent if you brought these twenty or so plants to the conservatory."

Mr Bridgerton went to the other side of the room to draw out a wheelbarrow that he'd not only managed to get into the house, but had brought it upstairs. Inside, there were two dozen yellow flowers.

"They're sophias. Beautiful and golden, aren't they? Just like her."

"I believe they are called flixweeds, sir. A medicinal herb, which is um, closely related to cabbages."

"An aphrodisiac."

"Do you plan on.. sedu.. never mind."

"Yes?"

"I — shall make the necessary arrangements, sir. Might have to um, bring in a few more pillows to make you both comfortable." Hatch cast a long look at the wheelbarrow which was filled to the brim with dark soil in a disconcerting manner.

"She is precious…" he said, twirling a flower with the tips of his fingers.

"I do not doubt it, sir."

".. and holds my heart in a way I cannot even begin to describe. She's taken me for a possession, you see? It is all I've ever wanted. Sophie is all I have yearned for all along, the person I have been longing for all these years. Fruitlessly I have searched all my life for a purpose, unclear as to what my birthright really was. Now I believe I must really be born for her. There is nowhere I wish to be but beside her for as long as I shall live." Mr Bridgerton placed a hand over his chest.

Hatch knew he had no choice but to indulge him.

"Then we must ensure she is felt appreciated."

"Precisely! Yes!"

"She would value your confidence."

"Do you think so?"

"If you present yourself the way you have presented yourself to me, I am certain she will not raise any objections." Hatch said. "You must be honest with your intentions as well. Bear yourself to her, as you did before, or so you'd said."

"Right. Well, that is quite the useful advice, Hatch! It would seem I could use your wisdom on all sorts of matters now!"

Please do not.

"I am glad it is of help. You must be very infatuated with her."

"Oh, she is perfect. She's — utterly perfect. I might weep right here, actually, for she is just —" An odd choking noise escaped his throat. Mr Bridgerton was in the brink of tears, but resisted the pull of his longing.

It was different seeing him so unguarded. He was a mess of a man, having lost all sense after giving himself away to love. Hatch knew of Benedict Bridgerton's nature and manner; he'd read the broadsheets, he'd had countless footmen give him their assessments and most importantly, he had received an earful from Lady Bridgerton herself for aiding her son in successfully slipping through her fingers from soirees and balls. Nothing good came out of enabling Mr Bridgerton's debauchery, but he paid him a handsome amount so Hatch did not feel compelled to disobey. How fast time flies, he thought. Now he was facilitating the very same man in his pursuit of love. Of course, love and lust were two sides of the same coin, yet to see Benedict Bridgerton in love, well there was something special about that and the person who must've captured his heart.

A swell of happiness overcame him as he left to fetch Miss Baek.

Oh my dear, for the love of God, please say yes to his proposal or he will let his melancholy consume him until his tears flood everything in its path. But do act sensibly as well. He thought, with a stubborn smile on his lips. Why he felt happy for the two of them, he did not know but maybe this proved that his heart was not as rigid as it would seem. He let himself be endeared by them.

Perhaps he could keep a secret. Unless someone were to coerce it out of him. Hatch feared the family the most, but it seemed unlikely. Mr Bridgerton seemed very particular to do right by his beloved. He wanted to honour her, to cherish her and protect her. Wasn't that a good thing?

Oh to witness their love from afar.. it was not calming by any means, no, for Mr Bridgerton was relentless and Miss Baek was hesitant (and further added to Hatch's vexations). Their constant tug-of-war reminded Hatch of a bottle of shaken champagne, waiting to be released. Still despite his worries, it was quite the sight to behold.

Mr Bridgerton was terribly affectionate, and even more so when he was in love. He carried with him a bouquet of flowers, he chose silk blankets and scented them with fragrant potpourri, his voice dropped to a bare whisper as if he was struggling through his tears. Goodness, what had this woman done to him? Perhaps it wasn't Mr Bridgerton's fault, rather Miss Baek's. Perhaps it was she to blame for turning him inside out, as if he were a wet blouse. Not that Hatch minded no. He was overwhelmed with a powerful curiosity as to meet the woman in person, shake her hand furiously and thank her till his tongue grew numb for all the good she'd done by virtue of her existence.

There are wiser choices and then there are brave choices. Whatever you do, Mr Bridgerton, I only hope it goes well.

Hatch knocked on the door.

Sophie opened, greeting him with a bewildered look. Sleep soaked her eyes, but she did not look tired.

He gave her a curt nod, beckoning her to follow him.