Buy me flowers and ask

"So, what is it you wish to tell me?" I arrive late to the box with my brother, flopping back down onto the seat. I need not be graceful, for no one can see me from here anyway and so it simply does not matter. Only he can, and if he is not already aware that I do not care then he must not be aware of much at all. "I do hope it is a fantastic secret."

"I wish to speak to you... of Daphne." He gulps as though this is ever so hard for him to say. "I must let go of her. I do not know how to do so without upsetting her so."

"Why must you let go of her?"

"I mean what I say. When I say I shall not marry her. If I continue to keep her attention and time then she shall be unable to find someone who may actually marry her." He keeps his eyes on Siena, watching her closely with intent and lust.

"I think you should have done so months ago. You had no intention to ever marry her and you should have never entertained the possibility. If you had not then we should not have the problem of wondering how we shall break her heart. You are such a stupid man. Are all men so positively stupid?"

"Thank you. What a wonderful help you have been." He scowls and slumps back in his chair with his arms crossed tightly against his chest.

"You have gotten yourself into this mess and it must be you that gets yourself out of it. You have been a fool so quit being such a fool and figure it out. Honestly, you men!" I exclaim and before I can say anything else, I decide I shall leave and I shall implement what myself and Siena talked of. I must find Benedict and I must speak with him and so I walk around to where I am sure I shall find him smoking and so I am not at all shocked when I do. "How is my favourite Bridgerton brother?"

"I do not know, if I see Anthony then I shall ask him." He offers me a cheeky grin, raising an eyebrow and extending a hand with a cigarette in it to myself. "What do I owe this wonderful pleasure to, dear Delilah?"

"I met Siena tonight. The woman that Anthony was with."

"And what did you think of her?"

"She is quite fierce. Scared even myself. Nothing has scared me so much as when I was forced into conversation with Nigel Berbrooke." I take it from his hands and take a drag, standing in front of him rather than taking the seat. "We spoke of how we should both like to get revenge on Anthony."

"As much as I do in fact hate my brother, I shall not help you murder him." Benedict teases and glances to the swing that sways gently in the wind beside him. "Shall you not sit down? It is making me rather nervous, watching you standing there."

"I must ask something of you. Siena suggested that we shall make Anthony jealous and that shall make him angry. Her plan is to use Simon and she suggested to me that one of his brothers might do quite nicely for my own purposes."

"My dear god, Delilah. If you wish to court me then you need only buy me flowers and ask. I can assure you that you certainly do not need this false story of Anthony and opera singers." He is quick to tease, of course he is, as he lights his own cigarette and the match illuminates his face and all of his handsome features. "You wish to use myself, I suppose?"

"Well it is between yourself and Colin. And it is you that I found first, and so I suppose you are my choice. Plus I am worried that Colin should not be so interested in me." I decide I shall sit with him, holding onto the rope with one hand as the other moves my cigarette to and from my mouth.

"And what is it that makes you believe that I am at all interested in you? Is it the way that I cannot help but stare at you all day and every day, or that I have found it rather impossible not to think of you, or that I am wholly outraged that you have chosen Anthony over myself?" He continues to grin and so I am not completely sure whether what he says is the truth or whether it is his way of teasing me. I decide it must be the latter, he is a rascal and I should not take anything he says with too much accuracy. "I shall help you with whatever ruse you and Siena wish to cook up."

"I appreciate that." I watch him as he holds my eye contact softly, reaching out and holding my chin with his gentle fingers. "What is that you are doing?"

"I am going to kiss you. For you never know when Anthony may or may not be watching and so I believe we must begin acting instantly. You do wish to make him angry, do you not?" His thumb strokes attentive and soft circles on my skin, and he smiles at me. "Or is this not quite what you meant?"

"It is absolutely what I meant. Go ahead."

Author's note

So since this story may be taking a slightly different turn than I originally planned out, I need help on a new name! I think a bit of a rebranding might be in order If you have any ideas then please help me!

A Benedict enthusiast, Ruby x