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Sophie had no idea how she got gang pressed into staying in the house.. She was 6 months pregnant and the size of a whale but she was going stir crazy inside Aubrey Hall and she needed To walk and get out of the house.
Benedict and most of the family had gone down to the lake to play the annual rematch of some game Sophie was sure they referred to as Pall Mall…
Francesca and Violet had suggested due to its tendency to get violent or at least very competitive, especially between Anthony And Kate, that Sophie, given her condition, stay away.
Sophie had agreed but reluctantly, she was desperate to get out of the house, Benedict had turned into a mother Hen and Sophie was pulling her hair out.
She needed air, she needed to walk and she needed to be outside. She was a country girl and the last 10 months of marriage, 8 of which had been in the country, had just made that fact all the more true.
Francesca and Violet had left Sophie alone in the drawing room to play with Edmund and Miles and Eloise had gone off to write some letters. Hyacinth had her lessons and Gregory was still at Eton.
Sophie huffed as she rubbed her stomach. She was fed up, she was sore and she couldn’t get comfortable. She wanted to be outdoors and to go for a walk.
She knew if she just went it wasn’t just Benedict she would be in trouble from. Violet and Kate would tell her off as well. Since coming to Aubrey Hall the mothering and the coddling had increased on every angle. Hell, even stoic Lord Bridgerton had been known to take her arm and walk with her, to help her out of her seat when Benedict wasn’t around and even Colin had shared the plate of sandwiches with her.
Sophie felt a little like she was suffocating and no one seemed to be on her side. She had hoped Kate or even Daphne would have been, having been through this themselves but she had been proven wrong.
Daphne mothered her as much as Violet, making sure she had eaten and that she had enough to eat, that she had enough to drink… Kate was a little less motherly but it just seemed that her size and the swell of her stomach had the entire family on edge.
Just as she was sure she would lose her mind to the boredom the door opened and no person walked in which caused Sophie to frown until she heard the little “yip” and then as she looked down she saw the wagging tail of “Newton!”
The little corgi hopped up on his back to legs and pressed his front paws against Sophie’s legs, his little rotund bottom giving a big wiggle.
It must be walk time Sophie thought, at 5 Years old Newton spent a lot of his time sleeping but when he was in the country he liked a little afternoon stroll through the gardens.
Sophie finally had an excuse to leave the confines of the house!
“Newton, would you care for a walk?” She said and the excited lot of barking that followed she knew she was onto the right move.
As she left Annie Kate’s maid approached “I’ll take him Mrs Bridgerton you should be resting!”
Sophie shook her head “no Annie it’s fine, you go enjoy some time. I hear the cook has just made some fresh biscuits! I can manage Newton. I need a little fresh air and Newton is an excellent companion and chaperone. We will just be out in the tulip gardens so shall not wander far”
Sophie said and carried on walking, Newton, yapping at her heels.
The Butler didn’t even seem to bat an eyelid as Sophie asked for Newton’s lead and Sophie knew it was a desire to not have the dog in the house.
Sophie grabbed Newton’s lead and strode off out into the sunshine.
It was a lovely warm day and the smell of the flowers permeated Sophie’s lungs and scents and she felt calmer than she had in days. The rays of the sun beating down on her as she and Newton made their way through into the gardens.
It didn’t take long before Sophie started to tire. She had not gone far but the extra weight of the child on her petite stature just wore her out even more quickly than usual.
She took a seat at a little stone bench a little way into the gardens and felt dizzy as she sat down. Maybe coming into the gardens had been a bad idea.
Her world spun on its axis as she clamped her hands to her head not realising she let go of Newton’s lead, the throbbing in her head and in her stomach distracting her.
She did not hear his barks of happiness and his bid for freedom through the bushes. Sophie felt her Stomach flip and she turned around and heaved into a bush of grape hyacinths.
The contents of her breakfast coming up and ruining the plants, the garden was going to be furious.
As Sophie sat back up she heard her name being called. “Sophie!!” It was Kate.
Sophie looked down at her hands, she no longer had the lead and she realised with horror that Newton had escaped.
She’d lost Kate’s dog…
“Sophie!!!” Oh god it was Benedict.
Sophie started looking around wildly and calling out “Newton!!! Come here Newton!! Where are you?! Newton!!!”
Her yells caught the attention of her search party and as someone she wasn’t sure who came around the corner, Sophie found herself moving into hysterics as she threw up again, panic and fear engulfing her as she couldn’t find Kate’s beloved pet.
“Soph!” Benedict said, running up to his wife who was hunched over into the Hyacinth bush heaving.
He was furious at her for leaving the house, they hadn’t been gone that long and he had thrown his game on purpose so he could get up to the house to take Sophie out for a walk, to get her some fresh air only to find out that she had left!
But his fury with her had lessened as he had seen her hunched over, tears flowing down her face as she threw up.
“Newton” she hiccuped as she wretched.
“What about him?” Kate asked as she came into the clearing.
“He’s… he’s run off!” Sophie sobbed, as she slumped to the floor having finally stopped throwing up.
“You lost the dog?” Benedict said, his voice a little more shocked and sharp than he should have, given his wife’s current emotional state but the fury that she had come out for a walk by herself and the fact she had taken the dog with her. He was absolutely sure his wife had lost her mind.
“I was sick and I dropped the lead and he ran off! I didn’t see where!” she said, breaking her heart, sobbing into her hands, completely inconsolable as she just kept muttering “sorry, sorry, sorry” between sobs.
Benedict rubbed Sophie’s back and looked at Kate who sighed, Sophie was too busy crying to hear the conversation they were having.
“He’ll have likely made his way down towards the lake, Newton has a penchant for water…” Kate sighed. “Sophie it’s okay, Newton won’t have gotten far”
Sophie was too busy crying, sobbing her apologies and muttering about losing the dog.
“I’ll go get him,” Benedict said, pressing a kiss to his wife’s head, he would have stopped and comforted her but he knew that Kate would be the best person here, she had been in the pregnant position twice before, and knew how a woman’s mind worked at this point.
And if truth be told, Benedict needed a few minutes to calm himself down, he was furious with Sophie for leaving the house, but he knew she was getting cabin fever being stuck in the house, having just argued with him the day before about it.
His usual, lovely, placid and calm wife who never said a cross word to anyone had suddenly turned into a bit of a monster these last few days and had shouted herself hoarse yesterday desperate to be outside.
When the entire family had told her she should stop indoors and away from the Pall Mall match she had completely lost her mind and had stalked off to bed. Benedict had managed to calm her down but that morning she was still in a mood.
He knew he had to calm himself down before he got back to Sophie as it was going to only make it worse by arguing with her over this.
He strode off in search of the errant dog and hoped that Kate could talk some much needed sense into his wife.
Kate rubbed Sophie’s back as Sophie continued to sob her apologises, her legs hugged close to her stomach. “I’m so sorry!” she wailed.
Kate felt her heart break for her sister in law. “Oh Soph… seriously, i’ve lost count at how many times i’ve lost Newton! He runs off all the time, he won’t have gone far…” she said rubbing her back “come on, we shall head back to the house and get you a cup of tea” Kate said softly, hauling Sophie to her feet and the younger woman, heavily pregnant looked absolutely broken. Kate threw her arm around her shoulder and half carried Sophie back.
All Sophie could do as she allowed Kate to steer her up towards the house, was mutter her apologies.
Once close Anthony spotted his wife holding Sophie up and no Benedict, rushed forward to help with Sophie.
“She went for a walk with Newton and as she was being sick, Newton got loose and ran off. She’s beside herself, thinking she’s lost him” Kate said softly as Sophie’s sobs started afresh.
Anthony groaned “that dog of yours is a bloody nuisance” he said as he moved and took Sophie from Kate and lifted her with ease, Sophie didn’t even put up a fight as he carried his sister in law into the house and into the drawing room, he would have taken her to her chambers but that was probably best for Benedict to do.
Benedict meanwhile, had found Newton, he hadn’t made it as far as the lake having located a rather muddy puddle and had rolled in it. Benedict sighed “Newton! Come here now!” he said in his most stern voice.
Newton stopped rolling and looked up at Benedict, his little bottom wiggling happily as he trotted over towards Benedict, and being the goodest of all boys, he shook a distance away from Benedict so as not to coat him in the mud. Benedict sighed and scooped the lead “come on… you little terror, you’ve given Sophie an absolute heart attack running off like that!” he said as he walked off, Newton wagging his bottom happily as he trailed after Benedict back to the house.
It took all of 5 minutes to get back to the house, Benedict’s long legs carrying him quickly, he was hoping Kate had managed to get Sophie back to the house and indoors, she was pretty distraught and Benedict had no idea what had caused it.
As he made his way up the front steps he saw the grimace on Butler's face at the state of the dog. The butler gestured towards the drawing room, and he made his way over to the room where clearly his wife was.
He pushed the door open to see Sophie still curled up, still crying and breaking her heart, Newton let out a little yip at the sight of Kate.
“Oh my God NEWTON!” Kate said, wrinkling her nose. “What the devil have you rolled in,” she said.
Sophie went green and Anthony just managed to get the nearby pot underneath Sophie’s mouth as she wretched and threw up.
“My assumption other than the mud I found him in, is that there was some Fox mess in it” Benedict said as he breathed through is nose “i thought it was best to show Sophie he was safe, he was but 5 minutes from where we found you my love” he said softly to Sophie, his ire at her evaporated as she cried and threw up.
One of the maids had come hurrying down the hall and took Newton from Benedict who quickly gave his hands a wash in the bowl of water by the door and made his way over to scoop his wife into his arms “Soph, all is well, see Newton is back and safe… he did not get far!” he said as he rubbed his wife’s back.
Sophie just sobbed. “Sophie, what else is wrong. Newton is safe. You did not lose him!”
“How am I supposed to look after a child if I can’t even look after a dog for more than 20 minutes” she sobbed, her hands covering her eyes as she cried.
Benedict’s heart broke for her, that was what she was worried about.
Benedict heard Kate sigh as she got up and moved to sit next to Sophie on the settee “Sophie, do you not think I had the same thoughts when I was pregnant with Edmund, I had them when I was pregnant with Miles as well… Newton has escaped on me more times than I can count, Heck he made Anthony take a swim in the Serpentine for goodness sake” Kate said as Benedict stroked Sophie’s back.
Kate took Sophie’s hand and squeezed it. “You are going to be a fantastic mother Sophie, you are so good with the boys, you are kind and considerate and an absolute natural, trust me, you’re going to take to motherhood like a duck to water” Kate finished.
Sophie sobbed weakly and gave her head a little shake.
Anthony gestured his head at his wife “we shall leave you two…” he said gesturing to Benedict and Sophie.
Kate leaned in and kissed Sophie’s wet cheek “trust me Sophie, you’re going to be a wonderful mother” and she left the room and closed the door behind her.
The moment the door clicked Benedict pulled Sophie into his lap and she buried her face automatically sobbing into his chest. “I’m so sorry” she sobbed again.
Benedict sighed and rubbed her hair “Sophie, other than leaving the house when we told you not to… you have nothing to be sorry for… Kate’s right, you are going to be a wonderful mother. You are able to harrang Anthony’s boys, you’re a wonderful Aunt to Daphne’s tribe… you are going to be an incredible mother to our child. I know it in my bones” he said as he placed a comforting hand on her stomach.
“But… I lost the dog” Sophie said with a weak sob
“Everyone has lost that bloody dog in the gardens here!” Benedict said as he lifted Sophie’s face from his chest.
“Sophie my love, your ability to look after Newton is no reflection on your ability to be a mother…” he said softly.
“R..really?” she said her bottom lip quivering as she spoke.
Benedict nodded “really, Soph. You are going to be a wonderful mother. If anyone was born to be a mother it was you, I cannot think of anyone better to be the mother of my child. We will learn together, we will be a team and it will be okay. You are going to be perfect”
Sophie sniffled, they held still for a few moments as Sophie’s tears started to settle and calm down.
“Feel better?” he asked as he stroked her cheek once the tears seemed to stop.
She gave a little nod
“Good. now what the hell were you thinking going outside without someone” he said a little grumpily.
Sophie scowled at him with her red puffy eyes “I cannot and will not be kept cooped up inside Benedict! Everyone in this bloody house is smothering me! I can’t even go to the ladies room by myself! Everyone is watching me like I am made of porcelain! I am not going to break! I am pregnant, I am hot and I am restless, I can’t get comfortable sitting around as the baby is constantly kicking me, we have been here 4 days and I've been kept inside… I am fed up!” she said testily, her tears now turning to an anger that made Benedict look at her like she’d gone mad.
“You cannot keep me inside Ben! It is too warm and I just wanted to walk around the gardens! I have everyone watching me and judging me! Is it no surprise it is making me wonder if I am going to be a good mother if I have everyone watching and judging my every step! I am perfectly capable of taking a walk! I only took Newton so that I was not alone. No one else will entertain taking me out because you have told everyone not to take me!” she said her voice now frustrated and stronger than it had been all morning.
“I know!” Benedict said stopping her in her stride, he had to otherwise he was actually going to fear for his life. “I know and I am sorry but I just want to keep you safe Soph! I can’t bear through thought of anything happening you or our child!” he said passionately, “i threw my game and I had come up to the house early so I could take you for a walk as I felt so guilty for making you stay indoors, I had been to see the cook about sorting a picnic out for us and I was going to take you down to the tree house for some fresh air and a change of scenery”
“You did?” Sophie said in surprise
“I did… I was furious when I found out you had left but after I had a chance to think clearly. I realised that have been a bit too overbearing these last few days but Soph you’ve been rather sick and I just wanted to keep you safe… can you forgive me for being an ass?” he asked as he held her, he stroked her cheek, hoping his apology was enough.
Sophie looked at him and sighed tiredly, exhaustion creeping in her bones from the walk and her hysterics as she tried to hide a yawn “fine, but tomorrow we are going to take that picnic” she said.
Benedict nodded and pulled her close to his chest and stroked her hair and pressed a kiss to her forehead “I can live with that. I love you Soph” he said softly, holding her close to him feeling her breathing even out.
Sophie muttered something unintelligible but as Benedict looked down he had seen she had fallen asleep. Benedict chuckled and lifted her up to take her off to bed, the exhaustion of her afternoon mishaps clearly too much for Sophie.