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It had been a whirlwind few days Sophie had to admit as she woke the day before her wedding to Benedict.
From Benedict screaming at her in Number 5, to her being chased by the Bow Street Runners and her subsequent arrest, to her thinking she was either going to be sent to Australia or Hung for theft to Benedict arriving in the jail, declaring her his fiancee and her punching Lady Penwood to being a day away from marrying the love of her life…
She’d thought her emotions could take no more but the biggest surprise had come that morning as she broke her fast.
She was sitting in the breakfast room at Aubrey Hall, having arrived the day before as this was where she and Benedict were to marry.
Kate had woken up early and was escorting her two year old son Edmund downstairs. She was a little late getting down to break her own fast as Edmund had been upset, he had wanted Sophie to come help him with his blocks and Kate had to explain that she had to eat first and it had taken a little while to get him to calm down.
She adored and was amazed at how quickly Edmund had taken to Sophie, normally he took a long time to warm up to strangers, something Violet had said Anthony had been like when he was a toddler but from the moment Anthony had taken Edmund to breakfast at his mother’s and saw the new Ladies maid, he’d been infatuated with her, almost as much as Benedict was and she’d become his favourite person and he was always asking for her and how they were all under one roof, it had gotten even worse.
“Slow down Neddy” Kate called from the end of the hallway as she watched her son running towards the breakfast room, excited, as Kate had said that he could ask Sophie if she could play with him after breakfast if she didn’t have any wedding plans to attend to.
They’d explained to him last night that she was marrying his Uncle Benedict and that from tomorrow she would be his Auntie Sophie and that she was going to live with Uncle Ben, they’d not yet broken it to him that they wouldn’t be living in London, kate wasn’t sure how he’d take that news. Hyacinth hadn’t taken it very well and well Kate just hoped that Edmund wouldn’t realise.
“NO AMMA, NEDDY SEE NITTY FEE!” Edmund called back and just carried running and Kate had to lift her skirts to chase her son, grateful that the nurse had Miles that morning as he was still sleeping.
Kate got to the door just as Edmund pushed the door open as hard as his little two year old hands could, beaming as he looked at his family, his little eyes looking around for Sophie who was sitting next to his Uncle Ben and he left out a happy squeal “NITTY FEE!!!” he called and Sophie who had been mid conversation with Ben blinked.
“Nitty?” she asked confused, she’d never heard him say that word before and she had no idea what it meant.
“I think he means Auntie” Kate said as she followed her son in, “Eloise is Nitty El…”
Edmund nodded “Nitty Fee Like Nitty El and Nitty Fan… Papa said you Nitty as you mawwy Uddle Ben”
“Oh” Sophie said, her green eyes filling with tears.
“Soph?” Benedict said, looking at her concerned.
“I says somefing wong?” Edmund said as he arrived as Sophie’s side and saw the wetness in her eyes and knowing it was tears
“No!” Sophie said softly as she sniffed and wiped her eyes and nose “not at all Neddy, it’s just… it’s the first time i’ve been called an Auntie… it… it just made everything real…” she said as she stood up and bent down and hugged him.
Benedict watched his soon to be with, visible hearts in his eyes and the rest of the Bridgerton’s at breakfast just smiled. Sophie had fit in with their family from the get go and tomorrow it would be official.
And for Sophie, she wasn’t just gaining a husband, she was gaining a family. The one thing she’d always wanted, the thing she’d wanted more than anything from the age of 3 years old. She wouldn’t just be a wife from tomorrow, she was going to be an Auntie, a sister, a daughter and as she hugged little Edmund who whispered in her ear “I wuv you mostest Nitty Fee” she couldn’t help the tears falling.
Everything was just perfect, and absolutely worth the wait.