Chapter Text
Benedict Bridgerton needed something to occupy his time with.
“You need a job.” Anthony said from his desk. Anthony looked stressed - granted Anthony always looked stressed. Ever since their father died and he took his place as the patriarch of the family.
Ben and Daphne had slid into Mum’s role when she, understandably, fell into a deep depression while pregnant after their father’s death. Daphne and Ben did all of the nurturing and loving while Anthony did the logistical stuff like making sure they still had money to live off of.
Ben was good at it - the nurturing. He gave the best hugs, according to Eloise, and listened well, according to Fran and Colin. By the time Mum and the family were stable, Ben was a little lost as to what to do.
He thought about law school like Anthony or business school like Colin.
He chose art. That was the best and worst thing he could have done. He had been aimless since.
He thought about going into gallery work like Daphne but he didn’t have the heart for it. He was an artist without a muse.
“I can’t keep funding your lifestyle.” Anthony said.
Ben stared down his brother. That was a whole ass lie.
“I don’t want to keep funding your lifestyle.”
“At least I’m not making you support a wife as well.” Ben said, getting a grimace in response. Ben sent a mental apology to Colin.
That was a low blow, but Ben needed the attention off of his jobless status.
“Well you need to think of something. I don’t want to keep floating you.”
Ben scowled. “I literally kept everything running while you were jet-setting.”
“And you did a good job but you can’t just float around until I need you.” Anthony sighed and looked at him. “I want you to be happy.”
“Kate has made you soft.”
Anthony groaned. “So soft.”
“Fine. I’ll find something to do.”
“Something legal.”
“You don’t have that problem with me. You don’t even follow that rule yourself all the time.”
“I know. I just feel like I have to say it.”
Ben nodded. He got it. “I will be on my best behavior.”
Ben should have known that he just set himself up for failure.
Being jobless meant that Ben was subject to the whims of his siblings announcements. He really needed to find something to do.
“Ta Da!”
Colin spun the canvas around and showed Ben, Eloise, and Penelope a very nice painting. He kept staring at Ben like he was waiting on him to say something.
“What?”
“This is your painting.” Colin said.
Ben shook his head. That was not his painting. The subject was a woman in a silver regency era dress, blonde hair, and a mask that covered half of her face. It was gorgeous and had amazing use of composition. Ben was actually jealous of whoever did it. “That’s not mine.”
“It has your name on it.” Colin said, pointing to the bottom right corner. Ben and the ladies leaned in.
That was his signature…wait. Ben leaned in closer. “The B is wrong.”
“What?” Colin asked, leaning over.
Eloise nodded. “It’s too bubbly. Where did you get this?”
“A friend.” Colin said. Penelope raised an eyebrow at that. “An acquaintance. He got it from a seller.”
“Well, that’s not mine.”
“How would you know? You lost your storage unit.” Colin grumbled.
Ben sighed. “Because I know my work.”
“You did it all high out of your mind.”
“I can’t paint that well.” Ben said before clenching his jaw. “Whoever did this is really good.”
“Then why are they using your name?” Eloise asked.
That was an excellent question.
When anyone had a question about art, they went to Ben. When Ben didn’t know, they would go to the gallery and see Daphne.
Ben and Eloise watched the master at work. The painting sat on a easel that Daphne just happened to have around.
Daphne leaned over, magnifying eyepiece on. “This is very good…but not Ben’s.”
“I told you.” Ben grumbled.
“I’ve seen this work before…on a different fake piece.” Daphne mumbled. “Who ever is doing this is very good at what they do.”
“Oh?” Eloise asked. Ben looked and saw her thinking face. Whatever she was planning would require a forger.
Daphne scowled. “Save your nonchalance. I don’t know who this is.”
Eloise huffed.
“Who would?” Ben asked. He had to find out who was doing this and do…something.
Daphne hummed. “Fran could probably find out.”
The front door of the gallery opened up, and a rich woman stepped in. Daphne cut her eyes to them.
“Get out.” she hissed before putting on a big smile. “Mrs. Cowper, hello!”
Eloise dragged Ben through the back of the gallery.
They stepped into the alley of Daphne’s studio to regroup. Bothering Fran when she was in the middle of a job was…tricky. Ben didn’t even know how to get in touch with her.
“She gave me a burner.” Eloise pulled out the burner phone. “For emergencies. Do we consider this an emergency?”
“Someone is signing fake paintings with my name on them. Yes.” Ben glared as she rolled her eyes and dialed. She listened for a moment while Ben watched her.
“No answer.” Eloise dropped the burner in her bag and pulled out her real cell phone. “She forgets that we share locations.”
“We’re just going to…stop by?”
“Yes.”
“Your funeral.” Ben mumbled.
“Our funeral.” Eloise countered. “Come on.”
Fran had situated herself on richer side of London and was dressed to the nines at a lunch table with two very attractive people who were obviously related. Eloise and Ben stood in front of the window that was in her eye line and waited until she saw them.
Fran did a double take before excusing herself. They watched her power walk through the restaurant before exiting out the side door. “What are you doing here?” she hissed, pulling them away.
“Who is that?” Ben asked.
“What are you doing?” Eloise asked.
“You can’t be here.” Fran glared.
“We’re not going to cramp your style. I just need you to look into something for me.” Ben said.
Fran sighed and pressed her fingertips to her eyelids. “What?”
“There are fake paintings with my signature going around. I need to find out who is doing it.”
Fran stared at him. “What?”
“Benedict Bridgerton Forgeries. How would someone have enough material to do that? Great question.” Eloise said.
“Why would anyone fake a Benedict Bridgerton?” Fran asked incredulously.
Ben fought the desire to scowl at his little sisters. “Frannie.”
“Okay. Okay. I’ll look into it. I don’t know when I’ll get back to you, but I’ll…look.”
“You could try The Penwood.” A voice said from behind them.
Ben looked behind Fran to see the woman that she was sitting with. She was lighting a clove cigarette and took a drag before Fran snatched it out of her hand and broke it.
“Really?”
Fran scowled. “You have asthma.”
The woman rolled her eyes. “Anyway. Don’t go to the desk, go to the loading dock. Ask for Irma. She can find out who did it.” She stared at Fran. “Are you going to introduce us?”
“No.”
The woman held out her hand. “Michaela Stirling. Imports and Exports.”
Eloise shook her hand. “Of what?”
“Of whatever is needed.” The woman smirked. “And you must be Frannie’s siblings. Charmed.”
Ben held up his hand. “Benedict.”
Michaela nodded a hello. “And you are?”
Eloise swallowed. “Eloise.”
“Nice to meet you, Eloise.”
Fran stepped in front of Michaela, blocking Michaela’s stare into Eloise’s soul. “Goodbye, El. Goodbye, Ben.”
“Right. Bye.” Eloise said. She leaned over to look at Michaela. “Nice to meet you. We should hang out.”
“We should. Stop by my club.”
“You have a club?” Ben asked.
“No. No she does not.” Fran glared at Michaela. “Go back inside.”
“You are no fun.” Michaela murmured. “Get my information from this one once she stops pouting.”
“I am not pouting.” Fran hissed.
“You are still the apple of my eye.” Michaela smirked before leaning over to whisper at Eloise and Ben. “So territorial.”
“She’s a Middle Child.” Eloise said, like she also wasn’t a Middle Child.
Ben watched Fran clench her hands into fists.
Michaela saw the movement and laughed. “Alright. Alright. I’m going.” Michaela stepped back into the restaurant.
Fran groaned. “She is infuriating.”
“And turning you on.” Eloise added. Ben suppressed a gag at that. Fran didn’t.
“No. She ruined my whole thing.”
“What were you doing?” Eloise asked.
Fran waved it off. “It’s not important. We’re working on something else. Just… I’ll call you later. Let me know if you need more help. Text me.”
Ben nodded. “We will. Thanks Frannie.”
“Yeah, thanks Frannie.”
Fran pulled them both into a quick hug before opening the side door. “Why aren’t you at the table?”
“I was waiting for you.” Michaela murmured.
“I was coming back.”
“I am being a gentlewoman.” Michaela said as the door closed.
Ben looked at Eloise. “Now what?”
Eloise looked up from her phone. “We visit The Penwood. And find out who Michaela Stirling is.”
“Michaela isn’t on my agenda right now.”
“We can multitask.” Eloise said as she stepped out to get a taxi.
The customer facing side of The Penwood was a gorgeous hotel that catered the richest people in the world. The back of The Penwood was a kitchen that had seen better days and a staff that looked like they were ready to strike or fight, depending on the mood.
“Can I help you?” The man at the door said. Ben looked at his name tag.
“Yes… Alfie. Is Irma here?”
He looked Ben up and down then smirked. “No. What do you want with Irma, Handsome?”
Ben felt his face heat up. He had been flirted with plenty of times. He had no idea why this was making him act like Eloise.
“We’re trying to find a painter.” Eloise said.
Alfie looked her over. “Why?”
“This is Benedict Bridgerton.”
Alfie looked at Ben with wide eyes. “Oh.”
He knew something. Ben stepped towards him. “Look, I’m not mad. I just-I want to talk to the guy.”
“First of all, it’s not a guy.” Alfie said. He sighed then looked around. “Get in here.” He waved them inside.
The kitchen was bustling with staff as Alfie led them through it to a back hallway. “Wait here.”
He scurried off. Ben looked around while Eloise typed on her phone.
“Michaela has a criminal record.”
“What?” He looked at his sister.
“Nothing violent. A few possession charges. Who among us?”
Ben nodded. “Who was the man with her?”
“Her cousin. Clean as a whistle.” Eloise looked up. “She’d be a good ally.”
Ben wanted to ask what Eloise was doing but also did not. It made his denial to Anthony more believable when he said he didn’t know.
“Come with me.” Alfie whispered, and they followed him to a small back room. Alfie opened the door and Ben made eye contact with a vision of a woman.
“Ben.” He looked at Eloise. “I don’t know your name. This is Sophie.”
Alfie looked at Sophie. “Sophie, this is Benedict Bridgerton.”
Sophie’s eyes widened. She looked at Alfie. “Really?”
Alfie shrugged. “I’ll buy you some time before Araminta starts looking for you.” Alfie left the room.
“Hi. Eloise.” Eloise said with a dorky wave.
Ben gave her an Are you serious look. She shrugged back.
“You’re actually Benedict Bridgerton?” Sophie asked.
“That’s what my license says. Do you know who painted the fake?”
“You saw that?”
“My brother bought it.”
“He didn’t know it wasn’t yours?” She asked, confused.
“Yeah, he isn’t our most observant brother.” Eloise said. “But yeah, it was really good. The real painter is very talented.”
“Thank you.” Sophie whispered before wincing.
“Look, I’m not mad.” Ben started, shocked that he was telling the truth. “I’m impressed. I had a moment where I thought it was mine. Where did you go to school?”
Sophie shrugged. “I’m self-taught. Look, if you aren’t going to press charges, what do you want?”
Ben frowned. What did he want? He wanted to take her on a date. And ask her about her process. And see if she had any personal work.
“I want to know if you are free for a job.” Eloise said.
Sophie narrowed her eyes. “What kind of job?”