Later that evening, Madeleine sat in the drawing room with Hyacinth, teaching her a song on the piano. Eloise and Colin sat on one of the settees, Colin chatting her ear off while Eloise attempted to read. Gregory practiced his Latin and Daphne stood near the piano, listening to Madeleine and Hyacinth play.

"There, now you try." Madeleine gave the girl an encouraging smile. Hyacinth nodded and bit her lip in concentration as she repeated what Madeleine had just played on the piano. Daphne laughed in glee and clapped when her little sister finished.

"Hyacinth you are getting quite good at that! Soon you will be better than me." Daphne proclaimed, making Hyacinth beam.

"Really, sister? Thank you!" Hyacinth adored her older sisters and, though she would never admit it, she wanted to be just like Daphne when she grew up. She considered Madeleine a sister too, the girl had practically helped raise her while Violet was mourning.

"She's right, darling. Soon you will be playing at the grand opera." Madeleine winked, nudging Hyacinth to continue. Benedict walked in, joining Daphne at the end of the piano and watching his sister play.

"Hey Daph, maybe Hyacinth could teach you a few things." He smirked and nudged her as Daphne rolled her eyes, smiling at him nonetheless. Benedict met eyes with Madeleine and gestured subtly, before walking over to the small round table on the opposite end of the room. Madeleine smiled at Hyacinth and told Daphne to take her place, standing and walking over to sit with Benedict.

"Hyacinth adores you, you do know that don't you?" Benedict grinned, watching his little sister play from afar.

"It is mutual." Madeleine smiled, watching him. She loved how much he cared for his siblings, how much all three of the oldest brothers did. "So, what did you want to speak about?"

"What, I can't speak to my friend without having a specific motive?" Benedict frowned, a teasing glint in his eyes. Madeleine quirked an eyebrow and he laughed.

"Fine, there is actually something. I am going over to Sir Granville's tonight. He is having a party and while the festivities get a bit rowdy for my taste, he is gracious enough to let me use his gallery to practice my art. So I wanted to let you know because I might be back late, and I know you are prone to worrying about me." He winked.

Madeleine laughed, shaking her head. "I worry about you because I know how you are, you aren't exactly the most responsible Bridgerton."

"I disagree! I think Anthony might learn a thing or two from me and my endless bounds of maturity."

"In your dreams, Stubbs." Madeleine giggled, sipping on her cup of tea. She looked up at him suddenly, a serious expression on her face now. He narrowed his eyebrows.

"I can see there is a question brooding behind those eyes. Get on with it." He chuckled, popping a pastry into his mouth.

"Well.. I am wondering if I might join you at Sir Granville's. I do not want to impose but a night away from all of this sounds rather pleasant. I love your family dearly but this house seems to serve as a reminder of the week's events." She bit her lip, watching him with hopeful eyes.

Benedict sighed, shaking his head. "I do not think that is the best idea, Mads. These parties get rather.. scandalous, and I would not feel good about you being there."

"Oh come on, Benedict, I can protect myself well enough, especially with a big, strong Bridgerton by my side." She winked, making him chuckle. "Plus, you promised you'd show me what you've been working on and this is the perfect opportunity to do so. Please?" She grabbed his hand, giving him her best puppy eyes.

He groaned, leaning his head back. "You know I can not refuse you when you look at me like that." She smirked softly, that being precisely the reason she did it. "Fine, you may accompany me tonight. But if you feel at all unsafe or uncomfortable, you must tell me immediately and we will leave. And if anybody tries to make you drink or do anything you do not wish to do-" Madeleine cut him off, squeezing his hand.

"Benedict, I appreciate your concern but I will be fine. This will be a wonderful thing." She beamed and he grinned back. He had to admit it would be nice to have Madeleine there, another friendly face among the crowd. And he had been dying to show her his latest piece, it was perhaps the most special painting he had ever done.

"All right then, be ready at 8." He smirked and stood, leaving to meet Anthony in his study. She smiled to herself, feeling rather excited.

Madeleine spent the next hour or so with the children before heading up to Benedict's room to get ready.

About forty minutes later, she heard a knock on the door and Benedict entered.

"You look quite lovely. Are you ready to go?" He held out his arm and she smiled, standing and taking his arm. The two walked down the hallway and Madeleine looked around nervously.

"How will we get out of here without anyone seeing us?" Violet would be beyond angry with her son if she knew where he wandered off to so often, and even more so if she discovered he was taking Madeleine.

"Relax, Oly, I have it all worked out. The children are all in bed and mother likes to read for an hour before sleeping. Anthony is buried in financial paperwork and Colin, well he will not tell a soul if he sees us." He smirked and Madeleine gave him an impressed look as he escorted her outside.

It was a fairly warm night and the walk to the Granville house was not far. The streets were almost entirely empty, they usually were at this time of the evening. The pair chatted as they walked, Benedict preparing her for what to expect at the party.

"There will be plenty of half-dressed people, and even some completely nude people. Try not to stare too long." He smirked, making her laugh. "Almost every person you encounter will be drunk, especially the men. Sir Granville is very kind, you know that already, and he will show us to the gallery. It is usually much quieter and more peaceful than the rest of the house."

Madeleine nodded, taking it all in as he continued to tell her about the parties. Soon, they reached the house and Benedict knocked on the door, Sir Granville answering after a few moments.

"Benedict, you've brought a friend! This is a surprise. This one here is usually a lone wolf, the mysterious solemn artist of our parties." Granville winked at the girl, guiding the two inside.

"I hope it is okay that I am here, Sir Granville. Your house is lovely." Madeleine smiled warmly at him.

"Oh nonsense, the more the merrier!" The man had clearly already had quite a bit to drink and he showed the two inside before departing to tend to his host duties. Madeleine and Benedict walked down the hallway and Benedict wrapped his arm around her waist, protectively pulling her closer into his side as older men gawked at her. He leaned down to her ear.

"Do not leave my side tonight, do you understand?" He whispered, his voice was serious. Madeline shivered a bit as his warm breath hit her neck. She nodded and smiled up at him, assuring him with her eyes that she would do as he said. She was grateful he was holding her so close, for the men's shameless stares made a chill run up her body. She had become accustomed to being looked at, her mother told her it was simply something she would have to get used to as a lady. But this was different than any ball or social gathering, the men looked at her with hungry eyes, licking their lips and running their eyes down her body. Benedict did not like it either, and his grip on her waist tightened each time a man would look at her for too long. She was extremely grateful when they reached the gallery and the two entered, Benedict closing the door behind them.

"You were not wrong about these parties, they are quite scandalous indeed." She laughed, looking around the gallery. "This is a beautiful room, I can see why you enjoy it so."

Benedict watched her, admiring her face as she gazed at the paintings on the wall in awe. "Yes, it is quite a room. It is hard to find inspiration within the same four walls of my bedroom every day, so it is always nice to come here and be inspired by the wonderful pieces Granville has collected."

She smiled and nodded, walking over to a painting of a meadow, two horses grazing at the distance. Her heart strings tugged as she read the painter's name, although she already knew it was his piece the moment she saw it. George Stubbs. He was her mother's favorite artist and his paintings decorated every room of their house.

Benedict smiled softly and walked over to her, standing beside her and looking at the painting. "Stubbs was a wonderful artist, I can see why your mother liked his pieces so."

Madeleine smiled and nodded. "He certainly had a way of making the viewer feel as though they were actually inside the painting. Mother has told me that when I was young, I used to sit by the paintings and talk to the horses as though they were real." She giggled. Benedict laughed, shaking his head. He was not surprised by this at all.

He smirked and took her hand and pulled her to the other side of the room where a single easel stood. She gasped.

"Am I finally going to see the works of the infamous Benedict Bridgerton?" She teased and he laughed, throwing his head back. He winked at her before sitting her down so that she could not see the easel, flipping through the pages to find a good one to show her.

"Benedict, I am sure they are all wonderful. I am quite an impatient person if you haven't noticed, I want to see!!" She pleaded, making him laugh.

"All right, settle down. Here, this one is not horrible." He turned the easel so she could see it, setting one of the canvases face down on the chair behind him. Madeleine's lips parted as she studied the painting in awe. It was a beautiful garden, and the detailing was impeccable.

"Not horrible? Benedict, this is incredible!" She smiled up at him. "You have come a very long way since the last time you showed me your art." He smiled back and shook his head humbly.

"You are too kind to me. Here, this is another one I finished recently." He continued to show her three or four more, all of which she absolutely loved. She could not believe he didn't see the potential in his art that she and everybody else saw.

"And what is that one?" She raised an eyebrow, pointing to the canvas he had put face down on the chair. He sighed and stood, walking over to picked it up. He kept it facing him and walked back over to Madeleine, the girl standing up to meet him. His eyes were serious now, and he carefully handed her the canvas. It was much bigger than the others, and she gave him a curious look before looking down at the painting.

Her heart melted as she was met with an intricate and gorgeous portrait of her mother, and she felt her breath escape her as she stared at it, admiring the piece. Her mother was in their backyard, with a lavender plant held to her nose. Her eyes were closed and there was a delicate smile on her face. Madeleine's eyes teared up as she stared at it. It was absolutely perfect. Lavender was her mother's favorite, she adored the purple flowers and the calming scent.

Benedict watched the girl with nervous eyes as she studied the piece, and she looked up to him after a few moments, speechless.

"Benedict, I... I do not know what to say. This is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. It is.. It is incredible. You are incredible." She smiled warmly at him, feeling so much love for the man. She couldn't believe he made this for her. He smiled back at her softly, the two not looking away from each other's eyes. They didn't need to speak, each of them knew what the other was thinking.

Madeleine's gaze slowly drifted down to his lips, then back up to his blue eyes. He took her hand intertwining their fingers and stepping closer to her. His eyes mirrored hers, glancing at her lips before focusing back on her eyes. His hand found its way to her cheek, gently stroking her face with his thumb before tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. Her heart was racing as she stared into his eyes, and she found herself subconsciously leaning into his touch. Their faces were much closer now, and she felt her nose brush against his, their lips only a few inches apart.

Before she knew it, she pressed her lips against his. He kissed her back, a soft but passionate kiss, pulling her closer to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, wanting to be as close to him as she could as he deepened the kiss. His hand ran through her hair while the other held her cheek before drifting down to the side of her neck as he continued to kiss her. The two broke away after a moment, neither one able to breathe. He rested his forehead on hers, staring into her eyes as they both breathed heavily. Madeleine's legs felt like jelly beneath her, she could not believe what was happening right now.

Benedict smirked softly at her adorable in-awe expression, and he couldn't resist from kissing her again. He trailed his lips down to her jawline, peppering kisses all over, before moving down to her neck.

"I have been wanting to kiss you for so long." He whispered, his warm breath against her neck.

"As have I."

He raised his head, looking up at her in surprise. She giggled shyly before reaching up and gently brushing a stray curl out of his face. He smirked and shook his head, bringing his lips to her once again. Their tongues danced around each other and she tangled her fingers in his soft hair, pulling him closer. He gripped her waist, hands wandering around her body, before he trailed down to her neck, continuing his kisses. She moaned softly in delight and he smirked against her skin.

"Is this really the best idea?" She blurted out, making Benedict groan against her skin. Nevertheless, he continued his assault of her neck and she giggled.

"I just mean, what if someone finds us here?"

"Nobody will find us here." He muttered against her neck, leaving a few marks he knew she would be angry with him for in the morning.

"Well, what if they do? My honor will be tarnished and-" Benedict sighed, stopping his movements and raising his head to look at her.

"If somebody finds us here, I will marry you tomorrow. Now shut up and let me kiss you." He smirked. She beamed up at him and nodded, absolutely elated. She placed her hand on the back of his head, pulling him in and pressing her lips against his once again.