Chapter 10: Reunion and Revelation
Benedict was a bundle of nerves in his study, clutching the dreadful letter that had shattered his world. His beloved Ingrid Whittington had been snatched by the vile Lord Ashford and run over by a carriage. She was gravely wounded, and he had no idea where she was. He had to find her, before he lost her forever.
He heard a knock on the door, and quickly hid the letter. He opened the door, and saw his three brothers standing there: Anthony, Colin, and Gregory. They looked at him with worry and wonder.
"Brothers, I'm glad you're here. I need your help," Benedict said.
"What's wrong, Ben? You look like you've seen a ghost," Anthony said.
"Is everything okay?" Colin asked.
"Did something happen?" Gregory wondered.
Benedict sighed, and showed them the letter. "Read this," he said.
The three brothers read the letter one by one, their faces turning from shock to rage to disbelief.
"Bloody hell," Anthony swore.
"This is atrocious," Colin spat.
"This is unbelievable," Gregory gasped.
The letter was from an unknown source, who claimed to have seen Ingrid get hit by a carriage and didn't know if she survived.
"Benedict, this is terrible. We have to do something," Anthony said.
"I agree. We have to find Ingrid and rescue her," Colin said.
"But how? We don't know where she is," Gregory said.
"That's why I need your help. We have to find out where she is. We have to search every place, question every person, follow every clue," Benedict said.
"Benedict, are you sure this letter is true? It could be a lie or a trap," Anthony said.
"I'm sure it's true. I love Ingrid, and she loves me. She would never go with Ashford by choice." Benedict said.
"Benedict, we didn't know you were in love with Ingrid. Why didn't you tell us?" Colin asked.
"I wanted to keep our relationship a secret, until we were sure of our feelings. We planned to announce it at Daphne's dinner party . But now, everything has changed. Now, I don't care what anyone thinks or says. I just want Ingrid back." Benedict said.
"Benedict, we understand. We are happy for you and Ingrid. And we are sorry for what happened to her. We will help you find her and bring her back safely," Gregory said.
"Thank you, brothers. You are the best brothers a man could have," Benedict said.
"You're welcome, brother. We are family, and we stick together," Anthony said.
"Well then, let's not waste any more time. Let's go and find Ingrid Whittington," Colin said.
The four brothers hugged each other briefly, then grabbed their coats and hats and headed out of the door. They were determined to find Ingrid Whittington and bring her home.
~
Benedict gazed at the fireplace, feeling numb and hopeless. He had spent weeks looking for Ingrid, but she and Ashford had vanished without a trace. He had followed every lead, every source, every clue, but they all led to dead ends. He had no clue where she was, or if she was still alive.
He felt a soft touch on his shoulder, and looked up. He saw his mother, Violet Bridgerton, sitting beside him. She gave him a smile that was both sad and tender.
"Hello, my love. How are you holding up today?" she asked.
Benedict sighed, and shook his head. "Not well, Mother. Not well at all," he said.
Violet nodded, and wrapped her arm around him. "I know, my dear. I know. It's been a very difficult time for you. And for all of us," she said.
Benedict rested his head on her shoulder, and felt a tear trickle down his cheek. "I miss her so much, Mother. I love her so much. I don't know how to live without her," he said.
Violet caressed his hair, and kissed his forehead. "I know, my love. I know. She's a wonderful girl. And you're a wonderful boy. You two are meant for each other. And I'm sure you'll find her someday. You can't lose hope," she said.
Benedict sniffed, and wiped his eyes. "But how, Mother? How can I find her? Where can I look? Who can I trust? It seems like everyone is against us," he said.
Violet shook her head, and smiled gently. "Not everyone, my dear. Not everyone. You have your family. You have your brothers. You have your friends. You have me. We're all here for you. We're all on your side. We'll help you in any way we can," she said.
Benedict looked at her with gratitude and affection. "Thank you, Mother. Thank you for being here for me. Thank you for being so kind and supportive," he said.
Violet hugged him tightly, and whispered in his ear. "You're welcome, my love. You're welcome. You're my son, and I love you more than anything in the world," she said.
They heard a knock on the door, and turned their heads. They saw Benedict's four sisters standing there: Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, and Hyacinth. They looked at him with concern and sympathy.
"Hello, Ben," Daphne said.
"Can we come in?" Eloise asked.
"We brought you something," Francesca said.
"We want to cheer you up," Hyacinth said.
Benedict smiled weakly, and nodded. "Of course, come in," he said.
The four sisters entered the room, carrying a large basket filled with various items: books, paintings, flowers, chocolates, letters, and more.
"We thought you might like some of these things," Daphne said.
"They're some of your favorites," Eloise said.
"They're also some of Ingrid's favorites," Francesca said.
"We hope they'll remind you of her," Hyacinth said.
Benedict looked at the basket with surprise and delight. He recognized some of the items as gifts that he or Ingrid had given or received from each other.
"Thank you, sisters. Thank you for being so thoughtful and generous," he said.
The four sisters smiled warmly, and hugged him one by one.
"You're welcome, Ben," Daphne said.
"We love you, Ben," Eloise said.
"We miss Ingrid too," Francesca said.
"We'll find her soon," Hyacinth said.
Benedict felt a wave of emotion in his chest. He felt loved and cared for by his family. He felt hopeful and optimistic about finding Ingrid again.
He looked at his mother and sisters with gratitude and admiration.
"Thank you all for being here for me," he said.
They all smiled back at him with affection and encouragement.
"We're always here for you," they said in unison.
~
Days Later Benedict was sitting in his study, staring at a map of the city. He heard a knock on the door, and looked up. He saw his brother, Anthony, standing there with a serious expression.
"Ben, I need to talk to you," Anthony said.
Benedict frowned, and gestured for him to come in. "What is it, Anthony?" he asked.
Anthony closed the door behind him, and walked over to Benedict's desk. He took a deep breath, and said, "I think I've found Ingrid."
Benedict felt his heart skip a beat. He jumped up from his chair, and grabbed Anthony's arm. "What? Where? How?" he asked.
Anthony looked at him with sympathy and caution. "She's at St. Mary's Hospital. She was admitted there about three weeks ago, under the name of Jane Smith. She was found unconscious on the side of the road, with a broken leg and a head injury. She had no identification on her, and no one claimed her."
Benedict felt a surge of relief and joy. He had found her. She was alive. She was here. He hugged Anthony tightly, and thanked him profusely.
"Thank you, Anthony. Thank you so much. How did you find her? How did you know it was her?" he asked.
Anthony smiled slightly, and said, "I have my sources. And I recognized her from your description.
I came here to tell you this in person."
Benedict looked at him with confusion and curiosity. "What do you mean?" he asked.
Anthony sighed, and said, "Ben, there's something else you need to know. Something that might not be easy to hear."
Benedict felt a pang of fear in his chest. He sensed that something was wrong.
"What is it, Anthony? What's wrong?" he asked.
"Ingrid has amnesia and doesn't remember anything or anyone, including you."
~
Violet Bridgerton came to Whittington House with a letter from her son Benedict in her hand. She was met by Lord and Lady Whittington and their three daughters: Clara, Esme, and Adelaide. They welcomed her with curiosity and worry.
"Good afternoon, Lady Bridgerton. What a pleasure to see you. Please, come in," Lord Whittington said.
"Thank you, Lord Whittington. I have some urgent news to share with you," Violet said.
"Is everything all right?" Lady Whittington asked.
"Is it about Ingrid?" Clara asked.
"Where is she?" Esme asked.
"Is she coming back?" Adelaide asked.
Violet sighed, and nodded.
"Yes, it is about Ingrid. And no, she is not coming back. Not yet, at least. Please, let me explain," she said.
She took them to the drawing room, where they sat down on the sofa. She gave them the letter from Benedict, and saw their expressions change from confusion to horror to disbelief. The letter was from an unknown source, who claimed to have seen the kidnapping of Ingrid Whittington by Lord Ashford. The letter told how Lord Ashford had hired some ruffians to snatch Ingrid from a park, where she had been with Benedict. The letter also said that Lord Ashford had taken Ingrid to a hidden place, where he planned to force her to marry him or elope with him.
"Oh, my God," Lord Whittington exclaimed.
"This is awful," Lady Whittington cried.
"This is impossible," Esme said.
"This is outrageous," Clara said.
Violet shook her head, and tried to comfort them. "No, no, no. This is not anyone's fault but Lord Ashford's. He is the one who did this. He is the one who should be blamed and punished," she said.
"But why? Why would he do this?" Lord Whittington asked.
"I don't know, Lord Whittington. I don't know what goes on in his mind. But I do know that he is a cruel and selfish man, who cares nothing for Ingrid or anyone else but himself," Violet said.
"What are we going to do? How are we going to find her? How are we going to save her?" Lady Whittington asked.
"That's why I'm here, Lady Whittington. To tell you that Benedict has been looking for her for weeks, with the help of his brothers and his friends. He has not given up hope of finding her and bringing her back safely," Violet said.
"Benedict? Benedict Bridgerton? Why would he look for her? What does he have to do with this?" Clara asked.
Violet smiled sadly, and looked at them with sincerity and honesty. "Because he loves her, Clara. Because he loves her more than anything in the world. And because she loves him too," she said.
The Whittington's looked at her with surprise and curiosity. "What do you mean? How do you know?" Lord Whittington asked.
"Because Benedict my son told me so, Lord Whittington. Because he told me everything. They have been been together since after the ball, they wanted to keep their relationship a secret, until they were ready to announce it which they were going to at the dinner party. But now, everything has changed. Now, he doesn't care what anyone thinks or says. He just wants Ingrid back in his arms," Violet said.
The Whittington's looked at each other with mixed emotions: shock, disbelief, confusion, anger, sadness, but also relief, joy, hope, and happiness.
"Is this true? Is this really true?" Lady Whittington asked.
"Yes, Lady Whittington. It is true. It is the most true thing I have ever known," Violet said.
She reached out her hand, and held theirs tightly. "Please, believe me. Please, trust me. Please, help me. Help me help them find each other again," she said.
The Whittington's nodded slowly, and squeezed her hand back. "Of course, Lady Bridgerton. Of course we will help you," Lord Whittington said. "We believe you. We trust you. We We thank you," Lady Whittington said.
"We love Ingrid. We want her to be happy," Clara said.
"We love Benedict. We want him to be happy too," Adelaide said.
"We love them both. We want them to be together," Esme said.
Violet smiled warmly, and hugged them all.
"Thank you, Whittington's. Thank you for being so kind and supportive. Thank you for being my friends," she said.
They all smiled back at her with affection and gratitude.
"Thank you, Lady Bridgerton. Thank you for being our friend too," Mrs. Whittington said.
~
Ingrid blinked her eyes open, feeling a dull ache in her head and leg. She saw a woman in a white uniform leaning over her, smiling with relief.
"Oh, thank goodness! You're finally awake! How are you feeling?" the woman asked, sounding like a nurse.
Ingrid tried to move, but winced as pain shot through her body. "Ow! What happened to me?" she croaked.
The nurse's smile faded, and she looked at Ingrid with pity. "You've been in a terrible accident, my dear. A very terrible accident."
"Accident? What accident?" Ingrid asked, feeling confused.
The nurse sighed and took Ingrid's hand. "You were abducted by a rogue who pretended to be your lover."
"Abducted? By my lover?" Ingrid repeated, feeling more confused.
"Yes, my dear. He whisked you away in a carriage and planned to elope with you."
"Elope with me? To where?" Ingrid asked, feeling curious.
"We don't know, my dear." the nurse said. "You were found on the side of the road and brought in by a stranger who saw you jump out of one carriage and get hit by another."
"Hit by another carriage?" Ingrid gasped.
"Yes, my dear. And then, you were stomped by the horses."
"Stomped by the horses?" Ingrid echoed, feeling stunned.
"Yes, my dear. And then, you were brought here."
"Brought here? To this hospital?"
"Yes, my dear. To this hospital. St. Mary's Hospital."
"And then?" Ingrid asked.
"And then, you slipped into a coma, my dear. A very deep coma."
"A coma? For how long?"
"For several weeks, my dear. Several long weeks."
"Weeks? I've been here for weeks?"
"Yes, my dear. You've been here for weeks."
"But... I don't remember anything. I don't remember who I am. I don't remember where I came from. I don't remember why I was abducted. I don't remember who wanted to save me."
"That's normal, my dear. You have amnesia, my dear. A very severe amnesia."
"Amnesia? What's that?"
"It's a loss of memory, my dear. A very tragic loss of memory."
"Oh..." Ingrid said, feeling sorrowful.
"Don't worry, my dear. It's not permanent. You'll recover your memory soon."
"I will?"
"Yes, my dear. You will."
"How do you know?"
The nurse smiled and squeezed Ingrid's hand. "I know because I've seen many cases like yours, my dear. And because you have a loving family who has been praying for you every day."
"Family?" Ingrid asked, feeling hopeful.
"Yes, my dear. Your family. Your parents and your three younger sisters. They're here to see you."
"They are?" Ingrid asked, feeling excited.
"Yes, my dear. They are. They've been waiting for this moment for so long. They're outside the door right now. Do you want to see them?"
"Yes, yes, I do!" Ingrid said, feeling eager.
The nurse nodded and got up from her seat. She walked to the door and opened it slightly. She peeked outside and said, "You can come in now."
The door opened wider, and five figures enter the room. Ingrid saw a man and a woman who looked like older versions of herself, and three girls who looked like younger versions of herself.
They rushed to Ingrid's bedside, tears in their eyes. They hugged her and kissed her and called her by name.
"Ingrid! Ingrid! Our darling Ingrid!"
"Mom? Dad? Is that you?" Ingrid asked, feeling overwhelmed.
"Yes, my dear. It's us. It's Mom and Dad." the Mrs. Whittington said, stroking Ingrid's hair.
"We're so happy to see you, sweetheart." Mr. Whittington said, holding Ingrid's hand.
"And we're your sisters, Ingrid." the girls say, smiling at Ingrid.
"Sisters? I have sisters?" Ingrid asked, feeling amazed.
"Yes, my dear. You have sisters. Three of them. This is Clara, this is Esme, and this is Adelaide." her mother said, pointing at each girl.
"Hello, Ingrid. We're so glad you're okay." Clara said
"We've missed you so much, Ingrid." Esme said
"We love you very much, Ingrid." Adelaide said
Ingrid looked at them all with wonder and gratitude. She felt a warm sensation in her chest, a feeling she couldn't quite name.
"Thank you for coming to see me." she said softly.
"Of course we came to see you, my dear." her mother said. "You're my daughter. You're their sister. You're our family."
Ingrid smiled and felt a tear roll down her cheek. She didn't remember them, but she felt a connection to them. She felt like she belonged with them.
"Benedict is waiting for you." Your father says.
Ingrid frowned and shook her head. "Benedict? Who's Benedict?" she asked.
Her sisters gasped and exchanged shocked looks. They couldn't believe that Ingrid had forgotten about Benedict, the most handsome and charming man in town.
"Only your one true love." Adelaide said dreamily.
"Yes, your one true love." Clara gushed. "The man who's been looking everywhere for you since the accident."
Ingrid felt a pang of curiosity. She wanted to know more about this mysterious man who had captured her heart.
"What does he look like?" she asked.
"He has dark brown hair and blue eyes." Adelaide said. "He's tall and muscular, with a handsome face and a dazzling smile."
"He's a true gentleman." Clara said. "He's kind and generous, smart and witty, brave and loyal."
"He's madly in love with you." Esme said. "And you're madly in love with him."
Ingrid felt a flutter of excitement. She wanted to meet this wonderful man who had made her feel so happy.
"Where is he?" she asked.
"He's outside the door right now." Esme said. "He came as soon as he heard that you woke up."
"Do you want to see him?" Adelaide asked.
Ingrid nodded eagerly. She wanted to see him. She wanted to remember him.
The nurse smiled and got up from her seat. She walked to the door and opened it slightly. She peeked outside and said, "You can come in now."
Benedict felt his heart race as he entered the room. He saw Ingrid, lying on a bed, bandaged and bruised. He felt a surge of relief and joy, mixed with fear and worry. He rushed to her side, and gently called her name.
"Ingrid, Ingrid, it's me, Benedict. I'm here to take you home," he said.
He reached for her hand, but she pulled it away. She looked at him with confusion and fear. She didn't recognize him at all.
"Who are you?" she asked.
Benedict felt his heart sink. He couldn't believe that Ingrid had forgotten him and their love. He wondered if she would ever remember him again.
"Ingrid, don't be afraid. It's me, Benedict Bridgerton. We're in love, remember?" he said.
He showed her his drawings of her and poems about her.
"Please, Ingrid, please remember me." he begged.
Ingrid shook her head, and tears filled her eyes. She didn't remember anything. She didn't know who he was, or who she was. She had lost her memory in the accident.
"I don't know you. I don't know anything." she said.
Benedict felt his heart break. He couldn't give up on her, not after everything they had been through. He decided to stay with her, and try to jog her memory. He told her stories about their past, showed her pictures of their families and friends, and read her favorite books. He hoped that something would spark a recognition in her eyes, a smile on her lips, a warmth in her heart.
But nothing worked. Ingrid remained distant. She felt alone and lost in a world she didn't understand.
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