"Write to me as soon as you get a chance, dearest. I would like to know how everything goes." Violet gave her son a stern look and he nodded.

"Of course, Mother. I shall keep you updated." He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before following Madeleine into the carriage.

There was palpable tension in the air as the two sat in the carriage, both slightly upset with the other. Madeleine could not understand how Benedict would be so willing to terminate the pregnancy, to end their baby's life. Benedict, on the other hand, was appalled by Madeleine's willingness to go through with a pregnancy she knew would likely kill her. Both felt as though the other was being rather selfish.

About an hour into the ride, Benedict glanced over at Madeleine. She stared out the window, her hands clasped together in her lap. He did not miss the way her fingers fidgeted and the anxiety radiating off of her body. He bit his lip, wanting to hold her hand and tell her that it would be okay. Instead, he simply turned to look out the opposite window, staring out with a defeated look on his face.

He could not imagine what his life would be like without Madeleine in it. She had always been a part of him long before they had even realized their feelings for one another. He knew that he could not bear to live in a world in which she did not exist.

Madeleine glanced over at him when he turned away, eyeing his slightly slumped shoulders and the frown on his face. She felt guilty for being angry with him, but not quite guilty enough to agree to terminate the pregnancy. She subconsciously placed a hand on her bump, thinking about the little life growing in there. She and Benedict had wanted so badly for a child and she was absolutely willing to risk her life if it meant finally achieving that. She looked back over to him, sighing softly as she watched him.

"Benedict?" Her voice was a whisper, and his head snapped up at the sound of his name. She scooted closer to him, watching him with tentative eyes.

"I do not like fighting with you." She took his hand in hers, staring into his eyes. He sighed and rubbed his thumb slowly over the back of her hand.

"Nor do I." He leaned forward and kissed her forehead slowly and she subconsciously leaned into his touch.

"Could you at least try to understand where I am coming from? I can not lose another baby." Her voice was shaky as she looked up at him.

"Madeleine, I can not lose you. My world is entirely pointless without you by my side. If you were to have this baby and it killed you, I could not face it. I could not ever look at the face of our child without feeling the pain of losing you all over again." He sighed, squeezing her hand. "I know it would be absolutely torturous to live through another loss but if it meant I could still spend the rest of my life with you, then I would take that any day."

She frowned softly, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Maybe this expert, whoever he is, maybe he will find a solution for us, and for our baby." She whispered. He smiled softly and nodded, wrapping his arm around her.

"Yes, maybe he will. We can not push each other away though, no matter the outcome. We must stick together, okay?" He rested his head on hers.

"Okay, I promise." She pressed a soft kiss to his jawline before nuzzling her head into the crook of his neck. They had left in the middle of the night so that the majority of the ride would be in daylight. Neither had realized how truly exhausted they were as the gentle bouncing of the carriage caused them to doze off in each other's arms.

By the time the carriage finally reached Wales, both were absolutely spent from the long ride. Benedict sighed in relief and got out of the carriage, helping Madeleine out and grabbing their bag.

"I do not think I can ride in another carriage for years after this trip." Madeleine exhaled, glad to finally stretch her legs. Benedict chuckled and nodded in agreement, guiding her inside the inn. Once they had received their room and gotten settled, it was nearly eleven in the evening.

"Our best chance is to meet the doctor bright and early tomorrow, love. Let us get some rest." Benedict kissed her forehead, both changing into their night clothes and laying down. Madeleine rested her head on his chest as he wrapped his arms around her, sighing softly. She was filled with relentless worry about what the doctor might say. Her mind was racing madly as she finally managed to fall asleep.

At seven in the morning, Benedict knocked on the door of the address Doctor Phillips had given him. It was just on the outskirts of the city, and it looked to be some sort of office building.

"Good morning. How can I help you?" A lady stood in the doorway, a tray of tea in her hand.

"Good morning. We were hoping to meet with Lord Lennox, we were sent by Doctor Phillips of London." He nodded politely.

"I am afraid Lord Lennox is rather busy this morning, it would be best if you try again later in the week." The lady stated, moving to close the door before Benedict quickly stopped it with his hand.

"We need to see Lord Lennox immediately, madam. We have traveled over a day from London and it is a rather dire manner which we need to discuss." Benedict raised his eyebrows, pleading with her. She sighed and hesitantly nodded, opening the door and instructing them to wait while she let him know. Madeleine looked around, biting her lip nervously.

"This does not exactly look like a medical institution, Ben. Are we sure this is the right place?" She gazed around at the various statues and caricatures that decorated the hall. Benedict pulled the slip of paper out of his pocket and nodded in confirmation.

"This is the address Phillips gave me. I assume this doctor, expert, whoever he is, must lay low if he is practicing such advanced medicine."

"That is correct, Sir. It would be rather dangerous for my reputation if somebody were to find out the specific customs of my practice." A man responded in a Scottish accent, walking in from the adjacent room. Benedict straightened up at his entrance, nodding to the man.

"Lord Lennox, I presume? Thank you for meeting with us. My name is Benedict Bridgerton and this is my wife, Madeleine." Madeleine smiled warmly at the man and he nodded at the two.

"Come, I suspect these dire matters of which you need to speak should be discussed in private." Lord Lennox began up the stairs, the two following him. He led them into an office and Madeleine nearly sighed in relief. This looked much more like a medical institution, rather than the garish appearance of the first floor. He gestured for her to sit on the chair in the middle of the room, closing the door.

"So, please enlighten me on the situation." He looked between the two, rolling up his sleeves to his elbows.

"Madeleine is nearly six months pregnant and our doctor has informed us that the baby is in a precarious position. He believes that if the pregnancy is carried to term, Madeleine will die. He told us that you specialize in miscarriage inducements but we were looking to get your opinion before we decide anything for certain." Benedict sighed, moving to stand beside Madeleine and taking her hand. Lord Lennox nodded, an apprehensive look on his face as he donned his gloves.

"I see, I am terribly sorry for the situation that you two are in. I shall certainly see what I can do." He pulled a chair up in front of Madeleine's, instructing her to lie back.

Benedict's heart swelled with worry as he watched the man work, holding Madeleine's hand tightly as she grimaced in discomfort.

Once the man was able to adequately assess the baby's position and status, he sat up straight and removed his gloves. The couple watched him with concerned eyes, waiting to hear his thoughts.

"This Doctor Phillips was right, I am afraid. The position of the fetus certainly poses a danger to the mother. However, there is still hope. There is talk of a method used to reposition the baby inside the womb, but I should warn you it has hardly been tested. In the few cases that have been tested, the mother and baby have made it out just fine. But there is always a risk, especially with such inexperienced practices." The man sighed, pulling out a piece of paper. Benedict and Madeleine looked at each other, confusion and fear covering their faces as they looked back to the man.

"This is how it is said to work." He began to demonstrate the procedure on the paper, drawing an anatomical diagram and explaining how exactly the baby would be repositioned.