"I want to do the procedure." Madeleine stated, immediately after Lord Lennox had finished describing how it worked. Benedict looked at her with wide eyes, surprised by her lack of hesitation.

"Please, take some time to think about it. This procedure has many risks and it is important that you do not decide on impulse." The doctor advised, taking off his gloves and discarding of them. Madeleine looked up at Benedict with desperation in her eyes.

"This is our best chance, Ben. I will not terminate this child, I can not do it. If we wish to have a baby then this is our only option." She pleaded, sitting up and taking his hands in hers. Benedict sighed and stroked her hand gently with this thumb, watching her with worried eyes.

"Lord Lennox, these risks you speak of, what precisely are they?" Benedict raised his eyebrows, looking to the man.

"If the fetus is moved too hastily or improperly, we risk cutting off the flow of blood and oxygen. In a case where this occurs, we would remove the fetus from the womb in order to keep the mother alive."

"So, even if there are complications, I will be okay?" Madeleine bit her lip nervously as she watched him.

"There is a very good chance, yes. As with all procedures, it is not one hundred percent certain." The doctor cautioned, sitting down at his desk facing the two. Madeleine looked back up at Benedict.

"I want to do the procedure. If I will likely be all right and there is a chance this could save our baby, we must do the procedure." Benedict sighed and smoothed her hair back, nodding.

"You are right. We will do the procedure." He kissed her forehead before turning to the doctor and nodding.

"It is settled, then. Come back tonight, after all the town has gone inside to their houses, and we will be ready for you." The doctor stood up, shaking Benedict's hand and bidding them farewell. Madeleine smoothed out her dress and stood up, taking Benedict's arm as he led her out of the building.

-

When they returned later that night, both Benedict and Madeleine were filled with nerves. They hardly spoke, their minds racing with all of the different possible outcomes of this situation. When they reached Lord Lennox's building, Benedict stopped walking and turned to Madeleine.

"You are entirely sure of this, yes?" He watched her with concerned eyes. She smiled softly and nodded.

"I am, I truly believe it is our best chance." She placed her hand on his cheek in a reassuring manner before the two entered the building. The housekeeper directed them to the same room upstairs, where two men and three ladies were waiting.

"Welcome back. Are you ready, Lady Bridgerton?" Lord Lennox gave her a warm smile. She took a deep breath, nodding quickly.

"Very well then, please change into this gown and let us know when you are finished." Lord Lennox ushered the others out of the room to give the two privacy.

Benedict moved behind Madeleine, gently brushing her hair to the side. His fingers trembled slightly as he began to unlace her corset for her. She gazed at all of the tools that decorated the room, laid neatly on trays around the chair. She felt Benedict's cold fingers on her shoulder as he gently turned her to face him, helping her out of the dress. She donned the gown that Lord Lennox had laid out, moving to take a seat on the chair.

Benedict stopped her movements, taking her hand and bringing her closer to him. He sighed as he brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, looking down at her.

"Do not die on me, do you understand?" His tone was playful, but she could tell it was merely a mask to hide the fear that coated his voice. She smiled softly and wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him into a hug.

"I would not dream of it. You are stuck with me forever, Benny." She giggled softly and he chuckled, wrapping his arms tightly around her. He pulled away after a moment and lifted her face to his, pressing a firm but sweet kiss on her lips.

"I love you so much." He whispered, resting his forehead against hers. She smiled adoringly and gently ran her fingers through his hair.

"I love you too. Always and forever." She kissed him once more before pulling away and taking a seat on the bed. Benedict stepped outside to let the group know they were ready, all following him back into the room.

"You are welcome to wait outside if you would like-" Benedict did not even let the man finish his sentence before he refused, shaking his head and pulling up a chair next to Madeleine's head as she laid back. He took her left hand in both of his, squeezing it reassuringly. She smiled at him before looking back to the doctor as he spoke.

Lord Lennox was going on about the specificities of the procedure and how it would work, but Benedict could not hear him above the pounding of his heart. He had been in several situations in which he felt such debilitating fear, but none of those situations quite matched up to this. He held her hand tightly, silently praying that she would be okay.

Madeleine shifted uncomfortably as Lord Lennox placed his chair between her legs, instructing her to put each foot into one of the stirrups. As he began his procedure, she thought to herself that it was not as bad as she predicted it might be. Her mind was changed, however, when she suddenly felt a great deal of pain. She squeezed Benedict's hands tightly as she cried out in pain, shutting her eyes. Benedict's head snapped to the doctor with a worried expression.

"It is all right, pain is to be expected in this procedure. Everything is just fine." One of the other men assured him and he nodded, turning back to Madeleine.

"Look at me, my love. Focus on my voice." He whispered, lifting one hand to gently stroke her cheek. "You are going to be just fine, the pain will pass. I am here with you and I will not let anything happen to you."

Madeleine's pain seemed to somehow lessen as she focused on his voice, staring into his kind eyes. She squeezed his hand, urging him to continue. And so, he did. For the remainder of the procedure, Benedict spoke to her in order to calm her. He spoke about their future, their plans for Aubrey Hall, names for their children, anything he could think of to keep her mind off the pain. He did not know how long he had been rambling on when the doctor finally sat up, but it had felt like hours.

"The baby has successfully been repositioned, Lord Bridgerton." He smiled at the boy, removing his gloves and helping Madeleine to sit up. Benedict let out a breath of relief and turned to Madeleine, cupping her face with his hands.

"Oh, you did it, my love. You did it." He whispered, gently wiping away the tears that fell down her cheeks. She smiled brightly and placed her hands over his, tears of joy streaming down both of their cheeks. He rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes, both relishing in the fact that everything turned out okay.